1 hour ago
1
Former Premier League star Ben Foster has suggested that Arne Slot's tenure at Liverpool could be nearing its end.
Slot is under increasing pressure as the Reds' title hopes fade, following a 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest over the weekend. Liverpool now finds itself three points adrift of the Champions League places and a further eight behind Arsenal in first.
The Merseyside club has suffered losses in six of its last seven outings across all competitions, with the loss to Forest marking its second consecutive 3-0 defeat, after the same result against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City just before the international break.
Foster, who previously kept goal for Manchester United and Wrexham, believes that Slot is on thin ice as fans start to lose patience. The former Feyenoord boss had a stellar first season at Anfield, guiding Liverpool to Premier League glory.
However, Foster is concerned that Slot's players have lost faith in their ability to retain the title this season, and the opportunity for him to reverse their worrying decline is shrinking by the day.
On his Fozcast podcast, he commented: "He's not far (from being fired). Listen to talkSPORT and listen to the call-ins. I think it's a massive confidence problem. It's a mental problem at the minute.
"Liverpool started the game (against Forest) and were the best team on the pitch. They could have been two or three up in the first half an hour. Then Forest got their goal, and heads dropped from Liverpool like you wouldn't believe.
"Title-winning teams don't do that. That's all in your head, and that's the bit that worries me for Liverpool.
"He is under massive pressure. The fans are gunning for him."
Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk has urged his teammates to stick together as criticism of their performances mounts. The center-back also insists the responsibility lies with the players, rather than their manager, to put things right.
Van Dijk said: "We are definitely letting him (Slot) down, but we've let ourselves down as well. You look at yourself first and then you help each other, you help each other get out of this mess because at the moment it is a mess - that's just a fact."
However, former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp believes it's premature to question Slot's position. The ex-Reds player has urged the club's leadership to stay patient and allow the manager the opportunity to reverse their current form.
He said: "After Jurgen Klopp leaving the club, I thought it would have some negative effect on the team. There wasn't. They did something absolutely extraordinary and won the league.
"Right now, I think it's time for patience because there will be people, pundits, everyone going crazy, (saying) 'Sack the manager'. (Be) calm, take your time, make sure you assess it. It's been the most difficult preseason you can imagine for those players."
English (US) ·