Slot has been sacked as Liverpool head coach with Andoni Iraola favourite to replace him
Eddie Howe and Arne Slot.
Eddie Howe and Arne Slot.(Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
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It was at the start of April when pressure on Eddie Howe's position as Newcastle United head coach reached its height.
Newcastle had just been beaten by Crystal Palace, three weeks after a dire defeat to Sunderland in the Tyne-Wear derby, and Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola announced he would be leaving the Cherries at the end of the season.
Bournemouth were the visitors to St James' Park that weekend and Iraola was made bookies' favourite to replace Howe at St James' Park should Newcastle have made the decision to part ways with their head coach.
Iraola's side ran out 2-1 winners that day but after the club's annual summit with the ownership group at Matfen Hall two weeks later, Newcastle's decision makers put their support behind Howe to lead the club's rebuild despite an underwhelming Premier League season.
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That ended any talk of replacements and Howe, who had guided Newcastle to Carabao Cup success a year earlier, as well as another cup final and two Champions League qualifications in the three years previously, was afforded the chance to lead the club for a summer reset.
But a big chunk of that credit has been eaten into in a season which ended with Newcastle finishing in 12th place in the Premier League in a season which started out with ambitions of qualifying for the Champions League.
It was a decision that has divided opinion but there is an acceptance from Howe and the owners that they need to make a strong start to next season.
The rationale was that Newcastle were best served to back a manager with a proven track record of success to turn things around with this season being seen as a blip rather than a terminal downward trend.
Departing Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola.
Departing Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola.(Image: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
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Howe's dissenters would argue that change is needed and despite deep respect for the success he has achieved on Tyneside, he should have been judged on his recent work rather than past achievements.
Those calls were only heightened on Saturday afternoon when Liverpool announced they had parted ways with head coach Arne Slot. The Dutchman steered the Reds to the Premier League title a year ago but after they finished fifth a year ago, they made the difficult decision to change direction.
A club statement read: "We can only wish Arne well in the next stage of his coaching career, with our expectation being that he will continue to be successful. We do so in the knowledge that his Liverpool legacy is intact and will become yet more meaningful in the years and decades to come.
"Nevertheless, the conclusion we have come to is built on a belief that the team’s trajectory is best addressed through a change of direction. That does not diminish the work Arne has done here, or the respect we have for him. Nor is it a reflection of his talents. Rather, it is indicative of the need for a different approach.
"Arne leaves with our gratitude, with a Premier League title to his name, and with the knowledge that he and his family will always be welcomed back at Anfield."
Ironically, the early favourite to replace Slot at Anfield is Iraola. The Spaniard has interest from Bayer Leverkusen, Crystal Palace and AC Milan but now there is an expectation he could move to Merseyside.
Some will feel that is an opportunity missed for Newcastle, and there was certainly a lot of social media reaction along those lines when Liverpool confirmed the news on Saturday afternoon.
Others will feel the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Either way, the success or failure of Liverpool's next boss will be watched closely and will surely be a yardstick to judge Howe against.