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How Arne Slot’s approach to training differs from Jurgen Klopp’s at Liverpool

Originally posted on HITC | By Josh Barker | Last updated Feb 28, 2026 5:51 AM ET

Arne Slot’s approach is very different from Jurgen Klopp’s

While it remains early days, it’s apparent that Slot has a different style to his predecessor. That has even extended to what Liverpool do before games.

That comes from Virgil van Dijk, who recently spoke with Goal about how pre-game routines have shifted under the new manager. The change could be what’s needed after a run of poor results.

This weekend, Liverpool return to action against West Ham in a 3pm kick-off. It is not overdramatic to say that every match now feels like a must-win, given the tight battle for Champions League qualification spots. And with top-four places on the line, every point matters.

Arne Slot opts for a more relaxed pre-match training approach

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Despite the growing importance of each match, Liverpool are not expected to ramp up their intensity in training sessions as games approach.

James Pearce discussed this on the Walk On podcast, noting that Slot’s preference is to ease off as fixtures draw near, which contrasts with Jurgen Klopp’s approach.

He said: “It’s been a theme of the Slot era, they definitely get more time off than they got under Klopp.

“In the same way as the training regime is different, where under Jurgen Klopp, they would crank things up in terms of the intensity of training over the course of a week. With Slot, he tends to ease off ahead of the game.”

Liverpool won the Premier League title in Arne Slot’s first season at Anfield.

This season hasn’t followed that same script though. There have been several unexpected setbacks along with changes in form throughout 2025/26.

Injuries have also played their part. The lighter pre-match schedule hasn’t prevented key players from being sidelined, and others like Jeremie Frimpong have missed significant time throughout this campaign.

It’s difficult to know whether higher-intensity sessions would have led to more problems or if things might have been better under a different regime. Either way, it hasn’t set Liverpool apart from other clubs when it comes to keeping players fit this year.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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