Liverpool boss Arne Slot is fending off pressure, but with results not forthcoming, Wayne Rooney has predicted the crucial factor affecting his job security at Anfield
16:13, 10 Feb 2026
Wayne Rooney, former footballer, looks on prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 league phase football match between FC Internazionale and Arsenal FC. Arsenal FC won 3-1 over FC Internazionale.
Wayne Rooney has had his say on Arne Slot's future at Liverpool. (Image: Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Liverpool boss Arne Slot may be losing the support of fans, but internal conversations are yet to seriously turn to Arne Slot's future. However, he will need to deal with external noise for the foreseeable future, with results nowhere near the standard the team has grown to expect.
The manager has continually pointed to improved performances, stressing that he has been far happier since his new signings have got up to the fitness standards required to deal with the intense schedule. But that hasn't been reliably equating to points on the board.
The brutal reality is that Liverpool is averaging just 1.56 points per game in the Premier League so far. For context, Slot managed 2.2 in his debut title-winning campaign, and Jurgen Klopp's champions managed over 2.6.
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In fairness, even Klopp's teams had more than one testing season (Slot ill-advisedly pointed out that Liverpool was in the Europa League not long ago). And Liverpool is also dealing with some unique circumstances.
First and foremost, Diogo Jota's tragic death continues to cast a shadow over the entire season. Caoimhin Kelleher (now of Brentford) made that point recently.
A few months ago, fans were very much of a mind that this season was no longer of any real competitive relevance. It was all about coming through an impossibly tough situation as a group.
But inevitably, some of that perspective has been lost. To be fair, it's not realistic to expect fans to genuinely park their expectations for a full season, even if most of them can logically accept that Jota's death will continue to affect everyone for some time to come.
Within more normal footballing boundaries, Slot also had to deal with massive squad upheaval in the summer. Many will feel that's a weak excuse, given that the changes were a result of massive transfer investment, but perhaps the transition was always likely to be bumpy.
Florian Wirtz is definitely starting to get up to speed, as is Milos Kerkez. Hugo Ekitike has been great from the outset, but the record signing Alexander Isak has been sidelined for months by a broken leg he suffered against Tottenham.
Alexander Isak of Liverpool is helped off the pitch by medical staff after being fouled by Micky van de Ven of Tottenham Hotspur (not pictured) during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 20, 2025 in London, England.
Alexander Isak's injury has not helped Slot this season.(Image: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Yet all of the context in the world cannot change the fact that Slot is staring down the barrel of missing out on Champions League football. Wayne Rooney feels that while the manager will probably get to see out the campaign, this could ultimately be the decisive factor.
"The whole season really has been a concern for Liverpool, as obviously I’ve pointed out on here many times," Wayne Rooney said on his eponymous podcast. "But yeah, I actually thought the second half [against Manchester City], they were brilliant today and they have been good in certain games, and not picked up the results.
"So yeah, I think it just brings a little bit more pressure on Arne Slot, I’d imagine. Now they’ve got to battle on to try and make a Champions League place.
"I don’t think they’ll change anything now, but in the summer it’ll be really interesting. Arne Slot’s job might depend on if he finishes in the Champions League places."
Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, looks on prior to the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield on February 08, 2026 in Liverpool, England.
Wayne Rooney believes Slot may need to make the Champions League places to keep his job at Liverpool. (Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Slot admitted himself that Champions League qualification was the minimum requirement for an "acceptable" season. That almost felt like a tacit concession of what he needs to do in order to save his job.
You could argue that he might even be fortunate to be given that long. Liverpool is never hasty, but the availability of in-demand candidate Xabi Alonso is a test of just how much faith FSG really has in its man.
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But assuming he gets the opportunity to do so, what are Slot's prospects of turning things around? It may require near-perfection from here.
Remarkably, the gap to fifth is only four points. But historically, 71.2 points has been the average requirement for a Champions League spot, and that would mean Liverpool picking up 31 of the remaining 33 points through the remainder of the campaign.
Performances have been trending upward, but nothing has suggested this kind of radical recovery. If Rooney and Slot are right about what Liverpool will consider "acceptable" come the end-of-season review, then the manager's job could be hanging by a thread.