Liverpool Manager Arne Slot: Under Fire But ‘Not Worried’ After FCT PSV Defeat
By: Abudu Olalekan
Under-pressure Liverpool boss Arne Slot says he’s “not worried” despite a shocking 4-1 defeat to PSV and a dismal run of form.
The Anfield air hung heavy. Not just the usual roar, but something heavier. Disappointment. Disbelief. Liverpool, the reigning champions, had just taken a 4-1 hammering from PSV. Inside the bowels of the stadium, the silence after the final whistle said it all. That, right there, is the pressure Arne Slot is swimming in.
Down the corridor, cameras flashing, microphones thrust forward. Slot walked towards them, chin up. Calm. Too calm? His words, delivered carefully:
“I am not worried. My focus is on other things than worrying about my own position. I need to do better, I know that.”
He’s not rattled. At least, not outwardly. But beneath that? Who knows? The questions hung thick. He knows it, obviously. Nine losses in twelve matches? That’s a crisis. Not a slump. Not a wobble. A deep, sinking feeling across Merseyside.
“I speak to the Liverpool hierarchy – we have those talks. They don’t call me every minute telling me they trust me! We have normal conversations, and I feel the trust. I haven’t spoken to them after this game yet, so let’s see!”
Let’s see. Yeah. That’s not the sound of confidence. That’s the sound of… uncertainty? Of waiting for the other shoe to drop? Jurgen Klopp’s shadow feels long. Massive. Almost unfair. Slot built his reputation on control. On organisation. On structure. But PSV sliced through that like a hot knife. Uncomfortable viewing.
“This is very unexpected looking at the quality we have.”
Quality? On paper, yeah. World-class names. Stars. But where were they? Flat. Lacklustre. Apathetic? Slot sensed it too.
“Is it a lack of confidence? I didn’t see that in the first half. It’s not the mentality these players have shown so many times since I’m here.”
Mentality. That’s the word. Where’s the Liverpool edge? The relentless spirit? PSV looked hungrier. That’s a bad sign. A really bad sign.
So, the big question isn’t just is he worried? It’s can he fix it? Can Slot rediscover that winning formula? Fast? Before the fans turn? Before the board loses patience? Their trust… it’s real, he says. But trust is a fragile thing in football. Fragile and finite. Wins heal it. Losses erode it.
The road ahead is brutal. United away. Arsenal at home. More pressure. More scrutiny. Every touch analysed. Every decision questioned. Can Slot navigate this storm? Or will this humiliation prove to be the first crack in his Liverpool foundation?
