EXCLUSIVE: JAMIE CARRAGHER DELIVERS BRUTAL "SERIOUS QUESTIONS" VERDICT ON ARNE SLOT
Jamie Carragher warns Arne Slot: missing Champions League football is "unthinkable" after Liverpool's £450m investment.
Jamie Carragher thinks Arne Slot is in real trouble if Liverpool misses out on the Champions League this season. Carragher, who used to play at the back for the Reds, doesn’t see Slot’s team as ready for Premier League football right now—even after last year’s title.
Liverpool had a rough stretch earlier this season, and that loss to Bournemouth over the weekend snapped whatever momentum they had started to build. Now they're sitting sixth, behind Chelsea and a much-improved Manchester United.
Carragher doesn’t think Slot deserves too much heat for not pushing for the title this year. But missing out on Europe’s biggest competition? That’s a line you can’t cross. Carragher, now doing punditry for Sky Sports, isn’t convinced Liverpool will even pull it off.
He broke it down on Monday Night Football: “When I look at the Premier League, three things jump out—set pieces and long throws, counter-attacking both ways, and dealing with those low defensive blocks. If you’re Liverpool, and you’re facing deep, organised teams, you just can’t cope. Slot talks about low blocks all the time—Liverpool can’t handle any of it.”
He said Liverpool just doesn’t look built for the Premier League. But in Europe? It’s different. Set pieces and long throws don’t matter as much, counter-attacking is there but not to the same degree, and teams aren’t just sitting back. That actually suits Liverpool. “They can beat Real Madrid, they can go to Inter Milan and win, or Marseille, and they’ll finish in the top eight and get to the knockouts.”
Carragher thinks the fans and the club can live with not winning the league this year. Not good enough, sure, but they accept it.
But when you see what United and Chelsea have been doing lately, and you realise Liverpool could actually end up outside the Champions League spots, Carragher says that’s when the manager’s job really comes under the microscope. That’s a totally different conversation.
“Not winning the league is on everyone, and Liverpool doesn’t win it every year anyway. But missing the Champions League after winning the league, spending £450 million, and having the biggest wage bill—which usually decides where you finish—that brings up some serious questions.”
Dave Jones asked him, “Champions League or bust for Slot?”
Carragher didn’t hesitate: “Yeah, as far as qualifying goes. Some of the criticism and disrespect Slot had from Liverpool fans is way over the top, considering he won the league last year. But if you don’t make the Champions League after spending what Liverpool does, you can’t really defend it.”
INSIDE ARNE SLOT’S TACTICAL SYSTEM AND ITS IMPACT ON FLORIAN WIRTZ’S GOAL OUTPUT
Florian Wirtz has scored just four times in 25 league games, a major drop from his elite Bayer Leverkusen scoring form.
Florian Wirtz’s £116 million price tag is starting to raise some eyebrows, especially as he struggles to find the scoring touch that made him so valuable. Tony Cascarino from talkSPORT pointed out that while Wirtz is undeniably technically gifted, he’s yet to become truly clinical in front of goal since joining Liverpool.
Wirtz, who moved from Bayer Leverkusen to Anfield with big expectations, took a bit of time to adjust but began contributing to Arne Slot’s team. Yet goals have remained elusive. In 25 Premier League appearances, he’s only managed to score four times, with just one goal each in the Champions League and FA Cup. Recent missed opportunities against Galatasaray, which coincided with Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat, only highlight this ongoing challenge.
Cascarino, a former Chelsea striker and long-time Reds fan, commented on the Weekend Sports Breakfast that Wirtz’s inability to take those chances stands out. He recalled Wirtz’s decent scoring record at Leverkusen, particularly during a season when the club contended for the Bundesliga title, but said those numbers haven’t yet translated to his time in England.
Back when Wirtz was at Bayer Leverkusen, he was more consistent as both a goalscorer and playmaker. Over his last two seasons there, he not only reached double figures in goals but also in assists. For instance, in the 2023/24 season, he scored 11 goals and provided 12 assists, followed by 10 goals and 13 assists the following year. At Liverpool, however, the numbers look quite different. Four goals in 25 league matches is a noticeable drop, even accounting for the Premier League’s markedly higher level of competition. Despite having 24 shots with 15 on target this season, he’s yet to convert those chances into more goals.
Looking ahead, Wirtz will be eager to improve his goal tally in Liverpool’s upcoming match against Tottenham at Anfield. With Igor Tudor’s position at Spurs seemingly under pressure, a strong showing from Wirtz could have a significant impact. The game, scheduled for 4:30 pm on Merseyside, offers him an opportunity not only to build confidence but also, perhaps, to silence some critics questioning whether he can justify that hefty transfer fee.
FINANCIAL EXPERTS PREDICT £120M HIT IF LIVERPOOL MISS 2026-27 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SPOT
Liverpool face a £120m disaster: Read about the Champions League race, Arne Slot’s anger, and the impact of the £400m summer spend.
Liverpool’s in a tight spot right now. After losing to Wolves at Molineux, they’re clinging to fifth place, usually good enough for a Champions League spot, but the cushion isn’t exactly comfortable. They’re just three points ahead of Chelsea, who still have a game in hand against Aston Villa. That race is heating up fast.
Virgil van Dijk summed it up pretty well: “Either we get it, and we deserve it, or we don’t get it, and we don’t deserve it. If you play for Liverpool, it’s always been like this. It’s down to us, together with our fans, to get the results we need to get into the Champions League.” He also mentioned that Arne Slot, the head coach, wasn’t exactly thrilled after the loss; “angry” was the word he used.
But it’s not just about pride or missing out on big European nights. There’s a lot of money on the line. Football finance expert Kieran Maguire pointed out that missing out on the Champions League could leave a big dent in Liverpool’s bank account, even if the club runs pretty sensibly these days.
UEFA’s numbers tell the story. Liverpool earned €98.1 million (£85.3 million/$114 million) just for reaching the last 16 of the 2024–25 Champions League. Compare that to the Europa League, where they only received €26.8 million (£23.3 million/$31.1 million) for reaching the quarterfinals last season. The gap is massive.
Even winning the lesser European trophies doesn’t come close. Tottenham got €41.4 million (£36 million/$48.1 million) for winning the Europa League, and Chelsea picked up €21.8 million (£20 million/$26.7 million) for the Conference League. It’s nowhere near what Champions League teams bring home.
Maguire also pointed out the other hits: fewer home match days, less broadcast cash, and sponsors that pay out less when the club misses the top tier. He reckons missing out could cost Liverpool around £120 million ($160 million). Still, he doesn’t think it’ll sink the club.
And it’s not like Liverpool have been shy about spending. Last summer alone, they shelled out more than £400 million ($534.5 million) on big names like Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak – the biggest single-window spend in football history, actually.
Even with all that, Liverpool just reported record revenues of £703 million ($939 million) for the year ending May 2025, turning a modest £8 million ($10.7 million) profit. And here’s the kicker: despite that wild summer, Liverpool ranks only eighth in net transfer spend over the past five years. They’ve been splashing the cash, sure, but they’ve kept things balanced in the long run.
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