Arne Slot said after the draw with Chelsea that Rio Ngumoha was taken off because of cramp.
But a lot of Liverpool supporters simply aren’t buying it.
Ngumoha was Liverpool’s brightest attacking player again and looked like the one player capable of actually beating defenders and making things happen.
So when his number went up, the reaction inside Anfield was immediate frustration.
And Slot’s explanation afterwards hasn’t really calmed things down either.
The thing fans keep pointing to is simple:
Ngumoha practically ran off the pitch when he was substituted.
You don’t usually see players sprinting off when they’re struggling badly with cramp.
That’s why so many supporters feel the explanation doesn’t quite add up.
Whether Slot genuinely believed Ngumoha couldn’t continue or simply wanted more control in the game, the substitution became another moment that frustrated the crowd.
Especially because Liverpool desperately needed a winner at that stage.
It also feeds into the wider criticism supporters have had this season — that Liverpool too often take off attacking players, sit deeper and lose momentum in games they should be trying to win.
And unfortunately for Slot, the more these decisions happen, the less supporters seem willing to trust the explanations afterwards.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
100 percent true, in my view!!!