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Topics: Arne Slot, Liverpool, Premier League, Football, Carabao Cup
Ryan Smart
Topics: Arne Slot, Liverpool, Premier League, Football, Carabao Cup
A respected journalist has made a significant admission surrounding the future of Arne Slot as Liverpool manager.
Liverpool have now lost six out of their last seven matches in all competitions after Wednesday's 3-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup.
Slot selected a young and inexperienced line-up for the clash, with fixtures against Aston Villa, Real Madrid and Manchester City all on the horizon before the next international break.
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The Dutchman may not yet be under pressure from the Liverpool hierarchy given last season's Premier League title success - with Fabrizio Romano claiming that owners FSG are '100 per cent convinced' that he should stay in charge - but will know he needs to turn results around quickly.
"It's always a blow to lose a game of football, especially if it leads to going out of a competition," he told reporters post-match. "But it's the same selection tonight as I did last season in rounds like this.
"There are many reasons maybe why we've lost five or six out of seven. None of them are good enough to accept losing so many. None of them will be enough, because Liverpool losing five or six out of seven is too much.
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"If I look at our performance against Brentford, three days after we played Frankfurt away, I saw they are a team that maybe struggle playing three games in seven days. Again, not an excuse, but to lose that game of football, which is not a surprise to me when I see the struggles some players have had in pre-season and players that came from different leagues. It's a new challenge for them to play at Premier League and Champions League level, three games in seven days.
"Alexander Isak went out with an injury last time we played Southampton [in the last Carabao Cup round]. Giovanni Leoni went out with an injury in a game like this. And we got the red card with Hugo Ekitike [against Southampton]. And I think at this time, with only 15 or 16 players available - I'm talking players from our squad - and that this club has always used this competition for their academy players, this felt to me like the right decision. And I haven't changed my opinion about that after results."
According to BBC Sport journalist Phil McNulty, who was born in Liverpool and has been BBC's chief football writer since 2000, Slot is not yet under pressure for his job.
He believes, however, that stance will not change even if Liverpool continue to lose matches - but that Slot will be under pressure of a different kind.
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Replying to BBC users as part of a fans' Q&A, McNulty wrote: "Slot is under the same pressure as every Liverpool manager - and that is to win games. Pressure for his job? Not a chance.
"Of course, Slot would be under heavy scrutiny if the current dreadful run continues until Christmas, as any manager of a club of Liverpool's stature would be.
"He would be under pressure - but not, in my opinion, for his job.
"Liverpool's owners are measured. They saw Slot win the title in his first season, and I'm sure there will be an acceptance and understanding that there has also been a lot of change this summer."