Arne Slot’s time in charge of Liverpool appears to be reaching a critical point after the devastating 4-1 defeat to PSV at Anfield — a result that has not only intensified frustration among supporters but has also raised serious doubts inside the club about the direction of the team.
This was not the kind of loss that could be dismissed as misfortune or fine margins gone wrong. Instead, it was a performance that laid bare the deep problems Liverpool are currently facing.
Slot himself has openly admitted that he is “confused,” and that sentiment seems to echo throughout a squad that looks drained, disconnected, and lacking any real identity on the pitch.
What made the defeat even more concerning was the level of opposition. PSV are a strong side, but they are not among Europe’s elite. Yet they came to Anfield and dominated the match with clear structure, energy, and purpose — qualities Liverpool once showcased effortlessly under previous regimes.
The atmosphere at Anfield has witnessed difficult periods before, but rarely has the home crowd watched a collapse that felt this complete, affecting both the team’s tactical organisation and emotional resilience.
Apart from a few substitutes who offered some intensity late on, Liverpool showed little conviction from start to finish.
Inside the club, Liverpool’s leadership is fully aware of the various factors influencing the team’s struggles — the emotional transition after Klopp, the tactical shift Slot is trying to implement, and the significant changes in the squad over the past year.
This season was supposed to be one of stability and steady progress. Instead, the Reds have slipped into mid-table, while their Champions League campaign looks increasingly unsteady. For a club of Liverpool’s resources and standards, these outcomes are impossible to ignore.
As the pressure builds, the discussions behind the scenes are becoming unavoidable. Liverpool’s hierarchy does not make impulsive decisions, especially when it comes to managers, but they do respond to long-term trends — and under Slot, those trends are moving in the wrong direction.
The club already has contingency plans, including potential interim solutions and long-term candidates who have been assessed in case a change becomes necessary.
The central question is no longer about whether Slot is under pressure — that much is clear. Rather, it’s whether anyone can convincingly argue that the situation is salvageable under his leadership.
For Liverpool, the dilemma is stark: either continue backing a manager whose methods are not translating on the pitch, or make a decisive move to protect a squad that should be challenging for the top spots in the Premier League.
After PSV’s dominant 4-1 win at Anfield, many fans — and even some within the club — fear that the moment for that decision may be fast approaching.
