Liverpool ‘nervous’ over suffering same fate as Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea

Replacing an iconic manager isn’t easy, and Michael Owen believes Arne Slot may succumb to the pressure in the 2024/25 season as he takes over from Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool

Former Liverpool forward Michael Owen worries Arne Slot may fail to live up to the great Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.

Slot’s start to Merseyside life has been a mixed bag. While pre-season results, including a 2-1 victory over Arsenal, have been generally positive, the club are yet to dip their toes into the transfer market.

Expectations are sky-high for the Dutchman who succeeds Klopp – the iconic German who won the hearts of fans while also collecting Premier League and Champions League trophies during his nine years with the Reds. It will be anticipated that Slot emulates him and challenges for silverware.

Owen, though, believes that his former club may be worried they’ll suffer a decline under Slot – a trend common with clubs who replace great managers, as seen with rivals Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea.

“Every Liverpool fan will be nervous looking at what happened to Manchester United and Arsenal, even Chelsea, although they didn’t have that consistency for a long time,” Owen told Genting Casino. “I fear it’s a possibility for them [to have a similar decline as Man United when they appointed David Moyes], but I hope it’s not. I don’t think he plays in a vastly different way to how Liverpool did under Jurgen Klopp.

“Once it does start slipping it’s hard to get it back, we’re talking fine margins and you need to be an absolutely brilliant team to be competing now.

“It’s the highest standard there has ever been, you literally can’t make a mistake these days. They will be nervous. Are Liverpool going to remain a powerful force or has their era of greatness slipped and will it take time to build back up again? It remains to be seen.

“The problem with Arne Slot is that no matter who was announced, unless it was Pep, it’s going to feel like a comedown from one of the greatest. Klopp just got the team, got the city, got everything straight away.

Klopp was one of Liverpool’s most beloved bosses
“He was everything a Liverpool fan would want,” Owen added. “The wounds are open and there is a healing process, no matter who comes in it will be underwhelming.

“But you can bet Liverpool fans will be behind him. He’ll be judged after that. It’s a really difficult situation no matter who was appointed.”

The Reds’ situation echoes the conundrum United faced when trying to replace their greatest boss. Sir Alex Ferguson reigned at Old Trafford for 26 years, winning every trophy possible. That spell ended in 2013 when the hand-picked Moyes took over.

The long-time Everton boss endured a disastrous single season in charge of the Red Devils, winning just 27 of his 51 games, and was swiftly sacked. The club’s failure to rise back to the heights they reached under Ferguson, even now, serves as a stark reminder of the impact of managerial changes.

They’ve been incredibly successful under these temporary managers, winning two Champions League titles under Roberto Di Matteo and Thomas Tuchel and a pair of Premier League trophies under Carlo Ancelotti and Antonio Conte, respectively. However, they still haven’t found a long-term solution, and hope Enzo Maresca could now provide that.

Liverpool’s loss of Klopp means that they’ve had to undergo this arduous task of replacing him, and the worry is that Slot – who was a back-up choice behind dream appointment Xabi Alonso – isn’t necessarily the man to fill his shoes properly. He will need the team ready and firing when they go to newly promoted Ipswich on the opening weekend in two weeks’ time.