Are We Being Too Harsh on Slot?

I’ll be honest, I’m not loving how we’re playing at the minute. It feels a bit stop-start, a bit safe in the wrong moments, and not quite us in others. But the more I’ve sat with what’s been said recently in the wider chat, the more I’ve wondered: are we being a touch harsh on Arne Slot?

Because the truth is, football doesn’t really do “five new lads in and instant harmony”, not at this level and not in this league. You can talk about talent all day, but relationships on the pitch matter. Who covers when a full-back goes, who takes the first duel, who’s brave enough to play the risky pass when the crowd’s getting edgy. That stuff takes time, and it takes repetition.

Settled sides win matches

One thing I do agree with is that a settled team can carry you a long way. Even under Klopp, some of our best spells came when the side basically picked itself, everyone knew their job, and the tempo became automatic. When you start moving pieces around, you don’t just lose rhythm, you lose trust. Half a yard here, a second there, and suddenly you’re open in transition and everyone looks worse than they are.

That’s why I struggle with the idea that Slot can’t manage. He’s clearly capable. People can debate what’s “his” and what’s been inherited, but it’s not nothing to come into a big job and try to put your stamp on it.

Formations, risks, and the cost of being brave

What I’ve actually respected is that he’s tried different shapes. Sometimes it’s worked, sometimes it’s looked like we’ve got caught between two ideas. Early on, when we went very attacking, we did look short at the back. That’s the downside of being bold: if your rest defence isn’t right, you’re one straight ball away from panic stations.

But now, with players getting more used to each other, you can see why there might be room to lean back into those ideas with a few adaptations. Not wholesale chaos, just a bit more intent.

Low blocks, big numbers, and set pieces

The Burnley point is a fair one as well. We’ve all watched games where the numbers afterwards suggest you “should” have won comfortably, but you didn’t. Is that always the coach? Not necessarily. Finishing, decision-making, a keeper having a day, the final pass being half a touch heavy. Klopp had plenty of afternoons like that too, especially against low blocks, and plenty of people conveniently forget the noise that came with it.

My biggest gripe, same as the original point, is set pieces. Under Klopp, even when we weren’t flowing, you always felt there was a punch coming from a corner or a free kick. When that edge goes, you need your open play to be sharper to compensate, and we haven’t always had it.

And on the whole “change the manager” chat: yes, a new boss might come in and absolutely fly. But you don’t know that. With Slot, at least you can list what’s worked and what hasn’t, and judge him on a fuller picture. If the season ends with Champions League football, I can see the argument for giving him the time to make year two look like a proper platform, not just a scramble.

Written by Nii O: 22 January 2026