Liverpool are in a dire run of form that has seen manager Arne Slot come under increasing pressure just months after winning the Premier League title
Liverpool are currently in the midst of a crisis after nine losses in 12 games. Despite leading the Reds to the Premier League title in May, the Dutchman is now under intense pressure.
While Slot pulled off a major triumph in his maiden season after taking over from Jurgen Klopp, it’s no secret that Liverpool’s squad has majorly underperformed this year. After spending in excess of £400million on new additions Liverpool look a shadow of the side that swept to the title last year.
While some sections of the Liverpool fanbase are calling for Slot’s head, Mirror Football understands that Liverpool are not considering an imminent decision to part ways with their manager.
The latest Liverpool news sees club legend Jamie Carragher unleash his thoughts on Liverpool’s devastating Champions League defeat while Klopp once praised a head coach who could well be on Liverpool’s radar should they sack Slot.
Carragher bemoans “sackable offence”
Jamie Carragher claimed that Slot should be sacked for continually selecting Ibrahima Konate in an angry rant. The French international has come under scrutiny for his performances this season.
READ MORE: Liverpool dressing room theory emerges as Arne Slot is faced with key questionsREAD MORE: Jurgen Klopp made his feelings clear as ‘best Liverpool signing’ left under Arne Slot
Konate was in the spotlight once again after a string of errors in their 4-1 Champions League humiliation on Wednesday. Slot later substituted Konate in the second half.
On punditry duty with CBS Sports, Carragher was exasperated, as he slammed several Liverpool stars. “Oh f****** hell, Gakpo,” he said of Liverpool’s Dutch winger before laying into Konate, who was heavily blamed for PSV’s third goal.
“Oh my God, Konate. Oh my God, Konate. Watch Konate, here. Oh my God. I’ve f****** had enough of them, honest to God, that Konate.”
The seething Liverpool icon was then seen making a call and slamming Slot, he added: “I mean, that’s a sackable offence for the manager, he keeps picking him. He should be sacked for that. Have they scored again, 4-1. What’s this, 9 [defeats] in 12?”
Despite calling for Slot’s head in a moment of rage, Carragher has insisted that the Reds boss deserves a little more time.
“Liverpool is not a sacking club,” Carragher said on CBS. “Liverpool are different from almost every club in European football where the manager is the king. They get time. Liverpool have never sacked a manager who won the league. Never, in their history – after a few years, they’ve gone and resigned.”
Klopp’s praise for Zidane resurfaces
While Slot has been forced to answer questions about his job, the task of finding a successor, should the Dutchman be handed his marching orders, would be a huge undertaking for Liverpool.
However, former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is one coach who has been out of work since leaving Los Blancos in 2021 and could be an ideal candidate. He even was once heavily praised by ex-Reds boss Klopp.
While Zidane boasts an exceptional CV, having won three Champions League titles and two La Liga titles, there was often a narrative that Zidane was successful with Los Blancos as he was able to manage the characters within his talented squad, rather than being tactically astute.
It was not a view that Klopp shared. The former Liverpool boss praised Zidane’s ability as a coach ahead of the 2018 Champions League final, which Madrid went on to win 3-1.
“If a lot of people think Zinedine Zidane has not a lot of tactical knowledge and then people think the same about me that would be really funny,” Klopp said. “The two managers in the Champions League final have no clue about tactics? What would that say about the game?
“For me, Zinedine Zidane is one of the best five players of all time in football. I’m longer in Liverpool than he is at Real Madrid and he can win the Champions League for a third time. That’s never happened before.
“Unfortunately I have to accept that he is as brilliant as he was as a player. This group of players work like a clock from Switzerland. I saw his team playing a lot of times and it is just fantastic football. It is organised when it needs to be organised and chaos when it needs to be chaos.”
However, Zidane has been reluctant to return to work and is believed to be waiting for the French national team job, with Didier Deschamps set to step down after this summer’s World Cup.
That does not necessarily mean Zidane would not welcome an approach from Liverpool. In 2022, when asked if he would take a job in the Premier League, Zidane told L’Equipe: “Never say never. Especially when you are a coach today. If I go back to a club, it is to win. I say this with all modesty.”
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
