Ally McCoist asserted that despite Arne Slot’s dismal track record, the Dutch coach may succeed Liverpool icon Jurgen Klopp. McCoist brought up the struggles Erik ten Hag had at Manchester United and Louis van Gaal’s failure there as well.
Since Sir Alex Ferguson left the team and retired in 2013, David Moyes has struggled to keep Man United’s momentum going. They failed repeatedly because of their structure, inattention to their assets, and flawed ideology and culture.
Despite his failure at United, Van Gaal has a strong resume; even well-known figures like Jose Mourinho have failed there. Ten Hag is under a lot of strain because of his previous season’s failures, which has resulted in a recurrent problem.
Without a cohesive plan or cohesive decision-making, United has made significant financial expenditures in the transfer market. Managers and upper management are unable to communicate with each other because of the well-established structure.
Conversely, Liverpool, under the leadership of its adored manager, Klopp, has created a culture and mentality. The German has left Slot with a strong team and the full support of the reorganised hierarchy, each with distinct roles.
In addition, Slot has established a solid reputation as a manager and communicator, in contrast to Ten Hag. Ten Hag also rejected the tactical approach that helped him land the position at United, emphasising the issue of individualism. Notwithstanding the difficulties, head coaches ought to adhere to their ideology; straying from it is a failure in itself.
McCoist told Express Sport on behalf of talkSPORT BET that managerial changes always carry a risk. He said:
“Louis van Gaal didn’t work out, and there are question marks over Ten Hag at United. [But] I don’t think there’s an element of risk because of the track record of Dutch coaches [in the Premier League]. I think there’s an element of risk anywhere, no matter where you go. I think it’s a tough one for Liverpool.”
The former Scottish footballer further stated that Slot succeeding Klopp is not as bad as succeeding Ferguson. He added:
“I’ll be brutally honest, it’s a similar situation to when Sir Alex [Ferguson] left Man United. I don’t think it’s the same situation for a number of reasons. In many ways, Sir Alex was impossible to follow. I wouldn’t say Jurgen Klopp is impossible to follow, although he has done a fantastic job rejuvenating the club with their first league win in 30-odd years and the Champions League. So I don’t think it’s as hard an act [to follow]. Plus, some of the youngsters who Klopp has introduced into the side and given experience to will certainly serve them well for the years ahead. That said, [Arne Slot] is a very well-respected coach and very well-thought-of, and everyone speaks highly of him.”
