Thanks to a blockbuster concert, Jurgen Klopp - resplendent in a pink cowboy hat - had reappeared at Anfield before Arne Slot had officially settled into his Liverpool seat.
As Taylor Swift is so fond of telling us, breaking up is hard to do. Via the club’s media channels, Slot was officially introduced to Liverpool fans on Wednesday and, inevitably, spent a chunk of his first interview talking about Klopp.
To be fair, that was unavoidable. How could he not mention a predecessor who was one of the most charismatic managers the Premier League has seen? And it would have been grossly negligent of Slot not to ask Klopp for advice.
To not pick the brains of a guy who had managed the club for almost nine years would be plain silly. But that should be it. No more Klopp talk. It is over, it is finished.
The supporters will have a role in that regard and they have a reputation for giving fulsome backing to a new manager. Slot will need it. Klopp’s long, emotional goodbye camouflaged the tricky issues that now face the new Liverpool manager.
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Before dropping out a thrilling three-way title battle, Liverpool were probably over-achieving, and the final six weeks of the season appeared to confirm that theory. Sure, Slot inherits a squad that won a trophy last season - albeit the Carabao Cup - and finished third in the Premier League, amassing a very creditable 82 points.
But he is also inheriting a squad that won only four of their final ten matches of the season. More significantly, he is inheriting a squad that has contract issues. Arguably, there are no players more important to Liverpool than Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
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Slot spent much of his introductory press conference talking about Klopp (Liverpool FC)All three have a final year of their contracts left to run. If that is not alarming to Slot and Anfield executives, it should be. Out here in Germany, 34-year-old Kyle Walker told us earlier this week that he intends to stay at the top of his game for many years to come, highlighting the increasing longevity of elite footballers’ careers.
Salah turned 32 last week - is astonishingly robust - and, if he wants to, could remain as Liverpool’s attacking talisman for at least three more seasons. But Liverpool would have to come up with the money for a suitably lucrative deal, something they are not overly keen on doing.
The same goes for Van Dijk, who will be 33 next month. The Dutchman could run Liverpool’s defence for another three seasons.
Jurgen Klopp was spotted in the crowd during Taylor Swift's show (Iain Watts/Liverpool Echo)Alexander-Arnold’s case is slightly different. If he is considering not signing a new deal - perhaps Real Madrid might suggest going there on a free in the summer of 2025 - then Liverpool will surely have to play hardball and put him up for sale now.
But, realistically, the cards are in his hands. What all three might do - in fact, what seems most likely - is wait and see how they think Slot’s regime will pan out. That will surely be a factor in their plans.
And to give Slot’s regime the best chance of success, it is already time to remind everyone the Klopp era is over. After all, even Taylor Swift moves on.
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