The news that Andoni Iraola has agreed to become head coach at Liverpool, repkacing Arne Slot is not just a change of man at the top.
It also indicates a change of style, with the club choosing to go back to the heavy metal football they played under Jurgen Klopp, rather than the more sedate progressive jazz type of game they played under Slot.
Klopp’s teams were characterised by high intensity, forcing turnovers high up the pitch, and high energy front-foot football, regardless of the opponent.
Slot, by contrast, made the team more structured, with a greater emphasis on controlled possession and positional play, and less dependence on constant end to end transitions.
Some analysts compared Slot’s approach to coaches such as Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta in terms of positional structure, though Slot was generally more direct and willing to take risks than either.
But, by the end, the Liverpool fans had seen enough of Slot’s style of football and ached for a return of the old days.
Once you have got used to the high intensity of thrash metal, anything else can seem tame by comparison.
