Liverpool have already made statement of intent with key Slot appointment | OneFootball

Arne Slot can guarantee one major continuation from the Jurgen Klopp regime: Intensity as an identity.

The challenge for Liverpool’s Dutch head coach, however, will be maximising availability for a team that has periodically suffered from injury crises.

The Athletic now reports there are encouraging signs from the 45-year-old’s prior managerial roles that bode well for the future.

“One of the key criteria when assessing possible contenders to succeed Klopp this summer was how the fitness records of their squads and Slot’s record at both Feyenoord and previous club AZ Alkmaar was positive in this regard,” Andy Jones and Gregg Evans wrote.

“His teams were repeatedly the fittest in the Eredivisie, Dutch football’s top division, but they also succumbed injury crises. Muscle injuries were rare at AZ, and they were renowned in the Netherlands as the team whose players could still sprint full-throttle in the final minutes of matches.”

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In that regard, the appointment of Slot – and by extension his lead physical performance coach, Ruben Peeters – is a statement.

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How Peeters and Co. could revolutionise Liverpool’s fitness

Ruben Peeters – formerly of Feyenoord

Pre-season will be Peeters’ first major opportunity to showcase his talents.

“Peeters’ main focus is the periodisation of training planning, where he maps out individual timetables for each player, deciding the workload required and when to build them up or rest them, so they peak at the right time,” as was reported on The Athletic.

Jones and Evans went on to add about the Belgian’s methods at Feyenoord: “The medical and performance team adopted a biopsychosocial approach to player fitness. Catapult training vests were used during sessions to track thousands of pieces of physical data, while each player was given a high-intensity level to hit, with Slot being kept informed of targets and progress.

“Peeters also led a ‘DNA project’, which saw the club analyse samples of a player’s sweat, saliva, urine and stools several times a season, with the aim of obtaining more information to try and ensure faster physical repair and reduce time lost to injuries. This detailed management saw Feyenoord’s player availability hit 90 per cent or above in each of Slot’s first two seasons.”

It’s perhaps a level of depth previously unseen on Merseyside. Ultimately, given the struggles we endured in maintaining availability in 2023/24 – and, indeed, in prior campaigns – we welcome a fresh pair of eyes and solutions for the problem at hand.

Welcome to Liverpool, Ruben!

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