Ex-Liverpool star on verge of being sacked after disastrous start to season with EIGHT defeats
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Ex-Liverpool star Dirk Kuyt is at risk of being axed from his managerial job, according to reports.
The Dutchman is currently in charge of Belgian club Beerschot, however things are not exactly going to plan.
Beerschot currently sit six-points adrift at the bottom of the table and find themselves in a precarious situation after just ten games.
Worse still, the club are nine points below 13th-placed Sint-Truidense who occupy the final relegation round spot.
Kuyt has watched his side clock up just two points from a possible 30, with two draws and eight defeats so far.
According to AD, a meeting of the club's board scheduled for Tuesday has now been postponed where the topic of Kuyt's future was understood to be top of the agenda.
The report claims that the cancellation was at the request of lawyers with the club's Saudi majority shareholders in favour of keeping Kuyt at the helm.
Any decision to axe the 44-year-old would see him paid the remainder of his contract which runs until 2026.
Kuyt took charge of Beerschot in 2023 with the club in the second tier and chasing promotion to the top flight.
After signing a one-year deal he successfully steered his side to promotion but things have quickly taken a downward spiral.
Beerschot, who are located in the city of Antwerp, have conceded a whopping 27 goals in their ten outings – more than any other top-flight club this season.
Kuyt spoke out on a number of off-field issues that continue to plague the club following last Friday's 2-2 draw at Westerlo.
He revealed his frustration at having no training ground due to its 'unplayable' conditions and having to use the pitch at the club's Olympic Stadium for both training and matches.
Should Kuyt survive the axe over the international break, he will take to the dugout for the clash against Anderlecht on October 18.
The former midfielder is best known for his six years at Anfield where he scored 71 goals in 285 appearances, helping the Reds lift the League Cup in 2012.
He was destined to go into management after hanging up his boots in 2018 and was handed his first role at Dutch club ADO Den Haag in 2022 but was sacked just five months later after a string of disappointing results.
Kuyt previously revealed his admiration for two managers he played under during his career in former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez and legendary Dutch head coach Louis van Gaal.
The Beerschot boss admits to learning a lot from both figures but claims the pair were very different in their methods.
"The managers are totally different," Kuyt said. "For example Louis Van Gaal, when you have to play a game on a Saturday, by Thursday everyone knows the team.
"With Rafa Benitez, the players don't know the team until an hour before the game.
"The one special thing that they’ve got in common is they never leave something to a surprise, the smallest details for them can make the biggest difference.
"They are so prepared in every small detail. They are different managers but I've learned a lot from them and will take it with me in my managerial career."
