If the majority of Liverpool fans get their way this summer, Arne Slot will no longer be in charge of the club next season.
Many have run out of patience with the Dutch coach after a dismal defence of the surprise Premier League title win he orchestrated last year.
For now, it seems as though Slot is safe from the sack, but if performances do not improve drastically he could well be out of a job at the end of the campaign.
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Having seen their team become lifeless and dull to watch, Liverpool supporters will not necessarily be particularly sad to see Slot go.
However, there are plenty of mitigating circumstances surrounding this 2025/26 season for the Reds, something former goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has stepped in to remind fans of.
Caoimhin Kelleher says this season does not matter for Liverpool
On the 3rd of July 2025, Liverpool’s upcoming campaign became completely unimportant. The death of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre made it seem impossible that the Reds could even play a single match, let alone 50 or more.
In the aftermath of the tragic news, Liverpool fans universally agreed that the team – and the coach -should be given a whole lot of leeway as they process the loss of a close friend and teammate.
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Somewhere along the line that notion has been forgotten, with supporters beginning to turn on the team following some really disappointing performances. As Slot feels the brunt of that, Kelleher – one of Jota’s closest friends in the Liverpool squad – has spoken out to remind fans that football is not sitting in its usual position in the minds of the Reds’ players this season.
“Listen, from an individual aspect, for me to leave and play first-team football was obviously right, never mind the tragedy that happened,” the Irishman said to the Independent.
“I stay in touch with some of the guys there, I have a lot of good friends there. It’s a very difficult time for them, a difficult season, with circumstances that people probably aren’t taking into account too much. But it’s probably been a bit easier for me, being away from it, and not being in such close proximity to it every day.
“I find it a bit strange and a bit difficult when I hear people speaking about the players at Liverpool and the performances, because I don’t think this season is even important from a football aspect for them to be honest. It’s more about them personally and mentally.”
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“Obviously, football is a massive sport and people have an opinion, which is natural. People expect you to move on quite quickly, and I don’t think that’s the case.”
Liverpool will go again next season
It is understandable that supporters have begun to lose the grace they were affording the team at the start of the season. Truthfully, nobody had expected that things would derail quite as badly as they have.
But Kelleher’s words should serve as a moment for many to check themselves and refresh their opinions about Slot in particular.
The 47-year-old dealt with Jota’s passing brilliantly in terms of the way he spoke to the media and respected his late player and his family. It was exactly what supporters would hope for from a Liverpool manager and Slot deserves eternal credit for negotiating such an awful time as delicately as he did.
While the football on offer has indeed been desperately poor at times, it may be in everyone’s interest if this season is essentially written off in terms of expectations. It may continue to be poor, but as time begins to heal fresh wounds, Liverpool and Slot do deserve that.
Although the pain will carry on into next season and beyond, there will be less understanding if things keep going in a similar vein in 2026/27. At that point Liverpool could rightly look to make a change. For now, though, Kelleher’s timely words should serve as a reminder of what this club and these people have lost.
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