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Former Liverpool midfielder Igor Biscan has backed his ex-teammate Xabi Alonso to one day take over from Arne Slot at Anfield, with the pressure on the Dutchman to turn around a dire run of form.
Alonso has lost to Slot this season in the Champions League when Alexis Mac Allister scored the winner. Real Madrid, though, is level on points with Barcelona in La Liga and takes on Elche later today.
Biscan said: "There is pressure, but for every manager at that level, there is always pressure. I don't think his job is in question. Even if he doesn’t win the league, just by doing what he did last year, after what happened before he arrived and how difficult his job was, it was exceptional.
"Everybody was saying it would be extremely difficult for him to really continue what Jurgen Klopp had done before him.
"He is a quality manager, and he deserves a lot of credit and he needs time. There are so many new players, and you need time to make them work together. I'm really sure that they will start winning again very soon."
So far, after spending big in the summer, Liverpool is yet to see the best of the likes of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz. The latter is now injured, while Hugo Ekitike, the best of the arrivals, was named on the bench as the Reds lost to Nottingham Forest.
While Slot might not be going anywhere yet, Biscan says Alonso could put himself in the frame at some point. Real Madrid doesn't tend to keep the same manager for more than three years or so, and he should still have a long time left in the coaching game.
"Xabi Alonso as Liverpool manager? I think that's always a possibility," Biscan, speaking to Boyle Sports, who offer the latest Premier League betting, continued. "If he keeps on doing what he's doing, and to be successful and make a difference.
"Whenever you watch his teams, they are doing so well, they have a clear structure, and the quality is always there. Who wouldn't want to have a manager like him?"
Liverpool has PSV next in the Champions League. It will then take on West Ham United in the Premier League next weekend.
"Of course there is a way out [of the bad form], especially with the quality players we have," Slot said in his post-match press conference on Saturday.
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"I think no matter if you win or you lose, if you make a line-up and if you make substitutions and when you look back you're always thinking about, 'Where can we do better? Where can we adjust?' But that's something else than doubting yourself.
"I want to emphasize one more time on the fact that I'm responsible for the current losses. You are responsible when you're winning, but you're also responsible when you are losing.
"Although you asked me that question, not to talk about referee decisions or other excuses, I can never come up with enough excuses to have the results we have. That is far from good enough, and I'm responsible for that."
Liverpool.com says: Alonso isn't leaving Real Madrid any time soon and while things clearly need to improve, the Reds shouldn't need a replacement for Slot yet anyway. In a few years' time, the Spaniard might be the right man.
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