LIVERPOOL MUST ‘SELL’ SALAH WITH ‘UNFAIRLY WRITTEN OFF’ SLOT A ‘FEW STRATEGIC SIGNINGS’ AWAY FROM GREATNESS
The Mailbox reckons Liverpool should ‘sell’ Mo Salah this summer, while incoming boss Arne Slot is only a ‘few strategic signings’ away from greatness.
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Why are Liverpool players so fatigued?
I think that there are 2 main reasons why Liverpool players are currently running on empty tanks and hence the lethargy in their football. It’s contributed to their disaster of an April and losing out in 3 competitions.
1. Too much intensity all over the pitch
I think gegenpressing is a great tactic to recover the ball at the high end of the opponent box to create a swift transition that leads to a goal. But if you observe the current players, they are averaging 2nd in the league for most number of tackles at their end of the pitch as well. You can confirm this with a statistics website. (Man city and Arsenal are 18th) Now I think that is where the players are probably putting in too much energy running around all over the pitch to recover the ball. Could it be that Slot‘s philosophy of recovering the ball with pressing interspersed with moments where they can wait for the opponent to form a defensive cover, will come handy. Less of the constant running and more attention given to defensive shape.
I saw a poster in the dressing room above Luis Diaz locker that said “Intensity is our identity”. I think too much intensity will get your squad knackered and that’s where Klopp tactics were proving too much for the squad. Intensity with defensive tactics when you don’t have the ball should be the way to play.
2. Lack of rotation in cup games
I think Klopp should have strictly used his first XI for PL and Europa games. Let the kids play in the FA and Carabao cups. Why bother about them before you get to the end rounds? Rest the players for the coming weekend or Thursday game and let the academy prove themselves in the cup games. You were targeting the league and Europa anyway.
I remember Rafa rotating every other game that we didn’t know their best XI because almost every other game featured a tinkered squad. But through this exercise was Rafa able to get the best out of his squad? Surely yes. Would Klopp be able to do this season, yes but he chose not to. The same XI more or less played in the cup games as well and resulted in poor premier league results with Arsenal, Man city, United.
Klopp could have easily trusted Danns, Clarks, Bradleys, Doaks to get through cup games initially. I feel bad for Mcallister who has been driving this tired midfield since last 2 months but now he’s absolutely gone with his legs as well.
All in all, I think this last month could have been way different for Klopp with a little strategic planning and defensive tactics. 7 games to go and you were chasing 3 trophies, to throw in the towel like this within a few weeks is absolutely pathetic.
What could have been a great trophy laden farewell ends up with a whimper.
I still feel what Klopp achieved with this squad and his contributions to the overall club like training academies, nurturing young players and the bagful of memories he has provided is outstanding! He will always be remembered as a people’s champion. An absolute legend but a flawed one nonetheless.
Thanks for the memories Herr Klopp. Vielen Danke!
Tejas (Excited for Slot to take this team ahead)
Will Arne Slot be the new Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool?
Fatalism vs The Hope That Kills You
I see a lot of Liverpool fans doing what a lot of Arsenal fans did last season, and continue to do this season, and that is to completely give up, in the hope that it spares them any heartache.
We know that hope is what kills us, every year. The hope that maybe we can beat the machine that is City, but quickly you realise that not only can you probably not, they’re gonna be stronger next year. That Liverpool managed it at all should go down as an all time great achievement.
Its like being bullied. You get beat up all school year, and so in the summer you’re like ‘I’m gonna get into a work out regime, and then next year, I’m gonna beat the sh*t out of them’ only to get to the school gates in September and see they’ve spent the summer taking steroids and now are even bigger.
You need to be perfect to beat them, and neither Arsenal or Liverpool are, and so City continue to win the league. Maybe when Pep leaves (like when we dreamed of Fergie retiring) other teams will have a chance, until then, we should enjoy our teams. The Arsenal fans I talk to haven’t enjoyed football this much since the Invincibles , almost 20 years ago. Of course we want to win things, but we also love the game. Enjoy it. Liverpool fans, enjoy the football and the trophies Klopp leaves with you, because it is an awesome achievement.
