Arne Slot was a no-show at the Northern Football Writers Association awards ceremony on a night that was to honour the Dutchman as the Manager of the Season.
Slot oversaw a remarkable 2024/25 season at Liverpool, with the title success seeing him named Premier League Manager of the Season and LMA Manager of the Year.
On Sunday, he was expected to personally add another honour to his collection at the Northern Football Writers Association’s awards ceremony in Manchester, but he did not attend.
As per the Mail‘s Lewis Steele, Slot was scheduled to be in attendance to accept his Manager of the Year award, but he pulled out.
Liverpool instead sent club ambassador Gary McAllister to collect the award on the Dutchman’s behalf, with his brief words relaying an apology from Slot and his pride at winning the prize.
He was not the only manager to be honoured who was absent from the event, with Eddie Howe and Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris also not in attendance after respective games on Saturday.
It is not completely unsurprising after Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat that Slot spent his time elsewhere, with attention firmly needed on how he can turn his side’s form around.
The Reds have now lost eight of their last 11 matches – conceding first on nine occasions – to see confidence in the stands and among the squad reach new lows.
Slot did not shy away from his responsibility in the latest run of results after an abject afternoon at Anfield, insisting, “If we win or lose, it’s my responsibility.”
With questions starting to be raised over if he is the right man to oversee an upturn in form, Slot said: “Of course there is a way out, especially with the quality players we have.
“I think no matter if you win or lose, if you make a lineup and substitutions, you also look back and think where you can do better. That’s something else than doubting yourself.
“But I want to emphasise one more time on the fact that I’m responsible for the current losses.
“You are responsible when you’re winning, but you’re also responsible when you are losing, and that’s why I prefer, although you ask me that question, not to talk about referee decisions or other excuses.
“I can never come up with enough excuses for us to perform [like we have] to have the results we have.
“That is far from good enough, and I’m responsible for that.”
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