By Tyler Eaton
After substituting young star Rio Ngumoha for Alexander Isak on the 67th minute, Arne Slot with the subject of boos from Liverpool fans. The under-fire Liverpool manager later confirmed that his young winger asked to be withdrawn as he was suffering from cramp. Therefore, in this instance, the boos that rang out around Anfield were unjust.
However, it wasn’t just about the substitution, Liverpool fans have lost faith in Arne Slot. This sort of discontent for a manager hasn’t been seen at Anfield since Roy Hodgson’s calamitous reign 15 years ago.
Just one year ago, Slot was considered a hero at Anfield. He had somehow exceeded the achievements of the legendary Jurgen Klopp’s final season at Liverpool with a near identical squad. He was a different type of manager to the German but had fit in on Merseyside like a pub dog by the fireplace.
So where did it all go wrong? How has Slot gone from having his name bellowed out around the ground to being on the receiving end of boos from the same fans that once adored him?
Liverpool’s underperformance this season quickly evaporated the good vibes around Anfield. After spending £446 million this summer, fans expected Liverpool to cruise to another Premier League title, Instead, the Reds need a result over their final two games to secure Champions League football next season. It’s been a chaotic campaign and Slot, much to the ire of a section of the fanbase, often points to the fact many of his summer signings have spent significant time on the treatment table.
Credit: This is Anfield
Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Giovanni Leoni, and Jeremie Frimpong have all reached double figures in games missed. That’s a huge portion of Slot’s summer budget stuck in the stands on matchday. Yet, Liverpool’s manager isn’t completely blameless. He’s failed to get the most out of Florian Wirtz, despite the German costing over £100 million. His treatment of youngster has also been criticised, Ngumoha has started just five games despite winning man of the match in four of them.
Slot’s decisions have baffled the online portion of Liverpool’s fanbase for much of the season and there were calls for his departure as early as November. Those were laughed off as over reactionary at the time, but now, with no end in sight for the Reds’ inconsistencies, Anfield has finally lost patience with their manager.
All is not lost for Slot yet, last season’s Premier League win will have earned him enough credit for a second roll of the dice next season. However, after losing the loyal Anfield fanbase, Liverpool managers rarely find their way back
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