Paul Ince has said that the treatment of Arne Slot from some quarters prior to his sacking by Liverpool at the end of May was ‘bang out of order’.The Dutchman paid the price for a woeful season in which the Reds began as Premier League champions and favourites, but ultimately slumped to a fifth-place finish which was just about enough for Champions League qualification.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL EMPIRE OF THE KOP APP FOR ALL THE LATEST & BREAKING UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYA combination of miserable results and flat, uninspiring performances led to widespread condemnation of the 47-year-old, particularly from pundits like Jermaine Pennant, and even the fans at Anfield vented their spleen when Rio Ngumoha was controversially substituted in the 1-1 draw at home to Chelsea.Ince: Treatment of Slot was ‘bang out of order’Despite the sulphurous mood around L4 by the end of the campaign, Ince believes that Slot was very harshly treated, considering that he’d won the Premier League at the first attempt just 12 months previously.Speaking exclusively to Empire of the Kop (in association with Oddschecker), the former Reds midfielder said: “I actually felt for Slot. I really, really did. You know, I thought the way he was treated was bang out of order. “For Slot to go in his first year after replacing Klopp and winning the Premier League – people say, ‘Yeah, but he won it with Klopp’s players’.“Yeah, he might have done, but he played a different way. I think they weren’t comfortable with all this possession-based and slow build-up, and you could see that last year, the moans and groans and the boos.”Want more Empire of the Kop coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trustSlot deserves respect, but Liverpool needed to move onLast season was a truly morale-sapping one for Liverpool fans, especially towards the final few weeks of the campaign, and the decision to part company with Slot felt like the right one when it was made at the end of May, with Andoni Iraola appointed just a few days later.To lose 19 matches in all competitions (20 when including the Community Shield penalty shootout against Crystal Palace) was simply unacceptable, and that damning stat was compounded by the tepid football which was being served up most weeks.Supporters had every right to be frustrated and feel that it was the right time for change, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t appreciative of the Dutchman’s overall contribution to the club.There’s a widespread appreciation of Slot for delivering the Premier League title in 2025, and the hugely dignified manner in which he publicly handled Diogo Jota’s tragic death ensures that he’ll always have the utmost respect from us.Obviously the personal abuse of the 47-year-old which had pervaded the murkier corners of social media was completely unwarranted, although constructive criticism of his performance as head coach in his second season in charge was entirely understandable.We agree with Ince in that Slot doesn’t deserve to be demonised, but we also believe that the decision to part ways was justified, as it was near-impossible to see things improving any time quickly for Liverpool unless a change was made.The post Exclusive: ‘Bang out of order’ – Paul Ince slams treatment of Arne Slot before Liverpool sacking appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.