Liverpool will take on Aston Villa on Friday night with Arne Slot in need of three points to help secure qualification for next season's Champions League. The Reds blew their chance to edge closer to a top-five finish with an uninspired 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Anfield on Saturday.
The dour stalemate not only put Liverpool's hopes of reaching next season's Champions League in slight jeopardy but also piled more pressure on Slot. Deafening boos rang around Anfield at the final whistle as fans voiced their anger and discontent at a season that has seen the Reds lose 11 times in the Premier League alone.
While Slot appears to have been backed by the powers that be at Liverpool for now, today's news sees one former Premier League striker suggest a candidate who could take over should the Dutchman be relieved of his duties. Elsewhere, a former Liverpool star has thrown his weight around two of the Reds' summer signings.
Slot successor tipped
Andoni Iraola has been tipped by former striker Tony Cascarino to be a contender for the Liverpool job should Slot face the sack this summer. The Bournemouth coach, 43, is to step down from his role at the Vitality Stadium at the end of the season, with the Cherries in good standing to make the European spots this season.
"The booings are happening more regularly at Liverpool now," the ex-Chelsea forward said about Liverpool after Saturday's draw with Chelsea. "I want Arne Slot to get to the end of the season and then Liverpool to make a call. I'm concerned because it's not good."
"He's [Iraola] probably been offered something that's better. It's like when you're a player. If you play brilliantly for a club at Bournemouth, like [Antoine] Semenyo or others, you get the vultures hanging over you and take you away to the bigger clubs. I'm sure he knows where he's going."
"We've got Marco Silva in that position [at Fulham]. We don't quite know what the outcome is going to be. Obviously, Oliver Glasner as well at Crystal Palace. Don't tell me these guys don't know where they're going."
"Jurgen Klopp, that announcement, when it came out he was leaving Liverpool. That was made in the November. It was kept on hold for four months before it came out. Seemingly no one knew. There obviously were a handful of people. But it's no different."
Cascarino also discussed Iraola's relationship with Liverpool's sporting director Richard Hughes. He continued: "He brought him to Bournemouth and now he's at Liverpool. He did that negotiation. He was there. You have connections in football and people you deal with."
"He'd have dealt with the agent. He'd have worked with him. Now, I'm putting two and two and making five, but it's not that unlikely that a club like Liverpool could look at him. He's done an incredible job at Bournemouth."
Liverpool duo receive transfer ultimatum
Ex-Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole says he would keep faith with Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez for now - but warned the pair must improve. While Kerkez, 22, has kicked on in the second half of the season, the £40m signing from Bournemouth has struggled to win over sections of support at Anfield.
Frimpong, signed from Bayer Leverkusen last summer for £29.5m, has also come in for criticism. However, his progress this season has been hampered by a series of injuries.
Cole believes Liverpool should stick with the full-back duo, noting how hard it could be to replace them. But he claimed should they fail to convince next season, then there could be a decision to be made.
The ex-Chelsea star said: "Two great players, two legends of the club in Trent [Alexander-Arnold] and [Andy] Robertson leaving the club in the space of two years is always going to be difficult to replace."
"They need to give a chance to [Jeremie] Frimpong and [Milos] Kerkez, but it's one of those where by January they're not looking like they've settled still, then you have to start looking [at replacements]."
"When you're looking at players you can pick up, there's so many great players in that position but there's a select few in teams that are falling off or teams where the player might want out. For instance, Chelsea. You look at Marc Cucurella. He's just one player who may want to move. I'd stick with Frimpong and Kerkez going into next season though."
