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Arne Slot's position at Liverpool could become "untenable" if poor results persist, despite the club's strong inclination to stand by the Dutch manager, according to reports.
Slot's future was openly questioned by frustrated supporters during the 4–0 FA Cup quarterfinal thrashing at the hands of Manchester City. Those who remained at the Etihad to witness Liverpool's players seemingly give up after conceding three goals early in the second half began chanting the name of Xabi Alonso.
The former Real Madrid boss and ex-Liverpool midfielder has been touted as a possible replacement for Slot, with calls growing louder with each passing week that the Reds fail to recapture their title-winning momentum.
Wednesday's Champions League encounter with Paris Saint-Germain carries significant weight. Last season's European fixture against the French club proved to be a critical turning point in Slot's debut campaign, triggering a slump from which Liverpool have yet to recover.
Liverpool lost just four of Slot's opening 45 matches before being eliminated from the Champions League round of 16 by PSG last March. The Reds have since suffered defeat in 20 of their 59 games.
Arne Slot's Record Split by PSG Elimination
Statistic (All Comps) | Pre-PSG Elimination (per Game) | Post-PSG Elimination (per Game) |
|---|---|---|
Games | 45 | 59 |
Wins | 34 (76%) | 29 (49%) |
Draws | 7 (16%) | 10 (17%) |
Losses | 4 (9%) | 20 (34%) |
Goals Scored | 105 (2.3) | 106 (1.8) |
Goals Conceded | 38 (0.8) | 80 (1.4) |
Despite the team's alarming form and some troubling admissions from players regarding a lack of effort, Liverpool's ownership group Fenway Sports Group (FSG) remain willing to give Slot "the opportunity to set things right next season," as reported by The Athletic.
However, that patient approach is unlikely to hold if Slot cannot guide Liverpool back into the Champions League next term. Given the significant investment made last summer and the funds that would be needed to address the squad's shortcomings, missing out on European football could prove devastating — particularly for Slot. "Champions League or bust," remains The Athletic's consistent assessment.
Liverpool currently sit fifth, a position that would secure Champions League qualification if any Premier League side avoids elimination in Europe this week. Chelsea, however, trail by just a single point in sixth, while Manchester United (six points clear) and Aston Villa (five) threaten to extend their leads.
Some Liverpool supporters may feel Slot's tenure should end regardless of where the club finishes in the Premier League, clearing the path for Alonso to take charge. John Barnes, however, disagrees.
Liverpool Legend Questions Fans Over Arne Slot Treatment
On the surface, Alonso possesses several appealing credentials. The unattached former Liverpool midfielder built an impressive reputation as one of the most exciting young coaches in the world by guiding Bayer Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title. For many, that standing hasn't been significantly damaged by his difficult spell in the Spanish capital, given the extraordinary pressures of managing Real Madrid. Barnes, however, takes a harder line.
"I understand the excitement because Xabi is a Liverpool icon," the legendary winger told the Liverpool Echo. "But did he not fail at Real Madrid? Was he actually a successful manager?
"Of course, don't get me wrong, I think Xabi is great and he did a good job. But he was let go by Real Madrid for failing, wasn't he? That's the reason they moved on from him."
Alonso was afforded just seven months and 34 matches at the Bernabéu. Inheriting a squad that failed to claim a major trophy during Carlo Ancelotti's final season, the tactically ambitious new manager struggled to impose a high-pressing style that didn't align with his star-laden roster. Real Madrid legend Gareth Bale perhaps captured his former teammate's difficulties most aptly: "In Madrid, you don't need to be a coach, you need to be a manager."
Beyond Alonso's perceived shortcomings, Barnes objected to Slot's potential dismissal on principle. "We won the league with Arne Slot and now all of a sudden we want to sack him?" the former top-flight title winner asked.
Barnes arrived at Liverpool in 1987 during an era when the club's remarkable domestic and European dominance was built on a deep sense of continuity. "If there is one word in our language which depicts Liverpool FC," former club chairman John Smith once said, "it is 'stability.'" Dismissing Slot less than a year after he delivered Liverpool's second league title since Barnes departed the club would hardly align with that philosophy.
"If he [Slot] leaves and Alonso comes in, suppose Alonso struggles in his first six months or first year — are we going to say sack him and bring someone else in?" Barnes pondered. "I always back the managers, whoever they may be, because they arrive at the club on the strength of their achievements, because they're quality managers, and they deserve to be given time.
"Jürgen Klopp was 20 points off the top when he first arrived, but we stood by him. So I believe Xabi will be a top manager one day, but right now I want Arne Slot to stay."