Sunday’s defeat against Manchester United reinforced the feeling among many Liverpool supporters that Arne Slot is not the right man for the job at Anfield.
In truth, going down 3-2 at Old Trafford is no shame for any Liverpool manager, but the nature of the performance left a bitter taste in the mouth once again.
Jamie Carragher called the Reds’ performance ‘soft and weak‘, and it is far from being the first time this season that Slot’s team have failed to show any kind of fight on a big stage.
Can someone explain why this was allowed to stand?
Apparently United are allowed to handle balls into the net now 😤
For now, the suggestion remains that Liverpool will stick with Slot come what May. But with standards slipping alarmingly, and players starting to look more and more like primadonnas, the Reds should be looking at what Xabi Alonso did at Real Madrid and trying to translate that to the Anfield dressing room.
Alonso would not stand for Madrid players’ antics
Some have pointed to Alonso’s short stint in charge at Madrid as a reason to be wary of him taking over at Liverpool.
However, the Spanish giants are a special case, and in terms of actual on-the-pitch matters, the former Reds’ midfielder did not do a bad job at all.
Instead, his issue appeared to be that he would not allow big players such as Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and, in particular, Vinicius Jnr, to dictate goings on at the club.
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Stars were said to be affronted at the intense nature of the training sessions under Alonso, and he ended up falling out with a number of them due to his demands, and unwillingness to pander to their egos.
Sadly, this has appeared to take root at Liverpool this season as well. Mohamed Salah spoke about his worries that standards will drop as he departs, and there have been far too many signs throughout the season that players have started to believe their own hype.
Remonstrating with fans at the end of awful performances, posting showy nonsense online and, worst of all, looking timid and meek when matches have called for them to stand up and be counted. This slide has started with Slot, and it should end with Alonso.
Liverpool need a manager to set the standards
Slot has shown that he is a very good coach, there should be no disputing that despite Liverpool’s fallaway this season.
He has won the league with two of the more unfancied teams in two different divisions. That does not happen by fluke.
Nevertheless, it has been apparent from early into his tenure at Liverpool that the Dutchman is something of an aloof character. He is strong-willed and speaks his mind in a way which can ruffle a few feathers.
Will Xabi Alonso be Liverpool manager by the start of the 2026/27 season?
If no, where will he be instead?
Although you’d think this would lend itself to making his players fall into line, it appears to have had the opposite effect at Liverpool, alienating a few and making them distance themselves from who they are playing for and what they are buying into.
As a former Liverpool player himself, Alonso knows exactly what it means to play for the club, and always tried to immerse himself into the city and with its people during his five years on Merseyside.
As a coach the 44-year-old appears to take no prisoners either. And as they look for a way to lift standards on and off the pitch, his experience at Madrid should make him more attractive to Liverpool, not less.
Somebody needs to put a rocket up these players next season, and it doesn’t feel likely to be Slot. Alonso is free, available, and ready to be deployed. Liverpool cannot miss their chance.
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