Jurgen Klopp said goodbye to Anfield at the end of last season after deciding he needed to move away from the bench.
Slot selected to upgrade Klopp and the Dutchman arrived on Merseyside after some good achievements in Holland.
It will be Ipswich’s first top-flight match since 2002, after Kieran McKenna led Town to back-to-back promotions in his first managerial role.
Can Ipswich do wonders here or will Liverpool prove too strong? Here are the Panel’s 3 high value bets.
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Ipswich were overtaken by Leicester in the race for the league name last season, no team in the second tier scoring as many goals as the Tractor Boys.
Many of the players McKenna inherited in 2021 are at Portman Road. That in itself is a testament to the former Manchester United manager’s acumen.
As mentioned above, McKenna only brought good luck to Ipswich, he did so while selling an exciting, attack-focused taste of the game.
There’s plenty of Premier League delight in Ipswich’s ranks, but that’s not necessarily a main weakness in the opening weeks of the season.
On the contrary, this kind of freshness and ingenuity can help McKenna’s men from the start.
Liverpool’s defence performed poorly towards the end of last season and Ipswich will be in a position to take advantage of any gaps on Saturday.
Needless to say, it will be much more difficult to keep the back door closed against teams as talented as Liverpool.
There is no lack of attacking quality in the Liverpool team and it will be attractive to see what Slot does to Klopp, if anything.
The club perseveres with Darwin Núñez, for whom this season can be decisive after two seasons at Anfield.
One thing Liverpool are hoping for is the availability of Diogo Jota for the 2024/25 season.
Jota missed several games last season due to some other injuries, but if he can stay fit, it looks like he will be a member of the team this season.
The former Wolves striker is expected to start in the middle of Liverpool’s front line at Portman Road.
He is arguably the club’s top scorer and is capable of scoring all kinds of goals, which bodes well for this weekend and beyond.
Even if Ipswich pass five runners in a bid to nullify Liverpool, Jota has the sense and quality to score his own at some point.
Slot will put his own stamp on this Liverpool by destroying the foundations forged by Klopp.
If things go well, the Dutchman could turn the Reds into a more effective team in terms of ownership, while maintaining the off-the-ball intensity that his predecessor introduced.
Still, all this is said and done when replacing a manager of Klopp’s caliber.
Ipswich have given them momentum after back-to-back promotions and will aim to make Portman Road a difficult position for visiting teams.
McKenna has a taste for adventurous football and while that put his side on the board with wins this season, it’s possible that Ipswich will be sidelined by Liverpool in transition.
Finding the right balance will be key to Ipswich’s survival hopes. They are capable of pushing the Reds to the end, but Slot’s team would arguably have too much on the opening weekend.