Arne Slot has nowhere to hide as Liverpool's ultimate humiliation could be worse than it thought

Arne Slot is sounding more and more like a defeated man, and if Liverpool continues on the same path, its humiliation could turn out to be even worse than it imagined

Arne Slot is running out of excuses for Liverpool's poor showings(Image: Getty Images)

Here’s a sentence you rarely hear from a Liverpool supporter - thank God for the international break.

Often the bane of the Reds’ fans’ existence, right now, nearly two weeks without a domestic game sounds like Heaven, such has been the mire that Arne Slot’s side finds itself.

Yet again this season, the feel-good factor of a result that felt like a turning point in a dismal season has been all too quickly extinguished. At this point, it feels pointless to get your hopes up, even after the sort of performance that saw Liverpool summarily dispatch of Galatasaray in the Champions League.

Europe is offering just about the only respite at the moment from a Premier League campaign that, if not already derailed, feels like it’s about to be.

The draw with Tottenham was met with anger by a lot of supporters. By contrast, it almost felt like there was an acceptance after the defeat to Brighton, which is perhaps even more damning.

This is just what Liverpool is now. If the Reds come up against a half-decent side, it just feels inevitable that they’ll be outthought, outfought, and end up dropping points. Even Slot himself sounds like he’s resigned himself to this reality.

It was another day to forget for Arne Slot and Liverpool against Brighton(Image: Getty Images)

"They were the better team and created more chances than us,” he said after Saturday’s defeat. “Everything I say about this, people will see this as excuses and I never like to use excuses after the game."

He would in fact go on to try and offer some reasoning for his side’s consistently under-par showings, but ended his defense of the club’s summer spending spree by reiterating: “No matter how many excuses I can come up with, it's still not good enough, the position."

There’s no hiding places left for Slot. Even he’s struggling to explain why his side is so woefully prepped for its bread and butter that is the Premier League. And yet, the Reds could still be on course to salvage a place in next season’s Champions League.

As bad as Liverpool has been recently, Chelsea has been even worse, and the Blues are allowing the Reds to cling on to that all-important fifth spot, which could be just about enough.

The problem is, if this form continues, it’s not just Chelsea that Slot and co will have to worry about.

The race for European spots is getting tighter. Brentford and Everton sit just three points behind Liverpool now, while Fulham and Brighton are not that far away at all - especially when the Reds are hemorrhaging points so consistently.

Liverpool is putting itself in danger of completely missing out on a place in Europe(Image: Shaun Brooks - CameraSport via Getty Images)

Remember Dominik Szoboszlai’s recent warning? “We have to wake up because if we carry on like this, we should be happy with the Conference League.”

Well, that is becoming a very real concern, and the way things are going, that nightmare could get even worse. At this point, you can’t rule out Liverpool dropping out of the European places entirely.

That simply can’t happen, not with the amount of money that has gone into this squad. If it does, Slot is going to have dig deep for his excuses.