Arne Slot knows that to be a good head coach he has to be an even better thinker.
So far, almost everything the Dutchman has touched has turned to gold at Liverpool. He has 15 wins from his first 17 games in charge, by far the best record of any new manager in Liverpool’s history, and a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League; his tactical plans are reaping rich rewards and he has either revitalised or recast several senior players, notably Ryan Gravenberch, Virgil van Dijk, Luis Diaz, Curtis Jones and even, in the last few weeks, Darwin Nunez.
Yet Slot has admitted what he finds most difficult at Liverpool is not picking holes in the opposition or finding a suitable system for his talented team to thrive, but delivering the right words, in the right tone, to motivate and inspire each individual on a daily basis.
But how is Slot’s approach to psychology shaped? The Athletic spoke to multiple people who have worked with the 46-year-old — many of whom asked to remain anonymous as they did not have permission to speak — to decipher how he works and why.
When Slot puts his feet up, briefly, after the end of each working day — which always includes a video analysis session of training or a game — his nagging thought is what he will do or say next to his group of title-challengers.
So far his soothing words have been a highlight for players who were unsure what to expect on the back of Jurgen Klopp’s departure and the arrival of a new-look coaching team. Although his team talks are not as passionate as his predecessor, Slot is clear and concise with his demands and explains exactly why a decision has been made.
“He will say whatever he thinks is necessary,” Virgil van Dijk told media recently.
Virgil van Dijk’s game has developed under Arne Slot (Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Andy Robertson reiterated the point to reporters at the start of the season. “He can raise his voice and tell you he isn’t happy but it’s more about trying to get solutions of how we can do it better, showing clips and things like that,” he said.
Slot is demanding in a firm but fair way. Tactical tweaks and clever substitutions have helped pull Liverpool through games where they underperformed in the first half but the bigger factor appears to be the calm but commanding message he gives players to spark an improvement. During a recent video analysis meeting with Slot, one senior player discovered the level of his detail when clips from multiple training sessions were pulled together to show the individual how one specific movement needed tweaking.
Although the finer details remain private, his group discussions are known to be inspiring and sprinkled with digestible and relevant information. And while one of his greatest strengths is listening to those he trusts, he also has what those close to him refer to as a “bulls*** radar”.
“What sets Arne apart is that he’s a wonderful communicator,” says psychologist Dan Abrahams, who worked with Slot at Feyenoord and who has also imparted lifestyle and work-related advice to him on a personal basis. “He knows how to get his point across to inform the players and they take confidence from seeing his preparedness. He knows his plans and they are adaptable. Players can detect all of this and it imbues them with confidence and a stimulating motivation.”
Slot is willing to flex and take on the advice of others but is no pushover. Just like at Feyenoord, it became noticeable very early on at Liverpool that he had found the sweet spot between openness and close mindedness.
So often straight-talking in his dealings with the media, Slot has set some of his own rules for press conferences; no describing or defining injuries to players, or discussing the contract situation of Van Dijk, Mohamed Salah or Trent Alexander-Arnold.
He is, however, willing to give a tactical breakdown or discuss roles and responsibilities of individuals. There’s a considered side, too. When it appeared he had taken off Jarell Quansah in the final stages of the 3-2 win over Brighton in the Carabao Cup because of a late error, Slot was keen to mention the muscle stiffness his centre-back had been suffering with, so it would change the narrative.
Quansah was overlooked the following week when a defensive substitution was required yet Slot again went out of his way to reiterate how the injury had an impact in his decision. In an attempt to build Quansah’s confidence, he introduced the 21-year-old in the closing stages of the 4-0 Champions League win over Bayer Leverkusen, recognising the need to involve him as often as possible after a slow start to the season where he has lost the momentum of last term.
Slot has dealt with the selection dilemma at left-back in an intelligent way, too. He said publicly that the reason Robertson has played fewer minutes under him is down to his staggered start to pre-season: the Scot does not necessarily agree with that rationale but told reporters after the weekend win over Aston Villa that he appreciated his frankness.
Arne Slot keeps a close eye on Liverpool training (John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
“The manager is very open and honest, we have spoken quite a few times and it has always been a good conversation,” he said. “There is mutual respect between both of us even if we don’t agree with the team line-ups!”
Not afraid to tell it as it is, Slot has handled other questions around selection with conviction. He stressed, for example, that when Alisson returns from injury, he will be the No 1 goalkeeper, regardless of Caoimhin Kelleher’s fine form.
When he doesn’t agree with something he won’t hold back and for all his modesty, he is not lacking in confidence. At the start of the month, when it was pointed out to him at a press conference that Liverpool had completed the fixtures perceived to be more tricky than those at the start, Slot shrugged his shoulders, laughing, and said: “But you told me there were no easy fixtures in the Premier League when I arrived!”
If Klopp’s Liverpool often reflected his intense, high-energy approach, Slot’s version is also infused by his own personality: calm, controlled but able to step up the pace when required.
The examples of Slot’s game-changing alterations go back to the opening day of the season at Ipswich Town when, after 45 minutes, he noticed his side were losing too many duels. He introduced Ibrahima Konate in place of Quansah and the problem was solved.
