Liverpool’s FSG owners have fought hard all season to bring support to Arne Slott. Throughout this tumultuous campaign, FSG never came close to firing a head coach.
But the drop is now beyond terrible. This is a disaster for the Anfield side, who will probably qualify for next season’s Champions League, but only after finishing fifth in the Premier League.
Arne Slott’s Premier League record | ||
|---|---|---|
24/25 | # | 25/26 |
38 | match | 37 |
twenty five | victory | 17 |
9 | draw | 8 |
4 | loss | 12 |
86 | Number of points scored | 62 |
41 | Number of goals conceded | 52 |
84(2.21) | Points (PPM) | 59 (1.59) |
To say it hasn’t been enough is an understatement, and Mohamed Salah’s recent comments, while divisive, speak to broader issues threatening the project.
No matter which side of the fence Liverpool fans sit on, they will all agree on the need for improvement. Things haven’t been going well with the slots for a while, so
FSG considering sacking slot at Liverpool
According to TEAMtalk, FSG are finally starting to consider Slot’s position in the dugout after awakening to the overwhelming dissatisfaction of Anfield, and Merseyside and Liverpool fans across the world.
However, all indications previously suggested that the slot was safe. In the end, Liverpool turned their noses up at Xabi Alonso, who had been unemployed since the start of the year and was recently hired by Chelsea, but Liverpool’s persuasion was disappointing.
However, Alonso is not the only good manager on the market and Salah’s hopes of reviving ‘heavy metal football’ at Anfield will not be secured by the appointment of the former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid manager.
Instead, Liverpool could turn to another Spanish manager with extensive recent experience in the Premier League.
According to a report from TEAMtalk, four names are currently being discussed at FSG headquarters, but it has been confirmed that Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola, whose name has come up many times, is the one to step down.
That’s understandable. The manager has worked wonders at the Vitality Stadium, giving sixth-placed Cherries a special outfit to challenge Liverpool for a spot in next year’s Champions League.
Chelsea were the frontrunners, but went a different route. But Crystal Palace have made Iraola their top summer target in an ambitious move, and Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes will need to act quickly to prevent a similar situation with Alonso from happening again.
Why Iraola is better for Liverpool than Alonso
To be fair, if Liverpool had wanted to sign Alonso they would have done so – and he would have chosen this Liverpool project over the Stamford Bridge one.
Perhaps they are biding their time. Alonso’s smooth, calculated football is not that different from Slott’s style. And it’s important to note that Liverpool’s head coach has beaten Alonso in each of the last two Champions League games.
Iraola has proven himself against top coaches and could prove to be a better fit than Alonso, who is also known to prefer a three-man backline, given that he brings an intensity and energy that has been absent from Merseyside this season.
Sky Sports pundit Sam Tighe goes so far as to call him “the best young coach in the world” for his excellent work at Bournemouth, making them one of the most entertaining European challengers in the division.
Iraola has described his game in the past as similar to ‘rock’n’ roll’, and although he does not have Alonso’s pedigree or track record of winning titles in Germany, he could be the perfect fit for Liverpool.
FSG have done an exemplary job at Liverpool over the past few years, but the gears have fallen off this term. Something has to give, and while sacking managers is not in the DNA of this organization, we are on the verge of being unsustainable, with Slott being at the painful epicenter of this collapse.
Iraora would be like that. Moreover, he was previously appointed by Hughes at the Vitality Stadium, so there is already a working relationship between the two main parties.
It remains to be seen whether the Spanish manager will arrive, but he is a proven Premier League genuine, with a playing style that better fits the whims of this Anfield persuasion and, perhaps, the identity that is so deeply woven into Liverpool Football Club.
Salah understands Liverpool and it was rare for him to speak out out of genuine concern for the direction of the team in Slott, but that was it.
He’s on vacation this summer, so it’s no big deal, right? No, Salah knows something needs to change. Although Iraola is inexperienced, he has an intense and aggressive playing style that allows him to fit in perfectly with the team.
He looks like Fabinho: Liverpool set to bid for £44m midfield star
Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing the star, who could be the next Fabinho to arrive at Anfield.
