THREE decades of looking enviously at Manchester United’s dominance clearly brought home the critical lessons to Liverpool.
Having toppled the Anfield side off their “perch”, Sir Alex Ferguson set about establishing his own empire.
GettyArne Slot could lead Liverpool into a new dynasty[/caption]
GettyThe club want to add Newcastle star Alexander Isak to their squad[/caption]
GettyLiverpool could knock Manchester United off the perch that Sir Alex Ferguson made for them[/caption]
That meant never resting on their laurels — enjoy the moment, celebrate, then start again, making the changes needed to refresh and improve.
If that means upsetting some of your players, so be it. The club comes first.
And while Arne Slot won his first Prem crown by just tweaking the framework he had inherited from Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool’s willingness to smash the British transfer record and bring Alexander Isak to Merseyside for £120million is the clearest signal that the Dutchman is looking to create something permanent.
The move for Swedish star Isak, 25, is more than an isolated push in a summer of treading water. Instead, it is Slot laying out his cards. Winning the title was great. But it is only the beginning of his ambitions.
With nearly a month to go before the start of the new season and Liverpool’s team to face Bournemouth on August 15 could show four changes from Slot’s first XI last term.
Slot’s fellow Dutchman Jeremie Frimpong was recruited from Bayer Leverkusen for £29.5m to fill the void left by Trent Alexander-Arnold’s decision to move to Real Madrid.
But the other transfer targets were about building something even better from a position of strength.
Andy Robertson was a Klopp mainstay for seven trophy-stacked seasons but the Scot has started to look increasingly vulnerable.
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Slot suggested Robertson’s disrupted pre-season last summer was a factor but appeared to have signed his immediate replacement, bagging Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth for £40m.
And while the midfield trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai brought far more control and poise in the engine room than for much of the Klopp era, Slot wanted to upgrade his options.
He did that when Liverpool saw off Bayern Munich to lure Frimpong’s Leverkusen club-mate Florian Wirtz, with just a little matter of £100m up front, plus up to £16.5m in add-ons.
Now, with many inside and outside the club still mourning the tragic loss of Diogo Jota — something that, naturally, will long cast a shadow over the dressing room — Slot is thinking ahead once more.
His interest in Isak has never exactly been hidden, although it appeared Newcastle, desperate to hang on to their attacking talisman, had held off Liverpool’s desire to land him.
But by making a direct approach now, with Isak all too aware that Liverpool are serious about getting him on board, the Anfield chief is showing he believes the title win was just the beginning.
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It is exactly what Fergie would have done, too.
Remember how back-to-back crowns were followed by the shock of losing the title to Blackburn in 1995.
Out went stalwarts Paul Ince, Mark Hughes and Andrei Kanchelskis. In came Beckham, Scholes, Butt and the Neville brothers, the Class of 92.
It was a pattern that continued. Win then refresh. A pattern that helped Ferguson secure 13 Prem titles in the space of 21 seasons.
All while Liverpool, who had been the ones to beat for so long, were suffering a title drought and only managed to finish second twice.
Now, with the boot firmly on the other foot, it is Liverpool who are utilising their advantages — just as they always did in those glory days of the 70s and 80s. There may be more to come, too.
Slot’s signings are eye-catching but he has brought in nearly £56m from the departures of Alexander-Arnold, Jarell Quansah, Caoimhin Kelleher and Nat Phillips, with more to come if Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz go.
With Madrid eyeing a move next summer for potentially out-of-contract Ibrahima Konate, the Reds have not given up on Marc Guehi at Crystal Palace.
Isak, though, would be the icing on their cake.
A line-leader who would offer a constant goal threat, able to hold the ball up and run in behind, and still not even entering his prime years.
Keeping hold of Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah was Slot, making them believe last term was the launchpad.
What he has done since is already looking like he could finally put Liverpool right back on that perch.
Man United last won the league in 2011Action Images – Reuters
PA:Press AssociationFerguson won the title 13 times during his illustrious reign[/caption]
AFPLiverpool have won 20 league titles in their history matching the Red Devils[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
