Glad he is not missing the League Cup Final.
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Oh can he go to the dressing room?
Thiago was brought more towards the end of his career. Into a more intense team in a more intense league. That transfer had it’s “dangers”. His peak turned out to be that fantastic treble season with Bayern in 2020 (I do remember he was one of the best midfielders in the world also in 16/17). Not to say that he didn’t have quality periods with us, even when the team was struggling in 22/23 until he got injured. Now we’re trying to get those elements and on a more available/consistent basis from Mac. When I saw him at Brighton, he’s the one who reminded me of Gundo. Then he said a few months ago that Klopp used that comparison when we were about to sign him.
I guess he’ll sit alongside that video analysis guy, the same one I met when Liverpool were in Zagreb in 2019 to play Dinamo in the UEFA Youth League.
I came in earlier to watch the warm ups. Saw him alone bang in the middle of the stand with his camera and laptop. Recognized the club jacket. Approached him to ask him what’s our starting XI, he shared the team sheets with me.
Great guy! 
Alex Inglethorpe was also two rows below me, I was half thinking whether to approach him also, shake his hand, thank him for the good work, wish him luck for the future and… tell him that the club should bloody change our whole scouting team for the Balkans.
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Yeah
“Touchline ban” - says it on the old tin.
There have been instances in the past where managers have had stadium bans. Also, I recall Jose sneaking in to the changing rooms for a CL game (Chelsea) years ago - but UEFA rules are different too.
I always thought touchline bans didn’t allow them to be involved in the match day activity regardless.
Anyhow he can zoom in to the dressing room if he wants. Plus he can use his phone.
Explainer here:
What can’t managers do when suspended?
Managers who receive a red card during a match cannot watch the rest of the match from the stands, return to the field of play or conduct media activities.
Touchline ban: For a standard touchline ban, the manager cannot be on the touchline before, during or after the match, and this includes participating in the team’s warm-up. Rules vary from country to country but in England (in both the men’s and women’s games) a manager suspended from the touchline has to sit in the directors’ box during the match. If there is no seat available or there is no official directors’ box, they must take up a spot in the stand which is not near the technical area or near opposition supporters.
‘ Extended’ touchline ban: If an ‘extended’ touchline ban is in place, like the two games put forward and then amended by the Premier League, the manager cannot talk to their team from 30 minutes before the game to 30 minutes afterwards.
Stadium ban: When serving a stadium ban, the manager cannot enter the ground their team is playing at on the matchday, use any facilities on the site, or position themselves in any vicinity that gives a direct view of the pitch. This also involves no direct or indirect communication with any player or staff member from the club from kick-off to full-time.
What can they do?
Touchline ban:
- Give a pre-match team talk
- Be in the dressing room at half-time
- Discreetly pass on information for their assistants — to those in the dugout by phone or a ‘runner’
- Pre- and post-match media duties, not including touchline interviews
Managers are not able to do any of the above if they are serving an extended touchline ban or a stadium ban.
I’m guessing that his stand in would be able to wear a Bluetooth earpiece and pass on instructions. It might actually give Arne a useful different perspective.
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Ian Wright may have vested interests in the title race given his status as an Arsenal legend. But he has been blown away by what Slot is doing, going as far to call it ‘scary’.
Speaking on [The Kelly and Wrighty Show] he said: "You bring in someone like Gravenberch. You know they were trying to buy Zubimendi at the start of the season because they couldn’t fix that particular position. Now, that’s fixed.
“Then, they’ve just kept on with the momentum and I think that what’s great about it is that they’ve not got carried away with anything, you know, everybody’s talking about, ‘oh yeah, but they’re not playing well’ - it doesn’t matter!
“I’ve not seen a game where I didn’t think that they’re going to be able to take someone off the bench and still finish the game.
“They’re in total control and it’s quite scary to see, especially when the manager… none of them are his players! He’s come in and he’s coached these players. What’s going to happen when Slot brings his players in, his system, what he wants to play?”
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That last paragraph is interesting. I think that given the results, no-one can dispute that Slot is really good at coaching players, and also developing them.
Is he also that good in identifying new prospects? That question isn’t answered yet, but the good thing is that he’ll have Edwards and Hughes to help him anyway, so the new incoming transfers will be the result of a collective choice, not an individual one.
Not bad, that continental model, ain’t it? 
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I like Ian Wright. He doesnt let bias or his own team come into his comments about other clubs (maybe v spurs??).
Neville could learn a thing or two.
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Could, but would he?
He doesnt need to, thats the recruitment team’s job. His role is to sucessfully input on the specifcs on what he needs and why.
His record at his previous clubs suggesr this maybe something he is also good at.
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I think way too much is being made of this. We had a really good group of players who were put together because of their talent but also “goodness of fit”. Slot was chosen to replace Klopp because of his talent, but again because his approach and priorities were well aligned with the players we already had.
There will be turn over this summer I am sure. We have the contract issue, we have the Robbo age issue, and we have a few players who would probably be at risk of being moved on even had Klopp stayed. So there will be movement, but not this big change so that Slot can get “his players.”
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Yeah that’s why I wrote the rest too.
If AS has already, or in the process of, identifying the players at Anfield that don’t fit into his tactics… then by default, hopefully, it also means he can identify the ones that do suit his master plan.
Some of these are undoubtedly already here, others I am sure, he has already requested we get them.
If I understood your point, you were saying that as a continental style manager he wont care too much about the identity of the players as long as they do what he needs them to.
My point was different in that he was specifically selected because the things he generally wants his players to do is well aligned with the players we already had, which means as a guy used to the continental model he will likely have very little change to even ask for. At least not beyond that we would have been projecting anyway (Endo, Tsimi/Robbo, Nunez, whatever shakes out of the contract situations).
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No not really. I know that he’s accustomed to the continental model, and that’s why he was a good choice in the first place. He has exceeded every expectation so far to be fair.
My point was that this is Klopp’s squad through and through. I’ll be very interested to se how he and Edwards/Hughes can navigate departures and replacements in the coming years. Replacing a Mo Salah or a VVD is no small task.
The head coach having “his” players (how many, 15 of them?) is such an old theory in football.
It’s not even that I think “wow, how brilliant we’ll be when Slot brings his own players”. First of all, it will be a group decision in which he’ll take part. Second of all, when all Klopp’s pieces are gone, we’ll see what’s our level. So far so good.
New key players and new leaders will have to appear.
I think for a while now, we realize that a head coach needs to not only take part in transfers (less than before, which is good in principle), but also show ability in using what he has.
Then it depends on how well you do as a club and team, how much time, etc.
Let’s also not forget that this was already a highly competitive team last season. Klopp revived some of our principles and brought back stability.
Usually you change the head coach because something is not right. We had to sort out some things, but when Klopp announced it, we were already on a good track.
We weren’t a team for the highest honours, but it was a first team squad that Slot probably saw and thought “yeah, I can work with this, we are not far from where we want to be”.
It took us a while to get going last summer and who knows how much time the likes of Edwards and Hughes took to get the machine above Slot going.
I’m sure we ended the transfer window a little bit frustrated, not getting at least that one we seriously wanted. We might still want either him or another guy though, regardless of Gravenberch’s season.
But on the other hand, it’s already a great situation to be in, especially if we win something important or multiple trophies this season.
Slot will have a season full of knowledge, experience and he will know much more what next needs to be done.
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