the weird thing is, i dont think anyones complaining about any of the signings made, so thats even more damning evidence against Slot if you draw it to a conclusion.
i mean, for all the grumbling about how hard we are to watch, Wirtz alone is a joy to watch playing football… i think he gets into any team ive ever watched. any team.
then you have a squad full of players who had just won the league.
i understand the balance is wrong… i get that… but surely theres something the guy could have come up with, given the calibre of footballer we have in the squad.
I cannot stand that we don’t have a central midfielder (looking at you, Macca) who can open up space for a vertical pass from the CB’s or FB’s. We play the ball around the vacuum which is the center of the pitch.
Grav used to do it, but he’s not in position anymore. Macca sits deep and just jogs back and forth not asking for the ball or making space
God I miss Thiago and Gin iin there, they were so good on the turn and protection.
Also, tired of us giving up the ball so easily on their press. Especially off headers.
It is extremely likely that Slot demanded these players to be signed, even at the expense of defense.
Wirtz is not a bad player, but we had to upended a working system inherited from Klopp to fit him in, because:
Wirtz cannot replace Szobo who provides the dynamism and physicality to the midfield.
Wirtz is not a proper winger so cannot be a full-time left-sided attacker.
Wirtz’s natural position is too high up the field to replace Macca.
He also basically got rid of half of our non-starting squad players and replaced them with worse players, which deprived us of squad depth and left us dangerously close to breaching HG rule. For example, between Elliott and Chiesa any coach with half a functional brain would have chosen the former. He also basically killed Quansah’s career here - compared that to how Klopp treated the likes of Lallana, Sturridge and Ox when they were in their last days here. And right now we really miss Kelleher as Allison’s injuries keep piling up. Plus, I would trade Nyoni for Morton at the moment.
Well one thing he does, and it is starting to drive me nuts, is rolling around on the floor feigning injury when we have just lost possession. We end up having to switch to a defensive formation with one of the central midfielders missing.
The comment I made, pre-match thread, about VVD being a bit ponderous was tongue in cheek as he and, yes even the much hallowed Dom, have been guilty of that throughout the season. It is clear that it is scripture, “Once though hath the ball, taketh time, gaze across green Albion and rush’eth not, for the number crunchers have spoken of great reward in patience and control”.
There is a complete lack of spontaneity and more lately, belief.
I hesitate to say it, as there’s always ways to “improve”, but have we (yet?) reached our nadir?
Have to think FSG are considering pressing the button: presumably Xabi has been sounded out and either said ‘no’ or ‘not yet’; otherwise he’d be joining ASAP. In the alternative, FSG will be sounding out others but availability before summer may be restricted. I don’t think they will sack Arne just to appoint an interim manager unless the dressing room revolts which, reading between the lines, would have/has already happened.
The players look pretty shaken at the end when the booing began. If that can act as a wake up call, then fine, but fans have been pretty patient this season and their frustrations with the team, manager, and style of play are becoming clearer. Those blogs are saying what many have been saying on here and it’s no surprise that folk are saying they’ve had enough. There is little chance of things gelling now, of the team at least kicking on to a strong finish. It’s disappointing and I’m left hoping for a miraculous turnaround, which seems unlikely.
I’m sorry things haven’t worked out this season. There was much to be optimistic about back in August, despite the tragic loss of Diogo, and I feel sorry for Arne and the guys that they haven’t really got going this year. He’s not a fraud, far from it, neither are these suddenly bad players, and maybe further changes are needed, but I’m not going to call for his head or slag off anyone in a red shirt.
The Liverpool FC official app has just sent me a notification suggesting that I watch “extended” highlights of the match. Don’t they think we have suffered enough?
Not for me. It brings too much potential instability when CL qualification is still numerically possible.
The way I see it the only way Slot is let go now is if they concede he is done, have a replacement ready and willing to join, and that person wants to assess the squad now, before a stunted Summer thanks to the World Cup.
That’s a few ducks to line up. The last point in particular is the only reason now makes sense in my mind. I don’t think trying a new manager now guarantees CL qualification by any means. It potentially puts it at a greater risk.
I do like how you keep going to Morton based on half a season at Lyon. Klopp farmed him out twice, his quality seemed to drop on his second loan, he never much showed anything at Liverpool.
I am glad he’s having a good time in France but literally no one was upset when he left.
As for Wirtz the team looked no better when he was out so too much is placed on him.
You could play him in that Firmino position yesterday with no central striker but we chose to play Macca, Gakpo and have Dom rotate around.
It’s a mess, Slot isn’t looking to make it simple and go from there he is actually signing his own termination.
I would like to ask that idiot Roy Keane how they found time to party when they played 3 games in 7 days, nothing original comes out of his mouth bad champions but at least we have been champions twice and manure are out of every cup and play once a week.
However bad they were yesterday we need the crowd on Wednesday ie no empty seats and none leaving 15 minutes early which will encourage Gala and chop the legs of our players something Klopp would not accept they need to be carried over the line by the fans.