Jim Boardman and Jay Reid are back for another episode of Scouser Tommies and find themselves having to explain to anyone randomly finding this podcast at some date way in the future why a long unbeaten run for the Reds, the latest entry being a 4-1 win in the cup, is leaving them feeling so uninspired.
Despite the scoreline against Barnsley, Jim and Jay see a team papering over cracks, relying on individual brilliance and expensive substitutes to overcome a League One opposition unable to finish the chances they found so easy to craft. Their fans, proud of themselves for their groundbreakingly original chant asking about the whereabouts of the famous atmosphere, didn’t get an answer as such, but maybe even they could work it out. As Jay points out, the predictable and boring brand of football on offer, with the endless “crab passing”, is draining all the enthusiasm out of the home fans. As for the word “unbeaten”, it still means “dropped points”, and in the bread and butter of the league the gap to the top of the table is a chasm that singular points just will not close.
The frustration isn't just with the style of play, but with Arne Slot’s apparent lack of solutions. Groundhog day continues with the manager once more bemoaning teams playing five at the back, telling us how Barnsley never usually do that, but, as if it’s part of some huge conspiracy against him, decided they would for this match. For Jim and Jay it smacks of defeatism, and surely it is his part of his job to figure it out how to deal with it, through tactical shifts or better squad rotation, because constantly talking as if it’s an impossible task is making sure it stays one.
There is a growing sense that Slot is "living on borrowed time," looking resigned in press conferences and failing to trust his full squad. The comparison to the vibrant, determined spirit of the Klopp era is becoming increasingly painful as the team appears to be sleepwalking through the season. With a Champions League spot the only remaining realistic priority, the fear is that the club is simply drifting.
Compounding the misery is the perceived negligence in the transfer market. Liverpool entered the season light at center-back, and despite the opportunity to strengthen in January, there are no signs of new arrivals to support a fragile defense. This lack of activity, having been pushed around in the last window by Newcastle and laughed at by Palace, can’t be blamed on the head coach, but if anything underlines the lack of conviction throughout the club. That, combined with the "soft" reactions we see for moments like Martinelli’s assault of Conor Bradley in the Arsenal game, has the hosts worried that the club is losing its identity.
As ever, there is a small silver lining provided by the neighbors. Everton’s recent cup exit on penalties and their own struggles for a goalscorer, having given one away thinking he was broken, and their latest off the wall interpretation of words like “accidental”, bring a bit of a smile. However, as the hosts admit, as much as we can rely on that lot from down by the river to inadvertently cheer us up, we shouldn't have to. The pressure is mounting for Slot to prove he has the "fight" required for the Liverpool job before the season, and perhaps his tenure, slips away entirely.
