At this time last year, Liverpool were cruising to what was a one-horse Premier League title race but they just can’t do no right at the moment, yet they have to stay oblivious of the surrounding noise as they navigate the rest of the season.
The Reds exit the Emirates FA Cup on Saturday after a humiliating 4-0 loss to bitter rivals Manchester City, and post-match comments from a couple of stars have landed them into hot waters, with criticism coming left, right, and center.
Liverpool must focus and continue to believe
Captain Virgil van Dijk and Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai have been criticized for lack of characters for their comments after the loss at the Etihad, but that must not affect their commitment ahead of crucial games.
Van Dijk admitted that the team gave up during the loss to Pep Guardiola’s team, while Dominik Szoboszlai was visibly frustrated with the fans.
t the final whistle, the former RB Leipzig man was involved in a tense standoff with the traveling Liverpool supporters at the Etihad Stadium. While the team went over to applaud the fans who had stayed, Szoboszlai’s body language sparked controversy.
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has expressed deep concern about these actions, while other pundits, like former Everton defender Phil Jagielka, have also weighed in, and expressed their disapproval.
Nevertheless, these situations should not sway attention from the goals in the remainder of the season, because what is left can be lost quickly if they let these negative energies get to them.
Liverpool face Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions League quarter-final doubleheader, while the race to finish in the top four will also see them travel to Old Trafford and host Chelsea in Anfield.
For Arne Slot, a season that should have seen him take the club to greater heights is also compromised, but getting past PSG and having a good Champions League run plus a top-four finish could save his job.
A lot is at stake for the Reds that never walks alone, but the final lap of the season remains decisive, and they can not afford to let the recent events weigh them down, because only then will their critics be proven right.
Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi
