Arne Slot admitted that his Liverpool side "crumbled" after conceding a second goal at Aston Villa and challenged his players to "show we deserve the fans' support" ahead of the final day of the Premier League season.
Defeat at Villa Park
The Reds were well beaten on Friday night as their top-five rivals tore them apart, scoring three times in the second half to secure a 4-2 victory and book their own spot in next season's Champions League. Slot's side still need to ensure they themselves play at Europe's top table next term.
The Dutchman claimed this week that he believes he will be in charge beyond the current campaign as questions continue to be asked of his position. Slot has endured numerous difficulties in his second season at Anfield, experiencing a huge decline from his debut year.
Liverpool looked devoid of ideas in the final third, with Rio Ngumoha a rare bright spark, and defensively they were continuously opened up by Villa. Slot has seemed lost for answers for months and was left to pick up the pieces once again.
Slot's assessment
He said: "We had that control for large parts of the game but not after the 2-1, which is why they scored the third. That was a part of the game where we struggled with their pace and intensity."
"We have conceded far too many but we also didn't score enough goals, although two away at Villa Park is not bad. If you'd told me before the game we'd score two I'd say we'd be close to a good result, but we've conceded four and three of them from set pieces."
When the players' mentality was questioned, Slot responded: "Overall I don't think the players deserved what you're saying. They were fully in the game, able to maybe get a result, but after 2-1 we crumbled, we struggled. We did not give up, but we struggled to control their pace, intensity and control."
Champions League hopes
Liverpool could still have their Champions League spot in doubt come the final day. Slot said: "The only thing we can do now is make a good week - be as well prepared as we can. It is a long week, as always we're hoping our fans will be fully behind us. You saw tonight, as we've experienced so many times at Anfield, how important it is to play when you're all together. But we need to show that we deserve that support."
Another poor night means that Liverpool have now conceded more than 50 goals in a 38-game Premier League campaign for the first time ever, with their tally currently at 52 with one game left.
Slot has somewhat steadied the ship following their blip in the autumn, which saw them tumble out of title contention and put their top-five spot in doubt. That place is yet to be secured, and there have been calls for the ex-Feyenoord boss to be moved on, despite delivering the league less than 12 months ago.
Future uncertain
Asked about his future, he added: "It's not about me; it's about us being disappointed with the result. I spoke yesterday on it and that's enough. Our focus is on the Brentford game and making sure we earn the support of the fans by starting the game aggressive and well. The culmination of fan support and a good performance will lead us to what we want to achieve, and that is qualifying for the Champions League."
Jamie Carragher commented that Liverpool "look like a really average team" and called out the individuals on the pitch, claiming they have "far too many weak players."
