Ex-Liverpool striker points to one moment which ‘would’ve tipped the balance’ towards Slot sacking | OneFootball

Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has pointed to one moment which may have ‘tipped the balance’ when it came to the decision to sack Arne Slot.

The Dutchman was relieved of his duties as the Reds’ head coach at the end of May, ultimately paying the price for a dismal 2025/26 season in which the defending Premier League champions slumped to a fifth-place finish and habitually turned in flat performances.

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The 47-year-old’s standing wasn’t helped by two public outbursts from the influential Mo Salah in December and May, with the Egyptian making thinly veiled references to his predecessor Jurgen Klopp in the latter interview.

Collymore: Salah comments ‘tipped the balance’ with Slot sacking

Speaking exclusively to Empire of the Kop (in association with BetWright football betting), Collymore felt that Slot’s sacking was slightly harsh, but admitted that it would’ve been hard to see a way back for him after the ‘barbed comments’ from our former no.11.

The ex-Liverpool striker said: “When you’ve won the league, his record will read ‘two seasons, one league [title]’, and Liverpool didn’t win the Premier League for a long time until Jurgen Klopp won it.

“I think it was a little bit harsh, but it was obvious that the players and ownership structure thought there was probably something behind the scenes, maybe with one or two of the senior players.

“We saw Mo Salah’s comments; I think there were barbed comments from Mo which probably would’ve tipped the balance in favour of letting him go. I think that his record deserved another season, but I can fully understand why they did [sack him].”

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The time felt right for Liverpool and Slot to part ways

At the time that Liverpool parted company with Slot, there was a widespread feeling among the fan base that it was the right call, albeit with a lasting gratitude for the wholly unexpected 2024/25 Premier League title triumph.

Such is Salah’s popularity among supporters that the majority would side with him in any argument, and it didn’t help the head coach that, at the time of the Egyptian’s second broadside, the Reds were limping over the line to eventual Champions League qualification.

Had the Dutchman remained in situ, we suspect that many LFC fans would be looking towards next season with trepidation rather than excitement. However, with Andoni Iraola now in place, it feels as though August can’t come quickly enough.

Of course, we now know that neither Slot nor Salah will be at Anfield from hereon, with the summer providing an opportunity for a clean break from one of the most unedifying episodes of recent months.

The Egypt winger’s legacy as a Liverpool great will endure far beyond a couple of outburts in his final campaign on Merseyside, while the coach will be remembered with appreciation for guiding us to Premier League glory, even if the time felt right for a parting of the ways last month.