Liverpool fans are starting to get the heebie-jeebies despite their lead at the top of the Premier League table.
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Is the title race actually over?
It pains me to contemplate it, and I feel like I’m very much in the minority to even mention this as a possibility. Especially given the media coverage that it’s all but nailed on. But could Liverpool still blow the league? They look exhausted.
Everton up next, you just know they’ll turn that game into a dogfight and it’ll be a draw. Probably.
Plus maybe a couple of injuries thrown in for good measure. So it could be a 10 point gap with 8 games left. And I’m not liking the look of some of those fixtures either. But do Arsenal have it in them? They’ll have to win at Anfield I would say.
Dave, Newport (Glass-half-empty kind of mood today)
Blame the Liverpool squad, not the manager
Interesting mails this morning that place Slot very much in the position of “Damned if you do, Damned if you don’t.” A reminder that it was only a few weeks ago that Slot was being criticised for resting players against Plymouth. Now he hasn’t rested them enough?
Liverpool are probably 4 or 5 wins away from winning the league. If they maintain their current form, they’ll finish on 92 points, enough to be in the top 10 all-time Premier League seasons. Even with a massive drop-off, they are likely to win the league, unless Arsenal turn into a City-esque elite winning machine.
It might be worth considering that Liverpool are in this position precisely because Slot hasn’t rotated. Had he done so, the title may be far closer now. Winning the Premier League would exceed all expectations for this season. That title alone used to be enough. Perhaps we’ve got so used to Man City hoovering up everything that it seems you need more, but winning more than one trophy is hard.
Liverpool’s squad is not blessed with depth. Endo, Jones, Elliot, Nunez, Diaz, Tsimikas, Jota, and more range from “he’ll do a job” to “he’s good, but not exactly Champions League contender material”.
Not a single pundit expected Liverpool to win the league. Many didn’t pick them for top 4. Might be worth praising Slot for that, rather than criticise because he’s ONLY won the Premier League.
Mike, LFC, Dubai
READ: 16 Conclusions from the Carabao Cup final: On Joelinton, Isak, disappearing Salah, VVD woes and more
…Well done Newcastle. Obviously from an LFC perspective, during the game all you think about is just how bloody abysmal your own players are rather than praising the opponent, but at the full time whistle Newcastle were worthy winners in attitude and application. Also good to see some of the smiling faces in the stands.
Before further slating the LFC players, there were some odd choices by Slot in that game. Despite them winning the league fixture last month, having watched Jota be so utterly invisible against PSG, and yet deciding to play the same side and tactics again for the same outcome was not great from the manager. Not taking any action on their set-pieces too, having had what seemed about 47 thousand warning shots.
His formation changes after 50 odd minutes also didn’t work as the side was so lopsided every time LFC lost the ball, Newcastle often went unchallenged all the way to the penalty area, eating up important minutes, and also yardage in the chasing players legs. He further fatigued an ailing squad. I was surprised there wasn’t a change at half time, but maybe i should have been thankful as in the second half nearly every change bar Elliot and Chiesa made the side worse. Keeping Mo’ on was also a choice, and the wrong one.
The club should be able to see the league title out; 90 points is attainable, but a worst case 5 wins from 9 is a well earned low-bar to navigate, and that makes the season an epic success. But after that some harsh choices need to be made on the squad.
If the club can keep Diaz and Konate, I still don’t think massive triage is needed as the starting 11 is okay. But that’s a good example of how building a squad is not always a series of conscious and linear improvements. When you’re hunting the “final bit of the jigsaw” some of the existing pieces can opt to walk away (and with that pair being tempted away despite a likely league title, several domestic cup wins, and a champions league final appearance, but it not being enough, this should give some of the top four pause for concern about their own sides and expectations for next year, especially those only boasting calendar-year trophies).
I think it likely the best offer Salah was going to receive was put on the table two months ago, so he’ll either decide to stay or go. Same too VVD. That leaves 9 games for the rest of the squad players to earn a place for next year. Robbo I think is doing well in that aim. Elliot too, after today. Gakpo from his early season exploits. But I’d politely say Jota and a few others all have much work to do (historic successes notwithstanding, especially so as they were under a different manager and before Richard Hughes’ hiring).
