Liverpool’s season, which began with such high expectations after Arne Slot delivered the Premier League title in his debut campaign, has taken a worrying downturn. Sitting fifth in the table and fighting merely for Champions League qualification, the Reds risk finishing the season trophyless for the first time in years. With crucial fixtures looming, former striker Chris Sutton believes the next two weeks could prove pivotal to Slot’s future at Anfield.
Liverpool face a daunting double-header: a Premier League-challenging Manchester City side in the FA Cup quarter-finals at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday lunchtime, followed by the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain in France next Wednesday. Failure in both ties within the space of ten days could significantly increase the pressure on the Dutch head coach.
Speaking on BBC Sport, Chris Sutton acknowledged that sacking Slot after winning the title in his first season would be “extremely harsh,” yet he warned that the current campaign feels precarious.
“I still think it would be extremely harsh if they end up parting ways after the guy won them the title in his first year in the job, but this feels like a huge week or two for Slot, and for Liverpool’s whole campaign,” Sutton wrote.
“Right now, Liverpool are miles off the team they were last season, and beating City probably feels more achievable than getting past PSG. I’m not convinced they will do it though, and if they end up going out of both competitions in the space of 10 days, then the Liverpool fans are going to be even more disgruntled.”
Despite the mounting speculation, top sources including David Ornstein and James Pearce have insisted that Liverpool’s ownership, FSG, remain committed to Slot and plan to back him for next season. However, fan frustration is growing, with many already questioning the Dutchman’s methods after a string of underwhelming performances.
Jamie Carragher, meanwhile, has highlighted deeper long-term concerns regarding the club’s summer transfer strategy should Slot fail to turn things around. In his column for The Telegraph, the former Liverpool defender expressed serious reservations about committing significant funds to a manager who might be under siege.
“If you are a sporting director hunting for a world-class appointment, who are the alternative candidates to a coach who has already delivered a Premier League title?” Carragher asked.
“So far as Liverpool supporters are concerned, it seems all roads lead to Alonso. There is such a romantic attachment to the former midfielder, and that is understandable. If Xabi were not available, would more be prepared to give Slot another season if this one ends in failure? My suspicion is yes.”
Carragher warned that backing an under-pressure manager with another big spending window carries risks.
“That’s certainly where I stand on the issue, although it cannot be ignored how backing an under siege manager in another summer transfer window can backfire. Carrying the baggage of a poor run into the next campaign can derail it before it has got going.”
The former Reds defender also drew parallels with Liverpool’s past managerial decisions, suggesting history could repeat itself with Xabi Alonso, who is currently unemployed and widely admired by the Anfield faithful.
“It was an open secret that Liverpool had hoped to meet Klopp when they appointed [Brendan] Rodgers three years earlier, just as they would have liked to have had Alonso as an option before he ruled himself out of the running in 2024. Once Klopp was available, the club naturally revisited the possibility of hiring him, given how much the team was underperforming. History may repeat itself with Alonso.”
Reports, particularly from German newspaper Bild, have repeatedly linked Alonso with a potential return to Liverpool should Slot’s position become untenable. Earlier this year, it was revealed that Alonso is ready to return to management this summer, with interest from several top clubs across Europe, Liverpool among them.
Nevertheless, the prevailing noise from Anfield remains that Slot still has significant credit in the bank following last season’s title success and will be given the opportunity to rebuild in the summer, regardless of how the current campaign concludes.
Yet for many supporters left frustrated and bored by the style of football on display, patience is wearing thin. The next fortnight — beginning with the trip to the Etihad and continuing in Paris — could define not only Liverpool’s season, but potentially the long-term future of their head coach.
As the pressure intensifies, all eyes will be on whether Slot can inspire his side to produce the kind of performances that earned him the title last year, or whether the growing calls for change will become impossible for FSG to ignore.