Liverpool drew against Arsenal on Sunday during an entertaining game on a sunny day at Anfield.
The Reds are playing with the freedom and luxury of having already been crowned Premier League champions, and it showed at times against the Gunners.
However, while there was plenty to discuss about the game itself, the booing of Trent Alexander-Arnold once he arrived as a substitute is all anyone can talk about.
Alexander-Arnold was given a furious welcome by the Liverpool supporters who are still hurting over his decision to join Real Madrid on a free transfer.
While the likes of Rio Ferdinand could not understand the reaction towards Alexander-Arnold, others will hopefully take on a more nuanced approach to the discussion in the coming days.
Unfortunately, Liverpool great Steve Nicol is not generally known for pulling punches while giving his verdict, and having heard fans of his former club react so viciously towards one of their own, Nicol says he was ‘absolutely disgusted.’
Steve Nicol disgusted with Liverpool fans
Nicol is one of Liverpool’s best ever players and has become well-known as a straight-talking pundit in his post-playing career.
Usually, his ire is directed away from Liverpool, but on Sunday, he trained his sights on those in the stands at Anfield.
“I almost rewound my screen because I couldn’t believe what I was hearing,” Nicol told ESPN FC. “I was absolutely disgusted. I did not think that was what Liverpool fans were like, I didn’t think that’s what Liverpool’s history was about.
“Everybody who returns to Anfield, or has played for Liverpool should never in my opinion ever be booed. I would love to say it was the usual small minority but unfortunately it wasn’t. It was too many of them, it almost seemed 50/50.”
READ MORE: Jamie Carragher shares how he thinks the Liverpool squad will react to Trent Alexander-Arnold boos
“I don’t quite have the vocabulary without saying the wrong kinds of words to tell you how disgusted I was at the people that were booing him,” he added.
“I was talking last week about Real Madrid, how I thought it was classless what they were doing. Well, this was absolutely classless of the highest order and I did not expect it from Liverpool fans.”
Nicol misses the point on Trent Alexander-Arnold
Nicol’s reaction is seemingly in the majority from pundits and former players, who can’t seem to wrap their heads around the point of the booing.
Few supporters are genuinely upset at Alexander-Arnold for choosing a new challenge after such a long and successful time spent with the club.
Instead, it’s the manner of his exit which has royally rubbed people up the wrong way. The ducking of the press while holding the vice-captaincy, the mysterious celebrations aimed towards the Liverpool fans, the strange reactions to being substituted by Arne Slot. All of it has led to this point.
Nicol points out that this reaction is so rare from those at Anfield, and rather than being a stick with which to beat supporters, this should in fact illustrate how deep the feeling is and how justified it also should be.
The Liverpool legend is far from the only significant name to be missing the point here, but he would do well to aim his frustration towards the person who engineered it all rather than those who are reacting to it.
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