Liverpool won’t be Premier League title contenders if Arne Slot stays on as head coach next season, according to former Reds hero Danny Murphy.
Slot has had such a disappointing campaign in charge of the Premier League champions, with the level of the results and performances simply not good enough.
Despite many calling for the Dutchman to be sacked at the end of the season, a recent report from Sky Sports has claimed that he will remain in charge beyond the summer.
Now, speaking to talkSPORT, with quotes provided by Empire of the Kop, Murphy, who famously scored three winners away to Manchester United for the Reds, talked down the idea of Slot staying on:
“I’m a bit torn. I’m surprised by that. My gut feeling is Liverpool, generally, when the fans have turned to the level they have is that there’s no comeback. The finishing in the top five is obviously going to help his argument, because you’ve still got the revenue of Champions League football.”
“I don’t see them becoming title contenders again next season if he stays. I’d think they’d have more of a chance [with a different coach] to go back to the type of football that Liverpool fans want, because I don’t think he’s going to do it.”
Arne Slot staying would be a huge risk by Liverpool
It’s fair to say that Slot remaining Liverpool’s head coach won’t go down well with a fair chunk of the fanbase, even though they will always appreciate his title-winning brilliance last season.
The 47-year-old has shown too many flaws in his management in recent months, both tactically and in terms of his players’ fitness levels, and his lack of experience at the very highest level has arguably shone through.
In some ways, it would be admirable for Liverpool to show loyalty at a time when there is a distinct lack of it in football, but it feels like the easy decision for FSG when some ruthlessness is required.
If Slot stays on, it will be an almighty risk, especially if the likes of Xabi Alonso, Luis Enrique and Andoni Iraola are available, and he will know that he must make a flying start to next season to win round the doubters.
But there are still five games remaining this season, and if Liverpool suddenly fail to secure a top-five finish, or end the campaign with a few defeats, the calls for Slot to move on will only grow.