Arne Slot’s broken Liverpool promise shows why he is losing the fans | Football | Sport
After Liverpool beat Bournemouth 4-2 on the opening day of the current Premier League season, Arne Slot promised to a concerned Jamie Carragher: “This is who we are and this is how we’ll keep playing.” Just a few months later, the Dutch coach appears to have gone back on his word. Slot has adapted, and make no mistake Liverpool needed to adapt, but they’ve gone too far the other way after a drab goalless draw against Leeds United on New Year’s Day.
Carragher couldn’t believe the end-to-end nature of Liverpool‘s first few games. The Sky Sports pundit said directly to Slot’s face after the win over Bournemouth: “Arne that worries me a little bit, when you say ‘That’s the team that we are.’ With so many bodies going forward…”
Slot said: “We need to find a balance in taking risks. But that’s who we were and who we are, and that’s why we see such a nice game if you watch Liverpool. We are not going to a low block and defend. I prefer to see this [attacking style]. But I prefer even more to see us not being counter-attacked – that I agree with. But I like that our players like to play football. Last season we were a joy to watch like Paris Saint-Germain who do similar things like this.”
And yet, months later, Liverpool are now far too risk averse. Quite simply, they are a boring football team to watch. Since the 5-1 win over an open Eintracht Frankfurt on October 22, the Reds have scored just 19 goals in 15 games across all competitions. At Anfield, they have not scored more than twice in a league or cup game since that Bournemouth win despite playing 14 matches at home since then.
They have scored 30 times at the halfway stage of the Premier League season. After 19 games a year ago, they had found the net 45 times. It is a stark drop-off. And while Liverpool’s defensive record has improved since that awful defeat to PSV on November 26, there have been precious few signs of a long-term plan in the final third.
Much of Liverpool’s goals have come from their sheer individual quality rather than repeatable patterns of play or a ferocious high press. There is a lack of sustainability, which helps explain the volatility of their performances and results. Only a few players have impressed in Slot’s set-up this season, despite the fact the bulk of the squad are elite-level, forward-thinking players. That says a lot. It is hard to remember their last brilliant 90-minute performance.
While the players must certainly take some accountability for certain moments and matches this season, overall, the Premier League champions’ main problem is how they are being coached. The current absence of Mohamed Salah and how much of a mess their press remains without him proves it.
When he was available, Salah’s lack of pressing on the right wing was a subject of major debate. The finger of blame was pointed firmly at Salah, by Carragher and many others. But even without him, Liverpool’s press has barely improved as viral clips of their lackadaisical defending from the front against Leeds have shown. And they bored the Anfield crowd to sleep against an opponent that had not kept a clean sheet away from home yet this season.
Make no mistake, Liverpool did need to tweak their playing style. After a run of nine defeats in 12 games, in which they conceded 24 goals, they needed to shore up defensively. And they are now eight games unbeaten having won away at Tottenham and Inter Milan. But by contrast, they have taken two points from nine against Leeds, Sunderland and Nottingham Forest at Anfield – two newly-promoted clubs and another sat 17th.
Offensively, it is now far too pedestrian. There is not enough bravery in the Liverpool build-up. For the attacking talent available, it is massively underwhelming. Against Leeds, the Reds managed a single shot on target in the second half while attacking the Kop. That came from outside the box.
Supporters are losing faith that Slot is the man to take this team to more major honours and Anfield was eerily quiet against Leeds despite it being a night game. Match-going Liverpool fans have made a point of singing Arne Slot‘s name in recent weeks but for the 47-year-old to retain their support, this dull football must improve and evolve. He’s addressed the disappointing defence, now he must get the forward line firing.
Slot needs to show in the remaining months of the campaign that he can restore an exciting style of play that Liverpool fans want to see. If he doesn’t then between now and late May then this season should be his last at Anfield. There is too much quality in the squad to be making excuses.
