Xabi Alonso has looked the obvious successor if Arne Slot’s Liverpool spell is brought to an abrupt end, but it might not be the foregone conclusion many believe it to be.
Slot has a tenuous grasp on the role of Liverpool manager if you go by the frosty atmosphere at Anfield on Saturday. The ownership are still behind him, but fan opinion matters, and this weekend felt like a shift.
Liverpool are preparing to review Slot at the end of the season, but that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been continuous monitoring of his performance as head coach. If reports from Spain are to be believed, they are making enquiries at Real Madrid about Alonso, preparing for the possibility of a summer sacking.
Has Slot completely lost the fans after Anfield booed his decision to take Ngumoha off?
What was your reaction to the substitution?
And they don’t sound 100% convinced.
Liverpool ring Real Madrid amid doubts over Xabi Alonso
A report from AS claims Liverpool have called the Spanish giants to ‘clear things up’ with regards to how Alonso’s position as Real Madrid coach became untenable.
It’s said to be one of ‘several’ calls made from Anfield to the Bernabeu. One of those surely pertains to Liverpool’s interest in Eduardo Camavinga.
In this instance, though, it was a call to find out how things ended between Alonso and the club — checking references, so to speak. It points to Slot’s position not being set in stone, and is the kind of due diligence a well-run club like Liverpool should be doing.
But this stems from ‘doubts’ about Alonso as Liverpool’s next manager. The club are yet to be fully decided on the Spaniard, and we can only speculate on the reasons.
Xabi Alonso’s failure at Real Madrid
The most obvious concern with Alonso is how long he lasted as Madrid manager. He left by mutual agreement after just seven months in charge, with his failure to manage the big personalities cited as a contributing factor.
The official line was amicable, but Alonso was under pressure, with Madrid trailing Barcelona in La Liga and growing doubts over both results and the tactical direction of the team. Liverpool are right to want more information.
The culture at Madrid is rotting as we speak, though. That works in Alonso’s favour.
The dressing room is in conflict, the performances have been poor, and the fanbase has turned on Kylian Mbappe. His short stint looks less concerning in the context of the club right now.
Is Xabi Alonso better than Arne Slot?
The next question that needs to be asked — would Alonso be an upgrade on Liverpool’s current man in charge. For all the criticism you can fairly throw in the Dutchman’s direction, he won the title.
Slot is one of only 12 managers to win the Premier League in over 30 years, and one of five to do so on his first attempt. There are no guarantees with Alonso, as impressive as his time in Germany was.
Liverpool keep Arne Slot, Xabi Alonso goes to Chelsea. How would you react? 😄😡
The rebuild Liverpool have embarked on has had Slot at the centre, signing the players he wants for the system he wants to play. The second season of the project has been atrocious, but FSG don’t think so much in the short-term.
Whether they decide to carry out this replacement could come down to who they see as the better coach, and their opinion may not be the predominant one around Anfield.
- READ MORE: Why Liverpool might have the best chance in Europe of signing Kylian Mbappe from Real Madrid
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