The boos at Anfield after the 1-1 draw with Chelsea last weekend clearly reflected the increasing disappointment of Liverpool fans under coach Arne Slot.
In the context of Chelsea entering the match with a six-game losing streak in the Premier League, many Liverpool fans expect their team to take advantage of the opportunity to win easily at Anfield. However, the familiar scenario reoccurred when Liverpool played deadlocked, lacked sharpness and let the opponent regain the game after Ryan Gravenberch's early opening goal.
Even when leading, the atmosphere in the Anfield stands was still full of impatience. The Kop continued to miss many opportunities, including the unfortunate situation of captain Virgil van Dijk, before being equalized by a chaotic ball from Enzo Fernandez's set piece.
Although Dominik Szoboszlai and his teammates created a few more chances in the second half, Liverpool still could not find a decisive goal, causing the final whistle to sound in the disappointment of the Anfield stands.
That is no longer an isolated phenomenon. This season, Liverpool has repeatedly disappointed right at home against opponents facing a form crisis.
Manchester United once won at Anfield in October last year. Nottingham Forest also won 3-0 here when struggling in the bottom group. Even Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur both left Anfield with points in serious crisis periods.
Not only did they decline in the Premier League, the "Red Brigade" also experienced heavy defeats against Crystal Palace in the League Cup and PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.
After the 1-4 defeat to PSV, Liverpool even lost 9 out of 12 matches in all competitions - their worst record in a 12-match streak since 1953-1954.
The away form is also alarming as The Kop has only won one point in seven away games against teams in the top 9 Premier League this season.
All of this makes Arne Slot's future begin to become a controversial topic, although Liverpool's leadership is said to still have faith in the Dutch strategist.
However, there are still reasons for Liverpool to continue to be patient with Slot.
First, he still helped Liverpool win the Premier League right in his first season in charge - something not many coaches have done in modern times. At the same time, The Kop still has a great chance to win a ticket to the Champions League next season.
In addition, many difficulties this season come from human resources factors. Liverpool lost a series of pillars such as Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz and especially Diogo Jota.
The new players have also not been able to meet expectations. Alexander Isak is constantly struggling with injuries, and Florian Wirtz has not been able to restore the form that once helped him shine at Bayer Leverkusen. Meanwhile, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike have somewhat left their mark, but Liverpool's squad has never reached a stable state due to prolonged fitness problems.
Another factor that helps Slot still receive sympathy is his past. At Feyenoord, Slot once showed his ability to improve the team over time and this is almost the first time in his career he has faced such a prolonged period of decline as it is now.
However, the biggest problem for Liverpool at this time is not only the result, but the feeling of lack of identity and energy in their playing style - something that was once the greatest pride under Jurgen Klopp.
And that is what made the boos last weekend more worrying than ever.
