Arne Slot is facing a very tough time at Liverpool, as noted by the Daily Mail, among others. The Reds were knocked out of the FA Cup in an extremely painful manner by Manchester City on Saturday (4-0), but Liverpool must turn things around quickly, with the Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain just around the corner.
“Slot now finds himself in a situation where he faces the threat of dismissal,” begins the Daily Mail. “With the end of the season fast approaching, Liverpool’s decline has gone further than expected. That was evident once again on Saturday at Manchester City.”
“Some players were simply no longer willing or able to consistently perform the basics of football. And Slot is responsible for that. When you reach that stage as a manager, the next step usually means packing your bags,” reads the damning conclusion.
Immediately after the match on Saturday, Slot was confronted by the British press about his players’ lack of commitment. “If you just look at the goals, I see runs that aren’t tracked, I see crosses that aren’t blocked, I see challenges in front of goal that aren’t won – then you’re absolutely right,” the Dutchman responded.
And so the British media believe there is only one option left for Slot: a result on Wednesday in Paris in the Champions League quarter-final. “Slot is now in his personal ‘red zone’, and he can only save himself if he finds a way to instil a dose of belief, energy, self-confidence and sheer willpower in these players ahead of Wednesday.”
So whilst Liverpool head into Wednesday’s match with very little confidence, PSG had a fine warm-up on Friday. They secured an easy 3-1 home win against Toulouse. Ousmane Dembélé was the standout performer for the Parisians, so Virgil van Dijk will once again face a daunting task in keeping him in check.