Gerrard 'not surprised' by Slot sacking but says Liverpool legend will be remembered forever

Steven Gerrard has said he is ‘not surprised’ by Liverpool’s decision to sack Arne Slot, describing the move as probably the right call despite his personal sympathy for the outgoing head coach. Liverpool announced Slot’s dismissal on Sunday, hours before the Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest.

“Not surprised. Gutted for Arne Slot because in his first year, he had done an incredible job,” Gerrard said. “Taking the reins from Jurgen Klopp, that was a tough task and big shoes to fill, and he had done it seamlessly. It’s very difficult to win the Premier League, and I know that more than most, so for him to deliver that in year one cannot be forgotten — I think he will go down in the history books and be remembered forever.”

Gerrard was nonetheless clear-eyed about the decline that preceded the decision. “In the last ten games of last season and the majority of this season, we have not looked like Liverpool,” he said. “The style has been difficult to watch at times. It looks disjointed, broken, and when I got the news, of course, your initial reaction is surprise and shock, but when you analyse it properly, it’s probably the right time in my opinion.”

The former Liverpool captain also pushed back on any suggestion the club had acted impulsively, arguing that a successor will already have been identified. “I would be very surprised if they made that decision and all of a sudden thought ‘well, who are we going to appoint next?’” he said. “Liverpool don’t work like that. Liverpool are an organised machine. I’d be extremely surprised if the people above Slot who make the big decisions at Liverpool all of a sudden started from three or four hours ago looking for a successor.”

Andoni Iraola, who is leaving Bournemouth at the end of the season, has emerged as the early favourite for the role. Gerrard suggested the Spaniard deserves serious consideration, citing both his work on the south coast and his connections to Liverpool’s boardroom. “I think he has done a fabulous job at Bournemouth and his style would suit Liverpool,” Gerrard said. “Because of the link to Bournemouth and the guys that have come from Bournemouth to Liverpool at board level, they will know him very well. But there are other names out there that I am sure would want that Liverpool job. It’s a huge job in world football. Potentially, I think he should be in the conversation, yes.”