Arne Slot has worked miracles with some of the players since he’s arrived at Liverpool.
This was meant to be a transition period for the side, teething issues galore as they go from the greatest manager the side have had in around 30 years into a new dawn.
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But Slot didn’t have any time for that. He hit the ground running, has Liverpool top of both the Premier League and Champions League, and they look about as good as they have since the 2019-20 title-winning season.
Slot has taken Ryan Gravenberch from a benchwarmer to the best defensive midfielder in the world, Ibrahima Konate from a good player to undroppable, and Mo Salah is now on a run at the Ballon d’Or.
But even Slot himself might be a touch surprised at the level his team is at because he has gone on the record saying just how difficult the Premier League is.
Every team has Liverpool-quality players, says Slot
In an interview with Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad, Slot admitted, “The players of Liverpool are also essentially no different from those of Feyenoord or AZ. They are usually easily convinced of what needs to be done and especially how.
“But the level is different here.” he continued, “I think I can best explain that by saying that there are players around at almost every club in the Premier League who could also be under contract with Liverpool. No, by no means all, but let's say at least one at each club.
“At RKC or Almere City or Sparta [Rotterdam], for example, that is not the case when you look at Feyenoord. Many clubs in the Netherlands simply do not have Feyenoord, Ajax or PSV players walking around.”
Slot, to his credit, isn’t wrong. The intra-Premier League transfers that have occurred recently prove that, as do key performances from sides playing the Reds this year.
Take the bottom three right now. Wolves gave Liverpool a torrid time at Molineux earlier in the season, there are active rumours that Liverpool would be interested in signing Matheus Cunha if they go down.
Cunha would certainly represent a step up in clinical output, already having nine goals and three assists so far this season. Darwin Nunez would kill for that output.
Southampton, meanwhile, were close to actually beating Liverpool, and it isn’t unreasonable to suggest that Tyler Dibling would be the second-best right-winger in the Reds’ squad at the moment.
Or look at Ipswich. Liam Delap has six goals so far this season and sits in the same bracket as Cunha with a step up on some of Liverpool's centre-forward options.
As a result, Slot’s ability to hit the ground running in the Premier League is astonishing. Liverpool are very lucky to have him.
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