2 hours ago
29
Liverpool fans have spoken: They believe Arne Slot needs to go for the club to turn things around.
In recent weeks, Liverpool has struggled to maintain any sort of consistency, a far cry from starting the season with five straight victories. In their last seven league matches, the club has won just once and suffered back-to-back 3-0 defeats to Nottingham Forest and Manchester City, with the blame falling on Slot.
Now, fans have had enough of the 47-year-old amid a tough patch. The supporters' thoughts come after rumors that Slot could be fired amid a rough stretch of football.
In a poll conducted on Liverpool.com's WhatsApp channel — which included more than 2,200 participants — more than 1,700 fans believed the Reds would be better off by firing Slot. Fewer than 500 people, as of writing, maintain that the Dutchman was the right man for the job to turn the season around.
Almost 81 percent of all participants believe that, despite the success Slot brought to Anfield in his first season replacing Jürgen Klopp, the 47-year-old has already overstayed his welcome.
That said, should Slot be replaced, there are nary many options that could fill in his and, by extension, Klopp's run of sustained excellence in recent years. Notably, club legend Steven Gerrard has already made it clear in the past what he thinks of managing Liverpool.
Despite how fans have reacted to Slot's management this season, Gary Neville believes that supporters should "forget" any speculation regarding the Dutchman's job security. Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast, the former Manchester United defender and Sky Sports pundit made his verdict clear.
"There's no way that Arne Slot should be in danger or losing his job. I've heard murmurs; you go on social media and all that nonsense, but forget that," the 50-year-old said in a recent episode.
"Some Liverpool fans will say, 'Don't talk about my football club like that', but come on, let's have some sense here. This is a really good manager, who's a brilliant front man for the club as well in the way he handles himself. He's got real class.
"For me, he's having a really bad time. I think he's got to somehow reverse back down the road quite quickly and do something different, intervene and sort out what he thinks might be some really difficult decisions staring him in the face, maybe give the players a little bit of help with the make-up of the teams he is picking.
"For Arne Slot, I think it's a real challenging moment. He's going to come under pressure, people are going to start saying the fatal words of, 'Is he in trouble?' But let's not get too carried away with that. He's just signed £450 million worth of players and he's got to try and settle them in.
"Those players who have come into the club have got to step up and prove they can deliver, and the players who have been there a long time — the leaders, captains and experienced players — have to provide stability in the dressing room so the new players don't feel like they're taking all the pressure themselves."
Joining Neville in believing in Slot is Liverpool legend Graeme Souness, who claims the 47-year-old can round the club back into form. "Anything can happen in our league. I have worked in big leagues abroad, and I tell you, our league is by far the most demanding league anywhere. Big clubs don't get a rest," he said on TalkSPORT.
"So it's still very much on for three or four teams, and I have to include Liverpool, because I know the way the crowd react there. They won't give up on the team."
English (US) ·