Liverpool ‘one-trick pony’ among five condemned but buck stops with Slot | OneFootball

Liverpool fans are wondering how they have a team of tippy-tappy merchants so soon after winning the Premier League.

Roy Keane is a bitter, twisted fool

Roy Keane is surely a man with absolutely zero self-awareness. His continued attacks on Michael Carrick, his grudging acknowledgements of what has been achieved, his previous attacks on Fernandes, his niggling comments about Ferguson – it all adds up to a bitter, twisted small-minded individual who simply can’t get over the way his career ended at United.

Why can’t he see how ridiculous he is making himself look? He’s alienating United fans who previously held him in high regard – now he just looks like a bitter loser. He was a great player and a truly dire manager. Ditto Gary Neville, and what has Scholes done since leaving United. Not one of them can point to a single managerial achievement of any note whatsoever, yet they are happy to sit in judgement, without the slightest acknowledgement that they had no ability whatsoever to do the jobs themselves.

Reality check guys – you were all massive managerial failures. ATG

Max impact

That Max Dowman. What. A. Player. He’s gonna absolutely rip it up for Madrid. RHT/TS x

(Spurs had a lucky escape being turned down by Slot before he went to This Means More FC)

…Just seen the Max Dowman goal. Are we sure this kid is 16? I demand to see his birth certificate!

If I was a 16 year-old (Year 11!) schoolboy prodigy footballer, for that youthful final flourish, I would not have simply slotted the ball into an empty net, but instead roll the ball towards the goal-line and swan-dive Klinnsmann-style on my belly to nut (or face-plant) the ball over the line to really milk the moment and rub Pickford’s nose in it.

That’ll probably be why I never threatened to make it as a footballer, but I’m not sure I could trust a 16 year-old who wouldn’t do exactly that thing. I blame that joy-vampire Arteta.. Lee, mentally 16

Stop watching Liverpool…

I laugh getting texts from my friends these past few weeks about Liverpool. The Premier League killed being a fan years ago so now the only point of watching is to be entertained. If you want to be fan, go support your local club in whatever country you’re in. And if you’re not entertained watching Liverpool, just stop watching and go for a walk or watch paint dry or something more fun than watching a billion dollars wasted.

The most galling part is that this team doesn’t have the legs to last 90 minutes anymore. So many late goals conceded due to defensive lapses down to tiredness. Mr. Klopp must not recognize his former players if he’s bored enough to watch them. Just incredible to play at a walking pace and not being able to go the distance.

I know we all say it, but I might really be done with the Premier League this time around because the juxtaposition between watching turgid sh*t on the field and reading about investments coming that could end hunger is just not healthy for the soul.

Really, $150M for a 19 year old with 12 appearances and no goals but we have to get him now before Madrid come sniffing? The product is just so crap. If you hadn’t killed what it means to truly be a fan, I might stick with you through the decline that’s coming as you play games in empty stadiums with lots of sponsors like Saudi Arabia. Enjoy it because I sure won’t. Niall, Annapolis

Firewirtz? More like gaslighting…

Let me start by saying, it was far from a bad performance by Florian Wirtz on Sunday against Spurs.

Often, he looked technically superior to his peers on the pitch. His interpretation of space, little touches and flicks around the corner and appreciation of passing options around him were enough to raise an aesthetic smile if not an audible gasp.

I can’t, however, be the only one who thinks that this talk of Wirtz “coming good,” as Jamie Redknapp put it, is premature at best.

There was a point, in the stodgiest part of the game, where Szboszolai put Wirtz in, who pirouetted and found Ngumoha across the other side of the box for a chance. Jamie Carragher purred in the commentary box, using that situation as further justification of Wirtz’s ability to pick the best option and weight of pass. Although it wasn’t the best weight of pass at all. It was slightly bobbled, slightly behind Ngumoha, to the point that he had to get in under control and back in front of him before he was able to have the shot. The perfect pass would have settled just in front of him, for him to come onto and hit first time, in a similar vein to his first goal against Newcastle.

