Liverpool sent strong Arne Slot firing verdict and Jurgen Klopp message - 'You've got to'

Former Premier League manager Sam Allardyce has urged Liverpool to stand by Arne Slot despite a disappointing season, arguing the Dutch coach deserves more time after winning the league title in his first year at Anfield

A former Premier League manager has given his thoughts on Arne Slot's future at Liverpool(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Premier League stalwart Sam Allardyce has sent a clear message to the Liverpool board to stand by Arne Slot. The Reds have significantly underperformed this season, trailing league leaders Arsenal by 21 points.

There was considerable anticipation around the new additions to Slot's team last summer after the club broke transfer records for Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak. With the recruitment of more top-tier talent to a championship-winning squad, Liverpool was widely expected to have a commanding season, but these forecasts fell short.

The Reds have endured 10 losses in 31 league games and are fighting to secure a spot in the top four. Liverpool faces a tough FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester City on Saturday, followed by the first leg of the Champions League tie with Paris Saint-Germain.

The upcoming two matches could potentially ramp up pressure on Slot, who has faced criticism over the team's performance and playing style. However, seasoned manager Allardyce has contended that the scrutiny on the Reds' boss is unjust compared to his predecessor Jurgen Klopp's tenure at Anfield, reports the Liverpool Echo.

"You can't get rid of him when he just comes in and wins the league – nobody else has ever done that," he stated on the Footy Accumulators No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, in association with BOYLE Sports. "You've got to give him another year. You've got to, he won the league.

"He won the league, Jurgen Klopp couldn't win the league in the last three years he tried to and he's still a God."

Sam Allardyce has urged Liverpool to stick with Arne Slot(Image: Getty Images)

In contrast to many of its competitors this season, Liverpool has avoided the urge to make a managerial switch. Yet former Bolton manager Allardyce reckons that Premier League clubs are mistaken for refusing to grant coaches sufficient time to navigate difficult periods.

"Boards are not strong enough to put up with the c---," he added. "They're so weak. Boards of directors are so goddamn weak now. It's unbelievable. You stick by your man if that's the way it is. So you've got to give him next season."

Slot secured Liverpool's second Premier League crown in his maiden year at the helm, having previously lifted the trophy under Klopp in 2020. Despite the Dutch manager's instant success at Anfield, Allardyce suggests Slot is perhaps viewed less favorably owing to his absence of touchline theatrics.

"You've got to be a film star as a manager now because you've got to act," Allardyce added. "You have to act in front of your crowd. You've got to show emotion – run down the touchline, get a yellow card, punch the air. You've got to give it all that. Let's go!"

Meanwhile, Slot is entering the final year of his Liverpool deal after signing a three-year contract in 2024. He declined to discuss his long-term future earlier this month following his side's progression to the Champions League quarter-finals.

"Is this how football works, we win one time (4-0 against Galatasaray) and now we are talking about my contract?" Slot commented. "We didn't win one time by the way, we have won more than everyone thinks in the last one or two months."

He added: "Reaching a quarter-final [of the Champions League] is positive and now we have to make more of a step in the league because we don't have the greatest position in the league, so it is going to be a fight and my focus is completely on that."