While Slot leaves Merseyside having added a Premier League trophy to the cabinet, a dismal second season saw the Reds slump to a fifth-place finish. Gerrard confessed that while the news was jarring, the club’s decision was justified by the team’s regression. “The last 10 games of last season, and for the majority of this season, we haven’t looked like Liverpool. The style has been difficult to watch at times. It looks disjointed, it looks broken, and when I got the news today, of course, your initial reaction is surprise and shock, but when you analyse it properly, it’s probably the right time, in my opinion.”
Despite the blunt assessment of recent performances, Gerrard insisted that the manager’s earlier successes should be cherished. He noted that Slot did an incredible job in his first year and would be “remembered forever” for his role in the club’s 20th league title. Nevertheless, a chaotic season that saw the club suffer 19 defeats proved to be the final straw for the FSG hierarchy.