Arne Slot Under Pressure as Liverpool Struggle in a Faltering Premier League
Liverpool’s late win at Nottingham Forest eased immediate tension, but the broader conversation around Arne Slot continues to intensify. On Media Matters for Anfield Index, David Lynch delivered a nuanced assessment of the pressure facing Liverpool’s head coach, particularly in a Premier League season where, as he put it, “nobody’s playing well at the moment.”
It is that contradiction that sharpens the debate. If the overall quality of the league has dipped, why have Liverpool still struggled to assert themselves?
League Wide Drop Off Raises Bigger Questions
Lynch urged supporters to zoom out. “City aren’t dominant at the moment,” he said. “I’ve seen City look really, really poor in halves of football. I’ve seen City look poor in full games.”
He did not stop there. “I’ve seen Arsenal… their fans talking about the possibility that their manager might go now,” he added, despite Arsenal remaining in the title conversation.
The broader point was clear. “Nobody is playing well,” Lynch stressed. “So why is that?”
For him, this is not a defence of Arne Slot, but an attempt to contextualise Liverpool’s underwhelming season. “We’re too busy at the moment trying to imagine why is the football not like it was last season,” he said. “But then I’m kind of looking around the league… and this is massively important.”
In other words, Liverpool’s struggles are not occurring in isolation. The Premier League itself appears to be in flux.
Slot Not Blameless Amid Poor Runs
Yet Lynch was equally clear that context does not absolve the manager. “I completely disagree with the suggestion that nobody could have got more out of them,” he said, pushing back against claims that Slot has maximised the squad.
There have been unacceptable sequences. “Nine defeats in 12 is an absolute disgrace at any level,” Lynch stated bluntly. He also described the subsequent 13 match unbeaten run as “incredibly unimpressive.”
That duality defines Slot’s position. There are mitigating factors, but there are also clear failings.
“I think some of the criticism of the manager has been absolutely deserved,” Lynch admitted. He pointed to misjudgements in squad planning and form management, including Mohamed Salah’s decline and Cody Gakpo’s drop off.
“Salah is on his longest Premier League goal drought and he’s clearly declined,” Lynch observed, acknowledging that these factors have hurt Liverpool’s output. But he was equally firm. “That’s their misjudgement by the way and that’s what they are judged on.”
Photo: IMAGO
Complex Picture Facing Liverpool Hierarchy
Where Lynch’s analysis becomes particularly interesting is in his description of the situation as a “complex picture.”
“It’s just too simplistic to say Liverpool should have won the league this season,” he argued. There are structural issues, recruitment calls, injuries in key positions and tactical imbalances to consider.
At the same time, expectations remain high. “Liverpool have to show improvements over the remainder of the season for Arne Slot to be safe,” Lynch warned.
The hierarchy, led by Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards, face a difficult evaluation. Lynch admitted he does not “envy” those making the decision, because the context is not straightforward.
“How much of it is the league itself? How much of it is injuries? How much of it is the fact that they changed so many players over the summer?” he asked.
Pressure Intensifies in Champions League Race
Liverpool’s narrow victory at Nottingham Forest has kept them level on points with Chelsea and Manchester United in the race for Champions League qualification. Results still matter most.
“Just winning games by hook or by crook,” Lynch said, summarising the immediate objective. In a congested Premier League table, momentum can quickly reshape perception.
However, the scrutiny on Slot will not disappear. Lynch’s central argument is that Liverpool must be judged in context, but not excused entirely.
“We all agree Liverpool should be better,” he concluded. “But quite how much better they can be and how much it’s possible to be in this league… I’m not quite sure.”
That uncertainty is precisely why the pressure remains. The Premier League may be faltering in quality, but expectations at Liverpool rarely do.