What is the true formation Arne Slot plans to play at Liverpool?

At long last, Liverpool fans finally got to hear from their new boss, Arne Slot. The Dutch gaffer sat down for his first press conference as Liverpool head coach, and among other things, was asked by a reporter about the differences between the 4-3-3 formation we've seen from Klopp's Liverpool, and what we can expect to see from him, given the 4-2-3-1 he's run at Feyenoord.

The new coach's response might come as a surprise- rather than taking the question head-on, he expressed disappointment at the query, saying that he wished that people would view his team as more dynamic in terms of position.

He stated that when Feyenoord brought the ball up, sometimes they did take that 4-2-3-1 shape, but sometimes it could be 4-1-4-1 as well.

In fact, he later went on to say that he thought of his Feyenoord philosophy as based more in 4-3-3 than anything else, especially when it comes to defensive shape.

Slot's system might not be so predictable

So, it seems that at least to a degree, we fans and pundits have been operating under a false assumption when discussing potential lineups under Slot, and how current and potential future squad players might fit into the formation.

It's not like Slot's football will look exactly like Klopp's, but there might be more similarities than we imagined there would be, especially given the fact that he's inheriting a group of players acquired under Klopp with chemistry developed within his system.

At least at first, things might look quite familiar, and Slot's own fingerprints might become more visible in the club's style of play as new players filter in- and existing ones depart- the club.

What kind of player does Arne value?

More importantly, perhaps, is the glimpse Slot's comments provided into the type of player that can thrive under his tutelage.

Versatility is going to be key, as is football IQ; when formations shift due to situation, quick recognition of changes in game flow is absolutely vital.

This means that there could be a bright future for players who seem stuck between roles or "positionless" to a degree, like Dominik Szoboszlai or Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The way they strike a balance between two roles might be perfect, given the fact that some players may be asked to seamlessly shift between different areas of the pitch throughout the match.

If there's one thing we've learned, however, it's that we can't make assumptions about what this new era of Liverpool football will look.

We can do our best to dream up transfers and formations to fit the new leader's grand plans, but nothing's going to be close to clear until we see the new-look Reds in action- and even then, it might be some time before we fully have a handle on what's going on.

It seems like this fresh look could be a good one, but just like with the Klopp era, we'll need to wait and see it all in action.