Last bit, but as sad as I am about losing a cup final (and any cup final loss is a significantly bitter pill), I did chuckle at the mental gymnastics of the trolls in the comments section. When Slot was doing well it showed Klopp was holding the team back, but now when Slot ‘only’ challenges for the league then he’s been over-rated too. Make you minds up guys, ha ha.
Given that this time last season Klopp had Liverpool on 71 points and a winning league cup final, and Slot has the club on 70 and a losing one, this shows that the level the club is currently at is sustainable, but that the side still need to raise the bar for next year (if the PSG didn’t already prove this). ‘on par’ with the last guy is fair when the squad is identical. But this fatigue re-appearing for a second year running shows that the bench isn’t as required. So the club needs key additions in the summer, and if they come then expectations also need to raise alongside them.
Last word on Kieran Trippier. Joyful player and great career. Lovely to see him celebrating. That makes a trophy at every club now, post Spurs. Leverkusen coming back for a late winner over the weekend keeps the dream alive that ‘arry Kane becomes the only player to never escape the lilywhite curse. A deserved outcome to the most loathesome of the spurs alumni, where as the great players like Modric, Bale, Walker and Trippier et al all thrived.
Tom G
Those ‘three finals’ though…
I’m a big fan of Arne Slot who has shown requisite amounts of organisational and motivational ability. His circumstances have been used as a means to downplay his achievements (look at the squad Klopp left him, anyone would have done well with that) and his predecessors (why didn’t Klopp have them top of the league). Nonsense, but trolls will troll.
However last week Slot announced that we faced “three finals” and it has to be recognised that the team fell short at two of those attempts. Southampton were dispatched easily enough but even the fabled Anfield effect did not change the outcome against an efficient and committed PSG side. Against Newcastle, the team were still demoralised and tired – perhaps because the same players have played so much, we needed to rotate more but the back-up options don’t have the same quality.
So overall it’s not a disaster and I am happy for Newcastle, but I hope Slot can pick the players up for this season and rotate successfully in future.
Paul in Brussels (Nunez sadly not becoming the new Origi)
Missing Salah
I wrote in last week about how Liverpool might struggle without Salah next season. It was nice of the man himself to give us a preview of how that might look in the cup final (and games against PSG).
To be fair to him though, I don’t think he was intentionally going missing to prove my point. Newcastles simple plan of stopping the long ball out from the back was enough to keep him out of the game. He didn’t even play badly; he just didn’t get to play at all.
David, Ireland
Well done Newcastle
As a Dublin-based long-time Liverpool fan who has had the pleasure of many stags in Newcastle, well bloody done Newcastle United.
Better team, out fought us and deserved win. I’m not a fan of Saudi owners, but I like the manager Howe and I really like the fans and the City.
Overdue, deserved and I can imagine celebrated in MASSIVE style…
I hope those fans that do read this are still knee deep at a bar somewhere.
Ronan
READ: 16 Conclusions from the Carabao Cup final: On Joelinton, Isak, disappearing Salah, VVD woes and more
Premier League corner of woe
It is getting even more embarrassing to be a Spurs fan. I don’t get how we’re so bad. I would pay to not watch them. The only trophy we’ve won in my lifetime it the Audi cup. Like what is the Audi cup!!! Ange needs to go he’s done nothing but fail. If we don’t win the Europa league it’s all over for us. We have one of the top squads out there it’s all Ange. It’s over for him. He’s cooked down bad.
Freya, My dad should never have picked Tottenham, Plymouth
…Know they don’t garner as many clicks as Arsenal so the temptation for news outlets which are reliant on eyes and advertising income to write rage hate isn’t there but…..jeez, for a team to spend so much money on attacking talent (and continue to) to be that boring is a genuine feat.
At least no one was stupid enough to write in to the Mailbox after 10 games or so to use Enzo Maresca as a stick to beat the guy who continues to outperform a heroically expensive and frankly mediocre outfit.
Simon, London
READ: Premier League winners and losers: Chelsea, Bissouma, Van Nistelrooy shamed by Forest, Silva and Brentford
