Liverpool decision causes stir as pundits disagree over Arne Slot future - 'I'm done'

Liverpool were beaten 1-0 by Galatasaray in the Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday night, with Arne Slot's future the subject of debate

Multiple pundits have questioned Arne Slot's future at Liverpool following the loss to Galatasaray in the Champions League. The Reds suffered a 1-0 defeat in the last-16 first leg on Tuesday night in Istanbul, with Mario Lemina netting the game's only goal early in the first half.

Liverpool will now need to reverse the deficit when they take on Galatasaray in the second leg at Anfield next week, after squaring off against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League this weekend.

Slot's tenure on Merseyside has been a topic of discussion throughout the season, with the club striving to secure a top-four finish rather than vying for the Premier League title.

During the loss to Galatasaray, former Liverpool star Jermaine Pennant expressed frustration with the Reds' performance, as well as one decision made by Slot.

Pennant highlighted Rio Ngumoha's lack of playing time for Liverpool against the Super Lig side, despite delivering a man-of-the-match display against Wolves in the FA Cup last week, reports the Liverpool Echo.

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"Ok, I’m done with [Arne] Slot now, played 65 mins and man of the match last game," Pennant posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"87 mins gone, every single player has been horrendous, and Rio [Ngumoha] has not came on. Please anyone tell, make it make sense, please."

Ex-Premier League forward Darren Bent also shared his thoughts on Slot's future at Liverpool, explaining why a decision to part ways with the Reds head coach may be "reactionary".

"I just think to kind of sack him if he finishes in the Champions League in his second season, he won the Premier League in his first season," Bent told talkSPORT. "I just think it might be a bit reactionary.

"I know the football potentially isn’t what it used to be in terms of, it’s not heavy metal rock and roll football that Klopp used to play.

"I know at times they’ve been called quite boring, in terms of their build-up play, little bit slow. Some Liverpool fans, certainly the ones I know, haven’t enjoyed watching that."

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher also voiced concern for Liverpool's form and performances this season, as well as for Slot's future at Anfield.

"This team is just a million miles off where it was supposed to be this season, which was that we would be talking about them the way we speak about Bayern Munich right now," Carragher said on CBS Sports.

"That was the whole point of Liverpool spending over £400m in the summer, to go to the next step from winning the Premier League to winning the Champions League.

"And we are talking about a team who now have to change a deficit against Galatasaray, which I think they will.

"But I don't have any hope for Liverpool going any further than that if it is PSG in the next round, as I think it may be.

"And that for me is a big worry. It is not just a defeat, I think the performances from Liverpool this season are a big worry for the manager.

"I think I said on this show during the group stages, he's got to change something - he has tried everything really in lots of different ways but nothing seems to be able to work.

"At no stage of this season have I ever thought Liverpool were in control of a football match."