When opportunity knocks...

(Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

On Saturday, Liverpool sacked Arne Slot.

A year on from the Dutchman leading Liverpool to the Premier League title, becoming only the fifth manager to win the competition in his first season in charge, he was out of the door.

Liverpool finished fifth in 2025-26, losing 12 league matches. They spent huge money on players that have (so far) failed to deliver, and the fanbase had grown uneasy with Slot’s style of play, which is more controlled, measured and pedestrian, when the Premier League is all about pace and ferocity, not to mention Jurgen Klopp’s ‘heavy metal football’, which was such a success at Anfield.

All that being said, it still seemed as though Liverpool’s owners would be sticking to their guns on Slot. He was going to be backed again; stalwarts like Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson were leaving, and it would be up to Slot to oversee the rebuild.

Only, an opportunity presented itself; one that Liverpool seemingly felt just too good to turn down.

Andoni Iraola is a free agent. That has, of course, been known for sometime, but perhaps Liverpool had expected him to be snapped up by now.

However, at the time of Slot’s departure, the only club that had made any significant headway towards appointing the Spaniard was Bayer Leverkusen. Crystal Palace had gone in big, but it always felt like Iraola was holding out for a bigger fish in the Premier League, and he reportedly snubbed AC Milan.

Sometimes, the stars align and one must decide whether to change course, or to stick with the original plan. Liverpool, it seems, have decided to twist.

Don’t worry, this is not a Liverpool feature, but it does feel as though there is a growing sense of frustration within the Everton fanbase that TFG — and the people they have appointed to run the club on a day-to-day basis — aren’t showing the same appetite for change; the same willingness to gamble.

Some Liverpool fans will argue they were only going one way under Slot. Others might point to the fact that 12 months ago, he was the best thing since sliced bread (as our neighbours are, of course, prone to a hyperbole).

But the club made a decision. Whether it was part of their plan or not (it seems not, given Xabi Alonso was there as a free agent for so long, yet Liverpool decided to stick with Slot until after the season had ended), they have made their move and a manager that many Evertonians feel would have been a realistic, but bullish, appointment, could now end up in charge of our rivals.

The frustration among the Everton fanbase in the wake of Slot’s sacking has seemed to focus mainly on “ambition”, or a lack of, from the club.

Everton finished the season with a whimper and David Moyes’ decisions backfired. There is a case to be made that an elite club simply would not tolerate that, especially with the likes of Iraola, or Oliver Glasner — fresh from leading Crystal Palace to their third trophy in the space of a year — available. But they won’t be available for long.

The counter-argument is the one Angus Kinnear has already put forward; that Everton value stability. The issue is, when does stability become stagnation? 

A bit of perspective: Had Everton taken four more points from their final seven matches, they would have qualified for the Europa League, and none of this talk about Moyes would be happening.

That being said, it doesn’t mean the talk shouldn’t be happening. Questions should be asked, and I stressed last week that Everton need to act with urgency.

While there have been some tentative transfer links to a variety of uninspiring — albeit, probably realistic — targets, the main crux of the issue is that Everton, or namely, TFG, seem content with the radio silence. 

Kinnear may well believe he has said what needed to be said. That he has made it clear Everton are not changing course, and that Moyes is the man heading into next season.

That probably is the case, but then it raises questions over the long-term future, given Moyes only has 12 months left to run on his deal.

In the meantime, the vacuum is being filled by Evertonians who want to see decisive action from their club, or at the very least, some open and more frank communication. Admit what went wrong and what they are going to do to try and fix it.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, one of the season’s success stories, said Everton were “miles off it” as he reflected on the woeful end to the campaign in a social media post last week. For that honesty, he received respect and appreciation.

Liverpool’s gamble with Iraola, who seems almost certain to take over at Anfield, may well backfire. It’s worth noting that as frustrating as Everton’s winless run at the end of the season was, Iraola has gone on several longer, worse such runs during his time at Bournemouth.

He has, however, proved he is a highly adaptable manager with a direct, attacking approach that, on paper at least, probably suits a club with elite players and high standards.

And as much as we all hate to see it, Liverpool have shown once again that they do not tolerate it when their high standards aren’t met.

Sometimes, it would be nice for Everton to show that, too.

Read more - The Rumour Mill — Close Season Week 2

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