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Speculation over the future of Arne Slot as Liverpool head coach has continued apace throughout the first week of the springtime international window, with conflicting reports emerging in relation to the 47-year-old.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL EMPIRE OF THE KOP APP FOR ALL THE LATEST & BREAKING UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYAxel Hesse of German publication Bild claimed that the Dutchman is ‘on the verge’ of losing his job and is set to leave no later than this summer, with Xabi Alonso ‘ready’ to step in and fill the void in the Anfield dugout.However, a trusted source closer to home has maintained that Slot retains the faith of the LFC hierarchy and that there are no imminent plans for his removal.Liverpool not planning to sack Slot just yetThe Independent‘s Miguel Delaney reported that Liverpool have ‘no current plans’ to dispense with their head coach, with club chiefs believing that there have been ‘numerous mitigating factors for a disappointing campaign’.The journalist later elaborated: ‘Numerous sources are adamant that Liverpool are not considering a change, primarily due to the belief that there are multiple mitigating reasons for the drop-off.
Injuries are viewed as particularly influential, to go with the unknown effect of Diogo Jota’s passing.’Want more Empire of the Kop coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trustMitigating factors, for sure, but Slot has still underachieved this termIt’s been widely claimed that Slot will be relieved of his duties if the Reds fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League, and it’d be difficult to make the case for him remaining in charge if his team were to fall short in that mission.Considering that Liverpool began this campaign as Premier League champions and many people’s favourites to retain the title, to not even finish in the top five would be a catastrophic drop-off.
Even if we do salvage fifth or higher from here, 2025/26 would still go down as a major disappointment in domestic terms.The Dutchman’s task has undoubtedly been made harder by several long-term injuries to key players, along with simultaneous absences in vital positions which has restricted his playing pick considerably, and the impact of Jota’s death on the LFC squad is impossible to quantify and must never be dismissed off-hand.For all of those mitigating circumstances – particularly the tragic loss of our forever number 20 – it’d still be reasonable to feel that Slot ought to be getting more out of the players he’s had available to him, and that a group of this quality shouldn’t be scrambling to finish inside the top five.The 47-year-old most certainly needs a rip-roaring final two months to the season if he’s to convince his doubters that he’s the right man to deliver consistent success at Liverpool. Should that not materialise, the club may have an enormous decision to make.
