Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has weighed in on Arne Slot being fired by the Reds, with former Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola the favorite to take over at Anfield
10:15, 31 May 2026
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has confessed that he was taken aback by Arne Slot's dismissal. The Dutch head coach was removed from his position on Saturday morning following the Reds' lackluster Premier League title defense.
News of the hunt for his replacement surfaced less than a week after the campaign concluded with Liverpool securing a point in a 1-1 draw with Brentford. While it was sufficient to guarantee Champions League soccer at Anfield next season, it marked the conclusion of a campaign that brought 19 defeats across all competitions.
Andoni Iraola, who will depart Bournemouth and become a free agent when his contract expires next month, has emerged as the leading candidate to become the Reds' 23rd permanent manager. However, Carragher was left stunned by the timing of the Premier League-winning manager's departure.
"I was surprised," he said on Sky Sports. "A lot that has been coming out of the club was that the manager was saying. Arne Slot was saying that in his press conferences and he was close to appointing a coach, so there's no way the club has sanctioned that if he thought he wasn't going to be in charge. I think it's sudden, caught everyone off guard including Arne Slot.
"I was torn on Arne Slot, I must say, I would've backed any decision and I can see both sides of the argument. An elite football manager finds a way to fix Liverpool to make it better but he wasn't helped with recruitment. Have anyone of them done well?
"You could put that on the manager. Does he need to get more out of them? Should them players have done more? Yes. Should the people above him give him a better squad? Yes. There's a lot of people to point fingers at."
What turned out to be Slot's final months in charge were overshadowed by Mohamed Salah's public criticism of the head coach, as he cut short a lucrative two-year deal at Anfield.
The Egyptian bid an emotional farewell to Liverpool supporters after a record-breaking nine years last Sunday, but he fired one more parting shot in a warning to the Reds hierarchy surrounding the drop in standards at Anfield.
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Carragher was outspoken in his criticism of the Liverpool icon's antics. The former defender reaffirmed his dislike of Salah's conduct towards the manager.
He continued: "There is no doubt that he lost supporters. I think that was harsh on the back of what happened 12 months before. When you talk about player power, that can't have helped with Salah. I'm not happy with that, I don't ever want Liverpool Football Club to have player power to speak out about a manager who won the Premier League.
"What manager does it help when a star player comes out publicly criticizing the manager, that shouldn't happen, no matter the situation.
"Maybe it's forced the clubs' hand but the performances have been poor, and my fear was that Liverpool might have a situation where Man United have been where they have a manager they're unsure about, stick with him in the summer and end up changing it two months later. You almost wasting a year.
"I don't know what goes on in the dressing room. I didn't like Mo Salah's post. I didn't think he should come out publicly. Who does get on with every manager?
"Players have lots of different managers, but you don't go out on social media and do it publicly or put clapping emojis when someone's having a go at your own manager. That probably tells you what's going on in the Liverpool dressing room right now. It shows it's not as easy of a job as it is from the outside so the new man coming in will have to sort that dressing room out."
Iraola revitalized Bournemouth's prospects with a remarkable second-half surge that secured European football for the first time in the club's history.
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Carragher offered significant praise for the Spanish manager but refrained from fully backing him for the position, pointing out potential challenges — particularly implementing his demanding system amid a congested fixture list.
He said: "He's done a brilliant job but there are still huge question marks. The football is something Liverpool want to get to, high intense football, but it's not all about that when you're Liverpool manager. That was what worried me, Liverpool off the ball were so poor. He's fantastic at that but with the ball, dealing with low blocks.
"My worry is can you play at that intensity when you're playing every three days? Whenever you bring in a manager for a top club at England, can they win the league? Liverpool had a manager who won the league, that's why I was always torn, whoever comes in is a risk but Liverpool did have a manager who won the league."