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Liverpool's 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday marked a fifth loss in six games under Arne Slot, and a fifth consecutive loss in domestic competitions.
Despite this, there's no indication that the Dutchman's position at Liverpool is under threat, especially considering he delivered a Premier League title just months ago. He'll undoubtedly be keen to halt this losing streak as soon as possible.
Other Premier League managers have weathered similar storms, with their past successes earning them patience from the club's hierarchy. Claudio Ranieri remained at Leicester until late February 2017, when the looming threat of relegation made his position untenable. Even Jose Mourinho managed to hold onto his job until December 2015, despite Chelsea's fall from first to 16th place.
Liverpool is set to face Aston Villa on Saturday, following league defeats against Palace, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Brentford. However, Slot doesn't believe there's any extra pressure on this match. "I don't think it is possible if you lose six out of seven that there is even more pressure," he told journalists after the Carabao Cup exit.
"If you are on a run of results like this, if you play for Liverpool, if you manage Liverpool, you know the pressure is there. I don't think it has changed much after this loss, but if it did, then maybe the most positive thing about tonight was the position we were in, 2-0 down, and we weren't really pushing for a goal because we weren't able to; the fans were behind the team and supporting us.
"That gives me the feeling on Saturday, when our players will show how much it means to them, our fans will be incredibly supportive for us on Saturday. Again, we face a team that has rested in the week to play us, and that's Villa."
Whether departing on their own terms or discovering their tenure had concluded for alternative reasons, Liverpool's recent managers have typically been afforded time to attempt a turnaround. Here, we examine how their reigns concluded.
Jurgen Klopp
Klopp was afforded an extended farewell by Liverpool, and few would deny him such consideration. He revealed in January 2024 that he had become too exhausted to maintain the same level of intensity, but would have one final attempt at Premier League glory before his departure.
In the end he fell short, with Liverpool remaining competitive until April but collecting merely 12 points from the team's final eight league games. The same spell witnessed Europa League aspirations crumble, as eventual winner Atalanta secured a 3-0 victory at Anfield during its quarterfinal success.
Klopp did at least manage to conclude with a victory. Liverpool welcomed Wolves for his final match in charge, with strikes from Alexis Mac Allister and Jarell Quansah securing a comfortable 2-0 triumph.
Brendan Rodgers
Rodgers' remarkable 2013-14 season, when Liverpool was close to an extraordinary title victory, earned the Northern Irishman a good deal of patience. A dip in form the following season was expected, given the departure of Luis Suarez, and he received support at the beginning of the 2015-16 campaign as the Reds attempted to recover from the loss of another key player, Raheem Sterling.
The start of the season couldn't have been more different from the goal-laden title pursuit, with Liverpool netting two and conceding none as it secured seven points from its first three matches. However, the Reds only managed one win in their next five league games, while also drawing their first two Europa League group matches and narrowly defeating Carlisle in the League Cup.
Rodgers' final match was an away game at Everton, where Danny Ings' opening goal for the Reds was equalized by Romelu Lukaku. It marked his sixth draw in 11 games that season.
Kenny Dalglish
Dalglish's second stint at Liverpool wasn't particularly lengthy. After a recovery mission in the latter half of the 2010-11 season, his inability to guide the Reds back into the Champions League ultimately led to his downfall.
In the end, it wasn't even a close call. Liverpool only spent one week in the top four during the 38 weeks of the 2011-12 campaign, and a League Cup final triumph over Cardiff - along with a defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup final - wasn't enough to compensate for an eighth-place finish.
Dalglish praised the "honorable, respectful and dignified way" the ownership dealt with his departure. He was afforded time until the campaign's conclusion, departing with a 1-0 loss to Swansea, which would also mark Rodgers' final match at the Liberty Stadium before his Anfield arrival.
Roy Hodgson
Hodgson arrived at Anfield following his success in guiding Fulham to the Europa League final, yet departed by January. Taking over from a long-serving boss is invariably challenging, and the Englishman couldn't bounce back from a sluggish beginning after replacing Rafa Benitez.
The Reds briefly found themselves amongst the bottom three following a disastrous opening, with Hodgson securing victory in merely one of his initial eight league encounters. There was also an astonishing League Cup elimination by lower-division Northampton, who prevailed on spot-kicks following a 2-2 stalemate at Anfield.
Matters improved slightly in continental competition, where Hodgson's players finished first in their Europa League group, yet Premier League performances sealed his fate. He received his marching orders following Liverpool's 3-1 reverse at Blackburn - a third loss in four outings, which positioned the club well within the table's lower reaches.
Rafa Benitez
A Champions League winner in 2005 and an FA Cup champion twelve months afterwards, Benitez can regard his Anfield spell as triumphant. A Premier League crown just slipped through his fingers, with the Reds agonizingly close to dethroning Manchester United in 2008-09.
The subsequent season turned out to be the Spaniard's final one in charge. Liverpool's performance was hampered by the transfer of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid, while new recruit Alberto Aquilani had a tough time due to injuries during his stint at Anfield.
Benitez's squad experienced an early departure from Europe and ended up seven points shy of the top four, missing out on a return to the Champions League. Benitez departed in the summer of 2010. The Reds failed to score in his last two matches, the final one being a 0-0 draw against relegated Hull.
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