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Dean Saunders has opined that Arne Slot's decision to stick with a significant portion of Jurgen Klopp's principles at Liverpool was a clever one. He also claimed Slot's decision not to completely change the existing pattern at Anfield won him the dressing room.
In a discussion with Anfield Index, Saunders detailed the decision that might have made Slot successful in his first season. He said (via OneFootball):
“Arne Slot has done brilliantly, He must have been so tempted to do things his own way, but he’s managed not to change too much. That’s the clever part of it for me because the players will have missed Jurgen Klopp.”
He added:
“If Slot had started doing things differently to what made Klopp successful, and the team had lost a couple of games, the players would have been asking ‘who is this bloke?’"
After nine successful years, Klopp stepped down as Liverpool's manager in June 2024. Thus, many were expecting that Slot might struggle to register his philosophy in the minds of the Reds players in his first season.
Due to the rigorous and challenging system of the Premier League, not many expected that Liverpool would win the title due to the managerial transition. However, Slot stewardship proved to be significant as Liverpool won the 2024-25 Premier League title, having registered 84 points from 38 matches.
"Frimpong is a different player to Trent" - Dean Saunders on Liverpool's new right-back
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Netherlands v Malta - FIFA 2026 World Cup Qualifier - Source: Getty
In the same discussion, Dean Saunders also said that Jeremie Frimpong is a different player from Trent Alexander-Arnold. While appreciating Frimpong's attacking proficiency, Saunders believes the new right-back will bring energy and dynamics to Liverpool.
He said (via OneFootball):
“Frimpong is a different player to Trent. He’s good going forward, a great athlete and you’re going to see him galloping up and down that right flank. Replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold is no small task, but Jeremie Frimpong brings energy and dynamism.
Following the exit of Alexander-Arnold, the Reds secured the signing of Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported £29.5 million. The Dutchman is expected to go straight into the starting XI and occupy the right-back position.
At Leverkusen, Frimpong delivered 30 goals and 44 assists in 190 appearances. Thus, the Dutchman is also expected to deliver in the defense by improving the solidity and in attack by enhancing the Reds' creativity.
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Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a 'Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.
A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.
He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder's ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese's tactical mind. He feels France's triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe's top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.
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Edited by Aditya Singh