Hitting form was 'a matter of time'

IF there's one thing an increasing number of modern football fans have no time for, it's patience.

- By IAN DOYLE Chief LFC Writer

Witness the furore in some online quarters at Liverpool's recent poor run of form.

Six defeats in seven had prompted a section of the fanbase to start questioning whether Arne Slot was still the man for the Anfield hotseat, despite having responded to the onerous task of following in the footsteps of Jurgen Klopp by winning the club's 20th championship in his debut season earlier this year.

That reaction is a reminder of the increased pressures in the modern game, even with Slot now managing the squad overhaul that may have been expected the previous summer.

Certainly, it's often overlooked that Bill Shankly, perhaps Liverpool's most celebrated manager, went seven years without winning a trophy between 1966 and 1973 as he sought to move from his first great Reds generation to the next.

"Exactly," says Ian Callaghan, Liverpool's record appearance holder with 857 outings and who was a part of both of those Shankly teams. "Arne Slot took over Jurgen’s team, if you like, and he won the league.

“Being manager of Liverpool is a big job, it really is. I think Arne comes across really well, and I'm confident he will get things right.

“Premier League managers these days, it's a massive job.