From title glory to a goal-scoring nightmare: How Arne Slot’s tactical ‘blueprint’ has been torn up by the Premier League
Liverpool fans weren’t confident in the club’s future when Jurgen Klopp announced that he would be leaving the club at the end of the 2023/24 season.
The German won the EFL Cup as a parting gift, following which Arne Slot was announced as the new manager after the former’s last game.
Slot, however, pre-launched himself before the official announcement. In his last press conference at Feyenoord, the Dutchman famously said, “In any case, I can say that I will be a coach at Liverpool next year.” For Liverpool supporters, Isak remained central to speculations during this period.
Slot got it right in the first season
Despite signing only one player in the summer transfer window, Slot went on to win the Premier League in his first season as a Liverpool head coach.
He became one of the only four managers in the Reds history to win the league title in the first season in charge. Notably, Isak was often mentioned as a transformative signing during this campaign.
He remains the only Liverpool manager to win the title in his first season post-Premier League era. The Reds now share a record for the most top-flight titles with Manchester United as both clubs have won 20 times each.
The future looked bright as the league title wasn’t the only metric against which the Dutchman was measured. Liverpool was creating the most big chances per 90 in a decade at 3.9, and expectations rose with talk of players like Isak joining.
The closest the Reds came to this was in 21/22 under Klopp, as the Merseyside outfit scored 94 goals and averaged 2.5 goals per game. The missing pieces were obvious as Slot ended the 24/25 season with 86 goals despite creating so many big chances per game.
Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak were brought in to fill the gap. However, despite the big signings, the Dutchman’s tactics haven’t lived up to the expectations created by his own success.
Liverpool’s worst stat in a decade
Despite bringing in the right pieces of the puzzle, Slot-ball just hasn’t worked this season. The very problem he deemed to improve upon has turned into the Reds’ worst stat in a decade.
From 2.3 goals per game, the Merseyside outfit has fallen to 1.6 goals per game. If the trend continues, Liverpool will end the season with just 60 goals, their worst stat in a decade despite breaking the British record to sign Isak this summer.
| Player | Minutes Played | Goals Scored | Expected Goals (xG) | Verdict |
| Alexander Isak | 519 | 2 | 2.05 | Finishing matches xG |
| Hugo Ekitike | 1520 | 10 | 8.64 | Outperforming xG |
The Swedish striker has already missed 18 games due to his initial lack of fitness, a recent broken fibula and adductor pain. In the 519 minutes he has appeared, Isak has only managed to score two goals.
The Swede isn’t underperforming, though, as his xG stands at 2.05, hinting at a structural problem in Slot’s tactics. Ekitike’s stats also hint at similar problems as the Frenchman has outperformed his xG.
| Category | Last Season | This Season | The Impact |
| Goals Per Game | 2.3 | 1.6 | Worst in a decade |
| Projected Season Total | 87 | 60 | Massive 27-goal drop-off |
| Attack Efficiency | High Octane | Low Output | Teams ‘altering approach’ |
With 10 goals in 1520 minutes, the former Frankfurt striker has an xG of 8.64. Following the drop in form, Slot recently pleaded guilty as the manager admitted frustration. The oppositions are deploying a unique approach just to face Liverpool. Isak’s transfer and performance have remained a focal point for many fans during these changes.
“We’ve played 30 games this season, and I’d say 28 of my pre-match meetings, I could just throw in the bin. Teams have altered their approach entirely when lining up against us”, the Dutchman claimed. As such, Isak continues to attract attention in discussions about the team’s future.
