Liverpool head into May still without a clear tactical identity and with pressing, passing, chance creation and finishing, and fitness all having been trending in the wrong direction since at least January of last year. Despite that, it appears increasingly certain Liverpool will kick off the 2026-27 season with Arne Slot in charge.
With Champions League qualification appearing at least reasonably secure with four games to play in the season, all signs point to Slot being given a chance to prove 2025-26 went wrong for reasons outside his control and that he—along with directors Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes—deserve a chance to prove they can win with a team they’ve built and not just the one left to them by Jürgen Klopp.
There are clearly doubts, though. At least amongst the fans and pundits. And that risks a situation where any kind of stumble next season could quickly lead to an ugly situation as when Liverpool’s owners chose to stick with Brendan Rodgers despite everything on the pitch seemingly trending in the wrong direction back in 2015.
It does seem inevitable, though, that there will be some changes. Tweaks, if only around the edges of the playing and coaching staff. The biggest of these seems likely to be assistant manager, where after arriving last summer to replace the departing John Heitinga, Giovanni van Bronckhorst now appears set to depart. A sporting director job at Feyenoord is said to be on offer for him.
Meanwhile, according to The Echo it could well end up a Feyenoord man heading in the other direction as his replacement, with Arne Slot said to be eager to reunite with Etienne Reijnen. Reijnen is the Dutch club’s current assistant manager and worked under Slot during his time there. He was linked with a move to Liverpool in 2024.
At the time, though, work permit complications caused Liverpool to look at alternatives and as he was unable to join Slot in England, Reijnen instead stayed in Holland and saw his role at Feyenoord increase. In recent weeks, a potential return to Liverpool for Heitinga this summer has also been floated as a possibility.