Steven Gerrard ‘devastated’ and gives verdict on Liverpool Slot sack | Football | Sport

Steven Gerrard believes Liverpool chiefs Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes will “rally around” Arne Slot and afford him time to reverse the current situation. Slot had come under fresh scrutiny following his side’s 13-match unbeaten streak ending at Bournemouth on Saturday, with the reigning champions now sitting sixth in the Premier League.

However, Liverpool set aside their domestic troubles as they cruised into the Champions League last-16 with a commanding 6-0 triumph over Qarabag on Wednesday evening. Speaking ahead of that fixture at Anfield, Gerrard suggested that whilst Slot faces pressure, it stems predominantly from external sources.

“I think he is under pressure, for sure. I think there are large sections of the Liverpool fans that are very frustrated. Some have had enough,” he told TNT Sports.

“I think his pressure is more external, media and supporters that are not happy with the form Liverpool are in from a league point of view. I think internally it will be different. Liverpool have got extremely strong owners, fantastic owners.

“I think they’d want to give the manager on the back of last season – and any manager for that point – as much support [as they can].”

“They’d want to be extremely strong for Arne Slot during this tough time and try to give him the opportunity to get the team out of it and fix the issues that they’ve got.

“Also knowing Richard Hughes a little bit and Michael Edwards a bit more, I think they would want to be strong and rally around the manager.

“I think that’s what Liverpool have done historically, they’re not really a club that makes a lot of changes. So I think the pressure’s more external than internal.”

Gerrard, however, does believe it was a ‘body blow’ for Liverpool fans to hear Slot suggest his side’s Champions League elimination by Paris Saint-Germain last season played a role in the club securing the Premier League title.

“This is not going to be a popular opinion, but maybe the reason we won the league last season is that we had to play Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16, because they beat us and we had every time a [full] week to prepare for our next game,” the Dutchman said.

“Maybe that helped us. Every manager is aware that the bigger squad you have, the better equipped you are for so many games.”

Responding to Slot’s remarks, Gerrard explained why he understood the disappointment certain supporters experienced upon hearing what the Liverpool manager had to say.

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“I can understand the fans being frustrated on the back of that interview for the simple reason is they were 15 points clear,” he said. “In my opinion they had the league wrapped up by that point.

“To sort of say that helped them is a body blow for the fans really because the fans have been on the journey, they pay good money to follow the team in the Champions League games.

“The frustration and the emotion of going out of the Champions League, for a player or a fan, it hurts. It kills you. To sort of say that went and helped you when you are already 15 points clear, you can understand the frustrations.”

The Kop legend also disclosed he was ‘devastated’ that Marc Guehi opted for Manchester City rather than his former club this month.

The England international became Pep Guardiola’s second January signing following Antoine Semenyo’s £64million arrival.

A £35m switch to Anfield fell through on deadline day when Palace chairman Steve Parish abandoned the deal at the last moment after being unable to secure a replacement.

“I think recent signings in January will bolster the squad,” Gerrard added. “We were just speaking about how good of a signing Semenyo was and Marc Guehi, the importance of them.

“I was devastated that he never came to Liverpool, in all honesty, because we’ve had some defensive issues from that point of view. I think that will really help them [City] and boost them.”