- Jermaine Pennant on Arne Slot’s Liverpool future
- Who he blames for Reds’ struggles
- When the club might decide to sack the Dutch coach
Jermaine Pennant has given his verdict on Arne Slot’s future at Liverpool and thinks the club might sack him on one condition. The Reds suffered a disastrous 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday (March 21st).
Slot seemed to have turned a corner when his side put in an excellent performance in a 4-0 (5-1 on aggregate) win over Galatasaray midweek. They progressed through to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, where they met reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Liverpool were widely expected to keep the winning momentum going away at the Amex. But even Slot admitted his side were “deservedly beaten”, leaving their hopes of a top-five finish at risk.
Jermaine Pennant: ‘It’s Abysmal’
Fortunately, Chelsea also slipped up, suffering a 3-0 loss to Everton hours later. That means the Anfield outfit remains fifth, a point above the Blues heading into the international break.
Pennant, speaking with Nazira Yusuf via Gambling.com, who are experts in online slots UK, touched on the noise from fans in recent weeks:
“There’s massive pressure. Liverpool (fans) don’t boo after games, very rarely. If you put in a good performance and lose, they will clap you off. But the boos are getting louder and louder. And I think now it is a miserable defence of the title, as the current Premier League champions, it is abysmal. The players, the manager and fans can’t deny that.”
Pennant explained what might lead to a dismissal:
“If he doesn’t get Champions League football, I don’t think they will win the Champions League, but if he doesn’t get Champions League football next season, I think Liverpool will probably get rid of him.”
Slot has been in charge since July 2024, when he succeeded Jurgen Klopp at Anfield. He enjoyed a remarkable start, overseeing a Premier League title win in his debut season.
The Reds spent big in the summer, breaking the British transfer record twice, first on Florian Wirtz for £116m. They then sealed a £125m deal to sign Alexander Isak on deadline day.
Another title challenge was anticipated following a record-breaking transfer record. But the Merseysiders have struggled, and their hopes of Champions League qualification are in jeopardy.
Pennant on Who’s to Blame
Liverpool’s defeat to Brighton was their 10th in the league this season, and it came with a dissapointing performance. Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate were vulnerable at the back, and the Seagulls capitalised.
Pennant insisted Slot wasn’t solely to blame for his team’s drop in performance this season. The former Reds winger explained:
“I don’t think there’s only one sole person to blame for it. Ultimately, the manager, the book falls with him. He selects the players, he has to motivate the players, he chooses the tactics, and he chooses the style of play.”
Pennant added:
“But on the flipside of that, the players have got to go out there and take accountability as well. You know Arne Slot’s not kicking a ball, Arne Slot’s not defending, Arne Slot’s not running around. So I think they are both to blame.”
The contrast in effort between the win over Galatasaray and the defeat at Brighton is cause for concern. The Merseyside giants weren’t helped by Hugo Ekitike picking up a knock in the first half.
Pennant feels both Slot and his troops have to do better:
“The players have got to take responsibility, and the manager as well. Maybe for the same selection, the style of play. Then the players have got to run around the pitch. They’ve got to run harder than their opposition; they’ve got to win the duels.”
He concluded:
“And if they’re both not doing that, then ultimately, that’s a recipe for disaster and the proof is in the pudding of where Liverpool are right now.”
The Reds now have the international break to lick their wounds and recover from the defeat at the Amex. They need to get back on track, as next up is an FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester City before a trip to Paris Saint-Germain for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final.
