Our Echo Sport writers share their opinions on Liverpool's recent form and whether Arne Slot is the right man for the job going forward, with the clock ticking for him to turn things around
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is under growing pressure(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
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Liverpool find themselves in extremely choppy waters after their latest defeat at the hands of PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.
It has been a dismal couple of months for the reigning Premier League champions, with wins against Eintracht Frankfurt, Aston Villa and Real Madrid rare high points in what has otherwise been an atrocious run of form. Liverpool have lost nine of their last 12 games across all competitions, representing their worst run in more than 70 years.
On Wednesday night, the usually assured Virgil van Dijk was guilty of a calamitous error as he conceded a penalty for handball inside the opening five minutes at Anfield. A Dominik Szoboszlai equaliser 10 minutes later should have been the catalyst for what would typically have been a routine win, but instead the Reds crumbled to another damning defeat, this time by a 4-1 scoreline.
Following thrashings against Manchester City and Nottingham Forest either side of the international break, Liverpool now linger in the bottom half of the Premier League table. The PSV loss also means they sit outside the automatic qualification places in the Champions League, with three games left to play in the league phase.
As a result of what has been a significantly sub-par season so far, Arne Slot has understandably been under intense scrutiny. Be it fans or pundits, there has been plenty of discussion over whether the Dutchman is the long-term solution for Liverpool.
Slot vowed on Thursday to "fight on" following fresh talks with the club's hierarchy, and Sunday provides the chance to get back on track, as Liverpool go to West Ham in the Premier League. A visit from Sunderland and trip to Leeds United next week – back-to-back games against newly promoted sides – then follows ahead of the Reds' final Champions League game of 2025 at the San Siro against Inter Milan.
Ahead of the make-or-break run of must-win fixtures, here, our Echo Sportwriters issue their own verdicts on whether Slot deserves the time needed to turn things around, or whether the race is close to being run and what timeline he may be facing.
Hannah Pinnock
I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of sadness that a conversation like this is necessary. Slot gave Liverpool fans one of the greatest ever days last season with a title win and it felt like we had nailed the Jurgen Klopp replacement given how seamless the transition was.
Slot’s job has also been about way more than just football over the last few months and he has carried himself impeccably under what can only be described as the most difficult and heartbreaking of circumstances. That we find ourselves in this position just months into the new season is just sad. There’s no other way to word it.
In an ideal world, Slot should be given all the time in the world to turn this around. I still feel he’s the right man for the job in the long-term, the problem is he just doesn’t look capable of turning this around in the here and now. Liverpool’s reality is they cannot afford to settle for a bottom half finish in the Premier League and poor run in the Champions League in any season, no matter how much confidence there may be in Slot to stop the rot eventually.
It feels like there has been a seismic shift over the last week as the situation has stooped to an even deeper low. Earlier in this run, Liverpool fans would respond to travelling supporters attempts to rattle the manager with “sacked in the morning” chants with an overwhelming rendition of Slot’s own chant. Testament to the belief large sections of the fanbase had in him.
That some boos rang out around Anfield at full time after the PSV game I think tells you all you need to know about where that belief is at now. It’s running dry and it’s difficult to see what changes.
Bruna Reis
After what felt like a perfect season for Liverpool fans and Slot, optimism was high that the club's future was secure. The transition from Klopp, a figure who defined an era at Anfield, had been managed smoothly, and Slot's early success suggested Liverpool were in safe hands.
For supporters, the pain of Klopp's departure was softened by the belief that the team continued to move in the right direction, despite the change of manager. Now, however, that optimism has unravelled into uncertainty, raising uncomfortable questions about the man at the helm.
Performances have dipped and results have fallen short of expectations, prompting the question: Is Slot truly the right man to guide Liverpool through this turbulent period? Can he turn the situation around or will Klopp's legacy just prove too heavy to carry?
The next three games against West Ham, Sunderland and Leeds will be crucial to determine the Dutchman's future at Anfield.
West Ham players and manager speaking
West Ham have rediscovered their own form while Liverpool have lost theirs
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Richard Garnett
Liverpool's form record of nine defeats in their last 12 matches is as embarrassing as it is pathetic. The root cause of their problems is difficult to pinpoint because there are so many. The club's supporters traditionally back their managers to the hilt but this is at a full-blown crisis point for the Reds now.
Bob Paisley used to thank his players for winning the league, then tell them to forget about it and concentrate on next season. Any credit the current manager had in the bank for clinching a record 20th league title last year has already been extinguished.
The overriding takeaway from the feeble defeat at home to a pretty average PSV Eindhoven side was that the players have stopped playing for Arne Slot, and that makes him a dead man walking.
He could now be weeks or even days away from seeing his tenure dramatically brought to a close.
However, there is no contingency for this, and the board will need time to come up with a Plan B, assuming that this horrible downward spiral cannot be averted. For this reason, Slot should get a stay of execution, but by the looks of things he won't get any favours off his players, because they downed tools weeks ago.
Liverpool spent £430m in the summer and instead look like a team that is bankrupt. They have bought players that don't fit into the current system but have persisted with the system regardless.
While FSG considers how best to move forward, Slot should get a few more games at least to try and put out some fires, but I don't fancy his chances, especially not with the mentality of his players, some of whom seem content with winning just one league title.
Sadly, sacking a team of underperforming footballers is far more difficult than removing a manager who has lost his way. I'd be surprised if the manager still has his job by Christmas.
Matty Hewitt
Had Arne Slot not won the Premier League title last season, he'd be long gone. However, the Dutch head coach does indeed have credit in the bank and I think he'll last a little longer yet.
There's no getting away from the Reds' dreadful run of nine defeats and 12 games, and truthfully, that could have been worse had Liverpool not scraped together a run of results at the very start of the campaign.
There's very little to cheer about at present and the £430m spend in the summer only exasperates the current mood. How on earth have they gone from a juggernaut to this?
Liverpool are not known for their knee-jerk reactions, but there's a debate to be had regarding whether sacking Slot can be considered one.
One thing is certain, they have to put together a run of results from what is, on paper, a favourable run of fixtures.
That's easier said than done, but anything less than nine points from their next three will be considered a failure.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 26: A dejected Alexander Isak of Liverpool and Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool walk off at full time during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD5 match between Liverpool FC and PSV Eindhoven at Anfield on November 26, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
A dejected Alexander Isak and Ibrahima Konate walk off at full-time following Liverpool's 4-1 home loss to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League
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Amie Wilson
There’s no doubt that the job that Arne Slot did last season in leading Liverpool to the Premier League title should be praised and probably earn him some credit in the bank. But, in a way, you’ve got to forget that season and look at this season so far on it’s own.
In reality, the results and performances haven’t been good enough. Even when the season started and the Reds were getting late goals to win games, signs that something wasn’t quite right were there, especially defensively.
A run of eight losses in 12 games in all competition is not really acceptable for a Liverpool team, and in football, the manager has got to take a lot of the blame.
It feels like the game against West Ham this weekend could be a crucial one.
However, if I was in charge of Liverpool, I would give Slot just a bit longer. The amount of change that the club went through this summer with the transfer activity and the devastating loss of Diogo Jota is bound to have an impact, and time and stability is probably the most effective way to overcome it.
At the minute, Liverpool feel like a team at a crossroads, which way they go will be interesting to see.