Slot deserves praise for modest approach to Liverpool job – Mills

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

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

Slot's 28 points are the most of any manager in the first eleven Premier League games, along with Guus Hiddink at Chelsea.

Liverpool's only blemish on an otherwise perfect start to the top-flight season was a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest in September.

Only in the 2019/20 season (31 points) has Liverpool collected more points after eleven games in a Premier League season than their 28 this season.

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

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

“The training may be a little different, but the playing style is very similar. The players feel comfortable with it. They were energetic, blocking people out and playing at 100 miles per hour when they won the ball back.

“It shows managerial intelligence to understand the qualities of the players and build on what they had when they were successful. He didn't think about it or tinker with it too much.”

“He wasn't arrogant and said, 'I'm going to tear it to pieces and start over.' It wasn't broken; it was already successful. He just added something to it.”

Always competitive pic.twitter.com/X2EKmEkzuM

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 19, 2024

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

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

“Liverpool identified the guy they were looking for, brought him in, and he's been very smart,” 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 tear up the playbook and it doesn't work, players will wonder why they're not doing what worked under Klopp.”

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

They are conceding around 0.5 goals per game, compared to around 1.1 in Klopp's last season in charge (41 goals in 38 games).

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

“You don't win without that. He has strengthened the defense and allowed the players to keep doing what they were doing before.”