What Klopp has said about Liverpool return as favourite to replace Arne Slot emerges

A sixth defeat in seven league outings has left the reigning champions in 11th place — the first time in over ten years they’ve found themselves in the bottom half of the standings.

Captain Virgil van Dijk, typically measured in his post-match reflections, used terms like ‘mess’ and ‘panic’ to describe the current situation.

‘We are definitely letting him (Slot) down but we’ve let ourselves down as well,’ he said. ‘You look at yourself first and then you help each other, you help each other get out of this mess because at the moment it is a mess – that’s just a fact.

‘As the champions we can’t be in the situation we are in right now. What are we going to do about it? We’re going to try to turn it around and that’s the mentality everyone should have.’

Van Dijk acknowledged the frustration within the squad but emphasized that this stretch of seven games in 22 days is not the time for internal conflict.

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‘It is easy to point fingers but you have to do it together,’ he added. ‘What I want is for everyone to take responsibility on the pitch. We have to do that in order to push each other, to make each other better.

‘It’s easy to maybe just think about your own situation rather than the collective side when things are not going well.’

Despite the captain’s appeal for unity, Slot’s future is under scrutiny, even after leading Liverpool to the title last season and overseeing a £500 million squad overhaul.

BetVictor has named Klopp, Slot’s predecessor, as the leading candidate to return in what would be a sensational comeback to Anfield.

Asked recently about the possibility of managing in the Premier League again, Klopp, now Head of Global Sport at Red Bull, said: ‘I said I will never coach a different team in England so that means, if [I did return], then it’s Liverpool.

‘So, yeah, theoretically it is possible.’

Slot, meanwhile, accepted full accountability for a ‘very bad’ showing against Forest, who were deserving winners on the day.

Murillo, Nicolo Savona, and Morgan Gibbs-White found the net as Forest secured their biggest-ever win at Anfield, handing Liverpool their worst home defeat since a 4-1 loss to Manchester City in 2021.

‘How bad that is difficult to measure but it was very bad. Playing at home, losing 3-0 no matter which team you face is a very, very bad result,’ Slot said.

‘I want to emphasise I am responsible for the current losses: you are responsible when you are winning but also responsible when you are losing.

‘I can never come up with excuses for us to have the results we have. That is far from good enough and I am responsible for that.’

Murillo broke the deadlock at Anfield (Picture: Getty)
The defeat dropped Liverpool to 11th, and if Everton beat Manchester United on Monday, they would leapfrog their city rivals.

Slot remains determined to reverse the trend of eight defeats in 11 matches across all competitions.

‘Of course there is a way out, especially with the quality players we have,’ he added. ‘No matter if you win or lose, if you make a line-up or make substitutions when you look back you are also thinking ‘Where can we do better, where we can adjust?’ but that is something else from doubting yourself.

‘In my opinion it was a good start from us. I haven’t seen us creating so much in the opening half-hour maybe the whole season. We were able to create a lot and the first time they arrived in our box they scored a goal.

‘It is a very difficult cocktail to drink if you miss out on your own chances and every time you concede one the ball goes in.’