Arne Slot told what he must do to remain at Liverpool with clear verdict given

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been told Champions League qualification is the minimum requirement to keep his job at Anfield

Arne Slot has been warned that securing Champions League football could be the bare minimum expected of him if he wants to keep his job at Liverpool next season. Slot has faced mounting scrutiny at Anfield following a string of underwhelming results in the Premier League.

The Reds currently sit sixth in the table and slipped out of the top four after last weekend's loss to Bournemouth.

By contrast, Liverpool excelled in the Champions League league phase, finishing third overall and earning direct passage to the last-16 by placing in the top eight, thus avoiding the play-off round.

Liverpool's remaining hopes of silverware this campaign depend on the Champions League and the FA Cup, where Brighton await them in the next round.

Former Premier League striker Alan Shearer believes it won't be trophies that determine Slot's fate this season, but rather securing European qualification, reports the Liverpool Echo.

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"They've got two [trophies] left. The FA Cup and Champions League I guess, because they're not winning the Premier League," Shearer told Betfair.

"But it's not beyond them to win the Champions League with the form they're in, in that competition and the history they have.

"I wouldn't say that he has to win a trophy, but I think he has to qualify for the Champions League again to keep his job ahead of next season. That would be the big thing."

Shearer also addressed the criticism Liverpool have faced this season after their Premier League success last year, pointing to the Reds' defensive frailties as a worry.

"Well, you can say a few managers in the Premier League are walking a tight rope," Shearer said. "I think if you go right through, other than perhaps Arsenal, I know they had a bad result last weekend, but other than Arsenal, I think it's very similar.

"Tottenham are the same. But yeah, Liverpool, with the very high standards that they set, haven't reached anywhere near where they were last season.

"It's difficult when they're off the back of a 6-0 win at home in the Champions League and qualifying for the last eight and going straight into the round of 16.

"But I guess when you look at Liverpool and the energy that they showed last year, particularly in those midfield positions, there's so much missing. And defensively they’ve been a shadow of themselves from what we saw last season, despite the huge amounts that they've spent on players.

"That result at Bournemouth sort of summed them up last week, really for all three goals, not just the one they conceded in the last minute, which was the winner to Bournemouth. So certainly, plenty to work on, but I would say there's lots of clubs like that."

Ahead of Liverpool's Premier League showdown with Newcastle United this weekend, Slot shared his thoughts on the key differences between the top-tier English league and the Champions League this season.

"I think if you look at the top eight, there are five English clubs, so that says the strength of the PL," Slot said.

"Before the game, our results have been impacted by the amount of games with the same players and I think we have seen that in some games we have struggled with that, especially earlier on when players needed to adjust.

"Now it is mainly the same players, the game during the week has impacted parts of our games at the weekend but there is more physicality in the Premier League than the Champions League.

"I did not see one long throw from Marseille or Qarabag. Set-pieces are a different level, so that part of the game is more developed in England than in the Champions League, but in the Champions League, we have also faced teams that are very good between the boxes.

"Premier League has become more of a box game, get it in the box. In the Champions League it is about the play between the boxes."