3 weeks ago
The uncommon sound of boos rang retired astatine Anfield aft nan last whistle connected Saturday. Normally, that would beryllium an utmost consequence to a 1-1 tie pinch Chelsea, but discourse is everything. The visitors went into nan crippled connected nan backmost of six consecutive convention defeats, looking susceptible and location for nan taking. Not for nan first clip this season, though, Liverpool grounded to adhd to a visiting opponent’s woes.
Manchester United earned their first distant triumph of nan play astatine Anfield successful October aft picking up conscionable 1 constituent from their first 3 convention trips. Nottingham Forest besides struggled early successful nan campaign, losing 3 and drafting 2 of their first 5 distant games, earlier claiming a broad 3-0 triumph astatine Liverpool successful November. Burnley had mislaid 8 of their 10 distant convention games erstwhile they visited Anfield successful January yet they earned a 1-1 draw.
Perhaps nan astir egregious was successful March erstwhile Tottenham were astatine their lowest ebb. Heading for what felt for illustration an inevitable relegation aft 5 consecutive convention defeats, Spurs won what turned retired to beryllium Igor Tudor’s only Premier League constituent pinch a precocious Richarlison extremity securing a 1-1 draw.
Then location was nan tie pinch Chelsea connected Saturday, erstwhile murmurs of vexation from nan stands had been audible moreover erstwhile Liverpool led 1-0. Ryan Gravenberch’s superb onslaught gave Arne Slot’s men an early lead, but nan hosts stood disconnected their opponents alternatively than going for nan kill. It was slow, uninspired and each excessively familiar. In nan end, Chelsea equalised. Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk deed nan woodwork successful nan 2nd half, but nan location fans vented astatine nan latest underwhelming capacity and missed opportunity. It was a world distant from nan celebrations that followed the 5-1 triumph complete Spurs that sealed nan Premier League title a twelvemonth ago.
There person besides been dense location defeats successful nan cups. Liverpool’s 3-0 conclusion to Crystal Palace successful nan League Cup was nan first clip they had mislaid a home cup lucifer astatine Anfield by 3 goals without scoring since February 1934. And their 4-1 conclusion to PSV successful nan Champions League was their ninth successful 12 games – their astir successful a 12-game spell since November 1953 to January 1954 (also nine).
There person besides been galore mediocre showings connected nan road. Liverpool person picked up conscionable 1 constituent from 7 distant games against teams successful nan apical 9 of nan Premier League this season, and they look fifth-placed Aston Villa successful their last distant crippled connected Friday. They were besides beaten successful early March by rock-bottom Wolves, who person not won since.
The discontent astatine Anfield connected Saturday felt akin to nan temper during nan extremity days of Roy Hodgson’s short-lived reign 15 years ago, and it brought Slot’s early further into nan spotlight. Liverpool’s owners look wished to instrumentality pinch him, but tin specified dissatisfaction from nan stands really beryllium ignored? We’ve picked 3 reasons why Liverpool should instrumentality pinch Slot and 3 reasons why it is not a elemental decision.
Why Liverpool should backmost Slot
1) He won nan league
Slot won nan Premier League successful his first play successful England pinch comparative ease. There are group who reason he did truthful by riding nan crest of nan activity near by his predecessor, but Jürgen Klopp had conscionable fallen short pinch nan aforesaid squad.
On apical of that, moreover successful a convention run that has thrown up truthful galore disappointments, Liverpool are still connected people to suffice for nan Champions League and will astir apt decorativeness successful nan apical 4 if they debar conclusion to Aston Villa connected Friday. It’s not what they wanted astatine nan commencement of nan campaign, but is it really a sackable offence?
Yes, they person mislaid 11 convention games this play – nan astir since 2014-15 – but only 4 teams person mislaid less successful a run that has been arsenic competitory arsenic we’ve seen for immoderate time.
They will besides extremity nan play trophyless, but 2 of nan 3 teams who eliminated them from cup competitions will look successful a European last this play (Crystal Palace and Paris Saint-Germain), and nan different was Manchester City, who whitethorn still triumph nan Premier League.
2) His Feyenoord spell showed this isn’t what he wants
Perhaps much than nan results, Liverpool fans are concerned astir nan measurement nan squad is playing. But arsenic Slot insisted aft nan crippled connected Saturday, he doesn’t want them to beryllium opinionated disconnected and playing successful a passive manner.
Of course, it is his occupation to get nan players to transportation retired his instructions, but location is only truthful overmuch he tin do connected nan touchline. There was besides thing from Slot’s past to propose this drop-off was going to occur. After he won his first title astatine Feyenoord successful 2022-23, his squad did neglect to clasp their Eredivisie crown, but that was mostly owed to an astonishing overperformance from PSV.
Many of Feyenoord’s numbers improved – their expected goals full erstwhile they won nan title was 66.3, which raced up to a phenomenal 95.2 nan pursuing play – but Peter Bosz’s PSV were ruthless and won 91 points from 34 games.
This is nan first play of his profession that Slot has knowledgeable a downward trend. He could person handled it amended but should beryllium fixed nan use of nan uncertainty arsenic he is still learning arsenic a coach. He should, successful theory, beryllium overmuch stronger for it.
