Why Some Reds Have Lost Patience With Slot

There’s criticism, and then there’s that proper sinking feeling that something just isn’t lining up anymore. That’s where a few Reds have landed with Arne Slot: not simply annoyed at results, but alarmed at how different everything looks compared to what previously worked.

The frustration isn’t really about one match, one decision, or even a rough patch. It’s the sense that Slot has had time to take stock, and instead of adjusting, he’s circled back to his preferred way of playing even when it’s not landing. You can handle a manager sticking to principles when the performance is there. It’s harder when the same problems keep showing up and nothing seems to change.

A system that feels like it’s fighting the squad

Football’s full of managers who arrive with a clear identity, and that’s normally a good thing. But the complaint here is that Slot’s set-up looks less suited to this group and, crucially, to this league. The Premier League doesn’t give you quiet afternoons. If your structure is a bit soft in transition, or your press is half a yard off, you get punished quickly.

When supporters say “it doesn’t work”, they’re not always demanding a complete philosophical U-turn. They’re asking for tweaks that show the manager is responding to what’s happening in front of him. A different balance in midfield. A more pragmatic approach when the game state calls for it. Something that says: we’ve learned.

The big one: changing a match after the break

There’s also a real gripe about in-game management. We all know matches swing on small things: a pressing trigger, a full-back getting pinned, a forward starting their run a second earlier. Fans can accept an initial plan that doesn’t quite work. What’s harder is when half-time comes and goes and it still looks the same, like we’re waiting for luck to fix it.

Substitutions feed into that too. Not just who comes on, but what the change is meant to do. Is it to control the tempo? Protect against counters? Add a runner? If it feels random, the manager gets it both barrels.

Man management, fitness, and the ‘tone’ around it

Then you’ve got the broader stuff that’s difficult to prove but easy to feel: confidence, sharpness, togetherness. The post-match messaging. The sense of whether players look fit, fresh, and clear on their roles. Supporters will argue over tactics all day, but once the belief goes, everything gets judged more harshly, including press conferences.

Truth is, plenty of Liverpool fans want to give any manager time. But the argument here is that time has been spent confirming doubts, not easing them. And once that perception sets in, Slot doesn’t just need a result. He needs a response that actually looks different.

Written by snugglepool: 8 January 2026