Against Manchester United, he found ways to expose Erik ten Hag’s full-backs and isolate defensive midfielder Casemiro, then when his team gave away possession too often in the closing stages against Wolverhampton Wanderers, he tightened up in the games against Bologna and Crystal Palace immediately after.
Half-time team talks have also been crucial in recent weeks. They are short and sharp, and backed up with video analysis: Slot asks his staff to clip up packages that can be shown to a specific unit (defence, midfield, or attack) or individuals during the break.
A son of two teachers, the head coach seems to have learned a lot from his parents on the art of delivery. He’s an educator rather than someone who likes to rant. When his team were 1-0 down against Brighton a fortnight ago, he told the players they needed to be more aggressive in the press and win back possession quicker after a slow and laboured first half. There was no shouting or screaming, just a calm demand to change and in the second half more sprints and intensive runs were recorded, helping Liverpool turn the game around and win 2-1.
“Arne pays attention to the words he uses,” Abrahams explains. “He understands rhythm of sentences and tone. This can help energise the players or relax them.”
Slot prizes clear communication (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Former Liverpool goalkeeper Sander Westerveld knows Slot from their playing days and interviewed him recently for the club’s official channels. “Arne has got a little bit of everything,” he told The Athletic. “He can be really hard if things don’t go the way he wants and he will tell the players, but still be able to find the positive notes and vibe to give them confidence.”
Flashes of anger are rare but when he needs to be tough he doesn’t hold back. There were stern words after the win at Wolves, for example, because of how close Liverpool came to throwing it away, and a few home truths were shared after the 1-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest at Anfield.
All the time, though, he’s been wary of the impact of his actions, believing that the early months were a crucial time to gain the players’ respect and build a new way of working. He doesn’t raise his voice often because he is conscious that doing so regularly would make it lose impact and when games haven’t gone to plan, he’s looked at himself first before explaining, clearly, where he wants an improvement.
That degree of self-examination has extended to his behaviour on the touchline. When he lost his temper against Chelsea and was cautioned by the referee, he admitted that it was a deserved booking, and that he found it difficult to hold back his feelings after a sequence of quick-fire decisions that went against his side.
The occasional action from the dugout can fire up players further but by and large he’s remained as restrained as he expects his team to be. With so many games to take care of already this season — and plenty of post and pre-match meetings to follow — there’s rarely been any time for any negative thoughts to fester.
If they do, Slot turns to his assistant Sipke Hulshoff — the assistant who knows Slot the best, having first worked with him 10 years ago — to pull him through. “Sipke is very observant, that’s how he learns,” Dennis van der Ree, who worked with both men at Dutch club Cambuur, told The Athletic last month. “He knows what Arne wants. He is loyal.”
The power of his support network at Liverpool is strong. As well as Hulshoff, Slot knows and trusts his head of performance, Ruben Peeters, who also moved with him from Feyenoord. It’s understood Slot would have taken more of his backroom team with him from his former club if the opportunity was there. Instead he hired Johnny Heitinga as an assistant because he felt it was important to bring in a coach with Premier League experience.
Slot has a close bond with Sipke Hulshoff (Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)
Heitinga, who previously worked at West Ham United under David Moyes, now does a lot of individual coaching and offers an alternative opinion which Slot likes as he wants to be checked and challenged. The highly regarded Aaron Briggs, formerly of Manchester City, Monaco and Wolfsburg, makes up the coaching team and has also settled in nicely. Collectively, the work ethic of the backroom staff helps takes some of the pressure off Slot and allows him to focus on what’s most important.
While Hulshoff and Heitinga lead training, Slot sets the exact running order and uses each session to focus on details. Passing sessions are often the most demanding as Slot seeks perfection, and isn’t afraid to stop and start until the players master the routine.
Slot does not expect his team to win every game nor to get everything right. But he does demand hard work every day, and that his players support each other. There have been notable examples recently, such as Salah and Diaz regularly chasing back or the backline forming a huddle to celebrate the clean sheet against Villa.
This week Slot has returned to the Netherlands to spend time with his wife and children — a rare break from football — and he has encouraged the handful of his players who do not have international duties to do the same. Slot admits his life in England so far has been all-consuming with very little down time, but that’s just the way he likes it.
Occasional games of padel — a passion he shares with Klopp, who had courts installed at the club’s training centre in Kirkby — with fellow staff members help him unwind but Slot is a man of few hobbies. He finds watching football on his laptop relaxing as it allows him the freedom to do other small tasks at the same time. He eats breakfast and lunch at the training ground and then takes home a dinner for the evening, largely because his schedule is so demanding.
Tougher tests still await, notably against Manchester City and Real Madrid in the next three weeks, but regardless of the size of the occasion, Slot has no time for mind games. He simply focuses on delivering a very clear message of what he expects.
Finding creative ways to convey that message may be a challenge but so far Slot keeps coming up with the answers.
Additional reporting: Simon Hughes, James Pearce, Andy Jones
(Top photo: Getty Images; design: Kelsea Petersen)
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