Arne Slot is still battling hard to keep his job as Liverpool’s head coach, and journalist Pete O’Rourke has dropped a fresh claim on his future.
The Dutchman is clearly a man under pressure after a hugely disappointing season at Anfield, with some supporters wanting a change in the dugout.
Speaking after Wednesday’s 6-0 win at home to Qarabag in the Champions League, Slot was in spiky form, seemingly taking aim at some of his critics:
“I said that it might – might, I used to word might but apparently not everybody is listening properly – have helped us that we lost against Paris Saint-Germain. I was not happy losing against Paris Saint-Germain, I wanted to go all the way with that team; that team was strong enough to win the Champions League as well.
“And we were by far the best team in the league, so we completely deserved to win the league. But if you are the best team in the league, then you need those players available. This season shows that if we have to play many games, sometimes you can get injuries as well. And that’s what I meant: we did not face injuries after we went out against Paris Saint-Germain.”
According to Football Insider‘s O’Rourke, Liverpool “will not sack” Slot for the time being and “hope to stick with the manager until at least the end of the season.”
That said, he also adds that “while there is no immediate pressure on the manager’s position, failure to meet expectations over the remainder of the season would likely see him dismissed.”
A pivotal period for Slot as Liverpool boss
Slot has been unconvincing throughout this season, so it is only natural that there is still big pressure on him, with a 6-0 win over Qarabag not changing that.
The 47-year-old now faces a pivotal spell in the Premier League, with this Saturday’s visit of Newcastle United followed up with the visit of Manchester City a week on Sunday.
Liverpool then make a tough-looking trip to Sunderland on February 11th, so we will know a lot more about where Slot stands after those three matches.
