Liverpool's latest Anfield defeat has ramped up the pressure on Arne Slot with the Dutchman despondent after a humbling 4-1 Champions League loss on Merseyside.
The Reds current rap sheet reads as nine losses from their last 12 played across all competitions — with just one win in seven in the Premier League — as part of their worst run of results in 71 years.
That slide has seen Slot's defending champions slip to 12th in the top-flight rankings, behind Everton on goal difference, and trailing leaders Arsenal by 11 points.
Fans are divided over where the issues lie, as a string of expensive summer signings continue to struggle, and Slot's tactical plan looks unclear from the outside.
Liverpool had two £100m+ men absent from the starting line-up vs. PSV, with Alexander Isak benched, and Florian Wirtz missing through injury.
Arne Slot
However, the selection calls facing Slot appear split between underperforming new stars and members of his title-winning team seeing their level drop significantly since the start of 2025/26.
Forward frustration and defensive despair for struggling Slot
His inability to blend Isak and Wirtz cohesively with Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike has developed into a major headache, but problems at the opposite end of the pitch are causing Slot even greater concern.
Ahead of facing PSV, the ex-Feyenoord boss called out the amount of goals his team are conceding, with 20 Premier League goals shipped from12 played so far and eight in five in Europe.
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The Liverpool defender is facing an uncertain future
Only the bottom four EPL sides have conceded more than Liverpool, and they are in the bottom half of the table for goals against in the UCL.
Club captain Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate have been ever present as a defensive pair in the Premier League with summer signing Milos Kerkez starting 10 out of 12 league games.
Concerns over the latter two were amplified by more errors in the PSV loss and Slot could swing the axe ahead of a must-win game at West Ham United on November 30.
Slot cannot afford Kerkez/Konate horror show at West Ham
Kerkez's ponderous defending allowed Guus Til to slot PSV 2-1 up before a horror error by Konate allowed Ricardo Pepi to race away in the build-up to PSV's third goal of the night.
Milos Kerkez in action for Liverpool
Slot has pulled Kerkez - described as 'world-class' last season - out of the firing line several times already this season — including frequent mid-game interventions — to bring the experience of Andy Robertson back into the team.
With no room for passengers against the Hammers, starting Robertson is a necessity to offer balance and address the threat of Jarrod Bowen, but Slot is short on options to pull out Konate.
Ryan Gravenberch has shuffled back from midfield, as Liverpool have chased games in recent weeks, but that's not a long-term solution.
The failure to land Marc Guehi on transfer deadline day has been amplified by Konate's mistake-strewn performances and throwing Joe Gomez into the team will not fill the travelling fans with confidence this weekend.
Slot needs to make the bold call to drop both players at West Ham, to protect both them and himself, but a disjointed summer recruitment drive continues to hang over him ahead of a decisive month.