‘I was at Liverpool’s PSV humiliation – Arne Slot will be sacked next week’ | Football | Sport

Last night felt like the death knell. For Arne Slot and even for some of the players in this Liverpool team. They are broken, and at least for Slot, they are now broken beyond repair. Could another manager come in and fix them? That remains to be seen. One thing for sure is that these performances and results are completely unacceptable for a squad of such talented players. And game by game the life is being sucked right out of Anfield.

This Liverpool squad is far from perfect, sure. It has problems – Luis Diaz was not replaced so the Reds lack an out ball. It is missing an elite ball-winning midfielder. It is missing a centre-back capable of lasting 90 minutes without committing a mistake that leads to a goal. It is missing a natural right-back capable of staying fit. It is missing a senior winger with real pace and one-v-one threat. And still it is far better than recent results suggest. It CANNOT be conceding four goals at home to PSV just days after holding three to Nottingham Forest.

Slot should be panicked because even Fortress Anfield has now fallen. Even on a European night. Nobody fears it, as Forest and PSV have proven. Liverpool have no crumbs of hope left to cling to this season. Slot will pay the price for having a team so tactically incoherent it plays like 11 fans brought down from the stands who have never met before. He is a dead man walking and inside Anfield, the atmosphere felt like the end. There is a deep sadness at how this has panned out.

Despite the problems with the squad, 3-0 and 4-1 defeats to – with respect, distinctly average football teams – is unacceptable. In both games, Liverpool gave up. The players’ heads dropped. The fire in their hearts is out. It doesn’t look like they believe in Slot’s tactics anymore. Neither do the crowd.

Once the fans lose faith, there’s no coming back. Slot will not see out the season, because if performances continue like this, Liverpool won’t make it through to the Champions League knockouts and they’ll finish around the relegation zone like Tottenham last season. It’s that bad. And FSG know the financial ramifications of this crisis continuing. They are about to arrive at the point where they have no choice but to change the manager.

Slot really isn’t helping himself by continuing to pick players woefully out of form. Ibrahima Konate costs Liverpool a goal a game, and at the other end Cody Gakpo seems to waste a brilliant goalscoring chance per game too. It’s brutal but there would be few complaints if both were sold in January.

Alexis Mac Allister isn’t even 10 per cent of the player he was last season. Starting Alexander Isak over the in-form Hugo Ekitike against Forest was another costly decision from Slot. He doesn’t have many alternatives, true, but he is continually picking the same players who are failing him.

Aside from Ekitike and Dominik Szoboszlai, the entire Liverpool squad should be ashamed of their own performances. They’re not even putting up a fight. It is not solely about the individuals, though. The system and playing style itself is fundamentally broken. Liverpool do virtually nothing well.

They don’t even attack with quality, which is remarkable given some of the players they have. They defend worse than a League Two team. This Liverpool side now would even struggle in the bottom tier, because they are far too easily bullied. Too easily outfought, too easily outthought.

There is just no solace for the fans at the moment. It doesn’t feel like anything will change, and comfortable defeats to West Ham and Sunderland feel inevitable. I think that will then force FSG’s hand and they’ll have to sack Slot. Certainly it would be a surprise if he was still in charge when the January transfer window opens.

In a way, he deserves sympathy. He is a good man, and has dealt with some extraordinary circumstances. What Liverpool went through in the summer with Diogo Jota is unimaginable. Clearly it is a contributing factor to the mental health of these footballers. The Reds also have had some huge moments of misfortune on the pitch since the season started, with some baffling decisions going against them.

But it is no longer an excuse. Liverpool have to be able to deal with adversity of conceding first, or not having a decision go their way. The Liverpool players feel sorry for themselves and that cannot be allowed. Nobody will help them. Only they can help themselves. It all feels a lot like when Brendan Rodgers left, only this time the squad has far more talent. Perhaps a certain Jurgen Klopp might get a phone call once more…