Liverpool manager Arne Slot used kick-off tactic that led to him mocked by Dutch pundits

Arne Slot used an unorthodox kick-off tactic throughout his playing career in a bid to disrupt the opposition – and it worked on multiple occasions.

The 45-year-old Dutchman, who was appointed Liverpool manager on Monday following the departure of Jurgen Klopp, is renowned for his meticulous attention to detail.

For example, Slot has previously rebuilt the confidence of his forwards during analysis sessions by stopping a video 'just as he shoots the ball wide'.

This method is used to help players absorb explanations, according to The Times, who mention Santiago Gimenez as someone who benefited from the feedback.

The 23-year-old Feyenoord striker netted 26 goals under Slot this season, meaning only Luuk de Jong and Vangelis Pavlidis scored more than him in the Eredivisie.

Even during his playing days, Slot was a stickler for details. During his time at Zwolle, he was mocked by Dutch TV pundits for continuing to use a kick-off tactic.

As you can see from the footage below, Slot begins the game by smashing the ball into the sky.

One of his closest friends, Gerald van den Belt, says he would continue to use the tactic as a way of wrong-footing the opposition as they looked directly into the sun.

My manager 😭 https://t.co/gQoDNs8UP7 pic.twitter.com/BoS8w9KdDV

— Biggies Malls 2.0 (@Biggies_MaIIs) May 21, 2024

It worked, too. Zwolle scored on seven separate occasions within the first 30 seconds when Slot pumped the ball into the air, according to a report from The Telegraph.

Slot's former Zwolle teammate Bram van Polen has backed the Dutch manager to succeed at Anfield..

“Arne has really created something beautiful here," Polen told ESPN after PEC Zwolle’s defeat at Feyenoord earlier this month.

“He has got Feyenoord playing football again in a way that they have not often seen in De Kuip.

“I think Arne has gotten enough feathers up his ass, but in addition to being a very good trainer, he is also a very good person – and that is often even more important to me.

“He is a sincere and very pure person.”