Former Premier League striker Clinton Morrison has warned that “some big question marks” will hang over Arne Slot after fans loudly booed his substitution decision during Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Anfield.
The Dutch head coach opted to replace Liverpool’s lively attacker Rio Ngumoha in the second half—a move that drew widespread jeers from the home supporters.
Morrison said: “Liverpool started brilliantly and scored through Ryan Gravenberch, but after that they sat back, let Chelsea back into the game and made mistakes. I’ve watched them so much this season and they are so passive. They don’t press the ball like they did under Jurgen Klopp—they just let teams back in.”
He added: “Then Arne Slot took off the one player who was taking the ball forward and giving his side a spark in Rio Ngumoha, all because he wanted to keep the likes of Cody Gakpo on the pitch. I’ve never heard a crowd get onto a manager and a group of players as much as I’m seeing at Liverpool right now. This is a club known for having some of the best fans, who always stick with the team and the management. So there are going to be some big question marks over Arne Slot.”
The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards added: “I’ve got a lot of Liverpool-supporting friends and they have turned—they’ve gone. They feel the team and the players have regressed. They aren’t sure the players look like they want to play for the manager anymore. There’s no passion or determination. There isn’t really an identity there. That is pretty harsh for any manager, isn’t it? It is very hard to win back a fanbase when they are turning inside a stadium.”
