Arne Slot arrives and steps into the shoes vacated by one of modern football’s greatest managers, but the job still comes with areas to improve.
Change is the name of the season for Liverpool as they usher in a new era, Slot leads the way as the head coach but a change in hierarchy means there are plenty of moving parts this summer.
Klopp left the Dutchman with a strong foundation when it comes to on-field matters, and now it is his job to embrace the challenge and move the Reds forward.
As we now look ahead, we have identified five ways Slot can improve Liverpool for next season.
1. Stop conceding the opening goal so often!
A good place to start would be by not making life harder for ourselves by continually conceding the first goal of the game.
Last season, Klopp’s men conceded first 23 times – accounting for 39.6 percent of the games.
Continually needing to muster the energy for a comeback is costly in so many ways, it may give you a short adrenaline boost but it’s not conducive to long-term success.
Making the team more stable and able to build from a position of strength within a match is a must.
2. Reduce the number of injuries
Twenty-two players missed a game due to injury in 2023/24, combining for 362 games missed.
In the end, it proved damning for silverware hopes as those who remained fit burned out quickly and at an alarming rate.
Slot has a keen eye for detail and is known to work closely with his fitness team, Ruben Peeters will join him at Anfield and is to be key for injury prevention.
The club will hope the changes to their medical and performance department results in improved player availability after a rotten list of injuries in recent years.
We know consistency is key to winning titles, and this one is at the heart of it.
3. Overcome Goodison and Old Trafford struggles
If there were ever two games you could predict dropped points in a season, it would be away to Everton and Man United – not how it should be, but how it has been.
We had some great away trips at both under Klopp, but we need consistent positive results and that means overcoming the mental block that plagues the team whenever they arrive at Goodison or Old Trafford.
And you can add Man City to that list too, as in the last 25 league away games to the three teams, the Reds have won just five.
4. Find the clinical edge
The mind will automatically go to Darwin Nunez when we think of being more clinical in front of goal, but this goes for the entire team – need we remind you of the Crystal Palace and United games?
As per FotMob, Liverpool boasted the best xG in the Premier League with 89.4 last season and created the second-most big chances (128) behind only Newcastle (134).
However, the Reds missed the most big chances (79) of any side, with Nunez responsible for 27 and Mohamed Salah 17.
It is not that Liverpool were short on goals under Klopp – they scored the club’s second-highest-ever tally in 2023/24 – they just need to be more ruthless in game-defining moments.
The Reds always leave the door ajar, but Slot will now need to make them slam it shut.
5. Assert more control and less chaos
This next point leans into that ruthlessness, not allowing the opposition a way into the game by being too chaotic, which various variations of Klopp’s side have been guilty of.
Slot has similarities to the German as he wants an aggressive, front-foot approach, but he has a more measured and possession-based outlook, one that ought to inject more control.
‘Liverpool doing it that hard way’ or with a ‘flair for the dramatics’ has not been uncommon in recent years, but it would be encouraging to see this change under new management.
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