Liverpool’s woeful FA Cup defeat against Manchester City on Saturday rammed home the feeling that things must change at Anfield.
Arne Slot somehow looks set to survive yet another damaging performance, but while the Dutchman deserves most of the flak which will come his way regardless, his players must also take a look in the mirror.
They have gone to pieces far too many times this season, and while Liverpool supporters will tolerate some poor results, they draw the line at a lack of effort. For many, time is up for Slot and much of the first-team squad, and they showed that by walking out with plenty of time still left to play on Saturday.
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Manchester City v Liverpool - Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final
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It is unlike Liverpool fans to turn on their team in such a manner, but it has been coming. The humiliation of the defeats is one thing, but as Hugo Ekitike and latterly Dominik Szoboszlai showed beyond doubt on Saturday, the players supposedly representing them just do not care enough. The disconnect between on and off the pitch has never been more stark.
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Clearly, the constant stream of defeats has bothered the Liverpool squad this season, many have said as much when speaking to the press.
But words and actions carry differing levels of weight, and while Ekitike and Szoboszlai have talked a good game this season, what they showed on Saturday was two players who completely do not understand what supporters want to see from them.
Ekitike was the most obvious offender, with his decision to swap shirts with Rayan Cherki when coming off as a second-half substitute utterly baffling.
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The Frenchman clearly saw no problem in giving Cherki his shirt, and the Man City man duly made a show of himself by displaying it while sitting on the City bench.
Even at 4-0 up, fans of the home team will have no doubt been annoyed at Cherki, but for Liverpool supporters sitting through another lifeless, spineless, limp display, the sight was an angering one, and underlined a firm lack of understanding from Ekitike about the expectations on Reds’ players.
Given his relative lack of experience with the club, the striker’s faux pas can perhaps be more easily understood, but for Szoboszlai, his decision to berate the travelling supporters at full-time goes down as being deliberately antagonistic.
The Hungarian has been Liverpool’s best player this season, but that does not give him a free pass to question fans who are sick of watching a constant lack of fight on the pitch.
Szoboszlai sarcastically applauded the away end at full-time, seemingly annoyed that he and his teammates were not getting more support as they left the pitch. It was completely and utterly tone deaf from a player put forward as a potential future captain and is yet more evidence of something not being right behind the scenes at Anfield.
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Some PATHETIC displays 😡
Manchester City v Liverpool - Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final
Photo by Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images
No easy fix for players’ attitudes
Rewind 12 months, and it seemed like everyone connected with Slot’s Liverpool absolutely understood what it meant to represent the club, and what supporters expect and demand from them in return.
While results have obviously played a part in things turning sour, it is hard to understand exactly why players like Ekitike and, in particular, Szoboszlai, have suddenly forgotten those values.
Something blatantly needs to change for Liverpool next season, and though the obvious solution is getting rid of Slot, changing the manager does not automatically mean that the players will improve as well.
It must be frustrating for the group to continuously let supporters down, but Liverpool fans will always stick with their team if they see the effort levels being put in. With this team, that has just not been the case this season, and fans have started to switch off. Once that happens, you are on a road to ruin.
Manchester City v Liverpool - Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final
Photo by Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images
In terms of a managerial appointment, Liverpool can change the direction of travel here very quickly, and that can have an effect on players, but it absolutely has to be the right character.
Would Xabi Alonso, for example, be able to stamp out this petulant, nonchalant streak which has emerged within the dressing room, or do they need a stronger personality?
There are real leaders set to depart this summer in Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah and maybe even Alisson Becker, and the dressing room will need experienced players such as Szoboszlai to step up.
With those long-serving stars leaving, Liverpool supporters are likely to feel an even greater disconnect to their team begin to emerge. It is vital that those left behind recognise their failings this season and start putting the fans first again.
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