Respected journalist Lewis Steele has claimed that the actions of Liverpool pair Dominik Szoboszlai and Hugo Ekitike are giving them a bad look currently.
The Reds produced a hapless performance away to Manchester City on Saturday, losing 4-0 at the Etihad and being dumped out of the FA Cup.
Arne Slot accepted that the performance wasn’t close to good enough, responding to some of the fans in the away end leaving long before the final whistle:
“We don’t want them to leave early – we have to perform better,” Slot said.
“That’s the first thing. And we have to show now that we react after a loss like this and after so many disappointments we already had this season.
“The good thing is the fans have always been supportive, even today; during large spells of the first half they were very loud, before the game they were very loud. So, it’s up to us not only to react for them but also to ourselves.
“And that’s what we need to do Wednesday, when we again face a very good team, where we again need to play as we did in the first 35 minutes. But in moments of defending, we need to be much more ruthless than we’ve been today.”
Now, The Daily Mail‘s Steele hasn’t held back in his criticism of Szoboszlai and Ekitike, neither of whom covered themselves in glory against City for different reasons:
“Slot is not the only man to blame, of course. This squad is brimming with talent but none have performed to the standards they set last year. Some incidents, like Hugo Ekitike giving Rayan Cherki his shirt [mid-match] or Dominik Szoboszlai appearing to be annoyed at fans leaving, are not a great look.”
Liverpool players not helping themselves during difficult season
It is hard to disagree with much of what Steele says, with too many Liverpool players showing a lack of awareness this season, one in which supporters are growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of fight on show.
Ekitike handing his shirt to Rayan Cherki is simply asking for trouble at 2-0 down, even though it is part of the modern game, while Szoboszlai’s gesture to the away end felt needless.
These players still likely care deeply about Liverpool, but the application they are showing suggests otherwise, and it looks as though Slot has lost the dressing room.
If things don’t change drastically, the Reds won’t only be beaten with ease by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League but also fail to qualify for the same competition next season.