'I managed in the Premier League - this is why Arne Slot firing talk is frankly ridiculous'

Former Chelsea manager Ruud Gullit has sympathized with his Dutch compatriot Arne Slot, whose future at Liverpool has been questioned in some quarters this season

Arne Slot arrives before Everton vs Liverpool in the Premier League.(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Former Chelsea manager Ruud Gullit says suggestions that Arne Slot could be fired by Liverpool are "ridiculous", with the Reds now looking well-placed to qualify for the Champions League.

Across the course of the campaign, Liverpool has struggled for consistency. It has already lost 10 times in the Premier League as was comfortably dispatched by PSG in Europe, but has a seven-point buffer in fifth place as things stand.

And Gullit says there is no doubt that Slot should be in charge at the start of next season, only 12 months on from Liverpool winning the title at the first time of asking under his guidance and post-Jurgen Klopp.

"Ridiculous!" Gullit told the Daily Mail. "They (Liverpool) didn’t win (the league) for a long, long time. They win the championship and now all of a sudden, you want to kick him out?

"A lot of things happened here with Liverpool, a lot of things. Come on. People need more time to mourn (the death of Diogo Jota on the eve of the season).

"It has a huge effect on the team what happened with Liverpool. Therefore, they need to give Slot another season in order to get it right. Come on."

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.(Image: Andrew Kearns / CameraSport)

Last weekend, Virgil van Dijk scored a late winner for Liverpool against Everton to give the club a huge boost. But there is still work to be done this season, with five fixtures remaining.

"I don't think we've had a lot of big moments yet this season," Slot said. "When we had these big moments, because we scored earlier in extra time of extra time, but then we were able to concede afterwards.

"So, we haven't felt a lot of joy this season, yet. I completely agree with Virgil this season has not been of our standards.

"Going out in the quarter-final of the FA Cup and the Champions League against, from open play, the two best teams in the world, with two great managers, with unlimited resources, that can happen, let's put it that way.

"But in the league, of course, we are far from where we want to be but we have to accept that situation because we've dropped so many points after playing in Europe.

"That's why it's also nice now, after a game in Europe, not to concede in the last minute but to score, after a game in Europe, the winner in extra time from a set-piece, which you maybe would expect them to score from, but we did."

Liverpool.com says: There have been real low points this season, and things have not gone to plan for the Reds. However, things are not all bad.

Florian Wirtz should improve next season, while Alexander Isak will literally be like a new signing. With a couple of quality additions in the summer, Liverpool could look very different again next term.