3) Are nan caller signings partially to blame?
That sounds harsher than it’s meant to, but Liverpool’s hefty outlay successful nan transportation marketplace past summertime has not produced nan expected results. Losing established and settled players specified arsenic Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Díaz, and successful particularly tragic circumstances, Diogo Jota, was going to make things difficult enough, but it was made tougher by nan struggles of nan caller arrivals.
Alexander Isak was signed without having trained decently successful months and past suffered a surgery limb conscionable arsenic he was getting up to speed. Florian Wirtz has shown flashes but has been a acold outcry from nan wizard we saw astatine Bayer Leverkusen. Milos Kerkez made a slow commencement but has go 1 of Liverpool’s astir dependable players. And Hugo Ekitiké mostly did good earlier his horrific Achilles wounded – conscionable arsenic Isak was coming back.
Slot has not had an opportunity to do immoderate nan scheme was erstwhile they were signed. Jeremie Frimpong’s communicative sums up Slot’s luck: he has already missed much games done wounded astatine Liverpool than he did successful his 4 and a half years astatine Leverkusen.
Ekitiké is improbable to beryllium backmost until heavy into adjacent play but, otherwise, Slot tin dream for amended luck pinch injuries, while besides utilizing pre-season to get Isak decently up to speed, and adding much faces to thief get fresher legs and much gait into nan team. Of course, ideally those caller signings will person a smoother first season.
Why it mightiness beryllium clip to switch him
1) Things are not getting better
This was nan crux of it for Liverpool fans connected Saturday. The insipid performances from nan first half of nan play are still happening. Even victories person seldom been via convincing showings. They look apt to suffice for nan Champions League qualification but location is nary getting distant from immoderate of nan alarming numbers.
They won their first 5 games this season, but Liverpool person not won much than 3 convention outings successful a statement since. They are averaging conscionable 1.67 goals per crippled successful nan convention this play – their lowest since 2015-16 (1.66) – and they are only averaging 9.9 shots successful nan container per game, their lowest successful 7 years. They person besides faced 11.4 shots per game, their astir since 2013-14.
Mohamed Salah’s output dropping disconnected a cliff has not helped, but Slot was praised for getting nan champion retired of nan Egyptian past play – erstwhile he registered 57 extremity involvements successful each competitions – truthful he should stock nan blasted for nan truth Salah only has 21 successful what will beryllium his last play astatine Anfield.
2) Liverpool are excessively easy to play against
The very slightest fans request of their squad is to make things difficult for their opponents. It was reported arsenic a damning statistic that Saturday was nan first clip successful nan Premier League this play that Chelsea outran their opposition, but nan quality was minimal (103.6km to 102.9km) and location are a batch of factors and discourse that spell into region covered numbers.
What Slot will beryllium much worried astir is that his squad has conceded 48 goals successful nan convention this season. If they let astatine slightest 3 much successful their past 2 games, it will beryllium nan astir Liverpool person conceded successful a 38-game Premier League season.
The fans were utilized to seeing relentless pressing during Klopp’s peak. This season, Liverpool are only winning possession successful nan last 3rd 4.1 times per crippled successful nan league, their lowest since 2014-15. They person been rather businesslike erstwhile winning nan shot precocious successful fairness; their 10 goals scored from precocious turnovers is much than nan 7 managed successful Klopp’s last season, though they recorded 20 precocious turnovers successful nan opposition’s punishment area successful 2023-24. This season, they person done truthful conscionable 4 times.
That could partially beryllium owed to teams being much consenting to motorboat nan shot agelong from nan back, though, which somewhat leads into our last point.
3. His style does not suit what nan Premier League has become
We’ve already covered how shot has changed markedly successful nan past 12 months since Liverpool won nan Premier League. In short, nan English apical formation was a rather different spot backmost then. It seemed arsenic though respective teams decided complete nan summertime of 2025 to alteration their attack to beryllium much set-piece focused, much unfastened to agelong balls, and happier to return clip retired of games wherever possible.
Slot has spoken galore times this play astir really galore teams now group up successful a measurement to spoil their play – arsenic is their right, of people – but location has been small motion of him uncovering a solution. Liverpool struggled against each types of opponents, but group pieces person been a large problem for them.
Liverpool person conceded 18 goals from set-piece situations (excluding penalties) successful nan Premier League this play – their astir ever successful a azygous run successful nan title (previously 16 successful 1992-93). They person been capable to people 16 of their own, successful fairness, but they’ll astir apt dream trends alteration again adjacent season. If 2026-27 gives america much of nan same, Slot will person to set amended than he has this play to get Liverpool to wherever they expect to be, and get nan fans onside again.
The nine look minded to backmost Slot. It would beryllium somewhat refreshing successful an property of managers often being fixed truthful small time, though it would besides beryllium a immense telephone fixed nan evident scepticism from ample parts of nan fanbase. Does Slot merit much respect for nan things he achieved past play and nan measurement he has carried himself successful adversity? Absolutely. Does he merit to beryllium Liverpool caput coach adjacent season? That’s a very different question.
This is an article by Opta Analyst
