Supporters' patience has all but run out with Arne Slot's slow-playing Reds, who are failing to win enough games and getting harder and harder to watch.
You could hear some boos around Anfield when the ref blew for full-time on Saturday, locking in an unacceptable 1-1 draw versus Burnley, arguably the worst team in the Premier League.
The Burnley draw extended Liverpool's unbeaten run to 12 games.
That sounds pretty good at first, but consider:
- Liverpool drew six of the 12 games.
- One point is a lot less than three points.
- One of those draws was against Arsenal at The Emirates. The others? Sunderland at home, Leeds away, Leeds at home, Fulham away, and Burnley at home.
That's not enough of a points haul against that caliber of competition. Not enough wins, and wins matter.
There's something that matters even more than winning individual games, though: playing in a way that sustains good performances. A way the coaches, the players, and the fans believe in.
That's how you hit winning form.
I feel like I mention the infamous November PSV loss with every post I write. I apologize, but it was clearly a turning point. It's the last game Liverpool lost, marking the end of another 12-game span during which they won three and lost nine. While Slot deserves credit for breaking the Reds' losing habit, it seems to have come at the cost of a way of playing we can all get behind.
Don't lose the ball, don't lose the game.
That sums up Liverpool's new "style" since PSV. Retain possession at all costs is the prevailing message. When you have the ball, you can't concede is the prevailing wisdom.
With that in mind, Liverpool sets about their task game after game, keeping the ball on the ground and building up slowly. No need to go fast — you can lose possession that way. Even when you have a numerical advantage, there's nothing wrong with putting your studs on the ball.
It's like watching a basketball team from the pre-shot clock era hold the ball for minutes to take the last shot. No particular interest in getting to the basket, just fending off the opposition and passing around the perimeter. And that's what Liverpool does; they pass around the box with a set defense in front of them to little avail until suddenly it's the 85th minute. Someone hurry up and score!
The only difference between those guys and Liverpool is they used their hands and had shorter shorts.
It's the lack of urgency, of killer instinct, that has the fans up in arms.
Liverpool did dominate Burnley statistically — 3.40 to 0.40 xG, 32 shots (11 on target) to 7 (1 on target). They missed a penalty, misfired on some close inside-the-box efforts, even had a couple cleared off the line. In truth, they played well enough to win comfortably, which can't be said of many of their last 12 performances.
But they never showed any desperation from open play. They didn't impose their will on lesser opposition by playing with speed and intensity. They kept the ball and hoped their superior quality would shine through when the right moments presented themselves. They weren't willing to take the risks that might come with creating the right moments.
Of course, it all backfired. For a few minutes the Reds lost their way, inviting pressure. And all it takes is a few minutes in Liverpool's final third to score a goal these days. Sometimes all it takes is a single shot on target, like Burnley's, and all that possession was for nothing.
Well, maybe a point. But not three.
I've gone over the lack of fit, available players at Slot's disposal ad nauseam. The head coach is up against some obstacles he could never have foreseen. Nonetheless, he has overcorrected Liverpool's style so dramatically — remember the Bournemouth game in August?! — to avoid risks and avoid losing that the team has lost most of what makes them worth watching.
Today's game against Marseille is an opportunity for Liverpool to plant themselves firmly in the top eight of the Champions League table and regain some momentum. Mo Salah is back, which is fantastic news.
Hopefully he finds his feet quickly. Hopefully Slot allows the players more freedom moving forward. Hopefully.
I may have hope, but like a lot of Liverpool fans, I'm losing patience. This coach and these players are capable of putting a better product on the field, one with more urgency and hunger. Whether or not they'll do it, and do it soon, I'm no longer sure. If they don't, big changes need to be made.