sport news Arne Slot faces a huge leap up at Liverpool... Big names from Holland often ... trends now
My greatest concern if Arne Slot is the man to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool is not his relative inexperience, but more so the Dutch league he is coming from.
We only have to look at how Erik ten Hag has fared up the road at Manchester United to learn the pitfalls of a manager who puts his trust in players who were very good in the Eredivisie.
Ten Hag thought so much of his Ajax winger Antony that Man United paid £82million for him, and he has been a major disappointment. There are others at Old Trafford and beyond - Donny van de Beek, Andre Onana, Lisandro Martínez, Memphis Depay, Hakim Ziyech and Davy Klaassen, all players with big reputations who have not cut it in our league after starring in Holland.
For years and years, the Dutch travelled well. As players, the likes of Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard went to Italy. Dennis Bergkamp, Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben were hugely successful in the Premier League. As managers, Louis van Gaal, Guus Hiddink and, further back, Johan Cruyff, they were pioneers.
In the past 10 years or so, that has changed. Frank de Boer lasted just five league games at Crystal Palace after winning four titles with Ajax. Ronald Koeman was sacked after taking Everton in the bottom three, while Ten Hag has not been the success Man United envisaged.
Liverpool are on the cusp of signing Arne Slot (above) as Jurgen Klopp's successor at Anfield
Liverpool's title challenge appeared to grind to a halt after their bitter 2-0 defeat by Everton
Mail Sport columnist Graeme Souness feels it's a risk to appoint a manager from the Eredivisie
Slot has to look at all of the above and not make the same mistakes. There is enough evidence now to show what a huge leap it is from the Eredivisie to the Premier League.
If he is to succeed Klopp then it’s a brave move by the decision makers at Liverpool, but they’ve obviously done their homework and feel he’s the right man, even if their options were limited. Xabi Alonso was the only obvious candidate before he committed to Bayer Leverkusen.
Slot doesn’t come with a big reputation, but that does not mean he can’t be successful. It’s a different era, but Arsene Wenger is the greatest example of someone with a relatively low profile who excelled.
Slot won the title with Feyenoord last season, against the weakest Ajax I can remember, a team that normally dominates their league. That is not to take away from the achievement, winning any league is not easy and it was only Feyenoord’s second title since the turn of the century. But this is a completely different challenge at Liverpool. You’re up against the very best and the pressure to win trophies is enormous. He will be taking on Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta and others now.
He is also coming into a situation that I had thought was extremely healthy, and I said so when Klopp announced he was leaving. But, of late, Liverpool have shown a vulnerability and weakness I did not think existed. The season has gone flat and the title has gone now. I did not see this coming.
They have gone from the team I believed were going to win it, who did not have to play well to win because they had so much firepower, to a team struggling to score a goal. That’s two defeats without scoring against Crystal Palace and Everton this month.
Dutch manager Erik ten Hag has not taken Man United to new heights since joining from Ajax
The Reds are showing both vulnerability and weakness in these final few weeks of the season
Slot would arrive at Anfield with relative inexperience and must challenge for titles instantly
At the final push, they’ve come up short. That is not what champions do. As champions, you put your foot to the floor and get over the line in the latter stages of a championship race. Liverpool have not been able to do that, and that leaves a big question mark at their door.
Slot will also inherit, if it is not sorted sooner, the issue
