Arne Slot, Liverpool and a Crisis Laid Bare on Molby On The Spot
The latest episode of Molby On The Spot on Anfield Index Pro delivered one of the most stark and unfiltered assessments of Liverpool’s situation this season. Trev Downey and Jan Molby spent the show working through the mounting concerns around Arne Slot, Liverpool’s form and the unravelled certainty that has defined much of the club’s recent years. Their discussion was grounded fully in first hand observation and direct experience, and the tone reflected the severity of a run that Downey described as “appalling stuff”.
Slot Under Pressure, Liverpool Under Strain
Right from the opening exchanges, Molby set the tone by acknowledging the one question he has been asked everywhere recently. “Is he under pressure? Of course he’s under pressure. He’s the manager of Liverpool and we’re not winning.” He added that “new players who’ve joined the club are not settling in,” before reinforcing that “we’re not about to sack him” although he also admitted that “if it continues, then it becomes a different story”.
Liverpool’s recent results framed every part of the chat. Downey listed them with disbelief, ticking through “the 4-1 last night against PSV”, “the 3-0 against Forest”, “City 3-0 at City”, “a 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace”, “Brentford 3-2” and “United… beaten us 2-1 at Anfield”. His reflection was simple and damning. “People are struggling to believe what they’re seeing with their own eyes.”
Molby understood that disbelief. “In terms of form it just makes it horrendous, horrendous.”
The Slot Question and the January Window
Downey raised the uncomfortable reality that “nobody really wants to talk about” but cannot be avoided. “What happens if we lurch into West Ham and into Sunderland and get another two disappointing results?” he asked. “At what point do you call it?”
His dilemma centred on the timing of the January window. “Do you give Arne Slot the money… and then if it doesn’t write itself, we’ve hamstrung ourselves for the next person coming in?” he wondered.
Molby admitted the complexity of this scenario. “Let’s say Slot gets through December with a mixed bag… do we then go into January and… we then don’t spend any money?” He added, “I think Arne would be desperate for new signings, but I don’t think he’ll be jumping up and down about it.”
Slot’s Honesty, Media Pressures and Cultural Dynamics
In one of the most compelling passages, the pair discussed Slot’s manner in interviews. Downey referenced the manager admitting, “I don’t know. Mostly I’m confused,” and said he “vaguely admire[d] that”.
Molby shared the view that Slot has been “very dignified”. He added, “I think they’re very much more direct to the point… because they don’t have the same usual vocabulary so they get to the point very quick.” His example of Slot speaking after PSV was telling. “He said, ‘You’re not going to get a foul for a little push like that,’” even though “that’s his captain”.
Both agreed that such directness can work against him. As Molby put it, “When managers are not honest… we moan as well, and when they’re being direct… we moan as well.”
Searching for Future Stability
Downey eventually steered the conversation to the bigger picture, referencing the swirling discussion around possible successors. Molby’s take was blunt. “Should Liverpool ever need to appoint another manager, they will go through the same process as last time… trying to second guess who the next big thing is going to be.”
He explained that Slot himself was chosen this way. “There was nothing wrong with Arne’s CV as such… we thought, well, there’s everything about this guy that we like.”
Where Liverpool go next depends entirely on what happens in the coming weeks. For now, the uncertainty remains total, captured perfectly in Downey’s early admission: “I’m struggling with all of it.”
