‘Should have done it sooner’ – Former Liverpool defender wanted Arne Slot sacked in February | OneFootball

Arne Slot was relieved of his duties as Liverpool head coach at the end of May, but one former Reds defender has claimed that the decision should’ve been taken long before then.

The Dutchman paid the price for a hugely disappointing second season at Anfield in which the defending Premier League champions slumped to a fifth-placed finish, scraping into the Champions League by the skin of their teeth.

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Jermaine Pennant was among the most vocal pundits in calling for the 47-year-old to be dismissed, with Danny Murphy also advocating for a change to be made, and they’re not the only ex-LFC players who feel that the trigger could’ve been pulled sooner.

Lovren: Slot should’ve been sacked in February

In an interview with Egyptian outlet WinWin, Dejan Lovren claimed that Slot should’ve been dismissed in the first few weeks of 2026, rather than FSG waiting until the season had ended.

The Croatian said: “I think it’s important for Liverpool that they changed managers; they should have done it sooner. Perhaps they were waiting to see if they would finish in a Champions League qualifying position, but in my opinion, they should have done it earlier. Ultimately, it’s important that the club is in the Champions League.

“They should have done it in February, sometime around February or March, when I saw everything, how it was, what was happening, but it was their decision. Maybe they had other plans, but like I said, ultimately it’s important that Liverpool are in the Champions League.”

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

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FSG will feel vindicated over timing of Slot sacking

Lovren has touched upon the primary reason as to why FSG will likely feel vindicated by giving Slot the full season – the Reds did manage to qualify for the Champions League, even if it took until the final matchday against Brentford for their ticket to be secured.

It also meant that Liverpool weren’t having to frantically search for a replacement in the thick of the campaign; and had they sacked the Dutchman in February, they mightn’t have been in a position to appoint Andoni Iraola, who at the time was fully committed to Bournemouth.

Hindsight is 20/20 vision, of course, but it would appear that the Anfield hierarchy made the right call by leaving the 47-year-old in charge for the full season and then acting decisively at the start of the summer, so that his replacement will have ample time to prepare for next term.

It’s no great surprise that Lovren wanted Slot sacked sooner, given his close friendship with Mo Salah and the Egyptian’s public dissent against the head coach after the Leeds game six months ago.

The Croatian has now had his wish granted, and hopefully it’ll be a long, long time before we’re again talking about a change in the Anfield dugout.