This Liverpool ‘not as dangerous’; surely their ‘luck’ cannot last under Arne Slot?
Is there some premature crowning of Liverpool or are they the real deal under Arne Slot? Plus, should Tottenham really get more credit?
Send your views on all subjects to theeditor@football365.com
Are Liverpool being crowned too early?
I have been called a lot of things in my life but Howard Jones suggesting that I might be a pretend contributor has really knocked me for six. I spent the day (in between work and typing this) pacing up and down the hall, occasionally looking into the mirror and asking myself “Am I real?” – I am having some sort of existential midlife crisis!
Howard offered me the red and blue pills and I took both, now I’m stuck in a scouse matrix being chased by Agent Tommy Smith and bumping into an oracle obsessed with facts and net spend! In reality, Howard just let a joke go over his head and needs to lighten up.
We’re only 10 games in and already the Liverpool fans are talking of titles and how Slot is the new messiah. Conveniently forgetting that Brighton should have been 4 or 5 up at HT at the weekend, they got lucky to get a draw against an injury-stricken Arsenal (does Salah score that goal with Timber and Gabriel still on the pitch?), Chelsea deserved a draw at Anfield (more clear cut chances), narrow wins against Wolves and Palace, and got beaten by Forest. The remainder were (four) good wins, including beating us at OT. But a bit of luck going the other way they’d be sitting 4th or 5th, and nobody could complain.
As it’s only ten games in it is difficult to draw conclusions, but comparing Liverpool’s averages for last season to this season:
fewer goals scored (2.3 v 1.9);
lower xG (2.4 vs 1.8);
fewer goals conceded (1.1 vs 0.6);
better xGC (1.2 vs 0.8);
lower possession (61.3% vs 57.1%);
lower successful passes in final third (112 v 94);
fewer goal attempts (20.8 vs 14.1); and
slightly lower big chances conceded (2.1 vs 1.8)
So thus far, better defensively but not as dangerous in attack – bearing in mind they had a relatively kind fixture list until recently, where they have been riding their luck, I do wonder if there is some premature celebrating going on in Merseyside. It’s definitely not like them e.g. booking redundant victory buses, this does not slip etc.
Let’s hear from the Liverpool fans what has changed tactically that makes Slot on a par or an upgrade of Klopp – and please back this up with evidence and stats, not armchair anecdotes and unnecessary personal insults.
Garey (the real slim shady) Vance, MUFC
READ: Liverpool nepotism eroding as Slot earns Alonso scalp with dream debut season gathering steam
Just checking…
So when does this tough run of games for Liverpool begin where Slot will be exposed as a fraud?
Shiraz, Johannesburg
On the F365 ‘characters’
Reading Howard’s mail on Tuesday morning got me thinking: how many folks here are proudly tied to a specific club? We’ve got a few obvious club ambassadors, like Badwolf, Stewie Griffin, and Barry Fox. But what about the rest of the league? Where are the diehard voices for every team?
I’d put myself forward as one of the Chelsea representatives, though I know there are others who do a far better job of waving the blue flag high in the mailbox. It’s a curious thing how people like Stewie Griffin have become fixtures here – distinct voices for their clubs that feel almost woven into the fabric of F365.
And as much as it might seem like they’re “characters,” I genuinely believe Barry Fox and the others are real people. It would take some serious dedication (and a touch of madness) for anyone at F365 to invent and maintain fake personas like these for so long. That’s next-level commitment!
The Admin @ At The Bridge Pod
Arteta out? Behave
Arsenal may not have been in North London “forever”, but we’ve been here more than a century, and also longer than Tottenham “Middlesex” Hotspurs.
As for the guff that’s currently being written about Mikel, the past month hasn’t been great, but the reason noone is linking Arteta with the sack is that it would be a stupid move for the likes of Watford – let-a-lone Arsenal.
The Bank of England club doesn’t do knee jerk or listen to the likes of Stewie.
I’ve only known FIVE Arsenal managers – Graham, Rioch, Wenger, Emery and Arteta in all the time I’ve supported the club and I’m perfectly happy with that.
Graham Simons, Gooner, Norf London
Some Spurs fans have their feet on the ground
F*ck me; a Barry Fox email and it only ranks third on the scale of “most deluded and indignant emails from Spurs fans”.
These people do no speak for the majority of Spurs fans who recognise that the club are getting just the right amount of praise and abuse for the entirely volatile approach to the season. A team who are either brilliant or awful – no one really knows – and often within the same five minutes. Managed by a coach who might be a charismatic genius, but is also dangerously stubborn and a spiky sore-loser to rival Jurgen Klopp. Again, often bringing all of these traits to the fore within the same presser.
It’s impossible to know what to make of anything going on there and vaunting their exploits with too high praise inevitably leaves you with egg on your face in fairly short order.
It’s a weird old season and I was discussing at the weekend whether, with Liverpool unlikely to sustain a full season title push under new manager; Rodri-less Man City looking uncharacteristically fallible; Arsenal a busted flush; Chelsea in “transition”; and Manchester United readjusting to what it means to be Manchester United Football Club in 2024, we could have an extremely open title contest and I’ve no idea what this means for Tottenham.
So my bet is for Spurs to find themselves by Easter in a two-horse title race with Nottingham Forest only to somehow finish third behind Arsenal.
Chris Bridgeman, Kingston upon Thames
…Oh my goodness me, you absolute bunch of doughnuts.
It was a really good week for Spurs. I’ve been writing in knocking Ange quite a bit lately. So fair’s fair, he deserves credit for two really good wins. Nice one Ange.
The Aussie chap telling the 365ers to lift their game (lol) wanted to talk numbers. Here’s some for you. Spurs PL away form. Played 5, lost 3, won 1, drew 1.
We’re f**king horrible away from home. Horrible. Did you watch the Coventry game lads? Some of these letters claim Ange is an elite manager with a plan B, C and D for when it goes wrong. He hasn’t even got a plan A away. We’re 7th because we can’t pick up points away. Had we replicated our home form, we’d have 26 points and be top.
So just stop. Stop writing stupid letters, stop playing ‘Freed from desire’ at the stadium when we beat West Ham. You’re very likely to look silly at the end of next season. I genuinely hope you don’t. But history would suggest you will.
Andrew
Ps Dom Solanke is a brilliant, selfless footballer. A lot of what’s getting created for the wingers is down to Solanke taking a couple of defenders with him on his barreling runs. I thought he might have got a mention in ‘winners’. Up your game 365 😉
Not an angry Spurs fan, just a disappointed Man Utd fan…
No one expects every winning team to be in the Winners and Losers. That’s a weak argument. However, given the narrative the site has been building, the suggestion that Postecoglou is on borrowed time, Spurs being “Spursy”, a crisis coming, thumping a team higher in the table, flying in the Champions League, after coming from behind, absolutely merits a spot in Winners and Losers.
I’m actually a Manchester United fan and quote frankly they deserve the ridicule they are receiving, but I’m offended by the clear bias in the writing at times, the knee jerk reactions. Disappointed too.
I respect you posting a critical letter, but it doesn’t take away from the fall away in the quality of the site
Fadida, Australia
Let’s hear it for the boy
I was proud — and strangely moved — to see my son Eli had a letter published in the Mailbox yesterday. It feels like just yesterday he came home from the hospital in a too-large Newcastle United onesie.
Anyway, it occurs to me that we could well be the first father-son contributors to the Mailbox. There’s glory for you!
Chris C, Toon Army DC