Pre-season is already well underway for most clubs, with Liverpool’s players getting to grips with life under new manager, Arne Slot.
The 45-year-old Dutchman has it all to do in terms of convincing his playing staff that he’s the right man for the job, after nine years of them working under Jurgen Klopp.
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The German certainly left an indelible mark at Anfield, and Slot is bound to feel the weight of that as his more senior players return from international duty.
Things won’t be the same at the club now or ever, and if the Reds want to be successful then Slot is going to need immediate buy in from everyone.
He comes highly recommended thanks to the work he did in the Eredivisie with Feyernood, but with respect, the Premier League is a level above the Dutch top-flight.
The move also represents the first time Slot has taken a job professionally outside of the Netherlands.
It’s key that club captain, and fellow Dutchman, Virgil van Dijk, provides the link between manager and first-team, with the club eager to see him return.
“Lots of rumours surrounding Liverpool captain, Virgil van Dijk, but as we already mentioned here the day after his recent statement guys, so far the situation is quiet,” Fabrizio Romano said in his exclusive Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside.
“Liverpool have not received any proposal, Virgil is on holiday, so again it’s quiet around van Dijk and Liverpool are waiting for him to come back from his holidays.”
With the new Premier League season only four weeks away, Slot will surely hope that van Dijk can hit the ground running in training and pre-season as soon as he’s back from a well deserved rest.