Liverpool's Wirtz Defends Slot Amidst Season Struggles and Fan Pressure
Florian Wirtz has publicly affirmed that the Liverpool dressing room retains faith in head coach Arne Slot, even as the team endures a challenging season and faces mounting calls from supporters for the Dutchman's dismissal. The Reds have suffered 15 defeats across all competitions, languish 21 points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, and were embarrassingly eliminated from the FA Cup with a 4-0 loss to Manchester City last Saturday.
Captain Virgil van Dijk conceded after that match that he believed the side gave up, but Wirtz, the club's £100 million signing, countered this assessment, stressing the squad's continued commitment to Slot. He highlighted Slot's achievement in securing the Premier League title last season and pointed to a series of significant victories in the current campaign as reasons for ongoing confidence.
Wirtz Disputes Van Dijk's 'Gave Up' Claim
"Yes, of course we are believing in the manager," Wirtz stated emphatically. "The team should believe in the manager because they won the league last season. We had a lot of good games this season and we wanted it to be better. We still have things to play for and everything I can see is we believe in the manager and try to get our best on the pitch tomorrow."
Addressing Van Dijk's comments directly, Wirtz expressed disagreement. "I didn't know about this that he said this but I think I would not agree directly because we still tried to create chances to turn the game around," he explained. "Of course when the game gets longer and in the 80th minute or something and you are 3-0 back it is mentally also difficult to go and go and go and we just try to give our best in the game, when it was 3-0 or 4-0 we had still a few chances."
Champions League Quarter-Final Looms as Crucial Test
The timing of these declarations is critical, with Liverpool set to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday. This match represents Wirtz's debut at this stage of the competition, fulfilling a long-held personal ambition since his arrival at the club.
"Of course these kind of games you want to play as a player and I dreamt of when I came to the club," Wirtz remarked, underscoring the importance of the occasion. "So I try everything to do a good game tomorrow and next week at Anfield."
Despite the intense scrutiny following the FA Cup humiliation and a league position that has fallen short of expectations, Wirtz's words aim to project unity and resolve within the squad. The coming European fixtures against PSG are now framed not just as a sporting challenge, but as a pivotal moment to demonstrate their backing for Slot and salvage pride from a turbulent season.
