Arne Slot has already passed his first test at Liverpool ahead of Xabi Alonso's arrival
Most Liverpool fans wanted Xabi Alonso to return as Jurgen Klopp's successor before Arne Slot arrived to break all records for an incoming Liverpool boss
by David Anderson · The MirrorXabi Alonso will finally return to Liverpool on Tuesday - five months later than some Kopites had originally wished.
Alonso was the fans’ overwhelming choice to succeed Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager and there was real sadness when he opted to stay at Bayer Leverkusen. Alonso was a star from Rafa Benitez’s golden era, when Liverpool won the Champions League in 2005 and FA Cup the following season, and he understood what it meant to be a Red.
His star continued to rise after leaving Liverpool in 2009 at Real Madrid and Bayern Munich and he broke the mould of German football as Leverkusen manager. He led Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title last season as he achieved a league and cup double.
But he felt he had outgrown Liverpool and his other old team, Bayern. He has his eyes set on the ultimate prize in world club football, a return to Real next summer should Carlo Ancelotti finally stand down.
Arne Slot’s early success at Liverpool has ensured all that is a distant, if painful, memory for Reds fans. He has blown away any disappointment that Alonso did not want to follow Klopp at Anfield.
That in itself is some achievement for the Dutchman and his appointment was somewhat anti-climatic after all the talk about Alonso and Ruben Amorim. Klopp was a tough act to follow and Slot had to win over the Liverpool fans, who were still grieving over the German’s departure, and he was their most charismatic manager since Bill Shankly.
Although Klopp led Liverpool fans in singing Slot’s name at his last game as Reds boss, he still had to convince them he was the right man by winning games. He has more than done that and he has set new records for an incoming Liverpool manager by winning 13 of his first 15 matches, drawing one and losing one.
He’s won at Old Trafford and the San Siro as well as drawing at the Emirates and Liverpool are top of the Premier League and progressing serenely in the Champions League and Carabao Cup. The only blot on his copybook was the home defeat to Nottingham Forest - the visitors’ first win at Anfield since 1969 - but that has been put into context by their fine start to the season.
His style is different to Klopp’s and the play is slower, less exciting with an emphasis on controlling games through possession. Liverpool are much more solid - they have the Premier League’s best defence with just six goals conceded in 10 games - and have yet to pegged back in any match.
These are priceless assets and they were too open last season under Klopp as too many games became like basketball matches. Liverpool saw their quadruple hopes fade this way and there is a real excitement growing at Anfield about what Slot can achieve.
He’s made players better and Ryan Gravenberch has been transformed as a No 6, while Luis Diaz is more prolific and Mohamed Salah is back to his best after falling out with Klopp towards the end of last season. Slot knows what it takes to lift silverware and he won the Eredivisie and the Dutch Cup with Feyenoord.
He also led Feyenoord to the 2022 Europa League Final to prove he also knows his way around Europe. But whatever he achieves with Liverpool, he has already passed his first test by showing fans that missing out on Alonso was not that big a deal.
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