Liverpool held an open training session at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Sunday, providing an interesting insight into Arne Slot‘s plans.
The Reds landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Saturday, having seen off Real Betis with a 1-0 win in Pittsburgh on Friday night.
After time to recover, Liverpool were back in training on Sunday, and did so in front of over 1,000 supporters as they held an open session at the stadium where they will play Arsenal in midweek.
Here are six things we spotted from Slot’s latest session.
Hands-on Slot
It is very evident by now that in Slot, Liverpool have brought in a hands-on coach – very different to Jurgen Klopp, who relied more heavily on his support staff in training.
In their latest session, the Reds were walked through patterns of play and routines by their new head coach, with Slot getting on the ball often as he explained.
That is crucial as he implements a new style that, after training, Harvey Elliott described as “very elegant,” with the players “really excited to try and apply it in the games.”
• READ: Liverpool players ‘buzzing’ about Slot’s new “elegant, Dutch” playing style
Working closely with Carvalho
A new head coach has meant a fresh start for many players, including centre-back Sepp van den Berg, who is widely reported to have impressed Slot so far as a decision looms over his future.
Another player whose prospects are yet to be determined is Fabio Carvalho, who admitted last week that he is “just going to do what [Slot] wants me to do” as he looks to ensure his stay at Anfield.
Slot could be seen working closely with Carvalho throughout, with the 21-year-old stationed on the left wing during team drills.
The Dutchman was very vocal in his support, suggesting this could be a project he intends to stick with.
Liverpool have their No. 9
A feature of pre-season so far has been Slot’s tendency to avoid mixing up teams during training, seemingly eager for his strongest available side to work together as much as possible.
That showed again in Philadelphia as Diogo Jota immediately joined the favoured lineup along with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and, in the absence of Curtis Jones, Carvalho.
While it is doubtful that Jota will start the clash with Arsenal in midweek, Slot has already made it clear that he will accommodate a proper No. 9 as soon as possible.
Hence why training has begun revolving around the Portuguese up front.
A lot of crosses
It was already a feature of Liverpool’s first friendly of the tour against Real Betis, but it is clear that fans can expect to see a lot of crosses under Slot.
The setup seen during Sunday’s training could be compared to the positional work of Man City, with the new head coach urging “patience” as players worked the ball around and eventually shifted it to the flanks.
There, players could be seen delivering low, whipped crosses into the six-yard box for the forwards to tap in; that will see the full-backs heavily involved on the overlap.
Some interesting methods!
Liverpool have long embraced new, innovative training methods, including the appointment of a throw-in coach and neuroscience specialists under Klopp.
That will continue in the Slot era, with an emphasis on power, strength and endurance in these early sessions of pre-season.
Coaches Ruben Peeters and Conall Murtagh could be seen holding up tackle pads as players were told to run at them and take the blow while continuing their momentum.
“It’s all about keeping speed while getting hit,” Peeters explained.
“Kill them with passes!”
There were a number of interesting soundbites from Slot throughout the session, as he continues to instruct his players through a new style.
“Kill them with passes!” he bellowed, with Liverpool set to employ a more patient, possession-heavy approach to that seen during Klopp’s reign.
Slot later added: “Every time you lose the ball, you lose an opportunity to score a goal.”
