Arne Slott’s Liverpool have lost 15 games this season. (Image: Getty)
The away end to the Etihad at full-time was very impressive and said a lot. The empty seats began in the 57th minute after Manchester City’s 4-0 win against Liverpool. It was 0-0 just 20 minutes ago. This was a complete collapse and the biggest difference in the Arneslot era. The players had a mental breakdown. Liverpool’s fan base’s faith in Slott has also completely collapsed. Standards have fallen this far in just 12 months.
The first 35 minutes at the Etihad were actually positive for the defending Premier League champions. But the team’s fragility returned when Haaland scored from the penalty spot. It’s been an absolutely miserable afternoon since then. And it was an event that proved that Mr. Slott’s tenure was numbered. He cannot become a manager at the beginning of next season.
There is little chance of him leaving before his two-legged deal with PSG is completed. Otherwise, he would have already been fired. But it will take a miracle from God for the Liverpool team to beat PSG in the quarter-finals. Even if they manage to finish in the top five in the Premier League, it will only be because their rivals are underperforming.
Currently, there is a huge gap between the coach and the fans. His faith in soccer completely evaporated. This was a classic case of missed opportunities and disastrous decisions at City, and the Liverpool manager may partly feel he has let his players down. They are not innocent, and some will have to be turned away this summer.
But talent on the pitch doesn’t necessarily correlate to the results this team produces. That Etihad eleven shouldn’t have lost 4-0 to City, 11-11. Also, Liverpool shouldn’t have been destroyed at Anfield by PSV and Nottingham Forest, lost to Wolves, lost to Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United, or failed to beat any of the bottom three teams at Anfield. The players are part of the problem, but not the biggest problem.
It’s an unbalanced team. This is a game where some players are past their prime. It’s a team that lacks a certain player profile that it had last season. However, there is still plenty of ability, so this kind of rank performance should not become the norm. Apart from Alexander Isak and Alisson, City’s starting line-up was virtually at full strength. You wouldn’t know it from the performance. It’s because of the coaching.
Under the slot, this team was completely ranked average. They are on track for a 60-point season. In the past 14 years, prices have only fallen to such lows once. The last time he finished below 60 was when Rio Ngmoja was 3 years old.
Liverpool have lost 15 games this season. They haven’t lost more since 2014-15, when Brendan Rodgers’ side lost 18 games, including a 6-1 defeat at Stoke City. Something similar could happen with this group in the coming weeks, matching, if not surpassing, that 18-loss total.
Liverpool conceded four goals in just 20 minutes against Man City. (Image: Getty)
Away, Liverpool still have to face PSG, Everton, Man United and Aston Villa. They’ll try not to lose all four in a big way. Despite having almost the same lineup as last season, they are terrible defensively. Despite having players at the club who have won numerous trophies, they tend to break down under pressure and adversity.
Attacks are often flat, slow, and wasteful. Sometimes we do all three at the same time. Would they be better if they had a young direct winger? Would they have conceded fewer goals if they had signed Marc Guehi to compete with Ibrahima Konate? Yes, to both. However, the team’s style of play will remain the same and the lack of intensity is a big problem. It’s sucking the life out of the crowd.
Going into next season with Slott at the helm would be a major mistake on Fenway Sports Group’s part. He gave fans no reason to be optimistic about next season. Liverpool’s performance is painfully similar to what they recalled in September and October. They haven’t been a consistently good team for over a year.
There is little doubt that this will be another summer of big changes at Anfield. Their team needs a lot of that. But the most important changes should come in the dugout. If Slott remains in charge, Liverpool will be repeating the 2015-16 season, except this time Jurgen Klopp won’t come to the team’s rescue in mid-October.
