Arne Slot\u2019s title win is being roundly disparaged because of what Liverpool were up against last season as he did little more than \u2018keep them ticking over\u2019 with Jurgen Klopp\u2019s team.<\/p>\n
Manchester United fans are enjoying football, there\u2019s some response to the mail from Rwanda and some nostalgia over the Premier League mavericks.<\/p>\n
Send your thoughts on anything and everything to theeditor@football365.com.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Slot just \u2018kept them ticking over\u2019 To that I\u2019d say that he\u2019s ignoring the key factor in why Liverpool won the league last year \u2013 Manchester City. City had a massive off-year, finishing 19 points worse off than they did the year before. Arsenal too, 15 points worse off.<\/p>\n Liverpool won the league last year with a pretty low points total by modern standards (not a criticism, they were the best team and deserved winners!) but Slot didn\u2019t really do anything more than keep them ticking over \u2013 again, not a criticism, look what happened when David Moyes decided to tear up what worked for Fergie and start again!<\/p>\n If Klopp stayed an extra year, he\u2019d of probably won the league last season. A N Other basically competent manager probably would\u2019ve.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve had a necessary big turn over in the summer. Slot passed the test of time not ballsing-up a good thing last season but now the challenge is to build something new. He may or may not be up to it! \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018A mop\u2019 would have won the league So Jamie O\u2019Hara\u2019s point absolutely stands, Slot won the league with Klopp\u2019s team and now we are seeing what he is really like as a manager with his own team. Last season they were up against an Arsenal team that were ruthless in their refusal to take advantage of any Liverpool slip up and never put them under any pressure at all. I am pretty sure I could\u2019ve been Liverpool\u2019s manager last season and they would\u2019ve still won the league. In fact\u00a0a mop could\u2019ve been in the dugout draped in an Armani parka and they would\u2019ve still won the league. \u00a0<\/p>\n Slot still \u2018Tcupping\u2019 Thinking Clearly Under Pressure.<\/p>\n While last night was another poor result for Liverpool, the one positive is that Arne Slot is still clearly Tcupping.<\/p>\n He could have played to the gallery and gone with a much stronger side. Many coaches might have, after the recent run of results.<\/p>\n But instead he made a pragmatic and correct decision to go as weak as possible. Knowing as he does that last season\u2019s League Cup, with two semi final legs and a (lost) final all dotted around an FA Cup game and a CL tie vs PSG, ultimately cost them the chance to add more trophies and contributed to fatigue levels. Not to mention a far more important match v Villa on Saturday.<\/p>\n It may not feel like it right now, but freeing up that calendar space \u2013 while it\u2019s likely that Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle knock several shades out of each other in two legged semi finals in January \u2013 might just be an inspired decision.<\/p>\n Time will tell of course. But there\u2019s no doubt Slot is still thinking clearly, which bodes well. \u00a0<\/p>\n Slot and Kevin Pietersen Reminds me of when KP was batting for England and he had a \u201cweakness\u201d against left arm spin. However, what was happening is that when he came in to bat, the bowling side would put a left arm spinner on.<\/p>\n Given he was always going to get out at some point, and given they are quite hard to score runs off, was it a weakness, or was it just a case of prophecy.<\/p>\n When a team mainly scores from set pieces because they have 40 in a match, does that mean they\u2019re good at set pieces or does it just mean by the law of averages, they will eventually score from them.<\/p>\n Fwiw, I think the goalkeeper and fullbacks are key here. When you have new players in each of these positions, how the ball comes in will be different and what the keeper does next will be different.<\/p>\n Whether Trent was a good defender or not, he was consistent. You knew what was gonna happen.<\/p>\n With Kerkez and whoever is on the right next, neither Konate or Van Dijk know, and the keeper has no chance of knowing.<\/p>\n Anyway, back to work. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a3400m victims So, and let me just clarify this Arne, because I want to be absolutely sure I have this right: You\u2019re saying you\u2019re the victim of the bigger boys spending<\/a>, and it\u2019s not your fault? Despite being reigning champions who just broke the transfer record twice as part of a \u00a3400m summer window?<\/p>\n I\u2019d say it\u2019s a very good thing indeed that this noble club\u2019s fans really mean it when they warble their maudlin pre match ditty, so you will never, ever, walk alone my son. Ask Trent. Or Karius.<\/p>\n \ud83e\udd23 \u00a0<\/p>\n Meaning more It really must mean more\u2026 \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Man Utd excitement Talking about cycles is a good way to address \u201cP Didi\u00a0He Not\u201d\u2018s opinion on a broken league. It wasn\u2019t too long ago people were bemoaning Mourinho\u2019s habit of parking the bus and losing the keys and Many managers have been told that a strong defense is more likely to keep you in the Prem than free flowing YOLO football (a la Blackpool in 2011). I\u2019ve also seen videos on Instagram complaining about it; specifically one doorknob who made a big deal complaining about how Liverpool can\u2019t score because every game they\u2019re having to score against 11 men in the box. Ignoring how obviously dumb that is, this Liverpool team is not the only team to have to try to find a way through the bus. In the eternal flux of football, these things come and go. It\u2019s the nature of the game. If you can\u2019t score goals against a strong defense then there is this guy who gets paid lots and lots of money whose job it is to find a way to get around that\u2026..something starting with an \u2018M\u2019?