Jarell Quansah noted that while Arne Slot and Jurgen Klopp have many similarities, the new boss has tended to be more blunt and honest with his squad.
The young centre-back recently signed a new deal which will keep him with the Reds until at least 2028. The 21-year-old made his senior debut for the Reds last season under the German, making 33 appearances in all competitions.
Times have now changed at Anfield with the arrival of the Dutch head coach. Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com, Quansah detailed the difference between the management styles of his current and former bosses.
The defender said: “Yeah, there’s a lot of similarities and differences, but I think the modern-day centre-back has to be able to do everything, really,
“I think being at a club like Liverpool, you’re always striving to be the best in the world. You’re always striving to be the best in the Premier League [and] the best in the Champions League. I think anything short of that, that’s where the manager will tell you that your standards need to be higher.
“That’s what you need: you need a bit of toughness, you need honesty at times, and that’s the good thing – you get that with the new boss. Sometimes it’s hard to take but at the same time you need it in your career and it will make you a better player.”
Slot’s style is a breath of fresh air at Anfield
The ex-Feyenoord manager has won nine out of his first 10 games, and it’s safe to say that his tenure is off to a near-perfect start.
We can already see some differences in tactics compared to Klopp last season – Slot is more active with his substitutions and prefers to play more directly from the back. The Reds’ defensive numbers have improved greatly from last season, leading the league with the fewest xG conceded.
Quansah’s point about the head coach’s honest feedback stick out, too. While the one-time Dortmund boss was seen as a father figure by the players and had a very strong emotional connection with the fans, the new man in charge has a slightly different personality.
He is more direct in his interviews and not afraid to bench or sub out players. From what we can tell, he’s focused on results first; the rest comes later!
The young centre-back was benched by Slot after the first Premier League game of the season and seems to have understood the manager’s personality very well. That is a very good sign and we can only hope Liverpool’s good run of form continues as the new era is well underway.