Arne Slot keeps low profile and skips award ceremony; club ambassador faces the media instead | OneFootball

The reigning Premier League champions’ troubles off the pitch have become as notable as our stumbles on it, with Arne Slot’s absence from the Northern Football Writers Association awards casting fresh light on the pressure he faces at Anfield.

Gary McAllister steps in as Arne Slot stays away

Lewis Steele confirmed on X: “At the Northern Football Writers Association awards do. Arne Slot has won manager of the season. He was scheduled to be here but is not.”

Liverpool club ambassador Gary McAllister attended in place of our head coach, accepting the manager of the season award on his behalf.

“I’m sure Arne’s obviously very proud and honoured to be given this prestigious award… it’s a shame he can’t make it, so it’s just nice for me to come in and accept it on his behalf,” McAllister told reporters via Sky Sports News.

His presence, and Slot’s deliberate absence, highlights the seriousness with which our boss is taking the challenge of turning around Liverpool’s current struggles.

McAllister also addressed our alarming form this season: “Listen, it’s very difficult to understand why it’s gone so wrong… A lot of hard work was done on the recruitment side, I thought they were outstanding signings, but we’re 12 games in and it hasn’t quite gelled yet.”

Chairman Tom Werner’s presence at Anfield for the Nottingham Forest loss signaled how serious our owners are also taking our current slump.

But McAllister’s candid take echoes Martin Keown’s assessment that Slot deserves time, with the absence underlining that the boss is focusing on results rather than public recognition.

Pressure mounts amid unprecedented Liverpool form

(Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

Liverpool’s current league position – 11th after just 18 points from 12 games – is a dramatic drop from last season’s title-winning campaign.

Our 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest was only the fourth time a visiting side has won by 3+ goals at Anfield in Premier League history, underlining the scale of the crisis.

Slot’s decision to miss the awards is telling, reinforcing that he prioritises restoring the squad’s form over celebrating past success.

As McAllister pointed out, while the pre-season signings were promising, they haven’t fully integrated, leaving us searching for rhythm in both attack and defence.

It’s easy to see the subtle signals of urgency – Slot keeping out of the spotlight, Werner visiting the ground, and senior figures publicly supporting the Dutchman – all of which suggest that Anfield’s response to this form will be measured but serious.

Liverpool’s path back to consistency will rely on Slot translating past excellence into immediate solutions and the club’s current strategy shows he is acutely aware of the stakes.

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