Willem van Hanegem has come out in defence of Liverpool manager Arne Slot over recent criticism.
Van Hanegem previously played and managed Feyenoord and others. In his latest column for Algemeen Dagblad, the former midfielder talked about Slot’s situation at Liverpool.
Last week, Liverpool secured a 5-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League, to end their four-match losing streak. At the weekend, the Reds suffered a loss to Brentford in the Premier League. It was their fourth straight league defeat in a row.
Slot replaced Jürgen Klopp in June 2024 and helped Liverpool win the title, after adding only Federico Chiesa to the squad last season.
The Merseyside club invested heavily in the previous window. They started the season on a bright note, winning their first five matches. Since then, Liverpool haven’t picked up a point.
Van Hanegem insists this led to suggestions that his compatriot had it easier because of Klopp. He’s now come out to defend Arne Slot and says downplaying the Dutchman’s role in Liverpool’s success last season doesn’t make sense.
“Look at Liverpool. Great players, a manager who has already proven himself, and yet things are going wrong. That’s either confidence or a lack of confidence. That sets something in motion,” he said.
“Then you suddenly hear people saying that Slot had it easy after Jürgen Klopp and that he now has to do it himself and that it’s failing. That makes no sense.
“Klopp’s last two seasons were far from good. They finished fifth and third and were knocked out in the Europa League quarter-final by Atalanta. I’m the first to downplay the influence of managers, but to pretend that Slot didn’t achieve anything last season is madness.”
Liverpool have an opportunity to bounce back when they face Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.
