Shock exit in Liverpool: Arne Slot fired hours before the Champions League final, smart because the decision with that will not be the most important thing that day

Jamie Redknapp commented right after the sacking, it was the players’ strength and determination that finally got ARne Slot fired. – The owners and management of the club were clear until the very end that the Dutch manager would continue next season as well.

Read: Steven Gerrard on Arne Slot’s exit from Liverpool: “The timing was right”

Just four and a half hours before kick-off in the Champions League final, Arne Slot was fired at Liverpool. The decision came as a shock to most people – despite the fact that the club had recently assured that the manager was safe in his job.

“I was surprised,” Jamie Carragher said in a comment on SkySports.

“A lot of what has come out of the club, from people I’ve spoken to, indicated that the manager was safe. Arne Slot himself appeared in his latest press interviews as if he was in full control. This was as recently as one week ago – ten days ago. There is no way the club approves this, or that he talks to another coach to get him in for next season, if he thought he was not going to be responsible. This is very sudden. I think this has taken everyone by surprise.

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Player power and fan discontent

The expert believes both the fans’ reactions and the players’ attitude may have played a role in the decision.

“Liverpool are not known for going against their managers. They support them to the utmost. But there have been murmurs – quite loud murmurs – of dissatisfaction with Arne Slot. He never lost most of the supporters this year, but at some point it felt like something had turned. The supporter base now has a lot of influence online as well, and that turned around very quickly.

In terms of the players’ power, the situation with Mohamed Salah has not helped.

“I don’t like it at all. Of course, it doesn’t help when one of the most important players comes out and publicly expresses dissatisfaction. It will never help, no matter the situation.

Poor results in the last twelve months

The expert points out that the results over the past year have been very poor.

“My experience is that clubs like Manchester United have had a tendency to stick with a coach for too long, and then change two months later. Then you are effectively wasting an entire season. You get a manager who builds the team in the summer, then a new guy comes in who doesn’t want the same players – and voila, you’ve wasted a year.

“I had actually thought that Arne Slot would be able to turn this around. I was divided in my view, but as I said: this is shocking.

Doubts about recruitment and player material

The expert nevertheless believes that an exceptional football coach – the “crème de la crème” – could have done better with the same government as last year.

“He didn’t get any help with recruitment. Look at the players – have any of them done well? Only Édouard has played well. None of the others have delivered. Now you can put it on the manager, but the players also have to do more. The people behind them have fielded the biggest team going into this year. Still, the performances are a complete contrast to where Liverpool were last season.

The players’ silence speaks for itself

After Mohamed Salah posted a controversial post on social media – which several Liverpool players liked – there has not been a single message from the players thanking Arne Slot for his time at the club.

“Does it disappoint you?” asks the presenter.

“I don’t know what goes on behind the scenes in the dressing room. Maybe not everyone liked him either. I didn’t like that Mo Salah case when it happened. I don’t think he should have come out publicly in that way. You don’t start tapping the like emoji when someone goes after your own manager. You simply don’t. That says a lot about what’s going on in the locker room right now, and it shows that this is not an easier job than many outsiders think.

Andoni Iraola main candidate

The leading candidate to take over is Andoni Iraola, the current manager of Bournemouth.

“He has done a brilliant job in the Premier League. What Bournemouth have achieved is absolutely fantastic. But there are still big question marks. The way he plays – high-intensity football – is definitely the style Liverpool want to go back to. We know he’s fantastic at it, but it’s not just about that when you’re a Liverpool manager.

The expert points to a crucial challenge:

– Can you play with that intensity when you play every three days? At Bournemouth, he only played once a week. It’s a completely different reality.

“Big question mark over any new manager”

“Every time you bring in a manager to a top club in England, you have to ask yourself: Can he win me the league? And there is a big question mark around Iraola – around any manager who comes in. Liverpool had a manager who has actually won the league. Whoever comes in is a risk, for sure. But Liverpool had a manager who won the league, the expert concludes.