Chelsea eye Alonso as Liverpool's Slot era faces scrutiny

Monday delivered a blow that cut deeper than Chelsea's hard-fought point at Anfield on Saturday. While watching the Blues end a six-game losing streak was painful enough for Liverpool supporters, news that their London rivals are now exploring a deal to appoint Xabi Alonso as permanent manager has shattered any remaining optimism. The former Kop idol, who led Bayer Leverkusen to an undefeated double, was widely seen as the solution to Liverpool's mounting problems.

Alonso had been the fans' first choice to succeed Jurgen Klopp in 2024. By the turn of the year, he was considered the only viable option to replace Arne Slot. Yet the revelation that Liverpool aren't even in the running for the Spaniard has left supporters mystified, especially as the club intends to keep Slot for another season.

Fans Lose Faith in Slot

Liverpool weren't beaten by Chelsea on Saturday, but they were booed off the field after another disjointed display against the league's most out-of-form team. The most significant protest came in the 66th minute when fans reacted furiously to Slot's decision to substitute Rio Ngumoha, who had again provided rare bright spots on a gloomy afternoon. Slot claimed the teenager had muscle cramps, but the reason was almost irrelevant—the boos reflected a deeper loss of trust in his judgment.

Most Liverpool fans understand Slot's reluctance to overburden Ngumoha at this stage of his career. The frustration was actually directed at the coach's conservatism and the passivity of his team's play.

Slot Defends Tactics

Slot reacted angrily to suggestions he had instructed his players to sit back after taking an early lead against Chelsea. "Yeah, I said it after we scored the 1-0 and then we got a big chance for the 2-0. Didn't you see me screaming off the sideline? 'Go back, go back, defend your own box, defend your own box.' Are you really serious?! Of course, it's not the idea for us to back off," he said sarcastically.

He argued that Chelsea's midfield-heavy lineup, lacking wingers, gradually took control. "They were by far the dominant team in the game. It was difficult to change that during the first half but I think you might have noticed as well, apart from other things you've noticed, that at half-time we changed things."

Slot insisted it's unfair to think he tells players to drop back. "Either you haven't seen my teams playing last season and large parts of this season, let alone since I'm a manager. But it did look like that, that we dropped down, but that's never the intention."

Physical and Mental Frailty

Injuries have disrupted Liverpool's cohesion, but they've only reinforced the perception of a mentally and physically fragile squad. Many players have looked jaded, unable to cope with the demands of playing every three to four days. Outgoing Mohamed Salah has insinuated some teammates avoid the gym, while captain Virgil van Dijk openly admitted that avoiding a repeat of this "unacceptable" season requires significant work "behind the scenes."

Slot dismissed concerns about declining standards. "Does Virgil mean the same as what Mo is saying? And what Mo is saying is that standards are really important for a football club. I cannot agree more with him! I did not hear him say that the standards are not okay now. Did you? I'm not worried about it, let's put it that way. I'm not worried that the standards will be lower next season than they were this season, or the season before or the season before. No. I'm not worried about it. At all."

Easy to Play Against

After the humiliating loss to Michael Carrick's Manchester United, Slot said he knows exactly where Liverpool must improve. "We are already working hard on that in these last few weeks, because we have a bit more training time. But the same issues are coming back and that's not a complete surprise because there's not a lot you can change during the season. For us, for me, it's quite clear where we have to improve. And we will next season."

When asked to share those improvements, Slot replied, "No, it doesn't make sense to share them." The refusal has only reinforced the perception of a manager out of ideas. Liverpool are still being out-run and overrun by nearly every opponent, becoming "an easy team to play against," as former United captain Roy Keane put it after the 3-2 loss at Old Trafford.

The limp conclusion to this calamitous campaign is utterly unsurprising. The club's limitations were exposed during the historically poor run between September and November, yet Liverpool neither sacked the coach nor backed him in January. The season has been completely wasted, with the team allowed to drift toward disaster.

Supporters were told via the press that cup games against Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain would determine Slot's future. Despite losing all three without scoring a single goal while conceding eight, the manager's job is now reportedly safe. Jamie Carragher isn't the only fan fearing a repeat of the Erik ten Hag mess at Manchester United, who ignored red flags during his shambolic second season before finally firing him.

Slot has admitted nothing in the final two league games can atone for this trophy-less campaign. "If we can have the summer that we are planning to have, then I'm 100 per cent convinced that we will be a different team next season than we are now," he said. Fans, however, are already anticipating more of the same—with the added fear that by the time the club accepts change is needed, Alonso will no longer be available to rescue them.