13 Jan 2026 09:22:52
Would we as Liverpool fans/ supporters take Alonso as our next manager or stick with Slot, me personally I'd take Alonso in a heartbeat, what does the Ed's think and my fellow reds,11 games undefeated and quite possibly the worst football I've see Liverpool play, even when 2 or 3 goals up never seeems enough with us, that's enough reasons for me to Slot go and after reading Ed001 posts about him always going home and not watching our youth team well there's another one.
13 Jan 2026 09:57:33
Slot has done and appears to be doing a job. A very boring and ultimately depreciating job but given the title win and others not being available I think he was the right choice at the time.
That said if Enrique or Alonso want it, I would take them in a second, primarily for entertainment value and their apparent focus on hard work if nothing else, things Slot does not appear to prioritise.
I love LFC, but football is entertainment. Even winning the league last year, whilst I was obviously happy about it, we were boring to watch.
Maybe that makes me entitled? I don't know. Maybe over the last 30 years I've become to used to seeing us being the entertaining but ever failing 'also rans' I don't know what consistent success would look like.
13 Jan 2026 09:59:08
I'll be honest I like Slot but also agree that the football we are playing under him is boring and extremely frustrating.
However the 2 teams I've seen Alonso bring to Anfield in the last 2 years have not made me think that Alonso is the conductor of exciting attacking football.
I've not seen his Leverkusen or Madrid teams outside of those games though so that opinion is purely based on 2 games.
13 Jan 2026 10:02:51
As much as I'd like someone else to take the helm, now is not the time to get in a replacement. We are still in two cup competitions, and favourites to finish in the top 4 (despite the football being dull). Slot will stay in charge unless we go on another losing run in the league.
Funnily enough, I think our game is better suited for the Champions League as most teams allow us more space to play. I wouldn't be surprised if we go far in Europe.
I'm not sure about Alonso in all honesty as Slot seemed to get the better of him twice at Anfield. I think Enrique would be a better shout, though doubt we'd get him. The smart play is to wait until the summer when there would likely be more options available.
13 Jan 2026 10:11:24
Why would you want Alonso?
Please explain. Do his teams play better football? I refer to Real Madrid.
Some people want Alonso because he had one great season at Leverkusen. Except that's not the same as winning the premier league. Alonso has struggled to repeat that first season. Slot is struggling similarly, but at least he has won a title with 2 clubs.
13 Jan 2026 10:32:24
Same as JK23.
13 Jan 2026 10:32:28
Ron, this idea that Alonso had one great season at Leverkusen is wrong. He had almost 3 great seasons at Leverkusen having taken over there in the October when they were at the bottom he got them up to 6th, next season he won the league and cup only losing one game all season, next season finished second to Bayern.
Thats 3 great seasons for a club like Leverkusen.
I don't think we should sack Slot now for Alonso I think we should assess in the summer but Alonso would be a good option.
13 Jan 2026 10:34:34
That "one great season" is underselling it massively. Alonso took an unfancied Leverkusen side and won the Bundesliga, the first ever in the club's history, unbeaten in his first full season with them. He nearly went the entire season unbeaten as well, losing only in the Europa League to Atalanta in the final.
He only suffered one loss thag entire season. He then went on to finish second in his second full season with them. Leverkusen have never been powerhouses in Germany and have perpetually been a mid-table club until Alonso came in.
13 Jan 2026 10:38:06
Ron Alonso can't be judged over his time at Madrid when he has no power over players. That club is a pit of over powered players run by a clown that thinks signing the best so called players makes a team.
As for him only having one good season in Germany is far from correct he turned the team round in his first season from a team fighting relegation to a team qualifying
For Europe and in his 3rd season qualifying for the Champions league.
It is going to be very hard for anyone team in Germany to win the league over Bayern let alone winning two on the trot I don't think Klopp even did that so I don't think anyone expected them to do it.
13 Jan 2026 10:38:31
For me there's no way back for Slot, the two games against Forest and PSV exposed he's in way over his head and were the final straw personally.
Fair play he did very well to ride the wave of momentum last season, but now that its up to him to get a tune out of this improved team, he's been found wanting.
Hopefully Slot can grind a way into a champions league spot then he and the club part ways in the summer.
13 Jan 2026 10:45:58
I'd take Alonso over slot.
Anytime between today and the summer.
That's a very easy one for me.
13 Jan 2026 11:13:00
The big differential is Alonso understands the club and the EPL. Slot does not appear to have grasped it.
Judging Alonso on his performance at the Royal Crèche in Madrid, yet ignoring the ethos he was trying to instil (hard work, humility and respect) is rather unjust.
