The Reds were booed again at home amid an underwhelming season
Liverpool defender Joe Gomez admitted it “hurt” to hear supporters booing after Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea, but said the squad understands the frustration surrounding the club’s disappointing season.
Discontent at Anfield was directed both at the final whistle and during the second half when manager Arne Slot substituted 17-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha. The teenager had impressed after helping create the opening goal for Ryan Gravenberch, and many supporters expected Cody Gakpo to be replaced instead.
Slot later explained that Ngumoha, making only his third Premier League start, had been struggling with cramp.
“I knew the moment Rio’s number went up that would be the reaction, but that’s not a reason not to do it and keep a player in the team that tells me he cannot continue,” Slot said.
Gomez said the players fully understand why fans reacted the way they did.
“We’ve all said on record a few times this year we know this is not where we want to be and the position we want to be in,” Gomez said. “I think we get it, we understand it. I hope you could see the urgency that we want to win. It’s not a case of giving over.
“We feel it. It’s the last thing we want. For us older boys who have experienced so many good times here it does hurt. If it didn’t then you shouldn’t still be here. We want to make it right.”
The defender also defended the decision to take Ngumoha off, saying it was to protect the teenager physically.
“To give a perspective, from the bench, Rio he’s young and he played in the high-intense game,” Gomez said. “I don’t know how many games he started this year but physically, he was tired, and I think those are the subtle things behind the scenes you probably don’t realise.
“But we get it. Rio is a top player and has the ability to a bright, bright star for us in the future. But it was the later stages of the game and he’s tired. But I get it, like, black and white: he’s flying, he looks good for us, he’s a big threat and if he comes off it’s like ‘Oh,’ and the fans are entitled to that opinion.”
Gomez suggested the reaction just had more to do with the overall frustration of fans with Liverpool’s season.
“I guess it just is a summary of our year and it’s just a reaction to the whole year, and that’s fair enough,” Gomez said. “The fans pay their hard-earned money to come and watch us and they’re entitled to show their frustration, in the same way they cheer us.”
Slot, meanwhile, is convinced he can win back supporters if Liverpool improve next season following a planned summer rebuild.
“Not this season, by the way,” Slot said. “This season, they will have their opinion and it will not change. But if we can have the summer that we are planning to have, then I’m 100 per cent convinced we will be a different team next season than we are now.”
