- Dominik Szoboszlai cut a frustrated figure in Liverpool’s 4-0 defeat against Manchester City
- His gestures towards the travelling fans have not gone down well
- Glen Johnson has dubbed it an “outburst”
Exclusive: Glen Johnson speaks to ReadLiverpoolfc.com about Dominik Szoboszlai’s heated confrontation with fans following the 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final.
Johnson explains why the midfielder’s “outburst” shows a passion that Arne Slot shouldn’t try to change.
The Reds supporters were left hoping that the international break would continue perpetually after Arne Slot’s side suffered an embarrassing 4-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, 4 April.
With not even a consolation goal to take home, Liverpool players found other ways to grab headlines.
Mohamed Salah missed a penalty – to no one’s surprise, Virgil van Dijk conceded a cheap spot-kick – his fourth of the season, and Hugo Ekitike swapped shirts with Rayan Cherki mid-game, which the City ace then tried on after taking his place on the bench.
Szoboszlai, meanwhile, was seen gesturing at the disappointed travelling supporters after the final whistle – or at least what was left of them, as many of them had made their exits way before.
Szoboszlai antagonised Liverpool supporters
It is safe to say that Liverpool fans are not happy with Szoboszlai’s antics after the humiliating defeat in Manchester.
For the Hungary international to channel his disappointment towards supporters, who, unlike many and despite the result, stayed on until the end, is unacceptable.
This is not the first time the attacker has upset his own fans, as he made similar gestures to supporters who booed Trent Alexander-Arnold after news about his move to Real Madrid came out.
The 25-year-old also received flak for showing off boots sent to him by Vinicius Jr just a day after Liverpool’s 2-1 Premier League defeat against Wolves in March.
Johnson comments on Szoboszlai’s antics
Johnson has now come to Szoboszlai’s defence, claiming that it is normal for players to overreact when emotions are running high.
The former right-back is of the view that the Liverpool No. 8 only reacted the way he did because he cares about the team.
Speaking exclusively with ReadLiverpoolfc via CasinoWizard, who offer the best football slots, Johnson said:
“The fans had the right to be frustrated and angry, and so did the players. It was a big game, and they got annihilated. Emotions were running high, and when players do react, it’s because they care. Nobody is going to be happy after that result.
“The players would have been fuming inside. All the players who have a passion to win want to be the best. But at the same time, passion needs to be controlled. There are obviously times when it can overspill and lean into something more negative. Even if that was a character trait, I don’t think you want to take that away from someone.”
Johnson described Szoboszlai’s post-game antics as an “outburst”, but insisted that Slot or Van Dijk does not necessarily have to have a word with him. He said:
“You just need to try and manage it the best you can because that’s what makes some players different from others. How much they care, how much they want to fight, and how passionate they are is what makes them perform.
“It’s not a job for [Virgil] van Dijk or [Arne] Slot either. It’s almost a personal responsibility. People who overreact or have outbursts are the only ones who can fix it. They need to work on themselves. The manager, Virgil, or anyone can go and put an arm around him, but that isn’t going to do anything.”
The former Liverpool defender added:
“We’re all men, we’re all human, and we all want to be the best versions of ourselves we can be. So, if someone has an outburst that isn’t needed – and I am not saying that’s what has happened – only they can work on it. It’s kind of a weird trait; you can’t talk someone out of doing it.
“An outburst is literally that – they just lose control for a moment.”
“Everyone has experienced it, both inside and outside of football, in everyday life. Anyone can have a silly argument and then think afterwards, maybe I shouldn’t have said that, or I didn’t need to react that way. It’s just how we process those reactions.”
Szoboszlai is still Liverpool’s best player this season
| Competition | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Premier League | 29 | 5 | 3 |
| UEFA Champions League | 10 | 5 | 4 |
| FA Cup | 4 | 2 | – |
| Community Shield | 1 | – | 1 |
| Total | 44 | 12 | 8 |
There is no denying that Szoboszlai has arguably been one of the best players for Liverpool this season, having bagged 12 goals and eight assists in 44 appearances across all competitions.
However, that does not excuse his attitude, especially towards the fan.
It is worth noting that the former RB Leipzig star is the captain of the Hungary national team by merit.
He could also be in the running to replace Van Dijk as the Reds skipper when the Dutchman departs, but it is evident that he still has some way to go.
