Liverpool are counting the cost of handing Mohamed Salah his bumper new contract and Virgil van Dijk is too old to neutralise the ‘complete sh*t’ alongside him.

Also, has the £400m spend made the Reds weaker? And on Manchester United, who exactly is Omar Berrada?

Send your thoughts to theeditor@football365.com.

 

The Salah mistake and an ageing Van Dijk
So after my previous email I did as usual check the comments to read how people respond to various emails.

And I spotted some people who made the assumption that I scour Twitter for football conversations. I see them sometimes but I don’t use twitter all that much. When I say “social media football fans” I’m referring to the ones on YouTube (it’s why I specifically named those United and arsenal channels)

Also I do send emails in fairly regularly but I do have periods where I don’t even bother to read the site at all (usually on international breaks)

But I do enjoy talking about football and sharing my opinions however mental people in comments might think they are.

On a different topic I was one of the few people who said Salah probably wouldn’t perform this season because he’s just signed a new contract. There’s actually studies which show that the best season a player has is when they’re in the final year of a contract and the worst one they have is the one directly after signing a new contract. I personally think it was a mistake to give it to him and would have offered one year only.

When players are younger that one average/poor year after signing is less important because they’ll bounce back but when you are 33 and have a bad year that next one probably isn’t a bounce back year.

I also think van dijk is showing his age now. He loses his man way more often now and he doesn’t have the pace anymore to make up for mistakes.

The only player I don’t understand is konate, he’s in a contract year wantinh to go to Madrid and he’s complete shit every week. He’ll be lucky to get a contract at United if he keeps up this current form.
Lee 

READ MORE: Liverpool scapegoat identified in Alexander-Arnold repeat which left Slot baffled in defeat

 

Liverpool’s ‘major overhaul’
A lot of the narrative around Liverpool this season has understandably revolved around their record spending. But one comment that keeps being repeated isn’t strictly accurate. It was in the Mailbox yesterday, where an Arsenal fan wrote that Liverpool “won the league and then added £400m of upgrades.” It’s also on the front page of F365, where they are described as “champions injected with a record investment of over £400m.”

That might be technically true, but it doesn’t tell the whole story.

The defence: At right back, Liverpool have lost Trent Alexander-Arnold. They’ve spent £35m, yes, but it’s a replacement rather than an upgrade, and arguably a downgrade. At left back, Milos Kerkez should be a long-term solution to what was a weak spot last season, but at 21 he’ll need time to adapt. At centre back, they’ve actually sold cover, leaving them thinner than last season.

The attack: This is often cited as a strengthened area, but in reality Liverpool haven’t added Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak to an already stacked attack. They’ve lost Jota, Díaz, and Núñez and replaced them. It’s not additional depth. It’s a reshuffle and should be an improvement in the long term, but you’ll notice that 2 players in less than 3 players and that is a squad depth concern.

Midfield: The one area that should have been an immediate upgrade is midfield, with Florian Wirtz brought in for creativity, goals, and line-breaking passes. But so far, that hasn’t materialised. If you’re being generous you’d say he needs more time to settle into a new league.

So yes, Liverpool have spent big. But framing it as £400m of “upgrades” ignores the reality: this is a squad in transition. It’s been a major overhaul, with key losses as well as new arrivals. That kind of churn doesn’t instantly translate into improvement. For all the talk of record investment, this Liverpool side is still finding its feet and this may not be the season of instant success that many were predicting.
Mike, LFC, Dubai

 

The green elephant
Never a pen but that’s bye the bye. When you lose the ball that often you probably deserve to lose. Top of the league and all that and I’ve enjoyed reading the indepth analysis and suggestions of how professional coach who sees the players everyday is getting it wrong. Don’t get me wrong, it’s certainly not working but…. there is a massive elephant in the room that nobody seems to notice despite it being there since the early 90s. When there’s green in the kit, our season goes to shit. In fact you can directly link our falling off the perch back In the 90s to the introduction of green.

So it’s definitely that. It is a really nice kit, but stop it.
Tom (How soon people forget about the effect the huge loss of friend and colleague Diogo must have had, and everywhere they go they are reminded of it.)

 

Salah absence boost
And lo, behold my favourite part of any season hoving into view: when Liverpool fans start to tell us what we’ve been telling them about their precious team (which they’ve been furiously telling us we were wrong about not 5 minutes ago). Well, apart from Lee, but he’s….. well….. Lee. Kudos to you Ed Ern, makes a change from the usual flag waving.

