Arne Slot.
Image: AFP
With the EPL title race all but done, there is renewed attention on Arne Slot.
Does he truly deserve all the credit as the architect of Liverpool’s success? Or did he just apply the finishing touches to the house that Klopp built.
Those who have been waiting for the Dutchman to slip up for most of the season have reluctantly conceded that he won’t – not enough to let the Gunners in, in any case. The Koppites, on the other hand, are ready to bestow sainthood on him. Saint Slot? Has a nice ring to it, unless you’re a Red Devils worshipper.
There’s no denying that Jurgen left the club in rude health. The fact that Federico Chiesa is the only signing is instructive. But it is the transformation of those players that has proven Slot’s true genius.
The conversion of Ryan Gravenberch into a true No 6 after the failure to land target Martin Zubimendi has been outstanding. The Dutchman is just one example.
Darwin Nunez aside, every Liverpool player has arguably improved under Slot, even Mo Salah. Then there is the level of control, and patience, the manager has brought to the Reds. They are far removed from Klopp's heavy-metal stars who would often be frustrated by a low block.
Some Liverpool fans are even pointing to his ability to keep his players injury-free as part of the check list for cannonisation. They point to his previous record at Feyenoord as proof.
Yet while Slot can take credit for a lot of things, there is no doubting that he inherited a team of leaders. Almost every member of that Reds team is a full international with a bag-load of caps, and at least four are skippers of their national teams.
This may explain their ability to remain calm during the mini-storms in the title run-in.
Gunners fans may point to their failure to sign a striker (any striker) in the January transfer window as the only reason for their recent struggles. However, a look at the goalscoring contributions from their front three may show the real reason for their struggles. In the injury absence of Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz, the gunners have been firing blanks too often.
Take, for instance, midfield general Martin Odegaard. It was a surprise to me that he only has two league goals this season. That’s simply not enough for a midfield player who is a key part of a team with title pretensions.
Add in the drop-off in scoring form of the likes of speedster Gabriel Martinelli and and the reason for their recent struggles in the league is clear. Leandro Trossard can be excused form the conversation but even his contributions have dried up.
A quick look at Liverpool reveals solid goal contributions from across their attack (again, Darwin excluded), even if you take Salah out of the equation.
Gakpo, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota (when fit) are all able to contribute to the goals scored. Dominic Szoboszlai is also growing as a threat in the opposition box (there’s shades of Steven Gerrard in his play recently). Alexis Mac Allister and Curtis Jones can be counted on too to bag the odd worldy.
So, for those who argue that Arsenal are one striker signing away from winning the league, the malaise goes deeper than that. Maybe Mikel Arteta’s methods are to be questioned.