Liverpool supporters are grappling with the fact that Arne Slot may not be the messiah after all having fallen to yet another Premier League defeat.
Put simply, the Reds are in relegation form after losing six of just 12 fixtures this season.
For some fans, they have seen enough. There are managers out there who could improve Liverpool, and Slot does not look like one of them. Perhaps he has to go.
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Maybe a dream return for Jurgen Klopp could be on the cards, or might Andoni Iraola, Oliver Glasner or any one of Europe’s most talented coaches be the direction Liverpool choose to go in?
The alternative, of course, is that the Reds give Slot more time to turn things around. Not known for sacking managers unless things are really desperate, that is the likely route Liverpool will take for now.
But that does not mean they have to accept this startling fall by doing nothing. Instead of changing the man at the top, perhaps the Reds can make another switch in his backroom team to address the current failings.
Liverpool v Athletic Club Bilbao - Pre-Season Friendly
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Liverpool could make backroom staff change
As well as the major changes within the Liverpool playing squad this summer, there was also a fair bit of turnaround in the dugout.
John Heitinga left to join Ajax, where he has since been sacked, and was replaced by former Netherlands international Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
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While it feels unlikely that replacing Heitinga with Van Bronckhorst made such a vast difference to Liverpool’s fortunes, something is clearly not working. Maybe the Reds could try something different.
Picking an assistant manager is always the head coach’s duty, and there is never a guarantee of success. But for Slot, it may be his only way to shake things up without paying the price with his own job.
Should Liverpool sack Arne Slot?
Arne Slot following Liverpool v Nottingham Forest - Premier League
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Dirk Kuyt was rumoured to be on Liverpool’s list to replace Heitinga, and bringing someone in who knows the club so well might be a good idea.
Alternatively, Slot could run through his list of contacts and have a look at the best and brightest who could be available.
More change might not necessarily be the right way to go for Liverpool, but things simply cannot go on in the same manner. Something has to give. Unfortunately for Van Bronckhorst, maybe he is to be the fall guy on this occasion.
Could Liverpool bring John Heitinga back?
While Kuyt might be someone to consider, the obvious answer here would simply be to bring Heitinga back in from the cold.
The former Everton man is currently unemployed after a difficult spell at Ajax, and would likely welcome a return to Anfield.
Who could replace Arne Slot at Liverpool if he is sacked?
Arne Slot during Manchester City v Liverpool - Premier League
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Andoni Iraola
Oliver Glasner
Jurgen Klopp
Cesc Fabregas
Steven Gerrard
Roberto De Zerbi
Getting the band back together may just be the change Slot needs to break out of a funk which he and the Liverpool coaching staff are responsible for.
In reality, this does not seem especially likely. It would be fairly bold for Liverpool to sack the team behind Slot and bring a new one in mid-season. That is not something that tends to happen in top level football.
But if the Reds are determined to keep faith in Slot for a little while longer, then it could be one last roll of the dice before they are left with no choice but to take the nuclear option.