Erik ten Hag welcomes Arne Slot to Liverpool with Man Utd dig
- Arne Slot will replace Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager this summer
- Dutchman faced off against Ten Hag in the Eredivisie
- Man Utd boss envious of his countryman
By Tom Gott
Erik ten Hag has admitted his excitement towards Arne Slot's impending move to Liverpool, confessing the former Feyenoord boss should have an easier start to life in the Premier League than he enjoyed at Manchester United.
Ten Hag finds himself under immense pressure after a bitterly disappointing second season which has also brought significant questions about the entire structure of the club prior to Sir Jim Ratcliffe's minority takeover.
Slot, on the other hand, is set to walk into a Liverpool side already considered one of the best in Europe, both on and off the pitch, and Ten Hag has keen to highlight the difference compared to his start in England.
"This is great for the Dutch trainers' guild," Ten Hag told Voetbal International. "And Arne Slot also fits Liverpool with his philosophy. Jurgen Klopp and Pepijn Lijnders have left a strong foundation.
"He ends up in better waters than I did when I went to Manchester United from the Netherlands - in terms of structure in the club, in terms of balance in the squad."
Departing Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders admitted to The Athletic that he is excited for the Reds' future under the new manager.
"I know Arne really well," Lijnders explained. "He came to my house in Holland about nine years ago. He came to speak to me about football. He drove for a long time to see me and he had a thousand questions. I tried to answer them all!
"Since then, we’ve stayed in close contact. He's an unbelievable coach, who knows exactly what he wants and has the experience to be at a club like Liverpool.
"There are similarities between Feyenoord and Liverpool. Their fans are so passionate. They also sing You'll Never Walk Alone.
"You need a coach like Arne who is close to what we tried to do over the years, in terms of having the ball in the opposition half, pressing, counter-pressing - he's very strategical in that point of view. He's made good steps and now it's the chance for him to make another big step.
"When I spoke with Mike [Gordon] and Jurgen, I said you need a young coach who can grow with this new team. Arne has everything in him to be a success here."
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