I think he did.
From 2019 to 2022 the team were a lot less gung-ho and much more controlling. The heavy metal football only really came back as he starting to build his second team.
The classic example of this is the Champions league final against Spurs. Early Goal and hold them at arms length like a big kid with his hand on the forehead of a windmilling little kid. Then kill it with a late goal.
The league was won the following season with a series of very controlled, low scoring wins.
Klopp did make the team more possession oriented. This happened when Ljinders took over from Buvac.
With a bit of poetic licence, I think Arne as a manager is really a case of nominative determinism.
Teams come here, think they have a shot. Every now and then they might be right, and walk away with something. But in the long run, the house always wins. We are indeed the Slot machine.
I think boring is unfair especially considering how we’ve played.
I don’t mean it as a pejorative, more as the whole “football is a game where… and Germany win on penalties”.
The outcome is largely the same, really. Teams play us, and are usually outmatched. We don’t play emotive football in that sense, we just play football, really well.
I can’t think of any games this season where I’ve been bored (in any sense of the word). Certainly less stressed than the second half of last season. But we still play great football. We also have weak points which provides some jeopardy. And in Salah we’re watching records being broken every week
If I’m honest, there were matches where I caught myself drifting away because of how controlled Liverpool’s approach was. It’s a rare feat that Liverpool don’t make me sweat and that I don’t expect them to concede a goal out of nowhere. That is down to Slot, I like how measured his football can be - and how this team can ramp up the pressure when they want/need to.
I reiterate my belief that it’s not a side that is brimming with quality, which makes Slot’s work look even greater. Yes, there are players there that I consider best in the world in their roles but majority of them wouldn’t be walking into Arsenal’s, let alone Real Madrid’s side. Hopefully he continues making the team look so much bigger than the sum of its parts.
I really dont get where an idea like this can come from. Even if the eye test can produce different results for different people this is a side who for 2 years have consistently shown themselves by results to be among the best in Europe and were so for two different managers. It is surely a LOT about the players.
I see the other way, I’m struggling to think of too many positions where Liverpool don’t have better options than Arsenal.
Seriously? I’m struggling to think of which Arsenal players you would expect to retain a place in their team.
When I thought about the question earlier in the year there are no slam dunk answers because everywhere they have their best players we are also at our best.
For Saliba see Ibou
For Saka see Mo
For Rice see Gravy (who is arguably an even better fit despite Rice’s reputation)
For Martin see Dom
They are a good team and so obviously have lots of players who would do well here, but there are no clear upgrades there. Depending on what Slot is ultimately looking for, maybe one of their sort of FBs would fit the bill as replacements for one of ours, but even that is a bit of a dubious one.
Yes I agree I think there are some position where it’s basically a toss-up but otherwise Liverpool’s squad is clearly stronger.
Alisson > Raya - No explanation needed
Trent > Whoever they have at RB that day
Konate = Gabriel - could go either way depending on the day
van Dijk > Saliba - as good as Saliba is this is a non-contest against anyone on world football
Robertson = Calfiori/Lewis-Skelly - They’re not settled at LB but Robbo has been poor at times. Bit of a 50/50.
Gravenberch > Partey - Personally don;t see a contest here but maybe it depends on taste of DM
Mac Allister = Rice - Again could go either way depending on the day and form
Szoboszlai = Odegaard - On current form this is generous to Odegaard but he’s a good player
Gakpo > Martinelli - Pretty self-explanatory
Salah > Saka - No slight on Saka but like van Dijk it’s not a debate
Diaz/Nunez/Jota/Chiesa = Trossard/Nwaneri/Havertz/Jesus - Depends on the day for who is better here.
I saw Saliba live in pre-season at the beginning of the 22-23 season and he was breathtakingly good. He was so good I was predicting then that the Arteta project was finally on course and that Arsenal would be likely contenders. The thing is he was been well down this year compared to those previous 2 years. Maybe it’s fitness. Maybe it’s changes Arteta has made to the rest of the side. But its also likely it’s the result of how difficult it is to be imperious game after game season after season, and this year the suggestions he had surpassed Virgil look quite silly.
I think there’s a lot of 50-50 shouts in a match up between Liverpool and Arsenal. Generally you back your own, and I would imagine Arsenal fans would see our quality, as we see theirs, but they would give the nod to their own boys more frequently than we would.
No harm in that.
To my mind they have better options at left back. Beyond that I can’t see anywhere else where they are better. Even then, I fully expect us to get a new first choice left back in summer, and while Robbo has been brilliant for us, he is getting to the stage of needing to be the rotation option. Still quality there, but nobody defeats Father Time.
I might be trapped in the past and judging players too much on their previous successes (or the successes of their predecessors) but…
Robbo and Trent are shadows of the players they used to be from 2018 to 2022.
Jones, Gravenberch and Szoboszlai still haven’t put together one whole great season at Liverpool (though I’m struggling not to place too many expectations on their Liverpool futures, seeing how they’ve been playing for the past six months).
Our strikers are not of the top standard, while Diaz blows hot and cold in front of the goal.
Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t swap majority of these players, even considering the form that Robbo and Trent are in, but I think that our true “world class players” are Alisson, Van Dijk and Salah. I hope the likes of Konate, Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Jones and Gakpo are well on their way to that status or at least one level below it (though I think that Mac Allister is an insanely good player already).
When Arsene Wenger famously said about Fergie’s bitching that “everyone thinks they have the prettiest wife at home”, @Nikola looked sideways and said “we’ll she has potential, but she really hasnt done much to live up to it yet, not like Cathy [Ferguson] at least.”
Robbo sure but Trent is a shadow, really?! A lot of talk about his “recent form” - his recent form is 2 goals and 5 assists in his last 14 PL games. He’s as elite as ever.
The final in Madrid was more two teams dropping in rhythm, we had a 2-week break (which is too much). Had to organize a friendly against Benfica B behind closed doors to keep us ticking. Early pen and our desperate need to win a final/trophy after 6 years added to it being basically a non-game. A painful watch for neutral fans. So it wasn’t an ideal situation or a performance that was planned.
Genuinely interested in your response to the posts above. Which Arsenal players would walk into our team?
The Madrid final was 1 day shy of 3 weeks season finished on 12th May the final was on 1st of June.