Arne Slot’s position as Liverpool head coach next season has been discussed by John Aldridge, with the former striker outlining what the Dutchman must achieve for the campaign to be judged a success.
The Reds go into the upcoming Premier League trip to Nottingham Forest after a 3-0 FA Cup victory over Brighton, a result that has eased some of the scrutiny around the manager.
However, the wider picture across the season still explains why the debate exists.
Aldridge, speaking in an interview arranged via BetBrain (quotes via The Football Historian), stopped short of demanding a managerial change but made expectations unmistakably clear.
“We’ll have to wait until the end of the season to see where we’re at,” the former Liverpool No.8 said.
“The Champions League’s a must. A trophy, whether it be the FA Cup or the Champions League, who knows but we’ve got to get top four or five, whatever it takes.”
Slot results show why pressure exists
Liverpool’s campaign has effectively come in three phases, which helps explain the conversation around the head coach.
We started strongly, beating Arsenal and winning early matches in dramatic style, before a difficult autumn run that included defeats to Manchester United, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest.
Since December, performances have stabilised but draws became common, and that created distance between us and the league leaders.
More recently, results have improved again.
The FA Cup win particularly matters because it provides a realistic trophy route while the league table still leaves Champions League qualification in doubt.
Champions League qualification now central to Slot future
Aldridge’s comments essentially mirror the modern expectation at Liverpool.
Qualification for the Champions League is the baseline objective and a cup run strengthens the overall evaluation of the season.
Jamie Carragher recently argued the squad balance has limited what any manager could do, saying that he was “not sure there would be a manager out there getting loads more out of it.”
Chris Sutton has also questioned criticism of the Dutchman, suggesting the reaction to not winning the title again is excessive and pointing out the real battle is securing the top four.
From a Liverpool perspective, the direction of travel matters.
We endured a poor mid-season run, but recent matches have shown clearer structure, improved defensive organisation and better attacking combinations, particularly since returning to a more cautious approach.
Slot therefore appears neither entirely safe nor genuinely close to losing his job.
Instead, as Aldridge effectively framed it, the manager’s future will be decided by outcomes rather than opinion.
If Liverpool qualify for the Champions League and compete for silverware, Arne Slot will almost certainly still be in charge next season.
