Arne Slot's biggest test yet as Liverpool head coach: Ending this mini-crisis

For Arne Slot, this was a career first. As the Liverpool boss stood on the touchline at Brentford on Saturday night, he was serenaded with chants of: "You're getting sacked in the morning" from the home supporters as they watched their team romp to a 3-2 victory over the Premier League champions.

It was Liverpool's fourth successive league defeat -- following losses to Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Manchester United -- and, as Slot admitted in his post-match news conference, one of the worst of his tenure.

"Disappointing, again," the Dutchman said when asked to assess his emotions after the game. "I was also hoping and expecting a better performance, because the performance was far from what we are used to.

"Even if we are losing, our performances have been better than tonight."

- A statement Clasico win for Madrid; Liverpool lose again; more
- VAR review: Was Sunderland's goal vs. Chelsea offside? Did Gakpo deserve a penalty?
- Last season's good times for Liverpool feel a million miles away

He was not wrong. While Liverpool's previous three defeats left much to be desired in terms of performance levels, they were all won by late goals after the Reds had created more than enough chances to come away with at least a point.

Against Brentford, however, there were few redeeming qualities. Even when Mohamed Salah ended his barren run in front of goal with a spectacular strike to make it 3-2 in the 89th minute, it didn't seem like there was genuine belief, either on the pitch or in the stands, that Liverpool would pull off another late rescue act.

What started as a blip has now descended into a full-blown crisis and for arguably the first time in his managerial career, Slot finds himself under the microscope, with the external pressure only likely to increase if he cannot quickly find the antidote to his team's worrying malaise.

Premier League's evolution a stumbling block for Slot

Before arriving at Liverpool, Slot had never lost three consecutive games as a head coach, and he'd never suffered consecutive domestic defeats.

It was that ability to instill a winning culture at previous clubs SC Cambuur, AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord -- combined with his tactical acumen and composed persona -- that convinced the Anfield hierarchy of his suitability to replace the departing Jürgen Klopp.

It very quickly proved to be a shrewd appointment; Slot lost just two of the first 34 league games he managed before Liverpool wrapped up the title with a month to spare in his debut season.

Having been armed with an unprecedented £450 million to spend in the summer transfer market, there was a widely-held expectation that Liverpool -- and by extension, Slot -- would only get better. However, despite winning their opening seven games, the Reds have rarely played with the assuredness and authority of champions this term, with their recent torrid run leaving them seven points behind league leaders Arsenal.

Of course, the blame for such poor form does not lie solely at Slot's door. Except for midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai and summer signing Hugo Ekitike, all of Liverpool's players have been guilty of dipping below their usual level this season.

Still, it is always the manager who must face the music when the going gets tough, and even Slot himself would surely admit he has struggled to get his players dancing to the same tune in recent weeks.

"I have said many times already, teams have a certain playing style against us," Slot said on Saturday when quizzed on the reasons behind Liverpool's slump.

"It is a very good strategy to play, and we haven't found an answer yet."

While the Dutchman's honesty and tactical insight were held up as a positive when Liverpool were perpetually winning last season, there is an argument that drawing attention to your team's specific failings is a less astute approach when on a losing run. On several occasions this term -- including after the 2-1 defeat to Manchester United -- Slot has highlighted the directness of the opposition, noting how more teams are beginning to lean on set pieces and long balls as a means of inflicting misery on his side.

According to Opta, Liverpool have faced a league-high 571 long balls this season, almost 50 more than the next most-targeted team (Bournemouth) and 100 more than leaders Arsenal. It is proving a productive tactic and, for Slot, one he has so far been unable to find a solution to.

From an attacking perspective, Liverpool's lack of set piece prowess is a problem, particularly considering most of their opponents sit deep so as not to surrender too many chances from open play. By comparison, Arsenal have scored 11 set piece goals in the league this season -- Liverpool have only scored two -- and are adept at using corners and free kicks to unpick stubborn defenses.

play

2:19

How can Arne Slot fix Liverpool's Premier League form?

Gabriele Marcotti and Stewart Robson discuss how Arne Slot can turn around Liverpool's bad form after another defeat in the Premier League.

It increasingly feels like the Premier League's evolution towards a more physical and pragmatic style does not suit Liverpool's players -- including £100m Germany international Florian Wirtz, who is yet to score or assist in the league -- nor does it align with Slot's philosophy.

"He was always a fan of offensive football," Henk Ten Cate, who managed Slot as a player at NAC Breda, told ESPN earlier this year. "He was an offensive midfield player with a good vision of the game, and this is what you see in his managerial career: He is always busy with the details. Arne was always thinking about the game."

Slot's preference for fluid, front-footed play was also highlighted by AZ technical director Max Huiberts, who told ESPN the Dutchman had a "very specific vision of how a team should play attractive, attacking football."

