Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is ahead for a reunion with compatriot Ruud van Nistelrooy, even if his memories of their fights in the Netherlands are not happy.
As manager of Feyenoord, Slot drew and lost to the former Manchester United striker, who was boss of PSV Eindhoven for just over a year, but had the last laugh as his team finished seven points clear in winning the Eredivisie title.
“I was expecting you to tell the people over here that I lost once and drew once, but you made it positive saying we won the league title, which was true,” said Slot when his title win was highlighted.
“Cody Gakpo on his team, so I am satisfied that he is on my team now when we played Ruud because Cody scored (in a 4-3 victory).
“Ruud is a very nice person first of all. I met him once or twice and he did really well when he was at PSV because PSV for the last one-and-a-half years they have been on top of the league table.
“But if you look at the second half of Ruud’s season, they didn’t even lose any more at all.
“After he left, they bought a few more players than when he worked there, but he still showed that he can compete for the title.
“He has also done it well in United and I’m going forward to see that, especially if we win. “
He played well at United and I can’t wait to see him, especially if we win.
After wasting the name of Feyenoord, Van Nistelrooy resigned with a remaining game in the season, bringing the club’s lack.
However, the scenario in which he finds himself in Leicester is more complicated.
They are just two points above the relegation zone having taken only one point from the last three matches after victory in Van Nistelrooy’s first match in charge having taken over from Steve Cooper.
“I think the positive is that teams that are positioned in the lower half of the league table, they mostly lose games, but Ruud is there, they also won.
“Now it has had two difficult effects in a row, but for those groups it is special for them to go to Anfield and they know that if they go to Anfield they have to be more productive so that they never underestimate us.
“Maybe it’s right in those 15 minutes (when two goals fitted in the 6-3 victory over Tottenham) because we have shown that we understand that we cannot underestimate a minute in the Premier League because we are not so intelligent. ” As we might think we are if we are at the most sensible point of our game. ”
Slot hopes to locate Federico Chiesa in his team for past due kick -off in Anfield.
The Italian international’s exit from Liverpool’s career has been full of blows, as he has passed due to the window without pre-season and suffering to get back into shape.
After playing the second half of the Carabao Cup victory in Southampton, he missed Sunday’s trip to London due to illness.
“Unfortunate for him because he had some minutes against Southampton, but unfortunately he was sick so we couldn’t bring him to the game,” added Slot, who continues to be without defenders Conor Bradley (hamstring) and Ibrahima Konate (knee).
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