The Mirror takes a look at the Dutch player’s family dilemma behind the scenes as Liverpool head coach Arne Slott faces “serious questions” in a further blow to his team.
As the pressure mounts on Liverpool manager Arne Slott, his family will no doubt provide support. And the Slott family isn’t having an easy time off the field.
The Dutch manager faces serious questions about his future with the club after PSV Eindhoven’s 4-1 win at Anfield, giving the Reds their ninth defeat in 12 seasons, with former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard warning that “serious questions” will be asked of the Dutchman.
Gerrard agreed with his former Anfield teammate Steve McManaman that it is still “too early” to send a player into the slot, but it is clear all eyes will now be on the Premier League-winning tactician as he guides the Merseyside club forward past this latest disappointment. This poor result comes as Slott and the entire team are still dealing with the tragic loss of Diogo Jota, who died in a car accident earlier this year.
And although Slott, 47, had an impressive debut season at Liverpool, his arrival was fraught with some stress from day one, and not all of that stress came from the fans in the stands.
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Back in May, Bergentheim-born Slott spoke about the challenges of the high-profile role in a candid interview with Dutch outlet AD. The appointment was an exciting new start for Slott, but meant that to minimize disruption to his children’s education, his family had to remain in the Netherlands and live apart from his wife Mirjam, son Joep and daughter Isa.
“I think anyone who is married and has a healthy marriage would like to see their kids and their wife a little more,” Slott said. “My wife comes to visit me one or two days every two weeks, but unfortunately for my kids, it’s even less.”
In addition to the distance, Ms. Mirjam was also finding it difficult to cope with the surge in public attention that Mr. Slott’s prestigious appointment brought a whole new level of spotlight to their lives. Slott explained: “She (Mirjam) feels that the attention is the hardest thing in our lives. She already experienced it at Feyenoord. She also prefers to take away food instead of us sitting together. She feels differently that she is being watched or judged.”
Slott said he previously turned down a role at Tottenham in 2023, fearing the impact on his family life. He revealed, “It was 99 percent my family’s decision not to go to the Spurs.”
Ms Slott added: “I told my children it was okay to come to London for the holidays. My daughter said, ‘But I would like to do something with my friends during the holidays.’
“I already thought it would be a big deal to go to Spurs, because who goes straight from Feyenoord to Tottenham. But when Liverpool came last season, everything was completely different. There is no one above Liverpool.”
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Slott confirmed that his conversations with club management have remained the same as they have been over the past 18 months and indicated he intends to “keep fighting”. Slott also insisted that the team is focused on fighting together and improving the current frustrating situation.
His time on Merseyside is far from over.
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