Slot was sacked by Liverpool on Saturday in the hours leading up to the Champions League final, and the consensus amongst a lot of fans was one of relief instead of shock.

The writing had been on the wall for Slot.

With 19 defeats across the 2025/26 campaign, numerous players voicing discontent, most notably the outgoing Mohamed Salah, it was toxic around Anfield, a feeling which had not been felt for over a decade.

Former Bournemouth manager Adoni Iraola appears all but certain to be the next man to take charge, and while there is excitement about what the Spaniard can bring, there is a chance Slot’s sacking, and the manner in how it played out could become a dangerous trend on Merseyside.

Have Liverpool players discovered power they hold at the club?

What makes Liverpool a special club is the bond between all aspects of the club, albeit the board often struggle to paint themselves in glory.

When it comes to the players, no matter how big a name they are, the manager remains the person in charge, and throughout Jurgen Klopp’s nine years, the German had everyone singing from the same hymn sheet.

For Slot that appeared the case last season. He steered Liverpool to a 20th league title, setting the foundations to push on and begin a new era.

These foundations have since vanished, fifth place in the Premier League, lacklustre exits from all the cup competitions, Slot was hanging on to his Anfield dugout seat by his fingertips.

Then came player unrest. Salah was at the forefront, his posts on social media made it clear he had fallen out with Slot and even used the phrase a “heavy metal attacking team” in one his outbursts, a clear reference to the style of football played under Klopp which brought much success.

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While Salah was the only one to make his feelings public, there was a common feeling with numerous teammates liking a social media post criticising Slot following a 4-2 defeat to Aston Villa last month.

With these actions, the game was up for Slot, and this unrest amongst the players transmitted to the fans who increasingly called for the Dutchman to be sacked as the end of last season neared.

The players and fans finally got their wish, and now it looks like the players have discovered that they can have a major influence over the club.

There could be a case that the players had to press the emergency button in order for Slot to be shown the door, and the next incoming manager will provide a reset.

However, if Liverpool’s new man in the dugout is unable to hit the ground running, then the players may look to do the same again, voice their discontent publicly, mount pressure on the board and use their influence to make a change in something akin to Chelsea or Real Madrid.

Liverpool boardroom may become trigger-happy with manager sackings

The power dynamic between Liverpool’s players and the board will be interesting to watch play out.

Trophies could be fast becoming the currency a Liverpool manager needs to keep the board satisfied, and with Slot failing to deliver silverware in his second season after setting such a high precedent, whoever is next will be expected to hit the ground running.

If not, then maybe those higher ups at Liverpool will start churning through managers until one delivers regardless of the style of football they play.

This would not do such a historic football institution any favours. Being the Liverpool manager is one of the sport’s biggest jobs and can be a rewarding one if done correctly.

While it has been proven at other clubs that constantly changing managers can bring trophies, those days seem to have gone. Stability seems to be the best route.

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Whether it be Pep Guardiola’s 10 years at Manchester City, Luis Enrique’s tenure with PSG that so far has produced back-to-back Champions League titles or Mikel Arteta finally winning a Premier League title with Arsenal after seven years in charge, clubs need to buy into a vision.

Clearly at Liverpool, those on and off the pitch did not chime with Slot’s philosophy and he paid the price.

However, Liverpool need to be patient with whoever they decide to hire as their next manager.

Players having too much power, along with a trigger-happy board is very dangerous and could plunge the Merseyside outfit into an endless managerial hiring and firing cycle. That could result in some of the world's best players and managers not wanting to be a part of something where they are immediately on the chopping block.

For any football club this is a dangerous pattern, and for Liverpool, one of football’s great clubs, it is simply unthinkable.

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