Slot’s Coaching Approach and Liverpool’s Quiet Transformation | OneFootball

Arne Slot’s Backroom Blueprint: How Liverpool’s New Era Was Built

Liverpool’s latest title triumph was shaped not just by the players on the pitch, but by a new energy off it. On Media Matters for Anfield Index, The Times journalist Paul Joyce gave a revealing insight into how Arne Slot and his coaching staff quietly laid the groundwork for a historic campaign, from training tweaks to backroom renovations.

Photo: IMAGO

First Impressions That Set the Tone

When Slot arrived at Liverpool, he wasn’t just filling the shoes of Jürgen Klopp—he was taking over a club mid-cycle. Yet, as Joyce revealed, Slot’s impact was instant. “From the word go, Arne Slot made just a big impression on the players,” he said. The buy-in came quickly and universally: “The buy-in was absolute from these players… whether you’re a young player or a Mo Salah or a Virgil van Dijk.”

The most telling example? According to Joyce, top-level professionals who had won everything under Klopp didn’t wait to be impressed. Instead, “They came back into training… like we’re going to have to impress this man.” That dynamic flipped the usual script—and built early momentum.

Slot’s communication was central. “His communications [were] very good,” said Joyce. “A lot more meetings… pointing out little things that the players can improve upon.”

Ruben Peeters and the Fitness Edge

A defining feature of Slot’s coaching team is Ruben Peeters, his long-time head of performance. His influence was immediate. Joyce explained that Liverpool identified fitness as one of the main reasons for hiring Slot: “One of the factors was the sort of fitness—keeping a squad fit.”

Under Peeters, Liverpool’s injury profile changed. Muscle injuries dropped. Players stayed available. Training was redesigned with “smaller pitches with less intensity during the week and then it builds up towards the matches.”

Importantly, Slot welcomed collaboration. “That only works if you’ve got a manager who’s open-minded enough to accept that advice,” Joyce added. Slot’s humility and willingness to listen allowed Liverpool’s existing medical team—led by John Power and figures like Conall Murtagh—to contribute without disruption. “It’s not all about him,” Joyce stressed. “He will take advice on board.”

Smart Spaces, Shared Thinking

One of the quieter revolutions at Liverpool has been spatial. Joyce explained that Slot and his staff had input in reshaping the AXA Training Centre’s layout—taking cues from Brentford and Roma. “They basically changed some of the flow of the offices… some of the offices now have doors that go into a sort of meeting area.”

The purpose? To encourage real-time, unplanned interactions. “It’s all about an exchange of ideas,” Joyce said. Slot’s backroom staff now move within a setup designed for coaching dialogue and collaborative decisions.

The now-famous coffee bar, added at the suggestion of Michael Edwards after a visit to Roma, completes the picture. “It just sort of fosters again this sense of camaraderie throughout the club,” Joyce noted. It may only contribute “one or two percent,” but in elite football, those margins matter.

Leading by Detail, Not Ego

Slot has impressed by not overhauling Liverpool’s approach. “He didn’t make the evolution from Klopp to Slot any bigger than it needed to be,” said Joyce. Crucially, he trusted those around him—from Richard Hughes to the fitness staff—and focused on getting more from what was already there.

Joyce highlighted Slot’s humility again: “There’s a humility and a sort of lack of ego to him.” That humility has translated into subtle, consistent improvements across the season. Whether it’s reshaping training schedules, altering player feedback systems, or changing the physical layout of the club’s operations, Slot’s fingerprints are everywhere—but rarely shouted about.