Stewart Downing shares how important Anfield now is for new Liverpool manager Arne Slot

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Arne Slot had a perfect home debut as Liverpool manager in the Premier League with an easy 2-0 win against Brentford.

The Reds claimed all three points in comfortable fashion against the Bees, with Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah on the scoresheet as Liverpool brushed aside the west London side to clinch the win at Anfield.

With Jamie Redknapp impressed with Salah’s performance, Liverpool already look in good shape to challenge for the Premier League title, with the Anfield side already tied exactly with Arsenal in the standings.

And Stewart Downing has now urged Slot to do something with the Anfield crowd to help with future games.

Slot told to get Liverpool fans on his side at Anfield early

Speaking on BBC Sport’s coverage of the match, the former Liverpool winger noted on how the Anfield crowd getting on Slot’s side early could be huge in the new Reds’ boss starting life in Merseyside with a bang.

With Liverpool putting on a show today against Brentford, Slot is already off to a good start having won last weekend’s opening day fixture against Ipswich Town, with the Dutch coach striking a chord with supporters.

Downing said on how Anfield will affect Slot and Liverpool: “Arne Slot has already come out and said he is not a Jurgen Klopp character, he won’t be jumping up and down on the touchline or doing first bumps, so the Anfield crowd will be more important than ever now without Klopp in terms of lifting the team.

“The players will have to give that little bit extra too. The cameraderie between Klopp and the crowd was incredible, he helped put the energy into the place, he just got it. Arne Slot will have to get that pretty quick because if they get some iffy results early on then will the crowd go flat?”

Slot knows just how important Anfield will be for his success

Anfield is one of the most mythical stadiums in all of sport, with the Liverpool home ground almost acting as a 12th man in some games, such is the energy the arena can emit in major games.

And for Slot, the Dutch manager knows just how important Anfield will be if he’s to succeed on Merseyside, with Feyenoord’s De Kuip another iconic European ground that seems to play mind tricks on opposing players.

Klopp utilised Anfield arguably better than any manager in the 21st century, and with Slot now in the hot seat, the new Liverpool boss knows he needs to use his new home as a weapon to help get results and to get the best out of his players.