Steven Gerrard spoke about Liverpool’s sacking of Arne Slott ahead of the Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain.
Steven Gerrard talks about Arne Slott leaving Liverpool as TNT Sports begins broadcasting the Champions League final (Image: TNT Sports)
Steven Gerrard is “disappointed” with Arne Slott but “not surprised” by Liverpool’s decision to sack their head coach. The Reds announced their decision on Saturday, hours before the Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain.
Slott leaves the club less than a week after the final day of the Premier League season. Liverpool drew 1-1 with Brentford at Anfield, finishing in fifth place and securing a place in next season’s Champions League, but with a 25-point difference from the leaders.
Gerrard attended the final in Budapest as a pundit for TNT Sports and the club’s former captain shared his reaction to the monumental news.
He said: “I’m not surprised. I was disappointed because Arne Slott did an incredible job in his first year. Taking over the reins from Jurgen Klopp was a big job and a big responsibility, but he did it without a hitch.”
“It’s very difficult to win the Premier League and I know that more than anyone else, so for him to have achieved that in his first year can’t be forgotten, so I think he’s going to go into the history books and be remembered forever.”
“Having said that, in the last 10 games of last season and for most of this season, we didn’t look like Liverpool. That style… was difficult to watch at times. It looked disjointed and broken. Of course, the first reaction when you hear this news will be surprise and shock, but when you analyze it properly, I think it’s probably the right time.”
Liverpool sack Arne Slott hours before the Champions League final (Image: James Gill – Danehouse, Getty Images)
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Gerrard added: “Well, look, I think we’ve all been in the game long enough to know how the ‘process’ works, but I would be very surprised if they made that decision and suddenly thought, ‘Okay, who are we going to appoint next?'” Liverpool don’t work like that. Liverpool are an organized team and have maintained that form for a long time.
“I think it’s the right time because it’s the end of the season. New players will have a pre-season and they’ll have a chance to recruit players. As a new manager, it’s the perfect time to reset everyone and get everyone moving forward in the right direction. I would be very surprised if the people above the slots who make the big decisions at Liverpool suddenly started looking for a successor three or four hours in advance.”
Andoni Iraola is considered the likely candidate to replace Slott. On whether he is the right manager to leave Bournemouth, Gerrard said:
“I think he’s done a great job at Bournemouth and I think his style will suit Liverpool. Let’s not put it bluntly. Liverpool Football Club is an attractive job for many elite managers around the world, so I don’t think he’s the only one on the list.”
“But they will know him well because of the Bournemouth connection and the players who came from Bournemouth to Liverpool at board level. But, you know, there are other names that I’m sure would want the Liverpool job. This is a big job in world football. To potentially answer your question, I think he should be part of the conversation, yes.”
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