Liverpool fans made their displeasure clear.
Dominik Szoboszlai has called for greater unity between Liverpool fans and players after the Reds were booed off following their 1-1 draw with Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday.
Liverpool produced another underwhelming display as Richarlison’s 90th-minute equaliser cancelled out Szoboszlai’s earlier free-kick to earn relegation-threatened Spurs a valuable point.
For Arne Slot’s side, the result was a setback as they missed the chance to move into the top four. Liverpool are fifth in the Premier League table, two points behind Manchester United and Aston Villa. Fifth could still be enough for Champions League football next season, though Liverpool are just a point ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea, despite the Blues losing 1-0 at home to Newcastle United on Saturday.
Some fans had already started to depart Anfield by the time former Everton striker Richarlison drew Tottenham level with his finish in front of The Kop. Slot and his team were then subjected to boos after they failed to restore their advantage in injury time.
Liverpool’s season is in stark contrast to the one they enjoyed last term, when they cantered to the Premier League title in Slot’s first campaign.
Slot is under increasing pressure, and there have been reports in Spain that Liverpool have an agreement in place with Xabi Alonso to succeed him.
Despite the disappointing results, Szoboszlai wants Liverpool to get stronger support than they received during the title-winning season.
“I think it should be normal that in hard times we stick together more because that’s what we need, we need each other,” Szoboszlai said.
“We want to make them [the fans] happy, it’s not that we do it on purpose. We want to make ourselves happy, make all the Liverpool supporters happy, but we need them.
“Last year it was for sure enjoyable to watch all the games but this year maybe it’s not that enjoyable, for sure, I can imagine. But still support us also when we are in difficult times.
“Of course [I understand the frustration]. But as I said they can be angry but stick with us because we are a family, we need you guys. We would like to make them happy so just stay together.”
Liverpool not helped by early exits – Szoboszlai
Liverpool face a crucial week as they take on Galatasaray in the Champions League last 16 second leg on Wednesday, with the Reds 1-0 down from the first leg in Turkey.
That game is followed by a tricky trip to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League before club football takes a brief pause for the final international break of the season.
Szoboszlai is under no illusion as to the difficulty of the task Liverpool face against Galatasaray, and believes fans leaving early only makes their job harder.
“We had already a couple of weeks ago a talk between each other saying: ‘Guys we don’t have such a lot of time to do this right so we have to wake up and start to go in a way that we want to play Champions League next season’,” Szoboszlai added.
“We have Galatasaray on Wednesday and that will be a tough game because we felt it there.
“I don’t think it helps us also that after 80 minutes people start to go home, it doesn’t help us at all. Stick with us. Everyone is noticing that and when we concede a goal still people are leaving the stadium. You don’t leave when we score. I understand the frustration but we need them, we need everybody, and that’s the most important.
“For sure. I don’t say they have no right to leave the stadium, they can leave if they want. We need them and they should know this. We are one less without them.
“I am going to do everything that is possible to finish in the top four but alone I’m not enough so we need everybody.”
