Arne Slot: Liverpool boss says there's no guarantee he'll stay after this season if they miss Champions League football | Football news

Arne Slot said there was “no guarantee” he would remain in charge of Liverpool if the club failed to qualify for next season's Champions League – but stressed the club standing alongside Jurgen Klopp in similar circumstances boded well for him.

Aerial sports” Jamie Carragher says Slot will have no position to rely on if Liverpool fall from Premier League champions to a place outside the top five after £450million was spent last summer – despite the Dutchman winning the title last season.

Following Liverpool's 2-1 defeat to Man City at Anfield on Sunday, Carragher claimed Liverpool were unlikely to finish in the top five next season due to the form of the Reds' rivals. Liverpool began this round of midweek matches four points behind fifth-placed Chelsea ahead of a trip to Sunderland on Wednesday.

“It's again a difficult question to answer because I don't decide my future,” Slot said about whether his future depends on the Champions League.

However, Slot then mentioned how Liverpool stood alongside Klopp at the end of the 2022-23 season, when the Reds finished fifth – behind Erik ten Hag's Manchester United – and missed out on Champions League football, hinting that this could bode well for him.

“The only thing I know is that this happened before and recently, and it did not affect the future of this coach,” Slot said, referring to this season under Klopp. “But of course that doesn’t guarantee anything.”

Slot: This is my toughest season by a mile

Slot admits he is going through the toughest season of his managerial career by far as he attempts to secure a Champions League place with Liverpool.

“By far,” replied the Dutchman when asked if this was his most difficult campaign. “Because all the other seasons that I had success, there were only positives. I don't think I've ever lost two games in a row. [before].

“It's an exception this season for me, as for the players. The players are not used to losing a lot or drawing a lot.

“The season we are having now is different from any other season I have managed where we have always done something special – and there is always the possibility that we can do something special this season as well.”

'A long time ago' – Carra expects Liverpool to miss out on CL places

On Sunday, Carragher revealed he expects Liverpool to miss out on Champions League qualification via the Premier League.

THE Aerial sports It is now “a long way back” for Arne Slot's side to finish in the top five, according to an expert, following their 2-1 home defeat to Manchester City. Great Sunday.

Asked if he thought Liverpool would secure the Premier League qualifying places for the Champions League – which is expected to rise again from four to five positions this season – Carragher replied on Sunday: “No. At the moment I don't.

“They should have a huge upturn in form. And those above them are in great shape.

When you look at Liverpool's championship, the road to the top five places in the Champions League seems to be long. There is a gap now.

You can make up for that, but Liverpool will need to do well in both cup competitions to save the season.

“The manager has another decision to make regarding the front four,” Carragher added.

“If Liverpool continue as they are, with a top quartet and end-to-end games, I just don't see how they can get into the Champions League positions.

“But no matter what Arne Slot does, the composition of this team is not good. It never looks stable, they never have control.

“There is a long way to go for Liverpool to get into the Champions League places.”

Neville: victory at Sunderland and Liverpool back on bike

Carragher's comrade Aerial sports Pundit Gary Neville was more positive on Liverpool's top five prospects – but said they need to show mental resilience to bounce back from defeat to City.

“They are now four points off the top five,” he said. The Gary Neville Podcast. “It's not a big gap at all, and there's a long way to go, and they'll have to play most of the teams above them, so they still have a lot of opportunities.

“But there is a question mark over Liverpool. There is a question mark over whether they will finish in the Champions League places.

“I still think they will, but what they need to do is frame that [defeat to City] get up real quick, throw it in a corner and forget about it.

“There will be those who say it happens too often, conceding goals late. There will be those who say something is wrong, something is wrong, something is wrong, something is wrong structurally. But I think they just have to try to get their act together if they can. They have to get their act together.

“They have a lot of experience with Alisson, Alexis Mac Allister, Virgil van Dijk, Mo Salah and Ryan Gravenberch. They have a lot of players who know what to do.

“Can they hold on? Can they get back on the bike?

“They'll go to Sunderland next. It's embarrassing. Go win there if you really want to tell everyone you'll still be in the Champions League. Go win at Sunderland, which will be a tough place to get to.

“Win there insistently, be professional, keep a clean sheet, and that’s what everyone has to look for now for Liverpool.”