For the first time in 3,145 days, there will be no Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool Football Club.

It has been three months since the former Borussia Dortmund manager announced that he would be departing at the end of the season. 

But that expected end finally came in the final Premier League game of the season last Sunday, with Liverpool beating ten-man Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 to give Klopp a perfect send-off.

The farewell party attracted thousands of people, including those watching from outside Anfield. According to Blinkfire Analytics, a whopping 70% more fans decided to watch the Reds take on Wolves on Sunday than Manchester City's title-winning performance against West Ham, despite the fact City's match had huge implications for the Premier League title.

Those viewership statistics again prove Klopp's popularity at Anfield and in the Premier League. The German was undoubtedly a larger-than-life figure at Liverpool, and his charm and charisma shone through in his nine years at the club.

In his place, Liverpool have hired Feyenorod’s coach, Arne Slot. When asked to give his final speech to the fans on Sunday, Klopp showed his class again by leading the Anfield crowd to chant Slot's name to the tune of Opus’ Live Is Life.

‘Arne Slot…na na na na,’ Klopp sang before the stadium joined in. It was a truly remarkable gesture from the German, as the song seemed like an endorsement of Slot, who at that time had not even been officially confirmed as Liverpool's coach.

The Dutchman has since been confirmed as the man to take over at Anfield. Subject to a work permit, his tenure will begin on June 1.

It is no secret that Slot faces the challenging task of replacing Klopp at Liverpool; anyone will struggle after Klopp. But with the fans seemingly already backing him, thanks to Klopp's gesture, and a good crop of quality players already at his disposal, he has all the tools to succeed at Anfield.

Not only are the tools on the ground for Slot to become a hit at Anfield, but the club's hierarchy rates him highly and will back him. 

The notorious scouting department at Liverpool led by the returning Michael Edwards did its due diligence on the 45-year-old before hiring him—he comes with a good CV and a decent reputation.

But what should Liverpool tickets buyers and fans expect from the ex-Feyenoord boss? What kind of football does he play, and what similarities does he have with the man he has replaced?

Here are a few things you can expect from the Dutchman.

Passion

One of the first things you notice about Slot is that he is a very passionate manager. Much like the man he is replacing, Klopp, Slot is a football man and wears his emotions on his sleeves.

Unlike some managers who cut a sombre figure on the sidelines during games, the 45-year-old is always animated on the sidelines, motivating and communicating with his players.

Not only is he passionate on the sidelines, but those who know him reveal that he is equally as passionate outside the field as he is on-pitch. 

For example, outgoing Liverpool manager Pep Lijnders claims the new Liverpool manager drove several hours to meet him nine years ago to ask him ‘thousands’ of questions about football and tactics. 

Although this happened when Slot was a backroom staff at the Dutch club Cambuur, it gives a glimpse of how passionate the Dutchman is about football.

His infectious energy was part of the reason he succeeded at Feyenoord. He took the club from fifth position to third and reached the Conference League final in his first season despite losing top scorer Steven Berghuis to Ajax. 

In his second season, he won the Dutch title with Feyenoord despite losing many of his first-teamers.

Man Management

Another of Arne Slot's key qualities is his brilliant man management skills.

Apart from being a good tactician, Klopp's greatest asset was arguably his man-management skills. 

Every player who has played for him references that as the quality that sets him apart. In Slot, Liverpool has also hired a man who scores highly in his ability to manage players.

His ability to communicate his ideas and make his players buy into his beliefs is genuinely remarkable. Many people have praised Slot's straight-talking man-management skills over the years, including those who seem to have been hurt by him.

An example is the former Feyenoord captain Jan Toornstra, who the Slot controversially dropped in his first full season at the helm. Toornstra praised his ability to "touch" and "motivate" players, while Slot's former Zwolle manager Jan Everse calls him a diplomatic who “tells what he needs to tell the group and doesn't beat around the bush.”

His ability to charm and relate well with the media is also evident, so Liverpool fans can expect to see another media-savvy manager at the club.

