Liverpool fans have plenty of doubts about Arne Slot at the moment, and with the Dutchman being offered an exit route, he could have the chance to win back some supporters with his response
04:00, 06 May 2026
A dejected Arne Slot manager / head coach of Liverpool applauds the fans at full time during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford on May 3, 2026 in Manchester, United Kingdom
Doubts persist over Arne Slot's future at Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
Everyone associated with Liverpool just wants to see the back of this season now. With three games still to go, and a second defeat of the campaign to Manchester United still fresh in the mind, there would be absolutely no complaints from the Anfield faithful if the Premier League put an end to proceedings right now.
The problem for Arne Slot though is that would leave him in something of a limbo with many supporters. For all the good work he did last year in following Jurgen Klopp and winning the title, this season has been a major downgrade.
That some fans are seriously questioning the future of a title-winning head coach tells you all you need to know about the performances, the results, and in some cases, Slot’s handling of the situation.
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You see, as much as Gary Neville wants to act like fans can’t be frustrated with a manager just because he’s delivered a league title, it’s not just those performances on the pitch that has caused some to turn on Slot.
He has been guilty at times of not reading the room. His comments earlier this season in which he suggested that getting knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain in last season’s Champions League may have actually helped in the push for the Premier League title being a case in point.
Simply put, there isn’t the connection between the manager and the fans that was there with his predecessor. Maybe that’s an unfair criticism to lay at his feet, given no one was ever going to emulate Klopp, and nor should he try and copy the German.
Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot
Liverpool fans aren't as connected to Arne Slot as they were with Jurgen Klopp(Image: Getty Images)
But there is more that Slot can do. He’s certainly not as emotive as Klopp, but that doesn’t mean he can’t ever take a leaf out of the German’s playbook. Maybe now would be a good time to start doing so.
With reports suggesting that Ajax has offered him an exit route, there will be even more scrutiny from fans now on his response. The approach has supposedly been quickly knocked back by Liverpool, but Slot himself could go a long way to winning back some fans if he were to give some assurance publicly this week.
On the face of it, it should be an easy decision. Even with the Reds’ struggles this season, Liverpool has much grander ambitions than Ajax right now, with the Amsterdam side looking as though it will miss out on a Champions League spot for next season.
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Then again, a chance to manage the Netherlands’ biggest club would be tempting for a Dutchman, and it would be understandable if he or Liverpool - or both for that matter - decided a parting of the ways might be the best option after this season, even if it’s not a great look on his part.
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This then is the time for him to show his true colors. If the question of the Ajax job is brought up to him this week, it will be his opportunity to show he is up for the challenge ahead of him at Anfield.
All the indications are that he will be going nowhere this summer, and that he has no desire to join Ajax at this point in his career. If that’s the case, then do what Klopp would do, and show supporters just what being in charge of Liverpool means.
As Didi Hamann has pointed out, fans are split right now, and those with doubts will want Slot to give them a reason to properly back him. If not now, then that uncertainty will linger uncomfortably into a long summer before he next gets the chance to answer his critics.