Last week's news that Trent Alexander-Arnold is nearing a move to Real Madrid has prolonged the feeling of gloom at Anfield following Liverpool's defeats in the Champions League and the League Cup.
It's now imperative that Slot can redirect his players' focus towards seeing out a successful push for the Premier League title. That starts by securing a result against Everton on Wednesday.
It was inevitable that at least one of them would be leaving Anfield.
Since the start of last summer, the futures of Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil Van Dijk have been clouded in ambiguity as each of the three entered the final remaining year of their Liverpool contracts.
A Harsh Reality
Despite the heavy hopes of the Liverpool faithful, the prospect that all three would remain at the club beyond this season was never realistic.
Last Tuesday, the clearest indication yet that that prospect will not materialize came when news broke that Alexander-Arnold has nearly finalized an agreement to join Real Madrid once his contract expires.
Liverpool will now need to plan for a future without the fullback, whose passing range, crossing ability and set piece expertise have all contributed immensely to the club’s success since he became a regular in its first team.
First, however, Liverpool manager Arne Slot must plan to preserve the tranquility in the dressing room for the next few months with Alexander-Arnold not only still a part of his squad, but its vice-captain.
As Alexander-Arnold’s imminent departure now looms, speculation over the futures of van Dijk, Liverpool’s captain and Salah, their top scorer in each of the last eight campaigns is likely to ramp up.
Thus far into the campaign, Slot has masterfully kept the uncertainty over the trio’s contracts from derailing his side’s performances on the pitch, but that task has now become steeper.
Emotions must be held in check
If the next several months are indeed Alexander-Arnold’s final as a Liverpool player, emotions will surely run heavy for the fullback.
Every stage of his development at both youth and professional level has transpired at Liverpool. He began there at the age of six, worked his way up the academy, broke into the first team and finally, established himself as one of its most important players as he went on to win every trophy possible.
Alexander-Arnold’s status as a homegrown talent who has represented only his boyhood club throughout his career has earned him an exclusive level of affection from the Liverpool supporters.
Liverpool’s local supporters regard him as one of their own and his decision to walk away is therefore far more difficult for them to come to terms with than it would be for most other players of his quality.
On social media spaces, some supporters have voiced their anger quite vocally. However, the truth is that far too little information is publicly available about why Liverpool and Alexander-Arnold could not reach an agreement to cast an accurate judgement of the player.
Let the information unfold
I would hope that the Liverpool fanbase at large rejects the unwarranted criticism of Alexander-Arnold’s character and the outright petty reactions coming from the small, but quite loud faction of the club’s supporters online.
In my view, it’s far more reasonable to direct criticism at the club as it was appalling mismanagement on its part to allow the contracts of three of their most important players to wind down to their final months.
Nonetheless if he does depart, Alexander-Arnold will have made the decision to shed his unique status as a Liverpool-only player and with it, the item on his resume his club’s supporters valued the most.
That much is on him and as a result, his exit will likely diminish the appreciation he receives from the Anfield crowd in the closing months of his Liverpool career.
It may be difficult for Alexander-Arnold to accept that the same supporters who outpoured their adoration for him for his entire career may now no longer regard him as fondly as they once did.
However, Slot must ensure that despite any emotional toil, Alexander-Arnold maintains his concentration and continues to command the respect of the Liverpool squad as vice-captain.
After defeats to PSG in the Champions League and Newcastle United in the League Cup final soured the mood around the club ahead of the international break, the last thing it now needs is for all the current outside noise from off the pitch to further disrupt its performances on it.
Liverpool return to action on Wednesday in the Merseyside Derby at Anfield. The Reds’ visible lack of desire and fight cost them in the League Cup final, their last fixture before the break, and they simply cannot permit that to happen again against an Everton side unbeaten in their last nine league matches and eager to inflict further wounds to the morale of their local rivals.
A victory in the Merseyside Derby would instantaneously reinvigorate Slot’s side as it nears the Premier League title.
A league title would not just alleviate the disappointment from recent weeks but would define Slot’s first season at the club as a massive success.
Currently 12 points clear of second place Arsenal, Liverpool kick off the final nine fixtures on Wednesday firmly on track for the trophy that it has coveted most strongly this season.
If Liverpool overcomes Everton, they continue on that course, one step closer to the ultimate objective. However, if recent frustrations continue into the derby, what promised to be a comfortable stroll to the finish line will instead morph into far rockier terrain.