Liverpool owners face dilemma - stick or twist with Slot?
Liverpool '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 BBC 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 . 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 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 - and replaced by Jurgen Klopp.
It was the start of a new era of success. Liverpool won the Champions League in 2019, and a first league title for three decades the following year. 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? 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.