Liverpool legend Emile Heskey has admitted he would not be surprised if the Reds fired manager Arne Slot, reversing his previous stance that the club should stand by its boss
Ben Crawford
08:47, 14 May 2026Updated 08:54, 14 May 2026
Arne Slot is under pressure at Liverpool
Arne Slot is under pressure at Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
Emile Heskey has admitted he wouldn't be surprised if Liverpool parted company with manager Arne Slot in the coming months.
The 48-year-old has changed his stance after previously urging the club to back Slot. The Reds' Premier League title defense has fallen considerably short of expectations this campaign. Despite investing approximately $600 million during the summer transfer window, Slot's players have ended the season without any silverware.
They'll have to settle for a top-five league finish, and even that isn't guaranteed with a vital fixture against Aston Villa looming. Pressure is steadily building on their Dutch boss. Heskey, who turned out 223 times for the Anfield outfit, acknowledges a managerial change wouldn't surprise him as there are other managers better equipped for the position.
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This marks a notable U-turn from just a few months earlier, when the former striker urged the Reds to back their manager and allow him time to rectify matters rather than "ridiculously" dismissing him.
Speaking on In The Mixer brought to you by Sky Bet, Heskey said: "Look, it's difficult to sack someone off the back of winning the league. It's difficult.
"But when you've spent that sort of money and the football is not quite where you believe it should be... To lose that many games in a season as well. It's tough. It's a tough watch.
Emile Heskey speaks on In The Mixer
Emile Heskey speaks on In The Mixer(Image: In The Mixer)
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"I wouldn't be surprised if they did it (sacked Slot) in the sense that there are managers out there that could probably fit the system that they want.
"It's been a tough season. The style of play, everything, just seems labored at times. I don't know if it's labored or it's just a slow approach.
"It's so tiki-taka when we've been so used to gung-ho, rock and roll, go and run through players. You miss certain things when they've gone, too. For me, [Sadio] Mane and then you had Luis Diaz come in, and now he's gone."
Slot has addressed the speculation surrounding his future, and when quizzed last month on whether he believes he can win back supporters' confidence following a disappointing campaign, he replied: "Yeah, I do.
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"Not this season, by the way. This season, they have their opinion, and it will not change. But if we can have the summer we are planning to have...
"I am 100 percent convinced we will be a different team next season than we are now. Different in terms of results, different in how things look."
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