Cody Gakpo gives insight into key Arne Slot motivational technique

Cody Gakpo has given an insight into Arne Slot’s coaching methods, with the Dutch winger revealing the Liverpool head coach's serious approach to tactics and training has paid dividends so far at Anfield.

Slot shocked the Premier League by leading the Reds to the title in his first season in charge. That Liverpool finished first with such ease following the transition from Jurgen Klopp’s exit, and after a summer with no major signings, underlined Slot’s credentials as a coach.

Explaining his methods behind the scenes, Gakpo revealed that knowing when to take a hardline approach and then also being able to switch off has been key to his early success.

“He’s just very normal. When we start to train or when we do a meeting, he’s very focused on what he wants us to do, and what he wants to teach us,” Liverpool’s no.18 explained in an interview with Sky Sports.

“He’s very serious, very demanding as well, from the quality, from the intensity, but when the training is over and we do maybe a team activity or something, and he’s there, he’s very relaxed.

“I think everybody likes him as a person. Obviously, when you win, it makes it a little bit easier.

“Occasionally, like in the derby against Everton, we saw a little bit of raw emotion from the manager, but I think, overall, he’s very calm, and tries to speak with logic a lot of times. He doesn’t let the emotion get the better of him.”

Slot also helped improve Gakpo’s game last season. He dispensed with selecting the 26-year-old in a central position and encouraged the former PSV Eindhoven star to cut inside more often. Based on his 18-goal contribution in 2024/25, those instructions paid off.

“It's his detail that's amazing,” said Gakpo, on the changes Slot has instilled.

“In some games you just saw what he was like, he would say to Virgil to do a slight change, and then you see the whole team adapting, and then maybe we score a goal or we defend better and then when it works out you really believe in what he wants. You know how he wants to play, and then you have to adapt to that.”

Asked about the ambitions for this season, Gakpo said: “For a club like Liverpool, we have to aim very high for the Champions League.

“That's the highest prize in Europe that we can win - and that's what we will fight for again next year.”

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