Arne Slot needs to prove his managerial skills to avoid the sack after Liverpool dropped into the bottom half of the Premier League table.

That is according to ex-Aberdeen and Everton and Aston Villa chief executive Keith Wyness, who speaking exclusively to Football Insider has asked questions of Slot’s ability to motivate his squad.

Liverpool lost 3-0 to Nottingham Forest in their first game back after the international break, which made it seven defeats in 10 matches for the Reds.

Slot won the Premier League title in his first season at Liverpool, but hopes of defending the crown are quickly evaporating, with leaders Arsenal 11 points ahead in the table.

Arne Slot faces ‘a lot of questions’
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – insists that Liverpool’s current bad run of form comes down to Slot’s man management skills.

Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness thinks the Dutchman is under pressure at the club to turn results around.

He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “It has been a very bad run for them, there’s no doubt about it.

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“I think this was their joint heaviest defeat at Anfield in the club’s history. And that’s something that people sit up and take notice of because it’s not going right for them. And it was the style of the performance that was the problem.

“It certainly is, I think, resting a lot on Slot and his man management skills. Nobody can say he hasn’t been supported.

“But nevertheless, it is going to be a lot of questions about his ability to motivate the squad and get them going. There does not seem to be a lot of happiness in that squad and a lot of fight and unity.

“So I think it does come down to the manager and the pressure is on.”

Arne Slot looks frustrated in Liverpool Adidas jacket
Credit: Imago
Slot and Liverpool face crucial festive period
Slot still holds the backing of the Liverpool hierarchy with no sack verdict set to be delivered in the immediate future.

However, Liverpool now enter a favourable run of fixtures which could heap even more pressure on Slot if this poor run of form was to continue.

There are problems to contend with in defence, but Liverpool will not target a right-back in January even with injuries to Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley.

Liverpool have only kept three clean sheets in 12 Premier League matches this season, which partly explains some of their struggles.

Arne Slot
Liverpool
Liverpool manager Arne Slot looking angry in a press conference, as the UEFA logo features in a circular inset.(Credit: Imago)
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Three decisions referee Alejandro Hernandez got wrong in Liverpool loss vs PSV
Evan Shaw
Evan Shaw
Wed 26 November 2025 21:51, UK
Liverpool suffered yet more misery as they were beaten 4-1 by PSV at home on Wednesday night.

The Reds have struggled in the Premier League in recent weeks, so the opportunity to continue their Champions League campaign would have been a welcome one before kick-off.

However, the game only served to pile more pressure on Arne Slot and Liverpool, as goals from Ivan Perisic, Guus Til, and a brace from Couhaib Driouech saw the visitors overcome Dominik Szoboszlai’s strike.

It was another sorry night for the reigning English champions, but they had little to thank referee Alejandro Hernandez for after a frustrating display from the man in the middle.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot, arms folded, on the Anfield touch line.
Credit: Imago

Hugo Ekitike should have had 20th-minute penalty
Hugo Ekitike has remained a standout performer for Liverpool in recent weeks despite their struggles of late, and his direct running was a huge threat to PSV on Wednesday.

The forward was also unlucky not to have won a penalty for his team in the 20th minute, when he was felled just inside the penalty area by Anass Salah-Eddine.

The PSV man made no contact on the ball and effectively blocked Ekitike, who was forced to try and jump out of the way of his challenge, which he failed to manage.

Hugo Ekitike running in a Liverpool shirt looking focused
Credit: Imago
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The on-field official was not sent to the monitor by the VAR team, and if he had, then his initial call would surely have been overturned.

Federico Chiesa should have been awarded a late penalty
Federico Chiesa was introduced for Liverpool in the latter stages of the game in a desperate bid to try and salvage something from the evening.

The Italian looked bright during his brief cameo on the pitch, and was perhaps unlucky not to win his team a penalty when he was tripped inside the box shortly before the 80-minute mark.

Chiesa pounced on a loose ball in the box before his marker could react, and appeared to have his heels clips, only for referee Hernandez to wave away another set of appeals.

Federico Chiesa in away Liverpool kit looking frustrated
Credit: Imago
It would undoubtedly have been a debatable decision had a spot-kick been awarded, but it was the sort of penalty that we have become accustomed to seeing given in the Premier League.

Virgil van Dijk handball wrong to be given
Virgil van Dijk’s performances for Liverpool have come under scrutiny in recent weeks, after he was at the centre of several shaky moments in the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City.

Virgil van Dijk in action for Liverpool
Credit: Imago
The Dutchman conceded a penalty for Liverpool after just six minutes on Wednesday night, but he was right to feel a little aggrieved with the way the referee viewed the incident.

The ball was delivered into the box from a PSV corner and it struck Van Dijk, who had jumped with his arm held aloft.

However, there was some debate as to whether the Liverpool man had been knocked into the ball by Jerdy Schouten, although referee Hernandez adjusted the contact to be insufficient.

In hindsight, it could certainly be argued that the decision was incorrect, and the Reds captain was knocked directly into the path of the ball.