Arne Slot may still have support behind the scenes, but the conversation around his Liverpool future is becoming harder to ignore.
The boos after our 1-1 draw with Chelsea weren’t simply about one poor result, they were about a pattern of passive performances that has left supporters questioning where this team is heading.
For the first time in a long time, patience around the Dutchman feels like it’s being properly tested.
Opta Analyst have now examined the arguments for and against keeping Slot after the frustration that followed another underwhelming Anfield display.
Before detailing both sides of the debate, they wrote: “The discontent against Chelsea was the sort not really heard at Anfield since the latter days of Roy Hodgson’s short-lived reign in the 2010-11 season, and it brought the uncertainty of Slot’s future at the club further into the spotlight.”
That line feels significant because Liverpool were not just poor against Chelsea, we were poor against a side who arrived at Anfield after six straight Premier League defeats.
Ryan Gravenberch gave us the ideal start with a superb early goal, yet instead of building from there, Slot’s side became passive, slow and far too easy to play through.
Wayne Rooney has already said there have been “a lot of worrying signs” around Liverpool all season, while Jermaine Pennant’s criticism was even stronger as he pointed to “zero press, zero intensity” after the draw.
There is still a strong argument for patience because Slot won the Premier League in his first season, has us on course for Champions League qualification and has dealt with a heavily disrupted squad.
Losing Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota would have hurt any manager, while Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Hugo Ekitike have all had difficult or interrupted first campaigns for different reasons.
However, the counter-argument is obvious because Liverpool are conceding too much, pressing too little and rarely look like a side with a clear identity.
Opta’s set-piece statistic is particularly alarming, with Liverpool conceding 18 non-penalty set-piece goals in the league, our worst total in a single Premier League campaign.
The club may still back Slot, but supporters need either performances or results to justify that faith and, right now, we aren’t getting enough of either.
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