Dominik Szoboszlai had an impassioned plea to Liverpool supporters off the back of the 1-1 draw at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Despite taking the lead through the Hungarian’s latest free kick goal, a 90th-minute equaliser from Richarlison meant that the Reds dropped yet more points in their laboured pursuit of Champions League qualification.
The 25-year-old warned his teammates that they might end up being ‘lucky’ to salvage a Conference League berth unless they learn from recurring mistakes, and in comments which were publicised on Monday, he urged match-going fans not to leave with 10-15 minutes remaining.
Having noticed Liverpool fans leaving Anfield several minutes before Spurs’ equaliser, Szoboszlai pleaded (via The Athletic): “I don’t think it helps us also that after 80 minutes people start to go home. It doesn’t help us at all.
“Everyone is noticing that and when we concede a goal still people are leaving the stadium – you don’t leave when we score. I understand the frustration but we need them. We need everybody.
“I don’t say they have no right to leave the stadium. They can leave if they want, but we need them and they should know this. We are one less without them.
“Let’s say it like this – we want to make them happy; it’s not that we do it on purpose. They can be angry but stick with us because we are a family. We need you guys.”
Szoboszlai’s displeasure at Liverpool fans leaving Anfield early had strong echoes of Jurgen Klopp from his early weeks as Reds manager.
After a 1-2 home defeat to Crystal Palace in November 2015 when Scott Dann netted a late winner for the Eagles, the German lamented (via The Guardian): “After the goal on 82 minutes, with 12 minutes to go, I saw many people leaving the stadium. I felt pretty alone at this moment. We decide when it is over. Between 82 and 94 [minutes] you can make eight goals if you like.”
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It’s the prerogative of every paying spectator who goes to Anfield to leave the stadium as early or as late as they please, although we can understand why Szoboszlai has called for unity at a hugely testing time for Liverpool.
The Reds’ match-going supporters have stuck by their team this season even after so many disappointments, but the patience of many snapped yesterday as the final whistle was greeted with boos, a rare occurrence in L4 even in times of hardship.
There are worrying signs of fractures in the relationship between fans and players, and between now and the end of May, unity and togetherness is crucial. Both parties want the same thing – for Liverpool Football Club to be successful.
The supporters can absolutely play their part in galvanising the team on the pitch, but those in the privileged position of playing for this world-famous sporting institution so need to give the fans something to get behind.
Let’s hope that, in our remaining home matches this season, we’ll once again see LFC and Anfield at their cacophonous best.
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Szoboslai is a wonderful player. He must be disappointed that we continue the slump despite his wonder strikes. To be honest he cannot really blame the fans for leaving early. The football being played is really boring. We are Liverpool. We play to win and not to avoid defeat. Slot’s approach doesn’t epitomize Liverpool. He is pressured to not lose and get into ucl and turned us into a boring team. If he gets the desired results and we keep winning with this type of football, we gotta keep our mouth shut. Unfortunately it is the exact opposite right now.
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