Jurgen Klopp has called on Fenway Sports Group to back new Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola with time and patience after Arne Slot’s dismissal, drawing on his own experience of being given the room to implement change at Anfield — even during difficult periods — as the blueprint FSG should follow.
Slot’s departure came just over a year after he delivered the Premier League title to Liverpool in his debut season in charge, but a four-match losing run and a shift towards a more possession-based style that left supporters cold sealed his fate earlier than many had expected. The contrast with how the club handled Klopp’s own difficult spells was not lost on the German himself, who suffered 14 defeats across all competitions in the 2022-23 season yet was afforded the time to oversee a tactical evolution without losing his job.
Klopp, 59, has spoken previously about the importance of allowing managers time to instil their philosophy, and those comments have resurfaced with renewed relevance following Iraola’s appointment. The former Bournemouth manager, who earned widespread admiration for keeping the Cherries competitive against significantly better-resourced clubs, has taken on the unenviable task of succeeding two managers in quick succession at one of the world’s most demanding clubs.
Addressing his relationship with Slot and the question of succession at Liverpool, Klopp said at the time of his departure: “We had a lot of contact after that. He’s a super good guy. He got the best out of this team, and they became champions in an incredible manner. It’s not about Arne showing the world what he can do — it’s about getting the best out of the team.”
The message is one that Klopp’s allies believe the German would extend to Iraola — that measured, genuine support from ownership matters more than short-term results, particularly during the adjustment period that any new manager requires. Klopp himself stepped away from his trademark high-intensity pressing philosophy in his final seasons at Anfield, a transition that required patience from the club and supporters alike, and which history suggests was managed more carefully than the response to Slot’s struggles.
Liverpool, who won the Premier League under Slot in 2024-25 before the Dutchman’s subsequent dismissal following a troubled follow-up campaign, now turn to Iraola as the man tasked with restoring the high-tempo, aggressive identity that defined the Klopp era and which supporters have made clear they want to see return.