This instance was just one indication of Wirtz’s performance on Sunday. So often he comes across as a player there to decorate a game, rather than grab it by the scruff of its neck (that’s become Szoboszlai). He’s good to watch, for sure. If you like football, you’ll like watching Wirtz – for the aforementioned technical qualities and his grace on the ball. And yet, he’s somehow the epitome of Liverpool’s ponderous attack. So often under Klopp, attacks were conducted at blistering speed, with the right pass made with a thunderous intensity and conviction. Wirtz, by contrast, often takes the extra touch, the elegant turn, the propensity for a glamorous flick – and that extra beat allows defences to reset, slowing Liverpool’s attack down. And in an era of, perhaps, unrivalled out of possession play – that extra beat is killing them.

You’d think the pundits would have noticed and remarked upon this, rather than constantly talking up Wirtz’s qualities. Wirtz may yet become the player pundits insist he already is. But on Sunday, the praise felt less like analysis and more like wishful thinking. Jenade Sharma, London

It all comes back to Arne Slot

In the mailbox, Gofezo calls out Szoboszlai for taking an interview when he felt Szoboszlai had essentially said he had no idea why Liverpool were letting in late goals. The assumption is that the player is putting his hand up to do the interview – and not that it might be requested by management or the broadcaster – especially after he scored another cracker.

Plus, the player doesn’t get to vet the (often stupid) questions beforehand. It is quite likely that he has some ideas, but he isn’t going to throw teammates or the manager under the bus during an interview.

Liverpool have been dreadful. Part of it was Jota, no doubt. But the continuation of that awful form is a mix of bedding in new players, players out of form, injuries, and the sale of Diaz. Diaz, along with Szoboszlai, was integral to the press, which kept opponents under pressure and minimized pressure on your own defence. With Szoboszlai held back at right back and Diaz at Bayern, the newbies, along with players not renowned for pressing like Gakpo and Salah, just aren’t cutting it. This throws the whole balance off.

So, Slot should take a lot of blame for this ongoing situation, as he has not been able to change Liverpool’s fortunes for any extended period. Continuing to play Gakpo, who slows down every attack when he isn’t running into a dead end, is disastrous. As a squad player, Gakpo had a role when Salah was on form and drawing most of the opponents’ attention. He also had Diaz, who absorbed opponents on the left or through the middle, which left Gakpo space to glide in at the back post. However, on his own, he is a one-trick pony, and every opponent knows the trick. Block his run onto his right foot, and suddenly, he’s completely useless.

As soon as I see Gakpo in the lineup, I know it’s going to be a tough game. And to think Slot gives Chiesa no minutes, even though he has been significantly better than Gakpo, benched Salah, had limited Ngumoha.

I also saw a note from Kevin asking why Kerkez played better last year than this year. Well, also consider that Kerkez has to play on the same side as Gakpo. Granted Kerkez didn’t help himself in his first few games, always trying way too hard (and should have been eased in, IMO) but Gakpo’s play inhibits Kerkez’s natural play.

But Slot should have worked some of this out. Apart from Gakpo, continuing to use Szoboszlai at right-back when it is clear the team needs his energy in midfield is just getting downright silly now.

In the end, there will come a point when the manager can’t regain enough respect, and he will have to be replaced, as it is easier to replace one person than a lot of the team. Especially with several great candidates in the wings.

The point is, the last person I would be getting on their back at Liverpool is Szoboszlai. Paul McDevitt

…Gofezo and a few others took their shot at the players in the afternoon. In truth I think it’s mostly Slot but maybe also some mishaps in the transfer market have been made.

If you think about our previous midfields they’ve been engine rooms where nobody could out work us. Milner, Henderson, Wijnaldum and Fabinho would run you off the pitch. You literally had no chance of putting in a bigger shift than our midfield. Was it stodgy at times? Yes. But Jesus it didn’t need to be much else because of Trent and the firepower ahead of it.

Now our best midfield players are maybe Szoboslai, MacAllister, Gravenberch and Jones. Let’s make no mistake these are all very tidy players; beautiful ball control, a lot of skill, vision and they can pass and shoot. But who brings the bite? Gravenberch definitely did last season and his awareness for danger was a real skill but it’s been a bit absent this year. Was it because Trent always left the gap so it was easier to anticipate where teams would attack us? Now we are terrible in myriad ways and so he doesn’t look like the second coming of Gattuso so much.

