Liverpool boss Arne Slot has looked to several sporting moments and figures for inspiration and he’s analysed Lance Armstrong to see how to gain mental edges over his rivals
Lance Armstrong won seven Tour de Frances on the trot before his doping came to light
Liverpool boss Arne Slot has studied and taken lessons from the body language of Lance Armstrong, the disgraced cyclist who had all seven of his Tour de France titles stripped when it was confirmed that he had doped throughout his period of success.
The Dutch coach and the American cyclist are not a natural fit, and while the 46-year-old Reds boss has never been interested in Armstrong’s underhand methods, a new biography on him details how he took time to see how he was able to mentally dominate his opponents in the early 2000s as he excelled in his sport.
The biography, ‘Arne Slot: The New Era’ by Dutch journalist Milos Gouka, seen by The Independent, details that Slot studied Armstrong’s psychological methods, especially when he was not at 100 percent, whether that through injury or fatigue. He noted how the American would smile at the camera so as to appear on top form, even when he wasn’t.
Armstrong’s world would eventually come crashing down when his doping was discovered and made public, but regardless of that those who raced against him would often comment on the mentality he bought, which helped him become so dominant.
Liverpool were able to enjoy similar dominance en route to their second Premier League triumph last season, which came as a surprise to many. Slot joined an elite group of managers who claimed the English top flight at the first attempt.
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The 46-year-old won 11 of his first 13 games to set up a commanding lead in the Premier League, after which the Reds never looked back. The Dutchman also lost just one of his first 30 games with Liverpool’s rivals never being able to close in and make the title race competitive.
Many had tipped the Merseysiders to struggle following Jurgen Klopp’s exit, especially with Slot coming from a league that was far from proven in England. However he’s proved a huge success and many have backed Liverpool to land successive titles for the first time in more than 30 years.
Arne Slot and Liverpool are out to retain the Premier League crown(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The Reds have overcome tactical and performance issues to begin the season with two wins from two – and their latest win was another example of their mentality. Newcastle pegged them back from 2-0 down to draw level late on Monday night before they found a winner through 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha in the 100th minute.
They also needed an 88th minute strike from Federico Chiesa to see off Bournemouth on the opening night of the Premier League. That was another example of them squandering a 2-0 lead before they scored twice in the final stages to seal the three points.
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