News of Mohamed Salah's departure from Liverpool at the end of the season has shifted the focus away from Arne Slot and the pressure on the Anfield head coach's back.
The scrutiny is still bubbling away, though, and with daunting knockout quarter-final ties forthcoming against Manchester City (FA Cup) and Paris Saint-Germain (Champions League), disappointing results might put the Dutchman to an untenable position.
The Premier League champions have been horribly out of sorts this season, so far removed from the slick title-winning strength of 2024/25.
Arne-Slot-Brighton-Liverpool
Correspondents with their finger on the Liverpool pulse suggest that FSG are still planning for Slot to lead Liverpool forward next term, but it's hard to see the fans staying on board with that idea if a sharp upswing is not achieved.
Liverpool's targets to replace Arne Slot
Should push come to shove, Liverpool are going to have no shortage of candidates lining up to argue their case for leading the Merseyside outfit forward over the next several years.
Stuttgart boss Sebastian Hoeness, with his firebrand passion, is one contender, while ex-Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi is also believed to be on the shortlist, but there's one name above all others that could top the Liverpool teamsheets next season.
Earlier this week, BILD sources in Germany revealed that Xabi Alonso is prepared to take on the Liverpool job this summer, should FSG chiefs convene and decide to sack Slot.
xabi-alonso-real-madrid
Alonso is unemployed right now, having parted with Real Madrid this winter, but he's regarded as one of the world's top coaches and he could rekindle the connection between the Reds and their frustrated fanbase.
Why Alonso is perfect for Liverpool
Stylistically, Alonso shares a number of attributes with Slot, but the hope would be that he would reinvigorate the outfit and project a more passionate presence from the sidelines.
Xabi-Alonso-Liverpool-career
Alonso, after all, starred for Liverpool during his playing heyday, instrumental on that night in Istanbul. Now, he's one of the sharpest young tacticians in the world, and his success with Bayer Leverkusen suggests he could be the perfect man to lead Liverpool forward.
Alonso's intricate, cerebral approach to coaching and his animated presence on the touchline could even see him become Liverpool's very own version of Pep Guardiola, a project manager to oversee a lasting period of success.
Once Alonso's mentor at Bayern Munich, it's hardly surprising that the Liverpool target has absorbed some of his countryman's fruits as a world-class coach, developing into a superstar manager whose exploits with Leverkusen will go down in history.
His time at Real Madrid? Not so much. But Alonso is young and growing and his divorce from Real Madrid was a complicated matter.
Xabi Alonso record at Real Madrid (timeless)
Alonso secured his place in the Leverkusen annals after invincible title triumphs in 2023/24. His interchangeable tactics and penchant for suffocating, free-flowing football could be exactly what the Reds need going forward.
Possession does not equate to dominance, nor control or entertaining play. Slot's side have retained the ball with greater regularity than any of their Premier League rivals this season, and yet they have flattered to deceive from the get-go.
PL 25/26 - Possession Leaders
Team
Liverpool
Man City
Chelsea
Arsenal
Aston Villa
Liverpool have conceded ten goals beyond the 90th minute this season, more than any other side across Europe's top five leagues. From believers to doubters, this is a by-product of poor fitness, form and coherence as a unit.
It's such a far cry from last year. How did it end up like this?
While FSG retain their faith in Slot and his capacity to turn things around, the fanbase have soured, and if nothing improves before the end of the season, Alonso could be the perfect pick to lead Liverpool forward, out of the storm.
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