Liverpool manager Arne Slot is under intense pressure after the Reds have lost six of their last seven Premier League games and nine matches in 12 fixtures in all competitions
Arne Slot’s Liverpool just keep getting worse
It’s crunch time for Arne Slot at Liverpool after his fallen champions were thrashed 4-1 at home by PSV Eindhoven.
The Dutch manager is experiencing the worst run of his career with the Reds, having suffered six defeats in their last seven league matches, and he saw his team hammered at Anfield in the Champions League in a pathetic display on Wednesday night.
This dismal streak has seen the reigning champions plummet to 12th place in the league, trailing Arsenal, the current leaders, by 11 points. Amid the criticism levelled at talismans Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, Slot has also been under fire, with many speculating his tenure as manager could be coming to an end.
Just a few months ago, such a scenario would have been unimaginable when the Reds clinched their record-equalling 20th league title. However, if their poor form persists, this could become a harsh reality. Here’s all the latest news from Anfield.
Deadline set for Slot
Arne Slot’s Liverpool lost yet again(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
Liverpool’s Premier League victory now seems like a distant memory given the team’s drastic change in fortunes.
At the start of the season, there were reportedly talks about extending Slot’s contract, but these discussions are believed to have been put on hold, reports the Mirror.
A losing streak like the one Slot is currently facing would raise alarm bells at any club, but at Liverpool, it’s simply unacceptable. According to former Reds player Dietmar Hamann, Slot must secure victories in his next two matches or risk becoming the first Liverpool manager to be sacked in over a decade.
The former German international shared his thoughts on Slot’s situation during talkSPORT Breakfast, saying: “I don’t think anybody wants to see him leave because of what he’s done last season.
“Obviously, the run of form is very bad at the moment. I think what you want to see as a club is progress. The next two games will be telling.
“Alan [Brazil] just said they’ve got to win both games, I agree because we don’t need to talk about the title now. Arsenal look very strong, Chelsea look the only contender really at the moment.
“I think they’ve [Liverpool] got a fight on their hands to finish in the top four. If you don’t see progress in the Premier League, I think his time will come to an end, as it will be with everybody else.”
Isak and Wirtz concerns
Alexander Isak has been a massive disappointment at Liverpool so far(Image: Matt West/Shutterstock)
A key shortcoming for Slot this campaign has been his struggle to integrate his new recruits into the Liverpool squad that clinched the Premier League title.
Despite the enormous expenditure this summer, chiefly on Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, the two expensive acquisitions have failed to find their rhythm in the Dutchman’s setup.
The duo have featured together from the start in only one Premier League match – the 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace – and have managed just one assist between them with no goals across their 16 league appearances in all competitions.
Former Newcastle and England manager Sam Allardyce has warned it could take “months” for Slot to integrate his new signings into the team, given Liverpool’s current poor form.
Speaking on the Footy Accumulators ‘No Tippy Tappy Football’ podcast, he questioned: “Is this a case of too much transition in one season?
Florian Wirtz has missed Liverpool’s last two defeats in league and cup through injury(Image: DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
“You’ve got the opposite last year when everyone thought they’ll have no chance of winning the league because they’ve only signed one player, and Arne Slot coming in with a team that’s familiar with itself, that knows themselves, and he inherited that magnificently well.
“Now it’s a transition, and he clearly has asked for that transition to happen, and the amount of money that’s available to Liverpool on the basis of what they’ve built up over the years, particularly last year, with only signing one player, meant there was a big pot there, and they went into the market by signing quality players.
“The integration of a new player is difficult, but the integration of many players is very, very difficult. It will take months. This is not an overnight situation, to know how your players partner up.
“Players who are there at the moment are looking at the new players, and footballers are very good at not blaming themselves. Now it’s down to Arne Slot to deal with the toughest time he’s going to have.”
