OFF THE BANDWAGON?

Having started the season playing badly but still managing to emerge victorious from every game, the widespread assumption was that Liverpool would inevitably get their act together, improve their performances and continue said winning streak. On the contrary, their level of performance has dipped even further and, in the process, they have become the first team in English top-flight history to win their opening five matches and then lose the next four. And while there’s no getting away from the fact that four consecutive Premier League defeats constitutes something of a crisis for the reigning champions, Football Daily is simply not prepared to accept that a team comprised almost entirely of whey-faced youngsters and senior reserves getting knocked out of Fizzy Cup by Crystal Palace should in any way be lumped into the same bracket as previous defeats. A cursory glance at both team-sheets before kick-off on Wednesday night suggested anything other than defeat for Liverpool’s C team would constitute an upset and have little or nothing in common with Arne Slot’s actual first team getting beaten in consecutive league matches by Palace, Chelsea, Manchester United and Brentford.

Having taken his players on away trips to London, Istanbul, London, Frankfurt and London again in five of their six matches leading up to this defeat at Anfield, Arne Slot decided that, with big games against Aston Villa and Real Madrid coming up, the tie against Palace was an ideal time to give most of his senior players a collective duvet day. His decision not to include them on the substitutes’ bench at least, in case of everything going sideways, subsequently attracted criticism, presumably from the kind of people who habitually turn up to and hang around their workplaces during their officially designated downtime, appropriately dressed and ready to step in just in case whoever happens to be providing cover for them isn’t up to the job. “It’s always a blow to lose a game, especially when it leads to going out of a competition but it’s the same selection I did last season in these rounds,” sighed Slot. “Our performance against Brentford, two days after we played Frankfurt away, I saw a team that struggled with ­playing three games in seven days.”

While Liverpool’s players might be struggling to cope with their current match schedule, it’s nothing compared to what Palace could face as their reward for swatting Slot’s kids aside: a potential scheduling nightmare. Drawn to play their quarter-final away at Arsenal, the congested calendar and lack of vacant midweek slots throughout December means Oliver Glasner’s side look likely to be forced to play four matches across three competitions in just eight days. While the EFL is reported to be in talks with stakeholders and the clubs involved to find a workaround, as things stand, Palace will play Manchester City, Arsenal, KuPS Kuopio and Leeds in a novel Sunday-Tuesday-Thursday-Sunday Premier League, Fizzy Cup and Tin Pot triathlon, during which they’ll barely have time to get their kit washed, let alone catch their breath and recover between games.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I would get up at five, drive the route, finish my shift at four-ish, train, get home at eight. When I did my coaching badges, I worked nights. People see all this now, but not what’s behind it” – Espanyol’s Manolo González gets his very entertaining chat on with Sid Lowe to talk about how he went from being a bus driver to a leading coach in Spain.

The Manolo himself. Photograph: Pablo Garcia/The Guardian

The piece on Shamrock Rovers (yesterday’s Football Daily) produced a flood of memories concerning this historic club. I recalled standing on the terraces of Glenmalure Park in the 1960s and 1970s as a regular supporter during many successful seasons. Sadly, the ground was sold in 1987 for property development. The Hoops remained homeless for 22 years before the construction of Tallaght Stadium, the finest in the league, became their home to this day. One shudders at the thought of the nature of the diatribe one minority shareholder would concoct in response to any calamitous collapse. Oh yes, it’s that man again with a fondness for investing in green-hooped league monopolisers, Dermot Desmond, with 25% of the shares” – John Weldon.

The recent Football Daily focus on the revival of long-throw merchants brings to mind Stoke City v Hull City in November 2008, when Tigers stalwart Dean Windass was booked while still on the bench. He chose to warm up energetically on the touchline alongside Rory Delap in a vain effort to distract the master of the long throw’s superhuman hurling of the ball into the Hull box. Despite Windass’s indignant protest (‘I was only warming up, ref’), on the second occasion he was rewarded for his efforts with a yellow card. Windass is also remembered as the only player in the Scottish Premiership to receive three red cards in one game while being on the pitch for just 20 minutes, playing for Aberdeen against Dundee in 1997; a second yellow and automatic red for enthusiastic tackling, the second red for subsequent abuse metered out to the ref; and the third for an assault on the corner flag on his way off. Class act” – David Burnby.

Send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s letter o’ the day winner is … David Burnby, who gets a copy of A History of Football in 100 Objects from the Guardian Bookshop, which has loads of other great football reads, too. Get shopping! Terms and conditions for our competitions can be viewed here. 

