Our chief Liverpool FC writer Ian Doyle shares his thoughts after Arne Slot becomes the Reds' first title-winning boss to be sacked by the club
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - JULY 05: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Arne Slot new head coach of Liverpool and Richard Hughes sporting director of Liverpool during their first press conference at AXA Training Centre on July 05, 2024 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Arne Slot (left) was the first choice for Liverpool and their sporting director Richard Hughes but two years after his appointment, the title-winning boss is now out of work
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It will ultimately become the image that defines the end of Arne Slot's reign as Liverpool head coach. As his players embarked on the traditional end-of-season lap of appreciation around the Anfield turf, the Dutchman instead opted to remain sat alone in the dugout.
That was last Saturday after a frustrating 1-1 draw at home to Brentford that culminated a disappointing, underwhelming campaign in which hopes of a Premier League title defence transformed into a desperation to cling on to the sole salvation of Champions League qualification.
That bare minimum, though, wasn't enough. Within six days, Slot had been given the chop after just under two years in charge to claim the dubious honour of becoming the first Liverpool championship-winning boss to be sacked by the club.
If stepping into the footsteps of Jurgen Klopp in the summer of 2024 was always going to be a difficult task, Slot made it look easy when winning 23 of his first 27 games in charge, a run that formed the foundation for last year's dominant title triumph.
But if there were thoughts the Dutchman had done the hard bit, he admitted in retrospect the lack of transfer activity during his first window in charge merely postponed the inevitable transition away from the Klopp era that this season has proven perhaps even more painful than anyone could have envisaged.
Indeed, a line can be drawn from the Champions League round of 16 second leg against Paris Saint-Germain in March of last year. Before that game, Liverpool had won 34 of 45 games under Slot - a win rate of 76%.
Including the subsequent 1-0 loss to the French side, the Reds then won just 32 of 68 matches with a return of just 47%. That only four were earned during the last 14 games of the season, with Liverpool tumbling out of both the Champions League and FA Cup without scoring and taking only two points from 12 in the final Premier League stages, effectively sealed Slot's fate.
The Dutchman may well point to the fact that of the teams that either this season eliminated Liverpool from a cup competition or finished above them, all bar Manchester United went on to claim a major honour.
And although Slot's critics bemoaned excuses whenever he was asked to accurately outline the reasons for the Reds' many problems this season - most pertinently a shocking injury list - they have been judged simply too much for him to overcome. He didn't provide enough convincing answers over the last 10 months.
The eye test, though, is what ultimately did for Slot. While the football was at times understandably safe when steadying the ship after the horror run of nine defeats in 12 during the autumn, any attempts to subsequently kick-on succeeded only in raising the frustration levels among fans.
While there was unrest on social media, it was the noise of the jeers raining down from the Anfield stands on occasion that will have perked the ears of Fenway Sports Group. As the owners demonstrated when rowing back on their planned ticket price increases over the next three years following protests from supporters, sometimes the voice of the fans is impossible to ignore.
It wasn't just the fanbase. Mohamed Salah earlier this month urging a return to "heavy metal football" served only to increase the scrutiny of Slot, who fell out with the Egyptian in December after dropping the winger following a series of poor performances. A penny for the thoughts of Salah as he prepares to seek pastures new after choosing to leave this summer.
Having in recent weeks been among those around Slot when away from the glare of the cameras, he was either an extremely good actor or very much convinced he would continue as Liverpool boss next season. Certainly, there was never any suggestions the Reds would jettison the head coach during the campaign.
But the end-of-season review by the Anfield hierarchy has determined that while the team needs to again evolve, that can only be facilitated by a change in the dugout.
There will be those who believe Slot deserved more time given the unprecedented issues of this season, and there is an acceptance within the club his sacking may not be deemed entirely fair.
ALL THE REACTION TO ARNE SLOT'S SACKING BY LIVERPOOL IN OUR LIVE BLOG
However, a shift in football which Slot himself has accepted means he no longer has the profile the club desire as they seek a more aggressive, urgent style of play they feel best fits the current squad and planned recruitment, and would give them greater chance of honours.
If Slot was the right man to inherit Klopp's squad, he has been deemed not so to now develop last summer's £450million influx of signings and the new arrivals to come.
Perhaps Liverpool were mindful of the situation with Brendan Rodgers 11 years ago when, after a disappointing season saw the Northern Irishman fall out of favour with supporters, FSG opted to keep faith only to realise mere weeks into the next campaign there was a better option in Klopp.
Of course, the tragic death of Diogo Jota last July has cast an understandable shadow over much of this season with Andy Robertson and Curtis Jones recently highlighting how it affected the squad both in the short and long-term.
Liverpool will forever be grateful for the manner in which Slot, the regular front-facing image of the club, conducted himself during such a difficult period. But if maybe the prospect of a clean slate was too appealing for FSG, there is no doubt their decision to axe Slot is one of the most ruthless acts of their near 16-year custodianship.
So, what next for Liverpool?
Sporting director Richard Hughes and FSG chief executive of football Michael Edwards must shoulder some of the blame for events of this term.
By green-lighting a few too many departures - while selling Luis Diaz made business sense, it certainly didn't stack up in football terms - they were guilty of being a little too cute in their attempts to flex their supposed muscles in the market, leaving Slot having to contend with a deeply unfit Alexander Isak and without the expected arrival of Marc Guehi, along with managing the expectation of that record-breaking transfer splurge.
Hughes and Edwards, though, decided Slot had to carry the can. And they are now tasked with appointing a successor, with Andoni Iraola - who Hughes appointed while at Bournemouth - the obvious standout candidate.
It would, though, represent a significant gamble, given Iraola has zero experience of managing in European competition or at a leading club despite his excellent job in guiding Bournemouth to the Europa League and previous relative success at Rayo Vallecano. As Slot discovered to his cost, every utterance as Liverpool boss is analysed to the nth degree, and any new appointment must be primed for that level of scrutiny.
Hopefully, history will be kind to Slot. Under his tutelage, supporters were given arguably the greatest daytime event of their lives when the Premier League title was secured against Tottenham Hotspur, and the Dutchman was subsequently dealt an extremely difficult hand with which few if any managers will ever have to contend.
The celebrations among some fans on social media at his sacking appear grossly misplaced. If anything, there should be a degree of sadness at how matters have unravelled so spectacularly over the last 13 months.
But the Slot era is over. Now the pressure is on Hughes and Edwards to deliver - Liverpool cannot afford their next managerial appointment to take the team anything other than forwards. And with urgency.