Steven Gerrard has been without a managerial role since leaving Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq in January, but the Liverpool legend isn't about to jump back into a coaching role in the UK
Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard was back at Anfield on Wednesday night
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Steven Gerrard was back at Anfield on Wednesday night to witness his former club Liverpool slip further into crisis. Gerrard was forced to give his take on Arne Slot’s job security, but the ex-midfielder isn’t about to jump into a management role himself.
Liverpool were beaten 4-1 by PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League to make it three straight defeats by a three-goal margin after Nottingham Forest and Manchester City also eased to wins. The defending Premier League champions are in disarray after losing nine of their last 12 games in all competitions.
While Mirror Football understands that Slot’s job remains safe for now, the pressure is undoubtedly ramping up on the Dutchman. They face West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday next and Slot is in desperate need of a result.
The presence of club legend Gerrard at Anfield, doing punditry for TNT Sports, won’t have been lost on some Reds fans. But even if he wanted to take over from Slot, there is very little chance of that coming to pass in the near future, even though the 45-year-old is available after leaving Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq in January.
That is largely down to tax reasons, with a £10million bill hovering over his head if he were to take a management position in the UK. Gerrard has to wait until April to take a permanent position in the UK because he has to remain outside of the country for a full tax year to ensure his earnings remain tax-free.
Gerrard can spend 91 days in the UK during this tax year, but taking up a full-time management role would obviously break that boundary. Speaking on Wednesday night, he tried to be supportive of Slot, who finds himself embattled just months after securing the Premier League title in his debut campaign.
“Each defeat, especially the manner of defeat, you become closer to the crisis,” Gerrard said on TNT Sports. “I don’t like using the word crisis because a crisis to me is a club that needs years to get back to the top.
Arne Slot
Liverpool have lost nine out of their last 12 games under Arne Slot
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“I don’t think Liverpool are at that point at all. They’ve still got magnificent players. This is still the majority of a squad that won the league a few months ago. So I think ‘crisis’ is too strong. But you can’t deny that this team is struggling massively.”
Asked about Liverpool's performance post-match, Gerrard added: "No it's not [acceptable], they're conceding too many goals, they're wide open, they're vulnerable and unstable.
"Anfield tells a story, the seats are empty, PSV were excellent, comfortable here tonight and deserve the victory. Liverpool's problems become deeper, pressure intensifies even more and there needs to be soul searching for sure.”
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