Next Liverpool manager odds as Arne Slot faces sack threat

Xabi Alonso has been named as the early favourite by bookmarkers to become Liverpool’s next manager with Arne Slot facing fresh calls to be sacked.

Liverpool have now lost nine of their last 12 matches following their 4-1 defeat at home to PSV in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Slot’s side remain in contention to secure a top-eight finish in the Champions League, which means they would avoid a play-off tie to reach the last-16 stage.

But any hopes of retaining the Premier League title appear to be over as Liverpool currently sit 12th in the table and 11 points behind leaders Arsenal.

Speaking after Liverpool’s defeat to PSV, Slot said he felt ‘safe’ in his job at Anfield and that he still had the backing from the club’s hierarchy.

‘It is a shock for everyone, for the players, for me, this is very, very unexpected,’ Slot said.

‘I am feeling safe, I am okay though. It would be nice to turn it around and get a victory but if you are working as a coach and not doing well then it is normal that questions are asked.

‘If any manager around the world loses football games, let alone as many as we have lost, it’s quite normal people have an opinion about that. If it’s fair or unfair, it’s for other people to judge. Is that normal? I think it is. If you lose so many times, people start talking about that.

‘I have got a lot of support from above. I am okay with my position. They [Liverpool’s board] don’t call every single minute of the day to say they trust me but in the normal conversations we have, I feel the trust.’

Bookmakers BetVictor have placed Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso as favourite to replace Slot at 5/2.

Madrid currently sit a point clear of Barcelona at the top of La Liga and are fifth in the Champions League table but Alonso has already faced scrutiny in the Spanish media following the 5-2 defeat away to Atletico Madrid in September and the 1-0 loss to Liverpool in the Champions League earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp is priced at 3/1 to make a surprise return to Anfield after his decision to leave Liverpool last year.

Speaking in October, Klopp, who is currently the Head of Global Sport for Red Bull, said it was ‘theoretically’ possible that he could manage Liverpool for a second time.

‘I said I will never coach a different team in England so that means, if [I did return], then it’s Liverpool,’ Klopp said.

‘So, yeah, theoretically it is possible.’

Elsewhere, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner is third-favourite to replace Slot at 6/1, slight ahead of Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola at 8/1.

Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, who has been out of work since leaving Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq in January, is 12/1 to replace Slot.

Meanwhile, former Liverpool midfielder Steve McManaman insisted after the loss to PSV that Slot should not be facing calls to be sacked unless results fail to improve by January.

‘I personally think no, I think it’s far too early to come up with a question like that,’ McManaman said.

‘They’d have to go out of the Champions League and be wallowing near the bottom of the league.

‘They play Arsenal second week of January, that’s when the question should be asked. They’ll be halfway through the season by then.’

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