While there is nothing wrong with having a preferred style of play, living and dying by a tactical blueprint as a manager can often lead to trouble. Ange Postecoglou, for example, was sacked by Nottingham Forest earlier this month after struggling to implement his high-octane style of play at the City Ground, while United boss Ruben Amorim has repeatedly been criticized for his reluctance to stray from his preferred three-at-the-back formation.

The best coaches can adapt and evolve in the face of change, and some tactical innovation may be required if Slot is going to lift Liverpool out of its current rut.

Klopp comparisons linger as new signings struggle

Against Brentford, only four players were deployed in the same position they occupied in Liverpool's title-clinching game against Tottenham Hotspur in April. It was a reminder that, in essence, Slot is now operating with a brand-new team.

It was only a few short months ago that the Reds' bold summer recruitment drive was being hailed as an admirable show of ambition, destined to set Slot and his players on a procession toward another title. But after such a drastic change in personnel, Liverpool now look like a team in transition, with Slot struggling to get the best out of big-money signings like Wirtz, Alexander Isak, and Milos Kerkez.

Last season, consistency was key to the team's success, evidenced by the fact that Slot was able to name the same starting XI more times in a single campaign (seven) than his predecessor Klopp managed in his 491 games in charge (five). This term, it seems as though Slot is uncertain of his best team, with his in-game changes -- one of his biggest strengths last season -- often compounding the sense of chaos his teams are trying to navigate.

"If you change quite a lot in the summer, then I think it's not a surprise that it can go a bit like this," Slot said after the Brentford game. "But I didn't expect it to go with four losses in a row, let that be clear. That it is always a bit of a bumpy road if you change, that is not so surprising."

Integrating new faces would perhaps not be so difficult if Liverpool's existing stars continued to shine. At present, though, Salah and captain Virgil van Dijk -- both instrumental in the Reds' success last season -- look like shadows of their former selves, while the likes of Alexis Mac Allister, Ibrahima Konaté and Conor Bradley have also struggled for form.

Perhaps the most alarming aspect of Liverpool's drop-off, however, is the fact that the squad as a whole are repeatedly being outfought and outmuscled on the pitch.

Speaking to ESPN back in April, former Feyenoord midfielder Jens Toornstra recalled how Slot would regularly show his players videos of Europe's top teams in a bid to highlight what is required to compete at the highest level.

"He focused on the hard work it takes to play dominant football," Toornstra said. "It was all about intensity, sprinting back, and mentality."

In recent weeks, that intensity and mentality have been sorely lacking from Liverpool's play, a fact that has frustrated some fans who grew accustomed to Klopp's unrelenting, "heavy metal" style of play during his nine years at the club. While social media should never be viewed as an accurate barometer of fan sentiment, there are growing numbers of online supporters clamoring for Klopp to make a sensational return if Liverpool's form does not improve.

That the former Reds boss did not totally dismiss the notion of one day returning to Anfield during an interview on Stephen Bartlett's Diary of a CEO podcast last week has seemingly added fuel to that particular fire.

Last season, Slot's more understated style led to comparisons with Bob Paisley, who quite brilliantly succeeded legendary manager Bill Shankly in the 1970s. Now, though, it seems that there are some subsections of the fanbase that require more than just the one league title to convince them of Slot's long-term aptitude for the job.

Slot must show he can bounce back

Of course, hindsight is a funny thing. While Klopp will always be revered as one of the greatest managers in Liverpool's history, it is also worth remembering that the last time Liverpool lost four league games in a row came in his tenure, back in the 2020-21 season.

Admittedly, that dismal run came when Klopp had only a decimated defense at his disposal, though Liverpool did endure a tough spell in the middle of the 2022-23 season, winning just seven and losing nine of 20 games in all competitions. They also lost won just two games in seven when battling to win both the Premier League and Europa League in Klopp's final season in charge.

Even the best managers go through tough spells; Pep Guardiola oversaw a run of nine defeats in 12 games at Manchester City last term. What separates the good coaches from the great ones is the ability to bounce back from adversity and forge a path to new success.

Among most of a Liverpool persuasion, there is an acceptance that Slot has credit in the bank from last season's title win. There is also an acknowledgement of the fact that the 47-year-old is currently having to galvanize a squad rocked by the tragic passing of a beloved teammate, Diogo Jota, less than four months ago.

Still, Slot will know better than anyone that the results have not been good enough. He will also be aware that the easiest way to win over his critics is by returning his team to winning ways.

Over the coming weeks, Liverpool face a difficult run of fixtures, which includes Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup, Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, and Manchester City in the Premier League. It is, undoubtedly, the toughest test of Slot's managerial career.

Now, it is up to him to show he can rise to the challenge.