I think he would blossom at Liverpool.
We all know how clever he is at reading the game, he was worshipped by most on here during his playing days and he knows how to get the best out of Wirtz. Plus we would be fitter and full of fight.
I think repeating a league win is a difficult task when you have the most money. When you do not it becomes almost impossible. He won the league with Leverkusen, in a one-team league! Their first ever league title, no less!
13 Jan 2026 11:19:54
Like I posted further down, I wanted Alonso when Klopp announced his retirement, which I think the majority on here did. I'm not sure how much of that was influenced by the previous connection with the club, and how much was influenced by the excellent job he did at Leverkusen. I'm with JK, in only having watched his 2 sides when we've comprehensively turned them over.
I'm just wondering whether a lot of folk on here, are now just being taken in by the romance of his time with us as a player. Taking a step back, what relevance is it that he used to play for us? Football is littered with managerial casualties, where clubs have turned to managers because of a previous association.
Alonso may well be be brilliant, if it were to happen. But let's not be taken in solely on the basis that he was once a great player for us.
13 Jan 2026 10:58:54
One of the key things I'd like to see is our players training harder and being fitter and less susceptible to injuries which at present it seems they're not.
One of the reasons Alons has failed at Real is due to them not training hard enough and him having to deal with a load of self indulgent spoilt brats.
The problem we have is if we finish top 4 comfortably and let's say win a cup, are they still going to get rid of Slot?
I'm not sure they will if we win something but from a personal level, I'd love to see Alonso there in the summer to see what he can do.
13 Jan 2026 11:02:58
Ed, I think we might need a group discount on eye tests here.
The football we are playing is not safe, solid and functional like some are suggesting. It is simply rubbish. Yes, Virgil and his troops stepped it up against Real, Inter and Arsenal but other than that, it's been simply rubbish.
And quite frankly, Slot doesn't look like he wants to be there either. He's clearly holding the fort and can't wait to be done with it.
Appreciate Xabi might want a break and come into a fresh season, but I would advocate for a change as quickly as possible. We have a Champions League to win and a squad and coaching team going through the motions doesn't help anyone and could have longer term impact on the newer players in terms of apathy - which erodes the club culture.
13 Jan 2026 11:04:57
For me, I think we do not know the full extent of behind closed doors stuff. Some decisions Slot makes (Chisea) drive me mad. I just think it would be sensible to stick until the end of the season. Champions league qualification should be achievable, especially as I think things are getting better. I do not want us to take the meme cycle away from Man Utd!
I do not know much about Alonso as a manager, but you surely don't just fall into being manager at Real Madrid? Must be something there, but maybe we are all just seeing the romance of it?
Either way, we have been through far worse times, in and out of football, let's stay loud and proud and get behind whatever comes.
13 Jan 2026 11:12:29
I completely understand the point being made Ron as we have discussed before, but I do think the logic is flawed. Mourinho has won more than titles than most managers out there. Would you want him?
I will fully admit I just want a change from the boring style and an approach that does not encourage hard work and fitness, and I also fully admit I might be wrong with that as I'm not a manager.
For me Alonso seems a good fit of options available as:
The style adopted with a team that were willing to work for him played fast attacking, direct and attacking football.
He broke Bayern's hold on the German League with a team that the year before were in free fall. That's no mean feat however you look at it and for me personally a bigger feat than the Dutch league which changes hands often and winning the PL with a team made of of existing champions.
He is not afraid to go with a 3 at the back which I personally find appealing. Always have but that's just me.
He has a personal connection with the club and fans as IMO one the best players to ever wear the shirt.
He values hard work and fitness and has form for making a team more than the sum of its parts.
I would also like to think he would commit to living in the UK and giving his all to the job, something as discussed on here cannot be said for Slot.
It's all just my opinion and I am at peace with that we will likely have Slot until the end of the season at least. I don't dislike Slot, he's a league winner and no-one can take that from him. I simultaneously just don't think he's a good fit for our club, and therefore think we can do better, so we should.
13 Jan 2026 11:28:41
Alonso won one Bundesliga title, grino, not two. He was only there for two and a half years and didn't win the title the second year.
Klopp was the one who won two Bundesliga titles in a row over Bayern, not Xabi.
13 Jan 2026 11:31:37
Id take Alonso in the summer. Did a great job at leverkusen as others have said but also (and this is not a great reason) because I loved Xabi Alonso as a player and because he brought me great joy as a supporter. He also seems like and honourable intelligent man (as does Slot). I feel or at least hope due to his history with the club that the fans would back him through tough times and that he might get the stadium involved more like Klopp did. The lack of respect for him at Madrid is a reflection on their lack of class rather than his ability to manage it seems to me. From the lack of January business I feel they are keeping the money back for a new manager in the summer whoever that is.
