I saw what Arne Slot did to Liverpool fans at Anfield - he might have given the game away

Kopites left Anfield for the final time in 2024 full of elation. Full of jubilation - and adulation.

Certainly, it has been an interesting year for Liverpool. It was back in January when the bombshell was delivered and it emerged that Jurgen Klopp would be stepping down as manager. Supporters were crestfallen by the news and some would have wondered if it was the end of a sparkling era. In contrast, rival fans hoped that it would be the beginning of the Reds’ downfall.

Klopp spearheaded Liverpool’s rise back to the pinnacle of European football. Seven trophies were yielded including ending a 30-year wait for a league title and a sixth European trophy. More impressively, he consistently challenged an unstoppage object in Manchester City. Klopp was only regarded as inferior to Pep Guardiola in terms of managerial prowess. There might be three rather than one Premier League title in the trophy cabinet but for City.

After a 3-1 win over Leicester City, however, it would be interesting to quiz those who departed L4 and ask if they would want Klopp back in the place of Arne Slot. That is no disrespect to the legendary German. Far from it He is etched into Anfield folklore, with only Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley more revered. And without the squad that Klopp left behind, Liverpool would not be in their current position this season. But the new era is being embraced and relished.

There would have been a natural hesitation about Arne Slot when he was identified as Klopp’s successor. He was largely unheralded and was arriving from the Dutch league. Fans only had to glance across the East Lancs Road to see how that had worked out for Manchester United with Erik ten Hag.

But Slot, six months into his reign, has endeared himself to every supporter and there is not a doubter remaining. He has continued the Liverpool 2.0 that Klopp left behind, opting for evolution rather than revolution. That approach has the Reds seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table in his maiden season.

Slot has displayed a respect for what he inherited. He has not attempted to be a carbon copy of the gregarious Klopp. The Dutchman has been his own man since his appointment. It means there have been no extravagant fist-pumps to the crowd after victories. He has opted for more subtle ways of toasting wins.

The 3-1 triumph over Leicester City in the final home game of 2024 was Slot’s 23rd of his Liverpool tenure. It moved them seven points ahead of second-placed Chelsea and with a game in hand. And as Slot commemorated the victory, his claps to the Kop perhaps had more gusto than usual. There was also a celebration with the Main Stand, something that he does not usually partake in.

In truth, beating a Leicester side who appear doomed for relegation was expected. It was a formality. But judging by Slot’s reaction, he knew it was imperative Liverpool profited from Chelsea’s 2-1 loss to Fulham earlier in the afternoon. He might have claimed he is taking things game by game in the aftermath but his reaction on the hallowed Anfield turf may have just given an insight into what he is really thinking.