Is the time already up for Arne Slot?

I get the knot in the stomach here, because it’s a weird argument that only makes sense in football: sack Arne Slot now, partly because he might turn it around later and then you can’t sack him. But that’s the corner some supporters feel backed into when the present looks flat and the only comfort is what happened in the past.

The way it’s being put is simple enough. Even plenty of Slot’s backers don’t actually enjoy what they’re watching this season. They don’t like the style, they don’t love the man-management, and they’re tired of hearing the same explanations about low blocks like it’s a unique problem only Liverpool face. On top of that, there’s the sense he’s not really stamped his personality on the side.

When the defence is “but he won the league”

Truth is, “he won the Premier League last year” is a powerful line. It should be. It’s the biggest marker of success in this country. But if it becomes the only line, then the debate shifts from patience to denial. You’re no longer saying it’s building, you’re saying he’s earned credit in the bank and we’ll hope the overdraft doesn’t get ugly.

And that’s where the form point bites. Five wins in 18 is the sort of run that makes any club twitchy, never mind one that expects to be on the front foot most weeks. You can dress it up as a “blip”, but 18 games is not just a rough patch in the wind. It’s a serious chunk of a season.

The Champions League what-if is doing everyone’s head in

The other part of this is pure Liverpool supporter brain: a part of you still thinks, “What if we just click at the right time in Europe?” Not because you’re a Slot loyalist, but because you want Liverpool lifting the biggest trophy again. And you look at the players and think there’s quality there if someone gets the group fully tuned in and ruthless.

But then comes the awkward question: what if he did win it? Or even a cup double? You can’t really turn around and bin a manager after delivering that sort of success in his first two seasons. Not without looking daft, not without ripping up the mood around the club.

Acting now versus waiting it out

This is where the argument lands: don’t “contemplate losses”, don’t wait for the end of the season, don’t hope for a miracle run to bail you out of making a decision you already believe needs making. If you think the direction is wrong, the cleanest time to act is when the evidence is in front of you.

I’m not saying it’s pleasant. It never is. But that’s the point being made: the longer you wait, the more you risk being stuck in limbo, clinging to last year’s medal rather than watching a team that actually looks like it’s going somewhere.

Written by Cafu: 26 January 2026