Liverpool are gearing up to face Paris Saint-Germain in the French capital tomorrow night, with some predicting a heavy loss for the Reds. Coming off the back of a 4-0 defeat to Manchester City, after which some players admitted that they ‘gave up’, it is difficult to see the Merseysiders putting in the kind of rearguard display that they managed at the Parc des Princes last term.
If they do suffer a second consecutive heavy loss, there are many that feel as though that will signify Slot’s time being up at Anfield. If Fenway Sports Group do decide to sack him, what will happen next?
Alonso as the Long-Term Answer
There are many, many people who believe that Xabi Alonso would be the long-term answer to Liverpool’s managerial woes. As thousands of supporters left the Etihad on Saturday, many were singing the Alonso song, sending a clear message to the football club. He might well be the right person to come in next, but the Spaniard has reportedly made it clear that he wouldn’t want to come in until the summer. That would mean that he would be excluded from conversations in the here and now, but viable come the end of the season.
With Liverpool, just as with England and rugby, I’m not one for firing managers or coaches, – especially given the tragic loss of Jota in the summer – but I feel the shadow of Xabi Alonso is growing ever larger over Arne Slot.
— Andy Wheatley (@andywheatley.bsky.social) 15 March 2026 at 18:30
In many ways, that makes sense. Alonso could come in and lose to PSG, lose to Everton and lose to Manchester United, meaning that he’s been hamstrung before he’s even had a chance to unpack his boxes. That is almost certainly part of the reason why the former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid manager is reluctant to come to Anfield before the season has reached its conclusion. The only question for the Reds is whether they can persuade him to curtail his self-imposed break, or whether an interim manager is needed.
Gerrard as an Interim?
For some, the idea of Steven Gerrard becoming Liverpool manager sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Slot Although the former captain will always be remembered as a club legend, there is no doubt that his managerial career has been a failure. From his terrible time in charge at Aston Villa through to the fact that he left Saudi Arabian Pro League side Al-Ettifaq ‘by mutual consent’ last January, there is nothing to suggest that he’d be able to take over at Anfield and be a success.
@footballclips0714 Would you want to see them manage together? #gerrard#xabialonso#liverpool#theoverlap#managers ♬ original sound – Football Clips
The reality of the situation is that if Gerrard does come in, it will surely only be on a short-term basis to see if the former midfielder can give the club the boost needed to finish in the Champions League places. With tough visits to Old Trafford, the Hill Dickinson Stadium and Villa Park still to come, there is no question that the club needs some sort of pickup to do what needs to be done to finish in the top five. Is there really a world in which Gerrard is the answer on that front?
