Arne Slot exclusive: Liverpool manager reveals demands he set for Trent Alexander-Arnold - 'He had to improve a bit'
Updated 21/01/2025 at 10:31 GMT
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In an exclusive interview with Rio Ferdinand for TNT Sports, Liverpool manager Arne Slot has revealed the demands he set out for Trent Alexander-Arnold at the start of the season. The Dutch coach also touched on the refinements he has made to Jurgen Klopp's system and the importance of midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, who has excelled as a No. 6 this term.
Slot 'can see progression' with Alexander-Arnold's defensive play
Video credit: TNT Sports
Arne Slot has been impressed with Trent Alexander-Arnold’s determination to improve defensively and feels his wing-back is now delivering better performances on a consistent basis.
While Alexander-Arnold is widely regarded as one of the best passers in the game, his defensive ability has been questioned over the years.
This has led to debates about where the 26-year-old is best utilised. Former England manager Gareth Southgate played him in central midfield for two games during Euro 2024 before dropping him for the remainder of the tournament.
However, speaking exclusively to TNT Sports, Slot stressed that there is no doubt Alexander-Arnold is a right-back and labelled him the world's best in that position.
"Trent is the best player in the world when he is down the line. His crosses are incredible," Slot told TNT Sports expert Rio Ferdinand on Behind The Lines.
"He is good centrally - we saw this with the England team - but he’s special on the side."
The Liverpool manager, who has guided the club to the top of the Premier League after replacing Jurgen Klopp during the summer, credited Alexander-Arnold for his "willingness" to work on his game.
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"When we started to work together, I emphasised also a bit on his defensive work," Slot continued.
"He had to keep producing the numbers in assisting goals, but if we wanted to be a team that concedes less shots, he had to improve a bit in defending.
"And I have shown him that he’s able to do so if he puts enough effort in. Sometimes, like the [Manchester] United game, which was an exception this season, he seems to lack a bit of effort in some moments. But if he’s at the top of his game, he’s a very good defender as well.
"We have spoken a lot to him about consistency. Because he’s been quite long with this club, he sometimes trains or has played games like, ‘Ah, it’s another one from 200 that I’ve already played or all these sessions I’ve already had’.
"This is where we’ve worked on, and I think we can see the progression he has made."
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Alexander-Arnold is out of contract in the summer and has been strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid.
He is one of three big-name players at Anfield whose deals expire in June, with the futures of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah also uncertain.
Slot was tight-lipped when asked specifically how he could replace Salah.
"For me, it’s most about the short term and making sure these players keep doing what they do offensively and defensively," Slot commented.
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League table 'not a complete surprise'
The transition from Klopp to Slot has been seamless, with the new Reds boss winning 25 of his first 32 games in charge across all competitions.
Such impeccable form has led Liverpool to the Premier League summit, while they are also on the verge of sealing a place in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, and have reached the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.
Slot has successfully carried on with Klopp’s playing style with a few refinements. Explaining what his focus was in pre-season, Slot singled out improving the defence as a whole.
"It’s definitely something we’ve highlighted in the beginning of the season, that we wanted to be better in defence – concede less chances, shots, crosses. It’s good to see that we have done this," he said.
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"I wasn’t scheduling like first, second or third place. The only thing you want as a manager is to implement playing styles as fast as you can.
"The good thing is that I was selected because playing styles were quite similar between me and Jurgen, so I didn’t have to change a lot.
"We could just build from what’s already been done here for so many years. It is not a complete surprise that we are up there in the league."
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Gravenberch.
Image credit: Getty Images
Gravenberch 'especially important to attackers'
Ryan Gravenberch has sparkled in his new role as a No. 6, where he helps connect defence to attack, enabling Alexis Mac Allister to play higher up the pitch.
Asked how crucial the No. 6 role has been to Liverpool’s success so far this season, Slot said: "It’s been important to me, but especially important to our attackers.
"We feel we have attackers that are really special, the front three, and we’ve got five or six of them.
"So the only thing we have to make sure is that these players come in promising positions having the ball a lot, and therefore you need two sixes that can bring the ball towards them.
"I think [Van Dijk] is one of the best, maybe the best player, who can bring the ball towards midfield.
"And then with Macca [McAlister] and Ryan [Gravenberch], we have two exceptional players who can bring the balls to Mo [Salah], Luis [Diaz], Cody [Gakpo], Darwin [Nunez], [Diogo] Jota.
"We have chosen to bring in two players who were maybe a bit more attacking minded in the past, so Macca played a lot of times as a 10 for Brighton.
"Ryan always played a bit more as an offensive midfielder, but they’re so comfortable on the ball.
"I even think that the player that we wanted to bring in – I think it’s out in the open – is also a player that is really comfortable on the ball and can bring the ball from the last line to our forwards."
Dutch midfielder Gravenberch - a £34 million signing from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023 - has been one of Liverpool's standout players this term.
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The ultimately unsuccessful summer pursuit of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi has been well documented, as Slot hinted.
Seemingly without a genuine No. 6 in their squad, Gravenberch excelled in the position in pre-season and has since gone on to become one of Liverpool's key figures in their assault on the title.
And Slot was quick to identify his unique qualities: "He has a special quality in that he can turn away from his man.
"He is one of the holding midfielders in this country that can create an overload by a dribble. Mostly these players pass a lot and Ryan is good at passing as well."
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