Manajemen Liverpool Evaluasi Masa Depan Arne Slot Usai Gagal Juara

Manajemen Liverpool dilaporkan tengah bersiap melakukan evaluasi mendalam terhadap masa depan manajer Arne Slot menyusul performa buruk klub pada musim 2025-2026 yang berakhir tanpa trofi. Langkah krusial ini diambil oleh Fenway Sports Group selaku pemilik klub setelah adanya desakan internal dan kritik dari pemain senior.

Dilansir TEAMtalk, kubu Liverpool mengalami kekecewaan besar setelah menelan 19 kekalahan di semua kompetisi musim ini dan terancam menyamai rekor buruk 20 kekalahan pada musim 1992-1993. Direktur Olahraga Richard Hughes dan Michael Edwards terus memantau situasi di tengah hilangnya identitas bermain tim.

Situasi semakin memanas setelah penyerang Liverpool Mohamed Salah mengunggah pernyataan kritis di media sosial pascakekalahan 4-2 dari Aston Villa pada Jumat malam. Pernyataan tersebut dilaporkan memicu refleksi mendalam dan mendapat simpati dari jajaran petinggi di Boston.

"I have witnessed this club go from doubters to believers, and from believers to champions." kata Mohamed Salah, Penyerang Liverpool.

Pemain asal Mesir tersebut menegaskan kekecewaannya terhadap performa buruk tim yang dinilai tidak pantas diterima oleh para pendukung setia The Reds.

"It took hard work and I always did everything I could to help the club get there. Nothing makes me prouder than that. Us crumbling to yet another defeat this season was very painful and not what our fans deserve. I want to see Liverpool go back to being the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear and back to being a team that wins trophies. That is the football I know how to play and that is the identity that needs to be recovered and kept for good. It cannot be negotiable and everyone that joins this club should adapt to it. Winning some games here and there is not what Liverpool should be about. All teams win games. Liverpool will always be a club that means a great deal to me and to my family. I want to see it succeed for long after I have moved on. As I’ve always said, qualifying to next season’s Champions League is the bare minimum and I will do everything I can to make that happen." ujar Mohamed Salah, Penyerang Liverpool.

Unggahan tersebut mendapat respons keras dari mantan bek Liverpool Jamie Carragher yang menilai tindakan sang penyerang sengaja dilakukan untuk mendepak manajer dari kursinya.

"I said earlier in the season he’s trying to get the manager sacked. Now, whether people agree with me or not, I’ve been proven by him coming out and doing it again. This idea he’s doing it for Liverpool FC, he’s not, he’s just Salah FC who plays for Liverpool." kata Jamie Carragher, Mantan Bek Liverpool.

Di sisi lain, jurnalis Graeme Bailey mengungkapkan bahwa tidak seluruh elemen di dalam internal klub sepakat untuk mempertahankan Arne Slot untuk musim depan.

"Edwards and Hughes have some serious thinking and talking to do," kata Graeme Bailey, Pengamat TEAMtalk.

Bailey menambahkan bahwa manajemen menyadari situasi ini sangat mengkhawatirkan dan komentar dari Mohamed Salah memberikan dampak yang sangat masif bagi internal klub.

"The situation with Slot is escalating at a pace, and I can tell you not everyone internally is aligned behind the idea that he should definitely stay. Liverpool are not a club that reacts emotionally or impulsively, but the ownership absolutely recognise this is becoming a very concerning situation. I’m told Salah’s comments hit home in a massive way. Internally, there’s actually a lot of sympathy towards what he said, and people at the club understand why he voiced those frustrations." kata Graeme Bailey, Pengamat TEAMtalk.

Meskipun rumor dari Foot Mercato sempat mengaitkan Direktur Olahraga Richard Hughes dengan upaya perekrutan manajer Bournemouth Andoni Iraola, jurnalis The Athletic James Pearce langsung membantah kabar tersebut dan menegaskan posisi Slot masih belum berubah.

"Sebastian Hoeness is hugely respected because of the work he’s done at Stuttgart," ujar Graeme Bailey, Pengamat TEAMtalk.

Ia juga menyebutkan beberapa nama pelatih lain yang masuk dalam radar diskusi internal manajemen Liverpool jika perubahan juru taktik akhirnya diputuskan.

"Julian Nagelsmann remains admired, while Matthias Jaissle is another coach Liverpool have looked at – especially given the growing appreciation for his tactical approach. But one name that repeatedly comes up is Andoni Iraola. He’s potentially available, he plays an aggressive high-intensity style that fits Liverpool’s football identity, and crucially, he already understands the Premier League. And people shouldn’t underestimate the Richard Hughes connection either. Hughes was instrumental in bringing Iraola to Bournemouth, and there remains huge respect there." kata Graeme Bailey, Pengamat TEAMtalk.

Pertandingan pamungkas Premier League melawan Brentford di Anfield pada hari Minggu mendatang dilaporkan akan menjadi laga terakhir bagi Mohamed Salah dan Andy Robertson bersama Liverpool.