Arne Slot has been remarkably told he will be the Liverpool manager for just two years with Michael Edwards reportedly already casting his eyes over a talented Belgian as his successor and with criticism mounting on the Reds for their decision to opt for the Feyenoord boss.
The Reds are now just two weeks away from saying a final farewell to the hugely-popular Jurgen Klopp, who will lead Liverpool out for the final time in their Premier League encounter against Wolves at Anfield on Sunday May 19. And having guided the Merseysiders to seven major honours in just over eight-and-a-half years at the helm, Klopp will prove a hugely-difficult figure to replace.
Getting that next manager right has been put into the hands of Edwards – back at Anfield in a shiny new CEO of football role – who has undergone a meticulous hunt for the German’s successor.
And while Xabi Alonso soon ruled himself out of the running, Liverpool ultimately settled on Slot, having decided the Feyenoord coach was a better fit for their project than Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim, who was also assessed in great detail.
As a result, Liverpool can expect to formally announce the appointment of the 45-year-old Dutchman soon, with the Reds having already agreed a compensation package with Feyenoord for around £9m.
However, not everyone is a fan of the Dutchman, with a number of critics around his appointment quickly coming to the fore.
Perhaps the most vocal of those condemning Edwards’ choice is former Sky Sports anchor, Richard Keys, who has labelled Slot as ‘Ten Hag in disguise’.
Critics circling over next Liverpool manager Arne Slot
Hitting out at Slot, Keys stated: “I’m trying to put myself in the shoes of Liverpool fans. Am I excited? No. Am I surprised? Yes. I’m underwhelmed if I’m honest, seriously. I couldn’t give you the name of a Dutch manager who has succeeded in our league yet.
“There have been one or two, like [Guus] Hiddink or [Louis] van Gaal and Ruud Gullit, who have had limited success, but nobody over a period of time has had sustained success. I think he’s Erik ten Hag in disguise!”
Slot has won both the Eredivisie title and the KNVB Cup in the last two season, though former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves believes Liverpool deserve a better coach and a bigger name than Slot.
“He is a top coach, he really is,” Hargreaves said on Premier League Productions. “Possession. They dominate the ball. He loves the high press and the high intensity. No doubt that he is a top coach.
“I just think coming from that league, we have seen it with Dutch managers coming over here, they find it very different. I think Liverpool deserve somebody that has been there and done it in and around this level.
“I think that was picked from the data. You look at the data from the way Arne Slot’s side play, it’s all really high possession and high press.
“The problem is, you aren’t going to have, you see with ten Hag at Manchester United, you aren’t going to have that over here. You need something a little different. If you play that way and that open, you see with Ange’s side at Tottenham, then you are going to get counter-attacked.
“I don’t think he can win the league playing that way. Yes, it’s a good style. Look at Ancelotti at Real Madrid, he finds a way and tweaks it. I find with young managers now, their philosophy is more important than what happens results-wise and that’s not right.”
Journalist claims Liverpool already know Slot successor at Anfield
Certainly any man who steps into Klopp’s shoes is going to have a difficult job of both replicating his success and ensuring the drop-off from his departure is not too keenly felt.
With that in mind, iconic former Reds midfielder Graeme Souness has warned Slot that he will be “inherting not such a healthy situation” at Liverpool.
And with some in the belief that replacing Klopp may be too big an ask, a Belgian journalist now claims that Edwards already has his eye on the next man in line at Anfield, claiming that Club Brugge boss Nicky Hayen already earmarked as a potential successor if Slot does not enjoy success and that he could land the job “within two years”.
Journalist Jan Mulder claimed: “Halfway through March, the situation in which the proud Club Brugge found itself was so dire that the usual scenario was adopted in gloomy times: head coach Deila was dismissed, Nicky Hayen from Club NXT was appointed as interim.
“Nicky Hayen will be festively appointed manager of Club Brugge on the day of the Belgian championship and will put in a series of games in the Champions League next year, attracting the attention of Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern and Manchester.
“Nasser Al-Khelaifi of Paris Saint-Germain also joins the fight for his signature at the last minute. Personally, I think that the great Nicky Hayen will replace Arne Slot as manager of Liverpool within two years.”
