Arne Slot has insisted he is "100% convinced" Liverpool will be a different team next season after a 1-1 draw at home to Chelsea was met with boos. The Dutch head coach became the target of supporter frustration when his substitution of 17-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha for Alexander Isak in the 67th minute drew the loudest jeers of the afternoon.
Slot revealed the teenager was suffering from cramp but said he anticipated the reaction before the substitution was made. Liverpool had taken a sixth-minute lead through Ryan Gravenberch before Enzo Fernandez's free-kick equalised for Chelsea ten minutes before half-time, with the home side again failing to impress.
Despite the growing criticism, Slot retains the backing of Anfield's hierarchy and pledged to win back supporters next season. "This season they will have their opinion and it will not change," he said. "But if we can have the summer that we are planning to have I am 100% convinced we will be a different team next season than we are now."
He added that the club's problems are clear, citing a lack of fit players. "The players we have available now, like last week [in defeat at Manchester United], showed in the second half they want to give everything and try to push, but it was not enough last week or this week to find that goal which we maybe deserved."
On Ngumoha, Slot explained: "Not injured, he had cramps before then and he went to the floor and I had contact with him. That's why I took him off. People don't expect you to take that player off, it wasn't my intention to do. He is a good player but I don't think he is at a level yet to play at 50 or 60% to make the difference."
Chelsea's caretaker coach Calum McFarlane felt his side could have won the game. "Probably being a bit biased but we could have won the game," he said. "We had some good moments. We could have come away with three points." He praised Levi Colwill, who made his first start of the season after a knee injury, and confirmed the defender is in contention for the FA Cup final against Manchester City. The draw also avoided a club record-equalling seventh successive defeat for Chelsea.
