'Not listening to that': Gary Neville says one new Arne Slot Liverpool excuse is complete rubbish

Arne Slot is running out of rope at Liverpool after leading the champions to sixth-place in the Premier League table.

The Reds had been heavily tipped to win the division for a second consecutive year before the season started but have stumbled badly.

Slot could yet pay with his job after claims arrived on Sunday that Liverpool have already contacted Xabi Alonso over replacing him at Anfield.

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Xabi Alonso pictured during Real Madrid's La Liga match against Real Betis at the Bernabeu (Credit: Getty Images/Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto).

Photo Credit: Getty Images/Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto

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Part of the reason Liverpool had been expected to win the Premier League once again was because of the big investments they made in the squad over the summer.

Some would argue that they changed too much too quickly and as a result have catapulted themselves into an unexpected ‘transition season.’ But according to Manchester United legend Gary Neville, this is an excuse which should be given extremely short shrift.

Liverpool ‘transition’ claims rubbished by Gary Neville

Slot had been expected to oversee something of a transition at Liverpool after replacing long-serving manager Jurgen Klopp in 2024.

However, things did not pan out that way initially, with the Reds going through a period of change in a more delayed fashion. Speaking to Sky Sports on Sunday night, however, Neville asserted that the money spent by Liverpool last summer means any talk of transition should be completely rubbished.

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville presents to camera ahead of the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford.

Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images

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“I’ve heard a couple of interviews in the last week from Liverpool people, including the manager, saying it was always going to be a transition season. No. Forget that, I’m not listening to that,” said the pundit.

“No, it wasn’t going to be a transition season by the way, the £450m you spent in the summer on all those players was the season you were going to win back-to-back titles. Let’s not rewrite history on where you were at the start of the season and what everyone was saying, including non-Liverpool people by the way.

“There was a feeling Ekitike, Wirtz, Isak, Frimpong, Kerkez, that wasn’t a transition season transfer window, that was adding to a very stable squad of champions with the likes of Salah and Van Dijk re-signed, Gravenberch and Mac Allister in midfield, Konate at centre-back, Alisson in net. This wasn’t a rebuild by the way. I’m not hearing that at all.”

Slot is backing Liverpool for a top-four finish. Where do you think the Reds will end 25/26?

Slot predicted Liverpool will earn Champions League football in his pre-Bournemouth press conference!

Arne Slot prior to Liverpool v Leeds United - Premier League

Credit: Liverpool FC/Getty Images

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Neville is right to be critical, but he is ultimately wrong

Although many Liverpool fans would actually tend to agree with Neville here, however wrong that may feel, the reality is more nuanced.

Yes, Liverpool should clearly be doing better than they are right now and should have been in the title picture this season.

However, it is also true that they underwent a major overhaul of the squad during the summer window. Whoever you are and however much you have spent, that is going to have an impact and take time to settle down.

So, although Neville disputes it, it would not be a surprise to learn that people inside Liverpool actually were expecting that things might take on more of a transitional feel in Slot’s second season in charge. Nobody probably expected that things would slide as much as they have, but churn can create problems at football clubs and Liverpool must have seen this coming to a degree.

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