Xabi Alonso has just proven Liverpool won’t sack Arne Slot despite dire season | Football | Sport

For Liverpool supporters enduring a thoroughly miserable season, it was entirely consistent with what had come before. Confirmation arrived on Sunday morning that former Reds midfielder Xabi Alonso had agreed to take on the unenviable challenge of bringing some order to Chelsea as their new manager.

Given the fierce rivalry that truly began to take hold between the two sets of supporters during Alonso’s spell at Anfield in the mid-to-late 2000s, the fact that the Spaniard should embrace the advances of the Stamford Bridge club will rankle deeply with many Reds faithful. Yet it also provided a significant indicator regarding the dugout at Liverpool, both in the short and longer term.

The widely-held belief has been that since being relieved of his duties at Real Madrid in January, Alonso has been biding his time awaiting a call from the Reds, should they opt to make a change given the struggles under Arne Slot this season.

His decision to move to Chelsea suggests an acknowledgement that such a call is unlikely to materialise in the near future. Slot is staying put.

Fenway Sports Group continue to back Slot, even if a considerable number of supporters – and, if the inference holds true, certain members of Liverpool’s underperforming squad – are not entirely persuaded.

And the identity of Alonso’s new club served as a timely reminder that football is, above all else, a profession for those involved. Quite rightly, they tend to go where the opportunity presents itself. It has long been acknowledged that Chelsea are very much a law unto themselves.

Over the past decade, 11 individuals have taken the managerial hot seat, whether on a permanent or caretaker basis. Indeed, given that only Jose Mourinho has lasted beyond two seasons in the role over the last 22 years, it could be argued that virtually every appointment is temporary.

Yet while league form has swung dramatically, that hasn’t prevented Chelsea from regularly reaching finals and collecting silverware.

Since Liverpool claimed the title just under 12 months ago, the Londoners have secured two trophies and were beaten in Saturday’s FA Cup showpiece against Manchester City.

Alonso, therefore, faces both an enormous workload and a considerable burden of expectation. Chelsea have shown absolutely no patience with long-term projects, and unless success arrives swiftly at Stamford Bridge, all signs point to the Spaniard being shown the door sooner rather than later.

Nevertheless, it now appears unlikely that his next destination will be Anfield. If ever.

Consider the optics. Should Alonso fail, would Liverpool be inclined to appoint a manager in the future who has fallen short at two of their most prominent rivals in Chelsea and Real Madrid?

And should Alonso flourish during his time in London, the outcry from Chelsea supporters were he ever to contemplate taking on the challenge at Liverpool would most likely render such a move impossible.

Of course, the footballing landscape is shifting so rapidly that previously accepted certainties no longer hold true, meaning anything is possible. Yet it would still come as a surprise to see Alonso back at Anfield in any capacity other than the opposing dugout.