Ex-Liverpool striker makes Arne Slot sack claim that nearly everybody will agree with
Multiple Premier League giants have dismissed their managers in recent days amidst an Arne Slot sack verdict
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot will be counting his lucky stars that he has outlasted the likes of Ruben Amorim at Manchester United and Enzo Maresca at Chelsea, as the pair of Premier League giants both parted ways with their bosses in recent days.
With the top four race heating up, Chelsea and United both trail the Reds by three points and have decided to make a change amidst a series of inconsistent results throughout the festive period.
Slot saw himself come under pressure in the autumn after a dismal run of nine defeats in 12 matches in all competitions, but an unbeaten run of nine matches ever since then has ensured that the speculation over the Dutchman’s role has died down with the Reds in pole position for a Champions League spot, though hints of pressure remain in the background.
An ex-Liverpool hero has spoken on Slot’s situation and revealed a truth which everyone is likely to agree with.
Aldridge makes fresh Slot sack claim nearly everyone will agree with
Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge, who won the old First Division title with the Reds in 1987/88, has claimed that Slot may well have already seen the sack by now had he not won the league title last season.
Aldridge said in his latest Liverpool Echo column: “Chelsea sacked Maresca. United have sacked Amorim. They both know how important it is to get in the top four. They’re doing it now rather than later to have a go at getting in the top four. They are making the change before it is too late. We should be wary of both of them.
“The owners have kept faith with Arne despite our difficult season, but if we hadn’t won the league last year, it might have been different for him. He might have lost his job too.”
Aldridge added: “We’re not a club who sack managers easily. We don’t do that, we’re not United, but Arne is not daft. If he doesn’t deliver, that’s the way the game is. He knows it; we all know it. Let’s hope he can turn it around, but we have to see some signs.”
Slot must justify club’s faith by securing Champions League spot
There is little doubt that Slot has done enough to keep his job for the moment, most likely for the remainder of the season. But had Liverpool not secured their 20th league title crown in the Dutchman’s first season in charge, things may well have been different.
The finances associated with the Champions League make it a near-necessity to reach the top four (or likely top five depending on the coefficient), particularly considering the vast £400million investment made by the Reds over the summer. Not to challenge for the title is failure enough, but to miss out on a place amongst Europe’s elite would be a disaster.
Not many managers of one of the world’s biggest football clubs would ever survive a run of nine defeats in 12 matches in the way which Slot did. He is fortunate in that respect and must continue to repay the faith shown in him by the club in the remainder of the season.
Neither of Maresca nor Amorim have endured a run like that this season and yet both men are now out of a job. That goes to show how important it is to secure a top-four place, and Slot must now achieve what he has set out to do.