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BHOYS II MEN

Turns out the answer to finding someone to live up to Martin O’Neill’s glorious Parkhead legacy is … Martin O’Neill. Back at crisis club Celtic, the 73-year-old – once again clad in tracksuit rolled into socks and prowling his technical area in studded boots – showed the magic touch hasn’t deserted him. A 4-0 defeat of Falkirk lifted the gloom and cooled the embers of major shareholder Dermot Desmond’s flamethrowing of Brendan Rodgers, still keeping his own counsel after Monday’s dramatic departure. O’Neill’s powers extended to a wobble from Hearts, who could only draw 2-2 at St Mirren, closing their Scottish Premiership lead to six points. “I was concerned before the game, but that’s just a trait of mine,” roared O’Neill. “That’s something to do with my dreadful insecurity problems.” The calls for him to take the job beyond an interim period have already begun.

Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney get their touchline celebrations on. Photograph: Ian MacNicol/Getty ImagesRECOMMENDED PLAYING

The Guardian has kicked off a new chapter in puzzles with the launch of its first daily football game, On the ball. It is now live in the app for both iOS and Android … so what are you waiting for? Get stuck in!

NEWS, BITS AND BOBS

The news on Michelle Agyemang’s injury is not good, with an ACL confirmed for the Lionesses striker, on loan at Brighton from Arsenal. “I am so grateful for all the kind words and the support from everyone,” she said. “Recovery starts now.”

Liam Delap has become the sixth Chelsea player to be sent off in nine matches after being dismissed in the 4-3 Worthington Cup win at Wolves. “I take full responsibility for my actions,” he sobbed after two yellows in seven minutes. “I will behave next time.” Enzo Maresca’s advice: “Grow up.”

Max Dowman is now Arsenal’s youngest ever starter at the age of 15 years and 302 days, helping them to a 2-0 Carling Cup defeat of Brighton. “For him everything is natural, for him everything is OK,” tooted Mikel Arteta. “It’s the way he plays and that’s the secret, that he doesn’t make a big fuss of it.” Comparative pensioner Ethan Nwaneri, 18, opened the scoring.

Max Dowman in action against Brighton. Photograph: David Price/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

The Gunners will now entertain Crystal Palace in another Eze derby for the Littlewoods Cup quarter-finals, Cardiff are to host Chelsea, Manchester City will play Brentford after swatting aside Swansea, and holders Newcastle next face Fulham after giving Spurs the boot.

Serbia have handed their managerial reins to former Real Oviedo manager Veljko Paunovic in the wake of Dragan Stojkovic’s resignation. “Veljko Paunovic has shown from day one that he puts the interests of the national football team above all else,” whooped local FA suit Branko Radujko. “His priority was not a contract or financial terms, but to immediately make himself available and take over the team.”

And Eden Hazard, still just 34, and Gary Neville – whatever happened to him? – are the latest inductees in the Premier League Hall of Fame.

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MOVING THE GOALPOSTS

In our sister email, Moving the Goalposts – sign up here – Firdose Moonda welcomes newcomers Malawi and Cape Verde to next year’s Wafcon.

STILL WANT MORE?

Will Unwin hears about the road less travelled from Chelsea to Swansea to Roma to Liverpool to Milan to Sampdoria – among others – that took Fabio Borini to … Salford City.

There he is. Photograph: Joel Goodman/The Guardian

Ed Aarons looks at Max Dowman’s journey from Billericay to making history with Arsenal.

Leander Schaerlaeckens spent thousands of bucks and met the many ghosts in the machine of buying tickets for the Geopolitics World Cup. His main question is: who can afford to attend this?

And while the end of the Igor Tudor period was inevitable, Juve’s reformation will take time, writes Nicky Bandini, with Luciano Spalletti next in line.

MEMORY LANE

Thursday marks what would have been the 65th birthday of Diego Maradona. In Naples, a festival of remembrance is being held, while the Argentinian central bank has released commemorative coins depicting his solo goal against England at Mexico 86. Here, from 1980, is Maradona, 19, after a 3-1 loss at Wembley, England’s goals coming from David Johnson (two) and Kevin Keegan; Argentina’s came from a Daniel Passarella penalty after a foul on Maradona by Kenny Sansom. Maradona is pictured here having swapped shirts with Keegan, at that time the Ballon d’Or holder.

Photograph: Allsport, UK/AllsportThe scene in Naples today. Photograph: Matteo Ciambelli/Reuters‘I FEEL GOD IN THIS CHILI’S TONIGHT’