Nothing Is Decided on Arne Slot Until After Brentford – Opinion | OneFootball

The Noise Around Slot Means Nothing Until Monday

The final weekend of Liverpool’s Premier League season has arrived and once again the narrative surrounding Arne Slot is shifting by the hour. One moment the Dutchman is supposedly on the brink of dismissal, the next there are whispers that Liverpool’s hierarchy have committed to him for next season and are already assisting with adjustments to his coaching structure.

Now comes the newest development.

Reports and rumours continue to intensify regarding the possible arrival of Slot’s former Feyenoord assistant manager, with respected journalist Dominic King heavily hinting that discussions are progressing behind the scenes. Naturally, sections of the media have immediately interpreted this as proof that Liverpool have already decided to continue with the Dutchman into next season.

I do not buy that for one second.

Liverpool are not making any definitive decision before the season ends. More importantly, they are not making any definitive decision before John W. Henry arrives and sits down with the key decision makers after the Brentford game. That review has always been the critical point and nothing that is currently leaking to journalists changes that reality.

To me, this latest story simply looks like Slot carrying on with his day-to-day responsibilities. Managers prepare for the future until told otherwise. That is standard practice across football. If a coach stopped planning because speculation existed, clubs would collapse into paralysis every single summer.

And even then, there are still obvious complications.

The same work permit issues that prevented previous appointments from materialising have not magically disappeared overnight. Processes like this take time, particularly with backroom staff arriving from abroad. No contract has reportedly been signed and no formal confirmation exists beyond carefully worded reports and opinion pieces designed to push a certain narrative.

Liverpool have allowed this uncertainty to drift because they want calm around the club before the final game. That does not mean a final decision has been made.

It simply means the club are trying to avoid complete chaos before Sunday.

Photo: IMAGO

Slot Has Lost the Crowd and Sunday Could Turn Toxic

The far bigger issue for Liverpool is not coaching appointments or media spin.

It is the supporters.

Arne Slot has clearly lost the overwhelming majority of the fanbase and that situation feels irreparable regardless of what journalists are now attempting to frame. Too many dreadful performances. Too many excuses. Too many passive displays against elite opponents. Too many press conferences filled with references to transition, injuries, adaptation, and long-term building.

The supporters stopped believing months ago.

That is why Sunday feels potentially explosive.

If Liverpool start slowly against Brentford, if the passing becomes hesitant, if the midfield loses control again, or if the visitors score first, Anfield could become incredibly toxic very quickly. The boos heard in recent weeks were not isolated frustration. They were the release of months of anger and disappointment from a fanbase that watched a title-winning squad regress into something unrecognisable.

And that atmosphere matters.

Because FSG will absolutely be aware of it.

Liverpool’s ownership group do not like public instability. They do not like becoming the story. And right now the continuing uncertainty around Slot is damaging the image of the club far more than the hierarchy would ever want to admit. Rival supporters are mocking Liverpool daily. The endless leaks, conflicting reports, and dramatic swings in rhetoric have made the club look chaotic.

That is why I still believe Monday is the decisive moment.

Once the season ends and emotions settle, the review will take place. The ownership will assess the football, the atmosphere, the direction of the club, and the disconnect that now exists between supporters and the current head coach.

And despite the sudden wave of positive reporting around Slot, I still struggle to see how this ends with him leading Liverpool into next season.