Twelve months ago, Arne Slot was the manager who replaced a legend and somehow made it work. Liverpool won the Premier League title in his first season, he got a tune out of players who had been fading under the tail end of Jurgen Klopp's tenure, and Anfield was happy. That feels like a long time ago now. This season has been significantly harder — the squad is ageing, the contract situation with their senior players has not been handled cleanly, and results have been inconsistent enough that real questions are being asked about whether the good start to Slot's tenure was built on borrowed time.
The results that have done the most damage
Liverpool's home form has been the most troubling thing. They have dropped 14 points at Anfield this season, which in any other context would be considered a serious problem. Saturday's 1-1 draw with Chelsea — a game they led at half time — ended with the crowd audibly frustrated, and Slot's post-match comments about his side's performance were measured but could not fully mask the concern. That result all but confirms Liverpool will finish outside the top four for the first time since 2015-16. Missing out on Champions League football next season would be a significant blow to everything Slot wants to build.
The summer ahead and what it demands
The departures of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Andrew Robertson in the same summer would represent a complete overhaul of the side that won the league. Finding players of that calibre, at the right age, for fees that do not break the club's financial model is going to test Liverpool's scouting operation harder than it has been tested in years. Slot needs money to spend and assurances that the board backs him. Whether he gets both of those things, or just one, or neither, will determine whether the pressure stays manageable or becomes something more serious going into next season.
Is his job under threat?
Not yet, and probably not this summer. Slot won the league in year one — that buys a manager significant goodwill, and Liverpool's ownership has never been trigger-happy with coaching changes. But the margin for another difficult season is thin. If the summer recruitment goes badly, if the departures are not replaced like for like, and if next season starts with the kind of inconsistency this one has produced, the conversation will shift quickly. The pressure is there. It is just not at the level where it becomes existential. Not yet.
Manager profile: Arne Slot, Liverpool manager. Season record: Premier League title in year one (2024-25). Current season: on course to miss top four for first time since 2016. Key departures: Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson (all summer 2026).
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