When Arne Slot arrived on the shores of Merseyside to become the new Liverpool head coach following Jurgen Klopp stepping away from management. The first 12 months couldn’t have gone much better, though the following 12 months were completely turned on its head.
Performances were a major issue as the team slipped down the league following their Premier League title success. However, one issue that went under the radar was the Dutchman’s use of the academy and the talents within its ranks.
Under the German, individuals would constantly break through to get a chance they earned through hard work, which was much less the case under Slot, and after being sacked, some of the issues surrounding the development within the club have shed light on how frustrations were growing.
Frustrations in the Liverpool academy
When the 47-year-old replaced Klopp, reports suggested that his development of youngsters was a key reason why he was selected as his successor, though the first season showed signs that that wasn’t the case. Kopites were more lenient as they were engaged in a title race, but that was unlike the most recent season.
Following the final game against Brentford, Slot used one word to describe how the season has gone. ‘Injuries’. Though few felt sorry for him, as he was reluctant to give academy players a chance to prove their worth in the first team. One of the most frustrating came as Rio Ngumoha was promised as an ideal alternative to Luis Diaz following his sale to Bayern Munich, though his regular starts didn’t happen till April.
This angered a lot of members in the fanbase, and that distaste seemingly trickled into the management within the academy. David Lynch reported on Slot’s dynamics at the club after the news broke on Saturday of his sacking, and it seems academy staff were far from pleased with how their work was being utilised by the head coach.
He said, “Academy staff were privately sharing frustration that Slot did not seem to be immersing himself in all things Liverpool, rarely paying attention to goings-on there.”
The Reds are not only producing some amazing talents, but they are also buying some of the best from around the World. This past week, the Anfield outfit were reportedly close to signing Colombian gem, Samuel Martinez, who has represented his national team at the youth level to an incredible standard.
Top foreign talent such as Armin Pecsi and Mor Talla Ndiaye have both moved to Liverpool over the past year, whilst they continue to scout superior English talent, in the case of Will Wright, who joined from Salford City last summer.
With the work that is being poured into recruitment within their academy system, questions surrounding Slot’s use of them were glaring for most fans, although it was never going to get him sacked. The downturn in results, combined with a lack of trust in youngsters, could have been key in the decision made by the higher-ups on the board.
As they begin to prepare to find a new man to lead the team, getting better performances from the current squad will be the most optimal approach, though introducing stars from the U21S into the fray will be something needed.
Iraola approach with youngsters
Andoni Iraola is the favourite to replace Slot at the moment, and while Bournemouth don’t have a star-studded academy like Liverpool, he still gave opportunities to U20 stars that joined through transfers.
Junior Kroupi has quickly become one of the most exciting forwards in England after joining last summer from Lorient. The Spaniard helped the 19-year-old establish a foothold in the Cherries squad, as he’s become one of their main sources for goals, and the same can be said for fellow teenager, Rayan, who has been called up for Brazil for the World Cup.
The Merseyside outfit has too many talents to overlook, and with plenty breaking into the U18 squad over the next two years, they must see a clear pathway towards first-team football. Slot didn’t open their eyes to the opportunity. Can Iraola, or whoever replaces him, tick that box?