Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher has issued a stark warning to Reds manager Arne Slot, stating his position could become untenable if the club fails to secure Champions League qualification this season.
Form Slump Raises Alarm Bells
Despite winning last season's Premier League title and investing £450m in summer transfers, Liverpool's campaign has faltered dramatically. After an initial five-match winning streak, the Merseyside club suffered five defeats in six games, derailing their title defense and leaving them sixth in the table - two points behind fourth-placed Manchester United.
"If you don't qualify for the Champions League, having won the league and spent as much as Liverpool, I don't think you've got a leg to stand on,"
Carragher told Monday Night Football, highlighting three key weaknesses: "Set-pieces, counter-attacks, and low-block defenses - Liverpool can't cope with any of them."
Defensive Crisis Compounds Problems
The situation has been exacerbated by a defensive crisis, with Virgil van Dijk currently the only fit senior center-back. Carragher urged the club to accelerate plans for defensive reinforcements but cautioned against panic buys:
"If they had to pay extra for someone they wanted in summer, I'd bring that forward. But I'm not interested in buying players they're not fully convinced of."
Manager Under Mounting Pressure
While Slot attributed Saturday's 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth to fixture congestion and injuries, Carragher believes the Dutchman's future now hinges on European qualification:
"When Champions League qualification is in doubt, we're talking about a completely different proposition regarding the manager's job."
With Manchester United and Chelsea showing improved form, Liverpool face a tense battle to secure top-five finish in what's becoming a defining moment in Slot's Anfield tenure.
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