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Former Premier League manager Sam Allardyce has issued a firm call for Liverpool to continue backing Arne Slot. The Reds have fallen far short of expectations this season, currently trailing leaders Arsenal by 21 points.

There was significant anticipation around the fresh arrivals brought into Slot's squad last summer after the club spent record amounts on Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak. By adding more elite talent to a title-winning side, Liverpool were heavily predicted to dominate the season but those predictions proved to be wide of the mark.

The champions have lost 10 of their 31 league matches and are now fighting to secure a place in the top four. They face a difficult FA Cup quarter-final clash against Manchester City on Saturday, before taking on Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League tie.

These upcoming fixtures could add further strain on Slot, who has faced criticism over both results and playing style. However, seasoned coach Allardyce believes the level of scrutiny directed at the Liverpool manager is unfair when compared to the tenure of his predecessor Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.

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"You can't get rid of him when he just comes in and wins the league – nobody else has ever done that," he said on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast. "You've got to give him another year.

"You've got to, he won the league. He won the league, Jurgen Klopp couldn't win the league in the last three years he tried to and he's still a God."

Unlike several of their rivals this season, Liverpool have avoided making a change in management and former Bolton boss Allardyce feels Premier League clubs are wrong to not allow coaches enough time to navigate difficult periods.

"Boards are not strong enough to put up with the c**p," he added. "They're so weak. Boards of directors are so goddamn weak now. It's unbelievable. You stick by your man if that’s the way it is. So you've got to give him next season."

Slot guided Liverpool to their second Premier League title in his debut season in charge, following the club's previous triumph under Klopp in 2020. Despite the Dutch manager's early success at Anfield, Allardyce suggests Slot may be viewed less positively due to his calmer behaviour on the touchline.

"You've got to be a film star as a manager now because you've got to act," Allardyce added. "You have to act in front of your crowd. You've got to show emotion – run down the touchline, get a yellow card, punch the air. You've got to give it all that. Let's go!"

Meanwhile, Slot is nearing the final year of his Liverpool contract after signing a three-year agreement in 2024. Earlier this month, he avoided discussing his long-term future after his team progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals.

"Is this how football works, we win one time (4-0 against Galatasaray) and now we are talking about my contract?" the Dutchman said. "We didn't win one time by the way, we have won more than everyone thinks in the last one or two months."

He continued: "Reaching a quarter-final [of the Champions League] is positive and now we have to make more of a step in the league because we don't have the greatest position in the league, so it is going to be a fight and my focus is completely on that."

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