Monday Morning Coffee: Is Liverpool really not a 'meat grinder'?

01/12/2025 15:19:00 ceshi

Once again, Liverpool finds itself in a cultural dilemma: Will Arne Slot be dismissed as is customary in modern football, or will he remain and keep turning the club’s fate into a huge gamble?

1. Slot’s future is now as fragile as a thread, theoretically speaking. Liverpool hasn’t just been defeated; they have failed in terrible ways: conceding 10 goals across 3 games while scoring only once (Dominik Szoboszlai’s goal in the 1-4 loss to PSV on Wednesday). Two of those defeats occurred right at Anfield, the symbol of the club’s dignity.

There is no indication yet that Liverpool, or more precisely their owners Fenway Sports Group, will intervene more harshly regarding Slot’s position at this time. However, their history shows they are willing to act if they believe the team is heading in the wrong direction with no chance of recovery.

Excluding Jurgen Klopp’s era, FSG has dismissed 3 managers over 6 years. The atmosphere surrounding each departure was different: in 2015, Brendan Rodgers might have stayed longer if Klopp wasn’t ready; three years earlier, fans did not call for Kenny Dalglish’s exit due to his legendary status, but most agreed it was probably the right decision after he left.

In early 2011, Roy Hodgson’s reign ended faster than any modern Liverpool manager’s, possibly sooner considering fan reactions. Overall, Liverpool’s decisions to part ways with managers have been reasonable and based on a certain degree of patience.

2. If this were any other club, Arne Slot might already have been sacked, especially in England. In 2007, Jose Mourinho, after winning 2 consecutive Premier League titles for a club that hadn’t triumphed in half a century, left Chelsea by mutual agreement. Even after leading Chelsea to a title in 2010, Carlo Ancelotti was dismissed at the end of the following season. Mourinho’s second spell at Stamford Bridge ended with his sacking in 2015, the same year he won his third Premier League title and just 4 months after signing a 4-year contract.

Is Arne Slot being retained because of Liverpool’s “tradition” of patience? Photo: Getty

In 2016, Claudio Ranieri led Leicester City to their first-ever championship, one of the most incredible miracles ever, yet that wasn’t enough to save him from being sacked in February the following year when the team was just one spot above relegation. After Leicester, Chelsea became champions, but Antonio Conte was dismissed after exactly one year because the club failed to qualify for the Champions League.

Owners today tend to act when finances are at risk (Leicester) or when egos clash and relationships break down (Chelsea). At Liverpool, the financial impact of missing the Champions League is real, and recent events could be the breaking point.

In short, if this were not Liverpool, Arne Slot would have been fired long ago. What makes Liverpool different from other English clubs is this: they have never been a manager-turnover factory, nor have they ever wanted to be.

3. 66 years ago, Bill Shankly arrived at Anfield on a similarly bleak day, December 14, 1959, when the club was at rock bottom: Liverpool had spent 5 seasons in the Second Division and had just lost to an amateur team in the FA Cup.

Of course, no miracles happened immediately. Bill Shankly needed 4 years to lead Liverpool to their first-ever First Division title (now the Premier League), establishing a belief that would become tradition at the club: good things take time.

Bob Paisley took 2 seasons to win his first major trophy before becoming Liverpool’s most successful manager. Rafa Benitez and Roy Evans earned full trust before proving their abilities with trophies. Jurgen Klopp also needed 4 years to bring the club to an English championship. Graeme Souness even admitted that the Reds were too patient with him during his 3 years without significant trophies.

It is very hard to judge whether the decision to keep or sack a manager is right or wrong. Sometimes things improve, other times they deteriorate quickly. But once again, Liverpool faces a cultural challenge: will Slot be fired as is common in modern football, or will he stay and continue turning the club’s fate into a huge gamble?

No one knows which path is correct. One thing is certain: Liverpool has always followed its own path throughout history, meaning they have pride in what they believe. If that pride still exists, then this is no longer a difficult question.

Pham An

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