Danny Murphy reckons Arne Slot’s “time is probably up” at Anfield as the former Liverpool midfielder revealed the “main reason” the Dutchman should be sacked by FSG.
Slot led Liverpool to the Premier League title in his first season in charge but had overseen a dramatic drop-off this season despite a £450m summer spend.
Reports suggest he will stay on as manager for next season despite the added pressure of fan favourite Xabi Alonso waiting in the wings to take the helm.
Alonso was heavily linked with Liverpool having worked wonders with Bayer Leverkusen but stayed with the Bundesliga club while Slot took over from Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, before taking the reins at Real Madrid.
The Spaniard was sacked by Los Blancos in January and is eager to return to management, with Chelsea now said to be in talks with him over a move to Stamford Bridge.
Alonso is said to be open to the Chelsea job but his clear ‘preference’ would be the Liverpool job, which has left large swathes of the Reds fanbase frustrated by Slot not being given the boot by owners FSG to make space for him to take charge.
And Murphy believes those “powerful” Liverpool supporters mean Slot’s exit is “inevitable” whether that’s in the summer or at some stage next season.
The ex-Liverpool star told BBC Sport: “I think Slot’s time is probably up.
“The main reason for saying this is not a dislike of him. I think he’s a good guy and a very bright coach, but the reality is Liverpool’s fanbase is as powerful as any out there, for all sorts of reasons. I think we are looking at an inevitable departure whether it is now or a few months into the season.”
The Ten Hag mistake
Fellow former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher fears Liverpool are making the same mistake with Slot as Manchester United made with Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.
“I don’t even think it’s a 50/50 split now on Arne Slot,” Carragher told Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.
“And I know people outside of the club can’t quite get their heads around that, thinking: ‘This guy won the league, it looks like he’s going to get you Champions League football in his second season’.
“But the drop-off has been so stark, and there’s been no improvement really from day one until the end of the season, in results or performances that you think: ‘Is it going to get any better?’
“My worry with Liverpool and Arne Slot a little bit is are we going to be in a situation where, a little bit like Ten Hag, where he had a great first season, didn’t win the league, Slot won the league so that’s a completely different level, but the second season was really poor.
“Then you keep the manager on the back of what he did in his first season, and then it carries on poorly. Then you get into October and you think: ‘We’ve got to change the manager’.
“I think that’s probably a little bit of a feeling with Liverpool supporters, but it looks from the things we’re hearing that Arne Slot’s going to be given another opportunity next season.”
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