David Ornstein has said that Liverpool chiefs intend to continue backing Arne Slot unless results ‘deteriorate to an alarming degree’.
The Reds’ head coach has come under increasing pressure throught a chastening sophomore season at Anfield, with a seventh Premier League defeat of the campaign last weekend seeing them drop to sixth in the table.
Jamie Carragher suggested that the 47-year-old could find it hard to keep his job if his team fail to qualify for the Champions League, and the Dutchman’s standing isn’t helped by external reports that Kop favourite Xabi Alonso would relish the opportunity to go back to his former club if it comes up.
Ornstein: Liverpool chiefs are continuing to back Slot
Ornstein was asked about Slot’s standing at Liverpool on The Transfer Show for Sky Sports, and he indicated that the head coach has the backing of club chiefs for the time being.
The Athletic journalist said: “It seems like the club are giving him time, even if many supporters aren’t. Every time you make checks on this, you’re told nothing before the summer. Clearly the summer – like we see at many clubs – is a time for review, and it’ll be fascinating to see which way Liverpool and other teams go at that point.
“Naturally, if results deteriorate to an alarming degree, I presume the hierarchy at any club – even though they are backing their head coach – will have to think about it, but I think the intention at Liverpool is to back him.”
Slot will recognise that improvement is needed swiftly
Whereas Slot may have been jettisoned at other clubs by now – Manchester United and Chelsea are both above Liverpool in the table, having changed their managers this month – the Anfield hierarchy are taking a more patient approach, recognising what the Dutchman achieved last year.
Journalist David Lynch recently claimed that LFC are quite reluctant to pull the trigger on the 47-year-old mid-season, especially if it means having to appoint an interim replacement, so the likelihood is that the incumbent boss will get the remainder of this campaign at least.
Of course that could change if the Reds completely fall off a cliff over the next few weeks and, by the end of March, are left with little to no hope of salvaging the bare minimum of Champions League qualification.
However, it’s worth remembering that for how difficult this season has been, Liverpool are just two points off fourth place and could still win two trophies, so it’s quite plausible that Slot could still instigate a turnaround to end the campaign on a high note.
We’d like to see the Dutchman continuing to be backed, albeit with an understand that missing out on Champions League football would be unacceptable and that a consistent improvement needs to start now before the gap to the top four becomes insurmountable.
Don’t mind switching to Alonso but he needs signings. Hope slot can give us ucl qualification as his parting gift.
So winning just 5 games out of the last 18 isn’t “falling off a cliff”? Given the quality of most of the opposition the correct word would be ‘mountain’. 5 points clear of Arsenal to 14 behind is some going in less than half a season.
Bearing in mind that Slot was not given any new signings this January (central defender, anybody?), it looks like he is destined to go at the end of the season. Farewell.
Results fell off a cliff a long time ago. 5 wins in 18 league games, boring tiresome football that has no end product, and this season had the worst losing run since the 50’s. We’ve fallen off the cliff and drifted away.
Tactics are terrible, substitutions uninspiring, haven’t played well for a year and the manager is uninspiring.
So results have not deteriorated to an alarming degree yet? He’s got to be kidding me.
The foot ball is slow side to side boring predictable this is his way of playing season ticket holder for 40 years can’t remember being this bad .only hodgeson was this bad the Leeds game was possibly the worst ever.klopp had bad times but never boring used to look forward to the game with jurgen win lose or draw never boring used.
Why are we even comparing Slot to Klopp? The man probably can’t tie his shoelaces, let alone speak about Klopp in the same conversation. Slot has won nothing on his own. Even last season I credit the title to Klopp.
If FSG are fully backing Slot, where is his new contract? That’s been postponed.
After this season he has a year left. No big football club that has faith in the manager lets his contract run right down. FSG will wait until Champions League has gone for next season and sack him. If Hughes and Edwards don’t follow, then what’s the point?
FSG forced out Klopp, made a complete mess of the replacements and they deserve all they get. Don’t be surprised by the next manager to be another shambles. Clueless charlatans FSG.
Where’s Slot’s new contract, then? Gone.
What happened then to Slot’s new contract? If you back the manager, you don’t leave him with a year left on his contract.
If FSG are backing Slot they’d have given him a new contract. It’s been stopped because we’ve been inept. No identity, can’t defend. We’ve gone ten steps backwards since Klopp departed. Once Champions League has gone for next season, we all know what will happen.