Liverpool boss Arne Slot faces an uphill challenge to win back the hearts and minds of fans after large sections of the Anfield crowd booed the team off against Chelsea on Saturday. The Reds appear to be stuttering to a top-five finish following a 1-1 draw that ended the Blues' seven-game losing streak in the Premier League on Merseyside.
Liverpool have lost 11 and drawn eight games this season, a deeply underwhelming return for the reigning Premier League champions after spending upwards of £450 million last summer. In today's Liverpool news, two Reds stars have addressed the hostile reaction from fans on Saturday as pressure on Slot continues to mount.
Reds Stars Disagree on Anfield Booing
Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch has stated that the side did not deserve to be booed off the pitch on Saturday afternoon. Gravenberch put the Reds ahead with a stunning strike after just five minutes, before Enzo Fernandez levelled when his low free-kick crept in at the Kop end. The Dutch star was unhappy with the fans' response at full-time.
He told TNT Sports: "To be honest, we need them (the fans) behind us. OK we didn't win, but I don't really think we deserved this reaction. The fans have to be behind us for the full 90 minutes because when they were behind us in the second half, we were pressing really well. We need them. Hopefully they wouldn't do it again in the next two games. Yes, of course we are disappointed because we have to share the points. We wanted the three points but obviously they are a very good team, who play well here, so in the end I do think they deserved a point as well."
However, Reds defender Joe Gomez says he understands the fans' frustrations this season. Gomez said: "We feel it. It's the last thing we want. For us older boys who have experienced so many good times here, it does hurt. If it didn't then you shouldn't still be here. We want to make it right. I understand the frustration, yeah, 100%. We've all said on record a few times this year we know this is not where we want to be and the position we want to be in. We understand it. I hope you could see the urgency that we want to win. I guess it just is a summary of our year and it's a reaction to the whole year, and that's fair enough. The fans pay their hard-earned money to come and watch us and they're entitled to show their frustration, in the same way they cheer us."
Reds Eye £43m Star
Monaco's right winger Maghnes Akliouche has emerged as a potential target for Liverpool this summer. Replacing Mohamed Salah will not be an easy task for Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes. However, more targets are being linked with the Reds as the summer window edges closer. Alongside names such as RB Leipzig's Yan Diomande and Paris Saint-Germain's Bradley Barcola, the 24-year-old French international Akliouche has been linked.
French outlet L'Equipe have reported that Akliouche has attracted interest from the Reds and that the young star is "almost certain" to leave Monaco this summer. PSG are also rumoured to hold an interest, while Akliouche is said to have turned down persistent efforts from Tottenham a year ago. The outlet states that Liverpool are "more interested" and that the player's £43.3 million price tag "wouldn't be a deterrent."
Akliouche turned 24 in February and has already played 137 times for Monaco. In five seasons in Ligue 1, he has scored 23 goals and registered 28 assists. This season, he has featured 41 times, scoring four goals and notching up eight assists from the right wing and number 10 position.
