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Email! “\u201cSlot has had a disastrous season in that he\u2019s shown no obvious ability to adapt or inspire in the face of adversity,\u201d reckons Niall Mullen. \u201cThat said, the adversity he\u2019s had to deal with includes the death of Diogo Jota as well as injuries to players including a torn ACL, a broken leg, season-ending knee ligament damage, and an Achilles tendon rupture. I\u2019m not sure I have any point other than perhaps Slot, while maybe deserving to be replaced as head coach, should probably be exempt from the banterpocalypse.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a thin line, isn\u2019t it? And I agree with your analysis: there are plenty of factors beyond Slot\u2019s control, but it\u2019s hard to see where the positive influence is, starting with the summer business and extending to the lack of physicality, concentration, organisation and zest.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Up front, meantime, Alexander Isak continues. In the extended absence of Hugo Ekitike \u2013 and achilles ruptures are among the worst for any sportsperson, just ask Neil Webb \u2013 Slot wants a reference point, rather than using, say Gakpo through the middle to get Ngumoha in. I\u2019d have gone with the latter and left out the former myself, but either way, he needs Isak to perform.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Otherwise, Florian Wirtz is again given a chance to assert and establish \u2013 the numbers and profiles behind him, more defensively minded, offer him yet some ballast, but does he have the necessary speed of thought and play, along with the required combativeness, to make a difference?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The problem he has is that he replaced two full-backs who were better in attack than defence, with \u2026 two full-backs who are better in attack than defence. Essentially, he doesn\u2019t have a combination that works, so has prioritised solidity and experience here, the new lads excluded. That means Dominic Szoboszlai again plays at the back, which means Liverpool<\/a> must do without their best midfielder in the centre of the pitch; I guess the plan might be for him to invert, but otherwise Slot will hope that the ball-carrying and tenacity of Curtis Jones compensate.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n So, why has Slot made those alterations?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Anyway, back to the teams, Everton are unchanged following their 2-2 draw at Brentford, while Liverpool<\/a> show four changes to the side that lost to PSG, Andy Robertson, Curtis Jones, Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo coming in for Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Alexis Mac Allister and Hugo Ekitike.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Make up your own minds:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Jamie Carragher then notes the \u201cbad luck\u201d, citing Harrison Reed\u2019s brilliant equaliser at Fulham; I\u2019m not sure we\u2019re aligned on what that means, because I watched that and saw skill Liverpool<\/a> failed to defend.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n We\u2019ll look at those more closely in a few, but Slot is on Sky explaining that Rio Ngumoha has been left out because you need to be cognisant of Everton\u2019s threat at set-pieces and how they like to play more generally. He also says it\u2019s good to have agile players, able to take on opponents one on one, available to bring on late.<\/p>\n He bemoans injury and bad luck for a bit too, though is less loquacious on any responsibility that might be his.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Teams!<\/p>\n Everton (4-2-3-1): Pickford; O\u2019Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Gueye, Garner; McNeil, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye; Beto. Subs: Travers, Patterson, Keane, Barry, George, Dibling, Alcaraz, Rohl, Iroegbunam.<\/p>\n Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Mamardashvili; Szoboszlai, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Jones; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak. Subs: Woodman, Pecsi, Kerkez, Mac Allister, Chiesa, Frimpong, Nyoni, Ngumoha.<\/p>\n Referee: Chris Kavanagh (Ashton-under-Lyne)<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Also going on for you:<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Preamble<\/p>\n Baking cookies or making stock with the lid off; visiting the smallest room and making use of all the rooms; we each have ways of turning a house into a home. Generally speaking, though, we tend to refrain from inviting round hated former neighbours in the hope of smashing them up in front of a worldwide audience; good old football.<\/p>\n Of course, in such context, such behaviour makes perfect sense: the thing that most firmly anchors us to a place is shared experience. Except those can be both positive and negative and so far, Everton\u2019s record in their new digs is spotty \u2013 they\u2019re 14th in the home table \u2013 as it is in home derbies \u2013 they\u2019ve won one since October 2010 and just four in the league this century. Which is to say can invite the hated former neighbours in, but there\u2019s no guarantee they won\u2019t wreck the gaff and you with it.<\/p>\n And there\u2019s more riding on this conflict than base hatred, delicious, affirming and deliciously affirming though it is: Liverpool<\/a> sit fourth in the league table and Everton 10th, but between the gap between the two is a mere five points. Consequently, the Champions League is in the grasp of the former but still attainable for the latter, with the Europa and Conference similarly in play \u2013 likewise Arne Slot\u2019s job, a state of affairs that seemed impossible just less than a year ago when he was dancing about as a champion.<\/p>\n But though the vibe in a home is a facility of the people in it, it quickly becomes clutter. Then if, on top of that, you toss in a load of posh but unnecessary furniture while ignoring the aspects of it which require urgent attention, it shouldn\u2019t be all that surprising when a mess doth ensue. Whether Slot is permitted to tidy it depends a lot on what happens this afternoon.<\/p>\n Kick-off: 2pm BST<\/p>\n