Abject for the most part, Liverpool, well beaten, and deservedly so by PSV Eindhoven, are a shambles. Both individually and collectively, they lack courage, conviction, and work ethic. Thumped 4-1 at home, having now conceded ten in just three games, it’s difficult to see how and where this all ends.
1-0 down after just five minutes, when Virgil van Dijk gave away a penalty for handball, while pathetically claiming a foul (play to the whistle was a lesson I learned at age 5), there was error after error. Van Dijk was poor all night next to Konate, who was abysmal, while Kerkez simply looks out of his depth. Yes, Jones was playing out of position at right-back, but that doesn’t come close to his attempted pass across and over two PSV players who were closer to the Liverpool goal line than Jones was.
He wasn’t alone in making poor choices, nor was he alone in not working hard enough. That particular affliction seems to have affected all but Szoboszlai. It was fitting, therefore, that the Hungarian should score his side’s equaliser, and for a moment, it looked like it may just kick-start a victory. Alas, the catastrophe of a season that appears to be getting worse continued in the second half.
Having fallen behind midway through the second half, Liverpool then imploded. Now on their worst run since 1953, they continue to be wide open, they continue to give the ball away, they continue to offer so little. Injuries mean there’s little on the bench, but frankly, the squad just don’t look capable.
Of course, after falling 2-1 behind, Liverpool were forced to chase the game, but did so without conviction, pace, or guile. PSV simply picked them off on the break, but Liverpool made it far too easy for them. Kerkez is almost always out of position, Mac Allister looks like he’s running in sand, and the ball doesn’t stick up front. Two became three, three became four, and Liverpool trudged off to a chorus of boos. Had Anfield not already seen thousands leave their seats in advance of the whistle, the boos could have been a cacophony.
What comes next, I’ve no idea, and perhaps more worryingly, I’m not sure Slot or the players know either. What might come next, if further defeats—humiliating defeats at that—continue, is a change at the helm. I still believe that to be unlikely, but the scrutiny will simply intensify if this run of results doesn’t improve, very very soon.
