In his eleven years at the club, Joe Gomez has seen many ups and a few downs. Having endured his own career interruptions due to serious injuries, the defender can bring perspective to matters. As a crisis scenario goes, Liverpool's is hardly a blockbuster. They are long odds-on to secure Champions League football for next season, were eliminated from this season's Champions League knockout stages only by Paris Saint-Germain, and were knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester City. Last season, they won the Premier League. On the face of it, the season has been disappointing but not catastrophic.
But it is still unlikely Gomez—the longest-serving player on the Anfield staff—has heard jeers directed towards his manager as vociferous as those aimed at Arne Slot during and after the draw with Chelsea. The boos prompted by Rio Ngumoha's removal midway through the second half were ill-conceived, the 17-year-old having been struck by cramp after his lively contribution. While Slot's substitution was the correct and obvious thing to do, the boos were a vocal symbol of deep-seated dissatisfaction.
That dissatisfaction was highlighted by the crowd's reaction at the final whistle. Some home fans had left early even though the game was very much in the balance. The jeering clearly struck a nerve with Gomez, who made his Anfield debut in 2015. He said: 'We feel it. It is 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've all said on record a few times this year that we know this is not where we want to be or the position we want to be in. I think we get it, we understand it. I guess it is just a summary of our year and a reaction to the whole year, and that's fair enough. We want to make it right.'
Gomez gave an interesting insight into the tactical struggles that appear to have turned Liverpool into a less vibrant, less direct attacking team. After a freakish Enzo Fernandez free-kick cancelled out Ryan Gravenberch's early strike, Gomez said: 'Tactically, we made a step last year which was very effective and one of the strengths of our coaching staff is to adapt for every game and try and expose and overload in certain areas. That is a different style to the faster pace. We get that sometimes it's not as fluid or as high intensity on the ball as always. It does get frustrating when it gets fragmented but there's also been times when it's controlled the game—although not as much this year. It's a Catch 22 sometimes when you're trying to control the game, keep possession. But that isn't always high-paced, trying to thread the ball in behind and score.'
Slot bristles at suggestions he is not a forward-thinking coach, but there is no doubting his current failure to inspire Liverpool fans. 'I can't engage or give you a guide on that,' said Gomez. 'But, fundamentally, if we win the game, there are no boos. That is what we can affect. The black and white thing now is we need Champions League football. That's the objective. We get that, we dust ourselves off and we go again.'
