Why Liverpool are sticking with Arne Slot to lead them into next season
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Image Credits: Imago ImagesArne Slot is expected to remain as Liverpool head coach next season, as the club move closer to securing Champions League qualification.Doubts over his future have eased, with Liverpool opening up a seven-point gap over Chelsea in seventh place. Fifth place will be enough to qualify for the Champions League after Arsenal’s progress to the semi-finals.Slot, who guided Liverpool to the Premier League title last season, has faced pressure in his second campaign, with the team set to finish the season without a trophy and trailing Arsenal and Manchester City in the title race.The Reds can extend their advantage over Chelsea to 10 points with a win against Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon.
The Blues have sacked their head coach Liam Rosenior, just 106 days after his appointment, following a 3-0 defeat to Brighton on Tuesday night.The loss – Chelsea’s fifth straight without scoring – adds further pressure and leaves Fabian Hürzeler’s side as a growing threat to Arne Slot’s Liverpool in the race for Champions League qualification.Unlike Chelsea, Liverpool are not planning a change in the dugout. According to the Liverpool Echo, owners Fenway Sports Group have consistently backed Slot, intending to give him time to address a difficult run of form this season.With five games remaining, the Dutchman is expected to be given the chance to continue into the summer and rebuild ahead of a potential Champions League campaign next season.The report claims that: “There has been a belief from those in key positions at Anfield that this campaign was always going to be exacting.
The popular Portuguese’s absence has cast a long shadow over this campaign behind the scenes and grief counsellors have been called to the club’s AXA Training Centre at times to help with those struggling to come to terms with those unimaginably tragic circumstances.“Injuries have also been an issue with Giovanni Leoni, Conor Bradley, Wataru Endo and most recently Hugo Ekitike all suffering season-ending setbacks. The match-going element of Liverpool’s worldwide fanbase has grown weary.”“But Liverpool spent nearly six months looking for Jurgen Klopp’s successor and having won the title in his first year, those in charge want to give Slot a chance to prove their exhaustive recruitment search was correct.“Last year’s scenes will suggest the former Feyenoord boss has already done that, but the reserves of goodwill have unquestionably started to evaporate for many.