John Matrix AFC
Liverpool Squad Keep/Sell
My knee-jerk reaction to Will’s suggestion about selling Alisson was to dismiss the idea completely out of hand. After reading his argument, I wanted to highlight that the FBRef statistics he is citing are purely ranking goalkeepers on saves, and completely ignores distribution. I’m sure Will knows this and just didn’t mention it, but I feel the discussion is really incomplete without it. Putting that aside, I could get onboard with Will’s argument if his conclusion was “watch Alisson in 2024-25 to see if his form recovers, and sell him if it doesn’t”, rather than “discard Alisson post-Jurgen Klopp era”. Replacing such an experienced goalkeeper is not a priority for the summer, especially at a moment when other major changes will be happening one way or another.
I have similar thoughts about Curtis Jones. I agree largely with what Will says about Jones, but ultimately the conclusion should be “watch to see if 2024-25 leads to further improvements in performances, and sell him if he continues to be inconsistent”. His best performances for the club have been this season, prior to his injury.
On the other side, I’ve never understood the fanfare around Stefan Bajcetic. Hopefully I look back and feel foolish about this, and he turns out to be “like Thiago Alcantara with legs”, but to me he didn’t look any more impressive than the likes of Bobby Clark and James McConnell in the couple of games they’ve each played. I also wouldn’t be arguing for Liverpool to build their squad around Darwin Nuñez. If you are going to “build a squad” around a core group of players, you need to be convinced they will succeed. I’m not saying Nuñez won’t ever come good, but literally building the team around him would be a huge gamble.
Going into the summer, I see Liverpool’s squad as follows:
– Try to sell (or release): Salah, Adrián, Robertson, (Thiago, Matip)
– Consider good offers, otherwise avoid selling: Virgil, Konaté, Nuñez, Gakpo, Gravenberch, Kelleher.
– Refuse offers for: Alisson, Gomez, Endo, Diaz, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Jones, Elliott, Jota, Tsimikas, TAA, Qaunsah, Bradley
This is not a huge amount of squad turnover but selling Salah, Robertson and 1 of the players from the 2nd list above would give Edwards and Slot/[new manager] quite a lot of room to make significant changes.
I would expect a more major rehaul in the summer of 2025 when Xabi Alonso replaces Slot/[new manager] is more established and is in a better position to make a major mark on the direction the club takes.
Oliver Dziggel, Geneva Switzerland
Liverpool doom and gloom…
A lot of doom and gloom regarding Liverpool in recent days. From a red’s perspective no one was demanding a title at the start of the season. This was a flawed team and so it proved. Nunez still struggles with the concept of putting the ball in the net, Endo despite his efforts isn’t elite and barely completes 90 min and our defence seems unable to keep a clean sheet, gone are the days of an ugly undeserved 1:0 victory. But circumstances change. Klopp dropped the bombshell that he was leaving and there was desire to give him the perfect send off but we can’t and that’s disappointing but such is life.
Our new manager seems to be unfairly written off already. Part of the reason Klopp’s decision shocked people was because this team is only a few strategic signings (like VVD and Alisson) from being just as good as the previous one. Klopp won’t be there next season but that doesn’t mean the new manager doesn’t get to enjoy the reward of his work. Even the much maligned Brendan Rodgers almost gave us a glorious season when he chanced in on that squad.
Philip
READ MORE: Why Arne Slot is the new Jurgen Klopp… Media darling, underdog and pressing obsessive
Liverpool can’t compete with what?
Stop living in the past guys, you’re rich now. You haven’t been a poor little team…well, ever!
Warren
FIFA selling out?
About to go all Johnny Nic here but Just read with interest that FIFA have entered into a 5 year sponsorship deal with Aramco, a (you guessed it) Saudi State-owned Oil firm.
Quite why global institutions think it is a good idea to get into bed with companies whose sole purpose is to make money on the back of polluting the world is another matter entirely but it once again brings into question the direction of sport. I love the World Cup, as a pure sporting spectacle there is nothing better. Qatar (the event) just about won me over because of the drama of the games the World Cup inevitably throws up, but I still feel the venue was a test for permanently holding major events in the region.
Now that the Saudis have Fifa in their pocket, what is really to stop this happening? The Middle Eastern Disney land for sport, the only region able to afford hosting will become the norm. They’ve already started the process with the multi-continent 2030 World Cup. No more Italia ’90, Mexico ’86, Germany 2006, just homogenised, shiny World Cup after World Cup, held in countries too hot to stand outside in, guzzling oil (although surely they’d use Solar) to air condition soulless stadia that only the rich can get to. Sucking the soul out of the game seems to be the only destination.
