Como star Nico Paz and Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise are the sole players in Europe’s top five leagues with at least five goals and five assists this season, marking them as standout attacking talents.
According to a report from Mirror Online, Liverpool’s recent “abject form” has left the dressing room “shellshocked” and put manager Arne Slot’s position under scrutiny.
The Reds are currently enduring their “worst spell in 72 years” following a run of nine losses in 12 games, including a dismal 4-1 Champions League defeat at home to PSV Eindhoven and a third successive Premier League reverse.
Senior stars, including captain Virgil van Dijk, are said to be ‘irked’ by how things are unfolding, with the prevailing feeling among the squad being one of confusion, especially as their malaise comes “just months after they romped to the Premier League title.” The report notes the consensus is that Slot “is being let down by his players.”
Academy product Curtis Jones provided a candid assessment of the situation:
“It’s unacceptable to be honest. As I said, I don’t even have the words, I’m past being angry and sad, I’m at the point now where I don’t have the words. It’s hard to find the words.
I’m a player and a fan, I’m seeing it like this, I haven’t experienced a team play like this bad and results like this.
At the end of the day, we still have that badge on our chest, until that badge goes, we’re always going to fight, try get this team to where it needs to be and show why Liverpool is the best team in the world. But as of now, we’re in the s* and it needs to change.”**
Slot addressed the external criticism, but refused to blame individuals:
“No, not at all. Although I do agree with you that our standards, and with our, I mean the team, [they] have not been of the standards we are used to and that we want. We think we can play better than we do.
But last season when we did really well there was a lot of focus on certain individuals and I always said it should be about the team and the team makes the individuals look very good.
If the opposite is happening, we should also look at the team and not the individuals. That’s what it’s about for me.”