Melissa Reddy shares two MAJOR factors that put Liverpool off Ruben Amorim

With Feyenoord's Arne Slot set to take over as the new Liverpool manager at the end of the season, it's easy to forget that another man was the leading candidate a little over a week ago.

Ruben Amorim of Sporting CP had been the overwhelming favourite to succeed Jurgen Klopp as the team's manager this summer after Bayer Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso ruled himself out of the running for the job.

However, early last week, there was a major and unexpected shift in favour of Slot, with many questioning whether the Portuguese's manoeuvrings in flying to London to speak to West Ham United were what led to Anfield decision-makers shifting their focus.

Journalist Melissa Reddy disagrees with this assessment, though.

She believes that two significant factors ultimately led Liverpool to pursue Slot instead.

Strengths of the current squad

Speaking about Amorim, Reddy said on Sky Sports: “He had ticked quite a few of the criteria to get onto the shortlist, but the big sticking point was that his playing philosophy was so different.”

In fact, Amorim's preference for a three-at-the-back formation raised doubts about his compatibility with Liverpool's established playing style.

“He likes to use three at the back," she said, noting, "That doesn’t really stack up with Liverpool’s squad and their comforts in doing that."

If Amorim were to implement those same tactics at Anfield, it would likely necessitate an overhaul in the personnel, particularly with the squad lacking in centre-backs accustomed to playing out wide and dedicated wing-backs.

Consistent playing philosophy

Secondly, Reddy explained how the club placed importance on maintaining a consistent playing philosophy across all levels, something that Amorim's strategy did not align with.

"[Amorim's] long-term vision didn’t align with the Liverpool way," she said.

"Remember, Liverpool play the same way through all the age groups up, so you don’t want to disrupt that.”

By contrast, Arne Slot's approach is perceived to be more in harmony with Liverpool’s existing methodology and long-term vision, favouring a 4-2-3-1 system that is more easily interchangeable with Klopp's favoured 4-3-3.

Having a continuity of style throughout the age groups helps in the development of young players and ensures that the club's young talents can seamlessly enter the first-team fray when needed.

As witnessed this season, that can be incredibly important when resources are stretched as the side competes on multiple fronts.