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Liverpool chairman Tom Werner was in attendance at Anfield on Saturday to see the Reds’ latest humiliation in person, with his and the club’s stance on Arne Slot now being seriously tested.
The 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest was Liverpool’s sixth defeat in its last seven Premier League games - and eighth loss in the last 11 games across all competitions - leaving its title defense in tatters. Just 12 games into the league campaign, catching Arsenal is already looking well beyond the Reds’ means.
The manner in which Slot’s men fell to their latest capitulation has left fans more worried than at any point during this dismal run of form, and has left serious questions lingering over the future of Liverpool’s head coach.
Werner, along with the others higher up in the Anfield hierarchy, will be tasked with making a judgment on Slot should the current crisis - as it is being dubbed in the UK’s media - continue.
The Reds’ chairman saw the calamity against Forest unfold before his very eyes, just a couple of days after he had effectively given his and the club’s backing to Slot.
“With Michael [Edwards] and Richard [Hughes] on board, we had enormous confidence that they would find the right person,” Werner told The Athletic.
“Arne was always their first choice, and he’s shown why that was the case. It’s a surprise to everyone that his first year went quite so wonderfully, but it’s been a source of delight.
“One of Arne’s great attributes is his authenticity. He’s not trying to be Jurgen Klopp, he’s not trying to be Pep Guardiola. He’s his own man, and he’s quite brilliant in all the things that he does.
“I think he saw this as a great opportunity for him. He came into a club which was very strong. He inherited a squad which was enormously talented. He felt he could work with them and help improve some of their performances. He’s a wonderful strategist. He took something that was already in very good shape and moulded it to his liking.
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“His humility is balanced with a real inner belief that he knows what he’s doing. I had an opportunity to watch training before the final game of the season and it was very impressive. The fact that Arne, as head coach, was able to focus solely on coaching worked well. The dynamic is good between him, Richard and Michael.”
That confidence in Slot is facing its biggest test right now. The Liverpool boss of course has a lot of credit in the bank following last season’s title triumph, which is why the prospect of him being fired still feels a fair way off.
Such a poor run has put him in a difficult position though, and should there be any more defeats in the coming weeks, Werner might find himself having to rethink the club’s stance on Slot.
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