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The unexpected sacking of Arne Slot was quickly followed by reports naming Andoni Iraola as the leading candidate to replace him at Liverpool. Yet, despite widespread enthusiasm from a large portion of the fanbase, the club's greatest ever player was not fully convinced.
Steven Gerrard never attacked Slot as harshly as some fellow pundits. The retired midfielder's characteristic caution extended to Slot's potential replacement, who is broadly regarded as the only realistic candidate to step into the Anfield dugout this summer. The connection between Iraola and Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes — who previously held the same position at Bournemouth — has reinforced this assumed certainty.
Gerrard's point was straightforward: other options must be explored.
"I think he has done a tremendous job at Bournemouth," the Champions League winner said of Iraola while appearing as a pundit on TNT Sports over the weekend. "I think his style would fit Liverpool well. Let's be honest, Liverpool Football Club is an appealing destination for many elite managers across the world, so I don't think he will be the only name being considered.
"But because of the connection to Bournemouth and the people who have moved from Bournemouth to Liverpool at board level, they will know him extremely well. But there are other names out there too that I'm sure would be keen on the Liverpool job.
"It's a massive job in world football. I think he should absolutely be part of the conversation."
Jamie Carragher, Gerrard's former Liverpool teammate, was even more direct in voicing his reservations about Iraola, raising some "huge question marks" during a conversation with Sky Sports. "The way he plays is definitely the direction Liverpool want to return to: high-intensity football," the former defender acknowledged. "We know he's excellent at that, but there's more to it than that when you're managing Liverpool."
"My concern is," Carragher explained, "whether you can sustain that intensity when you're playing every three days, given that Bournemouth were only playing once a week. That's a completely different challenge. When you're bringing a manager into a top English club, you're asking, 'Can he win me the league?' That's a significant question mark around him, or any incoming manager, but Liverpool had a manager who had won the league, which is why I was always conflicted."
Liverpool Legends Give Verdict on Slot Sacking
Gerrard's first reaction to the unexpected news was one of sympathy. "Gutted for Arne Slot because in his debut season, he had done a remarkable job," the Liverpool icon said. "Taking over from Jürgen Klopp was no easy feat and those were enormous shoes to fill, yet he managed it with ease.
"Winning the Premier League is incredibly hard, and I know that better than most, so for him to deliver that in year one should never be overlooked — I think he will go down in the history books and be remembered for a long time."
However, Gerrard ultimately concluded that Slot had not done enough to justify a campaign that yielded only Champions League qualification. "Having said that, in the final 10 games of last season and for most of this season, we have not looked like Liverpool," he bluntly admitted.
"The style has been hard to watch at times. It has looked disjointed and fragmented, and when I heard the news, my initial reaction was surprise and shock, but when you properly assess it, it's probably the right call in my view."
Liverpool have already lost nine Premier League games this season. pic.twitter.com/ewET46ZtYj
Carragher was divided on the decision. "I was torn on Arne Slot," he said. "I could have supported either outcome and understood both sides of the argument, but it is still a shock.
"I think a truly elite football manager — the absolute best of the best — probably finds a way to fix Liverpool at some point last season and improve things, but he wasn't helped by the recruitment.
"Should those players have done more? A lot more, yes. Should those above them have provided a stronger squad heading into this season? Yes.
"There are plenty of people to blame for where Liverpool found themselves last season, including the players who were there the year before, whose performances were a complete contrast to what they had shown previously."