Liverpool’s Arne Slot is under pressure, with calls for his dismissal emerging after a less than stellar season. Former Liverpool player Jermaine Pennant has urged the club to part company with the Dutch manager. This comes amid speculation surrounding Mohamed Salah’s future at the club.
Pennant’s Criticism of Slot and Liverpool’s Performance
Pennant’s criticism follows Liverpool’s 4-2 loss to Aston Villa. He believes a change is urgently required. He highlighted the number of losses across all competitions this season, stating that the stats are shocking.
“If the board thinks that this is the guy to stay in charge, then something’s wrong with the board,” Pennant said. He added that the team has broken almost every single record in a negative way, including the most goals conceded and the most losses ever in a campaign.
Pennant also voiced his support for Salah, who recently criticised Liverpool’s standards on social media. He argued against another summer of lavish spending under Slot, questioning whether it would lead to any improvement.
Salah’s Future in Question
Reports claim Salah has given the “green light” to join a Turkish club. Pennant stated that Salah is stating the obvious regarding the team’s performance. He questioned whether things would change next season, even with further investment in players.
Champions League Qualification and Title Race Impact
Liverpool appear to have secured their place in next season’s Champions League after Manchester City drew with Bournemouth. The 1-1 stalemate between City and Bournemouth means Liverpool need only avoid defeat against Brentford at Anfield to guarantee a top-five finish. Even if Liverpool lose, Bournemouth would need to overturn a six-goal deficit to leapfrog them.
City’s draw also confirmed Arsenal as champions. Liverpool relinquished the title they fought so hard for last season to Arsenal months ago. Mikel Arteta’s triumph will undoubtedly ensure the pressure on Slot persists.
Pennant believes Liverpool are playing like a mid-table team. He said, “They’re playing like a mid-table team – they just sit back, they wait for teams to come onto them. There’s no threat going forward, they’re not aggressive.”
He added: “So you’ve built a great machine and then all of a sudden you change these same cogs in that machine and expect to get the right output. It’s just not going to work.”
Liverpool have lost 20 matches across all competitions this season.