Arne Slot is "something special" and can have a sensational impact as Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool replacement, believes Eredivisie chief executive Jan de Jong.
Speaking at the Thinking Football Summit organised by Liga Portugal, De Jong also backed Slot – alongside embattled Manchester United counterpart Erik ten Hag – to manage the Netherlands in the future.
Slot has enjoyed a fine start to life at Anfield after leaving Feyenoord, leading Liverpool to three straight Premier League wins, including an impressive 3-0 triumph over United.
The Reds have won all three of their Premier League games this term while keeping a clean sheet in each victory. When they host Nottingham Forest on Saturday, they could become just the fifth team in English top-flight history to start a season with four straight wins without conceding.
Manchester City last achieved that feat in 2015-16, following in the footsteps of Aston Villa (1900-01), Ipswich Town (1974-75) and Chelsea (2005-06).
Ten Hag has found things more difficult at Old Trafford, becoming the first United manager to start two Premier League seasons with the club by losing two of his first three matches.
However, De Jong expects both bosses to be successful in the long term, telling Stats Perform: "The Premier League is the highest goal you can reach. So if there are two Dutch coaches at such big clubs, we are very proud of it. It's the best we can do.
"We hope that in the near future, both will be the coach of the Dutch national team. I think Ten Hag started very well, but Louis van Gaal says Manchester United is a very difficult team to manage.
"So Erik is facing a lot of problems, but I think he's technical, a very good coach on a very high level and Arne Slot is something special.
"I think he will be a sensation. You never know, but he has everything in him to be one of the greatest coaches of his time. "
De Jong's primary concern for 2024-25 is ensuring the Eredivisie maintains its position as Europe's sixth league, pointing to the importance of Champions League revenue going to multiple Dutch clubs.
"To be honest, we want to be the sixth league. There's a huge gap and we cannot bridge it between the big five and the others," he said.
"A couple of years ago, in 2018, we were number 14 in the UEFA ranking and now we are number six. That's very important and we have at least two teams participating in the Champions League.
"That is crucial for us because the money the teams get out of Champions League football is much more than the local media rights. So this year is fully aimed at how we stay in sixth position."
The Eredivisie is one of several leagues to be threatened by the big-spending approach of Saudi Pro League clubs, with Steven Bergwijn swapping Ajax for Al-Ittihad in a €21million move earlier this month.
That switch led Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman to leave Bergwijn out of his squad for this month's Nations League fixtures, and De Jong admits the financial power of Saudi clubs is a real concern.
"When you make a step in your career, I hope that it's always out of an aim that you want to reach the highest level," he added.
"I'm a little bit naïve, but I hope winning prizes is more important than earning as much money as you can."
On Koeman's decision to exclude Bergwijn, he said: "He said that from his point of view, he would no longer take Bergwijn as a player of the Dutch national team.
"He did not say that the competition was not strong enough, but he was very surprised that he did it at the age of 26. That was the point Koeman was trying to make."
Former Jamaican footballer Jorghino James to appear in court on assault charges
Former Jamaican footballer Jorghino James is set to appear before a court in Harris County, Texas, on October 28, 2024, where he faces serious assault charges. James, once a standout player for Kingston College and Jamaica's national team, is now a coach at a football academy in Texas. He has been accused of viciously attacking the mother of his child at a daycare facility in Friendswood, Texas, on August 30.
According to reports filed with the Friendswood Police Department, James allegedly assaulted the woman in the presence of their child. A video that has since gone viral shows a man, believed to be James, violently punching the woman inside the daycare facility before storming out and fleeing the scene. The shocking footage, released by the alleged victim, has sparked widespread outrage on social media.
James was subsequently arrested and transported to the Harris County Sheriff’s Department, as the Friendswood Police Department serves only as a holding facility. He was later released on bond.
The former footballer now faces charges of assault causing bodily injury to a family member. Compounding his legal troubles, he has also been charged with violating bond conditions, as he was already out on bond for a similar charge stemming from a previous incident. That original charge dates back to March 5, 2024, in Harris County, when he was given bond conditions that prohibited further criminal activity. The new charge of assault is considered a violation of those bond conditions.
The violation report stated that being charged with a new misdemeanor or felony offense constituted a breach of the bond agreement, leading to the additional charge. James is facing a state jail felony, which carries a wide range of potential penalties, from fines to probation, or up to two years in jail, depending on the court's ruling.
As the October 28 court date approaches, James' future hangs in the balance as he faces the possibility of severe legal consequences if convicted.
Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold contracts not a distraction, says Slot
Arne Slot insists Liverpool will not be distracted by the contract situations of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, all of whom are set to become free agents next year.
