Liverpool have two opportunities left to claim silverware this campaign via the FA Cup and the Champions League. Up first is a quarter-final in England's most prestigious cup competition against Manchester City on Saturday.
A significant European Cup last-eight tie against PSG will then follow on Wednesday, April 8. The notion of the Premier League champions being out of the title race by as early as December last year was unthinkable to many.
Yet, that's the situation Liverpool have faced this season. With a decline in form, understandably, all attention is on the future of Arne Slot, with the Dutchman under considerable pressure due to the Reds' struggle to secure a top-four place in the league.
Today's news sees the club provide a position on Slot's future. Meanwhile, the Reds have been encouraged to reject the services of a talented manager who's currently available
According to The Athletic, Slot's role is secure for the time being. The report states that the Dutchman has the support of club chiefs Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards.
The decision-makers at Anfield are of the view that Slot has been handed a difficult task this season, with the tragic death of Diogo Jota still very much casting a shadow over the club.
The piece suggests that should Slot navigate this turbulent spell, he ought to be better placed to drive Liverpool forward. However, that view could change dramatically if they are eliminated from both the FA Cup and the Champions League - and if they slip further away from the Premier League's top five.
Slot's achievement of winning the title with the Reds should not be understated. The Reds' head coach has also refused to dodge questions about his own future this season.
"I don't think it's important if it's fair or not," he said when quizzed about his job security towards the end of 2025. "But that is normal. That I understand.
"If any manager around the world loses football games, let alone so many as we've lost, it's quite normal that people have an opinion about that. And if that's fair or not fair, that's for the people to judge. But that is normal. I think it is that if you lose so many times, that people start talking about that."
John Barnes has urged Liverpool to dismiss any notion of a remarkable Xabi Alonso return, insisting Slot remains the right man to stabilise things at Anfield.
Former Bayer Leverkusen coach Alonso has been without a club since being relieved of his position at Real Madrid in January, with supporters' calls for the former Red growing louder with each defeat under Slot. Barnes isn't convinced, however.
"Well, I understand the clamour because Xabi is a Liverpool favourite," Barnes told the ECHO. "But did he not fail at Real Madrid? Was he actually a successful manager?
"Of course, don't get me wrong, I think Xabi is great and he did a good job. But he got sacked by Real Madrid for failure, didn't he? That's why they got rid of him. Of course we do like the clamour for ex-players. Steven Gerrard's been mentioned before. So I understand the way fans are. But this is the way fans are. They're very fickle.
"We won the league with Arne Slot and all of a sudden we want to sack him? If he then goes and Alonso comes, suppose Alonso fails in his first six months or first year, are we going to say sack him and bring somebody else in?
"I always support the managers, whoever they are, because they come to the club because of their success, because they're good managers, and they have to be given time.
"Jurgen Klopp was 20 points off the top when he first came, but we stuck with him. So I think Xabi will be a great manager one day, but I want Arne Slot to stay."
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