Jan Molby: “Slot doesn’t command the same fear Klopp did” | OneFootball

Slot, Klopp and Liverpool’s Lost Fear Factor

The latest episode of Molby On The Spot on Anfield Index Pro carried a sharp emotional edge as Trev Downey and Jan Molby explored whether Liverpool have lost the fear factor that once defined them. Their conversation drew a clear contrast between Arne Slot’s current challenges and the aura that existed under Jürgen Klopp. Using direct experience and direct quotes, the discussion laid out why opponents and even pundits now treat Liverpool very differently.

Klopp’s Authority and the Lines Nobody Crossed

A crucial moment in the episode came when Molby reflected on the atmosphere that surrounded Klopp. He described how managers with strong personalities create natural boundaries that playing squads and commentators rarely challenge. “With Klopp everybody stayed on the right line didn’t do anything to upset him,” he explained.

Molby linked it to his own experience in television. “We sort of had the same issue when Sir Alex was at Old Trafford because you stay behind the line you never overstep the line,” he said. When Klopp left, Molby saw a clear shift in how freely people spoke. “The moment he left it was then a free for all wasn’t it,” he noted, highlighting how David Moyes immediately received “the grief he got”.

This wasn’t nostalgia. It was a blunt assessment of the climate Klopp naturally commanded. Molby said plainly of Klopp’s behaviour with media and staff, “He would let you know… either verbally or even with rolling their eyes or whatever.”

That authority, Molby suggested, was protective. It created order. It sustained fear. It prevented chaos.

Slot’s Openness and the Changed Dynamic

In stark contrast, Molby described Slot as “a decent man” who “never puts anyone in their place”. He did not frame this as a criticism, but as a difference that has altered the environment around Liverpool. Slot’s honesty in press conferences became a recurring theme. Downey referenced Slot being asked recently what he thought was happening and replying, “I don’t know. Mostly I’m confused.”

Molby believes this directness stems from Slot’s background. “I think they’re very much more direct to the point… because they don’t have the same usual vocabulary so they get to the point very quick,” he explained about Dutch coaches.

That same directness showed during Slot’s discussion of Virgil van Dijk’s penalty appeal against PSV. “You’re not going to get a foul for a little push like that,” Slot said, even though, as Molby pointed out, “that’s his captain”.

Molby acknowledged that Slot’s openness has consequences. “In reality when you lost 9 out of 12 you don’t want explanations you want action,” he said. He noted that people now feel “just that little bit braver and that includes ex players”.

Downey agreed, saying the situation has created “a very sort of disjointed group of individuals”.

Fear Factor Lost on and off the Pitch

The conversation frequently returned to the sense that teams no longer fear Liverpool the way they did under Klopp. Downey read through results that shocked even the show’s long term listeners. “The 4-1 last night against PSV,” he said. “The 3-0 against Forest… City 3-0 at City… a 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace… Brentford 3-2… United… beaten us 2-1 at Anfield.”

He admitted that supporters “don’t want to think about the thing” but must face it because “people are struggling to believe what they’re seeing with their own eyes”.

The fear factor has seeped away internally too. Downey later summed up the emotional decline by saying Liverpool had become “a very sort of disjointed group”.

Molby understood why. “There’s problems everywhere you look,” he said. “It is an extremely tricky situation.”

Slot Working Without Klopp’s Shield

As the show drew on, the thread connecting every issue remained clear. Klopp radiated an authority that insulated his squads and silenced critics. Slot is experiencing the opposite climate. His openness brings scrutiny. His politeness invites stronger questions. His lack of confrontation means others confront him.

Molby captured it perfectly. “It breeds some kind of familiarity that in situations like that works against,” he said.

The fear factor has faded, and Liverpool now feel the consequences from the dressing room to the pitch to the press room. As Molby put it simply and powerfully, this period “just makes it horrendous”.