Lewis Steele has claimed that Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) “can’t not hear” the increasing negativity towards Arne Slot and said that a visit to Anfield no longer holds a fear factor for away teams.
Jurgen Klopp turned the Reds’ home venue into a fortress during his time at the club, losing just two Premier League games there in front of fans between April 2017 and May 2024.
It’s a different story now, with LFC dropping points at home eight times in the top flight this season – most recently against Chelsea last weekend, when the mood of dissent from the stands was inescapable.
Speaking on Media Matters for Anfield Index, Steele remarked that he wouldn’t blame Liverpool fans for beating an early retreat from home games, something which has occurred on several occasions over the past few months.
The Daily Mail reporter said: “The fortress is completely gone. In Liverpool’s worst moments over the last 10 years, Anfield has still been a fixture that I think all teams and all fans would say, ‘I don’t fancy our chances there’. If I supported any team in the Premier League, I would now look at Anfield and go, ‘Oh, we could win there’.”
He continued that the natives ‘have seen enough’ of Slot’s ‘slow’ brand of football, adding: “I don’t blame them for leaving”.
Steele also said that FSG “can’t not hear the negativity towards Arne Slot” and stated: “Every Liverpool fan I speak to, apart from a very small number, don’t think that he’s the man to turn it around.”
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The journalist has hit the nail on the head with his comments about the head coach – obviously Liverpool fans want the man in charge to succeed, but we’ve now reached a point whereby very few still believe that Slot is capable of reversing the slump we’ve endured this season.
Even in many of the games that the Reds have won in 2025/26, the performances have been difficult to watch, and the sight and sound of fans streaming for an early exit and boos greeting the full-time whistle from those who’ve stayed to the bitter end have become all too frequent.
Steele’s claim that Anfield is no longer a fortress is backboned by the embarrassing fact that three of the current bottom five in the Premier League have taken points there in the current campaign, with Nottingham Forest even winning 3-0, a result which was swiflty followed by a 4-1 thrasing at home to PSV Eindhoven.
In previous years, Liverpool would’ve found a route to victory in matches such as the 1-1 draw against Chelsea last weekend. Instead, there was a genuine worry in the final few minutes that a team which had been on a run of six straight league defeats were going to head back to London with victory.
FSG might be determined to stick with Slot for the time being, but even they couldn’t have turned a deaf ear to the vitriol inside the stadium at the full-time whistle last Saturday, or the overflowing mood of discontent from the fan base at large.
Slot’s name will go down as manager who won the league last season but it was with Jürgen Klopp’s team, not his. When you watch him this season, it’s like looking at a rabbit caught in headlights and he doesn’t have a clue how to turn things around on the pitch. He has to go.
Exactly FSG are so blinded by financial implications that they will not sack him until next season when the team becomes new spurs who are inching towards relegation, the 🤡 FSG will react when it’s too late!
They have ignored it , they don’t care. Alonso is about to join Chelsea. Things will get worse next season, slot will be sacked come October. You can write off next season right now. Remember the first game of the season against Bournemouth at Anfield, poorly organised, all over the place, and nothing has improved. In many ways the performances are Roy Hodgson like.
Unfortunately decline is now on the way, passed by Arsenal and Manchester United, Chelsea next. Mid table mediocrity here we come. Under charlatan owners FSG.
As a lifelong Liverpool supporter, my love for this club has always meant loyalty through every triumph and heartbreak. I remember seeing family and friends who supported Manchester United, never understanding how they could turn on their team when it struggled. Now, for the first time, I truly understand their pain—because I feel it deeply myself.
But I cannot give up on this club. My passion for Liverpool is woven into who I am, but it’s impossible to ignore the heartbreak of watching a team I grew up adoring lose its identity and soul. It’s not about wins or losses—it’s about the spirit, the unity, and the legacy that made this club great.
Arne Slot deserves respect for guiding Liverpool to a Premier League title last season, but let’s not forget: he did so with a team built by Jurgen Klopp, a team infused with Klopp’s vision, heart, and relentless drive. Now, that team is being systematically dismantled—not for the sake of progress, but seemingly for the sake of ego. Legends and leaders like Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, and Andy Robertson don’t suddenly lose their greatness overnight. When the squad’s heartbeat is ignored, when loyalty and legacy are cast aside, performances inevitably suffer.
We have already said difficult goodbyes to players who bled for the badge—Luis Diaz, Jarell Quansah, Darwin Nunez, Ben Gannon-Doak, Caoimhin Kelleher, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Tyler Morton, Nat Phillips, and Harvey Elliott. How many more must leave for a new manager’s pride? How much of our club’s soul is FSG willing to sacrifice to please Slot?
Liverpool is more than just a club. It’s a family, a tradition, and a beacon of hope for millions. FSG, please remember: managers come and go, but the spirit of Liverpool—the spirit built by Shankly, Paisley, Dalglish, and Klopp—belongs to the fans. We are the living legacy of this club. When you turn your back on the traditions and the people who built Liverpool’s greatness, you risk losing more than matches. You risk losing the heart that makes this club special.
I urge you, FSG—do not let short-term ambition erase decades of passion, loyalty, and hard-earned pride. Listen to the voices of those who love this club. Honour the legacy. Inspire us again. Give us something to believe in, so we can walk on, with hope in our hearts, as we always have. That is all we ask.
Finally, I wish to address Arne Slot directly. While I appreciate his efforts and the challenges faced during his tenure, it has become clear that a fresh perspective and a leader who truly understands the heart and history of Liverpool are needed to restore our beloved club. I ask, with respect, that Mr Slot step aside to allow someone with a deeper connection to our values and traditions to guide us forward. I hope FSG will seek a manager who can rekindle the passion, unity, and pride that define Liverpool Football Club.
Well spoken Man ,I hear your Pain,unfortunately as a long term fan of the Pool,I decide a few games back to stop watching this Shite on ,weekly basis The man is Clueless,but not alone,I’m afraid our Team at the Top ,dismantled ,a raft of great layers ,&paid huge sums for lesser quality Ekitke,is only 1 ,that should be happy about.Loyalty is 1thing,but there is no passion is his formations plus the way players like Harvey Chiesa ,Endo ,have been treated,is abysmal plus our overall fitness?Move on ,start afresh,with an attacking Manager,I’m not swayed by Xabi,I feel ,there’s better options out there Walk on
We have had enough of Slot he has destroyed the work Jurgen created and made going to the match a real chore. How FSG can possibly think he can sort out his own mess is beyond me.
You can give slot the best players but he will still turn them into the worst. Wirtz was 1 of the best in Bundesliga but what happened? Salah the best last season and this season he became the scapegoat. Isak 2nd top scorer and almost nin existent. Fsg can back him with more players but the morale and the coaching, man management, tactical acumen, mindset etc etc are missing from arne slot. Fsg can do whatever they want but they can be sure I’m not paying anything with regards to Liverpool football club next season if they remain deaf to the fans.