I like Slot but I feel he lacks the passion or oomph to motivate the players to give more. We are not losing at the moment because we are being conservative and we have great players who can score despite the lack of intensity.
I don't understand the amount of cramp some of the players are getting within 90 minutes. We are also running less than most teams. It used to be you only saw cramp in extra time. It shows me players aren't fit enough and I know Hugo and Wirtz are from a different league but surely in 6 months they should be able to play full throttle for 90 minutes. I get we play against the low block but even when a team counter attacks us and leaves space we still dawdle about passing sideways. I will say people have short memories if they think this is the most boring side. I used to do 10 hour round trips from London to watch Rafas team and at times that made me question my life choices it was so boring.
13 Jan 2026 11:39:44
He's not a serial coaching winner, but that's the problem with 99.9% of coaches.
It's really hard to assess what's right for us next other than an improvement in style of play and fitness. They're fairly basic things though tbh, which Arne should be able to deliver. After that I guess we're looking for sustained success, or at least consistently being competitive for the top prizes.
RM are galacticos so there wouldn't be anything we could take from his time there to know what his style is, or his fitness regime. It's alleged he tried to impose these things and was blocked.
As for Leverkusen I don't know, but I presume there was evidence of good things there given they outplayed Bayern. But it was once, rather than repeatedly.
He's linked with Spurs now, so maybe it's all academic as by the end of the season he will have committed to something else.
13 Jan 2026 11:40:36
Big fan of Alonso and what he has done at BL and Madrid. If I'm honest I would be a little concerned that he doesn't quite have what is needed in Champions league as his teams can tend to get turned over against higher level teams. The are also question marks over formation, set up and how that would translate in the premier league although the club hierarchy don't seem to share this concern as he was apparently our 1st choice when Klopp left.
Finally does anyone share the view that recent signings have been more suited to an Alonso side than a Slot one? We know that Alonso likes the pace from wing backs such as Kerkez and Frimpong whereas Slot preferred inverted. Slot likes wide forwards with pace and Alonso wants central strikers, we bought 2 central strikers and no pacey wingers. We bought Wirtz who is a crucial cog in an Alonso team set up and Slot doesn't have a clue how to get him in our set up, it all seems a little like forward planning to me and surely the powers that be must have foreseen that Alonso wouldn't last at Madrid!
13 Jan 2026 11:47:22
What Alonso achieved at Leverkusen if off the charts, IMO. Remember, that was his first real managerial job after coaching the Real Sociedad reserve team and took over Bayer who were in the relegation spots.
He took them from there to the Europa League. then, in his first full season as a manager period, Alonso accomplishes a feat that even Bayern is envy of. The guy was one final away from ending football as we know it by having an undefeated is ALL comps. in a season. That is absolutely mental.
Even Pep with all his dough in all his clubs couldn't do that. You will never catch me denigrating his achievements as such a young and essentially, inexperienced manager, something I feel some on here are doing on the down low.
Oh and btw, Slot is NOT doing a good job at any level. The guy turned a very successful team (he is part of that success, credit to him) into a team scared of it's shadows cos he is scared of his shadow. And were it at another club, he would have been long gone. That's a fact.
13 Jan 2026 11:51:13
The assumption based on his time at Leverkusen and him falling out with RM's players over training intensity is that he'll bring intensity and aggression back to our play, the lack of which is the biggest criticism of Slot.
But JK is absolutely right to point out that both his teams were pretty poor when he came to Anfield the last two years. Slot did him tactically both times imo. Although it is worth noting that a big reason we beat Madrid is because we were aggressive and intense for the one and only time this season.
There are no guarantees in football, and I don't like calling for the head of a league winning manager, but it is hard to watch our team, and watch the league in general and not think we'd be challenging for the title if we went at teams with a bit more aggression and purpose.
I dunno what's the right thing to do.
13 Jan 2026 11:54:36
Alonso had a win percentage comparable to any Real manager and better than the likes of Zidane.
His face simply didn't fit with a select bunch of the entitled stars of that dressing room.
Dismissing his time at Real is foolhardy.
13 Jan 2026 11:55:10
I was never an advocate for Alonso after Klopp and the reason was that I wanted to see more evidence of how he handles adversity. Leverkusen is a great club, but there are no expectations on them.
ultimately I think it was good he went to Real Madrid and has had this experience, albeit a failure for them.
