For Arne Slot, this was the first time in his career he had fallen into such a difficult situation. When the Liverpool coach stood on the sidelines of Brentford Stadium, home fans shouted: "You will be sacked tomorrow morning". As a result, the "Bees" successfully defeated the reigning Premier League champions with a score of 3-2.
This was Liverpool's fourth consecutive loss in the Premier League, after defeats to Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Manchester United. As Slot himself admitted at his post-match press conference, this was one of his worst performances since taking over at the Merseyside side.
"Once again disappointing. I was hoping and expecting a better performance, because what we showed today was far from the usual standards of the team. Even if we lose, our performance is usually better than tonight," Slot said.
Slot was not wrong. While Liverpool's previous three defeats can still be partly justified, the loss to Brentford has a completely different tone.
In this match, Liverpool had almost no significant bright spots. Even with Mohamed Salah ending his failed streak with a spectacular long-range shot to reduce the score to 2-3 in the 89th minute, there was no sense that the Merseyside team could do the miracle once again.
What was once just a temporary decline has now turned into a real crisis. And perhaps, for the first time in his coaching career, Slot is facing huge pressure from public opinion. And that pressure will increase if he does not quickly find a solution to the team's worrying instability.
When Arne Slot was suspected
In the loss to Brentford, only 4 players were placed in the positions they held in Liverpool's championship decision-making match against Tottenham Hotspur in April. That shows that Slot is in fact running a almost completely new team.
Just a few months ago, The Kop's bold summer transfer campaign was hailed as a testament to the club's ambition and vision. This is considered a step that will help Slot and his students get closer to the next title.
But now, after a series of personnel changes, Liverpool look like a team struggling in the transition period. Slot has yet to find a way to make the most of expensive signings like Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Milos Kerkez.
Last season, stability was the foundation for the success of the "Red Brigade". Slot has used the same starting lineup for up to seven times more than Jurgen Klopp has in 491 matches in charge. However, this season, he seems to have not yet determined the optimal framework. And mid-match adjustments - Slot's strongest last season - have now often turned things more chaotic.
"If you change too much in a summer, it's understandable that things are going wrong. But I didn't expect it to lead to four consecutive defeats. I know every transition path is bumpy, but I didn't think it would last that long" - Slot shared after the loss to Brentford.
The integration of new recruits will probably be less difficult if the old pillars continue to maintain their form. However, Salah and Virgil van Dijk - two key factors in Liverpool's success last season - are both playing underperforming. Meanwhile, names like Alexis Mac Allister, Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley are also struggling with form.
However, the most worrying thing is probably the fact that the entire Liverpool team is constantly overwhelmed by opponents, both physically, quickly and mentally. This is a completely unfamiliar image for the team once known for its greatness and steadfastness in Europe.
In an interview in April, former Feyenoord midfielder Jens Toornstra recalled that Slot often lettes players watch videos of top European teams. His purpose is to emphasize the necessary standards to compete at the highest level.
"He always focuses on the effort and intensity needed to play overwhelming football. It's all about speed, breakthrough ability and fighting spirit" - Toornstra shared.
However, in recent weeks, Slot's Liverpool have lacked that energy. The team has lost intensity and desire - qualities that were iconic under Klopp, who turned "heavy metal" into a brand during his 9 years at Anfield.
That made many fans feel disappointed. Although social media is not an accurate measure of the general psychology of fans, the number of posts calling for Klopp's return is increasing rapidly, especially as Liverpool's form continues to decline.
Even in an interview last week, Klopp did not completely rule out the possibility that he could one day return to Anfield. And that seems to have added fuel to the fire.
Last season, Slot's calm, controlling style made people compare him with Bob Paisley, who successfully inherited the legendary Bill Shankly in the 1970s. But now, with results falling and confidence shaking, some fans seem to want more than just a title to convince Slot is the right person to lead Liverpool for a long time.
