The match between Liverpool and PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Champions League has only passed for less than 3 minutes, but the atmosphere at Anfield has begun to get heavy.
As goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili stood holding the ball, waiting for the implementation plan, the roar of the whistle echoed throughout the stands. That scene repeated twice before the clock moved to the 10th minute.
By then, Liverpool were behind 1-0. And in a night that ended with a heavy defeat of 1-4, the complaints accurately reflected the disappointment of a fan community that was gradually running out of faith.
Liverpool have now lost nine of their last 12 games in all competitions, and have suffered three straight defeats by three goals or more - the first time since December 5, 5, a season in which they ended up relegated.
That bad scenario is unlikely to happen this season, but it cannot be denied that The Kop are in a serious crisis. And the power of coach Arne Slot is weakening every week.
When the final whistle blew, the screams fell from all over Anfield. That is a clear criticism of a project that is plummeting. If the 0-3 loss to Nottingham Forest was considered a bottom-fishing loss, the recent defeat was even worse when Liverpool leveled their record for the heaviest home loss in the European arena (losing to Real Madrid 2-5 in February 2023).
The match was decided early after only 6 minutes, when captain Virgil van Dijk committed a foul that led to an unnecessary penalty, and then Ivan Perisic calmly kicked the ball into Mamardashvili's net. The Dutch centre-back had one of his worst performances of the season, playing disjointedly and finishing the first half with a yellow card after an uncontrolled tackle on Ismael Saibari.
Liverpool rose strongly after an early loss and were rewarded in the 16th minute, when Dominik Szoboszlai took advantage of a bounce from Cody Gakpo's shot to equalize. However, that spirit was quickly extinguished at the beginning of the second half. Mauro Junior easily overcame Mohamed Salah on the right wing before sending a pass through the defense, creating conditions for Guus Til to finish decisively, helping PSV regain the advantage.
Things got worse when Ibrahima Konate made a mistake, creating conditions for Couhaib Driouech to increase the score to 3-1 in the 73rd minute. The PSV striker then continued to cause sadness for Liverpool with the second goal in extra time.
"I think it was a shock for everyone. For the players, for the journalists here, for me and everyone. This was a real shock. Looking at the quality of the current squad, the result and the performance are very surprising" - Slot said about Liverpool's poor performance at the press conference after the match.
Players who were ready to fight their best just a few months ago to reach the 20th national championship in the club's history now seem to have lost their fighting spirit.
In addition to the tactical problems that the Dutch strategist is having to solve, preventing the decline in the spirit of experienced stars becomes even more difficult. Although he can cit some mitigating factors for the current limitations, Slot knows better than anyone that this gloomy form cannot last any longer.
