Adam Crafton says Liverpool could sack Arne Slot one year after title win | OneFootball

Arne Slot could face the sack at the end of the season despite his historic debut campaign at Anfield, according to The Athletic reporter Adam Crafton.

The Dutchman, who led Liverpool to the Premier League title just last year, is currently navigating a period of intense pressure as the club’s title defence has completely collapsed.

Crafton, speaking on the latest situation surrounding the Liverpool manager, suggested that while Slot may deserve patience, the ruthless nature of elite football makes a departure a genuine possibility.

Adam Crafton says Arne Slot sacking ‘very possible’

Despite the Liverpool hierarchy publicly maintaining a stance of support, Crafton believes the summer could bring a change in leadership if results do not improve.

Speaking on The Athletic Podcast, he said:

“If you win the league in your first season and then get yourself in the Champions League even if it’s by hook or crook, then I do think you deserve another year to get out of the little rut you are in.

“The guy has won the league. It’s mad to think about someone being fired a year after winning the league, but I think that’s very possible.”

The comments reflect a growing sentiment that even a manager who delivered the club’s first post-Klopp title is not immune to the consequences of a dramatic drop-off in performance.

Premier League title in debut season has kept Slot in job so far

The primary reason Slot remains in the dugout is the immense credit he earned during the 2024/25 season.

Replacing a figure as influential as Jürgen Klopp was widely seen as an impossible task, yet Slot achieved the unthinkable by securing the Premier League trophy in his first attempt.

That achievement has acted as a shield during the current campaign, as FSG and the Liverpool board are reportedly hesitant to pull the trigger on him.

Liverpool have been awful this season

The statistics, however, paint a grim picture for the defending champions. Liverpool currently sit in fifth place, 21 points behind leaders Arsenal.

The Reds have already suffered nine league defeats this season, the most by a defending champion at this stage of the season since Leicester City in 2017.

Coupled with a 1-0 first-leg deficit against Galatasaray in the Champions League round of 16 and shock home defeats has resulted in serious frustration among fans.

There is a massive lack of belief in the players, something which was Liverpool’s strongest point under Klopp.

With over £400 million spent in the summer, the lack of return on the pitch has left Slot’s long-term future hanging in the balance.