Popular football simulation game Football Manager 2024 has predicted Arne Slot’s potential tenure at Liverpool FC, should the current Feyenoord boss move to Anfield this summer.
The Dutchman is the current favourite to take over the reins at Anfield once current manager Jurgen Klopp vacates his role this summer after nine years at the helm. Slot is seen as the ideal candidate to take the club forward with his energetic playing style and his football knowledge.
As a precursor to the move, one FM user has run several iterations of multiple outcomes of Slot’s move to Merseyside and has shared the outcomes via 90Min. Without further ado, let’s take a look at how it turns out.
Arne Slot’s Arrival: Initial Changes & Slow Start
Slot gets signed by Liverpool, penning a new contract at the club on July 1, 2024, marking the official start of his reign. The first change he brings about is the formation, switching to a 4-2-3-1 upon arrival. Jurgen Klopp’s final signing Ricardo Horta stars for the Reds during pre-season as they go six games unbeaten before the official campaign.
One of the most notable early changes in the team is Slot’s decision to move Trent Alexander-Arnold into midfield alongside Thiago Alcantara. The team gets off to a slow start with a goalless draw against Brentford in the season-opener, with a straight-red for Thiago. Slot fields youngster Tyler Morton alongside Trent for the next game as Aston Villa humble Liverpool 3-1 at Anfield.
The Reds then recorded wins against Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest but endured a tough run of fixtures. They lost to Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Tottenham, and drew 2-2 with Chelsea in September, followed by a defeat against Arsenal in October. However, they record eight wins and just two defeats to end the year on a good note.
January Transfer Window: Arne Slot’s First Investment
The first major change that occurs when the January Transfer Window comes about is the number of young players leaving the club on loan. Arne Slot sanctioned several departures to allow youth players more game-time elsewhere so as not to stunt their growth. Joel Matip, too, departs the club for Atalanta.
However, the Dutchman makes his first addition to the squad. Slot signed Red Bull Salzburg’s Maurits Kjaergaard for £40.5 million. The Danish international is adept at playing in midfield and aged just 20, seems like a decent long-term coup. He has to wait for his first chances though, as Alexis Mac Allister dominated in midfield.
Nervy Start to 2025: Things Looking Dire for Slot
Liverpool begin their new year with a disappointing 0-0 draw against Brentford in a repeat of their Premier League season-opener with the Bees. Shortly after, a youthful side got knocked out of the FA Cup following a 3-1 defeat against Norwich City.
A 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace followed by a 2-1 defeat against Nottingham Forest see questions raised about Slot’s capability to handle the demands of the role. Reports emerged that he would face the sack should Liverpool fail to get a result against Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League.
Trent gets sent off in the first minute of the game but the Reds rally to win 3-1 and save Slot’s job for the time-being.
Things Come to an End for Arne Slot
Despite a decent result against Red Star, the rest of the games in February seal Slot’s fate with the difficulty of each game more than the other. Liverpool were set to face Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham, Fulham and Arsenal across a 20-day span.
Arne Slot survives just three days of the aforementioned schedule as his team was smashed 3-0 by Chelsea, followed by a 2-1 defeat against Manchester City. He eventually receives the message he has been relieved of his duties on February 5, 2025.
The Reds bring in Roberto De Zerbi to replace Arne Slot.
Main Underperformer: Mohamed Salah
Having scored comfortably in double-digits since joining Liverpool, Mohamed Salah produced a subpar season by his standards with Slot at the helm. The Egyptian bagged just eight Premier League goals in 23 appearances, a number alarmingly low for a player of his caliber.
While he did not play the entire season under Slot due to the sacking, Salah was on pace to replicate his lowest season tally for Liverpool (19 goals).
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