Steven Gerrard has been making the podcast rounds lately, taking shots at Arne Slot's Liverpool and calling recent performances "really dire" — and fans have noticed exactly what he seems to be doing.
The former Liverpool captain also revealed an "emotional" text exchange with Salah following his public spat with Slot, apparently keen to position himself as the voice of reason at a club whose current manager is under pressure. It's brazen. It's transparent. And most fans aren't buying it.
A vacancy that doesn't exist yet
Slot is struggling — that much is fair. Liverpool's form has given ammunition to critics, and Gerrard isn't the only one questioning the direction. But jockeying publicly for a job that's still occupied, held by a manager whose CV already dwarfs your own, is a different kind of move.
Gerrard's managerial record includes a Rangers title win in Scotland, a job at Aston Villa that ended in the sack, and a brief, forgettable stint with Al-Ettifaq. That's not a foundation from which you audition for one of the biggest clubs in world football.
The fan reaction has been pointed. One supporter summed it up: "Couldn't manage his way out of a wet paper bag. A downgrade on Slot would be a great start to next season for everyone but This Means More FC fans."
Another put it more diplomatically: "Show some class Stevie and at least attempt to rebuild your managerial reputation before tilting at a big job like this. Maybe at a club with a vacancy."
FSG won't be swayed by hot takes
The suggestion that FSG — the ownership group that brought Klopp, then Slot — would hand Gerrard the keys based on podcast criticism and nostalgic goodwill strains credibility. Liverpool's decision-making has been analytical and deliberate. Sentiment doesn't move that needle.
If Slot does eventually go, Liverpool will have options. Whether Gerrard is genuinely on that list, or whether his agent is simply playing him like a violin, the current campaign isn't helping his case.
What it is doing is entertaining fans — just not in the way Gerrard probably intended.
