Why Haven’t Liverpool Made a Big Call?

The thing that’s starting to grate with Liverpool right now isn’t just results or performances in isolation. It’s the sense of drift. If you’re going to run a club through a structure, with owners at arm’s length and football people empowered underneath, then those football people still have to actually do the job when the moment comes.

FSG’s reputation, fairly or not, has always been that they can be ruthless in other parts of their sporting world. At Liverpool, though, it often feels like the opposite: lots of process, lots of calm statements, and then a long wait while everyone hopes it turns. Delegation is fine. Stepping back can be sensible. But there’s a thin line between “trusting your people” and letting issues fester because nobody wants to be the one holding the knife.

The model only works if someone owns the decisions

We all know the broad idea: ownership sets the strategy, hires the senior football staff, and tries not to interfere day-to-day. In principle, that’s not a bad way to do it, especially at a club that’s been burned before by chaos and constant backroom drama.

But the trade-off is obvious. If the manager isn’t delivering, or the direction feels wrong, the responsibility sits with the people appointed to act. And when supporters look up the chain and see nothing happening, frustration naturally lands everywhere: the manager, the sporting side, and ultimately the owners for allowing it to drag.

Are Liverpool waiting for a cleaner moment?

There are a few plausible explanations that don’t require conspiracy thinking. One is timing. Clubs sometimes decide they won’t change mid-season unless it’s truly beyond the point of no return. Another is that there may be a preferred candidate in mind, and the club doesn’t want to make an interim appointment that ends up becoming a compromise.

Then there’s the structural side. If there’s uncertainty around key decision-makers, or a change of personnel expected, it’s easy to see how bold calls get delayed. A new sporting director, for instance, might want the authority to choose the next manager rather than inherit someone else’s pick. It’s not exciting, but it’s how clubs justify standing still.

The hope that keeping things steady helps the table

The other obvious factor is the league. If there’s still a route to the Champions League places, some will argue that upheaval could do more harm than good. Changing a manager can give you a bounce, or it can blow up what little coherence you’ve got left. That’s the gamble.

But truth is, waiting has its own cost. Morale drops, standards slip, and the longer it drags the harder it becomes to reset the dressing room and the fanbase. Liverpool don’t need panic. They do need clarity. If the club believes in Arne Slot, back him properly and own it. If they don’t, then stop inching along and make the decision like a top club should.

Written by Slottheboard: 22 January 2026