The Debate: Will Arne Slot succeed at Liverpool?

Saturday will mark a new era for Liverpool as the Arne Slot era officially commences.

The former Feyenoord supremo has enormous shoes to fill as he succeeds club legend Jurgen Klopp as the new Reds boss.

Slot will be eager to hit the ground running, but just how will he fare on Merseyside? And will he deliver the success that the club craves?

Members of the bet365 News team discuss whether the Dutchman will succeed at Anfield.

Succeeding a legend in Jurgen Klopp, faced with stellar opposition at home and abroad and braced for a sizeable squad rebuild, Arne Slot has an enormous job ahead of him.

James Wilson

If Premier League history can tell us anything, it is that successful long-term managerial dynasties are almost impossible to replace smoothly.

The transition to a post-Sir Alex Ferguson era at Manchester United offers the most pertinent example of this, with the Scotsman’s 27-year reign at the club followed up by 12 years and counting without a Premier League title at Old Trafford.

A compatriot of Ferguson was given the task of filling his rather large shoes, with ex-Everton boss David Moyes lasting just 10 months in the job as the reigning Premier League champions floundered in mid-table.

There has recently been a similar tale at Arsenal, with Unai Emery toiling in his attempts to successfully succeed Arsene Wenger following the Frenchman’s 22-year tenure in North London.

The Basque tactician lasted 18 months before being relieved of his duties, with both Emery and Moyes since proving their credentials as successful managers in England.

New Liverpool manager Arne Slot faces a comparably daunting task in his new gig, with the outgoing Klopp not only hugely successful in his nine years at Anfield but also conspicuously adored by the club’s players and fanbase.

A different face and voice in the dressing room, Slot arrives in Merseyside with a status akin to a supply teacher or stepfather.

The ex-Feyenoord manager may find it hard to prove his credentials amidst stiff competition in both the Premier League and Champions League, the trophies which matter most at a club of the stature of Liverpool.

As things stand, Liverpool look at least one notch below a an ever-improving Arsenal team and a juggernaut of a Manchester City side, finishing seven points behind the former and nine points behind the latter last term.

That was in a season in which Liverpool lost only one of their first 21 Premier League fixtures, signalling the level Arsenal and City are currently operating at.

On the continent, Liverpool will return to the Champions League fold this season where they will rub shoulders with the likes of reigning winners Real Madrid who have just added a certain Kylian Mbappe to an already outrageously star-studded squad.

Slot’s remit to ensure Liverpool are challenging both domestically and in Europe looks set to be made even harder in light of a significant squad overhaul which looks increasingly inevitable.

Three cornerstones of Klopp’s Premier League and Champions League winning machine – Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah – all have just one year left remaining on their respective contracts.

Arguably the best defender on the planet in his prime, Van Dijk looks past his peak at 33, Alexander-Arnold is reportedly having his head turned by Real Madrid, and 32-year-old Salah appears unlikely to extend his current contract at the club.

Slot is therefore likely to be forced to undertake a complex process of evolving a squad of proven winners.

Such a project will take time, and it is difficult to see Liverpool keeping pace with their rivals in pursuit of the biggest honours up for grabs in the next few years.

The best the Reds may be forced to strive for could be to consolidate their place in the top four and perhaps a cup win here and there.

Would this constitute genuine success for Liverpool and Slot?

I’ll leave that for you to judge.

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A top-four finish would be a successful season for Arne Slot... it's up to the Liverpool hierarchy to help him build on that.

Jaquob Crooke

This debate hinges entirely on your definition of success and for me, if we’re looking at this season alone, Arne Slot is capable of delivering a top-four finish and retaining Liverpool’s seat at the Champions League table.

If he can do that, it’s a job well done. A strong showing in cup competitions and in Europe will certainly aid his cause.

The work Slot had undertaken at Feyenoord was impressive but managing Liverpool will see him enter an entirely different realm. He’s not shopping at Aldi anymore: we're stocking up the cupboards with items from Waitrose.

There’s elements of his spell at De Kuip that should see him prosper at Anfield; great consistency, the honing of young players and a winning mentality. Fans will need to adjust themselves to Slot's calm demeanour, a stark contrast to the frantic touchline antics of his predecessor Jurgen Klopp.

It’s been referenced above how incoming managers are almost destined to fail when succeeding a club legend.

David Moyes’ reign at Manchester United was disastrous and Unai Emery was given little time to remedy Arsenal’s woes.

It’s different at Liverpool. Where the two aforementioned managers inherited weak foundations, Slot is somewhat fortunate to arrive at a club where Klopp has already put the groundwork in place.

He’s got a world-class goalkeeper, one of the Premier League’s best defenders and an exciting pool of attacking talent who are worth their weight in goals. There are a spate of promising youth prospects on the periphery of the first-team that are already knocking on the door.

Yes, they’re far from the finished product and their failings in the transfer window are hindering their potential, and yet Slot is more concerned about certain patterns of play than any additional tools he could have at his disposal.

It would be naïve to base an argument off a couple of pre-season friendlies, but there are encouraging signs and the squad have looked receptive to his methods.

However, there are dark clouds on the horizon. Key individuals in the shape of Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are nearing the end of their contracts and there’s a growing sense this Liverpool squad may need to undergo major spinal surgery.

It’s ultimately up to the Reds hierarchy to be able to support their manager.

Whether Slot is then able to build on a strong first season will be a severe test of his managerial credentials. If he is to keep Liverpool on a positive trajectory, the club will need to address their current incompetence in the transfer window: you’re only as good as your recruitment.

Liverpool supporters might not like to hear it but the Reds are some distance from challenging for the Premier League title given Manchester City’s authority and Arsenal’s sustained growth.

I would like to think that if Slot can keep the club in the top four in relatively comfortable fashion, fans would consider that a success.

With the squad in his possession, he can achieve that. A trophy would certainly be a delicious icing on the cake.

It’s the following years which will raise eyebrows.

As we’ve witnessed with his compatriot Erik ten Hag, an assertive debut campaign doesn’t guarantee progress in the following season.

Fortunately for Slot, he’s not in charge of Manchester United.

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