Liverpool face difficult transfer question as 'absolute torture' close to ending
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And while there remains Champions League qualification to secure, the thoughts of many are starting to drift towards what should happen next.A disappointing defence of last year's dominant Premier League title triumph has placed Reds boss Arne Slot under increasing pressure and left in doubt the future of several players.Talismanic duo Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson have already declared they will depart at the end of the campaign, with more expected to follow with the squad overhaul that started last summer poised to continue.And for Anfield legend Steve Nicol - now a long-time pundit in the United States for ESPN - while the finger of blame cannot be pointed in just one direction, responsibility ultimately lies in the dugout.FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! You’d have to say both the manager and the players," he said to the ECHO.
He can’t control that part."Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group have been steadfast in their support of Slot this campaign with there being no suggestion from within the club they are planning without the Dutchman at present.However, Nicol believes the Anfield hierarchy have a difficult decision to make in the coming weeks as they ramp up preparations for the transfer window.“I’ve been in his corner until a couple of weeks ago," he said. Key players are leaving, and it needs new faces on field and somebody or something to ruffle feathers up.“That’s why Liverpool’s owners have a big question this summer: do they trust this manager with more money to spend when he can’t get a team together with the money that was spent last summer?
It will be interesting to see what happens."Assessing Liverpool's campaign, Nicol added: "If somebody had said last summer that Liverpool wouldn’t have a good season, I’d have expected them to finish third or something like that.“But there’s not a person who knows anything about football who would have remotely suggested what would happen this season. It’s easy to forget it’s definitely a different ball game when you play for a club like Liverpool.“To play for someone like Bournemouth is fantastic, they are a good Premier League team and play good football.