Liverpool fans aired their displeasure at Arne Slot’s team during and after their latest disappointing performance on Saturday. The rare sound of boos rang out at Anfield on the final whistle following a 1-1 draw with Chelsea, a result that would normally seem like an extreme response, but context is everything. The Blues came into the game on the back of six straight Premier League defeats, looking vulnerable and there for the taking. Not for the first time this season, though, Liverpool failed to capitalize on a visiting opponent’s struggles.

The discontent against Chelsea was the sort not really heard at Anfield since the latter days of Roy Hodgson’s short-lived reign in the 2010-11 season, bringing the uncertainty of Slot’s future at the club further into the spotlight. Reports suggest Liverpool’s decision-makers fully intend to stick with the Dutchman, but can such widespread dissatisfaction from the stands really be ignored? The question of whether Liverpool should continue with Slot presents genuine complexities on both sides, with substantial arguments supporting either decision.

The Case for Backing Arne Slot

He Won the Premier League in His First Season

Slot sensationally won the Premier League in his first season in English football, and with relative ease. There are those who argue he did so by essentially riding the crest of the wave left by his predecessor, but Jürgen Klopp himself had fallen short with the same squad a year prior. This fundamental point cannot be overlooked. The very squad that Klopp couldn’t get over the line in 2024-25, Slot took to the title in his debut campaign, demonstrating tangible improvement in management and tactical execution.

On top of that, the Champions League qualification picture became significantly murkier following Liverpool’s devastating 4-2 away defeat to Aston Villa on May 15, 2026. The loss at Villa Park has left Liverpool sweating over their Champions League qualification prospects, with Bournemouth and Brentford still able to overtake them depending on final-day results. It is not what they wanted at the start of the campaign, and now they face real uncertainty about European football next season.

Yes, Liverpool have lost 12 league games this season, matching their total from 2014-15 when they finished with that same number of defeats. However, only four teams have lost fewer games in a campaign that has been as competitive as the Premier League has seen in some time, though that provides little consolation given their recent trajectory.

They will also end the season trophyless, but two of the three teams who eliminated them from cup competitions will appear in a European final this season. Crystal Palace and Paris Saint-Germain will contest European finals, while Manchester City, who knocked them out of the League Cup, might yet win the Premier League. These are genuine elite-level opponents, not indications of poor management.

His Feyenoord Spell Showed This Isn’t What He Wants

Arguably more than the results, the concern from Liverpool fans has been the level of performances from their team this season. But as Slot himself insisted after the game on Saturday, he does not want his team standing off and playing in a passive manner. Of course, it is the head coach’s job to get the players to carry out his instructions, but there is only so much you can do stood on the touchline when players are not fully executing the philosophy.

There was also nothing from Slot’s past to suggest that this drop-off was going to occur. After he won his first title at Feyenoord in 2022-23, his team did fail to retain their Eredivisie crown, but that was mostly due to an astonishing overperformance from PSV in 2023-24. Many of Feyenoord’s numbers actually improved – their expected goals total when they won the title was 66.3, which raced up to a phenomenal 95.2 the following season. Peter Bosz’s PSV were ruthless and won 91 points from just 34 games, a remarkable achievement that had little to do with Slot’s management.

This is really the first season of Slot’s career that he has experienced a downward trend. While there is an argument he has not handled it particularly well, you can perhaps give him the benefit of the doubt that he is still learning as a coach at the elite level. He should, in theory, be much stronger for the experience and adjustments required.

Are the New Signings Partly to Blame?

That observation sounds harsher than it is meant to, but it is no secret that Liverpool’s hefty outlay in the transfer market last summer has not produced the expected results. Losing established and settled stars like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Díaz, and in especially tragic circumstances Diogo Jota, was going to make things difficult enough, but it was made considerably tougher by the struggles of the new arrivals.

Alexander Isak was signed without having trained properly in months, and then suffered a broken leg just as he was getting up to speed. Florian Wirtz has shown flashes but has been a far cry from the wizard supporters saw at Bayer Leverkusen. Milos Kerkez made a slow start but grew into one of Liverpool’s most dependable players. Hugo Ekitiké largely performed well before his horrific Achilles injury last month just as Isak was coming back.

