Liverpool announcement has changed the mood - but Arne Slot question persists

Liverpool return to Premier League action on Saturday when they welcome Chelsea to Anfield (12.30pm). Victory would move them within touching distance of Champions League qualification and go some way to easing the pain of Old Trafford.

The 3-2 defeat to Manchester United was one of the Reds' own making, with a lacklustre first-half performance being followed by a much-improved second period that saw them claw back a two-goal deficit only to lose it late on.

And ahead of the visit of Chelsea, our resident Liverpool supporters deliver their verdicts on the events of last weekend, and more, in this week's fans' jury...

James Noble

Thursday’s update on ticket pricing was welcome and uplifting news. Credit to the likes of the LFC Supporters Board, Spirit of Shankly and the many who have contributed to the strong, striking and well-reasoned responses of recent weeks. Credit, too, to the club for engaging and reconsidering.

There appears plenty of potential for further discussions that can benefit Liverpool supporters, and those across the Premier League and football more broadly, while simultaneously aiding the sport and its cultural fabric. Much more easily said than done, of course, but the coming years’ foundations now look healthier. As they do for the coming weeks.

Starting with Chelsea’s visit on Saturday lunchtime, having two of our remaining three Premier League games at Anfield could, in this fresh context, be additionally rewarding. Impending farewells may now be enlivened further, while securing a Champions League place, which is still in our hands, continues to represent the chief on-field goal.

That’s a whole lot of energy that can, hopefully, be productively channelled. Sunday’s defeat at Manchester United featured a heartening comeback but, again, bluntness and porousness were all too prominent. Notable absentees, admittedly, didn’t help, while the importance of shrewd summer recruitment remains clear.

This weekend’s visitors may be in poor form, but they’re still FA Cup finalists. With improved proactivity, we can add further cheer to the mood.

Andrew Cullen

The Reds suffered yet more blues with a gruelling defeat to an old foe. We have seen it all before, of course - a hapless first half, followed by some fight, and then by some surrender. And that’s precisely why we are so far away this year; in the Premier League, you cannot afford to only have patches of decent play in a game.

You need intensity, passion, and fight from start to finish because that’s what the opposition will show. We were successful under Jurgen Klopp because we had more fight, more drive, and more passion than the opposition. We were tigers, fighting for success. This year, we are more like lambs.

The question still persists as to whether Arne Slot has the animal in him to make us revered and feared again. That’s been one of the biggest disappointments this year: teams would dread playing us, and now they welcome it.

Most fans would accept this year being a blip. If we were to return to the summit of world football next year, the scent of this year would wash away from memory, but we are all uncertain as to whether this season is merely a blip or a sign of things to come.

If no changes are made this summer, will we again be sleepwalking into a season of mediocrity?

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