30/11/2025

theSun on Sunday NOV 30, 2025

SPORTS 13

PRESSURE is piling on Arne Slot’s position after Liverpool suffered another humiliating defeat on Thursday. The Reds were beaten 4-1 by PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League at Anfield, seeing the Premier League champions suffer their third consecutive three-goal deficit defeat and a ninth loss in 12 games. Just months after delivering the title in his debut campaign, Slot’s team have put in just a handful of convincing performances all season despite breaking the British transfer record twice and splashing more than £400 million (RM2.3b) on new signings in the summer. Despite Steven Gerrard and Steve McManaman dismissing talk that the writing is on the wall for Slot after another damaging defeat, questions are being asked about the Dutchman’s ability to build and galvanise this new-look team he has assembled. Having lost two games at Arsenal in one week by an aggregate score of 7-1, after Nottingham Forest won 3-0 last Saturday, the bookmakers have reacted to the possibility that Slot could be given the sack before Christmas. According to bookmakers in the UK, the current joint favourite to become the next Liverpool manager is Jurgen Klopp, whose return to the club would be nothing short of incredible after he walked out of the club at the end of the 2023/24 season after nine years in charge. Klopp, who was appointed Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull in January, is currently 3/1. The other joint favourite for the position is Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso, despite the former Reds midfielder only stepping into the hotseat at the Santiago Bernabeu at the start of the season. Los Blancos sit top of La Liga but it has been far from rosy for the Spaniard with reports that a number of players, including Vinicius Junior, are not behind the new manager. While managers at the Bernabeu don’t tend to be given too many chances, an early exit before the end of the season for Alonso looks unlikely unless any dramatic developments or loss of form occur. At 5/1 is Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner. The Austrian guided the Eagles to their first major trophy in their history when they lifted the FA Cup last season. Palace since lifted more silverware at Wembley when they beat Liverpool in the Community Shield. Glasner then nailed his dominance over Slot with a 2-1 victory in the Premier League and a 3-0 win at Anfield to dump Liverpool out of the Carabao Cup a month later. The 51-year-old Austrian has beaten Liverpool three times in three months and could also be the answer to turning the Reds’ form around, while possibly also bringing his Palace captain and long-term Liverpool target Marc Guehi to Anfield with him. Fourth favourite for the job is Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola at 5/1, as his attacking football and ability to rebuild a Cherries team that lost four of their crucial five-man defence in the summer has been impressive. In stark contrast to Slot, Iraola’s new-look side sit in the top half of the table and were unlucky not to have picked up a result against the Reds on the opening day of the season. Outsiders for the position also see Gerrard priced at 12/1 after his return to Rangers fell through, and Aston Villa boss Unai Emery at 16/1. For those who like a laugh at Liverpool, Ange Postecoglou is priced as low as 12/1 with some bookmakers to return to management after embarrassingly being driven out of Nottingham Forest after 39 days in charge. – Express Newspapers In the Slot to replace Arne

‘Their legs have gone’ Salah, Van Dijk showing their age, says Carragher

Filepix of Liverpool’s Virgil Van Dijk (left) and Mohamed Salah warming up ahead of their Premier League match against Brighton early this month. – REUTERSPIC

“Liverpool are different from almost every club in European football, where the manager is the king, the managers get time,” Carragher said. “Liverpool have never sacked a manager who’s won the League. Never, in history. “After a few years they’ve gone, they’ve resigned. “I’ve always been in the camp of you stick with the manager, because I’m angry with the players, I’m really angry with the players. “But it does get to a stage with any manager at any club where I always use this word, untenable, where it almost feels like it can’t go on any longer. “I’m not quite there yet personally, in terms of the manager, but I know a lot of supporters will be. “No matter how much goodwill the manager has, Liverpool Football Club cannot sustain the drop in standards witnessed over the past three months. “No one knows better than me how much that reality will be hurting everyone connected with my old club.” – The Independent

said on CBS Sports . “I don’t like criticising them on the pitch, because they’re absolutely legendary what they’ve done, and the legs have just gone, especially with Salah. “Van Dijk now can’t help other players. He needs help himself. That just means that he’s a normal centreback, like I was at one stage. He’s not superhuman right now. “But they’ve been that good for the football club. I look at some of the others. Step up. Can you only play well when they play well, or they carry you? Their seasons last season were off the scale.” Having broken records for Liverpool last season, Salah has scored just one goal in his last five appearances while Liverpool lost three games in a row while conceded at least three goals for the first time in 1953. Slot is under increased scrutiny ahead of today’s trip to West Ham and Wednesday’s home game against Sunderland but Carragher does not think the Dutchman’s position is untenable.

BY JAMIE BRAIDWOOD

FORMER Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk are showing their age this season and has claimed their “legs have gone” amid a run of nine defeats in 12 games. Liverpool are on their worst spell of results since 1954, falling to a 4-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Thursday, with their dramatic decline under Arne Slot coming just six months after the Reds lifted the Premier League title. Carragher said he found it difficult to criticise two players in Salah and Van Dijk who have played such significant roles in Liverpool’s recent success. Salah, 33, and skipper Van Dijk, 34, signed new contracts at Liverpool after leading the Reds to their second Premier League title in five years but Carragher said they have struggled this season and urged others in the team to step up. “You’re watching Van Dijk now, not the same player, and Salah looks like his legs have gone,” Carragher