Glen Johnson believes Liverpool owners FSG will have a "serious chat" about sacking Jurgen Klopp if the reds do not finish in the top four this season.
Liverpool take on Spurs at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday night, sitting just one point ahead of their hosts in the Premier League table.
It is a big game for both teams, who only met for the first time in December, with a Roberto Firmino header in the 90th minute enough to hand the Reds all three points on that occasion.
If Tottenham were to turn the tables on Klopp 's men, they would leapfrog them in the table and it would leave Liverpool seven points adrift of Manchester City at the top of the table, having played a game more.
Liverpool won the title at a canter last time out, but injuries to key players this season - namely Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez in the heart of their defence - have hamstrung them.
It is up front where they are struggling at the moment though, without a goal in any of their last four top flight games.
Former player Johnson, speaking to CheltenhamGuides.com, does not expect Liverpool to win the title this season and claimed that missing out on the top four could lead to a "serious chat" about Klopp's future.
He said: "I don’t think Liverpool will have enough to win the league this year, but I expect them to get the top four - but it will be tough. There are six clubs fighting for the top four again.
"It will be super harsh for Klopp to be under any pressure given the success that he’s had, but we know that owners once they get success they want to keep repeating it so I think there would be a discussion to have if he did finish outside the top four, but I think it would be extremely, extremely harsh in terms of where he’s brought the club in the last few years.
"I don’t think he would be sacked. I think they would have a serious chat about it."
