Liverpool manager Arne Slot is facing intense scrutiny after a disastrous run of form that has left the club's Premier League title defence in ruins. The pressure escalated dramatically following a 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, a result that highlighted the deepening crisis at Anfield.
Dismal Form Piles Pressure on Slot
The loss at the City Ground marks a shocking sixth defeat in Liverpool's last seven Premier League matches. Their collapse extends across all competitions, with eight losses recorded in their last 11 outings. After just 12 league games, their hopes of retaining the title appear to be over.
Beyond the results, the performance against Forest was particularly alarming. Despite a massive summer spending spree, Slot is visibly struggling to extract the best from his squad, raising serious questions about his tactical approach and man-management.
FSG's Ruthless History with Managers
While club chairman Tom Werner offered public support for Slot just days ago, the club's owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), have a proven record of decisive action. It has been a decade since they last dismissed a manager, but the precedent is stark.
In October 2015, FSG president Mike Gordon phoned Brendan Rodgers merely an hour after a 1-1 Merseyside derby draw with Everton. The call informed Rodgers he was being sacked, a move that stunned many observers. The decision came despite Rodgers being backed in the transfer market with £80 million that summer.
Unbeknownst to the public and Rodgers himself, FSG had been secretly laying the groundwork for his replacement for weeks.
The Klopp Precedent: Secret Meetings and a New Era
The meticulous planning behind the 2015 change in leadership reveals how FSG operates. Mere days before Rodgers' dismissal was confirmed, the club's hierarchy was already engaging with his successor.
Jurgen Klopp recalled his own clandestine recruitment. "The first meeting was in New York, that's true," Klopp said of his initial contact with Liverpool. "But the first phone call with Mike was before that... I knew that Mike, or someone, from FSG was going to call."
That initial conversation lasted an hour and was successful enough to warrant a face-to-face meeting in New York. Klopp claimed he was there to watch basketball, but in reality, he was involved in six hours of discussions that all but sealed his appointment as the new Liverpool manager.
There is no current evidence to suggest similar secret meetings are taking place concerning Slot's position. However, with chairman Tom Werner present to witness the dismal Forest defeat firsthand, Slot is now under the direct gaze of the club's top decision-makers. The Dutch coach must find a swift solution to reverse this alarming slump, or he risks forcing FSG into making only their second managerial dismissal in ten years.
