In the build-up to Liverpool's 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa, the boss, Arne Slot, spoke of the toll of the European campaign, how so many midweek matches on the continent had made his side suffer.
That argument can't stand this time. The Reds had an entire week of recuperation ahead of their final away game of the season, knowing it was vital that they secured three points and passage into the Champions League.
Instead, Aston Villa and Ollie Watkins ran rampant at Villa Park. Liverpool were outthought and outfought - again. The calls for Slot's dismissal will only intensify now, especially as fans crane their neck and listen to the whispers around Xabi Alonso and his potential new job with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot
Fans no longer have any faith in Slot's ability to lead this club forward, even if they scrape Champions League qualification through a fifth-place finish. And it's not just the manager, with Alexis Mac Allister surely reaching the end of his time on Merseyside after another pitiful performance.
How Mac Allister played vs Aston Villa
Mac Allister is 27, but he's played like a man twice that age for the most part this season. The Argentina international has been stripped of his former robustness and athleticism, his all-action brilliance that proved so important in winning titles over the past few years.
Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister-1
As Slot continues to call for calm heads and patience, it does look like his will have run out with Mac Allister, who will surely be sold this summer after such a staggering fall from grace.
There is no excusing the total collapse of this once great midfielder's physical and offensive and defensive metrics. He is a pale imitation of the superstar who stood at the heart of Jurgen Klopp and then Slot's title-winning midfields.
At Villa Park, Mac Allister's poor effort was even overshadowed by a desperate attempt to claim a penalty, diving to the ground after a tussle. Supporters have had enough, and in all honesty, it looks like he has too.
Mac Allister's Premier League Decline
Stats (* per 90)
Matches (starts)
Goals + Assists
Touches*
Accurate passes*
Big chances created
Key passes*
Possession lost*
Succ. dribbles*
Ball recoveries*
Tackles + interceptions*
Clearances*
Duels won*
Mac Allister is at the very epicentre of this crisis, but he's not the only one who needs to leave, with a long-serving Liverpool veteran surely having started his final match for the club now.
Veteran star can't start again for Liverpool
Whether Slot stays or goes is anyone's guess right now. FSG seem intent on giving him a lifeline, but surely it would only be a stay of execution? These are dark and troubling times for the Anfield side, who are limp out of possession and, at times, clueless in their defensive shape.
It's inexcusable, and a reset is needed. In that, Joe Gomez has surely reached the end of his long and praiseworthy career at the club.
Gomez, 28, joined Liverpool from Charlton Athletic for around £3m way back in 2015. He is the outfit's longest-serving player, and though he has been beset with many injury problems, Gomez has won the lot.
Liverpool Player Ratings vs Aston Villa
Player
(GK) Alisson Becker
(RB) Joe Gomez
(CB) Ibrahima Konate
(CB) Virgil van Dijk
(CM) Ryan Gravenberch
(CM) Alexis Mac Allister
(AM) Dominik Szoboszlai
(RW) Curtis Jones
(LW) Rio Ngumoha
(CF) Cody Gakpo
At Villa, though, he left a lot to be desired, filling in at right-back to counter Liverpool's injury problems. It is his natural role, but that didn't mean Gomez put in a good shift, losing all three ground duels and his one attempted tackle.
It was very much a 4/10 display, the kind that almost doesn't bear thinking about. Watkins was chuffed to bits after his brace, and during his post-match interview with Sky Sports, joyed in telling of Slot's backline's "disjointed" defending.
Last season, he played a minor but valuable role for Slot, crucial during the winter before succumbing to a lengthy hamstring injury.
That's typical of Gomez's Liverpool career, and now, as he approaches the end of the penultimate year of his contract, he must surely leave, with the Daily Mail confirming that interest is ramping up and that AC Milan and Besiktas are among the early frontrunners.
Liverpool defender Joe Gomez
The England international has played his part, but his display at Villa Park was well below the standard, and though he is hardly the root cause of Liverpool's defensive problems this season, he is certainly not the solution, and it's right that he now leaves for a new challenge.
Liverpool forward Luis Diaz Related
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