Arne Slot finds himself under increasing pressure, with Xabi Alonso now lurking as a viable alternative, and the Liverpool head coach fully understands his situation
14:57, 10 Feb 2026
Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, looks on prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between Liverpool FC and Qarabag FK at Anfield on January 28, 2026 in Liverpool, England.
Arne Slot has faced up to the realities of his position at Liverpool. (Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Arne Slot has fronted up to the reality of his situation at Liverpool, with results still proving hard to come by in the new year.
With Xabi Alonso's presence on the managerial market now a lurking background presence, the incumbent boss has admitted that things have been tough. The latest blow for Slot came against Manchester City. His side was leading into the closing stages, but contrived to lose 2-1, leaving a four-point gap to fifth.
To be honest, Liverpool will be grateful the gap is as surmountable as that, given the deeply underwhelming points return so far this season. That might be what has stopped Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards from pulling the trigger so far, but the specter of Alonso is looming large.
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Slot has been a pragmatic presence throughout the campaign. He tempered the highs at times last season, and has somewhat infuriated the fanbase this time around by trying to mitigate and downplay some of the lows.
However, even he has been forced to admit that his back is against the wall. Asked in the pre-Sunderland press conference whether this is the toughest season of his career, his response was emphatic.
"Yeah, that's fair to say," Slot told the assembled journalists. "By a mile!
"Because all the other seasons there was only positives. Don't think I'd ever lost two games in a row.
"It's an exception for me, like it is for the players. It's always more of a challenge after you lose a game of football than to tell them after a win that they're not as good as they might think."
Slot didn't miss the chance to remind people that he has been a serial winner until this season. Perhaps he feels that the memory of the title is fading from people's minds too quickly.
Arne Slot, Manger of Liverpool, lifts the Premier League trophy, as Liverpool are crowned the Champions of the Premier League, following the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Crystal Palace FC at Anfield on May 25, 2025 in Liverpool, England.
Slot was a title winner with Liverpool less than a year ago.(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images/Getty Images For The Premier League)
But at the same time, he is under no illusions that standards have slipped. There is an understanding that things need to improve if his position is to remain tenable; later on, Slot conceded that Champions League qualification was the minimum for an "acceptable" season.
There is an assumption that Slot will probably at least be given the chance to try and achieve that. But the Liverpool hierarchy is undoubtedly taking a chance by affording him time.
That's been thrown into sharper relief by developments with Alonso. He appears to be open to a potential post-Guardiola vacancy at Manchester City.
Xabi Alonso head coach of Real Madrid and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez greet after the Spanish Super Cup final match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid at King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium on January 11, 2026 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Xabi Alonso is never far from Liverpool minds at the moment.(Image: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
And the reality is that Man City will not be the only suitors. There is only going to be a short window where Alonso is a free agent, following his sacking from trigger-happy Real Madrid.
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That is what ultimately prompted FSG into action way back in 2015, when the availability of Jurgen Klopp ended their patience with Brendan Rodgers. It's not an identical situation, but it cranks the pressure on Slot up even higher.
It's a brutal situation, given how Slot's reign started with such triumph in his debut campaign. But he knows the industry he is in, and his toughest season by a mile could turn into his last at Liverpool unless he can start to turn things around.