Danny Murphy has implored Liverpool to be ruthless with Arne Slot, believing that the head coach will find it near-impossible to win over his detractors among the fan base.
The Dutchman’s reputation has nosedived amid a dreadful second season at Anfield, and the chorus of boos at the final whistle in the 1-1 draw against Chelsea last weekend made it clear that the patience of many supporters has run out.
Xabi Alonso continues to be touted as a potential successor to the 47-year-old, but it’s been reliably reported that FSG are prepared to stick with the current boss and trust in him to improve the club’s fortunes next term.
Murphy believes that this summer is the right time for Liverpool to drop the axe on Slot and start afresh, rather than blindly keeping faith in him and wasting the first few months of next season.
The former Reds midfielder told BBC Sport: “I just don’t see a situation, irrelevant of transfer ins and outs – and there are going to be a lot in the summer – where the fans get back to being 100% behind Slot.
“For that to happen he will have to go on a run like he did in the first season, where he basically won every game. He then has to play in a certain way that Liverpool fans expect.
“I think Slot’s time is probably up. The main reason for saying this is not a dislike of him. I think he’s a good guy and a very bright coach, but the reality is Liverpool’s fanbase is as powerful as any out there, for all sorts of reasons.
“We know how strong they are in fighting the cause over tickets and other issues, not just the manager. I don’t remember a time when the fans turned on a manager then turned it back around.”
Murphy has urged Liverpool to act now rather than gambling on Slot to instigate a quick turnaorund next term, saying: “What you’re doing then is taking the huge risk of banking on starting next season amazingly well, with everything going brilliantly.
“I think that’s unlikely, especially with the changes that are going to happen, so you’re then behind ‘the 8 ball’ because you might have to take a decision when everyone else is kicking on. I think we are looking at an inevitable departure whether it is now or a few months into the season.”
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The obvious precedent is Brendan Rodgers 11 years ago, when Liverpool ended the 2014/15 season dismally amid external calls for the manager to be sacked, only to hold onto him and make a slow start to the following campaign before dispensing with him in October and hiring Jurgen Klopp.
The danger is that, by sticking with Slot, FSG risk a repeat of that scenario over the next few months and are left scrambling to appoint a successor in the midst of a season rather than at the end of one.
As Murphy also pointed out when speaking to BBC Sport, hiring Xabi Alonso now would galvanise the fan base and change the mood around Anfield, giving everyone a fresh start and ensuring that we go into pre-season with excitement rather than trepidation.
We’ll always be grateful to Slot for delivering the Premier League title last year, and it’s important to stay on the right side of the dividing line between constructive criticism of his work and unwarranted personal abuse.
However, we’d agree with the BBC pundit that making a clean break at the end of this campaign would seem to be in Liverpool’s best interests and, provided that the right successor is appointed, would generate much more optimism going into the summer.
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