Should Arne Slot stay or should he go? Should Liverpool stick or twist? Is the title won last season thanks to a stellar autumn a reflection of what he can do and what we should expect from him, or are the past 15-18 months of regression and poor football the reality if Liverpool stay the course?
So. Here we are. Liverpool are slumping towards the end of the 2025-26 season. They appear likely to qualify for the Champions League next season, albeit only thanks to the Premier League getting a fifth
slot and with a points total for doing so that will be around the lowest in history.
Historically, the side that currently holds the record for qualifying for the Champions League with the lowest points total are Liverpool for their 60 point 2003-04 season that led to a parting of ways with Gérard Houllier and the arrival of Rafa Benitez, who won the competition the next season.
The second lowest points total to qualify was Everton in 2004-06 with 61 points. The third worst finish is 66 points, after which nobody has qualified with fewer than 70. Liverpool are currently on 59 points.
This Liverpool, then, will be able to count themselves very fortunate if they do qualify as expected. But anyone who’s watched this team week in and week out, with still no tactical identity here in May and players looking exhausted and unable to run more than 60 minutes most weeks.
Pressing efficiency has declined, as has passing and chance creation. Patterns of play are difficult to identify and defensive structure remains shaky. There are no silver linings bar that likely Champions League qualification to hang on to; no reasons to think things will be better next season.
Yet there are good reasons why Liverpool might have struggled this season, from the highly questionable squad construction of last summer overseen sporting director Richard Hughes—set to be given a chance to correct his errors this summer despite that he’s expected to pop the parachute and head to the Saudi league when the transfer window closes—to the tragic passing of Diogo Jota.
And of course, Slot did win the Premier League last season. A year-and-a-half of regression means there’s a great deal of risk keeping him, and with Anfield increasingly unhappy if the club stick with Slot and there is a stumble to start next season things will get ugly. Change, though, has risk, too.
So. If it was up to you, what would you do? Stick or twist. Stay or go. Slot in or Slot out.
