David Lynch: Arne Slot’s Future at Liverpool Now Under Serious Scrutiny
After Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester City at Anfield, David Lynch delivered his most direct verdict yet on the uncertain future of manager Arne Slot. Speaking on Media Matters for Anfield Index, Lynch said the run of form has reached a point where questions around Slot’s long-term suitability are now unavoidable.
“We’ve seen 20 games now of really, really awful form from Liverpool with no kind of turning point in sight,” Lynch said, citing a league record of just 24 points from the last 20 matches. “This is not a knee-jerk reaction.”
Liverpool now sit sixth in the Premier League, four points behind fifth-placed Chelsea and with momentum working against them.
With Slot having just over one year left on his contract, the club must make a decision. Renew his contract or replace him, whether that be now or in the summer.
Champions League hopes fading, pressure rising
Lynch made it clear that the likelihood of Champions League qualification is almost non-existent. “I just think everybody needs to get their heads around now and completely accept that Liverpool will not be playing Champions League football next season,” he said.
And with that comes scrutiny for Slot. “If they get to the end of the season and this form is continued, the call has got to be to make a change to the manager. It just has to be,” Lynch stated. “There’s no way he can continue if the team plays this poorly till the end of the season.”
“No sufficient reason” for this level of underperformance
Lynch was especially critical of Liverpool’s performances relative to the squad at Slot’s disposal. “I really struggle to find sufficient reasons for Liverpool to be as bad as they are right now,” he said.
Comparisons were even drawn to the club’s past managerial failures. “Roy Hodgson had 25 points in 20 games. Slot’s sitting on 24. He’s got a far better squad,” Lynch said. “How is it this bad?”
Even mitigating circumstances, such as injuries, didn’t hold weight for Lynch. “If you told me Connor Bradley, Frimpong and Gomez being out was going to cause your season to completely collapse, I would’ve laughed at that.”
Patience, but not without limits
While Lynch acknowledged the club’s desire to be seen as patient and process-driven, he believes there’s a limit. “Once he got past the PSV game and survived that, I was on board with giving him the chance to make this right,” he admitted. But he stressed, “Unless Liverpool just lose and lose and lose, I think it will run to the end of the season — but that cannot mean he’s safe no matter what.”
Lynch also pushed back on the idea that Slot would automatically be retained regardless of how the campaign ends. “I don’t agree with anyone who’s saying Slot is safe no matter what. No way. Not with this form.”
Decision time looms for Liverpool hierarchy
With Slot entering the final year of his contract next season, Lynch believes a clear decision must be made in the summer. “I would be quite surprised if he goes into the final year of his contract without a decision having been made either way,” he said. “That creates pressure to make a call — and with the evidence they’ve got at the moment, that call has got to be to make a change.”
