Ian Doyle - Liverpool Echo
It is the Liverpool season nobody saw coming. And while there remains Champions League qualification to secure, the thoughts of many are starting to drift towards what should happen next.
A disappointing defence of last year’s dominant Premier League title triumph has placed Reds boss Arne Slot under increasing pressure and left in doubt the future of several players.
And for Anfield legend Steve Nicol - now a long-time pundit in the United States for ESPN - while the finger of blame cannot be pointed in just one direction, responsibility ultimately lies in the dugout.
“Who is at fault? You’d have to say both the manager and the players," he said to the ECHO. “There have been very, very few games where Liverpool have put a passage of 30 minutes together when they are making passes and in control. It just hasn’t been there.
“But Arne Slot is the manager and when things are going wrong, people will always look to the manager to come up with solutions. He has struggled to find them. But Slot doesn’t pass the ball to the players. He can’t control that part.”
Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group have been steadfast in their support of Slot this campaign with there being no suggestion from within the club they are planning without the Dutchman at present.
However, Nicol believes the Anfield hierarchy have a difficult decision to make in the coming weeks as they ramp up preparations for the transfer window.
“I’ve been in his corner until a couple of weeks ago," he said. "The fact he won the league last year means he has credit in the bank, but over the last couple of weeks it has become difficult to come up with reasons why he should stay.
“Liverpool need to spend a lot of money again. It’s not a question now of this squad turning it around. It’s too late for that. Key players are leaving, and it needs new faces on field and somebody or something to ruffle feathers up.
“That’s why Liverpool’s owners have a big question this summer: do they trust this manager with more money to spend when he can’t get a team together with the money that was spent last summer?
“𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒔.”