Life can feel awfully fickle sometimes. At this time last year, new Liverpool manager Arne Slot was flying high, on top of the world, having taken a side built by the outgoing Jürgen Klopp and somehow found ways to improve it in comparison to his quite legendary predecessor.
That his side seemed to drop off in the second half of the 2024-25 season hardly put a dent in the good vibes surrounding the club. After all, they were cantering to the title. By the end spending their time between matches in Ibiza
rather than in training such was their advantage in the table.
Who cared, in those circumstances, if they didn’t look quite as sharp. A year on, though, that drop off has carried over into the new season. In fact, things have gotten worse. The side looks lost, both tactically and perhaps more importantly mentally shattered by the tragic loss of Diogo Jota.
On Sunday night, Slot was meant to be at the Northern Football Writers Association awards to be given their Manager of the Year award based on last season’s success. Following a bitter 3-0 home defeat to a Nottingham Forest side in the relegation places, he bowed out.
So. Life. It sure can feel fickle sometimes. Club ambassador Gary McAllister was sent to collect the award on Slot’s behalf, apologizing for the manager backing out and saying how honoured he was to win it. In the midst of his side’s slump, it’s hard to imagine the award being any kind of balm.
Instead, it could feel almost mocking. A reminder of where things were not so very long ago. Of how quickly it can all change, with Liverpool now into the bottom half of the table, seven points clear of Leeds and the relegation places on one side and eleven back of first place Arsenal on the other.
Liverpool increasingly look as if they could end the season today guaranteed of top flight survival, they might take it and pack it in. Perhaps, though, in the fickleness there is hope. Hope that if things can go badly so quickly, they can also turn back around in the other direction just as fast.
