What must happen next for Liverpool as Arne Slot prediction close to ringing true

What must happen next for Liverpool as Arne Slot prediction close to ringing true

Gloom has descended upon some Liverpool supporters but Arne Slot's side are still 12 points clear at the Premier League summit

Liverpool boss Arne Slot (Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images )

The fanfare and intrigue that greeted Arne Slot's unveiling as successor to Jurgen Klopp in the Liverpool hotseat last June means it is a comment worth revisiting. And the subsequent nine months have brought it into particularly sharp focus.

"We would all love to see Liverpool a bit higher than third place and this is the challenge we are facing now – to build on from what we have," said Slot on his grand introduction. "We hopefully can get a bit more points than 82, which is necessary with the likes of Arsenal and City, to end up hopefully a bit higher than we did this season."

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With so much tumult behind the scenes at the start of the post-Klopp era, many supporters, while appreciating the sentiment, understandably didn't expect a manager in his first season in English football with a squad that ultimately was barely untouched to challenge strongly for the title this time around.

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Few, though, would now back against Liverpool surpassing Slot's target given their remarkable Premier League campaign. Which is what makes the gloom and doom that has enveloped sections of the fanbase at present all the more bewildering. There was no shame in Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, although the disappointment at losing the League Cup final to Newcastle United remains tangible.

A period of reflection is understandable. With five final defeats and two agonising Premier League runners-up finishes in the past decade, Liverpool fans know all about the pain of falling just short. But this time there is the very significant solace their team is 12 points clear at the top of the table and closing in on a record-breaking 20th league title.

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In some respects, had Slot claimed an unlikely clean sweep of honours, it would have left him in a position where anything else he achieved during his time at Anfield would pale by comparison. As was shown under Klopp, the journey is as important as the destination, and bumps in the road are to be expected.

But fear of the unknown is playing a part for some fans. This will be the first summer in which sporting director Richard Hughes will have his appointment properly tested, while, Federico Chiesa aside, the lack of new faces this season mean fans still don't know what to expect from an Arne Slot signing.

Then there's the fact the squad is close to breaking up, with several players reaching the end of their natural cycle and others primed for being moved on. Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, should no new contracts be agreed, would be impossible to replace like-for-like, but there are alternative routes to success.

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However, that an overhaul is imminent should focus minds. The remainder of this campaign should be about living in the moment and, while keeping a watchful eye on the future, not allowing it to overly influence the present.

Liverpool are closing in only their second championship in 35 years and their first since 1990 where they will be able to share the celebrations with supporters rather than lifting the trophy at an almost deserted Anfield.

If that's not sufficient to excite or encourage Reds supporters, then perhaps they have been influenced by the growing trend, on social media at least, of outright rage when not every game is won and every transfer target acquired. It doesn't take too much investigating to find a club whose fans, judging by their most prominent and vocal members online, are forever in danger of drowning in a sea of negativity. That is best avoided.

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You can't tell fans how to follow their team, and each will have their own opinion on how they can best show their support. There is no right or wrong approach. All that matters, though, is the players receive backing.

There are nine games remaining for this Liverpool squad. They are still firm favourites to create history before they become it themselves.

It won't be easy and, as has been witnessed over the past week or so, there is always the danger of ultimate disappointment. But rest assured the Liverpool players will be aiming to enjoy every moment. The Anfield faithful should be no different.

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