Jamie Carragher has expressed serious doubts about Liverpool's decision to retain Arne Slot beyond the summer, warning the club risks repeating Manchester United's costly error with Erik ten Hag. The Reds legend believes the dramatic performance collapse in Slot's second season at Anfield demands urgent scrutiny, not patience.
Slot's debut campaign delivered the Premier League title, a remarkable achievement that silenced early sceptics. Yet the 2024-25 season has told a starkly different story. Despite securing Champions League qualification, the drop-off in results and performances has been profound, with no tangible improvement evident from August through May. Carragher questions whether the current trajectory suggests genuine recovery is possible under the Dutch manager.
The Ten Hag Parallel
The comparison to Ten Hag's fate is uncomfortable but instructive. United's former manager engineered a strong first season without winning silverware, only to see his side implode in year two. Rather than make a decisive change in summer 2024, United delayed, giving Ten Hag false hope before sacking him in October with the worst managerial record in recent Old Trafford history. They subsequently appointed Ruben Amorim, only to sack him months later in January following equally disappointing results.
Carragher fears Liverpool will follow this script: retaining Slot through the off-season, only to panic and dismiss him within weeks of the new campaign. "I don't even think it's a 50/50 split now on Arne Slot," he told Sky Sports' Monday Night Football. The midfielder-turned-pundit acknowledged that outsiders struggle to understand the narrative—a league-winning manager should merit continuity. Yet the evidence suggests otherwise.
What's Next for Liverpool?
Reports indicate Liverpool's ownership will stand by Slot despite the turbulent season. Xabi Alonso, previously mooted as a ready-made alternative, appears destined for Chelsea and the BlueCo project instead. Alonso's availability as a replacement in October looks unlikely given the Spanish coach's own ambitions following his Real Madrid dismissal. Liverpool supporters now face an uncertain summer with a manager whose second-season struggles mirror the warning signs that preceded Ten Hag's downfall, raising the question of whether patience or change is the wiser course.
