Liverpool might just be waiting for a world-class coach to enter the picture.
Why haven't the Reds sacked Arne Slot? If a 50% win rate wasn't enough in 2025, the Reds have succumbed to even worse form in 2026.
They are on the brink of elimination from the Champions League and have won just four of their last 12 matches in the Premier League.
It's been a remarkable run.
Something unprecedented under Jurgen Klopp's era, where there were bad times but nothing as drab and depressing as this. Slot doesn't seem to have a clue how to turn things around. The performances are worse and worse every week. With Klopp, we always hoped there was some trick up his sleeve.
With Slot, there's just despondence and zero hope of anything changing.
There simply isn't any redeeming quality to his style of football. Yet somehow Liverpool persist with him.
At least publically he seems to have the backing of the boardroom. The roundtable talk with Billy Hogan and Richard Hughes was confirmation of that earlier this year.
But is that really true behind the scenes? Are Liverpool really fully behind him after everything that has happened on the pitch this season?
We cannot fully know the answer. But there is an alternative scenario where Liverpool are merely publicly backing him but behind the scenes they may perhaps already be working on his successor.
The only reason why they haven't moved for that ideal candidate is because he's not available right now and Liverpool have to wait for him.
This could easily be Julian Nagelsmann who seems like the perfect candidate in order to continue Klopp's geggenpressing principles at Anfield but who won't be leaving his role as manager of Germany until the World Cup concludes in North America.
Nagelsmann is the ideal fit because he has a very similar playing style to Klopp, just with a more modern twist and more possessional elements integrated into his philosophy.
But the intensity and the off the ball work remains the same.
There are other reasons why he's the perfect fit. This is a young Liverpool team with potential and right now Nagelsmann is also a young and developing manager with world-class potential.
In fact, given his achievements in the game at Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, FC Hoffenheim and now the German national team, you'd probably already call him world-class already.
Nagelsmann is only 38-years-old but he already has so much experience for someone of his age. His methods are extremely effective and despite Germany not having a great squad, they will be one of the favourites because of Nagelsmann at the World Cup.
What makes the German such an ideal fit is that he comes with the same mindset as Klopp. He was someone who admired Klopp's style of play and who always implemented successful gegenpressing systems.
His Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich sides were all the best pressing teams in the Bundesliga while he was in charge.
Right now, Liverpool's lack of pressing is a massive issue. Slot just doesn't seem to be able to introduce a press that works effectively. It's all over the place.
Nagelsmann has a track-record of doing this at international and club level. He has worked at more teams than Slot and more importantly he has worked with several of the club's current stars, including Dominik Szoboszlai, Ibrahima Konate and Florian Wirtz.
He's the perfect candidate, and waiting for him might make sense. Given Liverpool's reluctance to fire Slot despite the poor run of form and Xabi Alonso being available, it's now becoming pretty obvious that Nagelsmann is the manager to replace Slot.
