As Arne Slot battles to save his job as Liverpool’s head coach, journalist James Pearce has now said that “the clock is ticking” for him at Anfield.
The 47-year-old has plenty of detractors currently, having overseen a dreadful season for the Reds, with the Premier League title defence almost non-existent.
It feels like Slot is now facing a do-or-die period in charge of Liverpool, ahead of vital games against Galatasaray and Brighton this week.
According to The Athletic‘s Pearce [via This Is Anfield], the Dutchman is now on thin ice, with time running out to show that he is the right man for the job moving forward:
“There are some mitigating circumstances for these struggles, from the tragic death of Diogo Jota, to recruitment decisions made above Slot’s pay grade, signings needing time to adjust to new surroundings, key personnel losing their way and the injury issues which have hampered the team’s progress.
“But the biggest reason why Slot is haemorrhaging support among match-going fans is the stale brand of football Liverpool are playing. There’s so little to excite. So little to emotionally invest in…
“The sight of fans leaving in their droves, both at 1-0 up deep into normal time and after Spurs equalised at the start of stoppage time, was damning.
“They had seen enough and you could hardly blame them, given the paucity of what they had witnessed. Slot hasn’t reached the point of no return. He could still turn this around, but the clock is ticking. Liverpool can’t afford another shambles like this one.”
Could Champions League exit spell the end for Arne Slot?
It still feels most likely that Slot will stay in charge until the summer, prior to being relieved of his duties, but Champions League elimination at the hands of Galatasaray could change that.
The Reds could also miss out on qualifying for Europe’s top club competition if they keep playing like they are, so retaining Slot’s services comes with its risks.
Of course, a resounding win on Wednesday night, followed by victory at Brighton in the league on Saturday, would change things, but back-to-back positive results feel so unlikely at the moment.
Plenty of Liverpool fans have now reached the point of no return with Slot – it will be interesting to see what those high up at the club decide to do in the coming weeks and months.