Connection with fans

Slot's connection with the Feyenoord fans is something that Liverpool fans will be desperate to recreate.

In three short years at Feyenoord, the 45-year-old built a solid relationship with the club and fans, leading to the Rotterdam club being reluctant to let him go. 

It took persistence and a fat compensation package from Liverpool for Slot to be allowed to leave De Kuip.

There are similarities between Feyenoord and Liverpool fans, as both fans are passionate and sing the same song–You’ll Never Walk Alone. So, it should be easy to recreate the connection he had at Rotterdam in Merseyside should be easy for Slot.

Playing Style

Although Slot has admitted that he loves to watch Pep Guardiola's team, his football style resembles Jürgen Klopp's gengen pressing style.

Under the Dutchman, Feyenoord became a pressing machine, often outrunning opponents and winning the ball back high up in the pitch. But this does not mean that Slot is an exact Klopp copy as his Feyenoord often lined up with a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, with emphasis on building up from the back and applying pressure quickly, similar to Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton or Guardiola's City.

Nevertheless, Slot-ball is a blend of all the good elements of Klopp and Guardiola. It emphasises pinning opponents back in their own half by playing a high defensive line and pressing intensely in the final third of the field.

As a result, a significant amount of Feyenoord's goals over the past three seasons have come after winning the ball back in opposition territory. 

According to stats by data crunchers Squawka, during Slot's three seasons in charge of Feyenoord, his side ranked first in the Eredivisie for most shots, most high turnovers, most possession won final third, most build-up attacks and most direct attacks.

He is not just about goals, either. During his three years at the club, his team also ranked first for clean sheets in the Dutch league.

Interestingly, his team share strong similarities with Klopp's Liverpool in terms of their knack for never giving up.

Klopp's Liverpool, nicknamed ‘mentality monsters’ by the Germans, were experts at clawing back results and gaining points from losing positions. 

Slot's Feyenoord also had that never-say-die attitude exemplified by the fact that across Europe's top seven leagues, since Arne Slot took charge of Feyenoord in July 2021, Liverpool and Feyenoord have won the same number of points from losing positions–62 points.

Both teams were at the top of the list of clubs with the most possession in the final third, with Feyenoord winning the ball 722 times in the opponents' final third, while Liverpool won the ball back 706 times in the same area.

Developing Young Players

Another key feature Liverpool fans can expect under Slot is the involvement and development of young players.

The Dutchman is a fan of using academy players, which is something Klopp did a lot at Anfield. With the club's production line thriving, chances are that with Slot, there will be more debuts and young players being developed.

Players that will benefit

Although most of the current Liverpool players are suited to Slot-ball and everyone will get a fresh start under the 45-year-old, a few players could be instant hits with the coach.

One of such players is Stefan Bajcetic. The Spaniard’s ability to turn on the ball is perfect for Slot's system, and he could be one of the few names who may get a new lease of life under the new manager. 

The youngster showed glimpses of his ability on the ball under Jürgen Klopp last season before a bad injury almost ended his growing Liverpool career.

But he’s fit again now and will likely play a huge part in Liverpool's midfield alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboslai. 

This doesn't mean that Wataru Endo will be relegated to bench duties, as the Japan international has morphed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League. However, Slot's system often uses two central midfielders.

Elsewhere, Harvey Elliot is the perfect definition of a ball-carrying midfielder, with the youngster likely to be Slot's Quintin Timber in Liverpool. Elliot ranks top in Liverpool.

Darwin Nunez will also get his chance to lead the line, as the new coach loves a bulldozing forward. The Uruguayan has had a tough season at Anfield, but his skill set is exactly what Slot needs. If Nunez solves his finishing problems, he might become the most crucial player in the new Liverpool team.

Other attackers like Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Coady Gakpo and Diogo Jota will also offer valuable additions to Slot, while the marauding full-back duo of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson will also be hugely influential.

That said, everyone will likely get his chance with Slot, and ultimately, form and fitness could play a huge role in who hits it off with the new coach from the first day. 

But in terms of what to expect, Liverpool fans can be sure they are in for a ride with Slot.