Liverpool’s draw with Chelsea felt bigger than just the result because of the mood around Anfield.
This was not a flat stadium simply reacting to a bad result. It was an anxious, frustrated crowd that had clearly seen enough by the end. There were boos at full-time, anger when Rio Ngumoha was taken off, and a frosty post-match Anfield atmosphere.
That frustration was obvious midway through the first half, when supporters could no longer hold in their irritation with Ibrahima Konate’s play in possession.
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Some good amongst the bad
Liverpool fans booed Ibrahima Konate for not playing forward against Chelsea
Konate has never been Liverpool’s most technically astute defender, but he is more than competent on the ball. He didn’t show that against Chelsea.
The atmosphere at Anfield was as tense as it has been all season, and even when Liverpool were leading, the crowd were not one bit happy with what they were watching. Two minutes before Chelsea’s equaliser, Konate did something that he had already done more than once in the first half.
He carried the ball forward, had space in front of him, and looked like he had the chance to move Liverpool up the pitch. Instead, he turned around and played a backwards pass — the moment that sent supporters over the edge.
The boos were immediate, and they said everything about the feeling inside the ground. It was a protest against the tempo, the lack of urgency, and the feeling that Liverpool were refusing to take control of the game when chances were there to do so. A familiar one this season.
Did you have anyone else down as a 3/10?
Frimpong was lucky to get that!
Konate got the brunt of it from fans, but it’s safe to say the message was meant for all the players. Some took the game by the scruff of the neck, like Rio Ngumoha and Alexis Mac Allister, but most were passengers who didn’t seem to want it enough.
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