After Liverpool lost 0-3 at home to Nottingham Forest, the "Echo" talked about the prospects of coach Slott. They said that his coaching career has reached a critical point.
The most worrying sound Slaughter faced during Saturday's game wasn't the jeers from away fans, or the boos at the final buzzer. What really unsettled him was when Gibbs White scored an easy goal to secure Nottingham Forest's three-goal win over Liverpool, which marked Liverpool's heaviest home defeat in recent memory.
With 12 minutes left in the game, Forest was already leading by three goals, and many Red Army fans had begun to leave the game, unwilling to witness this team's poor performance again. The scene was reminiscent of Klopp's first home defeat in charge of Liverpool ten years ago, when he lamented that he felt alone and helpless, even though Liverpool was only trailing 2-1 in that game, rather than facing one of the worst Premier League defeats in Anfield's history.
For Slott, these days are not easy. As Liverpool manager, he is experiencing many of the difficulties faced by his predecessors in their first seasons. Unlike every other appointment in the Premier League era, Slott inherited a team that was already set up for success, rather than one that was declining or underperforming. It wasn't until this summer, when Liverpool embarked on a massive £450m rebuild, driven more by necessity than pre-planning, that the Dutch coach had to deal with the problems that his predecessors had faced from the start.
How to win back the support of wavering fans will be Slott's top priority, and Wednesday's Champions League game against PSV will be a start. Although the Liverpool fans watching the game still support Slott, the way he has lost the last three games 0-3 has made even loyal supporters uneasy.
Van Dijk said after the game that the players had failed the coach. This statement is not unreasonable, especially in terms of Liverpool's lack of sufficient fighting spirit. However, Slott didn't help himself with some of his strange formations. At times, he seemed to think too long-term and ignored the more pressing issues at hand.
When Slott was appointed 18 months ago, Liverpool valued his role as a "head coach" rather than a "manager", focusing on training and guiding the team, which was very effective for older players who had adapted to the club's unique requirements. However, with many of the new additions still in the process of adapting, Slaughter is finding it tougher. Injuries or poor form among key players have also added to the problem, but complaints about individual players not having adequate pre-season preparation must stop: the season is now over three months old.
Does Slott need to overhaul his playbook? This may be a bit extreme, but at least some adjustments are needed to strengthen the defensive resolve that has all but disappeared. Liverpool has conceded 20 goals in 12 games this season, including at least 2 goals in 8 games. This could mean changes in personnel.
Joe Gomez can no longer be overprotected, and given the struggles at right-back and Konate's slump at centre-back, Endo could provide a more solid midfield option, while the energy of Chiesa and Ngumoha will also help, even if they just come off the bench for more minutes.
Going back to basics and becoming more pragmatic may not be Slott's default setting, but the best coaches are always willing to compromise. Regardless, it's clear Slaughter can't continue on his current path. This clearly doesn't work and opponents have already targeted Liverpool's growing weaknesses. As December approaches, this year's figures paint a worrying picture, suggesting Liverpool's decline did not happen overnight.
Since January 1, Liverpool has played a total of 48 games and achieved a record of 25 wins, 6 draws and 17 losses. In comparison, in the previous 12 months, they had a record of 43 wins, 8 draws and 6 losses. During Slott's tenure alone, Liverpool won 23 games, drew three and lost only one - a home game against Forest last September.
In fact, since defeating Southampton in the Premier League in March, Liverpool has the same number of wins and losses, 14 games and only two draws. Remarkably, that's the same number of games they've lost over the past two years combined. Liverpool's lack of draws highlights their lack of durability, as well as a case of mental fatigue or something worse. In the Premier League this season, Liverpool have won every time they are ahead and lost every time they are behind.
The last time Liverpool lost six of seven league games was less than five years ago in February and March 2021, although there were no spectators in the stadium due to epidemic restrictions. Of course, that happened after Liverpool won the Premier League for the last time, proving once again that Liverpool have trouble maintaining trophies. Unless a miracle happens in the next top flight, they have not won consecutive championships for at least 43 years.
However, next week's game against PSV could provide a much-needed confidence boost, with the Champions League having been a balm this season. The coming week will be crucial for Slott and Liverpool. With Sunday's trip to West Ham United, followed by the visit of newly promoted Sunderland and finally a trip to bottom Leeds United, three games in seven days will reveal a lot about the current situation and future direction.