But the truth is also: With Luis Díaz (to FC Bayern), Darwin Núñez (to Al-Hilal) and, above all, homegrown Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid), Liverpool have not only lost good players, but also stars who helped shape the Klopp era. The restructuring of the squad with the many departures and new additions takes time. Time that is rather limited at a top club like Liverpool. That’s why questions about Arne Slot’s future are gradually getting louder in England.
It was probably not very helpful in this context when Jürgen Klopp said about a possible return a little over a month ago: “Theoretically it is possible. I said that I would never coach another team in England. So if I do, it will be Liverpool.” As soon as the word was said, the wildest speculation began. However, a return at this point seems impossible; for Klopp, the only thing that counts at the moment is his work for the Red Bull Group.
Not surprisingly, in the same breath he noted the problems that his former club was already having back then. “Development takes time and no one can change that,” said Klopp. “Everything is fine” and we have to “be ready” in the crucial moments. However, that doesn’t guarantee “that you’ll win again. That doesn’t just happen. You can’t become champions, spend money and become champions again. The other teams don’t sleep.”
Six bankruptcies from the last seven league games, the fall to 11th place, eleven points behind league leaders FC Arsenal – a delicate situation in which Arne Slot does not want to duck away. “I would like to emphasize that I am responsible for the current defeats. You are responsible when you win, but also when you lose,” said the Dutchman after the recent debacle against Nottingham. “This is far from acceptable and I take responsibility for it.”
For the first time since 1965, the “Reds” lost two league games in a row by three or more goals. The English newspaper “Daily Mail” already asked: “When will this crash end? And does Slot have the necessary instinct to correct it?”