Is that the future? Do we just go with it? The football will still be brilliant so surely enough of us will still watch it. It is happening despite the obvious spectre of sportswashing so FIFA clearly don’t give a monkeys as long as they get the money so it will just become the norm. Not sure what I find worse to be honest, the blatant acceptance of sportswashing amongst the rich elite or the fact that the magic of countries hosting world cups is being lost.
Tom
Proud Arsenal fan
From where we were a couple of years ago to where we are now is a superb effort. Yes, I appreciate we’ve spent quite a lot of money, but so has everyone. Chelsea???
I wasn’t a fan of Haveetz but he’s done well of late and seems to have settled into the side. I apologise to Kai. I still think we need a proper striker to take that one chance in those tight games, but I’m nit-picking. We are top scorers in the league.
After the wobble around Xmas, I was concerned that our old mental frailties were surfacing again, but no. A great run followed and again I was proved wrong.
Raya has also cemented his place. Again, I wasn’t initially convinced. Again I was wrong.
We had CL football this year and got to the quarter-finals. Let’s be honest, we could and maybe should have beaten that Bayern side. Small margins. We’ll surely be back in the CL next season barring an absolute disaster or points deductions for some yet to be announced PSR infringement. When are City going to find out their fate by the way?
The team is growing stronger all the time and the fans are clearly fully behind them (except Stewie G!). Arteta has built a very good side and a feel good atmosphere again.
Only one team can finish on top and City are probably still top dogs. Even if that is from financial doping. We’re catching up though and having taken 4 points from them this season shows how much we’ve progressed.
I’m happy. I think nearly every Arsenal fan is happy too. If they’re not, I don’t know why not. I’m still not sure the squad is quite deep enough, but that can be addressed.
I think most right-minded Liverpool fans probably feel the same about their team as well (we took 4 points from them too!). And they have at least already won a trophy this season. If City win the title, it doesn’t mean that Liverpool and Arsenal aren’t very good sides.
Fingers crossed we get over the line this time. But if we don’t, we’ll be back stronger next season.
Stu (continually wrong. Arteta knows better than me it would seem) Gunner in France
READ MORE: Big Weekend… Tottenham v Arsenal, Manchester City, weary Klopp, revitalised Calvert-Lewin
Man Utd = The most hated club in England?
This is probably going to get a lot of tuts and eyerolls but bear with me.
Why is it that United are, seemingly, the most hated club in England? Particularly by fans of other English clubs.
United was a historic club that suffered unimaginable loss but who built itself up from the ruins to represent England in the European Cup, becoming the first English side to win the competition.
They showcased amazing players like Charlton, Best and Law among others. These were players universally respected both at the time and still to this day, amongst the entire football world.
They then spent many years in the trophy-winning wilderness, picking up the odd FA Cup until Fergie arrived.
Fergie came in and sought to get the club on the right foot, removing many unwanted elements such as the drinking culture.
He rebuilt the academy and used many graduates over the next 20 years to win multiple trophies. They spent money but only that which they had generated.
You could say that they won in the right way playing some great football and really pushing the Premier League as a ‘thing’ out into the wider world, helping make the Premier League the most watched.
So what is it that has caused all of the hate to build up over the years?
Was it Cantona’s arrogance or Beckham’s celebrity? Was it Keane being a pr1cl on the field or Gary Neville being a bit of a cock?
Was it just all of the above and the fact that they won trophies?
Is it hatred for Fergie because people really thought he controlled the refs?
And even if all of the above is true, is that enough to warrant the absolute hate that is aimed towards Old Trafford?
I’m a 40 year old United fan who had a Liverpool-supporting father and best mate growing up so I was never one to dish it out when the clubs had opposite successes than they do currently so I never saw that side of this supposed United fan arrogance.
Is that the main reason behind the vitriol? Genuinely interested.
Dave
Swapsies?
Who would be in favour of swapping Poch and ETH?
Adidasmufc
Welcome Arne…
Not sure how he’ll match up stylistically with the other PL managers in the northeast, but at least hairstylistically he’ll slot right in.
Gaurav MUFC Amsterdam (yup, I’ll see myself out)
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