Liverpool owners face dilemma - stick or twist with Slot?

Breaking news from the world of sport: Liverpool owners face dilemma - stick or twist with Slot? Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Many Liverpool fans have lost faith in head coach Arne Slot only a year after he led them to the Premier League title in his first season in chargeByPhil McNulty Chief football writerPublished11 minutes agoLiverpool's owners Fenway Sports Group face a familiar dilemma. As the reigning Premier League champions continue to suffer an alarming decline, and fan discontent rises, FSG must decide what to do about head coach Arne Slot.

Slot has lost the faith of many supporters, with former Liverpool and England midfielder Danny Murphy telling Sport it is a conundrum he feels will end with the Dutchman's departure within months. The owners have been here before. It was in 2015 that Brendan Rodgers – without the credit in the bank Slot accumulated with last season's title triumph – suffered the same fate among Liverpool's fanbase as they ended the season with a humiliating 6-1 loss at Stoke City to finish sixth, 25 points behind champions Chelsea.

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FSG, led by principal owner John W Henry and chairman Tom Werner, had to decide whether to stick or twist with the manager who almost brought the Premier League title back to Anfield in 2014, eventually keeping faith with Rodgers but with a rebuilt backroom staff. Rodgers was backed with big money to sign players of the calibre of Christian Benteke from Aston Villa for £32. 5m and Roberto Firmino from Hoffenheim for £29m, who went on to be a Liverpool great, while recouping £49m from the sale of Raheem Sterling to Manchester City.

The ploy failed as Rodgers was sacked in early October, replaced by Jurgen Klopp. It was the start of a new era of success. Liverpool won the Champions League in 2019, and the following year, a first Premier League title for three decades.

So what will FSG do now? Will they keep faith and bankroll a head coach who was backed with a £450m transfer outlay last summer, or cut their losses to make a fresh start? Will Alonso's availability make him an option?

Reactions and Expectations

There are currently no indications that FSG are planning to part with Slot, but the voices of Liverpool supporters are rising in volume against him. Saturday's 1-1 draw at home to Chelsea was played out in an atmosphere of toxicity rarely heard at Anfield. Now former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso is the name on the lips of the Kop.

Alonso a hugely popular figure with them following a stellar Anfield career, having won the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen before a short spell in the dysfunction of Real Madrid. Murphy believes Slot's departure is now purely a case of when rather than if, given the increasing revolt in the stands. Murphy revealed that he was interviewed by Rodgers for a role in that last reshaped coaching team before the manager was sacked, the job eventually going to former team-mate Gary McAllister.

The story has climbed to the top of the sports agenda, with fans and analysts following closely.