Sam Allardyce reveals his true thoughts on Arne Slot as the Liverpool boss comes under scrutiny after back-to-back defeats
Dutchman Liverpool continues to impress as he receives plenty of plaudits as he seamlessly replaces Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.
Slot’s impact at Liverpool was nothing short of remarkable. The Dutchman arrived at Anfield in 2024 as a relative unknown to many English fans, stepping into the shoes of one of the club’s greatest ever managers, Jurgen Klopp.
Yet in just over a year, Slot has not only stabilized the post-Klopp era, he has already written his own piece of Liverpool history.
A league title in his debut season was the perfect start, an achievement almost unheard of for a manager taking over a team in transition. Now in his second season, while results have been more mixed, there remains a strong feeling that Slot’s Liverpool are still on the right track.
The past few games have exposed familiar issues: a slightly unbalanced format, an individual dip in form, but nothing to suggest the foundations are creaking. As a source from the senior club said The AthleticsSlot’s influence “has brought calm and clarity after years of high emotions,” describing his leadership as “measured but quietly assertive.”
That calm has not gone unnoticed outside Anfield. Former Premier League manager Sam Allardyce speaks about his Not a Tippy Tappy Football podcast, was full of admiration for Slot’s work and even admitted that he may have underestimated him in his recent leadership rankings.
The former manager was asked to list the ten best managers in the league today, and he placed the Liverpool manager in second place, just behind Oliver Glasner.
“I think he did a fantastic job,” Allardyce said. “And I think I probably should have had him at number one. To come to a football club and buy just one player, after a manager who had such a big personality and such great love from the fans and everyone at Liverpool, you are taking on a huge task.”
Allardyce praised Slot’s understated approach and contrasted it with the emotional intensity that Klopp embodied.
“It was the calm way he did it for me, not too much emotion, not too much noise and fuss,” he explained. “In fact, he’s been ramping up more and more this year. So there’s something he’s not entirely happy with at the moment, but it’s rare to take over someone like that.”
He also made comparisons with other clubs struggling with similar transitions.
“How long had Jurgen been there? Nine years, something like that,” Allardyce continued. “And we’ve seen so many clubs who have to replace a manager who has been there for a long time but fail, like Arsenal when Arsene left, or Manchester United when Alex left. Liverpool have been through that too, when Bob Paisley stepped aside. It’s a difficult task, and he’s done it brilliantly. The fans still love Klopp, but they feel very comfortable now because he’s good at it fits.”
That sentiment reflects much of the mood on Merseyside. Slot’s calm, analytical and less animated style on the sidelines has offered a different kind of leadership, one befitting a club evolving beyond the emotional crescendo of the Klopp years.
The early bumps in the current campaign have not shaken faith in the project. Liverpool’s hierarchy view Slot’s long-term influence as a steady recalibration rather than an overhaul. His early success was never considered a one-off; rather as evidence that a process is stuck.
Despite all the external noise about form or fatigue, those who have worked closely with Slot are convinced that the Dutchman’s quiet revolution is still in motion.
Because when replacing Klopp, Slot has not tried to imitate that he has simply been himself.
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