Arne Slot’s future as Liverpool head coach has become the subject of speculation at various times this season
13:06, 11 Mar 2026Updated 13:22, 11 Mar 2026
Arne Slot’s future at Liverpool has been debated amid sack pressure(Image: Burak Kara – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Several pundits have debated Arne Slot’s future at Liverpool following the defeat to Galatasaray in the Champions League. The Reds lost 1-0 in the last-16 first leg on Tuesday night in Istanbul, with Mario Lemina scoring the only goal of the game early in the first half.
Liverpool will now need to overturn the deficit when they face Galatasaray in the second leg at Anfield next week, after facing Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League this weekend.
Slot’s future on Merseyside has been the subject of debate throughout the season, with the club battling to avoid a top-four finish rather than compete for the Premier League title.
It was during the defeat to Galatasaray that former Liverpool star Jermaine Pennant took issue with the Reds’ performances, as well as one decision made by Slot.
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Pennant pointed to Rio Ngumoha not getting any minutes for Liverpool against the Super Lig club, despite putting in a player-of-the-match performance against Wolves in the FA Cup last week.
“Ok, I’m done with [Arne] Slot now, played 65 mins and man of the match last game,” Pennant wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“87 mins gone, every single player has been horrendous, and Rio [Ngumoha] has not came on. Please anyone tell, make it make sense, please.”
Former Premier League striker Darren Bent also weighed in on Slot’s future at Liverpool, explaining why a decision to part ways with the Reds head coach may be “reactionary”.
“I just think to kind of sack him if he finishes in the Champions League in his second season, he won the Premier League in his first season,” Bent told talkSPORT. “I just think it might be a bit reactionary.
“I know the football potentially isn’t what it used to be in terms of, it’s not heavy metal rock and roll football that Klopp used to play.
Rio Ngumoha didn’t feature for Liverpool against Galatasaray on Tuesday(Image: Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
“I know at times they’ve been called quite boring, in terms of their build-up play, little bit slow. Some Liverpool fans, certainly the ones I know, haven’t enjoyed watching that.”
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher also expressed concern for Liverpool’s form and performances this season, as well as for Slot’s future at Anfield.
“This team is just a million miles off where it was supposed to be this season, which was that we would be talking about them the way we speak about Bayern Munich right now,” Carragher said on CBS Sports.
“That was the whole point of Liverpool spending over £400m in the summer, to go to the next step from winning the Premier League to winning the Champions League.
“And we are talking about a team who now have to change a deficit against Galatasaray, which I think they will.
“But I don’t have any hope for Liverpool going any further than that if it is PSG in the next round, as I think it may be.
“And that for me is a big worry. It is not just a defeat, I think the performances from Liverpool this season are a big worry for the manager.
“I think I said on this show during the group stages, he’s got to change something – he has tried everything really in lots of different ways but nothing seems to be able to work.
“At no stage of this season have I ever thought Liverpool were in control of a football match.”
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