AFP
AFPSpeaking on the Overlap, Robertson provided a fascinating insight into the differing approaches of Klopp and Slot. Andy highlighted how Slot relied heavily on data and analytics compared to Klopp. "Arne was into all the stats, that’s what he was," Robertson said.
"He brought in his own guy, Ruben [Peeters], who was always on the iPad. Even in training if maybe you’ve done too many sprints or whatever, then Ruben would be like ‘maybe somebody needs to come off’. They were a lot more clued in in terms of load and things like that. He was definitely like that."
Getty Images SportRobertson explained that Slot held daily meetings at the AXA Training Centre. "How Klopp worked is he didn’t have meetings every single day. Klopp had a meeting say the day before the game and it would be like 40 minutes long," Robertson noted.
Slot preferred daily 10- or 15-minute sessions focused on opposition analysis. Under Klopp, who won every major trophy during his nine years in charge and ended the club's 30-year wait for a Premier League title, the emphasis was strictly on their own system. "Whereas Klopp was more like ‘if we play to our blueprint, we’re going to win this game’," he added. "Slot would change things but we didn’t change much under Klopp, it was just we were the best team and we could beat every team that came in front of us."
Slot enjoyed immediate success, securing the Premier League title in his first campaign, before the team collapsed in his second season, ultimately leading to his departure. Despite widespread frustration regarding Liverpool's style of play during that ill-fated second season, Robertson fiercely defended the intensity of the new regime. Fans had grown accustomed to Klopp's high-intensity attacking play, but Robertson dismissed claims that the squad were not working hard enough.
"This is kind of what annoyed me from last season, [people] were like ‘they’re not training hard enough’," he stated. "We trained really hard under Slot. Some of Slot’s sessions were really, really difficult. It was just, I suppose they were so used to us being all in with Jurgen Klopp, whereas Slot’s game was probably a bit different."
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Getty ImagesRobertson has now departed Anfield to begin a new chapter with Tottenham, leaving Liverpool to navigate their next era under Andoni Iraola. As the Merseyside club continue to evolve their tactical identity following Slot's tenure, Iraola will need to rebuild and find a new winning formula. Meanwhile, Robertson will aim to establish his leadership and defensive qualities in North London.