Several Liverpool journalists have converged on the view that replacing the manager may be necessary to spark a meaningful turnaround at the club.
This comes in the wake of a damaging 4-2 loss to Aston Villa — a scoreline that arguably papered over just how badly Arne Slot’s side were outclassed at Villa Park. Two set-piece headers from Virgil van Dijk made the final tally more respectable, but Unai Emery’s team thoroughly deserved their win, which also secured their place in next season’s Champions League.
Slot’s position is no longer tenable
The moment has arrived for Liverpool to make a tough but unavoidable call: part ways with Slot on good terms and draw a line under this campaign ahead of 2026/27.
As journalists David Lynch and Lewis Steele pointed out on X, it is hard to picture the Dutchman steering the club out of its current struggles. Yes, mitigating factors exist — few would dispute that the former Feyenoord manager inherited a difficult situation from the outset. But he was also backed with hundreds of millions in transfer investment, inheriting a squad that had comfortably lifted the Premier League title the previous season.
Injuries have played their part, and the failed pursuit of Alexander Isak did not help. Yet how does one explain the dramatic drop-off of an otherwise unchanged midfield trio of Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai? Or a defence that is largely the same unit, aside from Alisson Becker’s injury and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s exit?
The case for Xabi Alonso
Let’s set aside the “data” for a moment. Reports from within the club suggest Slot retains the backing of the decision-makers, who credit him with last season’s successes and feel some sympathy given the turbulent circumstances. The internal metrics apparently still favour him over alternatives — including Xabi Alonso, who is reportedly a target for Chelsea.
But on what basis? Friday’s defeat was not a surprise. That same listless, spineless display has been served up repeatedly this season, and there is little reason to believe a couple of summer signings will be enough to reverse the rot under this manager.
The time for a change is now. Liverpool must sack Arne Slot.
