How Arne Slot can avoid Liverpool sack as FSG warned against "naive" managerial decision

Under-fire Liverpool head coach Arne Slot could still avoid the sack if he completes a remarkable achievement at the end of the season, Danny Murphy has exclusively told Sports Mole.

The Dutchman faced further calls to lose his job following Saturday's devastating 3-2 Premier League loss to Bournemouth, which ended the Reds' 13-game unbeaten run in all competitions and left them still awaiting their first top-flight win of 2026.

In addition, Amine Adli's 95th-minute finish saw Liverpool break an unwanted record, as they have now conceded three 90+ minute winners in the 2025-26 Premier League, their most in a single campaign in the competition.

Liverpool could end the weekend either 17 points behind leaders Arsenal or as low as eighth in the Premier League table, and fans are already rolling out the red carpet for Xabi Alonso to take charge after his Real Madrid exit.

However, Murphy has expressed his belief that Slot can save his job by winning the Champions League, although the Reds would be "naive" not to scope out replacements for the 47-year-old.

Liverpool "naive" not to look for Arne Slot replacements

Asked if Liverpool would likely pursue Alonso regardless of how the team performs between now and May, Murphy said - via Spreadex Sports: “It will be dependent on how the rest of the season goes.

"Let's say Liverpool won the Champions League – you’re not then going to sack a manager who won you the league and then the Champions League. And it's not impossible for that to happen with the quality Liverpool have, the Anfield factor, a bit of luck in the draw.

“The Liverpool hierarchy would be naive not to be assessing other options, because the fan base is discontent, the form isn't great, the expectation is high, the money they've spent. And Slot has to take some responsibility. It's not all on him – there’s been some mitigating circumstances that no manager could anticipate going through.

“He's lost some great players, a lot of the new players have really struggled, which he wouldn't have anticipated to this level. But the fact that the title defence has been so poor and the level of performance has been poor is creating extra pressure.

“And now that Alonso is available, the fans' relationship and adoration for him is of course going to enhance that conversation of new manager, new manager. I think the hierarchy will be looking and assessing, but I'd be amazed if they don't give him the rest of the season to at least try and make this season a success.”

Will the Champions League really save Arne Slot from sack?

It has been less than a year since a Premier League Big Six club sacked a manager who had won a European trophy, with Tottenham Hotspur giving Ange Postecoglou the boot shortly after their Europa League success.

Slot's Liverpool are not in such dire circumstances domestically as Postecoglou's 17th-placed Spurs side, but his sacking goes to show that continental silverware does not always make up for a Premier League plight.

Furthermore, Chelsea memorably sacked a Champions League-winning manager in Roberto Di Matteo, who led the club to European glory in 2011-12 before being dismissed in the early months of the 2012-13 season.

As a result, success in the Champions League may not be a silver bullet for Slot, especially if any European progression comes at the expense of a top-four - or even top-half - place in the Premier League table.

Liverpool will round off their UCL league-phase campaign at home to Qarabag on Wednesday, and victory will assure the Reds of automatic qualification for the last 16.