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The spectre of Xabi Alonso looms over Arne Slot amid Liverpool struggles
Liverpool’s 1-1 home draw with Burnley on 17 January felt less like a blip and more like a symptom. Relegation-battling visitors arriving at Anfield, digging in and leaving with a point is not supposed to be part of the post-title narrative, yet here we are.
Liverpool’s 2025-26 campaign has drifted into an uncomfortable middle ground: not disastrous, not convincing and increasingly restless. For Arne Slot, the man who delivered a Premier League title in his debut season, that is a dangerous place to be.
Slot’s first year bought him time, credibility and a healthy slab of goodwill. But football is rarely sentimental for long. Liverpool’s performances this season have oscillated wildly. Draws against teams they should be swatting aside have become routine rather than exceptional. The Burnley stalemate was the latest in a run of results that have quietly chipped away at the aura Slot built so quickly.
And hovering over all of this is Xabi Alonso.
Alonso’s sudden availability following his sacking at Real Madrid has sent a ripple through Europe’s managerial ecosystem, but nowhere is the resonance stronger than on Merseyside.
This is not merely nostalgia talking. Yes, Alonso is remembered fondly for his intelligence and elegance in Liverpool red, a Champions League winner and midfield metronome in one of the club’s most romantic eras. But the suggestion that appointing him would be some misty-eyed, emotionally driven gamble undersells the reality.
This is not Ole Gunnar Solskjaer returning to Manchester United with vibes and memories, nor a sentimental homecoming in the mould of Michael Carrick’s recent installation as caretaker manager at Old Trafford. Alonso is a modern, elite coach. Two seasons ago he led Bayer Leverkusen to a historic Bundesliga title, breaking Bayern Munich’s stranglehold with tactical innovation, relentless intensity and a clear identity.
That achievement did not happen by accident. It was built on structure, clarity and ruthless execution.
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There is also the awkward detail that Alonso already knows some of Liverpool’s most important pieces intimately. Florian Wirtz and Jeremy Frimpong, now key figures in Slot’s squad, were central to Alonso’s Leverkusen machine. He understands how to maximise Wirtz’s creative freedom without sacrificing balance.
He knows how to weaponise Frimpong’s explosive athleticism while protecting the spaces he leaves behind. The idea that Alonso could instantly upgrade Liverpool’s cohesion is not fanciful; it is grounded in recent evidence.
None of this means Liverpool are about to panic. Historically, this is a club that resists the trigger-happy instincts so common elsewhere. Slot is not on the brink. But timelines shorten when alternatives look this good. Alonso’s presence changes the emotional arithmetic. Suddenly, patience feels more like procrastination.
Which is why Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Marseille on Wednesday carries extra weight. It is exactly the kind of hostile European night that can either galvanise a squad or further expose its fragility. Slot needs a response, not just in result but in performance. He needs control, conviction and a sense that Liverpool’s season still has direction.
Because right now, while Slot tries to steady the ship, the shadow of Xabi Alonso grows longer by the day.
Full Champions League fixture list for Matchday 7
Tuesday, 20 January
- Kairat Almaty vs. Club Brugge
- Bodo/Glimt vs. Manchester City
- Copenhagen vs. Napoli
- Inter vs. Arsenal
- Olympiakos vs. Bayer Leverkusen
- Real Madrid vs. Monaco
- Sporting vs. PSG
- Tottenham vs. Borussia Dortmund
- Villarreal vs. Ajax
Wednesday, 21 January
- Galatasaray vs. Atletico Madrid
- Qarabag vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
- Atalanta vs. Athletic Club
- Bayern Munich vs. Union Saint-Gilloise
- Chelsea vs. Pafos
- Juventus vs. Benfica
- Marseille vs. Liverpool
- Newcastle United vs. PSV
- Slavia Prague vs. Barcelona
How to watch the Champions League in the USA on DAZN
Soccer fans in the US can watch the Champions League in Spanish language as part of their DAZN subscription package.
An annual upfront payment is $224.99 , while paying monthly for 12 months is $19.99 and also provides access to 185 fight nights a year across boxing, MMA, PFL, BKFC, Glory and much more.
CBS has coverage of every Champions League match in English language this season. You can get more details and subscribe to CBS's Champions League coverage here.
Fans can watch extra Champions League games in Spanish on ViX. A selection of those matches are also available on UNIMÁS and TUDN.
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An annual subscription costs $14.99 per month for 12 months and also provides access to 185 fight nights a year across boxing, MMA, PFL, BKFC, Glory and much more.
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Watch every game of the Champions League this season in Canada with a DAZN subscription.
There are three subscription options, each offering a different selection of sports. Access to every Champions League match is included in all three package offerings, ranging from $29.99 to $44.99 per month (for 12 months)
