Embarrassing comment reveals so much about Arne Slot and Eddie Howe | OneFootball

Arne Slot and Eddie Howe have been making headlines, the Liverpool and Newcastle United bosses with comments at their pre-match press conference.

United facing Fulham at St James’ Park this afternoon, whilst Liverpool travel to Brentford for an 8pm kick-off tonight.

Arne Slot declaring about Alexander Isak picking up his latest groin injury; “You cannot compare maybe a player that hasn’t played in pre-season at a smaller club than if you go to Liverpool.”

The Arne Slot Liverpool pre-Brentford match press conference having taken place first, it meant that the media could then ask Eddie Howe about the embarrassing Slot comment, when the NUFC boss took questions ahead of facing Fulham.

The journalists obviously rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of the Newcastle United Head Coach biting back.

What Eddie Howe actually answered with was this, when asked to give his reply to the Arne Slot sleight:

“I don’t think that’s wise for me to get involved in those discussions.

“Alex is no longer at this football club, so I won’t comment on it.”

This is a big reason as to why I love Eddie Howe so much, somebody who is such a class manager AND person.

As Newcastle United fans we know good managers, good people, when we see (and hear) them.

As well as being brilliant managers for United, Sir Bobby and KK were loved for how they behaved away from the actual matches, how they represented the fans and our football club.

We have seen and experienced plenty of the other kind (mis)managing Newcastle United, you can make your own list. We know the difference, we know when we have a good one. Rafa Benitez and Chris Hughton for example might not have reached the heights of Kevin Keegan and Sir Bobby when it came to achievements on the pitch, but they did well AND just as importantly, were great characters who spoke so well on our behalf.

Eddie Howe is the same, there is absolutely no way that he would belittle others, either out of spite or to deflect pressure…

This is the thing with Arne Slot.

All managers can look the part when everything is going so well, come over as really canny people and decent characters, such as you inherit a brilliant team from Jurgen Klopp and rivals Arsenal and Man City severely dip in form, allowing you to cruise to a Premier League title in your first season.

However, it is in adversity when you find out what people are really like, what their true character is.

Arne Slot has quickly found himself under severe pressure and us struggling to handle it. Liverpool had incredible luck and fluked so many wins in the opening run of matches, then suddenly hit a run of four defeats in a row, the luck was never going to last. The midweek victory over a poor Eintracht Frankfurt side has only eased that pressure slightly.

Many Liverpool fans have been very critical on how the team has been set up and played this season, honest enough to admit how average they have been. Fingers pointed especially because Arne Slot has broken the Premier League transfer record twice (Wirtz and Isak) this summer and when you include Kerkez, spent around £300m on a trio of players that have massively failed to impress. Indeed, vastly overpaying on the trio has actually made the team worse, the team that Arne Slot was so lucky to inherit from Klopp.

I think it is totally transparent that a severely under pressure Arne Slot, cynically used the ‘smaller club’ reference to get the headlines and in the belief it would be lapped up by Liverpool fans and dilute the criticism aimed at him by the supporters and media.

Arne Slot displaying a total lack of class.

What makes it especially amusing is that Arne Slot is acting like he has a stellar CV at ‘big’ clubs, whereas he is looking more and more like a one season wonder. So lucky to get the Liverpool job after a playing and managerial career limited to FC Zwolle, NAC Breda, Sparta Rotterdam, Cambuur, AZ and Feyenoord. A big/medium sized fish in a small Dutch pond.

My prediction is that in the not too distant future, Arne Slot will be back managing ‘smaller’ clubs.

In the years to come, his place in history will be seen as somehow who was incredibly lucky due to the circumstances surrounding his first season at Liverpool, then oversaw the most disastrous and expensive transfer window in the club’s history. Who proved himself a small-time manager and person and who will watch on (from Holland!!!) as Eddie Howe continues to build a brilliant future for Newcastle United.