Arne Slot needs to do two things at Liverpool with obvious elephant in the room

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is under pressure to improve both performances and results at Anfield, with the Reds' currently on an underwhelming unbeaten run in all competitions

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.(Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)

"In my head it wasn’t a boo, but in my head it was frustration as well," Arne Slot said. "We are Liverpool and we play against Burnley."

Whether Liverpool was properly jeered or not after Saturday's 1-1 draw — and it was, for a short period — it is clear that things need to improve. Not for almost half a century have the Reds failed to beat any of the three promoted teams at Anfield in a single season, but this weekend saw that new piece of unwanted history achieved.

Liverpool is still inside the Champions League places — and should be confident of continuing to be at least as consistent as those around it, given how low the bar is — but there is clearly still a lot of work to undertake.

Right now, Slot's roster looks two or three players short. Injuries to Alexander Isak, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni have not helped, but Liverpool lacks depth at center-back and in wide forward areas, in particular.

The decisions in recruitment had Slot's influence, for sure, and he insisted on Friday that everyone is on the same page behind the scenes when it comes to transfers, but sporting director Richard Hughes was also a key part of the process.

When it comes to the Liverpool style of play and getting the most out of the players brought in, though, that is down to Slot and his coaching team. So far, there have been mixed results.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.(Image: Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

After Xabi Alonso was fired by Real Madrid, there is also now an attainable candidate on the managerial market that would appeal to lots of big clubs — and to many Liverpool fans.

A classy midfielder who has made his feelings towards Liverpool known on many occasions, Alonso remains a well-regarded, up-and-coming coach with a big reputation.

Though he needs to select his next move carefully, few would look at his eight months or so at Real Madrid — a near-impossible club to manage — as anything other than a useful learning experience.

At Bayer Leverkusen, he masterminded a Bundesliga title, played brilliant and exciting football, and brought the best out of the likes of Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong.

That is not to say, of course, that installing Alonso would instantly improve Liverpool. The lack of options in key areas would still be a sticking point and the Premier League is far more challenging than Germany's top flight.

Equally, the idea that Slot is a bad coach or someone whose time is up should be pushed back on. Only a few months ago, he lifted the Premier League title, and some of the tough circumstances since have been out of his control.

With Alonso available, though, the chatter is inevitable. The longer Liverpool goes on being unconvincing — even if it remains unbeaten — the more it will grow.

Slot needs to see steady improvement from his Liverpool team in terms of both wins and entertainment; an FA Cup victory and a strong Champions League run wouldn't go amiss too.