Arne Slot has safely navigated his first two fixtures, and his next is not just a test of his squad’s ability but also their mentality, as Old Trafford is no happy hunting ground.
If there were ever two games you could predict Liverpool to drop points in any given season, it would be in the away fixtures to Everton and Man United.
It should not be the case, but it is a mental curse that has plagued the club for too long.
There have been some memorable trips, no doubt, yet they have been fleeting and too uncommon for our liking. To change that, though, requires a new mindset.
That is something that will be put to the test when the Reds travel to Old Trafford on Sunday. Slot heralds a new era, but the wounds are still somewhat fresh from the disaster that was last season.
3 wins in 20 visits…
Liverpool met United three times last season and did not win a single game despite the obvious disparity between the two teams.
Jurgen Klopp‘s side had 87 shots across those three games, scoring five goals but having no victory or cup progression to show for it – I’m having unwanted flashbacks writing about it.
To say the two late Old Trafford visits last season derailed the season would be an understatement. The FA Cup visit squashed quadruple hopes and the league visit just weeks later blew up the season.
Three successive defeats followed to snuff out Champions League ambitions and any hope of the league title, Liverpool simply could not recover and ultimately limped to the end of the campaign.
The Reds’ last league victory at the ground was in 2021 – memories we are happy to bring to the surface, that 5-0 was simply delightful – but sadly these highs have been few and far between.
To say Old Trafford holds mental scars is just one way of wording it, and Slot will need to soothe those lingering doubts the players will have, whether consciously or subconsciously.
Across all competitions, Liverpool have won just three of the last 20 away meetings between the two sides (3W, 5D, 12L).
You can rip up squads, change managers and see the two teams at opposite ends of the form table, but this fixture is a vortex that sucks up our hopes and dreams, making it an early hurdle for Slot to navigate.
Calmness will be key
Praising what Slot has brought to Liverpool is no slight on Klopp, but the calm and composed nature of the recent victory over Brentford offers renewed hope ahead of Sunday’s match.
Chaos has made way for control, with risk carefully managed – and it is this change that allowed the type of routine win we saw against Brentford having ‘killed them with passes‘.
The strength of the opponents are duly noted, but after two Premier League games, the Reds have the highest xG (5.3) and the lowest xG conceded (0.8) – which are early signs of what Slot is preaching.
Explaining his risk vs. reward thoughts to Sky, Slot said: “Liverpool used every moment they could to play the ball in behind [under Klopp].
“That meant that the game was sometimes a bit open, especially in the last period of Jurgen. Sometimes I tell the players to get a better judgement in risk and reward.
92% – Liverpool completed 92% of their passes in today’s game against Brentford, their best passing accuracy in a Premier League game on record since 2003-04. Slotted. pic.twitter.com/5QFdd72YAt
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 25, 2024
“So if you can put some balls in front of the goalkeeper, please try and do so if not, it’s also a good idea to keep the ball, but I’m sure if Jurgen was in the room now he’d say he’d want to keep the ball once in a while too.”
With Old Trafford to be on their backs throughout, it will be an interesting test of Slot’s practices when the team are under pressure – will they revert to forcing the issue or remain patient?
Alexis Mac Allister noted the team is still a work in progress after the latest 2-0 win, saying: “We know there is still room for improvement.
“In the transition, sometimes we need to be patient, but instead we are quite direct.”
The players’ mindset at Old Trafford will need to be considered, but it is when straight-talking Slot can come to the fore with his purposeful demands and game plan.
Liverpool have shown they can be calm, decisive and composed, qualities that give little for the opposition to work with, and that they can manage time in possession with ease offers optimism.
There is no place to hide at Old Trafford, but Slot’s style of play – which is more obvious than Erik ten Hag’s in a fraction of the time – can help Liverpool overcome the struggles of the past.
If he does get the job done on Sunday, the boost will be more than just points added to the table.
