Jamie Carragher predicts how Steven Gerrard has reacted to Arne Slot's time at Liverpool so far

Liverpool supporters were pondering who could be the hypothetical successor to Jurgen Klopp for years before the time to replace the German came.

Klopp leaving Anfield always felt like a time in the future that was simply too painful to contemplate.

But when the legendary manager did depart, it felt right that the man to replace him could be Steven Gerrard.

As recently as three years ago, it still seemed possible that the Liverpool legend could indeed be the person chosen to step into Jurgen’s enormous shoes once the time came.

But after a failed stint at Aston Villa, Gerrard’s stock as a manager wilted terribly. A move to Saudi Arabia to join Al Ettifaq in 2023 ended his chances of taking over as Liverpool manager any time soon.

With Gerrard off the table Liverpool turned to Arne Slot. And after the Dutchman’s excellent start at Anfield, Jamie Carragher has given his take on what Gerrard will be thinking.

Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images

Even with Slot doing so well in the early days of his Liverpool reign, a pang of regret remains that Gerrard could not have made a go at it.

The sight of one of Liverpool’s favourite sons on the touchline at Anfield would have been a truly beautiful one.

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Nevertheless, there does still remain a chance that Gerrard can rebuild his reputation enough to put himself in a position to be under consideration in the future.

In the meantime, Carragher has been asked by journalist Joseph McBride on whether he and Stevie have discussed Slot’s time with the Reds so far.

“No, not at all,” answered Gerrard’s fellow Liverpool legend. “My contact with Stevie is not that frequent really since he’s gone to Saudi.

READ MORE: Jamie Carragher gives ‘totally honest’ verdict on the Anfield atmosphere this season

“I keep abreast of the results that he’s getting and the odd text here and there but he’s that far away, out of sight out of mind is the saying and it bears true really. I try and catch him when he’s over, we try and get together, go for something to eat and chew the fat about Liverpool.”

Despite the lack of contact, Carragher believes that Gerrard will be ‘excited’ by what he’s seen from Slot’s Liverpool so far.

“He’ll be well aware of what’s going on at Liverpool,” he says. “I’m sure he’ll be excited at the start that they’ve made.

“His view on the manager I don’t think will be any different to what most people’s are in Liverpool right now. He’s made a brilliant start.”

How is Steven Gerrard getting on this season?

It’s a little bit of a shame to hear that Carragher and Gerrard are not in quite so regular contact these days.

The two Liverpool academy graduates are synonymous with the club and, in many ways, with each other.

As Carra says, though, Stevie is an awful long way away, both in geographical terms but also in football terms, too. As a result, people may not be aware of how Gerrard is doing out in the Saudi Pro League.

After an up and down first season in Dammam last year, the former Reds midfielder eventually guided his team to a sixth placed finish.

This season, they’ve started in similar vein. After five games Al Ettifaq have won three, drawn one and lost one, putting them in fifth position on ten points. Not bad, but we think Slot’s job is safe for now.

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