I love Ekitike but he doesn’t press like Firmino did and in truth even Nunez provided more off the ball defensive work than he does. It’s the luxury a goalscorer enjoys but it’s not a luxury a team can afford when we are terrible. If you’ve got him through the centre and Mo on the right then basically a team can transition with almost zero pressure. No wonder we look so porous as players have plenty of time to look up and pick a pass when we lose it in those areas.

Have we basically traded all our workhorses for a bunch of tippy tappy players who don’t combine to make the sort of team with the combative presence needed to win games? Minty, LFC

Damning Liverpool

The worst thing is that Spurs deserved it. Aidan, Lfc (how we’re 5th is an enigma wrapped in a mystery)

Favourites to go down?

Well, as a Spurs fan, that game was an experience!

Firstly, I’ve changed my mind about Tudor. I think he’s going to keep us up. The calamity on the disgraceful pitch at Athletico masked the fact that we showed periods where we looked better than we had in late-Frank era. Yesterday built on that, and we deserved a point, and.could have had three if only the goalkeepers were reversed.

Mike of West Ham thinks they are favourites to drop but I disagree: I’d put the house on Forest sinking.

Why?

One word: goals.

We’re scoring them, even when we’ve lost. Richarlison is exactly the kind of man you want in situations like this, as Everton fans will attest. Forest are desperately short of goals: we’ve scored more than any in the bottom six.

They don’t have a Richarlison. And while our GA tally is far, far.too high, Forest’s is higher.

We’re going to beat Forest and Wolves and we’ll nick a few more points too.

We’ll stay up. And then the inquest and rebuild can begin. Sam

Chelsea got off lightly

Chelsea’s punishment for historical financial breaches may be a record £10 million fine, but the reality is that the club have got off extremely lightly. In fact, the entire situation risks making a mockery of the Premier League’s claim that its rules are applied consistently.

Investigators found that between 2011 and 2018, during Roman Abramovich’s ownership, more than £47.5 million was paid through third-party entities to players, agents and others involved in transfers. Around £23 million went to unregistered agents, linked to deals involving players such as Eden Hazard, David Luiz, André Schürrle and Nemanja Matić. None of these payments were properly disclosed to the authorities at the time, which is a clear breach of the league’s requirement for clubs to act in good faith.

Yet the punishment amounts to a fine and a transfer ban that has been suspended for two years. In practice that means Chelsea face no immediate sporting sanction at all.

That is extraordinary when you consider that clubs like Everton and Nottingham Forest have been hit with points deductions for financial breaches in recent seasons. Other clubs have received transfer bans for far less serious regulatory violations. Chelsea, meanwhile, admitted to tens of millions in undisclosed payments across multiple transfers over several years — and walk away with what is essentially a financial penalty.

It is difficult to escape the conclusion that Chelsea have got off lightly.

The Premier League argues that the punishment reflects the club’s cooperation and willingness to self-report the breaches after the new ownership took over. But if admitting wrongdoing simply results in a manageable fine and a suspended sanction, the deterrent effect looks minimal.

And then there is the elephant in the room: Manchester City’s 115 charges.

Years after the investigation began, the case remains unresolved. The legal complexity is one explanation, but many observers suspect there is another factor at play — the uncomfortable geopolitical backdrop involving a club owned by Abu Dhabi and a league that must operate within the wider diplomatic relationship between the UK and the UAE.

Whether that influence is real or perceived,( oh it’s real) the optics are damaging. Smaller clubs have faced swift punishment for financial rule breaches, while the biggest and most politically sensitive case in the league’s history drags on endlessly.

For supporters, the message is becoming increasingly clear: the rules appear to exist, but the consequences depend on who breaks them.

Chelsea’s case only reinforces that perception. When tens of millions in undisclosed payments lead to little more than a fine and a suspended transfer ban, it inevitably raises the question of whether the Premier League’s regulatory system has any real teeth at all.

Right now, it doesn’t look like strong governance. It looks like a system struggling to enforce its own rules. Esco Pablabar, El Presidente De NoseBag FC