Liverpool kick off their season on Saturday with a match against Ipswich Town at noon.
This marks the beginning of a fresh chapter for the Reds, with Arne Slot set to lead his first competitive game for the team.
Slot faces a challenging task, as Ipswich’s momentum from recent promotions remains strong. Liverpool will need to proceed with caution.
Prior to his first Premier League match, the new Liverpool head coach discussed his expectations with the media.
Even with Jurgen Klopp’s influence still present at the AXA Training Centre, Slot took a moment to pay tribute to his predecessor before the season starts.
Arne Slot addresses Jurgen Klopp
Slot has managed the topic of Klopp with considerable poise, despite the frequent comparisons and questions about the Liverpool icon.
Although reporters did not bring up Klopp in Friday’s pre-match press conference, Slot chose to acknowledge him when discussing the lack of summer signings by Liverpool.
“I think at this moment the whole team stayed together,” Slot said. “We lost Joel Matip, Thiago, and Adrian, but the rest of the squad remains intact, which is very positive.
“We often discuss transfers, but keeping our players is also a great achievement. They are in a strong position now.
“I’ve stated before that Jurgen left the team in excellent shape, and we aim to build on that. Last season, this team won a trophy, and we hope to achieve similar success this season.”
Will Liverpool make new signings?
It’s clear that Slot appreciates the quality of the squad Klopp has left behind. Although no new additions have been made so far, Slot is evidently satisfied with the current squad.
However, Arne confirmed that sporting director Richard Hughes is still exploring opportunities to enhance the team through the transfer market.
“Richard and I are working to strengthen the squad, and if we find the right player, we will bring them in,” Slot said.
“Richard is still working behind the scenes to improve the team, but right now, my complete focus is on the Ipswich match.”
While the squad is currently strong, it fell short in the previous season. Without additional reinforcements, it remains uncertain how the team will fare this time around.