<\/p>\n Finally a quick word on \u201cTuriyo Damascene\u201d\u2018s letter. I understand your frustrations about what you perceive as people conflating Rwandan tourism with Rwandan government activities but unfortunately that is what happens when your government funds a rebel paramilitary group to destabilise the Eastern Congo so it can pilfer gold and precious metals to be exported. Rwanda has even faced sanctions because of the questionable nature of where this gold, and other conflict minerals, are coming from. Visit Rwanda is just an example of SportsWashing and it shouldn\u2019t have a place in football; it should be apolitical and any hint of dodginess should preclude you from any football related advertising etc. I understand that doesn\u2019t reflect you as a person but unfortunately it is the policy of the country you belong to. READ MORE: The five \u2018right\u2019 signings Manchester United should make after statement of intent<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n So long, Badwolf After actively campaigning for both the sale of our Captain and best player (who since his debut for Utd in 2020 ranks 1st for: appearances, goals, assists, shots and chances created), and the sack of Amorim, was I the only one to pick up on some poetic irony in this mail? To then castigate the modern game for being too short-termist and unable to bond with players \/ managers stands in stark contrast for Badwolf\u2019s consistent calls to sell any of the squad he doesn\u2019t personally like, sell our captain and sack the manager. Ironic indeed.<\/p>\n It appears that rather than the game being short-termist (which there are arguments for ever since Abramovic) this is instead a personal issue, where BW has unfortunately joined Player FC as opposed to Manchester United FC. By deciding that Marcus Rashford could do no wrong (despite the obvious\u00a0evidence to the contrary, with Belfast just the latest example), that Bruno was \u2018useless\u2019 and the manager needed the sack \u2013 then the only way for this to end to BW\u2019s satisfaction is the return of Rashford, sale of Bruno and sacking of Amorim. Again this stands in stark contrast to the core of his mail.<\/p>\n I think for the vast majority of supporters, the club still remains the priority, which is at it should be. Fergie famously said no player is bigger than the team, and the club is what will endure long past even legends have retired. So for his own sake maybe a breather and some introspection will do BW the world of good \u2013 but the rest of us will continue supporting the club rather than players. \u00a0<\/p>\n Maverick nostalgia
Quick counter-argument to Jason Souter\u2019s piece<\/a> saying everyone saying that Slot \u201conly won with Klopp\u2019s team\u201d is missing the point that Klopp couldn\u2019t\/didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Andy (MUFC)<\/p>\n
I think there is an important caveat in your statement<\/a> \u2013 \u201cJamie O\u2019Hara argues that Liverpool boss Arne Slot won the Premier League title with \u201cJurgen Klopp\u2019s team\u201d, but not even Jurgen Klopp won the Premier League with Jurgen Klopp\u2019s team\u201d. Klopp didn\u2019t get to face the 24\/25 versions of Man City and Arsenal, who went from achieving 91 and 89 points in 23\/24 to achieving 71 and 74 points in 24\/25 respectively. Klopp\u2019s 82 points in his final season would\u2019ve been enough to win him the title by 8 points last season.<\/p>\n
Seamus, Sweden<\/p>\n
There is a saying in sporting circles, you may have heard of it \u2013 called Tcup.<\/p>\n
Andy H, Swansea.<\/p>\n
Seeing Slot talking about not conceding from 14 out of 16 set pieces and then everyone saying Liverpool are week when it comes to defending set pieces.<\/p>\n
Rob, Hove<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw Manchester City\u2019s starting eleven and they didn\u2019t have one starter from the weekend, but it felt like their best team. That is a bit of an insight. Chelsea can bring Estevao in. After I made two substitutions tonight, we had six teenagers.\u201d<\/p>\n
RHT\/TS x<\/p>\n
Did Lee really watch 30 hours of Feyenoord games<\/a> just because Liverpool appointed their manager?<\/p>\n
Chris, NUFC<\/p>\n
Some decent pieces in the mail box<\/a> and \u201cMatt Fun to Watch Man Utd\u201d really did resonate with me. The sentiments are so similar to mine that I could have written that article; just\u00a0probably not so well. People always ask me how I feel about United\u2019s predicaments over the last few years and it\u2019s really something you have to be zen about. Football moves in cycles and you can never be at the top of the pile indefinitely. It would be naive to think you can so any long term football fan has to be content with being rubbish every now and then. All this too shall pass, you never step into the same river twice etc etc. And although we might not be on the precipice of greatness again I do agree with Matt, there is something exciting and fun to watch\u00a0about\u00a0United football again, beyond the nailbiting\u00a0anxiety of how long until Onana absolutely f#$@s it again. Even if we\u2019re not winning anything just yet it is heartening to see some passion and excitement after years of apathy.<\/p>\n
Sincerely,
Less Disgruntled RSA
P.S. Turiyo you guys might have tonked us in Goma but at least we\u2019re going to the World Cup!<\/p>\n
Imagine my surprise when reaching the end of a mail<\/a> that included (1) no sweet nothings about Utd\u2019s best player, Marcus Rashford; (2) some general whining about how Bruno Fernandes is annoying (who actually IS Utd\u2019s best player); or (3) usual Amorim out rhetoric.<\/p>\n
LOH, London
P.S. imagine not enjoying beating Liverpool at Anfield! Some fan.<\/p>\n
Have to agree with a lot of the recent discussion about the general quality of gameplay in the league dropping over recent years, with the lack of truly exciting players like Hazard, Berbatov, Ozil, Zola etc. What made those players so great was not just the obvious skill, but the lack of (or perceived lack) of work ethic going with it. As system based \u2018philosophies\u2019 have taken over individual players matter less, with the best sides of the last fifteen years prioritising the overall team rather than squeezing in the luxury players of the past.<\/p>\n