Manchester United legend Gary Neville has stated that he expects Arne Slot to retain his position as Liverpool manager following Chelsea's official appointment of Xabi Alonso on a four-year contract. The Spanish tactician, who was sacked by Real Madrid in January, will begin his tenure at Stamford Bridge on July 1, replacing Liam Rosenior after a brief 107-day spell.
Neville's Analysis on Liverpool's Managerial Situation
Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville addressed the speculation surrounding Slot's future at Anfield. Liverpool, the reigning Premier League champions, have endured a challenging title defence, but Neville believes the club will stand by the Dutchman. 'It looks like Liverpool, with Chelsea signing Xabi Alonso this morning, it did tell me that Liverpool are going to keep their manager for next season which I'm happy about,' Neville said. 'I genuinely think a manager that has won the league 12 months ago deserves an opportunity to get it right having had a more challenging season this time around. They're still in the Champions League.'
Mohamed Salah's Comments Under Fire
Neville also criticised Liverpool star Mohamed Salah for recent remarks that appeared to undermine Slot. 'He [Salah] has pulled the pin out of the grenade there and just thrown it in the middle of the room. He's on his way out of the room by the way! It's not great and if he was a Manchester United player then I'd be fuming,' Neville added. He suggested that Slot would prefer to focus on finishing the season and rebuilding the squad without disruptive influences.
Alonso's Appointment at Chelsea
Neville noted that Chelsea's decision to appoint Alonso as 'manager' rather than 'head coach' is significant. 'They need someone to manage the club. I've said before that the club have got a lot of inexperience on and off the pitch,' he explained. 'I think he's probably said, “If I'm coming then I'm taking over, I'm not going to let other people determine my outcome in terms of recruitment, managing the medical side, managing all the other things”, and I think it is quite telling. It's like they're handing him the keys to the safe.'
Despite Chelsea's struggles, Neville acknowledged the owners' investment. 'Every football club owner is desperate to try and win. They've made a mess of it obviously but the fact of the matter is they've pumped a lot of money in and no owner wants to pour money into a football club to fail,' he said.