Liverpool are yet to tie down any of their star trio to new deals despite them entering the final 12 months of their contracts, with Salah's future in particular making headlines.
After scoring in the Reds' 3-0 win at Manchester United ahead of the international break, Salah said he was keen to enjoy this season in case it proves to be his "last year" at Anfield.
Since Alexander-Arnold made his Premier League debut in December 2016, only Salah (253) has bettered his 229 league outings for Liverpool.
Captain Van Dijk, who joined in 2018, is sixth on that list with 200 appearances, behind Andy Robertson (221), Roberto Firmino (211) and Alisson (204).
Speaking ahead of Saturday's meeting with Nottingham Forest, however, Slot outlined his confidence that any contract negotiations will remain in the background.
"Again, it's the boring answer, but we don't talk about contracts here," Slot said.
"Is it a distraction? No, it isn't, I am fully focused on the individuals and the team to work with them to get the best possible out of them. It's not a distraction for me at all."
Alexander-Arnold is yet to complete a full 90 minutes in the Premier League under Slot, being replaced by Conor Bradley in all three of Liverpool's games this term.
Slot believes he is now ready for a full outing, however, having impressed while playing the full 180 minutes as England beat the Republic of Ireland and Finland under interim coach Lee Carsley.
"He proved he could do 90 minutes. He became tired in the Ipswich game. He's completely ready to play 90 now," Slot said of Alexander-Arnold.
"We have another player like Conor Bradley, who can do the job really well. We have a whole team to manage and it's also good for Conor to get his playing minutes.
"It's not always the individual, I look at the team and the whole squad for the fixtures."
St. Louis City v Minnesota United: Hackworth holding on to feint playoff hopes
St. Louis City interim head coach John Hackworth is confident his side can make a late push for the playoffs after going unbeaten since their return from the Leagues Cup.
St. Louis are building momentum at the right time, but remain six points adrift of this weekend’s opponents, Minnesota United, who sit on the right side of the playoff line.
Hackworth’s side were forced to share the spoils in their last MLS encounter against New England Revolution, but the 54-year-old preached positivity for the business end of the campaign.
“I personally believe that we're not out of time yet, you know, we still have control,” Hackworth said.
“We have to fix this little moment where we take our foot off the gas, where we don't play with the same initiative that we do to start the game. That's something we can fix. We have fixed it.
“We have gotten better. I'm going to say I'm blue in the face, but I believe in this group of guys. I still think we have a good chance.”
Minnesota, meanwhile, overcame the San Jose Earthquakes in their last match, keeping the gap between the teams below them to just a point with the luxury of a game in hand over most.
The Loons currently sit ninth in the Western Conference table and know a win is a must to keep their ambitions of remaining in that position alive.
Head coach Eric Ramsay acknowledged the enormity of the task awaiting his players but challenged his squad to deal with the raucous atmosphere inside CITYPARK.
“They have had a slight change in fortune over the last couple of games. They are fighting for their lives at the bottom in the same way that we are,” Ramsay said.
“They are a team I am sure that are looking at this game as being crucial for the remainder of their season and their fortunes.
“We have got to make sure we handle that situation well and that we understand the magnitude of the game for us and for them, because that will certainly play its part.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
St. Louis City – Marcel Hartel
Hartel has been involved in a goal in each of his first three MLS matches (one goal and three assists).
Since the start of 2023, four players have begun their MLS careers with goal contributions in their first three regular season matches, with three of them doing so for St. Louis (Hartel, Joao Klauss and Eduard Lowen).
Minnesota United – Robin Lod
Despite only playing the final half an hour in Finland’s Nations League defeat to England, Lod returns to the MLS with a record in his sights.
Lod has been involved in 54 regular season goals for Minnesota (28 goals and 26 assists), one away from equalling the club record of 55 held by Emanuel Reynoso (22 goals and 33 assists).
MATCH PREDICTION: ST. LOUIS CITY WIN
St. Louis City have not lost any of their last six matches against MLS teams in all competitions (W3 D3). This is their longest unbeaten run in the division during the club’s history.
But Minnesota have won two of their last three regular season matches (L1) after winning just two of their previous 14 (D4 L8). Minnesota’s triumph against San Jose last time out also ended a seven-match winless run away from home (D2 L5).
And it has often been the away side who have emerged victorious in this fixture. Both their MLS meetings last term ended with an away win, with Minnesota out to upset Opta’s data-led simulations at CITYPARK this time around.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
St. Louis City – 46.4%
Draw – 26.5%
Minnesota United – 27%
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