Liverpool stars CALLED OUT as Arne Slot advised he’ll lose job except he makes main change
Liverpool’s Premier League title defence has all-but ended after a disastrous run of results, with Arne Slot’s side losing six of their opening 12 matches.
Danny Murphy has fired a stark warning to Arne Slot that his Liverpool managerial position could be under threat unless he overhauls his squad. The Dutchman is facing mounting pressure following a humiliating 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon.
The Reds’ title defence has completely collapsed amid a disastrous sequence of results. Their woes persist despite splashing out on some of football’s hottest properties, such as Alexander Isak for £125m, Florian Wirtz at £116m and Hugo Ekitike for £79m.
With six wins and six losses this campaign, Liverpool languish in 11th place.
They already trail table-toppers Arsenal by 11 points, with the Gunners capitalising on their Anfield rivals’ mishaps and Manchester City’s own stumbles.
Numerous Liverpool players have endured a torrid spell and, given rumours swirling around Slot’s future, Murphy reckons he faces crucial choices ahead.
He said: “A lot of the players have to look in the mirror because out of last season’s players, I’d say only [Dominik] Szoboszlai, [Ryan] Gravenberch, maybe [Andy] Robertson, when he’s come in, have even got near to the levels of last season and that’s not good enough.
“Okay, there’s lots of different reasons and lots of theories, but a lot of it’s mentality, you know, because you’ve won something and maybe the comfort zone a little bit because physically they’re not at it.
“Only one of their four or five top signings – Ekitike – has done well. The players have to take some responsibility.
“Now what can Slot do? He has got to make some huge decisions, and that means leaving some big players out, because back to basics is key.
“Defending better, working harder, being more physical, doing the hard yards – it all sounds very basic stuff – but he’s got to pick his most physical 11 who he thinks are going to defend best for him and start getting some points on the board, because if you keep losing games, he won’t be in a job.”
On the surface, Liverpool now face a more favourable fixture list with encounters against teams languishing in the lower reaches of the table, yet they couldn’t rediscover their winning formula in the Premier League against Forest – who were positioned 19th heading into Saturday’s round of matches.
Slot will welcome the respite of Champions League action when PSV Eindhoven make the journey to Anfield on Wednesday night.
The Reds enjoyed a comparable reprieve last month when they ventured to Germany to face Eintracht Frankfurt, securing a commanding 5-1 victory, but they couldn’t harness that momentum to spark a league revival.
They resume Premier League duties with away fixtures against West Ham and Leeds United, with Sunderland due to visit the Reds in between those two matches.
While their dreams of retaining their Premier League title have faded, attention now turns to securing Champions League qualification for next season.
They trail the top-four by three points following Aston Villa’s comeback win over Leeds on Sunday afternoon.
