Will Arne Slot still be in charge of Liverpool by Christmas as sack calls grow louder? | OneFootball

Another embarrassing defeat and Arne Slot’s status as Liverpool manager is being called into question again – but how long can this really go on?

Liverpool lost 4-1 at Anfield to PSV on Wednesday night in the Champions League, meaning they’ve now lost by a three-goal margin in each of their past three games. It has ramped up the pressure on Slot, who has lost nine of his last 12 matches.

Slot has credit in the bank after winning the Premier League title in his first season as Liverpool manager last time out, but despite the extent to which the club invested in the squad over the summer, recent results have raised questions over his future.

So, will Slot still be in charge of Liverpool by Christmas? Our writers debate his future…

Fraser Fletcher

He might not! He has three very winnable games ahead and if he takes nine points it all looks very different. There is no doubt that he is under serious pressure and the results have not been good enough but football can change quickly.

James Marshment

Nine losses in 12 games is unacceptable at any Premier League side, but at a juggernaut like Liverpool, it goes beyond unthinkable.

The drop-off in not just results, but in standards too from last season, is the story of the season and arguably the last decade.

The rot simply cannot continue or there is no way Slot will be allowed to carry on…

Yet despite that, I do think there are factors in his favour and I don’t think the axe will fall any time soon. So if you’re asking me if he will still be in charge come Christmas, I very much do, and here’s why:

Firstly, last season’s title win means he has credit in the bank and, as our correspondent Fraser Fletcher was told by a senior Liverpool source on Wednesday, the Reds do not dispense of their managers easily. For that reason alone, I think he’ll be afforded slightly more time…

Secondly, the run of games coming up gives Liverpool an ideal chance to pick up some momentum and, despite their struggles, they will be fancied to beat West Ham, Sunderland and Leeds. Three straight wins and the table will look far healthier from a Liverpool perspective.

Those wins will also help build confidence and ensure Slot can finally work out his best side. That might mean some tough decisions will have to be made, with the likes of Konate, Kerkez and probably Cody Gakpo needing axing from the side.

Do that, and I think he, and Liverpool, will be OK…

Steve Pearson

Probably, but he shouldn’t be.

The most alarming thing about Liverpool’s demise is they get beaten the exact same way every week, yet do nothing to change.

Liverpool are vomit-inducing at set pieces, both offensively and defensively, lose far too many duels, pick players in the wrong positions, and play endless square balls in front of a low block like they’re allergic to the goal.

Ultimately, the buck stops with the manager and had Slot not won the Premier League last year, he’d already have gone.

The overwhelming majority of sources continue to suggest Slot is not in any imminent danger of being axed. But a club the size of Liverpool cannot keep losing in the manner they are.

Jurgen Klopp famously oversaw six Premier League defeats in a row at Anfield at the beginning of 2021. But Klopp’s excuse was he had an injury crisis in defence. What is Slot’s excuse?

The calibre of manager Liverpool would hire are rarely available mid-season. Liverpool will keep losing, but Slot won’t be binned until the end of the season.

Samuel Bannister

I do think Slot will still be in charge of Liverpool by Christmas – but it’s the kind of form that makes you wonder when the axe would have to fall if they just kept losing.

It reminds me of when Manchester City were in a rut this time last year. Pep Guardiola had so much credit behind him, but when they went one win in nine league games, thoughts crept in about how longer that run could go on before his position would start to be discussed.

As it was, City rode it out and recovered. Questions of Guardiola’s future would now look silly.

Slot doesn’t have the same pedigree but what he achieved at Liverpool last season means any decision to dismiss him would not be taken lightly.

I also doubt there’s a readily available candidate to come in and replace Slot at this stage, which may buy him some time.

James Holland

Slot will remain in charge of Liverpool beyond Christmas as he will be saved by their favourable run of fixtures.

Even amid their dire form, Liverpool will expect to pick up at least four points from their next three games. They travel to West Ham on Sunday, host Sunderland at Anfield after that, and then have an away clash with Leeds United.

Liverpool’s Christmas fixtures are helpful, too. They visit Tottenham Hotspur on December 20, which the stats show to be a surprisingly easy game, before hosting bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers on December 27.

Slot is under pressure to turn results around, and patience among fans is wearing thin, but he still has credit in the bank with Anfield chiefs after guiding Liverpool to the title last season.

Dropping Milos Kerkez and Ibrahima Konate for Andy Robertson and Joe Gomez this weekend could help reduce defensive mistakes.

Hugo Ekitike being fit enough to start against West Ham would also be a boost, as Alexander Isak still looks way off the pace.

Nathan Egerton

Following Liverpool’s Premier League title win last season, the idea of sacking Slot seemed unthinkable.

The owners backed him in the summer transfer window and let him spend over £400million on new players but the side have gone backwards this season.

The Reds have now suffered nine defeats in their past 12 games in all competitions and that form would be a sackable offence at many clubs.

The credit in the bank from last season is the only reason Slot is still in a job today but that will eventually run out if results don’t improve.

Slot has also faced growing criticism over his squad selections as he continues to pick players in poor form, including Ibrahima Konate and Alexis Mac Allister.

Admittedly, Liverpool have some winnable games before Christmas but they would have expected to pick up six points from Nottingham Forest and PSV Eindhoven.

The manager is struggling to come up with answers to Liverpool’s problems and the drop off in form shows no signs of stopping.

While Liverpool won’t want to change managers, it will soon become the only option to stop the rut.