Liverpool are not believed to be considering sacking head coach Arne Slot, despite the club's dreadful run of form which has seen the Reds lose six games in seven and crash out of the Carabao Cup at the hands of Crystal Palace on Wednesday night. Slot's side have not performed anywhere close to expectations in recent weeks but the Premier League winner is believed to have a lot of credit in the bank, with his job not at threat.
Slot not believed to be close to sack despite worrying results
Liverpool’s form has taken a sharp turn for the worse in recent weeks with six defeats in seven matches, four in a row in the Premier League, following a summer of heavy investment. Such circumstances are expected to be part of the club’s thinking in giving him more time, believes BBC Sport’s Chief Football Writer Phil McNulty, who says there is “not a chance” Slot’s job comes under threat in the near future.
This is despite mounting criticism from fans and the media, including for his team selection as the Reds lost 3-0 to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup.
Fabrizio Romano also revealed on his YouTube channel that Liverpool’s hierarchy have “full trust” in Slot and believe that he will turn things around quickly.
Such patience should come as no surprise for a man who won the Premier League title in his first season in England, but no manager is exempt from speculation – something Slot is experiencing for the first time in his Liverpool career.
AdvertisementAFPLiverpool retain faith in Slot's ability to turn things around
Romano said: “Liverpool absolutely internally… and when I say internally, it’s the hierarchy, the ownership, all the people at the club, really, really trust Arne Slot. They are 100 percent convinced that Arne Slot is the best manager to handle this situation.
“Obviously, it’s been a poor start to the season, but Liverpool are convinced everything will be okay, that it’s going to take some time to assess the squad with the new signings, to change something, to be back to the attitude from last season.
“But Liverpool have full trust in Slot. There is very good communication on a daily basis between the directors, all the people at the club in the management, and Arne Slot.”
'Liverpool not the sort of club to panic' – McNulty
“Slot is under the same pressure as every Liverpool manager – and that is the pressure to win games. Pressure for his job? Not a chance," said McNulty on his BBC Sport Q&A.
“Slot won the title in his first season after succeeding Jurgen Klopp, and while he needs wins as quickly as possible, Liverpool is not the sort of club to panic, even if the next sequence of results go badly.
“I would agree, however, that they need to show signs of becoming more resilient and balanced, because I think they are a dysfunctional, soft touch at the moment. And, Hugo Ekitike apart, their big signings have not yet delivered.
“Slot however still has plenty of credit in the bank and Liverpool is a calm club internally, not given to hasty, panicky decisions, certainly not when it involves a manager who won the Premier League last season.
“Of course, Slot would be under heavy scrutiny if the current dreadful run continues until Christmas, as any manager of a club of Liverpool's stature would be. He would be under pressure – but not, in my opinion, for his job.
“Liverpool's owners are measured. They saw Slot win the title in his first season and I am sure there will be an acceptance and understanding that there has also been a lot of change in the summer.
“What he needs now is for established stars and new acquisitions to simply play better. He also needs to find his best team as I am not sure he actually knows.”
Getty ImagesTough challenges lie on the horizon for Slot and Liverpool
The prospect of Slot being sacked this season still appears a rather far-fetched reality, as does the idea of the Reds losing every game between now and Christmas – though it is likely that one cannot exist without the other.
After three Premier League away games in four – most recently a 3-2 defeat to Brentford which Slot described as his side's "worst performance" of the season – home matches against Aston Villa and Real Madrid lie in wait before a trip to the Etihad to face Manchester City.
Slot will know that positive results in matches of that magnitude could see things turn back around just as quickly as they went downhill. But there remain several issues he must resolve within this squad, which will likely prove the biggest challenge of his managerial career thus far.