Liverpool fans have ramped up the pressure on Arne Slot following a challenging second season for the Dutchman at Anfield.
Despite lifting the Premier League title last May in his debut campaign, the Reds have struggled after a summer that saw heavy spending and multiple departures.
Supporters are growing frustrated by Slot’s tactics, particularly the slow build-up play that many feel goes against the club’s tradition of entertaining, attacking football.
The Reds are unbeaten since November, but draws against all three newly promoted teams have left them languishing around fourth in the Premier League table. Slot’s future was put under fresh scrutiny following the 1-1 draw against relegation-threatened Burnley at Anfield.
Liverpool ended the afternoon with 32 shots, 11 on target, but only one goal. They became the first Reds side since 1980-81 not to beat any of the promoted teams at home. There was no hiding place for Slot as boos echoed around Anfield at the final whistle. Another two Premier League points thrown away. Patience is wearing thin.
FSG, as owners and Liverpool in general, are not traditionally a sacking club, but this season the managerial axe has swung remorselessly across the league. Enzo Maresca left Chelsea on New Year’s Day, while pressure intensifies on Thomas Frank at Tottenham Hotspur in the betting odds.
In that context, no manager feels completely secure. Some Liverpool supporters are already calling for decisive action. Speaking to Gambling.com, a leading betting authority that also tracks market trends across UK casino bonuses, one fan said: “You only have to look at what’s happened since the end of September. It’s night and day compared to how we played when Slot first took over.
“You start to wonder how much of last season’s title was built on the muscle memory of Klopp’s team. Now Slot’s implemented his own style, and things are going wrong. And when managers like Xabi Alonso are available, why waste the rest of the season when there are trophies to be won?”
Attention now turns to Slot’s future and who Liverpool could potentially hire as just their third permanent manager since 2015. Here, we assess the leading contenders according to the betting markets and examine who the Kop would welcome into the dugout.
Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso left Real Madrid after the defeat to Barcelona in the SuperCopa to be replaced by former Liverpool teammate Álvaro Arbeloa, making himself available at precisely the moment the Reds need him most.
The Spaniard enjoyed success at Bayer Leverkusen, where he worked with current Liverpool players Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong, though he could not replicate that connection at the Bernabéu in a challenging six months replacing Carlo Ancelotti.
Alonso was beaten 1-0 by Slot’s Liverpool in the Champions League earlier this season, but that result has not diminished his reputation. He remains one of Europe’s most respected young managers, and his legend status at Anfield for his role in Istanbul makes him a dream appointment for supporters.
The question is whether Alonso wants the Liverpool job or prefers to wait for another opportunity. His availability creates an opening Liverpool cannot ignore, and the emotional pull of returning to a club where he enjoyed his greatest triumph could prove decisive.
Luis Enrique
In one of the shocks of the season, Luis Enrique announced he will leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of his contract, timing that aligns perfectly with Liverpool’s potential needs.
The Spaniard is a well-respected tactician who won the Champions League with PSG last season and knocked Slot’s Liverpool out in the round of 16.
His values and personality would match Liverpool’s ethos. Enrique demands intensity and commitment from his players, qualities that defined the club’s most successful recent period under Jürgen Klopp. He is a serial winner with experience managing elite players, and the fact he speaks English fluently would ease his transition to the Premier League.
The risk is whether Enrique wants another demanding job immediately after PSG. He has hinted at taking a break, and Liverpool’s current league position might not appeal to a manager accustomed to competing for titles.
Oliver Glasner
Oliver Glasner has been a thorn in Liverpool’s side for years. His Crystal Palace team won the FA Cup last May and ended Liverpool’s title hopes in 2024 with a victory at Anfield.
Palace also beat the Reds in this season’s Community Shield final and League Cup, demonstrating Glasner’s ability to exploit Liverpool’s weaknesses.
Having been linked with several top clubs, Glasner announced he will leave Palace at the end of the season. The Austrian has shown from his time in both Frankfurt and south London that he can win silverware and develop teams that compete above their resources, qualities Liverpool would value.
The complication is his personality and recent conduct. The way Glasner handled his Palace departure ultimately cost Liverpool the signing of Marc Guéhi, souring relations between the clubs. Whether Liverpool fans could embrace a manager who derailed a transfer they desperately wanted remains unclear.
Jürgen Klopp
During his emotional departure back in 2024, Klopp said if the city needs him, he is here. The city needs him. A return would be sentimental but also potentially genius from the club’s leadership.
Klopp currently works with the Red Bull football group after leaving Liverpool, burnt out, following nine years in charge. A second spell with Liverpool 2.0 – a new-look squad, new leadership, and fresh faces – could provide the reset he needs to rediscover his passion for management, even if short-term.
The challenge would be rebuilding his backroom staff. Pepijn Lijnders now works at Manchester City, and Klopp would need to assemble a completely new team around him. Whether he has the energy for that project at 57 years old remains the biggest question.
Supporters would welcome Klopp back instantly, but the board must weigh sentiment against pragmatism. Bringing back a manager who left exhausted carries significant risk, even if the emotional appeal is undeniable.
Steven Gerrard
Captain. Leader. Legend. Steven Gerrard represents more of a placeholder option than a long-term solution.
The Huyton lad earned respect for his work at Rangers, winning the Scottish Premiership and breaking Celtic’s dominance, but his reputation suffered at Aston Villa before a move to Saudi Arabia damaged it further.
Gerrard has been out of work since last season, but as one of the greatest players ever to wear the Liverpool shirt, fans would give him patience other managers would not receive. The question is whether patience alone can sustain a manager at a club with Liverpool’s ambitions.
The dream scenario for many supporters would be Gerrard joining Alonso’s backroom staff, learning under a world-class manager while preparing for his own opportunity in the future.
That pathway would protect Gerrard’s legacy while giving him the experience he needs to succeed at the highest level. An immediate appointment feels premature, but a role in the club’s future remains possible.
