Club stood by the Dutchman after a collapse from champions to fifth, but it is a move they may regret by Christmas
Arne Slot and Liverpool players have been booed by their own fans at Anfield this season. The collapse from Premier League champions last season to a fifth-place finish this May has triggered serious questions about what the future holds. The disconnect is evident.
So it begs the question of whether the club have made a crippling mistake allowing Slot to continue next season and passing up the opportunity to appoint Xabi Alonso.
Twelve months ago Slot appeared untouchable. Replacing Jurgen Klopp had looked close to impossible and the Dutchman responded by guiding Liverpool to the title in his first season. Serenaded before he arrived and getting off to a fantastic start, the stability at the club was evident and the continuity in style was rewarded. The assumption was that Liverpool had found their post-Klopp successor and could build from a position of strength.
This season they have gone backwards at light speed. As an exercise in self-flagellation, they pumped £450m into new signings only to finish 25 points worse off than in their title-winning campaign, and reach the Champions League places gasping at the end.
The opening weeks had offered encouragement with seven consecutive wins in all competitions that hinted at another title challenge. Dominik Szoboszlai’s late free-kick winner against Arsenal was memorable and positioned Slot’s side as potential champions. The reality soon afterwards was starkly different.
There have been mitigating circumstances. The death of Diogo Jota cast a shadow over their season. Injuries, as Slot has repeatedly mentioned all season, left the squad twisted and mishapen. Alexander Isak, for example, signed for £125m, was injured for most of the season. Several established players underperformed.
But the concern among fans will continue to be that Slot never appeared to develop a convincing response to their problems. His side became increasingly predictable, easy to play against, tactically lost, and wide open.
That is why it seems like such a big missed opportunity that club legend Xabi Alonso was allowed to go to Chelsea. The Blues’ appointment of the former Liverpool midfielder is a massive coup. Here are Chelsea, a club struggling with identity, appointing an elite manager well known for his tactical brilliance and his aura, two things Slot appears to have lost in this most underwhelming of seasons.
What happens if the new season begins and results do not go the Dutchman’s way? Surely his position would become untenable but then they would have missed out on a manager that seemed tailor made for the club. Liverpool’s hierarchy have chosen to back Slot and in doing so allowed Alonso to head to Stamford Bridge. It is a decision they may regret by Christmas.
