FSG can keep Salah at Liverpool by hiring “the best young coach in Europe”

Liverpool are in uncharted waters, with these deep fathoms threatening not only the future of Arne Slot, who won the Premier League a matter of months ago, but that of Mohamed Salah, one of the greatest players in the club’s history, too.

Where is the respite? At the moment, Liverpool can’t catch a break, fumbling a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 at Leeds United on Saturday after previously drawing against well-worth-their-money Sunderland at Anfield. All told, the Reds have won only two of their past ten league fixtures, losing six.

But Liverpool have sculpted this disaster themselves. They have patented a startling ability to wreak havoc on their own progress, with tactical imbalances sparking crises of confidence, sparking mutiny.

Salah’s flaming interview at Elland Road will go down in the history books, and though FSG have since underlined their faith in Slot’s stewardship, the severity of this crossroads cannot be understated.

The latest on Slot’s Liverpool future

Slot is in an unenviable position, with Salah’s outburst proving the latest and most damaging in a long line of mishaps since the summer.

While FSG retain the faith in the 47-year-old, who led Liverpool to the Premier League title last year after Jurgen Klopp stepped down, there’s an acceptance that results are needed quickly if something is to be salvaged from this campaign.

The fact of the matter is that Slot’s Liverpool started wobbling well before the end of the 2024/25 campaign, and he now needs to show that he can sort out the defence and restore balance to the team. He needs to show that quickly.

Liverpool are in big bother, and though FSG have been steadfast in their backing of the Dutchman, their leniency will only stretch so far, especially when there is such an exciting successor for Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes to consider.

Liverpool could hire Slot upgrade

Last week, it was reported that FSG have been considering Julian Nagelsmann as a candidate to replace Slot, should the Reds coach be sacked, though they will face a tough task in wrestling him away from the German national team, especially with the 2026 World Cup looming large.

Nagelsmann, 38, is among the world’s finest young coaches, having managed Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich in his homeland.

Would he be willing to park his international ambitions? Probably not. That’s why it’s anticipated he could be lined up ahead of the start of next season, meaning Liverpool would need to find an interim boss if Slot is dismissed before the end of the term.

What Nagelsmann would offer Liverpool

Nagelsmann has been described as the “best young coach in Europe” by journalist Josh Bunting, and though he’s the junior of practically all of the game’s standout managers, he’s hardly inexperienced, with a keen tactical mind that could be the remedy to a Liverpool team who have fallen by the wayside.

This is a fluid and interchangeable tactician. Nagelsmann employed a counter-pressing system at Leipzig before changing to a more dominant playing style at the Allianz Arena. He recognises the quirks and whims of the players at his disposal, and he crafts a system that caters to his troops.

Journalist Kai Iliev has even named him a “world-class manager” for his ability to fix a range of flaws within Germany’s national set-up. Now they are contenders. Now they believe again.

Liverpool could do with a bit of that, right? The appointment of Nagelsmann might even play into keeping Salah at the club; with the Egyptian King’s relationship under Slot having broken down, something has to give.

Liverpool, of course, will now back Salah over Slot. To do the contrary would result in anarchy. But this latest splinter in an outfit splitting wide open is not the root cause. Slot’s system is in a tailspin, and if he cannot establish form and fluency quickly, he will find that he has exhausted all the credit in the bank, and Edwards and Hughes will be forced into making a tough call.

The German coach’s principal 4-2-3-1 set-up would accommodate new signing Florian Wirtz and allow Salah to arc inwards once more and find passages into the danger area. This season, the 33-year-old has only posted five goals and three assists across all competitions.

Who could have expected this when Liverpool lifted the Premier League title? Salah was not the main man but the author of his long-term outfit’s illustrious success.

It’s not controversial to suggest that many, many Liverpool supporters would be dejected if Salah were to leave this winter, and it would be sure to put more than just a dampener on Slot’s reign at the Anfield helm.

If results do not continue over the coming weeks – with Salah off to AFCON after Liverpool host Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League this weekend – FSG will have to face the reality of theirt spiraling situation and make a change.

Could that prompt Salah to stay? Working under Nagelsmann on Merseyside, it just might, though whether the Reds are able to keep the African legend appeased and reach a decision that would see him remain at the club he has served so well over the past nine years remains to be seen.

In any case, this is a staggering, stomach-sinking situation, one that nobody could have foreseen, and Liverpool’s powers that be need to make sure an upswing is found – quickly.