Gary Neville has accused Liverpool fans of being ‘impatient’ in their assessment of Arne Slot’s performance as Liverpool manager this season.
In his first season, Slot won the Premier League. It was a truly surprising turn of events, with many expecting a massive downshift after Jurgen Klopp vacated the role the summer the Dutchman arrived.
However, the downshift arrived in spectacular fashion this season, with the Reds losing 18 games in all competitions, leading many to posit that Slot’s title triumph in his first season may have had more to do with the lingering Klopp effect than Slot’s own ingenuity.
Not to mention that if Mohamed Salah didn’t go on to deliver one of the greatest individual Premier League seasons of all time, Liverpool would not have won the title.
While there is no doubt that Slot played a role in winning the league, there is no denying that the capitulation of this season has a lot to do with his management.
Almost every Liverpool player under his leadership has regressed this season, excluding a select few and that is a terrible mark on Slot’s reputation.
Arne Slot is expected to continue as Liverpool head coach next season, Sky Sports News understands, as the club close in on Champions League qualification ? pic.twitter.com/twk9XFZrZa
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 21, 2026
Gary Neville leaps to the defence of Arne Slot
Speaking to Sky Sports, Neville has defended Slot and says there is no reason to dismiss him despite the season at hand.
He said: “What’s happened to Liverpool fans in this last 12 months? In my mind, from what I’ve seen, they’re a lot more impatient and a bit more booey.
“They have to say in a couple of games that I’ve seen, hasn’t been as good. Sometimes you have hungry tigers, sometimes you have fed tigers. A little bit like they’ve been fed a little bit too much over this last couple of years. And they’ve been to the Champions League finals, they’ve won two leagues. So they get a bit impatient.
“I just don’t get the idea that Slot wouldn’t be here next season and they wouldn’t sort of build around him. He’s had one bad season. He’s won a league in his first. He’s had a difficult season this year, but they’re still probably going to finish in the Champions League spaces.
“I think Slot should definitely be the manager next season and they should build around him, try and create a new team. Do I think they’ll be back to the best next season? No, I don’t think they’ll win the league next season, but I think they’ll get to a higher level than this season because I think they’ll add to the squad and they’ll refine it.”
