 "Liverpool had won thier second Premier League title after Arne Slot succeeded Jurgen Klopp as manager last year, but currently find themselves at the 12th spot on the table with the trophy now appearing well beyond their reach. Reuters")
Liverpool find themselves facing their worst crisis in decades less than six months after lifting the Premier League trophy for only the second time . Arne Slot had enjoyed a dream debut after succeeding Jurgen Klopp as manager but now faces the prospect of not lasting the full season in charge of the iconic club, with their campaign quickly unraveling over the last couple of months after a strong start.
After all, the Reds, who had gone level with Manchester United on 20 English top-flight titles earlier this year, have dropped to the 12th spot on the league table with six defeats in their last seven games. The latest being a 0-3 drubbing against the relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest at the Anfied, their worst home defeat in the Premier League era.
Slot insists he has the club’s trust
The situation became even more dire for Slot and his boys after they suffered a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of PSV Eindhoven at home in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday. Nine defeats in their last 12 games marks Liverpool’s worst run in 71 years, with the team conceding seven goals in five days.
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Has the situation reached a tipping point as far as Liverpool and their confidence in Slot is concerned? With the ongoing season only reaching the halfway stage so far, the club’s board will have to take a call now, preferably ahead of the January transfer window, if they are to replace the Dutchman in the role.
Speaking to reporters after the drubbing at the hands of Eindhoven, the 47-year-old claimed he still had the club management’s support despite the sharp decline in the team’s performance in recent weeks.
“If any manager around the world loses football games, let alone as many as we have lost, it’s quite normal people have an opinion about that. If it’s fair or unfair, it’s for other people to judge. Is that normal? I think it is. If you lose so many times, people start talking about that,” Slot said after the home defeat against Eindhoven.
“I have got a lot of support from above. I am okay with my position. They [the board] don’t call every single minute of the day to say they trust me but in the normal conversations we have, I feel the trust,” he added.
Liverpool in a dilemma over Dutchman’s future at Anfield
Slot will become the latest entry in the list of managers sacked the very next season after guiding their club to the top-flight title, should Liverpool chose to head in that direction.
Ange Postecoglou had been fired by Tottenham Hotspur after helping them win the UEFA Europa League in June – their first trophy in 17 years. Others such as Antonio Conte (Napoli), Jose Mourinho (Chelsea) and Fabio Capello (Real Madrid) have also suffered the fate of getting the sack right after winning the league as manager.
And the manner in which Liverpool are performing at the moment, in the Premier League as well as in the Champions League, they are in danger of missing out on European football completely in 2026-27, something that Man United is currently going through .
For iconic clubs such as Liverpool and United, the lack of continental football can be a massive blow to the team’s aura as well as its finances, hurting their ability to attract the best footballing talent from across the world.
The Liverpool management, therefore, might just decide to part ways with Slot hoping that his replacement might just arrest the slide and steer the team to safety.
With Liverpool currently trailing leaders Arsenal by 11 points, retaining the title appears beyond their reach now and their focus going forward will be to try and secure a top-four finish – or secure qualification for the Europa or the Conference League at least.
In that context, the Reds have a major decision to make in the coming days.