For the past fortnight or so, I have been on holiday. We first went to Singapore for a few days, then flew on to Thailand. To be more specific, my wife and I spent eight nights on Koh Samui, an island that can be either peaceful and relaxing or like spending a week in Benidorm, depending on where you find yourself. Thankfully, we were very much in the relaxing part of town, unwinding and destressing after what has been a difficult few months for us for personal reasons. All of which has nothing to do with Liverpool, of course, bar the fact that I didn’t watch any of the matches live and decided to catch up after the fact. Where the Reds do come into things, though, is when it comes to the presence of the club’s kits and other memorabilia in both of the countries that we’ve been lucky enough to spend some time in over the past fortnight.
#LFC .. this is Liverpool ❤️ and #CalvinHarris doing strong sounds .. and the Bar in Singapore @JohnMurch
Whilst touring one of the areas of Singapore, for example, we found a market that had a Liverpool flag right at the entrance. As I spent time walking about both the country/city and the island of Koh Samui, I saw significantly more shirts with Liverbirds on them than for any other football club. Obviously, it is entirely possible that it is just a matter of confirmation bias, but I really don’t think it was. Yes, at the markets you could buy fake shirts of any of the major clubs and I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t see any Manchester United shirts on my travels, but it was the Reds that were easily the most dominant force when compared to not only the Premier League, but also to clubs from across Europe. I’m not entirely sure what my point is here other than ‘we’re massive’, but it’s a nice reminder of just how influential Liverpool are on the global stage.
Many of Us Said We’d Take it Easy on the Reds
In the immediate aftermath of the tragic death of Diogo Jota and André Silva, there was an outpouring of grief from across the world of football. Liverpool supporters, for entirely understandable reasons, were more affected by the tragedy than most. As a result, the majority of people found themselves wondering how on earth the players could even begin to cope with the forthcoming season. It was acknowledged by many, if not all, that the loss was so shocking, both in terms of the literal tragedy and its aftereffects, that the players should be afforded some leeway for the campaign that lay ahead of them. For my own part, I said on an Anfield Wrap show that I wasn’t going to take anything at all from the season, forgiving them all pretty much everything in terms of performance and results. Others said something similar, but it didn’t last very long.
The Wolves squad laid flowers in memory of Diogo Jota at Anfield ahead of playing Liverpool.
Jota’s sons, Dinis and Duarte, will be mascots for the first game between his two English clubs since their father’s death ❤️
— Men in Blazers Media Network (@meninblazers.bsky.social) 26 December 2025 at 22:45
Ibrahima Konaté, who we now know has suffered a loss of his own due to the passing of his father, was the focus of the ire of many. It is important that what I’m saying here isn’t misunderstood; I do not think for one second that the Reds have done well enough this season. I was just as liable to be critical of the Frenchman as anyone else, even if I didn’t go as far as to offer to drive him to Madrid myself. Importantly, though, I have continued to bear in mind the reason as to why we have lost our way at times during the course of the campaign. The players seemed to lose their heads as soon as they encountered any adversity whatsoever, but that isn’t exactly surprising in the wake of a loss of the magnitude of the death of their friend and colleague. We were given repeated reminders of how much they hurt, but many refused to listen.
Slot Has Been Grieving Too
One of the things I have been shocked about is the level of anger that Arne Slot has faced from some quarters during the past few months. Again, I am not suggesting that the Dutchman should be above any and all criticism. I think he has made some terrible decisions at times, both in terms of team selection and tactics. Yet I also never lost sight of the fact that last season I was quick to praise him for his tactical ingenuity at times, so I can’t suddenly act as though he’s a dimwit who doesn’t know what he’s doing. Whilst many of us said from the moment that the Jota news broke that the players deserved our love and support, it seemed as though Slot was not included in that level of forgiveness. Yes, he only worked with the Portuguese forward for one season, but he will have been just as hurt and devastated as anyone else, to say nothing of having to be a support for his squad and fellow coaches.
Arne Slot, Head Coach, Liverpool FC.
Championship winning manager with a team Klopp couldn’t do it with.
Support Liverpool? Do your job and get behind the manager and team, we’re in a period of transition. The team will find it easier with your support. #LFC— Jonathan (@lpooljon.bsky.social) 27 January 2026 at 19:15
Again, I don’t think Liverpool have been good enough at times this season and the manager has been a big part of why. The slow and ponderous football that we’ve played seems to have come at his direction. Yet I can’t tell you how disappointed and angry I was to hear boos after the final whistle of the match against Burnley. Older supporters will remember a time when the Anfield crowd was considered to be one of the most knowledgeable in the game. To hear the players and manager who have had so little time to cope with such a tragic bereavement get booed off the pitch suggests that that idea of a knowledgeable group is no more. None of this is to use Jota’s passing as an excuse for anything, but it is a reason for why things haven’t gone how we’ve wanted them to. If only more people could remember what we all said back in the summer.
