In less than 24 hours, Liverpool had three senior players call out the standards at the club, with Curtis Jones joining Andy Robertson and Mo Salah.
Liverpool’s 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa has had more repercussions than just missing out on three points, with social media posts adding to the growing concerns on and off the pitch.
Robertson started off by stating the performance on Friday was “a long way short of the levels of this club and what you (the fans) rightly expect of us.”
Salah followed with a longer, more damning message that described Liverpool’s form as “crumbling” and “very painful” to watch.
It was then Jones’ turn to follow suit on X, with his post reading: “Thank you for your continued support in a disappointing season.
Thank you for your continued support in a disappointing season.
It’s way off the standards expected at this football club. pic.twitter.com/q5AVs9rw8Y
— Curtis Jones (@CurtisJones) May 16, 2026
“It’s way off the standards expected at this football club.”
While in isolation each message points to personal frustration, collectively it represents concerns that go deeper than what we see on the pitch each week.
That a local player and two international captains, one of whom is the club’s third all-time goalscorer, all publicly opted to vent signals something is not right.
Steven Gerrard, when reacting to Salah’s comments, said as much on TNT Sports: “I think he’s sending a message to the outside that things in that Liverpool dressing room are not right.
“The identity’s gone, and it’s really hurting him to see it in front of his own eyes.”
Arne Slot: Fans underestimating “what a new start can do”
While Arne Slot will not be able to avoid questions on his players speaking out during the week, his last public appearance in front of the press saw him say fans are underestimating “what a new start can do.”
“I can understand at this moment of time that they don’t have a lot of confidence, or a lot of feeling that things can be much better next season,” Slot said when asked if fans have enough to get behind this summer.
“But I think then they are underestimating what a window can do, what a new start can do, and I think we know quite well what to improve.”
Those words, however, have been quickly undermined by Salah, Robertson and Jones all speaking out, all of whom could not be at the club next season with the Scouser heavily linked with a summer move to Inter Milan.