‘Don’t expect any Klopp fist-pumps’ – Slot relying on wins to forge bond with fans

Arne Slot will rely on Liverpool’s performances to forge a strong bond with the club’s supporters rather than playing to the gallery and indulging in Jürgen Klopp-style fist-pumps.
The Dutchman said it was not his style to be front and centre and that he preferred to remain in the background, highlighting only one of the differences between his tenure and that of his predecessor.
Slot takes charge of a competitive game at Anfield for the first time when Liverpool host Brentford on Sunday, seeking to build on an impressive second-half display in last weekend’s 2-0 win over Ipswich Town.
The Anfield crowd briefly chanted Slot’s name during a pre-season friendly against Sevilla as they sought to embrace the new man, but the 45-year-old said that he hoped their relationship grows organically by virtue of his team’s displays.
Klopp would direct three fist-pumps towards the Liverpool fans at the end of victories, while he famously gathered his squad in front of the Kop after a 2-2 draw with West Bromwich Albion early in his reign in an attempt to foster a connection.
However, Slot said that was not in his nature. “My way of doing things is [to] let the team play in the best possible way and they [supporters] enjoy the team playing and in that way I will get a bond with them,” he said.
“But don’t expect me to go after the game and make fist-pumps. That is not going to be my style. So it is more [a case of] let the team play in a certain way and they like the team, and because of that they will like the manager as well.
“[At Feyenoord] they liked the way we played. They liked what they saw on the pitch, they liked how we pressed on the pitch, how we played with the ball. There was never a moment I was there standing in front of them.
“You never know [how] things can change. I am young. But normally you wouldn’t see that from me. I might [run down the touchline], but that would be to help the team. Not to create something with the fans. I don’t think it is necessary because the fans are always behind the team. I don’t think they need me to do something different or special.
“The only thing I can do is help the team before and during the game and then, afterwards, the boys [will] have done so much work that they will be there to thank the fans. I might be there but I will never be in front of them, always behind them.”
Slot’s comments further reflect a team-first ethos that he believes can help players such as Mohamed Salah to reach new heights.
Salah opened his account for the season against Ipswich as he seeks to score at least 20 goals for the eighth consecutive campaign.
On the surface, improving the 32-year-old at this stage of his career appears a tall order but Slot has accepted that challenge in the knowledge that he inherited a group from Klopp whose desire to get better remains insatiable.
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“It’s my firm belief that you don’t improve individuals, you improve the team and because of that individuals improve,” Slot said. “So if Mo and Trent [Alexander-Arnold] or Mo and Conor [Bradley] play better together, or Mo has a better understanding and timing with Dom [Szoboszlai], then the end result is you will say Mo has become better.
“But I think it’s about team structure, working on a daily basis to improve them, and of course we as a staff show individuals what timing they can do better or where they can run or when they have to defend.
“But improving an individual nine out of ten times happens by improving the team. Give them a clear structure in what they have to do and Mo, like all the others, is part of the team and has his tasks that he has to do.
“Sometimes you show them what they do really well and sometimes you show them where they can improve.”
Sunday, kick-off 4.30pmTV Sky Sports Premier League/Main Event