Steve Nicol says he was stunned to hear that Arne Slot was surprised by his sacking, given just how poor his second season at Liverpool was.
Slot’s exit paved the way for Andoni Iraola, with the former Bournemouth boss brought in to restore energy and direction to a side that had completely lost its way. After a season that fell so far below expectations, the decision to move on from Slot made sense.
What surprised Nicol more was the suggestion that Slot had not seen it coming. After months of flat performances, poor results and a growing sense of frustration around the club, the former Reds defender felt the writing had been on the wall for some time.
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Steve Nicol surprised by Arne Slot’s reaction to Liverpool sacking
Slot’s Liverpool exit was not a snap decision. Reports suggest Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes were central to the call, with Iraola’s availability also influencing the timing.
Speaking on ESPN, Nicol said: “The thing that stood out was the fact that Arne Slot was shocked he got sacked, to be honest with you. Not to take it away from Iraola, but that was the biggest thing.
“The fans expect their team to play in a certain way. And in terms of who was available right now, if they wanted to move Slot, Iraola is the perfect guy.”
That sums up why the change always felt possible. Liverpool did not just fall short of expectations, they did so in a way that left supporters drained of belief and the team looking devoid of ideas.
When asked if he was surprised by Slot’s reaction, Nicol replied: “Aye, we sat and watched Liverpool all season and saw it start bad and get worse and worse, and incredibly even worse by the end of the season.
“And so when you’re doing that as a club, the feeling at the club, everybody’s down. There’s a horrible atmosphere at any club that is not getting close to where they should be.
“And so he must have felt it, smelt it, walking down the corridors when people don’t want to look you in the eye, because that’s what happens when you’re expected to win and you are miles off it.”
At the start of last season, the idea of Slot being sacked would have seemed unthinkable. By the end of it, the only real surprise was that he did not see it coming.
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