Richard Keys has already named the shock manager he believes will replace Arne Slotat Liverpool. His comments came before the 2-0 win over West Ham at the weekend, but after they dropped points in a lacklustre 1-1 draw at home to Sunderland, his prediction feels even more topical now than it did before.
A draw against the Premier League’s sixth-placed side – who had already taken points off Arsenal and Chelsea – isn’t the end of the world. But the manner in which it happened is enough to make you wonder whether Slot’s time at the club is over, with the Reds having won just four of their last 14 matches across all competitions.
Right now, no club is closer to spinning the managerial merry-go-round than the champions, with 15 favourites already linked should they decide to part ways with the Dutchman. The manager market looks sparse and unremarkable at best, but Keys believes he has a short-term solution.
Keys Tips Steven Gerrard for Short-Term Role at Liverpool
The beIN Sports presenter believes that, for Liverpool to realise their desire to hire Luis Enrique in the future, they must look at a stopgap between Slot and the Spaniard, which could come in the form of Steven Gerrard’s bombshell return. Keys explained (watch the full segment below):
“He’s got two big problems: [Virgil] van Dijk and [Mohamed] Salah have stopped playing for him [Arne Slot]. Before Brendan Rodgers, can you remember when Liverpool employed Kenny Dalglish to babysit them until the end of the season? Did Steven Gerrard have any idea this situation was developing when he said no to Rangers?
“I think, long term, they want Luis Enrique. I think there’s little to no chance Paris [Saint-Germain] would let that happen. If that is the case, they would need a babysitter.”
Indeed, hiring last season’s Champions League winner, arguably the best manager in world football right now, would be a massive statement of intent. While there’s no doubt Keys’ prediction in the plan to raid PSG for Enrique is a good idea, there has to be a lot of curiosity around his Gerrard comments.
Hiring Gerrard Would Be Foolish by FSG
He may have won the Scottish Premiership during his time in Glasgow, putting a brief stop to Celtic’s reign of terror, but unsuccessful stints at Aston Villa and in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq reminded everyone of his inexperience in football management. That makes up most of the reasoning as to why taking a punt on Gerrard is both unnecessary and unwise for Liverpool.
Keys completely overlooks the fact that the Reds’ hierarchy was far less ambitious back in the 2011/12 campaign, and at least Kenny Dalglish had a solid track record proving he could bring stability to the club when they rehired him. Now, however, the Anfield job is as desirable as any other, and settling for plasters over projects is a trap that many other clubs have fallen for in the past.
Take Chelsea’s punt on Frank Lampard as a cautionary tale – it could somewhat tarnish an otherwise sparkling legacy if the iconic midfielder returned to the club only to fail because he wasn’t ready for such a big task. Signing Gerrard would be foolish for FSG, and keeping faith in Slot makes far more sense than chasing short-term solutions after 18 months of building something under the Dutchman.