In the latest Liverpool update, Arne Slot is under scrutiny due to the team’s

disappointing start to the season, while the club grapples with yet another contract dispute involving players.

With speculation about a shortlist being prepared in case Slot loses his job and a contract issue looming for Liverpool, The ECHO provides the latest updates from Anfield.

Potential New Manager ‘Shortlist’

While Slot still has the backing of the Liverpool board, a list of candidates he was reportedly competing against prior to his appointment has come to light.

According to the Daily Mail, before Fenway Sports Group (FSG) decided to hire the Premier League-winning Dutchman, they considered reaching out to Sebastian Hoeness of Stuttgart and former Brighton coach, now at Marseille, Roberto De Zerbi.

Also in consideration were Michel from Girona, Ernesto Valverde of Athletic Bilbao, and Luciano Spalletti, who previously managed Italy and is now at Juventus.

The report suggests that the Reds may consider revisiting those targets if Slot were to leave, although this situation appears unlikely. It also points out Oliver Glasner from Crystal Palace and Andoni Iraola from Bournemouth as potential candidates to monitor, while Inigo Perez of Rayo Vallecano is noted as a manager who has gained attention in the football community for his coaching abilities.

French football icon Zinedine Zidane, who has been without a job since his departure from Real Madrid in 2021, is also referenced. Nevertheless, Zidane has allegedly distanced himself from the prospect of managing in the Premier League previously.

Vincent Kompany, who is currently making a mark with Bayern Munich, was another name considered, although a future move to City, should Pep Guardiola leave the club, seems more likely.

Liverpool’s title defense has been nothing short of a catastrophe so far.

The Reds suffered a 3-0 defeat against Manchester City, marking their second straight loss before the international break, following a 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace in September.

After 11 matches, Arne Slot’s squad finds themselves in eighth place in the standings, trailing league leaders Arsenal by eight points. Although there were glimpses of improvement with back-to-back wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid, the Reds seem to be back at square one.

Following Sunday’s heavy loss to City, the pressure on the Liverpool manager is mounting. This result has prompted the Dutchman to temporarily shelve any discussions regarding a title challenge.

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English outfit Liverpool have a strong contingent of Dutch players right now.

Club captain Virgil van Dijk, as well as key first-team members Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo, and summer arrival Jeremie Frimpong, have all picked up international caps for the Netherlands.

Perhaps that should come as no surprise, as manager Arne Slot also hails from that part of the world.

As if he didn’t have enough to worry about right now – with the Reds struggling for form in the Premier League – the Anfield boss may have been concerned if he turned in for the World Cup Qualifier against Poland.

Although, Netherlands were able to all but secure their spot at the 2026 World Cup with a draw, they struggled to impress against a Polish team who were missing some key players in Jan Bednarek (injury), Przemyslaw Wisniewski (suspension), and goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski (injury).

In the end, goals from Jakub Kaminski and Memphis Depay saw the game finish 1-1. In the aftermath of the draw, however, Dutch media have taken aim at one Liverpool star.

Ryan Gravenberch

Most notably, Pierre van Hooijdonk, who used to play for Celtic, singled out Gravenberch for criticism. In quotes from Voetbal International, the Dutch pundit called out the Anfield ace for being ‘lazy’. He noted how the midfielder repeatedly let his man go, and remarked:

“It’s laziness, because you think the ball won’t fall there anyway,

“Against Spain, for example, everyone was ‘on’ and no one let their man go. But when you have a lot of possession against those kinds of teams, you actually have a false sense of dominance.”

Dutch outlet AD were also among those not impressed by Gravenberch’s efforts, handing him a 6/10 in their player ratings. Football Orange were even more damning, dishing out a 5/10 score and noting:

“Was far too invisible throughout the game and did little.”

Gravenberch’s Liverpool teammate Gakpo admitted that the national side were far from their best on the day. Speaking to the press after the match, he said:

“If you don’t win, you always have to do better. We didn’t win today, so we have to do better. Also in terms of play. I think we’ve played some really good games lately, but today wasn’t very good, so we have to do better.”

Slot Will Be Worried as Liverpool’s International Stars Disappoint

Champions League – Liverpool Press Conference – AXA Training Centre, Liverpool, Britain – November 3, 2025 Liverpool manager Arne Slot during the press conference Action Images via Reuters/Ed Sykes

Slot will no doubt mainly just hope that he can get all his key players back from the international break fit and available, having avoided any injuries. That said, he would have also perhaps been hoping for a few players to find a bit of form and confidence away from the pressure at Anfield right now.

A 3-0 thumping away at title rivals Manchester City in the final game before the break showed just how off the pace Liverpool have been so far this season. Sadly, the Dutch contingent of Van Dijk, Gakpo and Gravenberch all struggled to truly impress vs Poland (Frimpong did not play due to injury).

Adding to his concerns, big-money signing Florian Wirtz also drew criticism as he ghosted through Germany’s 2-0 win over Luxembourg without catching the eye in any meaningful way. The Reds return to action next Saturday (22 November), hosting Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

Luis Diaz comfortably eclipses top Liverpool forwards’ goal contributions — he’s in double digits

They let him go this summer.

Luis Diaz has more goal contributions than Liverpool forwards this season / Collage: Tribuna.com, Images: Getty

Luis Diaz’s electric start at Bayern Munich has put him well clear of his former Liverpool teammates, with the winger recording twice as many goal contributions as any player at Anfield this season.

Since joining Bayern in the summer, Diaz has hit immediate top form, tallying 16 goal contributions across competitions.

His output has dwarfed that of Liverpool’s current forwards, with Mohamed Salah on eight, and Hugo Ekitike plus Cody Gakpo each producing seven.

Liverpool have coped following Diaz’s departure, but the numbers underline the scale of the talent they allowed to leave.

At Bayern, the Colombian has quickly become a focal point for Vincent Kompany’s attack, delivering goals, assists and constant threat from the wing.

For Liverpool, the comparison highlights both the redistribution of attacking responsibility and the need for others to raise their output. For Bayern, Diaz already looks like one of the signings of the season.