Arne Slot sacked by Liverpool: The powerless must go

It is a bitterly ironic coincidence that Arne Slot was fired by Liverpool only a few hours before Arsenal’s Champions League final. As other giants of English football press ahead, Liverpool finds itself lagging behind.

Few could have imagined this scenario exactly one year ago. At that time, Slot had just led Liverpool to the Premier League title in his first season in charge. The board consistently brought in quality signings, creating the impression that a new cycle of success was being built at Anfield.

Liverpool’s unbelievable free fall

Yet just a year later, everything has changed drastically. Liverpool’s decline under Slot is one of the most astonishing collapses in English football in recent years.

Manchester City once saw a dip in form after four consecutive titles under Pep Guardiola, and Leicester City also fell apart after their fairy-tale 2015-16 season. But what Liverpool has experienced this season is still different in nature.

From the status of champions, they gradually became a team lacking identity, vulnerable, and consistently disappointing. That is precisely why Slot paid the price with his job.

Throughout the season, the Dutch manager gradually lost control of the team. Results worsened, player morale declined, and fan confidence faded over time.

Slot still believed Liverpool faced too many difficulties due to injuries and bad luck. Indeed, the Merseyside club encountered no shortage of setbacks. Alexander Isak’s long-term injury greatly affected the attacking power. Mohamed Salah could no longer maintain his peak form as before.

In particular, Diogo Jota’s sudden death in a traffic accident last summer was a tremendous emotional shock to the entire squad.

Moreover, highly anticipated new signings such as Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, and Jeremie Frimpong failed to meet expectations.

However, what made the Liverpool board lose patience was not the difficulties mentioned above, but the fact that the team showed no signs of improvement throughout the entire season.

After a promising start to the season, Liverpool quickly fell into crisis. The defense frequently made mistakes, especially in set-piece situations. The team lacked the ability to control matches and repeatedly squandered advantages at crucial moments.

As a result, Liverpool suffered as many as 12 defeats in the Premier League. The points gap with Manchester United changed by 53 points in just one season. In fact, they only secured a Champions League spot because the Premier League was given five places.

Slot left because he could not find a solution to the crisis

Over time, Liverpool’s players increasingly performed with a lack of motivation and ideas. The squad that once won the English title became disjointed, lifeless, and no longer displayed the caliber of a top contender.

The final match of the season against Brentford was the clearest example. Liverpool took the lead but quickly allowed the opponent to equalize due to a sloppy defensive lapse, before struggling to hold on in the final minutes. That was a scenario Anfield fans had witnessed far too many times throughout the season.

Now, Liverpool faces a new rebuilding process. The current squad needs a major overhaul. Some positions lack youth, while others lack experience and composure. The situation becomes even more complicated as Ibrahima Konate is reportedly set to follow Salah and Andy Robertson out of the club.

Liverpool’s task now is not just to find a suitable manager but also to rebuild the roster. Big questions remain unanswered: Can Alexander Isak become the team’s new leader? Can Hugo Ekitike regain his form after a serious Achilles tendon injury?

What was once seen as the foundation for the future has now become more fragile than ever. Liverpool is forced to start from scratch, and there is no guarantee they will return to the top soon.

The departure of Arne Slot certainly leaves much regret. He once helped Liverpool reach the pinnacle of glory in a short time. However, given what the team has shown throughout the past season, the decision to sack him can hardly be considered surprising or baseless.

Sometimes in football, glorious past achievements are not enough to protect a manager from current failures. And Arne Slot’s case is the clearest proof of that.