Pundits split on Arne Slot's Liverpool future as Rio Ngumoha decision causes stir

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Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is under pressure at the moment and his side's disappointing 1-0 defeat against Galatasaray in the Champions League caused another stirLiverpool head coach Arne Slot.(Image: BSR Agency/Getty Images)Arne Slot's future at Liverpool has been a hot topic among pundits following the club's Champions League defeat to Galatasaray, in which the Reds were vulnerable at the back and wasteful in attack.The Reds suffered a 1-0 loss in the first leg of the last-16 tie on Tuesday night in Istanbul, with the former Southampton man Mario Lemina netting the game's only goal early in the first half.Liverpool now faces the task of reversing this deficit when it hosts Galatasaray for the second leg at Anfield next week, following a Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.READ MORE: Liverpool and Man Utd tipped to sign Porto wonderkid after Arsenal and Chelsea transfer linksREAD MORE: Ex-Liverpool star urges Arne Slot to capitalize on Tottenham woes with bargain transferSpeculation over Slot's tenure on Merseyside has been rife throughout the season, as the club finds itself fighting to secure a top-four finish rather than vying for the Premier League title.During the loss to Galatasaray, former Liverpool ace Jermaine Pennant expressed his dissatisfaction with the Reds' performance and one particular decision made by Slot.Pennant highlighted the lack of playing time for Rio Ngumoha against the Super Lig side, despite his standout performance against Wolves in the FA Cup the previous week.Arne Slot arrives at Galatasaray ahead of his 100th match in charge of Liverpool (Image: Burak Kara - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)"Ok, I'm done with [Arne] Slot now, played 65 mins and man of the match last game," Pennant posted on X, previously 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."Former Premier League forward Darren Bent has also shared his thoughts on Slot's future at Liverpool, outlining why a decision to dismiss the Reds manager could be deemed "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.

Some Liverpool fans, certainly the ones I know, haven't enjoyed watching that."Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher has also voiced concerns about Liverpool's form and displays this campaign, as well as Slot's prospects 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 £400 million in the summer, to go to the next step from winning the Premier League to winning the Champions League.Get LFC's 2025/26 season home and away kitsThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn moreFrom $100LFC.comSee the dealLiverpool's home and away strips for the 2025/26 season are the first in their new partnership with adidas.Fans can order jerseys in the US at Fanatics.com or via the LFC Online Store in both the US and across the world."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."