Arne Slot‘s achievements have already led to fans placing him on a famous Kop banner alongside his legendary Liverpool predecessors, but how is he perceived in back his home country?Considering its size, it is remarkable how much the Netherlands has influenced the way we play, coach and perceive football.The diminutive nation with the world’s tallest people has provided some of the defining footballing philosophers.It is said that much of the dominant possession-based way of playing in the modern game now seen across almost every level of the pyramid – even in amateur football – stems from the genius of Pep Guardiola.Yet he formed his ideas from his experiences playing under Dutchman Johan Cruyff, who himself was inspired by fellow countryman Rinus Michels, the godfather and architect of ‘Total Football’ who led the Netherlands to Euro 1988 glory.Along with the former, Louis van Gaal and Frank Rijkaard have also won the Champions League with their own tactical adaptations still rooted in intelligent possession and movement. Honourable mentions should also be given to Guus Hiddink, Dick Advocaat and Leo Beenhakker, who achieved great things at home and abroad.And it is now well-established in the Netherlands that Slot has made it onto this illustrious list.His name is, for now, nearer the bottom. However, after such remarkable success in a relatively short period as a first-team coach (this campaign is only his second full sophomore season), he is very much viewed in his homeland as the leading Dutch coach and tactician of the time. A sense of pride in Slot’s successEven at the most tribal level of fandom – and you will not find a more toxic fan relationship than the one that exists between Feyenoord and Ajax, where opposing fans are still banned from away games – there is a reluctant acceptance that he is a top coach.Nobody domestically begrudged Feyenoord the title won under Slot in 2023, after he pulled together many random pieces following the huge squad overhaul the previous summer, and turned it into a mosaic of controlled yet intense football that no one could match.The only hope that opposing fans had was that he would soon be snapped up by one of the game’s leading clubs. Even though the Eredivisie title couldn’t be defended in 2024, the team continued to impress by winning the Dutch Cup.Fans in England may not have given too much notice to Slot, but the domestic hype was being matched among clubs looking for a tactically savvy and natural man-manager, such as Tottenham.This wasn’t a case of Liverpool unearthing a hidden coaching gem.Furthermore, considering the many recent struggles suffered by Dutch coaches in the Premier League, there is a sense of pride in the Netherlands about a Dutch manager breaking the Man City monopoly by winning the Premier League with Liverpool.The pride in Slot’s achievements to date is especially strong because he has done it with Dutch players integral to the effort – from the immense Virgil van Dijk at the back to the midfield heartbeat Ryan Gravenberch and the penetrative Cody Gakpo on the wing.The introduction of Jeremie Frimpong has only increased the number of Dutch football fans who now view Liverpool as their Premier League team of choice.The 47-year-old’s success is heightening Dutch following of English football generally. No matter who they support in the Eredivisie, the majority of football fans I’ve spoken with in the Netherlands are taking a keen interest in how Liverpool are doing under Slot.Intriguingly, this is not simply because of a ‘one of our own’ mentality, but due to the way in which Slot is getting Liverpool to play and the fact he comes across as so likeable.He seems like someone you’d have a pint with in a pub, not just run hard on a pitch for. There is an impression that he has delivered a more modern approach when implementing the famous Dutch style, utilising more flexibility in areas such as when to control possession or when to press. Even this season there is a discernible difference in style from the last that seems more front-foot offensively (and maybe a bit more open defensively). If you go through the annals of Dutch coaches, there is a defining stubbornness, commitment and fealty to a certain style and a doubling down if it isn’t going well.It’s refreshing for Dutch fans to see someone from their shores winning trophies in the world’s biggest football league by doing things differently.And this praise isn’t just coming from Dutch fans but from mainstream football media too. If you think ex-players can be harsh in their roles as TV pundits in the Premier League, they are feeble compared to their cutting Dutch counterparts.The opinions from legends like Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Rafael van der Vaart can leave you replicating the kind of pained face one might pull if seeing a stranger stacking it in on a busy street.Not so when it comes to Slot. For example, Van Basten has described him as “tactically brilliant” and that he has “rarely been so impressed by a coach. The way he communicates all his football ideas and gets his players to play exactly in that way is really impressive.“Everything about him is calm, because he is mega intelligent.” Creating a legacyFinally, there is the lasting impact Slot has left upon the fans of Feyenoord.He didn’t have a particularly long period at the helm of the Rotterdam club – a total of three seasons – and unlike current coach Robin van Persie and past ones like Giovanni van Bronckhorst, he never played for the the team as a player nor had any links to it, all of which are normally the requirements for a fond spot amongst the Feyenoord faithful.Nevertheless, Slot’s impact was so profound that his picture is up in the De Kuip media centre within its head coach ‘Hall of Fame’ with the likes of Advocaat and Koeman.To win only the club’s second Eredivisie title in the 21st century was one thing. To do it whilst playing such attractive, energetic football and in the process knocking intense rivals Ajax off their perch, takes how he is revered to another level.Although fans were resigned to losing Slot eventually, they view those three years as some of the best in their history.While Feyenoord are a smaller club than Liverpool, there are many historical similarities between them, which only adds to the feeling of goodwill towards Slot at Anfield.Ultimately, the Dutch view is neatly summed up by ESPN NL football broadcaster Milan van Dongen: “We honestly think of Arne Slot as the best coach in the world.”