Jamie Redknapp has conceded that Arne Slot warrants patience from Liverpool fans, despite a challenging few months.
The reigning Premier League champion has suffered defeats in six of its last seven league matches - including Saturday's loss to Nottingham Forest at Anfield - with the quality of its performances also raising eyebrows. Nonetheless, having steered Liverpool to the title last season with several matches to spare, Slot has some goodwill to draw upon as he attempts to reverse the club's fortunes, a sentiment echoed by Redknapp.
Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: "You've got to be patient right now. Arne Slot deserves that after what he did last year, and they'll be back. This might be one of those seasons; it's going to be very up and down for them."
The pundit also pointed out that the tragic loss of Diogo Jota and the struggles of new signings to settle in have further complicated matters for Liverpool.
The team's most recent setback came on Saturday when Forest triumphed 3-0 - 14 months after the Nottingham team's previous victory at Anfield.
That was the Reds' only home league defeat last season, but they've already suffered two this campaign, including a loss to Manchester United.
Pressure is growing on Arne Slot
Pressure is growing on Arne Slot (Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool has also been bested by Chelsea, Manchester City, Crystal Palace, Brentford, and Galatasaray since its winning streak ended in late September.
For the clash against Sean Dyche's side, Slot was without Florian Wirtz and Conor Bradley due to fresh injuries, and with Jeremie Frimpong still sidelined, Curtis Jones was deployed at right-back.
Alexander Isak was reinstated up front and Cody Gakpo returned to the left, resulting in Hugo Ekitike being named among the substitutes. Isak started the match but was withdrawn in the 68th minute, while the latter came on shortly after the interval.
"Another big disappointment," Slot told the BBC's Match of the Day after Saturday's game. "We started off quite well for the first half an hour. We conceded the 1-0, and we weren't able to play the way we did in the first half hour."
On conceding within 60 minutes of the second half, Slot added: "Of course, it was damaging.
"It was already hard to be 1-0 against a team blocking everything. It's that simple.
"In a few days, we have to play in the Champions League again and then play three Premier League games in a short space. Keep your head up and work incredibly hard. We are trying every single day.
"It's always helpful to have experienced and quality players. It's not working out at this moment."