Liverpool's fans are struggling to hide their frustrations anymore amid what has been a dismal season, and Ryan Gravenberch's comments after the Chelsea draw won't help matters
04:00, 11 May 2026
Ryan Gravenberch of Liverpool acknowledges the fans following the Premier League match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield on May 09, 2026 in Liverpool, England
Ryan Gravenberch hit out at Liverpool fans after the draw with Chelsea(Image: Getty Images)
The season that feels like it will never end still has some tricks up its sleeve.
Saturday’s draw at home to Chelsea was just the latest in a long line of dismal results for Liverpool. Ordinarily, being held to a 1-1 draw by the Blues wouldn’t be cause for this level of concern.
Giving up two points against this Chelsea side though, who had lost each of its last six league games while scoring just one goal in the process, sums up this most interminable of campaigns. The way things are going, you can’t rule out that it might not have been the last low point.
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It shouldn’t come as a surprise then that the Anfield crowd is growing restless. What was once a fortress is increasingly looking inviting for visiting sides, with the Reds having given up 19 points at home, and there’s still one more game to go.
Even with the dull and turgid displays that have been offered up this season, the boos that greeted the full-time whistle against Chelsea still weren’t unanimous. In fact, the discontent was much louder about 20 minutes earlier when Arne Slot decided to take Rio Ngumoha off.
Yet Ryan Gravenberch still felt the compelled to hit out in what was a textbook example of a player failing to read the room.
"To be honest, we need them behind us,” he said after the game. “Okay, we didn't win, but I don't really think we deserved this [reaction].
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"The fans have to be behind us for the full 90 minutes because when they were behind us in the second half, we were pressing really well. We need them. Hopefully they wouldn't do it again in the next two games."
It’s never a good idea to tell fans what they can and can’t do - especially not during this of all seasons.
The Anfield crowd has been put through the ringer this season. Protests against the club’s hierarchy have only just ended after the climbdown on ticket prices, but the offerings on the pitch have been nothing short of woeful at times.
Fans have seen their side surrender to Manchester United as part of a long-awaited double for the Red Devils, lose 3-0 and 4-1 in back-to-back games against Nottingham Forest and PSV Eindhoven, draw at home to Burnley and Leeds while scoring just one goal, give Igor Tudor his only point during a disastrous spell in charge of Tottenham, and now end Chelsea’s freefall, even when the Blues have seemingly put all their eggs in the FA Cup final basket.
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool waves to the fans prior to the Premier League match between Liverpool and Chelsea
Mohamed Salah warned Liverpool about standards dropping before the draw with Chelsea(Image: (Photo by Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images))
If Gravenberch thinks Liverpool’s fans aren’t entitled to feel frustrated after all of that, then quite frankly, he’s at the wrong club.
It’s not the first time there has been some push back against a clearly disgruntled fan base either. Dominik Szoboslzai might have had a little more reason for his outburst, given he is one of a very select group who will emerge from this season with his reputation enhanced, but if Liverpool’s players can seriously turn around and say this is the best they can offer, then the standards have truly plummeted.
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It’s no wonder Mohamed Salah is warning his employers about a drop in the club’s principles before he bids farewell. The Egyptian has always set the highest of examples for his teammates, which led Liverpool to once again become one of England and Europe’s powerhouses.
Judging by Gravenberch’s comments, those standards have already dropped, which gives a worrying view of the future.