OPINION: Slot - Stay or Go?
By Jimmy Johnson
Arne Slot’s position at Liverpool is currently under threat. Mere months ago, the Dutchman appeared to be completely teflon after leading the Reds to their second Premier League title in 5 years - now, he is firmly against the ropes at Anfield.
Credit: LFC
It’s far from a secret - Liverpool have been distinctly under par this season, a far cry from their confident demeanour in the 2024/25 campaign. Is Slot to blame? As head coach, he must shoulder at least a portion of the blame.
Perhaps the biggest talking point is Liverpool’s summer spending - the Reds’ transfer spend of £446 million should be producing better results than this. But one must consider this - is this Slot’s fault, or is it the profligacy of sporting director Richard Hughes?
Misguided Summer Transfer Window
In the summer, Liverpool looked to add attacking impetus to their ranks, rather than cleverly snapping up rotation options to back up their existing stars. This was an approach spearheaded by Hughes - in many ways, it mirrored Real Madrid’s old ‘Galacticos’ policy.
There was a distinct ‘un-Liverpool’ feeling about the whole thing - the Reds have never been the biggest spenders when compared to their peers in the big six.
Credit: Premier League
Additionally, with the benefit of hindsight, I can accurately characterise Liverpool’s summer transfer window as an abject failure. Too many holes in the squad were left unaddressed, while plenty of others have proven to be little more than square pegs in round holes.
Normally, we’d give Slot a reluctant pass for this, but he recently said in an interview that he and Hughes ‘completely aligned’ with their philosophies in the summer window.
Inconsistent Form
Liverpool have picked up a smattering of good results this season, but they have been unable to put a solid run of form together - furthermore, they have also succumbed to some truly ignominious defeats.
As things stand, the Reds haven’t lost a Premier League game since November 22, but they also haven’t won a match in England’s top division since late December. For a club of Liverpool’s stature, this isn’t good enough.
Credit: Rush The Kop
They currently sit 4th in the Premier League table, 14 points behind league leaders Arsenal. Their title hopes have long since been torpedoed - if they cannot pick up some good results in the next few weeks, their top four challenge could go the same way.
Liverpool have fared somewhat better in the Champions League, although their shock defeat against Galatasaray certainly left a bitter taste in the mouths of Reds fans.
Merit The Sack?
Ultimately, I’d like to see Slot remain in place until the end of the season. A knee-jerk reaction will do no-one any favours at this sort of junction.
Nevertheless, Slot is most certainly on thin ice. Intelligent, thoughtful signings need to be made in January - most notably, a centre-half and perhaps another defensive midfielder wouldn’t go amiss.
Liverpool’s 1-1 draw against Burnley at the weekend certainly stoked the flames under Slot’s biggest critics, but there is still plenty of time for Slot to salvage their season.