Former Liverpool goalkeeper Sander Westerveld believes that at Anfield, Arne Slot will be handed over a project which will not require him to start from scratch.
Slot is set to take over from long-time manager Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season after an agreement was reached between Feyenoord and Liverpool.
The Dutchman will have big shoes to fill as the German, whom he will replace, has brought huge success to the Merseyside club.
Westerveld, who knows Slot well, reflected on the 45-year-old’s managerial career, stressing the fact that the Dutchman has shown his ability to make teams better, which was what he did with Feyenoord.
However, given how strong the foundation of the current Liverpool team is, Westerveld insists that if Slot gets the full potential out of the Reds they will be challenging for trophies again.
“He took Feyenoord when they sold their best players to Ajax”, Westerveld told the BBC.
“The best players left and they didn’t have any money to spend so he took the team and he told everybody ‘this is OK, I have got the team, I think I can make them better’ and he did.
“A year later they were champions so he takes all the full potential out of the players.
“That’s why I really like the idea now and the project that is lying in front of him at Liverpool because it is not like he is taking over Manchester United when [Sir Alex] Ferguson left.
“OK, this is a base, this is ‘Klopp 2.0’ as they call it. Everything is there, all the young players are there.
“I am not sure that we need a lot of players. If he comes in and takes the full potential out of this squad I think we can play for the title again.
“I am really excited. I know him, of course, better than any [other] coach – it is a perfect fit.
“I saw all the other names in the frame, like Xabi Alonso, and I never put Slot in there but once he was there I was like ‘this makes perfect [sense]’, so I am really looking forward to it.”
Slot will bring part of his staff at Feyenoord to Liverpool when he takes over from Klopp officially.
