Why I think Arne Slot talked himself out of a job…

Tactics and results always matter, and ‘Slot-ball’ hasn’t exactly been a revelation. It has often drawn complaints from the Reds faithful and, yes, his tactical approach and results have played a part in his demise, but sometimes the biggest factor in a manager’s downfall is far simpler:

Public relations.

[embed]@LFC on X — Confirming Slot’s Departure

Liverpool confirmed Slot’s departure on social media yesterday afternoon, ending a turbulent two‑year spell that unravelled long before the end of the season. A cloud has hung over the club for months — and when you look back, the pattern becomes clear.

Slot didn’t just lose games.

He lost people.

He talked himself out of a job.

A Rare Club to Join — For the Wrong Reasons

My first thought when the news broke was:

How many Premier League managers have been sacked the season after winning the title?

Since 1992, only six:

Managers sacked in the year after lifting the Premier League trophy

It’s an elite list — but not one you want to be on.

Unlike the others, I believe Slot’s downfall wasn’t driven by mutiny, collapse, or tactical chaos. Instead, it was fuelled by infighting, poor public relations, and a series of damaging press conferences.

It was driven by his own words.

Talking Himself into Trouble

Slot is a straight talker. No filter. No sugar-coating. That can be refreshing — until it isn’t. We don’t know what he said behind closed doors, but we know exactly what he said in front of the cameras. And far too often, those comments didn’t land well.

On 21 January 2026, defending his poor form, Slot said:

“If you’re one‑and‑a‑half years in the job and have already won the Premier League, when the club has won it twice in 30 years, I’m surprised to hear that.”

This was the first major crack.

Attacking your own fanbase — reminding them how long they went without a title — is a bizarre hill to die on. Goal.com even wrote that Slot had “0 relationship with the fanbase” after this comment. It was defensive, petty, and completely unnecessary.

Low Block Obsession

Slot’s second self-inflicted wound was his obsession with complaining about low blocks.

Liverpool, as defending champions, were always going to face deep defences. Yet Slot mentioned low blocks five times in January alone.

Eventually, Steven Gerrard snapped on live TV:

“He needs to stop mentioning low blocks… Liverpool should be able to handle any block. That’s the expectation.”

When Gerrard — the club’s №1 legend — publicly calls you out, you’re in trouble. Slot’s constant deflection and excuse‑making made him look small, irritated, and out of ideas. Fans noticed. Pundits noticed. The club noticed.

Slot and pundits clash

Right Back… to the Drawing Board

This, however, was the moment many supporters turned.

Liverpool’s right‑back situation was a mess: Trent gone, Frimpong inconsistent, Bradley suffering a season‑ending knee injury. With midfielders and centre‑backs filling in, fans naturally asked why Calvin Ramsay wasn’t getting a chance.

Slot’s answer?

“He’s with us, but I still think I have better options to play.”

He doubled down:

“Half a year ago he came back to the U21s… it’s a big chance he’s having now. But at this moment in time, I have, in my opinion, still better options than him.”

This was brutal.

Not honest. Not constructive. Just brutal.

Slot effectively told the world Ramsay was his fifth‑choice right‑back — despite being the only natural one available. It was a public humiliation of a young player, and it went against everything Klopp and the club had built over the last decade: togetherness, belief in youth, protecting your players.

It began to tear down the image of unity Liverpool had spent years cultivating.

The Salah Showdown

Liverpool’s form nosedived in November and December. Slot rotated heavily. Salah’s run of 53 consecutive Premier League starts ended. Then he was benched again. And again.

By the time Liverpool travelled to Leeds on 6 December, Salah had been left out for three straight league games.

Liverpool drew 3–3. Salah didn’t play a minute. And then, after the match, he stopped in the mixed zone — something he almost never does.

Salah unfiltered in the mixed press zone after not featuring against Leeds

Salah unloaded:

“I couldn’t believe it… sitting on the bench for 90 minutes. The third time on the bench, for the first time in my career.”

“It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus.”

“The club made me a lot of promises… I can’t say they keep the promise.”

And the killer blow:

“I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why.”

The fallout was drastic… Liverpool immediately dropped Salah from the Champions League squad to face Inter Milan — disciplinary action.

Slot’s first press conference afterwards was tense:

“Usually I’m calm and polite but that doesn’t mean I’m weak.”

Arne fired his warning shot at Salah.

He insisted the relationship hadn’t broken down. He insisted his authority was intact. But nobody believed him.

The fans had already chosen a side — and it wasn’t his.

Salah returned to the team, but the damage was done. By May, he announced he would leave Liverpool with a year left on his contract, posting a pointed message about the club “losing its way” and the football “not being good enough.”

@mosalah Instagram — A direct message online

Slot had picked a fight with a club legend.

He was never going to win it.

Personality vs Product

This is where the comparison with Klopp becomes unavoidable.

Klopp had bad seasons — 2022/23 was a disaster — but fans never turned on him. Why?

Because Klopp always protected his players.

He took blame.

He absorbed pressure.

He built emotional credit.

Slot did the opposite.

He criticised players publicly.

He irritated pundits.

He alienated fans.

He fractured relationships with senior leaders.

And once you lose the dressing room, you’re on borrowed time.

Once you lose the fans, you’re finished.

Klopp was given another season after 2022/23 to get Liverpool back into the top four, and he did so, finishing third and winning the League Cup in his final season before leaving as a club legend.

Slot leaves with a fraction of that goodwill.

Not quite Klopp’s heir in the end

In the End, it was His Own Words

Slot leaves Liverpool having:

• Qualified for the Champions League
• Won a Premier League title in his first season

But:

• Lost Salah, Robertson and Elliott
• Lost the dressing room
• Lost the supporters

But above all, he lost control of the narrative.

He talked the talk.

But he could only walk the walk for one season.

And in the end, his own words did the damage that results alone never could.

Thanks for reading

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I will be recapping last season’s action and covering transfer news and next seasons preparations, and of course the World Cup over the summer.

Originally published at https://thefootballforecast.substack.com.