Furious Liverpool fans have demanded that Arne Slot sells a “dreadful” ace before he “drags the club down,” following the Reds’ 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday afternoon. The Merseyside club had knocked their adversaries out of English football’s oldest competition in each of their last four meetings in the showpiece event, but that run came to an abrupt end at the weekend.
While some bright attacking play from Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike hinted that Slot’s side might be in for a rare day in the sunshine in a season punctuated by an anaemic Premier League title defence, a penalty from Erling Haaland in the 39th minute quickly took the wind out of their sails. From there, the floodgates opened: the Norwegian doubled – and later tripled – his tally just before half-time, and Antoine Semenyo struck five minutes after the restart to seal Pep Guardiola’s side’s 33rd ticket to Wembley Stadium in 15 years.
The result slipped through Liverpool’s fingers, and it became clear that a serious spring clean is needed if they are to get back on track, having managed just one win in their last four matches across all competitions. While there is more than one issue at play, the Anfield faithful seem convinced they know where to start – and are now calling on the club to cut their losses and sell one player.
Liverpool Fans Slam ‘Disgrace’ Who Was ‘Bullied’ in Heavy Man City Defeat
Liverpool
While it was the captain, Virgil van Dijk, who gave away the penalty and ultimately stemmed the flow of the contest completely away from Liverpool’s reach, it’s his partner in crime who is getting the most stick on social media. All season, there have been murmurs of Ibrahima Konate’s desire for either a move to Real Madrid or a significantly improved contract.
Now neither looks like they’ll happen, and the fury that Liverpool supporters have directed at him is evidence of just how far he has fallen from his position as one of the best defenders in world football just a matter of a couple of seasons ago. Losing the aerial duel that saw Haaland score his second, before then being passive for the third and fourth goals too, one X user remarked:
“One of our better first halves, yet we’re 2-0 down. Sums up our season. I can’t wait for Konate to leave. The fact he’s holding the club to ransom while putting in diabolical performances weekly is laughable. Season over.”
Another added: “Welbeck last week Haaland this week! Konate’s awareness is shocking,” as a third wrote: “Konate will drag this club down.” Meanwhile, a fourth continued: “Konate gets bullied so much too for a big man,” as a fifth concluded: “I’m happy konate is not signing a new contract, he must be well aware that his time at LFC is up.”
Arne Slot on Borrowed Time in Liverpool Dugout
Liverpool manager Arne Slot reacts while facing Wolves
It was reported just last week that FSG had urged Slot to focus on adding silverware to Liverpool’s trophy cabinet to keep his position beyond the summer intact, with the Reds still competing in both the FA Cup and the Champions League.
But after a shambolic performance at the Etihad Stadium, those calling the shots can hardly be feeling too enthusiastic about a daunting trip to European champions PSG in midweek.
A 4-0 defeat on Saturday afternoon could well be the final nail in the coffin for a fanbase that has largely remained on the fence about whether the club should change hands again following Jurgen Klopp’s departure two seasons ago. While they, more than any other English fanbase, have traditionally stuck by the manager over the players, an obvious disconnect has emerged this campaign.
Slow, lethargic football, coupled with Slot’s bizarre press conferences – where he once even admitted he rarely knows how to set up his team until he has felt out his opponent during the match – has only added fuel to the fire, with Xabi Alonso now leading a list of 21 candidates to replace him
