Many Liverpool supporters were entrenched in their view that Arne Slot should be sacked after yet another miserable draw on Saturday afternoon.
The Reds headed into the game against Burnley on the back of three successive Premier League stalemates and duly made that four on a disappointing day at Anfield.
Liverpool fans booed Slot’s team at full-time, with a feeling beginning to grow that he is living on borrowed time.
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Surely Arne Slot is living on borrowed time, when will Liverpool pull the trigger?
No wins against newly-promoted Premier League sides for the first time ever…
Arne Slot reacts during Liverpool's Premier League match against Burnley at Anfield (Credit: Getty Images/Oli Scarf/AFP)
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Oli Scarf/AFP
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That notion had already intensified at the start of the week, when former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso was sacked from his position as manager of Real Madrid. Alonso had been a candidate to replace Jurgen Klopp in 2024 before eventually ruling himself out of the running.
With a clear replacement now available, many fans feel it is only a matter of time before Slot gets the boot. According to former Reds legend Steve Nicol, however, Liverpool should look a little more closely before appointing Alonso.
Liverpool cannot ignore Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid failure
Liverpool would clearly not have expected Alonso to become available quite so soon after taking over at Real Madrid. But in the eyes of plenty, his change in situation should also make sacking Slot an easier decision.
If they act slowly they run the risk of Alonso joining another club, and having previously targeted the Spaniard only 18 months ago, this feels like one of those ‘opportunities’ Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards are so fond of.
Xabi Alonso looks worried on the touchline during Real Madrid's UEFA Champions League match against Manchester City at the Bernabeu.
Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images
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Nevertheless, not everyone is quite so sold on Alonso’s capabilities as a manager. Speaking to ESPN FC, Nicol claimed that Liverpool would be ‘completely stupid’ to ignore why his time with Madrid ending so abruptly.
“Xabi Alonso got a group of players and came up with an incredible story [at Bayer Leverkusen], got them together and played some incredible football. But when he took over a bunch of superstars he couldn’t handle it. So, why would you give him another big job like Liverpool?” questioned the pundit.
“If I’m picking in the world and Xabi’s one of them I’d certainly be thinking about it. But I’d be completely stupid to look at Real Madrid and say it’s nothing to do with Xabi, it’s Real Madrid. It’s not a straightforward yes or no.”
Will Xabi Alonso be Liverpool manager by the start of the 2026/27 season?
If no, where will he be instead?
Xabi Alonso pictured during Real Madrid's La Liga match against Real Betis at the Bernabeu (Credit: Getty Images/Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto
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Will Liverpool have concerns over Alonso?
Although Alonso did not set the world alight at Real Madrid, there are plenty of mitigating factors which mean Liverpool would be silly to rule him out on the back of his spell there.
The culture between Los Blancos and the Reds is completely different, and while Liverpool do have some superstars who Alonso would need to manage carefully, they are generally hard-workers who would buy into his ethos of intense training.
The 44-year-old felt like a perfect fit when Klopp announced his departure in January 2024, and despite him making some errors along the way, that does still feel like the case.
Certainly, Alonso could not do much worse than Slot, whose team are currently serving up some of the worst football seen at Anfield in decades.
There are some warning signs there, as there are for almost every managerial change, but we think Liverpool would overlook the circus that unfolded around Alonso at Madrid and bring him back to a club which he always felt better suited to.
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