Danny Murphy has made an ominous claim regarding the future of Arne Slot at Liverpool amid a season which has been ‘unacceptable’.
This time last year the Reds were on the cusp of becoming Premier League champions, but a rapid descent to fifth place currently (and a horrific tally of 16 defeats in all competitions) has led to considerable speculation over the Dutchman’s job security.
Although James Pearce reported recently that Anfield chiefs would like to keep faith in the 47-year-old beyond this summer, numerous pundits believe that the head coach will be dismissed if his team fail to qualify for the Champions League.
Murphy was asked on talkSPORT if he feels that Slot’s time at Liverpool is coming to an end, and he answered: “Yeah, I do. There are mitigating circumstances, but when the majority of Liverpool fans are on the same page, it is very difficult to come back from.
“I do feel for him because normally when you win a league, even if you have a bad season after, you get to go again, but it is the level of performance that’s really disgruntling the fans.”
When it was put to him whether the Dutchman will be given the responsibility to reshape the squad in the summer transfer window, the former Reds midfielder replied: “No chance. The hierarchy aren’t daft. They’re not stupid.
“Finishing fifth for Liverpool isn’t acceptable, irrelevant of the mitigating circumstances. They are nowhere near it and will probably only get fifth due to other teams falling below them.”
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As head coach, Slot’s input on transfer decisions is inferior to that of his predecessor Jurgen Klopp, who held the title of manager and duly had more of a say on recruitment.
In addition to that, the poor season that Liverpool have endured would likely mean that, even if the 47-year-old keeps his job for the 2026/27 campaign, he could have little to no influence on incoming signings, with that responsibility instead falling to sporting director Richard Hughes.
Champions League qualification (or an improbable triumph in next month’s final in Budapest) seems like the minimum requirement for the Dutchman to remain in his current role, and even that mightn’t be enough when considering how dreadful the past six months have been.
The weekend win over Fulham has temporarily removed some of the unforgiving glare from Slot, but if the Reds are heavily beaten by Paris Saint-Germain tomorrow night and then lose the Merseyside derby on Sunday, the pressure on the head coach would reach a whole new level.
Liverpool are facing into a pivotal summer transfer window. Whether or not the 47-year-old is still around to benefit from it remains the million-dollar question, the answer for which could become much clearer over the next six weeks.
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Can’t say I am looking forward to next season if Slot is still there. The guy is one excuse after another.
Be done with Slot. An uninspiring and very average coach. He does not inspire fans and the players and his tactics and team-formations questionable.
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