Arne Slot couldn’t be faring much better as Liverpool head coach and he has shown his appreciation for the fans after the 4-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen.
The Reds tore Xabi Alonso’s Bundesliga champions apart in the Champions League on Tuesday night, scoring four goals in an unforgettable second half.
With each passing game, the more the supporters are taking to Slot, and speaking to the press after the game, he responded to Liverpool fans singing his Klopp-inspired song:
“It’s always better for a manager that this happens than when they start to boo! It’s special,” Slot said.
“It was special from the start and, therefore, I think I have to thank Jurgen [Klopp] because he was the one who came up with the song.
“I think this is more impressive today” ?
Arne Slot loving that Liverpool atmosphere at Anfield ? pic.twitter.com/wDoLkumY5N
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) November 5, 2024
“It is always special if you are a player if they sing for you. Some players get used to this – I didn’t, they only sung a few times for me in my playing career.
“That’s what you see a bit more [and] people singing for a manager is not that common, at least not in Holland but maybe here it happens a lot.”
Slot not taking things for granted
On the face of it, Slot has found it easy replacing Klopp, making the best-ever start by a Liverpool boss and inspiring his side to the top of the Premier League and Champions League tables.
The 46-year-old insisted that isn’t the case, however, especially as opposition sides can often raise their game at Anfield.
“No, no. Not at all. You only look at the results but Brighton last Saturday was a difficult one where we were 1-0 behind, we had to fight really hard – and I think that’s also what you saw today,” Slot added.
“We have to work really hard, play with an incredibly high intensity to win our games, and that has a lot to do with teams – I heard Bayer Leverkusen saying this as well – they think, and I have to agree with them, that Anfield is the best place to play in, one of the nicest stadiums to play in and against a very good team.
“So, every team that plays against us is in the top of their game. And if you want to win that, you always have to be consistent in your intensity, and that’s not always easy but that is what’s needed.
“And if we can keep producing that then it’s still not easy but then we get our wins in and that is what we want.”
What Slot is doing at Liverpool is remarkable, seamlessly filling the Klopp void and making supporters dream that something special could be on the horizon this season.
It is still early days – performances haven’t always been consistently convincing yet – but it does feel as though the Reds have nailed their appointment.
Slot is never going to be the charismatic one-off that Klopp is, but he is a big personality in his own right and you can feel the fans’ affection growing by the game.
Fourteen wins in his first 16 games, in all competitions, has far exceeded supporters’ expectations.
