The Reds have six games remaining and three of them are against top-five rivals: Manchester United (away), Chelsea (home) and Aston Villa (away). Worse still, their run-in begins with the first derby at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, where Everton will be desperate to boost their own European aspirations by inflicting more misery on their Merseyside rivals.
Given the significance of the fixture, their opponents’ recent form and their position in the table, a draw wouldn’t be a disaster for Liverpool – but this feels like a must-win game for everyone connected to the club. Because the supporters aren’t just questioning the coach, they’re questioning the entire project.
There may have been all sorts of mitigating circumstances (some of the injuries have been incredibly unfortunate) but this season hasn’t been anywhere near good enough, which is why the majority of supporters have been left utterly bewildered by reports that Slot’s services will be retained even if Liverpool finish outside the top five.
It’s also been claimed that despite links with Saudi Arabia, Edwards and Hughes won’t be going anywhere this summer eithermeaning the key figures at the club responsible for a calamitous campaign will be allowed to try to turn things around next season.
If that’s the case, Edwards and Hughes could really do with the squad they assembled sprouting some shoots of promise in the next few weeks – because, based on last summer’s business, it’s hard to be optimistic about the Reds’ recruitment team adequately filling the glaring holes in the squad, while at the same time finding an adequate replacement for Ekitike during the upcoming transfer window – particularly with Slot continuing to insist that Liverpool are “a trading club”.
As a result, a side that looked a sure thing for this season’s title now finds itself shrouded in uncertainty after weakening the squad from a position of real strength.
The fans are, thus, in dire need of something to look forward to if they’re to put this shambolic season behind them. As Wirtz told the club’s official website on Tuesday night“We have to play (in the) Champions League next year, we owe this to the club and to the fans.” And nobody has a bigger debt to pay than Wirtz and Isak.
They can’t be held accountable for the failings of those above them, and they’ve both been unfortunate, in the sense that Slot doesn’t appear to know how to get the best out of Wirtz, while Isak’s injury issues have been unrelenting. Neither man was responsible for setting their transfer fees either. But it’s still high time that they justified them.
Wirtz and Isak were the poster boys of FSG’s new project at Anfield; rightly or wrongly, the onus is now very much on them to show that it’s still worth supporting.
