Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday has left Arne Slot’s future in serious doubt, with the Dutchman now under pressure at Anfield
Jurgen Klopp has already leapt to Arne Slot’s aid as Liverpool’s catastrophic streak shows no signs of abating.
What many thought was merely a temporary dip in performance has now escalated into a genuine crisis following the Reds’ shocking 3-0 mauling at the hands of Nottingham Forest on home turf on Saturday. The devastating loss stretched Liverpool’s appalling form this campaign to six defeats from their previous seven outings in all competitions, having been thrashed 3-0 by Manchester City before November’s international hiatus.
The defending Premier League champions’ trajectory plummeted after their 2-1 reverse at Crystal Palace in late September. With his team now languishing in the bottom half of the standings, Slot’s aspirations of retaining his Premier League title lie in ruins, while the Dutchman faces mounting pressure to reverse their fortunes and prevent what seemed inconceivable just two months ago – his possible sacking.
However, remarks made by former boss Klopp at the campaign’s outset, when Liverpool were starting to display early struggles under Slot, have resurfaced, with the German advocating for calm minds and forbearance.
Klopp implored supporters to afford his replacement time as the squad was navigating a transitional phase after a record-shattering summer of expenditure in the transfer window, reports the Mirror.
Looking back on the initial changeover a year ago, Klopp recently commented on The Diary of a CEO podcast: “We had a lot of contact after that. He’s a super good guy. He got the best out of this team, and they became champions in an incredible manner.
“It’s not about Arne showing the world what he can do – it’s about getting the best out of the team. That’s exactly what he did. Change always has an impact. And change always needs time.
“If he keeps the exact same team as last season – Darwin Nunez still there, Luis Diaz still there, for example – they start playing and have problems, [people say] ‘We need change.’
“Now the new guys are there, and they are really good players. It’s just not working out at the minute.”
In a succinct summary of his thoughts, Klopp stated: “Development needs time,” before adding: “Nobody can change that. People need time to adapt. It’s all good.”
Despite this, there are certain issues that Slot must tackle head-on. Some choices, such as sticking with record signing Alexander Isak upfront instead of Hugo Ekitike, and the lack of balance in midfield, have ruffled fans’ feathers.
Defensive woes have plagued Liverpool since the season kicked off, with Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk both noticeably off their game.
Injuries to Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong have forced Dominik Szoboszlai into an unfamiliar right-back role, while many are baffled by the Dutch manager’s decision not to field Joe Gomez in that position.
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