Sports
Liverpool looking to hire a “legend” to replace Slot
In an astonishing set of quotes, Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah has thrown his own future at Anfield into doubt after being left on the bench in the 3-3 draw with Leeds United on Saturday.
The Egypt international has been a substitute for the last three matches for the Reds, and has claimed that someone at the club does not want him there.
Salah also revealed that he has told his parents to go to the Brighton game because it is his last match before the African Cup of Nations and that he “doesn’t know what is going to happen” whilst he is there, during the January transfer window.
However, the situation could develop if there is a change in the dugout at Anfield in the coming days or weeks, as the Reds are reportedly looking at potential replacements for Arne Slot.
Liverpool considering Arne Slot replacement
According to Dave OCKOP, Liverpool have their eyes on managers to step in, as an interim or permanent appointment, if they decide to part ways with Slot.
The Dutch head coach has lost ten of his 23 matches in charge of the club this season, per Transfermarkt, and the Reds are currently eighth in the Premier League with six losses in 15 games.
This latest report claims that Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has been sounded out as a possible candidate to come in as an interim replacement for Slot, should he be sacked.
The English head coach, who has managed Aston Villa and Rangers, is under consideration to take the top job at Anfield, and it is a move that Salah would love.
Why Mo Salah would love Steven Gerrard at Liverpool
Gerrard, who was described as “a true legend of the game” by Xabi Alonso, played 710 matches for the club during his playing days, per Transfermarkt, and scored 186 goals.
Without trying to sound too cliché, the 45-year-old boss is a manager who would ‘get it’ at Liverpool and arrive as a unifying figure who could create a positive mentality at Anfield again, as a personality already loved by supporters.
Salah, in particular, would love it if Gerrard were appointed as Slot’s replacement because he would know that the Englishman respects and rates him incredibly highly.
Speaking earlier this year, Gerrard named Salah as the one player in history that he would have loved to have played with during his playing days.
As you can hear in the clip above, the Liverpool legend also declared the Egyptian as his favourite player in 2023, which is further evidence of the respect that he has for the left-footed superstar.
|
Steven Gerrard’s managerial career |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Team |
Games managed |
Points per game |
|
Al-Ettifaq |
55 |
1.33 |
|
Aston Villa |
40 |
1.18 |
|
Rangers |
192 |
2.15 |
|
Liverpool YL |
8 |
2.25 |
|
Liverpool U18 |
24 |
1.71 |
Gerrard, as evidenced by the statistics above, is not a proven top-level manager who has won numerous league titles in the major leagues in Europe, but he did enjoy a good spell with Rangers when tasked with managing a dominant team.
He may not be the long-term solution in the dugout for Liverpool, although you never know, but as an interim appointment to steady the ship and repair the club’s seemingly fractured relationship with Salah, it could make a lot of sense.
Getting Salah, who produced 34 goals and 23 assists last season (Sofascore), back onside and at his best could be a better move than any tactical changes that a manager could make to the system, which is why Gerrard could be a shrewd appointment.
Bringing in a head coach who loves the Egypt international and would want to make him a key member of the team again could solve this problem, which has emerged from these latest quotes from Salah, and bring a feel-good factor back to Anfield.
As bad as Konate: Slot must axe 6/10 Liverpool star who made 0 tackles
Liverpool blew a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 against Leeds United at Elland Road.
This could then buy Liverpool time to assess Gerrard’s suitability for the job on a permanent basis, whilst also giving them time to look at and identify a long-term successor to Slot.
