For Liverpool and Manchester United, the biggest question now is who will manage them next season. Sunday's edition of the famous rivalry felt like the least important in years, except for the uncertain futures of both managers. Michael Carrick and Arne Slot manage clubs with huge expectations, and this ragged game cast doubts over their suitability.
A Derby of Low Stakes
It has been a long time since a Manchester United vs Liverpool game felt of less consequence. These are the two most successful sides in English league history, hailing from neighboring cities, with a rivalry stretching back over a century. Yet it felt perhaps only the seventh-most significant fixture of the weekend, behind games involving title contenders Arsenal and Manchester City, and relegation battlers Leeds, Nottingham Forest, West Ham, and Tottenham.
United's 3-2 win sealed their place in next season's Champions League, while Liverpool need just three points from their remaining three games to be certain of their own qualification. For both clubs, the biggest issue now is deciding who manages them next season.
Slot's Position at Liverpool
All indications from Anfield are that they will stick with Arne Slot, although when United went 2-0 up inside 14 minutes, there was a thought that this could be a defeat of such magnitude that it might make his position untenable. Nobody can pretend Liverpool have been good this season; they have lost 11 Premier League games and were utterly outplayed by Paris Saint-Germain in the away leg of their Champions League quarter-final defeat. However, there are explanations.
Most obviously, there was the death of Diogo Jota. It will probably be years before players properly understand the impact his death had on them, but it would be extremely unusual if grief had not affected at least some of the squad. There were also football reasons to anticipate this season would not be straightforward. Liverpool won the title unexpectedly last season with only one senior signing, and by the end, they needed five or six new players. Slot himself began talking about opponents having worked out his approach. It was the final hurrah of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, but Slot had them play in a more reserved, conservative fashion, producing something extremely potent.
Any side making five major signings and changing style is taking a risk. It takes time for a new system to bed in, and Liverpool were hampered by two factors: the delay in the Alexander Isak deal and injuries that prevented the big three purchases—Isak, Hugo Ekitike, and Florian Wirtz—from starting a single game together. It is not entirely apparent what the plan was, but it has never been possible to put it into practice.
Key players like Mohamed Salah, Alexis Mac Allister, Andy Robertson, Ibrahima Konate, and Virgil van Dijk have suffered downturns in form. Slot is not without blame, but it seems unreasonable to think a manager who won the league in his first season might not be afforded an off year given mitigating circumstances, unless Liverpool have an outstanding candidate already lined up to replace him.
Slot's biggest problem may be that the relationship between Klopp and Liverpool fans was so intense that whatever came next was always going to seem more transactional. This is fine when results are good, but there is little affection to draw on when performances dip.
Carrick's Case at Manchester United
If Liverpool have questions to answer, United seem to have an answer to question. Michael Carrick arrived as an interim manager and has won 10 and drawn two of his 14 games in charge. At first glance, that looks exceptional, but United's early exits from both cup competitions and lack of European football have meant they are much fresher than almost every opponent they have faced. Has the football been stunning enough to convince directors he can reproduce that with Champions League involvement next season? Apparently so; he is expected to be offered the job.
The question comes down to his work around the training field, how the players feel, and the impression he has made within the club. Yet the case for him is not overwhelming: he has managed to achieve the precise level of success to make the decision as hard as possible.
It feels probable that Carrick and Slot will still be in charge when United and Liverpool next play each other, but it is perfectly possible to make a case that neither should be.
