Was Liverpool’s Trip to France as Bad as it Seemed? | OneFootball

The knives are out for Arne Slot, of that there is no doubt. Too many people are willingly ignoring the bucketload of context that surrounds Liverpool Football Club this season, instead taking the easy way out of imagining that it all boils down to just the Dutchman and if he were to be replaced then all would be rosy again.

It means that many supporters have made their minds up already and there is nothing that can be done to change their opinions. The 2-0 loss at the Parc des Princes left many feeling that the performance was a disgrace, but is that a fair reflection of what actually took place?

We Did Better than Last Year

When Liverpool went to the Parc des Princes last season, they committed one of the biggest smash and grabs since the Hatton Garden robbery. Because we left with a lead, people have seemingly decided to rewrite their memories of what happened. In reality, Alisson Becker was easily the Man of the Match, facing 29 shots, of which ten were on target. This year, the setup allowed just 17 shots, with seven of those being on target.

That isn’t me saying that we were brilliant and anyone being critical of the performance is wrong. Yet, so often this season, too many people seem to want to completely ignore any and all context that needs to be taken into account. The numbers say that we were better than we were when we went there a little over a year ago, but because we left with a 1-0 win rather than a 2-0 deficit, people are acting as if that isn’t true. It doesn’t mean we were good last night, but we were better than some are suggesting.

Can We Still Qualify?

The main job of Liverpool last night was to emerge from the Parc des Princes still in touch with Paris Saint-Germain. Given the fact that they are another example of a sports-washing operation in the same vein as Newcastle United and Manchester City, that was always going to be a tall order. They are a brilliant football team with an exceptional manager, so we needed to ensure that we could go back to Anfield believing that we still had a chance to win the tie overall.

By ‘only’ losing 2-0, we’ve done exactly that. Opposition supporters might like to play down the idea of the Anfield atmosphere, but there is a reason why teams lose their heads in certain circumstances. From Chelsea in 2004-2005 to Borussia Dortmund in 2015-2016 and Barcelona in 2018-2019, players can get caught up in the maelstrom that is our home ground on a European night. This season is not one where you would expect the Reds to be able to overcome the scoreline, but you never know and it is crucial that the manager, the players and the people in the crowd believe it can be done.