McMamanman & Ferdinand spot subtle Liverpool changes under Arne Slot

Few could have predicted that Arne Slot would have won 10/11 games in his opening season at Liverpool.

If the Anfield-based outfit manages to secure a win against RB Leipzig on Wednesday – he’ll be in dreamland. A Champions League victory would see the Carabao Cup holders win 11 of their first 12 games in 2024/25 – a club record.

There’s hardly any fortune either in the manner in which the Reds have been propelled to the top of the table.

The Dutch head coach has made his new club staunch in defence and still more than exciting enough going forward.

All without having overhauled the side in the summer transfer window. Not that a total overhaul was required, of course, as Ryan Gravenberch can attest to.

Steve McManaman agrees with Rio Ferdinand on Arne Slot

The change of manner in this iteration of Liverpool Football Club was naturally a topic of conversation in the TNT Sports studio on Wednesday night.

Host Laura Woods turned to Rio Ferdinand and Steve McManaman on Slot’s remarkable start to life in Merseyside.

“There’s a calmness and there’s an assuredness and an authority in the way that he’s come into this club and the way he does his interviews and the way he is around the place,” the former Manchester United defender spoke on TNT Sports.

“That confidence is really spread throughout the team. You can come in and try and change loads of things and say, ‘I’m gonna put my stamp on it immediately’.

“I think he’s embraced a lot of what is already there and added a few tweaks from his own mind. I think that’s key to the way he’s started.”

The ex-England international’s co-pundit was of a like mind on the subject.

There was specific mention of the stylistic and tactical tweaks that have seen Liverpool deviate from Klopp’s tenure.

“I don’t think they press as high as they did under Jurgen Klopp,” the 52-year-old added.

“They like to close the ball down, of course, because good teams do. But I don’t think it’s as chaotic as it was under Jurgen; I don’t think it’s as back and forth.

“I think it’s shown by the Chelsea game. That was their real big test of the season against very good opposition. Even though Chelsea dominated possession, I thought Liverpool managed the game really well.

“I think they’re a lot more calmer.”

A somewhat tense 2-1 win over Chelsea stands as a suitable benchmark for Slot’s outfit in 2024/25, with the club crucially securing three points despite a drop in performance.

The latest good indication that the former Feyenoord boss is not only successfully leaving his stamp on the team, but also showcasing a key attribute of the great Liverpool sides of yore.

“They’re a lot more calmer!”

Rio Ferdinand and Steve McManaman discuss the difference between Arne Slot and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool sides ?

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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 23, 2024

Do Liverpool play better under Arne Slot?

The constant threat of recency bias can leave many a commentator vulnerable to disregarding legacies and accomplishments.

It can’t be denied that the final couple of years of Jurgen Klopp at the helm saw the Merseysiders playing a chaotic brand of football.

The fact Liverpool now look nigh on impregnable under Arne Slot certainly hasn’t helped matters.

Only three goals have been conceded this term. In truth, two of these (Nottingham Forest and Wolves) were errors of their own making.

Regardless, it shouldn’t be forgotten that in the period following the Kyiv Champions League final (2018) to 2022, Jurgen Klopp’s men were astonishing.

90-plus points hauls were secured in all but one season (2020/21). Liverpool also managed to concede the fewest goals in every other campaign during 2018-2022.

Credit is almost certainly due for Slot. However, it would be remiss of commentators to ignore what came before.