International Break Offers Time for Reflection — and Questions Over Slot’s Future

International breaks have a funny way of magnifying things. When you’re flying, they feel like an unnecessary pause; when you’re struggling, they give everyone just enough space to start asking awkward questions. For Arne Slot and Liverpool, this one falls firmly into the latter category.

It’s been a turbulent few months at Anfield. The defending champions have already lost five of their opening 11 league matches, slipping eight points behind leaders Arsenal, and the glow of early optimism around Slot’s arrival has dimmed. In Europe, things look brighter — Liverpool have found rhythm in the Champions League and appear well on course to qualify comfortably from their group. But even that success can’t quite shake the sense that domestically, the gears aren’t turning as smoothly as they should.

The Dutchman isn’t under open fire yet, but there’s a growing murmur that he could be, should results fail to improve after the break. Slot’s principles — intensity, structure, control — are sound, but his side have looked more rigid than relentless. The fluid attacking football that was promised has too often been replaced by something hesitant, predictable, and easily stifled. The defeat at Manchester City wasn’t just another loss; it was a measuring stick, and Liverpool came up short.

The Champions League form may well be buying him time. Europe has a way of soothing the pressure cooker of the Premier League, and as long as Liverpool keep winning on the continent, it’s hard to imagine any drastic decisions being made. But the Premier League remains the club’s true barometer — and another stumble or two could change the tone quickly.

Behind the scenes, Liverpool are unlikely to be panicking. Yet it would be naive to assume contingency plans aren’t being quietly considered. The names that inevitably emerge in such conversations — Xabi Alonso, Andoni Iraola, Oliver Glasner, even Brendan Rodgers — each carry intrigue and risk in equal measure.

Alonso, now at Real Madrid after his remarkable spell with Bayer Leverkusen, feels like destiny waiting for the right time. The connection is deep, and even in Madrid, there’s a sense that once the Kop comes calling, even the most decorated managers can have their heads turned. Rodgers, recently departed from Celtic, remains a divisive figure — but his familiarity with the club and his improved record in Scotland can’t be ignored entirely.

Elsewhere, Oliver Glasner’s impressive work at Crystal Palace — FA Cup winners and Charity Shield conquerors over Liverpool — has not gone unnoticed, while Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth have become one of the league’s most admired projects. And then, of course, there’s Steven Gerrard, whose Al-Ettifaq stint produced respectable results under difficult conditions — an average of 1.33 points per game in a tough league — but whose return to Anfield would be more romantic than rational right now.

And hovering over them all, as ever, is Jürgen Klopp — now working in a global consultancy role for Red Bull and as part of the German Football League’s reform project. He insists his Liverpool chapter is closed, but he also left just enough room for doubt. “It’s technically possible,” he said recently when asked if he could ever return. And he might feel he has unfinished business, with his only Premier League success being the "Covid Season", which if we are being honest, didn't really count. If there’s one thing Liverpool fans know though, it’s that football loves a comeback story.

For now, though, the focus remains on Slot. His approach has shown flashes of promise — particularly in Europe — but Liverpool’s Premier League form demands a response. The squad is talented enough, the supporters patient enough, but both those reserves have limits.

When the league resumes, the margins tighten and the excuses shrink. Slot doesn’t need perfection — just momentum. Because if the next few weeks don’t bring it, the murmurs might turn into something louder. And if history has taught us anything, it’s that Anfield rarely waits around once doubt sets in.