Jamie Carragher believes Arne Slot may have reached a point of no return with the Liverpool faithful following a demoralising 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
The Reds were booed off the pitch at Anfield after conceding a late equaliser, failing to capitalise on a golden opportunity to break into the Premier League’s top four.
The result continues a worrying trend for Liverpool, who have repeatedly dropped points in the dying moments of matches this season.
Anfield doesn’t boo often. It certainly doesn’t boo a manager who delivered a league title only 10 months ago. But as the clock ticked down on Sunday, the frustration that has been simmering amongst the fanbase boiled over.
Jamie Carragher was watching on from the gantry, and his assessment was as blunt as it was bruising. For the Liverpool legend, this wasn’t just about two points dropped against a Tottenham side in freefall it was about a fundamental loss of identity.
A “proper booing” at the final whistle
The Reds have made a habit of late-game collapses this season losing to Chelsea, Crystal Palace, and Manchester City have all profited from stoppage-time strikes. But conceding to Richarlison in the 90th minute at home to Spurs felt like a tipping point.
“The booing at the end, that was proper booing from a disgruntled and unhappy fanbase,” Carragher noted on Monday Night Football. “I think it’s going to be really difficult now for Arne Slot to get them back. Once you lose that crowd, it’s really difficult to get them back.”
Carragher pointed out that the sentiment inside the stadium is now shifting in a way that social media metrics can’t capture.
“It’s not easy for a Liverpool crowd to turn on a manager who has won a title less than a year before, but I felt there was a big shift on Sunday in terms of how the crowd felt about the team and the manager.”
The identity crisis
The “heavy metal” football of old has been replaced by something far more pedestrian. Slot’s desire for “control” has resulted in a side that neither dominates possession nor frightens the opposition on the break. The press once the heartbeat of Liverpool is flatlining.
“I think they’re really deep. I said on commentary yesterday that they are lots of things wrong with this Liverpool team, nothing’s working. But the biggest thing that stands out for me that Liverpool have lost is the press.”
Carragher pointed out that while Slot’s tactical tweaks worked with the squad he inherited, the new arrivals haven’t translated that vision onto the pitch.
“Is he like Jurgen Klopp in terms of pressing all over the pitch? No. He wanted a bit more control, but we saw that with the right players he had last season, they could still win the league.”
Recruitment under the microscope
As Liverpool sit a staggering 21 points behind Arsenal, the post-mortem of the summer transfer window is becoming increasingly uncomfortable. The squad overhaul was meant to refresh the ranks; instead, it has left the Reds looking like a collection of talented individuals without a cohesive plan.
“The style of football hasn’t helped, but I keep going back to the fact there’s players who have come into the club this season for big money, talented players, but are they Liverpool players? I’m not just going to throw all this on the manager. He will have been involved in the recruitment, so yes he’s accountable for bringing them in… but now he’s got a different profile of player, and it’s not equipped to do what they need to do in the Premier League.”
With a Champions League exit looming against Galatasaray with a 1-0 aggregate scoreline and the top four slipping out of reach, the “special” season fans hoped for is turning into a nightmare of transition.
“Something really special could happen a Champions League, winning the FA Cup and qualifying for the Champions League, but a lot of fans have gone this week. I’m not that confident about going through in the Champions League either.”
Slot might have the biggest trophy in the cabinet from last year, but as Carragher rightly warns, history won’t save him if he can’t rediscover the fire that Anfield demands.
“As we know with every team, the manager carries the can.”
He must either rediscover the high-intensity “Liverpool press” that Carragher insists is missing, or risk further alienating a fanbase that has already shown its willingness to voice its displeasure.
