Consensus Grows That Arne Slot’s Tenure at Liverpool Nearing Its End
Something has changed around Liverpool Football Club following Saturday’s embarrassing 4-0 defeat at Manchester City in the FA Cup, a game few perhaps truly expected this version of the Reds to emerge victorious from but which in the nature of the defeat has shifted the mood in coverage.
Previous poor results, even recent results, such as defeat at Brighton and 1-1 draw at home against Tottenham were arguably worse given both were games they needed to and should have been able to win. Yet in those matches these Reds appeared at least competitive. There was at least some sign of fight.
Against City, after conceding in the 39th minute, they packed it in. Before then, they actually been the better side. After, they spent 51 minutes plus or minus a little first half stoppage time—the game was called on 90, an act of mercy that itself can’t help but rankle—looking like they wanted to be anywhere else.
In the wake of that, a certain class of journalist—namely those most known for having good connections at the club—reacted with a level of negativity not previously seen. Meanwhile, talk elsewhere shifted to how nice a man head coach Arne Slot seems to be and it being a shame how things have gone.
In the world of sport, if you’re a coach or manager or sporting director, if it’s a day that ends in -day then there’s going to be somebody somewhere criticising you. Once they stop criticising and start eulogising, if you’re a coach or manager or sporting director it might rather feel you’ve arrived at your own funeral.
Back amongst the club-connected journos, everyone from The Guardian’s Andy Hunter to The Mail’s Lewis Steele to The Echo’s Ian Doyle ran with variations on a theme. A shot at redemption thrown away. Responsibility, ultimately, lies with the head coach. Slot, and others, could now pay the price.
The Times’ Pual Joyce, perhaps the most respected of the club’s access journalists, weighed in by suggesting Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain could determine whether Slot has a future at the club. None of these sorts of things were said after prior poor results.
It must be said, then, that Arne Slot does seem a fundamentally good and decent man, at least as much as one can tell that sort of thing from a distance with any public figure. And he’s had some unenviable challenges he’s had to deal with, none more so than last summer’s tragic death of Diogo Jota.
Things have clearly gone wrong beyond that this season, though. And things have been trending in the wrong direction in many ways going well back before last summer, though. There have been worries about a growing ineffectiveness in the press and attacking sharpness back to the start of 2025.
There have been tactical and man management concerns. There has been a growing belief that perhaps last season was lightning in a bottle. The right head coach for the right group at the right time. But maybe not right for the longer-term. Still, we’ll always have that to look back on, whatever comes net.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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