‘Give the team time’ – Micah Richards defends Arne Slot

“Mo Salah’s forms dipped. The defence has not been good enough. You’ve lost a couple of players.”

Those comments underline what many of us have seen, because injuries and absences have disrupted rhythm at both ends of the pitch, particularly with key attacking outlets missing at crucial moments of the campaign.

Calls for patience as pressure builds on Slot

Richards also made it clear that the reaction around the club risks becoming overblown if perspective is lost during a difficult spell.

“And I know everyone’s sort of, I don’t want to say in panic mode, but just give the team a little bit of time to settle.”

That stance echoes what Roy Keane recently said when he insisted that sacking a manager so soon after success would be a major overreaction, particularly given the expectation levels at a club like ours.

At the same time, criticism hasn’t disappeared entirely, with Stephen Warnock pointing out that our so-called controlled possession hasn’t looked convincing in recent matches, suggesting there are still clear areas for improvement.

From our point of view, it feels like a moment where patience and progress need to be balanced carefully, because while performances and consistency must improve quickly, the broader context of injuries, transition and squad changes gives weight to Richards’ argument that Slot deserves time to get things right.