Slot's coolness lies at heart of Liverpool's record-levelling title victory

Head coach inherited a fine culture and squad but his level-headedness helped propel club to 20th league win

- Andy Hunter

Liverpool players were looking for signs last summer as to how their new head coach would succeed a club legend and turn his rich inheritance into Premier League champions. Arne Slot made sure they were unmissable from the start. At the plush Fairmont hotel in downtown Pittsburgh, first port of call on Liverpool's pre-season tour of the US and their first bonding trip abroad last July, names would be written on a board giving advance notice of that day's meeting schedule. There were one-on-one meetings for players with a member of Slot's coaching team, squad meetings with all of the new backroom staff, meetings to analyse the double training sessions and meetings to analyse individual performances within them. There had been two meetings a day at Liverpool's Axa Training Centre before the trip but this was another level.

"I remember he showed a lot of clips from training," recalled Ibrahima Konaté, one of several players to step up a level this season. "He showed one player who didn't run well or stopped running and said: 'He didn't run now. Why, because I give you a compliment?' He said the truth to everyone. Mo [Salah], Virgil [van Dijk], every player if something is wrong. Every player was like: 'Oh, he looks at me every day, he looks at me every training session. I have to give 2,000% always."

Jürgen Klopp won hearts during nine transformative years as Liverpool's manager. Slot, with his more educationist approach, absolute trust in the players bequeathed by Klopp and his own methods, sought to win over minds. The buy-in from a squad blessed with leaders and a mentality to match its talent, the strongest that Slot has encountered in both aspects, ensured it was possible. A record-equalling 20th league title is the reward.