Former Liverpool midfielder Igor Biscan has rejected claims that Arne Slot could face the sack as Anfield boss following a dismal Premier League title defence. The Champions League winner also believes that Alexander Isak can turn around his fortunes after a hugely underwhelming beginning to his Reds career.
Liverpool's aspirations of retaining the title have been virtually extinguished by a catastrophic run of six losses in seven top-flight matches, culminating in a woeful 3-0 home defeat to struggling Nottingham Forest. The disastrous sequence has placed Slot under intense examination, with the Dutchman now third-favourite amongst bookmakers to become the next league manager dismissed, trailing only Leeds' Daniel Farke and Fulham's Marco Silva.
However, Biscan is adamant that Slot has already demonstrated his ability to navigate challenging circumstances after taking over from Jurgen Klopp as manager 18 months ago.
"There is pressure, but for every manager at that level, there is always pressure," he told BOYLE Sports. "I don't think his job is in question. Even if he doesn't win the league, just by doing what he did last year, after what happened before he arrived and how difficult his job was, it was exceptional."
"Everybody was saying it would be extremely difficult for him to really continue what Jurgen Klopp had done before him.
"He is a quality manager, and he deserves a lot of credit and he needs time. There are so many new players, and you need time to make them work together. I'm really sure that they will start winning again very soon."
Xabi Alonso was among those touted as a potential successor to Klopp before Slot's appointment. Biscan believes his former colleague could one day manage at Anfield.
"Xabi Alonso as Liverpool manager? I think that's always a possibility if he keeps on doing what he's doing, and be successful and make a difference," he said.
"Whenever you watch his teams, they are doing so well, they have a clear structure, and the quality is always there. Who wouldn't want to have a manager like him?"
Isak has endured a torrid time at Liverpool following his British record £125million switch from Newcastle in September, with fitness issues compounding dismal form that has yielded just one goal in nine appearances and resulted in yet another early substitution against Forest.
However, Biscan said: "Which team would not have wanted to sign Alexander Isak at the beginning of the season? I don't think there is any team, any manager, any set of fans who would say 'No, no, we don't like him. We don't believe that he will be good enough for our team'.
"He's a special player. He's a top-class centre-forward, like everybody knows. And yeah, he missed pre-season and then the lack of match fitness, sharpness, for sure, takes away a bit of your ability.
"But it's the same situation like what we said about Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk, you know, the quality is there. And there is for sure quality. It's always been there. It's just a matter of time before he starts scoring.
"It's just a matter of getting into the right rhythm, scoring some goals, and then again, a little bit of this momentum back. And the whole team needs that, and when this happens, then we will see a different story."