Liverpool head coach Arne Slot during a training session at the AXA Training Centre on November 22 2024 (Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Ever since Arne Slot took the podium for his first press gathering as the new head honcho at Liverpool this summer, it was crystal clear – the man had a game plan. And, with Liverpool having smashed records by winning 15 of their initial 17 games under Slot’s guidance – the most spectacular debut for any manager at Anfield – it seems his strategy to adopt a more measured and possession-focused tactic than former boss Jurgen Klopp is hitting all the right notes.
Liverpool are soaring high at the summit of both the Premier League and the Champions League standings, and they’ve muscled their way into the last eight of the League Cup.
As they get set to tackle Southampton in next month’s quarter-finals, who happen also to be this afternoon’s Premier League rivals, the Reds are geared up to tighten their grasp on the coveted top spot. However, while Slot is receiving applause for his unwavering adherence to his methods, Russell Martin, gaffer of battling Saints, faces flak over his own firm stance, refusing to relent from an expansive style that has struggled to translate from the Championship triumphs to the Premier League survival fight.
And with the imminent clash drawing these two managers together at St Mary’s, Slot has thrown his support behind his struggling contender, advocating the importance of managerial consistency. The man from Liverpool firmly rejects the notion of hastily discarding a strategy, no matter the immediacy of the results.
“If you’re a manager you have to believe in something and, in my opinion, stick to that plan,” avows the Liverpool leader.
Southampton manager Russell Martin’s approach has been endorsed by esteemed contemporaries. One sagely advised: “If your plan is you want to defend the whole game or all season, then stick to that plan, because you believe in it, you’re trying to convince your players that that is the way to go. If after four, five, six weeks, you completely change your idea about football, that normally doesn’t send the right signal to your players, at least that’s what I think.”
There’s also recognition that Martin’s distinctive style is integral to his and the club’s identity: “Russell has his own style and he believes in it, and there is no-one that knows for sure that if he or the club wants to change the playing style that it would lead to much more points.”
What’s evident is the respect for how Martin’s managerial prowess shone through last season when promotion was clinched: “What we do know is that he was really successful with them last season, he brought them back up, and that he makes it really hard for every team to play against them. Normally, these teams that go up, they need some time to adapt to a new league. If you have a good idea about football and a good gameplan, then results will come.”
The Saints clinched their maiden victory of this Premier League campaign with a win over Everton at St Mary’s earlier this month; notwithstanding narrow losses to teams like Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Arsenal, and Manchester City.
The commendation continued from Rotterdam-based Slot who said: “I would also admire a manager that has different principles but just keeps on doing what he believes in.”
Liverpool’s manager has expressed his respect for the tactical acumen of his peers, despite not being a fan of their playing style. He remarked, “I don’t admire him (Martin) for the style of play but I do like to watch the games back that he played at Manchester City or Arsenal, or the other games where I see very interesting and smart patterns of play.”
He continued to praise the strategic approach observed in matches, saying, “It was interesting to watch his teams play in terms of style of play but also in terms of gameplan, how they handled the press of City, or how they handled the press of Arsenal.”
Addressing the recent discussions about English managers, he noted, “A lot has been said about English managers lately, with the appointment of Thomas Tuchel (as new England head coach), but I faced Gary O’Neil (of Wolves) now who had a very good gameplan in my opinion, and this is again a very interesting manager, and in two or three weeks I will face Eddie Howe (of Newcastle United), who I know already is a very good manager. Maybe you are not in as bad a place as people make out.”
The Liverpool boss also acknowledged the fresh perspectives brought by Slot and Martin, both newcomers to the Premier League, highlighting the depth of managerial talent in Southampton and the adjustments required after managing in the Netherlands.
Slot has opened up about the stark contrasts between managing in the Eredivisie and the Premier League, stating: “I think the biggest difference is that all the 17 other managers (in the Eredivisie), they have gameplans and style of play and all kind of great ideas, but the quality difference between the two clubs I worked for and the teams we faced was so big that you can come up with every brilliant gameplan but it doesn’t work because there is so much quality difference,” and adding, “Now, in the Premier League, the quality difference between the number 20 and number one isn’t as big as in the Eredivisie, so then the gameplan does work.”
He further noted, “Southampton and all these teams have players that can play for big clubs. Then, if you have a good gameplan and a good playing style, it can really work against us or against City or against Arsenal.”
Slot also highlighted the challenges in England, saying, “The number 17 of the Eredivisie can have the best gameplan or the best playing style they want to have, but the difference in quality is so big that it’s just us having the ball. That’s what makes it more testing in England.”
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1979969/arne-slot-has-message-russell-martin-over-wrong-liverpool-approach-southampton