Gary Lineker has been left red-faced by his preseason prediction about Liverpool – prompting fellow pundit Micah Richards to jokingly call him an “idiot.” Under Arne Slot, Liverpool have been an almost unstoppable force this season, with the Dutchman stepping in seamlessly after Jurgen Klopp’s departure in the summer.
Despite Klopp’s iconic legacy at Anfield, few expected Liverpool’s transition to be so seamless, but Slot has propelled the team to new heights. The Reds currently sit comfortably atop both the Premier League and Champions League tables, Mohamed Salah is emerging as a frontrunner for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, and their second loss of the season appears more like an illusion to rival fans hoping their team would be the ones to capitalise on Manchester City’s ongoing slump.
Liverpool’s swift return to the summit of domestic and European football – with an unprecedented quadruple still within reach after they recently reached the Carabao Cup semi-final – has taken many by surprise, including Lineker. The Match of the Day presenter looked visibly sheepish as the topic of this season’s title race came up on the latest episode of The Rest Is Football podcast.
Lineker said this week (watch the full podcast below, at around 23:50): “Liverpool – I think one of the great surprises of the season. None of us, I don’t think anyone in football, predicted how they’d fly quite as high as they have.” Revealing his woeful eight-word prediction, he added:
That triggered a roar of laughter from co-host Richards, who said: “You idiot!” Lineker continued: “But I don’t mind owning it, it’s okay,” as Richards once again said: “Wow, ‘impossible!’”
Lineker jokingly added: “I can’t remember saying it. I think someone’s put this in the notes just to wind me up. Surely I didn’t say that. I think I said it’s an impossible act to follow Jurgen Klopp… Either way it’s a hopeless failure from me.
Liverpool is a club that cherishes its history perhaps more than most. And in recent years, it feels like that history is beginning to repeat itself. In the 1950s and 1960s, Bill Shankly earned recognition as the architect who laid Liverpool’s foundations for success, before Bob Paisley followed, added the finishing touches, and transformed the Reds into a bastion of invincibility.
After three decades without a league title, Klopp planted the seeds for a new era of dominance. He turned the Anfield faithful from doubters into believers, and as he stepped away, he reassured fans that the club was in safe hands. Yet, no one could have predicted that Slot would already be showing signs of steering Liverpool back to the glory of their 1980s pomp this quickly.
Right now, everything seems to be heading toward success. However, with a showdown against fierce rivals Manchester United looming, the Dutchman’s focus will remain firmly on the task at hand. With Arsenal only six points behind, the Reds will be well aware that the race is far from decided.
