Arne Slot is the real 'normal one'

In his opening press conference at Liverpool, a journalist famously asked Jürgen Klopp to describe himself, in light of José Mourinho’s self-labelling as “the special one”. Klopp’s enduring answer was ”I am the normal one”. The response is such a thing of beauty it’s been turned into merchandise. 

I own a Liverpool Jersey with the number “1” on the back below the word “Normal”. Other iconic t-shirts feature the word “Kloppite” accompanied by his signature baseball cap and glasses. How many other managers are selling merch off their image and catchphrase? But that’s the kind of adulation Klopp inspired, a testament to his passion and heavy metal style of football that made an instant connection with fans.

Klopp as a manager and human being is far from normal, even inspiring Tony Blair’s former Communications Director Alastair Campbell to declare that Klopp “was wasted in football” and should go into politics.

Meanwhile in a recent interview Slot was asked what job he would have done away from football. His response, “…I think I would have been doing something that was related to money, working at a bank or something like that…I did a course that was about working at a bank for a year or so.” That seems about as normal as it gets.

It's fair to say that Slot is probably not lighting up Liverpool’s Club shop with his t-shirt sale numbers. An image of a bald head with the phrase “bank manager” underneath is unlikely to shift many units.

Inheriting the squad from Klopp and making just one addition (Chiesa, who has barely played a game), Liverpool have dominated the EPL from start to finish, reached a cup final and crushed the European League where they were unlucky to face a rampant PSG far earlier in the knockout stage than the tournament deserved. 

Many articles have already been written about the tactical tweaks that Slot has made -  the reinvention of Ryan Gravenberch; or the adjustment of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s positioning. Liverpool rarely steamroller teams as they often did under Klopp; rather they show measured control and find a way to achieve that rather important thing in soccer…score more goals than their opposition.

It's incredibly impressive. Liverpool are in no way boring to watch, but there is a calmness and patience that seems entirely in keeping with the temperament of the new boss. Under Klopp, Liverpool collected memories to last a lifetime; under Slot perhaps they will collect more trophies. In a totally normal way.