Liverpool were lucky to come away with a draw when they met Sunderland at Anfield this week.
Regis Le Bris’ admission post-match summed up the huge decline we have seen from the Reds this term.
Anfield is no longer a place to be feared, and under Arne Slot, Liverpool’s desire, intensity, and quality have all faded.
Who was your Man of the Match against Sunderland?
One man who did show some much-needed aggression during the stalemate, however, was Federico Chiesa.
Chiesa stopped Sunderland from scoring the winner on the night, which may just have saved Slot’s job for the time being.
Liverpool fans unhappy with Federico Chiesa treatment
The Italian showed grit, determination and a fight we have not seen from many Liverpool players in recent weeks.
Yet Slot, even with Cody Gakpo’s form mixed, will not start the former Juventus winger in the Premier League.
Liverpool fans have now taken to social media to express their anger at this, going as far as to suggest it’s enough for him to be sacked.
The conversation was sparked by a supporter writing: “Chiesa has shown more fight than them all put together this season, and yet every week he gets treated like a numpty, getting 10 minutes here and there. It’s a joke how he’s been treated.”
One fan responded: “Deserves the sack for that alone.”
“Slot has got to go man, besides him being awful tactically, his man management just continues to get worse and worse,” echoed a second.
Another responded: “Slot should be made to ‘walk alone’.”
A fourth claimed: “Slot would rather lose his job than drop Gakpo,” while another fan stated: “He simply has to go,” and a sixth added: “I think Slot’s treatment of Chiesa alone is justifiable to sack him.”
A seventh wrote: “Sack Slot for what he is doing to Chiesa.”
What is the answer to the left side of Liverpool’s attack?
Cody Gakpo vs Sunderland:
- 0 chances created
- 0.04 xG
- 0/1 shots on target
- 26 touches
- 0/1 successful dribbles
- Dispossesed twice
- 1/4 ground duels won
Disasterclass
Arne Slot’s reason for benching Federico Chiesa
Despite only playing four minutes of normal time on December 3, Chiesa was still among the brightest sparks for Liverpool.
Will it be enough to get the winger a start against Leeds United this weekend? That seems unlikely.
Slot was asked about Chiesa and his lack of playing time before West Ham last week and claimed that he needs to see more from the forward in training.
He said: “You think of everything, everything. Until now I tried things differently but they train with us and they can prove themselves in those moments.”
Has Chiesa not proved himself enough during his very limited substitute appearances this season? Or perhaps the better question is, have the players in front of him, like Gakpo, actually done enough to keep starting in his stead week in, week out?
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