Recently retired Dutch footballer Bram van Polen has praised Arne Slot for not making a key mistake that Erik ten Hag made at Manchester United.
Van Polen hung up his boots at the end of the 2023/24 season after a remarkable 17-year career with PEC Zwolle in the Netherlands, playing alongside Slot during the Liverpool head coach’s spell at the club between 2010 and 2013.
The PEC Zwolle legend will support his former team-mate as he prepares for his first season as Liverpool manager, succeeding the iconic Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.
Van Polen believes Slot has already avoided falling into the same trap as his compatriot Erik ten Hag, who recently signed a contract extension as Man Utd manager.
The 38-year-old praised Slot for not signing too many Dutch players upon his arrival at Liverpool, potentially sending the wrong message.
“It is also dangerous for Ten Hag to gather so many Dutch people around him. It is not clear whether that is sensible,” says Van Polen.
“You’re a little scared. But then you think: ‘Here we go again. Since he’s bringing all those Dutch people, we’ll be worse abroad too.'”
“I think Slot is very aware that you shouldn’t hire all the Dutch players at once. A certain image is created and, in part, this has to be avoided.”
Arne Slot Erik ten Hag
Ten Hag has signed former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy and Dutch coach Rene Hake to his backroom team this summer, as well as signing Joshua Zirkzee as the club’s new striker. The former Bologna striker is likely to join Dutch international teammate Matthijs de Light at Old Trafford in the coming weeks.
Ten Hag previously signed Dutchmen Tyrell Malacia and Wout Weghorst from Man Utd, while he also recruited Lisandro Martinez and Antony from his former club Ajax.
ARNE SLOT’S DUTCH CONNECTIONS
Liverpool already had four Dutch stars before Slot’s arrival: Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch and Sepp van den Berg, all of whom wore red.
However, while Van Polen has praised Slot for not simply signing his compatriots, the 45-year-old has brought in Dutch coach Sipke Hulshoff as his technical assistant.
Former Everton defender and Dutch international John Heitinga is also expected to join the club’s staff in the near future.
Liverpool have been linked with a number of Dutch stars this summer now that Slot has arrived on Merseyside, one of whom is their former Feyenoord defender Lutsharel Geertruida.
