At the end of the 2023-2024 season, Man City once again dominated English football with the Premier League title for the 6th time in the last 7 seasons. In the previous two seasons, the Citizens' rival in the two-horse race was Arsenal. Last season, Liverpool once formed a three-horse race, but in the end, The Kop fell quite early due to a storm of injuries and exhaustion from having to play in 4 arenas.
Jurgen Klopp's emotional farewell on the Anfield pitch left Liverpool fans with mixed feelings. They were happy and proud because the past 9 years with the German strategist left countless sublime emotions and all the titles that could be achieved. However, on the other hand, there was concern because the successor - Arne Slot - could maintain this golden period?
The answer is yes, even much better than the final stage of Jurgen Klopp at Anfield. The Kop fans are still surprised because they did not think that in just the first season leading the team, Arne Slot could help Liverpool fly high on the Premier League and Champions League rankings, leaving all the remaining opponents far behind.
In the domestic arena, while Man City is in decline, Chelsea and Arsenal are not up to the task, Liverpool alone reigns at the top. Looking at the European arena, the teams that have dominated for many years such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Man City... are all unstable, only Liverpool has maintained a winning streak after the first 6 matches of the qualifying round. It all seems like a beautiful dream after the Klopp era but that dream is true.
It is no coincidence that Arne Slot has achieved his current success. The Kop fans still compare what the Dutch captain received from his predecessor to a mansion with many expensive supercars. Slot entered that mansion and only needed to memorize the instructions for using the items to enjoy a luxurious life.
Yes, although many famous veterans have left under Klopp's reign such as Roberto Firmino or Sadio Mane, Liverpool still has a vertical axis of success. The 5 key factors are Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah. They are still there to continue the legacy of playing style, style and spirit for the next generation.
With a successful vertical axis, Arne Slot's job is to build new elements and further develop the existing abilities of those who are of the potential type left by Jurgen Klopp. Not just one, Slot has developed several cases. Ryan Gravenberch has completely transformed and become an irreplaceable pillar in the midfield. Luis Diaz has shone on the left wing, even shining in the center forward position when needed. Cody Gakpo is no longer a reserve option, the Dutch striker is the mainstay of the attack when continuously scoring goals.
Not only the front line, the defense has also been reinforced with the maturity of Ibrahima Konate. Under the hands of Arne Slot, Konate has gained more skills, worthy of being the perfect partner for Van Dijk. In addition to Alisson Becker, Caoimhin Kelleher is always ready to guard the goal and has achieved stable to high performance.
In addition, the slow approach to the match and the constant rotation of the squad have helped Slot and his students avoid the storm of injuries. Every year, the period from Christmas to the end of February is a crisis time for Liverpool when they lose almost the entire first team. While other opponents still have many players injured during the tourmalet period, Liverpool are almost immune. This has made a huge difference.
The ultimate success factor is Arne Slot's modesty, composure and initiative to learn. For the first time entering the toughest tournament on the planet, every word at the press conference or the way the 46-year-old coach interacted with the media was very gentle and respectful to the rest of the conversation. When many other strategists began to be attacked by the British media, Slot almost stayed out of the whole scandal, thereby having more time to focus on his expertise.
All these factors are creating a powerful Liverpool, both surprising and not surprising after the era of Jurgen Klopp. It is not impossible that Arne Slot will create a miracle by winning the Premier League, Champions League or both in his first season leading The Kop.
