The numbers say Liverpool are wobbling. Florian Wirtz insists the belief is not.
On the eve of another crack at Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes, the Liverpool midfielder drew a clear line in the sand: the dressing room, he said, remains firmly behind Arne Slot, the coach who guided them to the Premier League title last season.
For Wirtz, that alone should steady the outside noise.
“He led Liverpool to the English league title last season,” he pointed out, underlining why confidence in the Dutchman “should be strong”. This campaign has been far from flawless, he admitted, but not without substance. There have been “many good” performances, even if the table and the recent mood do not always reflect it.
“We would have liked things to be even better, but it is what it is,” Wirtz said. “Yet we still have goals. All I can say is that we believe in the manager and want to give our best tomorrow.”
The recent form tells a harsher story. Liverpool have won just one of their last five competitive matches. The 4-0 collapse in the FA Cup quarter-final at Manchester City last weekend still hangs over them, a bruising reminder of how quickly momentum can disintegrate at this stage of the season.
That defeat has not shaken Wirtz’s conviction.
“We believe in ourselves; we have a good squad with great characters and players, and a good manager who is trying to prepare us well for the match,” he said, stressing the spine of a group that, in his view, remains united.
Now comes PSG. The defending champions. The Parc des Princes under the lights. The kind of night that defines how a season is remembered.
What, then, does it take to live with them in their own arena?
“90 minutes full of energy and dedication,” Wirtz replied. Anything less, he warned, and “we don’t stand a chance.” If Liverpool fall behind, the response must be collective. Concede, and “we must stick together and not lose faith.”
They know this script. Last season, Liverpool and PSG traded 1-0 away wins in the round of 16, the Reds victorious in France but beaten at Anfield. It ended at the spot, Paris advancing 4-1 on penalties. A tie balanced on a knife-edge, lost in the most unforgiving fashion.
Liverpool return to Paris carrying scars from that shoot-out and from their recent slump, but also with a manager they trust and a core that refuses to give up on the campaign.
Energy, dedication, and faith in Slot: Wirtz has nailed the terms. Now Liverpool must decide whether this is the night they rewrite their story against PSG, or live through the same old ending.
