Why Liverpool Fans Were Right & Sack Calls Justified

It takes a lot for Liverpool supporters to boo their own, and though the debate rages over whether it was the appropriate response to Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Burnley, that it happened is significant.

Arne Slot‘s side had let another comfortable position slip: dominant for much of their clash with a newly promoted side entrenched in a relegation battle, they conceded another sloppy goal and were unable to claw back.

The result means Liverpool have failed to beat any of the three promoted teams at Anfield for the first time in Premier League history – and the first time since 1980/81.

It extends their unbeaten run to 12 games in all competitions, but also means they have now drawn their last four league games in a row.

While that includes the impressive but ultimately toothless 0-0 draw with leaders Arsenal, there were also bitter stalemates against Leeds (0-0) and Fulham (2-2) – the latter in the most deflating circumstances.

During this 12-game unbeaten run, Liverpool have scored 20 goals and conceded 10; only twice have they scored more than two goals in a game, that being in the 3-3 draw with Leeds at Elland Road and the 4-1 win over League One side Barnsley.

The Reds have arrested the slump which saw them lose nine of their previous 12 games, but they have kept just five clean sheets in the next 12 and won only six of those – including against 10-man West Ham, nine-man Tottenham and, again, Barnsley.

How Arne Slot sacrificed Liverpool’s style to arrest their slump

Unbeaten they may be, but Liverpool are unbeaten in the least convincing fashion, and there is a sense that in improving results on paper, Slot has sacrificed the brand of football that earned his move to Anfield in the first place.

It seems a case of playing not to lose, rather than playing to win.

Liverpool have not only become boring to watch, but they are desperately brittle, and such has been their difficulty in breaking down low blocks that Hugo Ekitike referenced their shortcomings in a post on Instagram earlier this week.

Slot has been open in admitting he is still searching for solutions, but he has repeatedly claimed that Liverpool need “a bit of magic” or a set-piece goal to win.

Dominant in possession (73%) and creating chance after chance (32 shots) against Burnley, the Reds still lacked the cutting edge they require.

They may have recorded an xG rate of 3.18, but a quarter of that was Dominik Szoboszlai‘s penalty (0.79) and the next-best chances were Hugo Ekitike‘s late effort (0.39), Florian Wirtz‘s goal (0.35) and Alexis Mac Allister‘s glaring miss (0.20).

The average quality of the remaining 28 shots Liverpool attempted on Martin Dubravka’s goal was 0.05xG – or a five percent chance of scoring.

It certainly feels as though there are no established patterns of play, and certainly no recognised ‘Liverpool goal’, about this current setup.

Kill them with passes? Liverpool have lost their identity

A head coach who urged his players to “kill them with passes” in his first training sessions in charge, and found success with an ‘up, back and through’ buildup, now appears to have prioritised stability over all else.

That may be acceptable if Liverpool were grinding out results with a return to a more expansive, attacking style on the horizon, but there is no indication this is the case.

While injuries have clearly played their part, Slot could hardly point to the absences of Alexander Isak – a £125 million striker with three goals in 18 games – or Mohamed Salah – benched prior to his departure to the Africa Cup of Nations – as overriding factors.

A summer overhaul to the value of £446.2 million brings greater expectation, even if the likes of Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong clearly needed time to find their feet and are only now showing the form required.

But the boos can be seen as beyond just the football.

Though still a minority of those supporters who pack into Anfield every other week, they represented a growing frustration with not only what is unfolding on the pitch, but also the situation off it.

The price of a single ticket, let alone a season ticket, is a luxury for many and there is now a reality in which hundreds if not thousands are not in their seats in time for kickoff through no fault of their own.

In an age where supporters are treated – and referred to – as customers, there will inevitably be a growing unrest if those attending feel they aren’t being delivered what they paid for.

Why Arne Slot sack calls are justified

While no Liverpool manager can promise heavy-metal football, those chants of ‘attack, attack, attack’ on Saturday have been interpreted as a sarcastic response to the slow, conservative style now adopted by Slot’s side.

That there appears no end in sight makes calls for the head coach to be sacked certainly justifiable – particularly as there is now a clear, standout candidate available to replace him.

Xabi Alonso was viewed as the ideal appointment when Jurgen Klopp resigned, and his shock departure from Real Madrid will no doubt have gained the attention of those within Fenway Sports Group – even if it there are no plans to sack Slot as it stands.

If the boos continue, or grow louder even, it will be difficult to ignore the growing pressure on a head coach who lifted the Premier League title only eight months ago and, it must be stressed, has navigated an unimaginably difficult period following the tragic death of Diogo Jota.

More plainly, the reaction to Saturday’s disappointing draw should act as a reminder that Liverpool are worse off without the backing of Anfield, and those fans feed off the energy and adventure they see on the pitch.

It is a message that this is not the Liverpool they want to see, and if Slot is unable to provide that, no doubt those calls for his sacking will only intensify in the weeks and even months to come.