Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is feeling the pressure, according to a body language expert, with reports linking Xabi Alonso with the Dutchman's job refusing to go away
11:19, 27 Jan 2026
Arne Slot during Liverpool's loss to Bournemouth
Arne Slot during Liverpool's loss to Bournemouth(Image: Getty Images)
Arne Slot is "fraught with stress and anxiety" amid his ongoing struggles at Liverpool.
That's the view of a body language expert, who assessed Slot off the back of the Reds' 3-2 defeat by Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.
The result saw Liverpool drop down to sixth in the standings, with Manchester United and Chelsea both moving ahead of Slot's men in the race for Champions League qualification.
“Arne Slot almost looked like he had one foot out of the door after that loss to Bournemouth," body language expert Darren Stanton told OLBG.
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“Slot’s demeanor seemed very suppressed. He was taking lots of deep breaths. He spent most of his post-match interview looking down and to the left, as if accessing his internal auditory dialogue.
“It wasn’t so much to check in on himself and where his head is at. He looked like a man whose inner thoughts were screaming back at him. He looks like a person acutely aware that he is now in a very vulnerable position having suffered that last minute goal to lose 3-2.
“I think he’s also very aware of the rumours even before the game that Liverpool could move for Xabi Alonso. Slot does look like a man fraught with stress or anxiety but it is clear that he is worried.
“We saw him make quite a few hand-to-mouth gestures too when being asked questions and these are self-assurance gestures. At one point he grabs his neck, which is quite an odd gesture. Both physically and psychologically, the throat is a vulnerable area. That’s a kind of primeval unconscious gesture of self-protection.
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“Some people will hold their arms when they feel vulnerable but I think this is a pacifying gesture to self soothe by Slot but also an unconscious attempt to shield his throat, as if under threat. I don’t think Slot has ever looked more insecure in his job.”
A report in Spain over the weekend suggested that there has been some contact between Liverpool and Xabi Alonso over the possibility of him becoming the next Reds manager.
Spanish outlet AS said that Liverpool had contacted Alonso's representatives to enquire about his availability following his departure from Real Madrid earlier this month, and the response is said to have been "positive."