Liverpool fans ‘would love’ Gerrard to replace Slot: Warnock
Liverpool’s debate about whether Arne Slot should be sacked has flared up again after the 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth and fresh chatter around potential replacements.
It is the sort of conversation that always grows louder when we hit a winless run, even if it does not fit how Liverpool or FSG typically operate.
Slot is the reigning champion, and sacking him mid-season would run against the long-standing model of stability and planning.
That has not stopped odds, social media noise, and even the odd “Klopp” mention being thrown into the same messy conversation.
Stephen Warnock, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live (via X), was asked directly about the idea of FSG “pulling the plug” if results worsen.
His answer was clear: “I don’t think FSG will pull the trigger too quickly.”
Warnock’s point was not that everything is fine.
It was that Liverpool’s decision-makers will look at the bigger picture rather than one result in Europe or one bad week in the league.
Slot sack talk ignores Liverpool’s model and what is still available
Is Arne Slot at risk?
The Liverpool manager is the bookies' favourite to be sacked next.
Former Liverpool player Stephen Warnock shares his thoughts.#BBCFootball #Liverpool #LFC pic.twitter.com/PZRO3R633T
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) January 27, 2026
Warnock also pushed back on the idea that one poor result would end the season, “If they don’t get the result [against Qarabag], they’ve still got a playoff, and they can still qualify.”
He went further by stressing that even an imperfect European route does not shut the door on the competition.
“It can happen and they can still go on and win the Champions League, so they can still progress after that, after a loss.”
That matters because, for all the league frustration, we are still alive in the cups and still fighting for Champions League qualification through the league.
We are sixth on 36 points, just behind Chelsea on 37 and Manchester United on 38.
That is not comfortable, but it is also not a situation that demands panic decisions.
It is also worth noting that one of Slot’s issues this season has been how open he has been about our weaknesses in interviews, including set pieces, which can feed the external noise.
But openness is not the same as losing the dressing room, and the club’s historical instinct is to back the manager and fix the football.
Liverpool next manager odds show the noise, not the plan
The replacement conversation is being driven by markets as much as football logic.
Oddschecker’s “next permanent Liverpool manager” market has Xabi Alonso as the clear favourite, with Luis Enrique next in the list.
Next permanent Liverpool manager odds (via Oddschecker)
| Manager | Odds | Implied chance |
|---|---|---|
| Xabi Alonso | 1/2 | 67% |
| Luis Enrique | 2/1 | 33% |
| Oliver Glasner | 10/1 | 9% |
| Steven Gerrard | 12/1 | 8% |
There is also a separate layer of “where punters are putting money” which is even more extreme.
Percentage of bets placed this week (via Oddschecker)
| Name | % of bets |
|---|---|
| Xabi Alonso | 74% |
| Luis Enrique | 7% |
| Trent Alexander-Arnold | 7% |
| Julian Nagelsmann | 5% |
| Steven Gerrard | 5% |
| Jurgen Klopp | 2% |
That tells you how the conversation is moving, not what Liverpool are planning.
Warnock made that exact point when he asked what the realistic replacement would even be.
“I think they’d look at things from a bigger point of view and think, OK, so what would be the replacement now.”
The Gerrard suggestion also came up, and Warnock’s response was basically “why, just because he is an ex-player?..
“I mean this hypothetically speaking, if Arne Slot was to leave the football club and Steven was to step in, I’m sure the Liverpool fans would love it.”
That is a fair caution, because sentiment is not a strategy, and Gerrard’s last two jobs did not end in success or silverware.
Alonso, meanwhile, is an outstanding manager, but he turned us down when Klopp left, and Slot has beaten him twice in two seasons.
Whatever the frustrations, we owe Slot time to correct problems that are real but not irreversible.
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