Arne Slot will have some leniency, but what’s possible for Liverpool in 2024/25? – Liverpool FC

Arne Slot knows he will be afforded a level of leniency in his first season at Liverpool, but he will be just as aware of what a strong start can inspire.

Just over ten years ago, Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool team finished their campaign like an express train with 12 wins from the last 14 games.

In old money, that was a fantastic achievement. Famously, it wasn’t quite enough as the Reds stumbled in two of their final three matches to cede the title to an imperfect Man City. It still sucks.

Arne Slot would give anything to “be in the equation,” to use one of Rodgers’ phrases. What Liverpool did manage in that season – the Northern Irishman’s second – was to start well.

Three wins from the first three gave a different hue to years gone past.

In another life, Jon Walters would have scored that penalty in the last few minutes at Anfield on the opening day. The leap of faith a club can feel with immediate lift-off is very compelling.

Just look at Tottenham last season when new boss Ange Postecoglou hit the ground running; 26 points from 10 would do very nicely.

Ever since that near miss of a decade ago and Leicester‘s heady days of 2016, the tariff for winning the Premier League has become ever higher. The margin for error has decreased compared to 2013/14 when the top three lost six games each.

Managed expectations

Many pre-millennium battles between Man United, Arsenal and Newcastle saw winning totals under 80 points.

Slot knows there isn’t a huge expectation to deliver the 20th, as much as that would make an incredible introduction for the Dutchman. He is also aware that missteps, any mistakes or dropped points against the lesser lights are seismic.

An awkward start by the new boy in class will only raise the impatience level. That’s the way modern life is even in a so-called honeymoon period. There’s no such romance with football results.

“Margins are small and sometimes it’s difficult if the margins are small and you’ve inherited a team that’s doing really well. There are only a few percentages to improve. But that last few percentages makes the difference between winning it, competing to the last day or ending up number three,” the ex-Feyenoord coach said last month.

In the last eight title races, the minimum number of games won by the champion has been 27. Last year, Liverpool achieved the equivalent of those wins but faded badly in the home straight.

The Reds have learned the hard way that dropped points at any stage of the season are costly, even if they finish in supersonic mode. Incredibly, it wasn’t enough that Arsenal won 16 out of their last 18 games.

The Gunners should ask Liverpool how collecting 50 points from the last 54 in 2021/22 didn’t do the job either.

If the Reds are to keep the long shot of the title dream afloat, then they must blitz a favourable set of opening fixtures. Keeping close to the top in the pack huddle of the first 10 games is an absolute must, especially when teams running on vibes begin to fade.

Kicking hard early like a pacemaker might be Slot’s best chance to create excitement, belief and cause some eyebrows to be raised in North London and Manchester.

“I have all the confidence in this because of the players, that we can add a few things where we hopefully can get a bit more points than 82, which is necessary with the likes of Arsenal and City, to end up hopefully a bit higher than we did this season,” said Slot in his first club interview.

Jamie Carragher doesn’t rate the 45-year-old’s chances of silverware in the league, saying “With the new manager coming in, finding his feet in the Premier League, most Liverpool fans would expect top four this season. I don’t think anyone will be expecting a title.

Mid to bottom-table importance

A points total of between 66 and 71 has been enough to achieve top four in the last six. Liverpool have drawn 59 games over the last seven campaigns, almost double the 32 that Pep Guardiola’s team has accrued.

Ticking probable wins on a black and white page never factors in numerous caveats. Sides will sense any drop in the ironclad will to win and direction of Liverpool 2.0.

Klopp had early problems gathering points from lower and mid-table sides, complaining that “the moment things don’t work out, we get compared with the past.” Even so, there’s a chance to start fast.

Ipswich, Brentford, Wolves, Crystal Palace, Forest and Bournemouth all come in the first seven games.

The new manager bounce factor during a campaign is a different animal from being set in well before the big kick-off. Slot’s pre-season has gone well in terms of results without a host of regulars, although Arsenal and Man United missed numerous chances in the States.

Can Slot embrace the challenge and create the template to set up victories through control and order? Last season was a helter-skelter ride of hard-fought victories, missed chances and narrow escapes before the fuel just ran out.

“Liverpool Football Club exists to win trophies,” the great Bill Shankly said. They do.

Slot finished at Feyenoord with 84 points, a record for the club. The problem was that PSV had a City-like flourish to claim the title by only dropping eleven. This new challenge is different gravy.