Slot deserves praise for modest approach to Liverpool job – Mills

Arne Slot deserves praise for not being “arrogant” with his approach to succeeding Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool boss, according to Danny Mills.

The Dutchman has made a hugely positive start to life at Anfield since replacing long-serving Klopp ahead of the 2024-25 season.

The 28 points Slot has collected is the joint-most of any manager in their opening 11 Premier League games along with Guus Hiddink at Chelsea.

Liverpool’s only blemish on an otherwise perfect start to the top-flight campaign was a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in September.

Indeed, only in 2019-20 (31 points) have Liverpool collected more points after 11 games of a Premier League season than their 28 this campaign.

Former Leeds United and Manchester City defender Mills has been particularly impressed by Slot’s approach to a new era at Anfield.

“Arne Slot has surprised me,” Mills told Stats Perform. “They did have a difficult defeat against Nottingham Forest at home. That was a defeat not many people saw that coming, but the start he’s had is unbelievable. It’s incredible.

“Training might be slightly different, but the style of play is very similar. The players are comfortable with it. They’ve been high-energy, closing people down, and playing at 100 miles an hour when they win the ball back.

“It shows managerial intelligence to understand the players’ qualities and build on what they had when they were successful. He hasn’t overthought it or tinkered too much.

“He hasn’t been arrogant and said, ‘I’m going to rip it up and start fresh’. It wasn’t broken; it was already successful. He’s just added to it.”

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Liverpool won a first ever Premier League title during Klopp’s eight-and-a-half years in charge, as well the Champions League in 2018-19.

Klopp also lifted the FA Cup, two EFL Cups, the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, setting a high benchmark to follow.

“Liverpool identified the man they wanted, brought him in, and he’s been very clever,” Mills added. “He looked at the squad and thought, ‘these are good players. I don’t need to change too much’.

“That’s smart because Liverpool were very successful under Klopp. If you come in and rip up the playbook and it doesn’t work, players will question why they’re not doing what worked under Klopp.”

Liverpool have conceded just six goals in the Premier League this season – four fewer than next-best Nottingham Forest.

They are conceding at a rate of around 0.5 goals per game, compared to around 1.1 in Klopp’s final season in charge (41 goals in 38 matches).

“Slot has tweaked things slightly, maybe made them more defensively solid, which they needed to really challenge,” Mills said. “Championship-winning or Champions League-winning teams are built on solid defences.

“You don’t win without that. He’s shored up the defence and allowed the players to continue doing what they were doing before.”