The real point is not that the new signings simply have not performed, but that Slot has never really had an opportunity to execute whatever the plan was when they were signed. Jeremie Frimpong somewhat sums it up, having already missed more games through injury at Liverpool than he did in his four and a half years at Leverkusen. Unfortunately, Ekitiké is unlikely to be back until deep into next season, but otherwise, Slot can hope for better luck with injuries, while using pre-season to get Isak properly up to speed and adding more faces to help inject fresher legs and more pace into the team.

The Case Against Continuing with Arne Slot

Things Are Not Getting Better

This is the crux of the matter for Liverpool fans. They have been criticized for showing uncharacteristic impatience, but this was not just a reaction to a one-off game. The insipid performances from the first half of the season that led to inconsistent form are still happening. Even victories have rarely come via convincing showings, leaving supporters with a sense of perpetual disappointment.

While Champions League qualification looks likely, there is no escaping some of the alarming statistical trends. Liverpool won their first five games this season, but have not won more than three league outings in a row since that early-season success. They are averaging just 1.67 goals per game in the Premier League this season – Liverpool’s lowest since 2015-16 when they averaged 1.66. They are only averaging 9.9 shots in the box per game, their lowest in seven years. They have also faced 11.4 shots per game, their most since 2013-14, indicating defensive vulnerabilities.

Mohamed Salah’s output dropping off significantly has not helped matters. While Slot was largely praised for getting the best out of the Egyptian when he registered 57 goal involvements in all competitions last season, he must also partly share responsibility for the fact that Salah only has 21 in what will be his final season at Anfield. This dramatic decline from one of the world’s best attacking players is concerning.

Liverpool Are Too Easy to Play Against

The very least fans demand of their team is to make things difficult for their opponents. It was reported as a damning statistic that Saturday was the first time in the Premier League this season that Chelsea outran Liverpool’s opposition, but the difference was minimal and context matters greatly with distance covered numbers.

What Slot should be far more concerned about is that his team has conceded 48 goals in the league this season. If they allow at least three more in their final two games, it will be the most Liverpool have conceded in a 38-game Premier League season, an alarming record for a club with defensive traditions established under Rafa Benítez and Jürgen Klopp.

The fans are also used to seeing relentless pressing, which was synonymous with Klopp’s peak football, albeit it was reined in during the German’s latter years at the club. This season, Liverpool are only winning possession in the final third 4.1 times per game in the league, their lowest since 2014-15. They have been quite efficient when winning the ball high in fairness; their 10 goals scored from high turnovers is more than the seven managed in Klopp’s final season, though they recorded 20 high turnovers in the opposition’s penalty area in 2023-24, compared to just four times this season.

Set-Piece Record and Defensive Statistics

Set-Piece Metric	2025-26	Previous Record	Status
Goals Conceded from Set-Pieces	18	16 in 1992-93	All-time worst
Goals Scored from Set-Pieces	16	Variable	Mid-range
Set-Piece Goals Conceded per Game	0.47	Previous low: varied	Concerning trend
Total Goals Conceded	48	Previous: 42 in 2014-15	Worst in modern era
Conceded at Anfield	Multiple instances	Rare occurrences	Pattern of poor home form
Defeats to Poor Teams	Several	Unusual for Liverpool	January: Burnley 1-1

Slot’s Football Might Not Suit What the Premier League Has Become

Football has changed markedly in just the last 12 months since Liverpool won the Premier League. The English top flight was a quite different place then. It seemed as though several teams decided over the summer of 2025 to change their approach to be more set-piece focused, more open to long balls, and happier to take time out of games where possible. This represents a fundamental shift in how the league operates.

Slot has spoken numerous times this season about how many teams now set up in a way to spoil their play – as is their right, of course – but there has been little sign of him finding a solution. The concerning aspect is that his team has struggled against all types of opponents, not just those who play in a direct manner and defend with a low block.

Set-pieces have been a particularly big problem. Liverpool have conceded 18 goals from set-piece situations, excluding penalties, in the Premier League this season – their most ever in a single campaign in the competition, surpassing the previous record of 16 in 1992-93. This represents a structural defensive vulnerability that appears fundamental to their current system. They have been able to score 16 of their own from set-pieces in fairness, but the defensive frailty is more concerning than any offensive contribution.