Liverpool boss Arne Slot is under increasing pressure at Anfield after a 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon
Chris Burns Senior Sports Writer
06:30, 24 Nov 2025
Pressure is mounting on Arne Slot after Saturday’s defeat(Image: Liverpool FC, Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool manager Arne Slot is under mounting pressure following the club’s latest setback on Saturday. The 47-year-old enjoyed a remarkable debut season at Anfield after taking over from Jurgen Klopp, leading Liverpool to Premier League success.
Yet the ex-Feyenoord boss has faced a challenging beginning to the 2025-26 season. Saturday’s damaging 3-0 home loss to Nottingham Forest has seen the spotlight fall back on the Dutchman after Liverpool’s dismal run before the international break.
The situation is compounded by the fact the Reds spent £450million in a summer spending spree. Saturday’s result means the Reds have now suffered six defeats in their previous seven fixtures across all competitions, including a 3-0 loss against Manchester City earlier in November.
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With attention firmly fixed on Slot, the Dutchman has received a stark reminder about his standing in the Anfield hotseat from various pundits. Meanwhile, former Liverpool manager Klopp’s recent verdict on the club’s indifferent start to the season has also remerged as bookmakers have made the German the favourite to be the next Reds manager, even though Slot’s job remains safe.
Slot sack verdict
Pressure is understandably intensifying on Slot. Nevertheless, two prominent pundits believe the Dutchman is unlikely to be dismissed in the season following his title triumph at Anfield.
Ex-Arsenal defender Martin Keown remains convinced that Slot won’t be relieved of his duties by Liverpool in the immediate future. “We have to give credit to Forest for what they are doing but yes, the wheels are coming off now for Arne Slot,” Keown told Final Score after the game.
“Obviously, it was Jurgen Klopp’s team, and he has tried to come in and make changes, but he has spent £450million on players, and they are going backwards. They have simply been undone. Whether it’s a crisis I don’t know, it’s certainly a major problem for the manager to go six defeats from seven. Unthinkable.”
Liverpool are in crisis under Arne Slot with their title defence in tatters (Image: Michael Regan, Getty Images)
The former Arsenal defender continued: “I don’t think you can win the league one year and get sacked the next. It’s remarkable what we are seeing with Liverpool. Their fall from grace and to lose this many games at the start of the season, they are eight points behind top spot, it is unthinkable really from this time last season.”
Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp shared comparable views on Sky Sports following Forest’s victory, saying: “I look at Liverpool now, this is what I expected to happen last season.
“After Jurgen Klopp leaving the club I thought it would have some negative effect on the team. There wasn’t. They did something absolutely extraordinary and won the league.
“Right now, I think it’s a time for patience because they’ll be people, pundits, everyone going crazy, [saying] ‘Sack the manager’. [Be] calm, take your time, make sure you assess it, it’s been the most difficult pre-season you can imagine for those players.”
Klopp defends Slot as bookies price him up
While Slot’s position as Liverpool boss is safe, that hasn’t stopped bookmakers from pricing up his potential replacement. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they’ve settled on former Reds manager Klopp as the most likely to take over at Anfield, with a number of prominent bookies going as short as 2/1 and 4/1 about him returning for a second spell.
Klopp didn’t rule out a shock return in the future completely last month, saying: “I said I would never coach a different team in England. So that means if, (I did return to England) then it’s Liverpool. Yeah, theoretically it’s possible.” When pressed on what circumstances would bring him back to Anfield, he responded: “I don’t even know exactly. I love what I do now. I don’t miss coaching. I don’t. I do coach but it’s just different, it’s not players.”
Jurgen Klopp left Liverpool last summer after nearly nine years in charge(Image: Getty Images)
The German icon also spoke about Slot during that same interview and made a telling three-word comment that is just as relevant now as it was back then. Speaking about the initial transition period between himself and Slot, Klopp revealed: “We had a lot of contact after that. He’s a super good guy. He got the best out of this team, and they became champions in an incredible manner.
“It’s not about Arne showing the world what he can do – it’s about getting the best out of the team. That’s exactly what he did. Change always has an impact. And change always needs time. “If he keeps the exact same team as last season – Darwin Nunez still there, Luis Diaz still there, for example – they start playing and have problems, [people say] ‘We need change.’
“Now the new guys are there, and they are really good players. It’s just not working out at the minute.” Summing up his thoughts on Liverpool’s campaign in three words, Klopp added: “Development needs time,” before saying: “Nobody can change that. People need time to adapt. It’s all good.”
While there are things Slot must change to get the Reds back on track, Klopp’s words still ring true after Saturday’s latest setback. It’s PSV up next for the Reds before a trip to the London Stadium to face West Ham as Liverpool look to get back on track.