Last night felt like a death knell. For Arne Slott and also for some of the players in this Liverpool team. They are broken, and broken beyond repair, at least when it comes to slots. Could another manager come and fix it? That remains to be seen. One thing is for sure: performances and results like this are completely unacceptable for a team with such talented players. And with each game, the lifeblood is sucked out of Anfield.
Admittedly, this Liverpool team is far from perfect. There’s a problem — with Luis Diaz not being replaced, the Reds lack outballs. They lack an elite midfielder to win the ball. They lack a centre-back who can play 90 minutes without making a mistake that could lead to a goal. They lack a natural right back who can stay healthy. They lack a senior winger with real speed and one-on-one threat. Still, it’s much better than recent results indicate. We can’t afford to concede four goals at home against PSV just days after conceding three against Nottingham Forest.
Slots should be panicking as even the Anfield fortress has fallen. Even at night in Europe. No one is afraid of that, as Forest and PSV have proven. Liverpool have no shred of hope left to cling to this season. Slott will pay the price for a team so tactically disjointed that it played as if it had 11 fans it had never seen before removed from the stands. He was walking dead and there was a sense of the end inside Anfield. I am deeply saddened that this situation has occurred.
It’s unacceptable to lose 3-0 or 4-1 against a clearly average football team despite the team’s problems. Liverpool conceded goals in both games. The players were humbled. The fire in their hearts has gone out. They don’t seem to believe in slot tactics anymore. So are the crowds.
Once you lose the trust of your fans, there’s no coming back. If this performance continues, Slott will not be able to finish the season as Liverpool will not progress to the knockout stages of the Champions League and will end up near the relegation zone, just like Tottenham did last season. That’s terrible. And FSG is aware of the economic impact of this continuing crisis. We have reached the point where we have no choice but to change the manager.
Slot isn’t helping himself by continuing to pick players who are really not doing well. Ibrahima Konate gives Liverpool a goal every game and Kodi Gakpo at the other end also seems to waste great scoring chances every game. It’s cruel, but if both were on sale in January, there would be fewer complaints.
Alexis Mac Allister is not even 10% of last season’s player. Starting Alexander Isak over in-form Hugo Ekitike against Forest was another costly decision for Slott. Granted, he doesn’t have many replacement players, but he keeps picking the same players that are failing.
Apart from Ekitike and Dominik Szoboszlai, the entire Liverpool squad should be ashamed of their performance. They aren’t even fighting. However, it is not just an individual issue. The system and playstyle itself is fundamentally broken. Liverpool are doing virtually nothing good.
They don’t even have a quality offense, but that’s notable considering the number of players they have. Their defense is worse than any League 2 team. This Liverpool team are so easily bullied that even the bottom of the table will struggle. Too easily defeated, too easily thought out.
There is no consolation for fans at this point. I don’t think anything will change and easy wins against West Ham and Sunderland seem inevitable. If that happens, FSG will be forced to pull out and they will be forced to let go of Slot. Indeed, it would be surprising if he were still in charge when the January transfer window opens.
In a way, he deserves sympathy. He is a good person and has dealt with some unusual situations. What Liverpool went through in the summer with Diogo Jota is unimaginable. It is clear that it is a contributing factor to the mental health of these football players. The Reds have also had some big unfortunate moments on the pitch since the season started, with some inexplicable decisions going against them.
But that’s no longer an excuse. Liverpool must be able to deal with adversity, where they either concede first or don’t get their shot. Liverpool players feel sorry for themselves and that cannot be tolerated. no one will help them. Only they can help themselves. Everything is very similar to when Brendan Rodgers left, only this time there is much more talent in the squad. Perhaps Jurgen Klopp will get another call…
