(Credit: Imago)

Callum O'Connell

Wed 8 April 2026 7:00, UK

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Arne Slot has been thrown under the bus by a number of his star players at Liverpool with growing calls for him to be sacked at the end of the season.

Liverpool lost 4-0 to Man City last time out as they were eliminated from the FA Cup, and will face a confident Paris Saint-Germain side next in the Champions League.

Their league performances have also failed to impress, and questions are being asked about a number of their most important players as a result.

Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk have failed to step up in the face of a difficult season.

They are not the only players underperforming, with questions asked of a number of their first-team stars, and Liverpool could look for a new manager as a result.

Which players are to blame for Arne Slot pressure?

Brown told Football Insider on 6 April that Slot is on the ropes at Liverpool with pressure mounting and a growing feeling his position is under threat.

However, the boss is not to blame for all of the Reds’ issues this season, as his players have failed to show the level of performances they did last season.

There is a feeling that the manager’s dismissal should largely be blamed on his players who have failed to perform unless they pick up their form in the closing stages.

“Slot has been thrown under the bus at Liverpool,” Brown told Football Insider.

“Look through the squad, how many of them can you say have really performed to their top level? But it’s the manager who picks up the bill for it.

“He’s been badly let down by a number of his senior players.

“Van Dijk has got a brilliant reputation which has been well-earned, but he hasn’t performed anywhere close to his usual standard this season.

“Salah as well, we’ve spoken about him a number of times and the fact he’s dropped off.

“Then looking through the team, you’ve got players like Ibrahima Konate for example who again has been nowhere near the level required of him.

“So all of these things start to add up, but eventually it’s the manager who has to deal with it when results aren’t going their way.

“If Slot does get sacked by Liverpool, the players are just as much to blame as anything else.”

When could Liverpool decide to sack Slot?

Football Insider exclusively revealed on 6 April that Liverpool may be forced to sack Slot as a result of his increasingly toxic relationship with the fans.

However, no decision is expected to be made in the immediate future, and they will instead wait until the end of the season to see how the remaining games pan out.

PSG are on a high ahead of their Champions League clash following their 8-2 aggregate thrashing of Chelsea, while the Premier League table remains tight.

Liverpool are currently in fifth place, but with just three points separating them from eighth, they are at risk of missing out on qualification for Europe’s premier competition.

Should they fail to reach the Champions League, sources say Liverpool will likely sack Slot, as he will have fallen short on all of their ambitions.