1 week Ago By [email protected] (James Quinlan)
A change in manager has meant a change in customs at Anfield this season. It is neither good nor bad, it was just always something Liverpool would have to face once Jurgen Klopp called time on his stay at the club. As exciting as the new era is, the old one will always be looked back on fondly.
That feeling has been amplified more so this weekend than any other, seeing the old manager back on the touchline for the first time since his farewell back in May. It wasn't part of some crazy U-turn, getting back into football months into his well-deserved rest. Instead Klopp was just briefly returning to another former club, Borussia Dortmund , acting as coach for one of two groups of former players celebrating the careers of club legends Jakub Blaszczykowski and Lukasz Piszczek.
Reds supporters were following from afar, loving the first-pumps directed towards the famous Yellow Wall of the Westfalenstadion. Arne Slot has taken a different approach thus far. There have been no killer lines to the media, there have been no outbursts or wild celebrations in front of the camera.
Instead he has got the players out on the field to do his talking for him . Maybe the new head coach's outspoken side will flourish over time, as the fist-pumps and exuberant crowd interactions were something seen when in charge of Feyenoord - usually reserved for the most momentous of occasions. He realistically knew there would be no point in attempting to replicate his predecessor down to a tee, so why act unnaturally for the sake of it? His authenticity is admirable, so long may that and the current vein of form he has masterminded for Liverpool continue.
That said, there will undoubtedly come times either at the height of the Reds' successes or more importantly when facing adversity that a vocal leader - or plural - will be required to rally everyone associated with the club. Slot can be that man, though it won't solely be on him, it will be on the player's to follow by example as well. Whether that be from the Dutchman's textbook or their previous manager's, the players know exactly how to behave in this manner.
Perhaps even one who is yet to even play for Slot and never featured under Klopp has proven he is the best at this. Introducing Giorgi Mamardashvili - £30m summer signing who will only join up with his new squad in the summer of 2025. Over four years he has proven himself a highly capable goalkeeper with Valencia plus the Georgian national team, and it is with the latter his true personality is on show .
Euro 2024 was the site of unbelievable scenes as the minnows progressed into the knockout rounds. Beating Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal along the way, the 23-year-old jumped into the crowd to celebrate. Now during the current international break he was seen again up to his regular antics, bearing a megaphone and scarf in the aftermath of a 4-1 Nations League victory at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium as he lead his country's people in chants.
As stated above by Fabrizio Romano, it was not only his talent but these leadership skills that drove Liverpool to achieve his signing before others had the opportunity. In Mamardashvili's honing of the support there are shades of Klopp, so it will be interesting to witness how he takes to the passionate group that congregate in The Kop every other weekend, and vice versa. Join our WhatsApp community, sign up to a newsletter or listen to our podcasts HERE.
