Liverpool are embarking on a new era this summer having brought in Feyenoord boss Arne Slot as a replacement for Jurgen Klopp.
The Reds learned in January that the Jurgen Klopp era was coming to an end.
The German announced his intention to leave the club and take a break from football after more than eight years in the Anfield hot seat.
Klopp said an emotional goodbye at the end of last season but also urged fans to get behind his replacement Arne Slot.
Slot also has the backing of Klopp’s former assistant Pep Lijnders, who hailed the new Reds boss as ‘unbelievable’.
It’s fair to say that Slot was hardly on the radar for Liverpool fans when Klopp announced that he would be moving on.
The focus was on the likes of Roberto De Zerbi, Xabi Alonso and Ruben Amorim but Liverpool went with Slot.
The Dutchman won an Eredivisie title with Feyenoord in 2023 but now walks into major expectation levels at Anfield.
Steve Nicol predicts tough Liverpool start for Arne Slot
Liverpool are yet to make a big splash in the transfer market under Slot but HITC understands that Lutsharel Geertruida and Crysencio Summerville are both on the radar.
The Reds are looking to ramp up preparations for the new Premier League season but lost 1-0 in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Preston North End on Friday.
Liverpool will now face Real Betis, Arsenal, Manchester United and Sevilla ahead of the new season, which starts at newly-promoted Ipswich Town.
Slot isn’t exactly used to losing; in 242 competitive games as a manager over in the Netherlands, Slot lot just 40 times.
Liverpool fans are hoping that Slot brings a similar kind of record to Anfield but pundit Steve Nicol appears concerned.
Nicol has already slammed Slot’s ‘absolute garbage’ ideas on how to improve his goalkeepers and has now admitted that he anticipates a difficult start.
Speaking to ESPN, former Liverpool man Nicol suggested that a Liverpool title charge under Slot is ‘unlikely’.
Nicol thinks that Liverpool will start the season ‘not quite at it’ and believes players won’t be 100% sure of their new manager.
“It does seem unlikely that Liverpool are going to be as close for as long,” said Nicol. “You would expect Liverpool’s start to be… not quite at it, considering all the changes. Certainly, for any team with a new manager, there is no question there will be teething problems with the way he wants things done and you can’t afford to start a season not quite at it and not quite 100% sure of how you’re going to go about it, so for me, that means that I would be surprised if Liverpool wins the title,” he added.
Those ‘teething problems’ will hopefully subside with time and Slot certainly deserves a chance to prove himself having impressed so much at Feyenoord.
Liverpool’s opening fixtures
Slot opens with a potential banana skin at Ipswich Town with Kieran McKenna’s side looking to build on their Championship promotion-winning campaign.
A trip to Portman Road on the opening weekend is not what Slot would have wanted and presents a tricky opening for the Dutchman.
Liverpool then host Brentford at Anfield before Slot faces his first trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United.
Slot and Erik ten Hag know each other well and the Liverpool boss would no doubt love an early statement win against the Red Devils.
Liverpool come back from the September international break with home games against Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth before heading to Molineux to face Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Those three away games are tricky but Liverpool will expect plenty of points from their first three home games.
Slot will also have to juggle the Champions League too, but he will be keen to make a great start – just as he did at Feyenoord, where he won five of the first six league games in charge.
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