Dominik Szoboszlai pressed the nuclear button when he took a swipe at Liverpool fans following Sunday's 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.
The Reds midfielder was frustrated to see so many home supporters leave Anfield immediately after Richarlison's late equaliser for Spurs - the eighth goal Liverpool have conceded in the 90th minute or later in the Premier League this season.
"I don't think it helps us," Szoboszlai said. "After 80 minutes maybe the people start to go home. So it doesn't help us at all. So just take this and stick with us. Of course, everybody [among the players] is noticing that."
Why Dominik Szoboszlai shouldn't have criticised Liverpool fans for leaving games early
The debate over whether it is acceptable to leave games before full-time has been done to death, particularly among match-going fans.
On one hand, you have those who argue that they are the ones who pay the money, so they can leave/boo/jeer as they please. On the other, there are the supporters who maintain that the only right approach is to back the team from the first whistle to the last.
This article isn't about which of those approaches is correct. However, Szoboszlai's response certainly wasn't.
The Hungary captain has arguably been Liverpool's standout player in a disappointing campaign where the Reds have meekly surrendered their Premier League crown - to the extent that they may even fail to qualify for next season's Champions League.
In the past fortnight alone, Arne Slot's side have lost at rock-bottom Wolves, suffered a 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, and drawn with a Spurs side who had taken four points from a possible 33 in their previous 11 Premier League games.
Those results have only increased the frustration that has been building among Liverpool fans since their form nosedived in early autumn - and conceding yet another late goal against Spurs led many to vote with their feet.
It is not like this Reds side has much credit in the bank with supporters, and it is against this backdrop that Szoboszlai's comments are ill-judged.
Yes, he has been one of the few shining lights in a disappointing season, so may have felt more able to express his views. Yes, we want players to speak honestly rather than give generic media-trained answers. But there is a time and a place - and going after the fans rarely ends well.
A week when the pressure on Slot has ratcheted up again, and with a huge second leg against Galatasaray coming up on Wednesday - when an aggregate defeat could dash one of Liverpool's two remaining chances of silverware this season - doesn't feel like the time or the place.
It is only fair to point out that Szoboszlai also tried to rally the fans, adding: "They should notice that we are one less without them. They can be angry. But stick with us. Because we are a family. We need you guys. But we would like to make them also happy. So just stay together."
Those comments may have the desired impact and Liverpool supporters may respond by uniting behind their team, driving them to silverware to salvage a poor campaign.
But Szoboszlai's other comments could have the opposite effect, turning the Anfield atmosphere edgy when the bond between players and fans needs to be strong - and that is why it was simply not worth the risk.
