11 wins from 12 ‘not the Liverpool way’ as Slot tactics slammed by Reds legend Souness
Liverpool legend Graeme Souness has explained why he is reluctant to jump on the Arne Slot bandwagon after 11 wins from the club’s opening 12 matches this season.
Slot replaced Liverpool legend Jurgen Klopp ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, with the German stepping down after nearly nine years in charge.
Near-perfect start ‘not the Liverpool way’ – Souness
The Dutch manager became the club’s first head coach in their history and kicked off his tenure with a 2-0 win away to newly-promoted Ipswich Town in the Premier League.
Since then, the Reds have won every match, except for one hiccup at home to Nottingham Forest, who won 1-0 at Anfield courtesy of a Callum Hudson-Odoi strike.
However, Souness is not fully convinced because Slot has not yet endured a tough spell since joining the club, which will truly show if he is world class at his job.
The legendary Scot saw similarities between Slot and Klopp’s football at first but believes Liverpool have changed as 24/25 has progressed.
Despite the Reds’ deserved place on top of the Premier League with 21 points from a possible 24, Souness is not convinced and believes Manchester City and Arsenal are stronger.
“When Arne Slot first took over, I couldn’t see any difference in the way Liverpool were playing,” he said on the Three Up Front podcast. “Now I think they seem to drop off a bit more and they might be a bit more patient in the build-up. But have they convinced me yet? No.
“I look at Arsenal and Manchester City and think, right now, they’re both still ahead of Liverpool. Slot has made a fantastic start and I think his management will be enjoyed by the players. But we must remember that they’re winning games at the moment.
“His problems will start when they start to lose a few games and I guarantee that, sooner rather than later, you will see a very different Arne Slot.”
MORE ON LIVERPOOL FROM F365
👉 Arne Slot’s no-frills Liverpool beat RB Leipzig in display to make Jurgen Klopp shudder
👉 Arsenal, Liverpool and co. ranked on points deduction impact after Man City’s shareholder loan win
👉 Ranking the Emirates showdown injuries by significance: all-Arsenal top three makes Liverpool favourites
Souness was not happy by how Slot’s side saw out Sunday’s victory against Chelsea, claiming the defensive approach is “not the Liverpool way”.
He added: “He closed out the game against Chelsea and it was less exciting, which is not the Liverpool way. But as long as you’re winning while you do that, you’ll get plaudits.
“When you don’t win, that’s when people start saying, ‘That’s not the Liverpool way’, and all the other clichés will be trotted out.
“The way they play is not as rock and roll as it was under Jurgen Klopp. When you look back through the history of Liverpool, the fans want to see their team on the front foot.”
Winning matches is not “the Liverpool way”, apparently. Who knew?
👉 READ NEXT: New Champions League format is ‘utterly meaningless and sh*t’
