If Arne Slot hasn’t realized it yet, he needs to understand quickly that the Anfield crowd expects energy and intensity from their team.
Too often this season, Liverpool have lacked a spark at home — something the fans can rally behind — and have failed to put opponents away after taking the lead.
When they went ahead early against a Chelsea side that had lost six straight Premier League games, Slot’s team should have used that moment to take control and secure a vital win. Instead, they let Calum McFarlane’s struggling side back into the match.
“The adjustment we made at half-time helped us become the more dominant team in the second half. We came close twice,” Slot said. “So it’s not fair to say I ever tell my players to drop off and stop pressing. If it looked that way, it was never the intention.”
Enzo Fernandez’s equalizer for Chelsea means Liverpool have now dropped nine points from winning positions in Premier League home games this season — their most at Anfield since 2015-16, when Jurgen Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers.
“Our identity is intensity” was the phrase coined by Pep Lijnders during his time as Liverpool’s assistant under Klopp. Slot was always expected to do things his own way and not try to replicate Klopp, but his side has lacked any identity this season and shown little intensity.
“I thought Liverpool started quite well, scored the goal, and then from there Chelsea were the better team. They caused Liverpool big problems, especially Marc Cucurella running in behind,” Wayne Rooney said on Match of the Day. “The crowd were obviously a bit edgy, which you very rarely see from Liverpool fans. It comes from not having the season they hoped for, and after spending a lot of money.”
For the first time this season, loud boos rang out at full-time even though Liverpool hadn’t lost. Discontent online is one thing, but it’s becoming clear that even match-going fans are growing frustrated.
“That’s probably got something to do with us not winning,” Slot told TNT Sports. “It completely makes sense that people are disappointed when Liverpool don’t win.”
Midfielder Ryan Gravenberch added: “To be honest, we need them behind us. OK, we didn’t win, but I don’t really think we deserved this reaction. The fans have to be behind us for the full 90 minutes because when they were behind us in the second half, we pressed really well. We need them. Hopefully they won’t do it again in the next two games.”
Asked later in his post-match press conference how the boos felt, Slot struggled to find the right words in English but said: “I would love to show them something else, but at this moment we are not able to. We are able to be a dominant team and have more possession, and I want to give them much more to be positive and happy about. I am 100% sure the team wants the same.”
The boos in the 67th minute when Slot substituted Rio Ngumoha — who had been Liverpool’s biggest threat — were arguably louder than the jeers at full-time. Slot later clarified that the 17-year-old had cramp.
“It makes complete sense to have boos if you take off a player who is playing well and provided an assist. People don’t expect you to take that player off, and it wasn’t my intention,” said Slot. “He is a good player, but I don’t think he is at a level yet to play at 50 or 60% and still make the difference. I knew the moment.”
