Just over five weeks after Arne Slot's Feyenoord lost the 2022 Conference League final, they suffered a 7-0 pre-season defeat to Copenhagen. Seven starters from that final left that summer, and the scoreline was bruising. Slot's former assistant Marino Pusic recalls: 'It was worrying. But once you recognise the cause, you know how to act and turn it around.'
Feyenoord went on to win the Eredivisie that season. Pusic, now at Al Jazira Club, sees parallels at Liverpool, where Slot is integrating several summer signings and dealing with the death of Diogo Jota. 'Bringing in five or six new players can throw the balance off temporarily,' Pusic says. 'The group only starts functioning properly once they find a new rhythm.'
The emotional toll of Jota's death, Pusic argues, is underestimated: 'He was incredibly important on and off the pitch. Losing him in such a terrible way has a huge impact.' Slot has been frank about Liverpool's vulnerabilities, including to long balls, and has worked on new strategies. Pusic adds: 'He keeps a clear head, analyses things deeply and turns conclusions into action.'
Liverpool also face the challenge of being champions. 'You're no longer the one chasing but the team being chased,' Pusic says. 'That's a big difference mentally. The question is how you deal with it within the team.' Slot's honesty and analytical approach, Pusic believes, are key to reversing the side's recent slump.