I think Xabi is at a bit of a crossroads. He wants to to be at the biggest clubs, but he also seems to want to coach. Maybe a set-up like ours would suit him as he is more of a coach versus a manager. But at a club our size, he would invariably need to be managing anyways, so he can't escape that aspect of the role.
13 Jan 2026 11:58:18
Can anyone actually point me in the direction of a Premier League team that is playing good football at the moment?
Because Im watching game, after game and the vast majority of those games are underwhelming and dull.
Fulham have been playing quite well but would you want Marco Silva in charge?
{Ed025's Note - i think Sunderland, Brighton, Brentford and even Leeds have been playing good football Semi..off the top of my head..
13 Jan 2026 12:02:51
We can't base an opinion on Alonso or any manager solely on how many times we've played their team. Otherwise, Glasner would be the clear top choice, as he has beaten Slot's Liverpool three times since Slot's takeover.
13 Jan 2026 12:09:48
I agree with Red Will, some of the football under Rafa was turgid. We seem to have erased that from our memory bank.
13 Jan 2026 12:18:19
OliRed, Slot took a team that finished third and finished first.
That is a fact.
How can you claim something as a fact- Slot being long gone at another club- when it hasn't happened? It's your opinion or just your 'take'.
It is not a fact.
13 Jan 2026 12:35:59
I think Slot is done personally UNLESS
He can get the team aggressively winning the ball back and creating.
For the vast majority of the season we ve been too passive with our defending and not creating enough when we have the ball turning premier league matches into non threatening possession games.
This has spilled into results where we a country mile from the top as well as incredibly boring matches to boot.
I was never going to judge him on Barnsley unless it went horribly wrong which it didn't. Even if it wasn't that great.
The bread and butter will be the Premier league. I need to see sustainable performance that shows, with time we'll be back challenging again.
You have to really stretch for signs and right now I along with others are looking at the second half against Arsenal as a potential step forward. It only counts as a potential step if we follow up with an similar showing from the off against Burnley and make more improvements again. Step by step.
But if we step back against Burnley in performance to a passive style then that Arsenal step is gone. Only sustained performance is worth noting. The rest is meaningless.
And this season so far, the sustained performance has been poor.
13 Jan 2026 12:37:55
I'm pretty sure I just did base my opinion on 2 Alonso games and clearly stated it was an opinion based on 2 games.
13 Jan 2026 12:45:01
Rome77 know I remember well the Rafa days and the footy was boring. The difference being we weren't overly competitive before he joined and he delivered success, whereas Slot has joined the current champions (yes he won it) but we are regressing. It is easy to accept boring football if it makes a team more competitive but Slot is playing boring football and making us worse.
13 Jan 2026 12:52:43
Alonso failed at Madrid for two reasons. The first being that other than Manchester United football club and their entire fanbase, there hasn't ever been a bigger group of knobheads assembled in one place and at one time like the Madrid squad.
That squad is wall to wall dickheads who fart higher than their own bum holes, they didn't fancy doing the hard work and whined when asked to, then the second reason is that the president panders to those cretinous players and undermines the manager.
{Ed025's Note - thats a fine psychological assessment VV.. :)
13 Jan 2026 13:53:27
Fart higher than their bum holes ? I like that VV.
13 Jan 2026 13:57:41
The idea that other teams aren't playing good football and that it's okay for us not to play good as well is wrong. What other teams do has nothing to do with us. We should always be focused on our own football club first.
If Chelsea or United are fighting relegation, should we join them as well? Absolutely not, we must set our own standards and always aim for the best.
13 Jan 2026 14:00:02
Alonso or not slot HAS to go. It's not like you can see what he is trying to do ( other than bore everyone to tears) it's not like we have made progress, also the biggest no no for me is the players we bought in the summer have decreased in value in my eyes, it looks like we have overpaid for them.
13 Jan 2026 14:33:10
Alonso over Slot immediately for me. I can't wait until slot is out but at the same time I've come to terms with the fact that he's probably here until the summer. Hopefully I'm wrong and he's gone soon but I have my doubts.
Alonso had Leverkusen playing good football, I watched many of their games under him. I can't comment on how he had Madrid playing though as I haven't seen enough of them this season because I can't stand the club.
Alonso would bring entertaining football back plus he has a connection to the club and the people - this is what Liverpool needs. Slot doesn't have that, he won us the league but it still feels like he isn't one of us, he's just a man in a position waiting to get the chop so he can get his payout.
13 Jan 2026 15:30:54
I think Alonso is everything that we need right now. The whole reason Mbappe turned the players against him is because he wanted them to work hard and build up their fitness.
13 Jan 2026 22:21:16
Two great posts mfahmee! Love it.