I’ve been critical of Arne Slot for a while, but there’s a difference between what we feel on the Kop and what the club will actually do. Supporters can decide they’ve had enough on a cold Tuesday in February. Boards don’t work like that.

If you finish fourth and you’ve got a proper cup run to show for it, that’s not usually sack-worthy territory. Not in a league this competitive, not when margins are tight. It might not be what anyone dreams of, but it’s the kind of season that buys you time, even if the football isn’t doing it for you.

Results matter, but so does the feel of it

For me, it’s always about how effective the football is. Not just possession for possession’s sake, or neat patterns that don’t hurt anyone. Are we controlling games? Are we creating enough? Do we look like we can pin good sides in and still protect ourselves when it flips into transition?

But we don’t call the shots. The club’s perspective is more cold-blooded: league position, cup progress, general direction of travel. If the basics look acceptable, it becomes very hard to justify pulling the plug, even if the match-going fan in you is thinking, “This isn’t it.”

Taking the Alonso goggles off

On Xabi Alonso, you almost have to step outside the Liverpool bubble to make sense of it. To us, it’s obvious. It’s Liverpool. It’s Anfield. It’s the romantic idea of “bring him home”.

From a neutral standpoint, though, it’s just one of several top jobs. There might be other elite openings, and the order those dominoes fall in could matter a lot to him. Not because he’s “blowing us off”, just because he’d be doing what every ambitious manager does: weighing up the best next step.

We love Xabi more than he loves us

This is the bit people don’t always want to say out loud. We’re far more fond of Alonso than he is of us. He had a brilliant time here, he’s clearly respected by the fanbase, but Liverpool isn’t “home” in the literal sense. He left as a player to go to Real Madrid, and he’s already chosen to stay put rather than jump at the first big managerial link.

So if Slot ever did go, would Liverpool be right near the front of the queue? Of course. But would Alonso be sensible enough to wait until summer, look at who’s moving where, and then choose? Absolutely. That’s not a lack of love. It’s just business.

Written by chewysuarez7: 23 January 2026

Tags: efl tactics