Martin Keown delivered a withering assessment of Liverpool after the latest hammer blow during a crushing season for the Reds.
Less than six months after Arne Slot’s team jubilantly paraded the Premier League trophy around Anfield amid a carnival atmosphere, they now find themselves in the bottom half of the table after a harrowing 3-0 humbling at home by Nottingham Forest, who began the day in 19th place.
It’s now six defeats in seven top-flight games for the defending champions, and although there was controversy around the opening goal for Murillo, the manner in which the Merseysiders effectively gave up after going 2-0 down early in the second half was demoralising.
Keown: ‘Wheels are coming off’ for Slot and Liverpool
Liverpool began the season as many people’s favourites for the title, especially after a vast summer spend in the transfer market, but Keown sounded some uncomfortable home truths for Kopites after today’s defeat.
Speaking on BBC Sport‘s Final Score, the former Arsenal defender said: “We have to give credit to Forest for what they are doing, but the wheels are coming off now for Arne Slot.
“Obviously it was Jurgen Klopp’s team and he has tried to come in and make changes, but he has spent £450m on players and they are going backwards.”
Liverpool have gotten worse despite spendthrift summer
Of all the defeats that Liverpool have suffered this season, this was probably the most disspiriting of the lot. The painful reality is that Forest didn’t need to be anything special to dismantle the home side, who produced nothing in terms of a response to going behind.
It’s not as if the players who were brought in during the summer are bad footballers – we’ve seen in previous years what the likes of Alexander Isak and Milos Kerkez are capable of – but there’s no escaping that the team has rapidly disimproved despite all the money which was spent during the summer.
It goes without saying that it’s been an extremely hard few months for the LFC squad after the tragic death of Diogo Jota in July – Andy Robertson’s emotional tribute to his former teammate in midweek after Scotland qualified for the World Cup laid bare the pain which is still being felt within the camp.
Even with that unquestionably having an impact, though, Liverpool’s lack of fight in (comparatively trivial) moments of on-field adversity is alarming for Slot, who’ll undoubtedly come under wider public scrutiny after today’s miserable result.
We’re not suggesting for a minute that the head coach’s job should be in danger, but things are getting worse before they get better for a team who are massively underperforming for the quality that they possess.
We’ll continue to support this group of players no matter what, but the short-term outlook at Anfield is frightening bleak.
Confidence is at all time low now. They need somehow to wake them up as the mentality monsters they were.
FSG now have a decision to make and they need to be quick about it. If slot isn’t sacked then you can forget champions league football next season. The manager has caused himself the problems, he keeps playing our best midfielder at right back, he keeps picking Kirkez and I don’t know what’s going on in training but we can’t defend set pieces for peanuts, Isak like others look completely different players from last season. Unfortunately the manager is to blame. He needs to go. So do Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards for buying the wrong players. FSG must share some of the blame, they forced out klopp, they never backed him in the transfer market, they bring in a Dutch manager, and they don’t survive in the premier league, history has proven this, and they give him 450 million. Clueless ownership, that’s the truth. Good luck finding another klopp, no chance.
Calm down my fellow reds fan. I think some of the decisions to play some players are not solely down to the coach. Example isak and kerkez – they are 2 expensive purchases and somehow the club needs to play them to justify the money spent.
I agree Szoboslai is wasted at right back which I have commented in the 5 changes to the lineup thread. We are at home, I don’t mind Jones playing right back but Szoboslai should be in midfield.
My thoughts for the next game will be the same I have said before. Revert back to 4 3 3 and bring back the basics of the game. Press and go.
Alisson
Gomez
Konate
Van dijk
Robertson
Gravenberch
Macallister
Szoboslai
Salah
Ekitike
Wirtz
Klopp is gone and he will not be back anytime soon or at all. As long as we go back to basics, we will bring back the stability and win again.
One doesn’t think, Mr M can, Red.
There’s never any change in tone of any of his posts. Just an all round angry person.
I think the Bournemouth manager is a perfect fit for Liverpool
What makes you think so? Because they play similar formation? Slot was also hired as his 4 2 3 1 is similar to klopp’s 4 3 3.
Would you care to expand on that, my Lord ?
Slot gave himself this problem by just putting in those new buys.. Klopps era, you have to watch and wait your turn so you won’t joke with the role giving to you regardless of your price tag. Robertson came in and watch Alberto Moreno played his best before the injury that gave Robertson a chance. Same goes to likes of Gakpo Nunez and co. But Slot just insert his new buys straight into a team that already had its chemistry…. I won’t talk of the letting Diaz go cos it’s of no use anymore. But. We have Joe Gomez on the bench and Szoboslai is playing right back. TBH. Slot has taken us out of shape, our blueprint has been disrupted. Players lack Moral and energy…. You can tell that the team is not motivated at all. The only success he made in the team last season was Gravenbach doing the DM role. Kekez is not a Liverpool style of player. Frimpong is injury prone….. ISAK, Writz and Gakpo should compete for the left wing and watch the games how it is played for now. Chiesa should be given a chance to dominate that right wing. And Salah should get a break cos I’m sure it’s life after salah for Liverpool by the end of the season …that Team looks to big for slot.
What you wrote makes sense mate. However at Liverpool, slot is not the manager but the coach. All transfer matters are taken care of by Hughes, ward and edwards. Diaz and nunez were sold to generate funds. Statistics and technology are used to evaluate and determine which players are most suited to Liverpool. Theoretically, all the players we bought are good. But when they start to play, you start to see friction between the older batch of players and new signings. Kerkez is not trusted by van dijk and gakpo. Wirtz and Salah drama etc etc.
I’m not defending slot for the slump. Some of the tactics and in game decisions are unacceptable. What I’m trying to say is I believe slot is not so stubborn to realize some of the lineups are not appropriate. There could be other reasons for him to select those players. He did mention in the forest pre match conference isak needs to play even though he is not match fit.
I think 🤔 is high time we give Slot the bout. He’s clueless
Not until those who know what’s going say so, I would think.
What about ?