Virgil van Dijk has given Arne Slot a firm thumbs up for one of the notable changes he has implemented at Liverpool this season.
There has been a subtle but noticeable change in the 46-year-old’s tactical persona for the Reds compared to Jurgen Klopp’s reign at Anfield (Ryan Gravenberg’s resurgence as a No. 6 comes to mind). How things are done is off the pitch.
Van Dijk welcomes one change from Slot.
In an interview with The Mirror, the LFC captain explained how Slot allows players to stay at his residence the night before home matches, while his predecessor kept the squad in hotels.
Van Dyke said: “It’s everyone’s preference, but it’s the rule now. Personally, I’m doing pretty well because I like sleeping in my own bed and being with my family. “What we did in the past worked well and was very successful in terms of wins,” he said.
“Personally, at this stage in my life, I definitely like being home as much as possible. I have all the resources to prepare myself in terms of recovery – swimming pool, sauna, ice bath, everything I need to prepare.
“Obviously we travel quite a bit. FaceTime is a great tool for spending time with family. This year, the regime has changed so I’m not spending too much time in hotels and I’m spending a little more time at home, so I have a little more time to be with my family.”
Marginal benefits can have a big impact
Details like these may not seem all that important when it comes to results on the pitch, but they never matter if they can contribute to a small advantage and get players on and off.
Like most of his Liverpool teammates, Van Dijk is a father of young children and has spent a lot of time away from them over the past few years due to the demands of his career. The opportunity to enjoy more time with children was therefore embraced, especially during the Christmas period.
As the captain said, Klopp’s preference for players to stay in hotels the night before home games did not seem to have had a detrimental effect considering the results achieved on Klopp’s watch. Nonetheless, it is a change the players will appreciate after a long-standing routine under Germany.
Whatever Slot does on and off the pitch has clearly worked so far this season, and anything he can do to help the Reds secure the Premier League title in May would be welcome, no matter how small.
