Xabi Alonso reappears at Slot's worst possible moment

$560 million later, Liverpool are teetering. The tension is palpable, and those familiar with the inner workings and decision-making at Anfield predict difficult days ahead for Arne Slot’s future. The respite provided by reaching the Champions League quarter-finals does not seem sufficient given their uncertain form in the Premier League.

The first consequence of this tense atmosphere has been the emergence, fuelled by their poor domestic form, of a growing desire among the club’s hierarchy to accelerate Xabi Alonso’s return to the dugout.

A week without club football offers plenty of opportunities. At times, managerial changes are prompted by, or even facilitated by, the absence of matches. There are only two months of competition left, but many club directors facing delicate situations and falling short of expectations believe this is the moment when they can still reverse clearly downward trends or fight to achieve their objectives.

The Liverpool manager has also been sending mixed messages that have not gone down well. “We are analysing the situation and the things we had, the challenge we faced this season, and then we could be a bit more realistic about why this season has gone the way it has.” The statement left fans and club officials unimpressed.

Similar situations have already cost more than one manager their job this season in English football, including Enzo Maresca and Rúben Amorim. It is not the first time this season that Slot has found himself under serious pressure. There is now talk of an immediate dismissal, something that clashes directly with Xabi Alonso’s preference not to join projects already underway, as was the case with Real Madrid and the Club World Cup.

At Anfield, there is little appetite for an interim manager tasked merely with seeing out the final two months of the season without real ambition. The squad was assembled to compete for every trophy. That is why the club are attempting to convince the former Liverpool midfielder to return to the touchline following his departure from Real Madrid last January.

Liverpool now face eleven days without matches, giving the club ample time to implement changes. Their next fixture is on 4 April against Manchester City in the FA Cup. It is an uncomfortable moment for Slot and for the future of his multi-million-pound project.

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