Liverpool v Manchester City - Premier League
Is Arne Slot running out of time as Liverpool manager? (Picture: Getty Images)
Jamie Carragher expects Liverpool to miss out on Champions League football for next season and that would leave it very difficult for Arne Slot to keep his job as manager.
The Reds’ Premier League title defence has gone horribly wrong after huge investment in the summer as they spent £446m on seven new players.
A 2-1 defeat to Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday was their eighth league loss of the season and leaves them sixth in the table, 17 points behind leaders Arsenal.
Their title challenge was over long ago, but now they face a scrap just to qualify for the Champions League again.
It is very likely that a top five finish would be enough for any team to qualify for the Champions League, but Carragher does not think Liverpool will be able to leapfrog the likes of Chelsea or Manchester United to achieve that.
‘No. Right now I don’t,’ the Reds legend told Sky Sports on whether he sees Liverpool making the Champions League places.
‘They would have to have a huge upturn in form. And the ones above them are in great form.’
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Jamie Carragher feels Slot’s position could become untenable (Picture: Sky Sports)
‘I think it would be difficult to defend the manager’
Carragher feels that failure to finish in the top five, as defending champions, could and perhaps should be enough to see Slot lose his job in the summer.
‘I think it would be difficult to defend the manager or for him to stay in a job if you miss out on Champions League football, having won the title the season before,’ he said.
Liverpool were on course to win the game on Sunday when Dominik Szoboszlai opened the scoring on 74 minutes with a stunning free-kick.
However, 10 minutes later Bernardo Silva equalised and in stoppage time Erling Haaland converted from the penalty spot to put City back within six points of Arsenal.
Liverpool v Manchester City - Premier League
Slot watched his side concede late, which has become common this season (Picture: Getty Images)
‘It’s a bad one,’ Carragher said of the Liverpool loss, which leaves them four points behind fifth-placed Chelsea. ‘When you look at the league for Liverpool, it looks like a long way to get into the top five Champions League positions.
‘There’s a gap now. You can make that up but Liverpool will have to do well in the two cup competitions to save the season. It looks a long way back.’
The former England defender thinks Slot is getting his selection wrong, with an aggressive front four on Sunday of Mo Salah, Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo and Hugo Ekitike leaving the pair of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister unable to control midfield.
‘I just don’t see how they can make the Champions League positions’
While the end-to-end football this creates will work in their favour sometimes, Carragher cannot see it being reliable enough to pay off in the long-term.
Liverpool v Manchester City - Premier League
Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike have impressed lately, but couldn’t strike on Sunday (Picture: Getty Images)
‘The manager has another decision to make on the front four,’ he said.
‘If Liverpool continue the way they are, with a front four and the games end-to-end, I just don’t see how they can make the Champions League positions.
‘But no matter what Arne Slot does, the make-up of this squad and team isn’t right. It never looks stable, they are never in control.
‘There is a long road ahead for Liverpool to make the Champions League places.’
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