Arne Slot was sacked by Liverpool at the weekend and big changes are expected at Anfield this summer
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - MARCH 09: Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, speaks to his players during a training session ahead of the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg match between Galatasaray and at AXA Training Centre on March 09, 2026 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
Liverpool players will be gearing up for life without Arne Slot(Image: 2026 Getty Images)
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Robbie Fowler believes the sacking of Arne Slot will be greeted with positivity by those inside the Liverpool dressing room. The hierarchy at Anfield ended Slot's two-year reign on Saturday morning.
The Dutch manager lifted the Premier League trophy in his debut season with the Reds but endured a difficult second campaign. Unsurprisingly, significant upheaval can accompany any fresh appointment, with Liverpool targeting Andoni Iraola as their next boss.
Fowler, who netted 171 goals for the Reds across two stints at Anfield, understands perfectly the disruption and possibilities that a managerial change can bring. The iconic striker was at Liverpool through coaching transitions from Graeme Souness to Roy Evans and, subsequently, from Evans to Gerard Houllier.
Fowler believes there'll be a hunger for fresh direction and a sense of anticipation coursing through the club about what lies ahead. Speaking via BetMGM, the former Liverpool frontman told the Echo: "I think there will be a little bit of excitement [at a new manager coming in].
"Don't get me wrong, it's not excitement about getting rid of the manager, it is excitement about the new plans, the new ideas, the training methods, the new everything."
Even Slot's appointment introduced fresh approaches to Liverpool. The Dutchman transformed how Liverpool players prepared for matches, notably scrapping Jurgen Klopp's requirement that players stay at a city centre hotel before home fixtures.
"But what you've seen with Slot is totally different to what you saw with Jurgen Klopp in terms of how you prepare for games, how you go to hotels," Fowler added.
"So I think from a player point of view, that's one of the first things you think of. 'Well, how are we going to play? How is the system going to be? Are we all going to fit into this system?' And then obviously the training regime, 'What do we do in training?'
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 04: TNT Sports pundit Robbie Fowler during the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final match between Manchester City and Liverpool on April 04, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Robbie Fowler has revealed what the dressing room will be thinking(Image: James Gill - Danehouse, Getty Images)
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"For me, football is about creating an environment and a training environment where players want to come in and train all the time and want to be the very best version of themselves. So I think you look forward to it. And look, regardless of what people think, I think there'll be a lot of people in that dressing room who will be sad to see Arne go because they'll have a good relationship.
"Now what we see on the outside is maybe different from what players and the coaches have to see within the four walls of the AXA (Liverpool's training base). Now all of a sudden everything's got to change. You know, the methods. I mean, even the eating habits could change, in terms of where you eat or if you go to hotels before games."
Slot's dismissal has divided opinion. Some reckon the moment had arrived to seek fresh direction after the Reds suffered 20 defeats across all competitions last season, while others feel he's been dealt with unfairly.
Liverpool's Dutch manager Arne Slot brings on Liverpool's Dutch striker #18 Cody Gakpo (C), Liverpool's English striker #73 Rio Ngumoha (2R) and Liverpool's Argentinian midfielder #10 Alexis Mac Allister (R) during the English FA Cup quarter final football match between Manchester City and Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on April 4, 2026.
The Liverpool dressing room will now be braced for change now that Slot has gone, according to Fowler(Image: Getty)
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Fowler, though acknowledging he would've granted the Dutchman additional time, accepted that responsibility ultimately lies with the manager when results deteriorate. "I think we should have given him a little bit more time," he said.
"I was a little surprised by it coming out now. But I think a lot of it comes down to the manager. I think it's how he plays. It was very unusual for the club to have so many things that are not aligned within that one period of time.
"You can maybe have one player off it and then you sort of try and fix and eradicate those problems, but Liverpool have had a lot of injuries as well. I'm not putting the manager down too much, but I think the manager does play a part because he's picked the team."
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