Jamie Carragher vocalised his worry for Liverpool and their identity under Arne Slot, pointing to the focus on technical players, which is a stark contrast to Jurgen Klopp.
Liverpool’s intensity and physicality was questioned once again in the defeat at Old Trafford, losing the duel count (49-38) and completing fewer tackles (19-8).
The club’s identity under Slot, as well as the Dutchman’s future, was a key focus of Sky Sports’ post-match analysis, with Carragher questioning if the Reds have the physicality required.
It was a key element of Klopp’s identity, but the former defender emphasised that it is not the case for Slot, with the same recruitment team now tailoring targets to his liking.
Join TIA YouTube
Subscribe to This Is Anfield on YouTube
Join over 370,000 subscribers to get the latest LFC videos to your feed
Carragher pointed out that the slow, technical, possession-based style is the identity Slot wants, but he is concerned it will make Liverpool worse in the long run.
“You mentioned that we don’t know what Liverpool are. But is the point that we do know what they are, and it’s what we’re seeing?” Carragher started.
“It’s not going to be like Klopp. We can’t be a club who continue for the next five or 10 years saying ‘we want Jurgen Klopp football’.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 3, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Arne Slot after the FA Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Liverpool FC at Old Trafford. Manchester United won 3-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“The fella’s a genius. He does that football better than anybody. So whatever manager comes in, he’s going to play his football.
“The worry is not that there’s no identity; that is the identity. Don’t forget Arne Slot‘s a Dutch coach, Dutch way of doing things. Possession, technical football.
“You think of the players that have been brought in, they’re not Klopp players. So when people keep saying it’s the recruitment upstairs – that was the recruitment team who were there with Klopp.
“They’re bringing a different style of players in, so it’s on the manager that. I go back to last year, when Liverpool didn’t sign anybody, but the one player he wanted was Zubimendi.
“Again, another technical footballer. I’m not saying that doesn’t work, the most successful team in the Premier League the last 10 years has been a technical football team.
“But we’re going away from what Jurgen Klopp was because this manager wants that.
“This is where he’s taking this team, and that’s the worry for me: is this actually going to go more the other way?
“Are they thinking ‘Liverpool need to go back to last season’ or is Arne Slot thinking ‘No, we actually need more technical footballers’?”
Using a term Klopp once coined, Liverpool are losing and failing to target the players who ‘carry the piano’, and instead are heavily focused on those who ‘can play it’.
It is a shift in line with Slot’s style, but Carragher will not be the only one asking, to what detriment?