Liverpool struggled to generate chances and excitement against Chelsea, and while Arne Slot is right about how things can change, some Reds fans have made their feelings clear
06:00, 10 May 2026
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot looks on during the 1-1 draw with Chelsea.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot looks on during the 1-1 draw with Chelsea.(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
There was a moment, with Liverpool tied at 1-1 against Chelsea, that Giorgi Mamardashvili collected the ball. He wasn't being blocked off, but he was desperately looking around.
The Georgian, with an impatient crowd wanting him to release the ball, and the referee, Craig Pawson, counting down from five, needed an option. If Liverpool had numbers ready to sprint forward, there was a real chance to counter-attack.
In the end, though, to avoid giving away a corner by holding onto the ball for too long, and with nothing in front of him to spring a forward move, he hopefully tossed the ball towards Cody Gakpo.
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The stand-in Liverpool number nine was easily beaten in the air. As the ball bounced over his head, the Dutchman turned around and waved his arms at Mamardashvili, as if to ask what he expected him to do with service like that.
It was a perfectly reasonable question, in one sense. The other legitimate query would be to his other teammates. None of the midfielders wanted the ball. Neither of the wingers — a 17-year-old and a full-back — had shown for it. Mamardashvili had no other choice.
That was in the first half, but the murmurs of discontent in the stands at Anfield were already becoming palpable. Arne Slot insisted post-match that he didn't instruct his players to go risk-free and slow things down, but that is inarguably what they did.
In the second half, the boos that greeted Rio Ngumoha's withdrawal were a sign of how precarious the mood is at the moment. Slot said the teenager had a cramp and needed to come off, but the reaction was one of a supporter base with doubts.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot on the Anfield touchline.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot on the Anfield touchline.(Image: PETER POWELL / AFP via Getty Images)
Ngumoha had, at times, offered some much-needed spark in the game. Seeing him come off was a moment of deflation.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Slot said that he was "100 percent" confident that after a difficult season — one that will end with Champions League qualification, but has been tough nonetheless — a good summer would put his side back on track.
It is perfectly reasonable to believe that with some extra pace in attack, Liverpool would look completely different. Alexis Mac Allister's toils here suggested that fresh blood in the midfield might be required too.
On the training pitch, a full summer will mean proper time to work on the tactical plan, and Alexander Isak — only fit enough to play around a third of the game here — will literally be like a new signing next term if he can stay fit.
Others like Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez should kick on with 12 months as Liverpool players under their belt. There are the bones of a strong team there, and individually, the main components are all good.
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There is no question, however, that many Liverpool fans are unsure. The chatter from match-going supporters outside Anfield shortly after the final whistle was not just about whether the Reds can get back to the top, but whether the style of play that is being implemented is something they want to watch.
Of course, if it wins matches, then those debates will soon subside. Ultimately, the biggest difference between Liverpool last season and in this one is the 18 defeats. How you get victories is less important when you are winning.
The question, however, is what the results of the last few months are down to. Will things change with another big summer in the transfer market and some better luck with injuries? Or is the system that Slot is implementing to blame?
There is another element, too, of course. It is clear that a significant portion of Liverpool supporters have lost faith. If the Reds, say, lose a couple of fixtures before the first international break of next season, those who want to see a change in the dugout now will soon be audible again.
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Slot is right to say that things can change at pace at Liverpool if some key decisions are made correctly. He has been unfortunate with a number of factors not going his way. As this weekend proved, though, he could really do with some positive signs showing quickly.