Slot 'arrives' in Dubai, Dutch coach temporarily takes charge of Liverpool

Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, Arne Slot’s assistant, is set to manage Liverpool in the Carabao Cup tie versus Crystal Palace.

According to journalist Chris Bascombe from The Telegraph, assistant Giovanni Van Bronckhorst will temporarily assume the coaching role for the match against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup fourth round while head coach Arne Slot is on a trip to Dubai.

This is considered a necessary substitution as The Kop needs a "fresh breeze" amid a crisis marked by four consecutive Premier League defeats.

At 50 years old, Giovanni Van Bronckhorst has coached four clubs across four countries, starting with his former team Feyenoord in 2015. He stayed with the Dutch club for four years before surprising many by moving to China to coach Guangzhou City briefly. Later, the Dutch strategist returned to Europe to take charge of Rangers in 2021.

In Scotland, he helped Rangers reach the Europa League final but was dismissed in 2022 following a series of disappointing results. After more than 18 months away, Van Bronckhorst returned to coaching by leading Besiktas in summer 2024, though he lasted only four months before parting ways due to poor performance.

After a period away from the pitch working in media, Van Bronckhorst reappeared as Arne Slot’s second assistant at Liverpool.

As for Arne Slot, the 47-year-old coach is under significant pressure. After guiding the "Reds" to a Premier League title in his first season, the team has unexpectedly declined this season, especially with a run of four straight Premier League losses.

Notably, despite heavy summer investments by the management, Slot seems to struggle to integrate expensive star signings into a cohesive playing style, a problem evident last season.

If results do not improve soon, Slot could be dismissed, with one of the leading candidates to replace him at Anfield being Jurgen Klopp, the man who ushered in one of the club’s most successful eras.

For now, the responsibility falls to Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, aiming to help Liverpool overcome Crystal Palace, who have won their last two encounters against The Kop, to secure a spot in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

This match is scheduled for 2:45 AM on October 30th.

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