Look on the bright side Liverpool fans – Salah going to AFCON won’t make any difference to your winter campaign this season. Come to think of it, you might actually improve a little. Probably need to as well now Ickle Mikel has finally worked out it might be a good idea to play Eze as a 10. Galatasaray though lads. Really? 🤣
RHT/TS x

 

The great Roy Hodgson
To everyone crying over Liverpool losing to Galatasaray away.

In my life I think only one Liverpool manager has won away in Turkey….the great Roy Hodgson.

Palace was a bad day at the office for sure but sometimes losing and deserving it can be as valuable as being lucky and winning. Look at the run we went on after losing to Forest at Anfield last season. Also not sure PSG losing games in the groups mattered much last season.

Chelsea away is not the perfect fixture after the last two but I wouldn’t start worrying too much until we have looked abject and lose that one.
Minty, LFC

 

A Liverpool, Arsenal household
In support of Jamo from Nairobi, I too would like to see more emails such as Aidan’s.

My partner is a Liverpool fan and she absolutely hates any compliments/positive assessments from me (an Arsenal fan) about Liverpool because she sees it as an attempted reverse jinx. I have predictably been at the receiving end of plenty of “2nd again” jabs (maybe once or twice it was meant as a compliment….). My fairly tame retorts to her are dictated by my two core beliefs, the first that my day (the day Arsenal win a PL/UCL) will come. The second being that one poisonous rebuke too many and she will realize that she could easily realize that I am the Ballotelli (Liverpool version) before she lands her Salah or Man(e).
– Lash, Geneva

 

Wirtz whataboutery
Just read a stat that says Florian Wirtz has created the joint most chances in the PL this season.  Just sayin’.
Derek, LFC

 

Who is Omar Berrada?
With the situation as it is, I’ve been wondering who Omar Berrada is and why his views are so highly valued.

As we know, Sir Rat brought him in along with Ashworth (as Sporting Director to oversee the grand vision) and Wilcox (initially as Technical Director, to guide recruitment, then moving to Sporting Director once Ashworth left, and now Director of Football once Mr Marginal Gains left) replacing Darren Fletcher as they sought to sever any connection to the club legacy.

The story goes that Ashworth wanted to recruit a manager with appropriate league experience but was overriden by Berrada and Sir Rat who wanted a name with glamour and was underwhelmed by the realistic and sensible nature of the shortlist. Word is that Wilcox had doubts about the back three based on the state of the squad. But it was Berrada that pushed Amorim’s name.

Thing is, while Berrada was initially a commercial director and administrator who did work on partnerships for City (I’m sure his hands are 115% clean) with no football background, his own role prior to United shifted to overseeing player recruitment. But his big “signing” was Haaland. Well, that must have taken some research and insight.

Seriously though, this theme of getting actual footballing experts in and then ignoring them for the advice of someone more focused on commercial is bewildering and frustrating. Will this club ever learn? Seems not. Oh, the arrogance of billionaires.
Badwolf

READ MORE: The five people most to blame for the Manchester United mess

 

Sack the Man Utd DoF
Lots of talking heads chiming in on how Amorim should be sacked, but I ask, who is going to do better than him with a squad that has no proper midfield grafter or DM in it? Perhaps, instead of blowing £200M on three forwards, they could havesigned two of the three, and spent the rest on a top level no6. Fernandes, as talented as he is, will always be a square peg in a #6 shaped hole, and the less said about Ugarte the better, the man is simply not PL quality. If ManU had at least one CM of the quality of Eliott Anderson, Douglas Luiz, or Adam Wharton, they would look miles better. They should sack whichever clown is currently playacting as DoF at Manu, and whoever hired him while they’re at it.
Rob – bored at work.

READ MORE: Five reasons why Ratcliffe is right to pick Southgate as next Man Utd manager

 

Southgate for England
I have followed with interest the prevailing narrative on who should be Man United Manager after Amorim. Personally, I believe that Southgate will be successful at United for a number of reasons. That he did well for England is not in question albeit he did not win a major trophy partly because other teams were better. One key attribute is Southgae’s demonstrated good rapport with players. This is a good motivation for players. Recent United managers have had disagreements and conflicts with a number of players. Even a run in with just one player adversely affects the whole team as the players are a family. Sight should not be lost of the fact that Southgate is a veteran of the EPL.  For many years, he was a player in the EPL while he has management experience at both club and national levels in England. The point must further be made that, unlike some managers, Southgate is humble and gentle, not stubborn, not arrogant and definitely not authoritarian, factors which motivate and encourage players to play for the manager. In addition, he has demonstrated an ability to be flexible to change formations, tactics and team selection to neutralise and successfully counteract the approach of opponents. These qualities are lacking at United, contributing significantly to the club’s demise.
Professor (Dr) David Achanfuo Yeboah