Liverpool cult hero is PRIME candidate to replace Arne Slot

Arne Slot's job isn't in any danger but ultimately if he is to leave Liverpool the club's former cult hero could be a prime candidate to replace him.

Things are not looking the greatest right now at Anfield. Slot has inherited a difficult squad as a result of the turbulent changes in the summer.

On paper, Liverpool invested a lot. But they also sold a lot. This has meant basically Slot needing to build a new squad and trying to get everything to gel together.

Realistically speaking you can't do that as a head-coach overnight. Not even in a few months. Sure, he's got a lot of elite talents at his disposal. But in order to make them work together you need time and patience.

That's what Liverpool fans are going to have to practise right now. The word 'transitional' is very much a despised one but this season is all about development.

It's about taking a step back to take two steps forward.

Nonetheless, there will be a time, hopefully in a few years time when Slot will want to move on - just as Jurgen Klopp had wanted to do the same.

It's just another cycle and way of life. Coaches and players always move on. Only the club remains.

When that time comes, Liverpool are going to find it difficult to replace Slot. Even right now there aren't many candidates in European football who are ready and who play a suitable style of come in and replace the Liverpool man.

However, if there is one manager Liverpool should be keeping an eye on, it's Craig Bellamy.

He's not going to be a stranger for fans of the club. Bellamy is a cult hero. His goal against Barcelona during his first spell at the club and then his goals in the semi-final of the League Cup against Manchester City ultimately secured the trophy for Liverpool during his second spell at the club.

Bellamy is a boyhood Liverpool fan and his status at the club is special just by the mere fact that he had two different spells at Anfield.

Now he has moved on and has become the manager of Wales. Bellamy's start to life in the role has been nothing but perfect. He secured promotion for Wales in the Nations League and is now just two games away from helping the country qualify to the World Cup again.

He has done this at a time when Wales' squad are probably not the strongest, in comparison to the Gareth Bale years.

Yet Bellamy has helped this side thrive. During qualifying Wales averaged 67% possession, this was one of the highest in UEFA World Cup qualifiers. Only Spain, Croatia, Portugal, England and Germany averaged more.

Bellamy's also introduced an intense pressing style, which has made it difficult for teams to pass through them. Wales ranked fourth in qualifying among all European teams for PPDA (passes per defensive action) allowed.

This is quite simply a remarkable achievement and it's very in line with modern tactical trends.

It's exactly how Liverpool want to play. The icing on the cake is that Bellamy has done all of this while integrating young talent into the team - most notably Cardiff City's Dylan Lawlor.

It's why he's absolutely a prime candidate to replace Slot at Liverpool. Bellamy is everything you look for in a manager and he's a cult hero at the club. It just makes perfect sense.

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