"Just over five weeks after Arne Slot's Feyenoord had lost a tight Conference League final by a goal to Roma in 2022, they suffered a 7-0 home defeat by Copenhagen in their first pre-season friendly. Some of the Dutch club's internationals were on holiday, seven of their starters from the final would leave that summer and Copenhagen were well ahead in preparations, but even so, the scoreline was bruising. It felt as if Slot had to start all over again."
"I can remember it like yesterday, says Marino Pusic, Slot's assistant at Feyenoord and earlier at AZ. The score could have been even higher that says enough. Copenhagen's then coach, Jess Thorup, described it as more akin to a training session than an actual friendly match. Two weeks later a stronger Feyenoord side lost 4-0 to the Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise. Then came home defeats by Lyon and Osasuna."
"After Liverpool were well beaten by Manchester City in their most recent game, a scarcely imaginable seventh defeat in 10 matches, it was easy to imagine Slot was grappling for the first time with a slump and a rebuild. The coach's smooth rise from Cambuur to Anfield, via AZ and Feyenoord, has delivered trophies and awards. How capable is he of digging a struggling team out of a hole?"
Feyenoord suffered a 7-0 home defeat by Copenhagen in their first pre-season friendly shortly after losing the Conference League final to Roma, with several internationals absent and seven starters set to leave. Copenhagen had advanced preparations, and the heavy scoreline suggested a need for a fresh start. Subsequent pre-season and early friendlies produced further heavy losses, yet Feyenoord recovered to win the Eredivisie. Arne Slot kept a calm, analytical approach throughout, enabling diagnosis and corrective measures. Marino Pusic describes Slot's composure and ability to rebuild, and Pusic believes Slot can restore Liverpool amid a poor run of results.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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