Steven Gerrard believes that one upcoming Liverpool fixture could be ‘key’ in determining Arne Slot’s future at the club – and it’s not the Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain.
The Reds’ European exploits have offered some solace from their domestic woes, with the outgoing Premier League title holders clinging onto fifth place for now and at real risk of missing out on UEFA’s flagship tournament for 2026/27.
There’s a widely-held view among numerous pundits that failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League could cost the Dutchman his job, and while our former captain is a big advocate of the head coach, he feels that a further deterioration of our top-flight form could spell the end for the 47-year-old.
Speaking on talkSPORT on Tuesday morning, Gerrard said that next Saturday’s Premier League game against Fulham is every bit as massive as the two upcoming fixtures against PSG which surround it.
On the importance of Champions League qualification, the ex-Liverpool midfielder said: “I think it’s key. I think the Fulham game is just as important [as the two matches against PSG]. I think if the ownership and the people above see that gap to [Aston] Villa and [Manchester] United stretch or get any worse, I worry for the manager’s position.
“I don’t want that to happen – I’m a huge fan of Arne Slot. I was blown away by his first season, I must say. He’s a good man. He’s obviously a very, very good coach, the job he’s done.
“I think the key to this situation will be the Fulham game, in terms of, if he can put more heat on United and Villa, and he can stay in the PSG game into next week, I think everything will be fine and in a better place in five, six days’ time. But if this was to get any worse, I would be worried for the manager.”
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All the attention for now is rightly on matters at the Parc des Princes tomorrow night, but Gerrard is right in saying that the weekend clash against Fulham must be treated with the same degree of importance.
If Liverpool come away from Paris with a positive result, they can’t let the burst of goodwill disappear instantaneously by slipping up at home to Marco Silva’s side.
Conversely, if the Champions League tie is effectively over after the first leg (as Christophe Dugarry has bullishly predicted), the significance of a top-five finish domestically would amplify even further.
The Reds have proven capable of rising to big challenges this season – they’ve beaten Arsenal, Real Madrid and Inter Milan – but all too often they’ve come unstuck in matches against teams several places behind them in the Premier League table.
Fulham were one of only three teams who Slot didn’t beat on the way to guiding us to the top-flight title last term, and he’s yet to win against them in three attempts. If that sequence stretches to four, the noise surrounding his future will only grow even louder and angrier.
Just like Gerrard, we also want the Dutchman to succeed at Liverpool. If we can come away from Paris with a good result, it’s essential that we don’t fritter away the beacon of positivity against the Cottagers three days later.
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If the team plays entertaining good football, even if we lose, Liverpool fans acknowledge the effort and will back the team and head coach. There have been too many embarrassing results. Losing by 3 and 4 goals is becoming the norm. How do you expect us to support slot?
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