Slot Growing Restless at Liverpool as Champions League Hopes Fade

Arne Slot's honeymoon period at Liverpool appears to be well and truly over. After a stunning first campaign that saw him claim the Premier League title, the Dutchman is now grappling with a very different reality on Merseyside—and it seems the frustration is beginning to boil over.

Sunday's 2-1 reverse against Manchester City at Anfield epitomised Liverpool's current malaise. Dominik Szoboszlai's superb free-kick had the Reds in front at the 74-minute mark, only for Bernardo Silva to restore parity before Erling Haaland's penalty in injury time snatched victory for the visitors. It was a familiar tale of late-game heartbreak for Slot's side.

The defeat represents Liverpool's eighth Premier League loss of the campaign, leaving them four points adrift of fifth-placed Chelsea and facing a genuine battle to secure Champions League football. That's a far cry from last season's title triumph, and the contrast has not gone unnoticed.

Jamie Carragher is among those who fear the worst. When asked whether Liverpool can still salvage a top-four finish, the Sky Sports pundit was blunt: "No. Right now I don't. They would have to have a huge upturn in form. And the ones above them are in great form."

Carragher went further, suggesting that missing out on European football after winning the league would present a significant problem for Slot's future. "I think it would be difficult to defend the manager or for him to stay in a job if you miss out on Champions League football, having won the title the season before," he said.

Behind the scenes, however, the situation appears more complicated than a simple case of on-pitch struggles. Slot is understood to be increasingly unhappy with the direction of the club and the decisions being made in the boardroom. Most significantly, he remains privately aggrieved at Liverpool's summer decision to sell Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich—a move that reportedly went ahead despite his objections to losing the Colombian winger.

That frustration has been festering for some time, and now Slot is apparently beginning to weigh up his options. Though he will see out the current campaign, and retains clear motivation to either secure a top-four finish or win the Champions League, his mindset has shifted. The manager now believes his football would be better suited to a continental outfit, with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid cited as potential destinations that align more closely with his tactical philosophy.

Rather than wait for the axe to fall, Slot is considering taking matters into his own hands and departing on his own terms—a move he calculates would leave him better positioned for his next chapter.

It's a far cry from the optimism of twelve months ago.