Liverpool legend Phil Thompson has a bone to pick with Liverpool fans.
The vibes at Liverpool haven’t picked up much since the losing streak earlier in the season, despite Arne Slot engineering a 12-game unbeaten run.
That’s because there have been too many flat performances, and points shared with opposition we should be dispensing with ease.
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Certainly, that was the case against Burnley at the weekend. That was a low-point, and led to Anfield booing Slot off the pitch.
What would your response be to Virgil van Dijk?
Liverpool supporters have had enough this season 🫣
Virgil van Dijk pictured in action during Liverpool's UEFA Champions League match against Inter Milan at San Siro (Credit: Getty Images/Giuseppe Cottini).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Guiseppe Cottini
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But that’s where Thompson’s issue lies.
Phil Thompson disappointed with Liverpool fans treatment of Arne Slot
With almost 500 appearances for the Reds, Thompson has a right to voice his opinions about the club and its issues.
He is currently in a much more positive headspace than much of the Liverpool fanbase.
Thompson was shocked at Steven Gerrard speaking out after Burnley, though he seemed to pick up only the negatives that the former captain had to share.
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It’s a similar response to the fan criticism as well. He joined Sam Allardyce on No Tippy Tappy Football to share his view on Liverpool’s current manager.
He said: “I’m more than pleased. Do you know something? I get really disappointed at the moment with some of our fan base because 6 months ago, probably less than that, when it all started wrinkling and people wanting a change in the manager.
“I’m thinking just six months ago we had the parade of all parades with the league trophy and at everybody says, ‘well, it was Jurgen Klopp’s side’. No, no, no, he’s still got to do it. He’s still got to do it, and we won it in a canter. And I think, where are we going with this? We’ve just won the league. This man has won it.”
It’s the most solid argument for Slot staying in his position at least for the season, and the most convincing to me.
Fans are never going to be unanimous on anything, but in the case of this manager, it is worth reminding the nay-sayers just how good it was last season.
Still on the topic of Slot, Thompson made an interesting point about how last season’s success might actually be a hindrance.
As he puts it: “If we were sitting fourth in the league in his first year in a Champions League spot and doing what people would have been delighted with him after Jurgen. But we won the league, so now we’ve got a massive target on our backs. so it’s it’s all very different.
“I would like just not doing anything, no knee-jerk reactions until the end of the season, because as you just said, there’s still two trophies there to go for.”
Which would you rather?
Slot wins the Champions League and stays at LFC, or wins the FA Cup but is fired 🤔
Arne Slot looks on ahead of Liverpool's UEFA Champions League match against Inter Milan at San Siro (Credit: Getty Images).
Photo Credit: Getty Images
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It’s worth thinking about how this season at Liverpool would be perceived had we not gone all the way last year.
His final point about two trophies is an apt one. How will Slot be perceived if he does manage to win a trophy this season, and what will happen if he doesn’t? That’s something we can’t know until May.
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