Arne Slot has recently seen accusations levelled at him that he does not give opportunities to Liverpool’s talented young players.
Slot took over the Reds at a time when Jurgen Klopp was handing out debuts left, right and centre.
Liverpool won the Carabao Cup in 2024 with a team featuring several academy players, with the future seen as being very bright for those who got out on the pitch.
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Midfielder James McConnell was one of those. Introduced in the 87th minute, McConnell excelled throughout extra time as Liverpool edged past Chelsea’s ‘billionaire bottlejobs.’
Since then, injury has disrupted the youngster’s progress, but he has still managed to catch the eye of his new manager. Slot hailed McConnell after January’s Champions League match against PSV, suggesting he sees the 21-year-old’s future at Anfield.
McConnell’s development moved to its next stage over the summer as he joined Dutch giants Ajax on loan. However, despite the move looking like a good one, things are starting to turn sour for the Sunderland native.
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James McConnell failing to make Ajax impact
Joining Ajax had rightly been seen as a big opportunity for McConnell, with the Dutch side’s style of football suiting the youngster on paper.
Things have not worked out that way, though, with former Liverpool assistant John Heitinga – the man who brought McConnell to the club – already sacked.
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The Liverpool loanee has started only one Eredivisie match, with three further substitute appearances bringing his total minutes on the pitch to just 101.
As Dutch journalist Johan Inan said to the AD Voetbal podcast, there is a chance McConnell does not see out the season at the Amsterdam Arena.
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“That guy is in his early twenties. And yet everyone was advocating for an experienced number six. I’ll have to see if he’ll finish the season at Ajax. They’re already looking for a new six.”
Given how highly he rated McConnell on the back of his first team involvement last season, Slot would be justified in being angry at the way things have gone.
If game time continues to elude him until the January window, McConnell may have to cut his losses and come back to Liverpool.
McConnell may need to make brave recall decision
Heading into the season, McConnell must have been feeling good about his prospects of a long-term future at Liverpool.
Slot had publicly backed him more than once and it seemed clear that if he managed to have a good loan spell, he could return with genuine hope of being a regular in the Reds’ first team.
In just a few short months, those prospects seem to have dwindled considerably. If he sits and does nothing, McConnell could find himself out of the picture at Liverpool.
Arne Slot speaks to James McConnell during Liverpool's UEFA Champions League match against PSV Eindhoven.
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Hope is not lost yet, but it seems likely that Ajax are not planning ahead with the Reds’ youngster. McConnell, therefore, has two options: sit and scrap for minutes in the Netherlands, or come back to Liverpool and find a better solution.
The former choice surely puts McConnell back at square one come next pre-season, but if he makes the brave choice to cut his ties with Ajax, he can either make an impact at Anfield in the second half of the season, or find a better loan spell where he is guaranteed minutes.
If he wants to succeed at Liverpool in the manner Slot believes he can, the decision is clear.