It wasn’t until a few hours before the news was made public that Arne Slot discovered that he was being relieved of his duties as Liverpool head coach.
It was just after midday on Saturday that the Merseyside club confirmed that they had parted company with the 47-year-old ‘with immediate effect’, just six days after the Reds’ final match of an extremely difficult season.
Despite widespread calls for a change in the dugout, a few days ago it appeared for all the world that FSG would keep faith with the Dutchman amid reports that they were close to appointing his ex-Feyenoord assistant Etienne Reijnen to the backroom staff at Anfield.
Two trusted sources have revealed just how quickly Slot went from believing he’d be leading the chareg once again next season to clearing out his desk and contemplating what comes next.
The Telegraph‘s Dominic King reported that, ‘even at 5:30pm on Friday evening’, the Dutchman had ‘no reason to suspect’ that he was into his final 24 hours as Liverpool head coach, with sporting director Richard Hughes informing him of the club’s decision on Saturday morning ‘with enormous reluctance.’
For The Times, Paul Joyce outlined that, less than 48 hours ago, Slot had been ‘actively working towards next season’ and was keen to bring in Reijnen, before being informed yesterday morning that LFC ‘could not delay the inevitable’ and that they’d be making a change in the dugout.
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The surprise isn’t that the 47-year-old has been dismissed by Liverpool after such an atrocious season, but that the club went from seemingly backing him to the hilt to abruptly relieving him of his duties just hours before the news was announced.
The proposed appointment of Reijnen to the coaching staff appeared to drop a major clue that Slot would be staying on, especially when the former had informed Feyenoord that he’d be leaving De Kuip.
We can only deduce that FSG had privately been looking towards changing the head coach for some time and were perhaps waiting to nail down a proposed successor before informing the 2025 Premier League-winning boss that his time was up.
Ultimately, the extent of Liverpool’s drop-off over the past few months and the tepid football being served up under the Dutchman prompted the hierarchy to act. Once the fans at Anfield had made their disgruntlement unmistakably clear, it was difficult to see a way back for him in L4.
The time for a change feels right, although the 47-year-old will be forever appreciated for delivering the Reds’ 20th league title a year ago, and the scenes of euphoria that it unleashed on Merseyside.
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Fsg is only concerned about profit and loss. What they have done is the right decision for liverpool football club. If we continue to lose, the 4.6 billion valuation will go south faster than they know it.
It’s common sense that FSG were plotting and planning in secret to replace slot months ago. It’s why Iraola announced he’s leaving Bournemouth a while back. FSG picked their new manager ages ago and Alonso was never ever in contention.
Lewis Steele said yesterday that Liverpool are not a sacking club. Well under FSG we are.
Hodgson was sacked, Dalglish was sacked, Rodgers was sacked and now slot has been sacked.
FSG apart from klopp have made mistake after mistake. Dalglish shouldn’t have been manager, out of the game too long, Rodgers and slot were never going to be up to the job, and klopp walked away because FSG never backed him. As soon as klopp was out the door FSG brought back Michael Edwards who appointed Richard Hughes.
Will it now be a revolving door of managers coming and going like Manchester United and Chelsea. The only stability we’ve had under FSG was down to klopp. Do you trust FSG to get the right manager for Liverpool. Get the next one wrong and we will keep sinking.
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