Arne Slot Liverpool sack verdict reached as ex-Reds star 'can't believe what I'm hearing'

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Stephen Warnock says he's baffled that Arne Slot is facing calls for the axe after Liverpool's fourth consecutive Premier League defeat. The Dutchman has found himself under the microscope following their dismal streak, which reached new lows with Saturday's 3-2 loss to Brentford.

Arsenal's 1-0 triumph over Crystal Palace on Sunday stretched their advantage at the summit to seven points, leaving the Reds' title defence in tatters following their worst losing streak in 32 years. Bookmakers have dramatically cut the odds on the ex-Feyenoord boss becoming the next Premier League manager to get the boot, with Slot now at 8/1 to leave - trailing behind the likes of Vitor Pereira, Daniel Farke, Nuno Espirito Santo and Marco Silva.

Milos Kerkez and Mohamed Salah provided some fight at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, but Liverpool's miserable spell rolled on as their comeback fell short. Following the disappointing display, some quarters have demanded a change in the dugout - much to Warnock's bewilderment, as he insisted numerous factors lie behind Liverpool's recent struggles whilst backing Slot.

"I can't even believe the word is coming into it, people are talking about a sacking," he told the Mirror , via Esports Bets . "We're miles off that because of what happened over the summer, in terms of Diogo Jota passing away, I still think it's having a huge impact on the club.

"The players that have been brought into the club, people are saying, 'We've brought them in so they're going to win the league comfortably'.

"They lost arguably two of their most important players in the summer in Luis Diaz, who could take people on, lift the crowd and bring an energy, and Trent Alexander-Arnold , who was arguably Liverpool's most important player, that ability to just change a game with one pass, one cross, the way he stepped in to the midfield and it made life so difficult for opposition.

"It also helped Mohamed Salah, the relationship they had was incredible, the way they linked up, it gave Salah more opportunities and freedom. I think Liverpool are suffering from losing them players, it's going to take time for Arne Slot to integrate the players and find a system that works for them.

"I think everyone was purring the other night when they beat Frankfurt but Frankfurt are a poor team who concede chances and a lot of goals.

"The acid test was going to Brentford, could they deal with that? They couldn't, the biggest issue I found with Liverpool is that they were outfought, every second ball, headers, first contacts, they lost them all, it's a basic thing and I think they realise it themselves."

Whilst Liverpool's fresh recruits continue to struggle with their adaptation to Premier League football, their defensive frailties remain a persistent concern. However, Warnock is of the opinion that their struggles stem from a lack of confidence rather than poor management.

He stated: "I don't think they're a badly coached team, I think they're a team lacking in confidence and you second-guess yourself when your confidence is a little bit low, they need to pick that up. I felt against Brentford and in games before, rather than stepping into a challenge, header or pass, it's almost, 'Am I going to do it or are you?'

"They're second guessing everything that they're doing at the moment. It'll come back, they're just very low on confidence at the minute and they just need to build it back up."

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