Claims of Arne Slot‘s neglect of Liverpool’s academy appear to be confirmed after his sacking, with staff reported to have been left frustrated by his involvement.
Slot’s departure from Liverpool has brought many long-held concerns with the Dutchman’s management to the fore in the media.
One of the main criticisms of his time in charge at Anfield was his lack of commitment to youth, with few academy players given an extended run in the first-team squad.
Beyond those already established as senior players, the only youth product to clock 1,000 or more minutes under Slot at Liverpool was Rio Ngumoha (1,043).
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, September 16, 2025: Liverpool's head coach Arne Slot during a training session at the AXA Training Centre ahead of the UEFA Champions League match between Liverpool FC and Atlético de Madrid. (Photo by Jessica Hornby/Propaganda)
According to journalist David Lynch, writing on his Substack, Slot’s lack of involvement around the academy was a source of “frustration” among staff there.
“Academy staff were privately sharing frustration that Slot did not seem to be immersing himself in all things Liverpool, rarely paying attention to goings-on there,” Lynch reports.
“And it could be argued that this attitude was reflected in the training schedule he implemented, frequent holidays, and the fact his family remained in the Netherlands.”
The proof that Slot rarely trusted academy players
EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS - Wednesday, January 29, 2025: Liverpool's Amara Nallo walks off past head coach Arne Slot after being shown a red card and sent offara Nallo during the UEFA Champions League Matchday 8 game between PSV Eindhoven and Liverpool FC at the Philips Stadion. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
In total, Slot handed debuts to seven academy players during his two season in charge: Vitezslav Jaros, Amara Nallo, Wellity Lucky, Isaac Mabaya, Kieran Morrison, Trent Kone-Doherty and Ngumoha.
Ngumoha was the only one of those to cement his place as a first-team regular, with Morrison frequently making the matchday squad but only playing twice.
The departed head coach often commented on the involvement of academy players as a mere necessity due to the injury problems his senior players faced – with his response to the final question he faced in the media underlining this view.
“It would be stupid for me to sit here and say all the decisions I’ve made were the right ones,” he told This Is Anfield‘s Matt Ladson after the 1-1 draw with Brentford in his final game in charge.
“But before I made them, it every time felt they were the right ones to make.
“But a lot of times I didn’t even have to make decisions or choices because this [match] was maybe the first time this season that there were no academy players on our bench – and that has been an exception.”
LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, November 30, 2025: Liverpool's (L-R) Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha on the pitch before the FA Premier League match between West Ham United FC and Liverpool FC at the London Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Liverpool remain in a strong position at academy level, but despite their ongoing efforts to bring in the best young talents those are only so valuable if the head coach is willing to use them.
The hope is that Slot’s successor takes a more all-encompassing approach, understanding the need to embrace Liverpool as a whole, rather than simply as a coaching job.
Andoni Iraola remains odds-on favourite to take over but Sebastian Hoeness and Pierre Sage are among the other contenders.