Liverpool should sack ‘insufferable egotist’ Slot for ‘entertaining’ Rodgers as ‘featherweight’ slammed | OneFootball

Arne Slot, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Richard Hughes all take a particular paddling in an eclectic Mailbox which covers Arsenal, West Ham and more too.

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An unflattering Liverpool comparison

Liverpool are late-era Wenger Arsenal. The parallels are uncanny.

First, the football: endless backwards and sideways passing that adds up to precisely nothing. Then the selection déjà vu: a stubborn devotion to featherweight No.10s (Wirtz, Wilshere) who are about as much use as a croissant at a gluten-intolerance conference. The left-back situation is just as haunting (Kerkez, André Santos) — lads who look like they won a “be a Premier League footballer” competition on the back of a cereal box.

And the managers? Insufferable egotists, mistaking a fancy European accent for tactics, structure, or any discernible plan.

If we’re going to be served dull football, can we at least bring Rodgers back? At least his Brentisms were entertaining. Oliver, Liverpool

Slot out

I feel like Liverpool have lost a lot of points this season in games after the 90th minute.

Win/Lose/Draw is not really relevant; what does matter is that we look like shit. We are dire going forward. Our midfielder isn’t gung-ho attacking or super creative so why does it also offer no protection to our defence?

Why does slot persist woth Gakpo? The fact he scored is less relevant than the fact he is so predictable, wasteful and poor with the ball. For every goal there’s 5 good opportunities wasted. Case in point was when he’s on the byline and instead of a cut back he shoots into the side netting. Also when he’s too stupid to keep onside when Kerkez was making some rare progress on the left.

We have no control, we don’t look creatively good. We are the worst elements of teams who are perennially frustrated with their clubs (Spurs/Man Utd) and I don’t think we are showing signs of rediscovering anything like what made us great for a decade.

Edwards brought in Hughes as a former colleague and mate. Will he look at the data and push him out if he sees in the numbers what we fans feel week in week out? Will he see that every game we play is now a coin toss and move Slot on? Does he have ego or is he relatively open to looking at this stuff honestly? God I hope something happens because this is a bit sad. Minty, LFC

All square at the Etihad

Oh well.

I suppose the only thing left to hope for this season now is for Arsenal to find some new, unchartered route to f**king this up yet again.

Because God knows, just like last season when they and City basically handed it to Liverpool on a plate, it’s City and Liverpool who are gift wrapping it to them this time round.

It’s a pretty sad indictment of the quality of the league that all that is left for the other 19 teams outside of the Emirates is a weekly hatewatch. Andy H, Swansea. 

Wet Sham

You may have read Matt Stead’s account of West Ham’s debacle at Molineux. But having watched the match, I’m not sure he or anyone else could do justice to the sheer awfulness of the Hammers’ performance.

Wolves let them have the ball and they hadn’t the slightest idea what to do with it. There was little movement, little plan except for Crysencio Summerville occasionally trying to beat a defender. Their first shot of any kind didn’t come until added time in the first half, and then it was from well outside the penalty area.

In midfield, 21-year-old Soungoutou Magassa looked so out of his depth he might as well have been in the changing room. Freddie Potts, 22, wasn’t much better. Both got yanked at halftime, but the improvement was largely cosmetic.

As for the back line, the less said the better. Centre-halves Konstantinos Mavropanos and Max Kilman were statues. Another youngster, left-back Oliver Scarles, was outpaced and outclassed. That the score finished only 3-0 was a testament to keeper Alphonse Areola, who made two very good saves and one that was absolutely world-class.

As for Wolves, they’ve been quietly improving in recent weeks and had their coming-out party today. They’re unlikely to get 70% of their shots on target again, but they looked like a real football team, with a clear plan and solid execution. Too far off the pace to survive, but they’re no longer a patsy. Their long-suffering fans should have a fair bit to enjoy the rest of the season.

Of course, the Hammers are nowhere near relegated yet. But that was beyond dreadful. if they don’t get anything Tuesday evening home to Forest, Nuno has to go. Peter G, Pennsylvania, USA (looking forward to FIFA’s inaugural Invasion Of A South American Country That Never Qualifies For The World Cup So They Deserve It Prize)  

This means meh

Have to agree with Colin’s assessment that Liverpool’s season is “meh”…

…because it’s okay to have a relatively sht season after winning the league,  changing too much of the 1st eleven, and still having a shot at a couple of cups and top 4/5. Aidan, Lfc (neither in the gutter nor looking at the stars, just “meh”)

Thomas Frank out

Omg Ant I’ve never felt such total agreement with anyone in the mailbox.

What gets me is the extra effort it must take to chew like that – seriously just why??

Yours in total pettiness Sara HTFC

Amorim a day keeps the doctor away

As soon as wolves played Manchester United…..May I introduce you to “DR MAN UNITED”. NIKUNJ ‘MUFC’ SOLANKI, Mumbai (Dosent sound as cool as Tottenham though)

That Leeds vs Man Utd has to be some of the most boring football I have ever seen. And it was before a ball was even kicked.

United started with 6 defenders, 4 CBs, one defensive fullback Dalot, one Semi pro miraculously injury free this season Shaw as other fullback and Dorgu , an another fullback on the wings. And 2 defensive mids.

That awful lineup reminded me of Fergie starting 7 defenders against Arsenal in a cup, that we still easily won 2-0 , and most importantly gave some entertainment by starting the Da Silva twins on wings who played like 2 gremlins unleashed on Wenger’s ” proper football”

Today’s game wasn’t that, even though we created some decent chances, and if not for some Better finishing from Sesko, we could have won.

It was dull, boring, and most importantly thats the best Amorim could do under the circumstances. We even bloody conceded on counter with that many defenders on pitch,  there needs to be an inquest on that goal.

For all the talk of 343 formation,  I still dont see any sexy wingbacks being linked. Bruno and Mount are out injured, Mbeumo and Amad are out for AFCON and Mainoo is performing his best Houdini impression. A different manager would have tried one of the Fletcher twins, or Lacey On wings but Amorim isn’t one.

I really dont know if Amorim is challenging the board to sack him, or if the Youth players really not fit for first team but God, If I see Martinez Heaven Yoro Shaw Dalot Case and Ugarte in the same 1st team eleven I ll stop following football and go watch paint dry or something. -Rahil (always thought watching football was supposed to be entertaining,  would give up my left kidney for Ole’s covid ball with Bruno behind Cavani/Rashford/martial) 

Master classes

Totally agree with Minty. Referees, players and managers alike, are hardly made of stellar mental stuff. Heck, that’s why players are lauded when one of the red tops hears they do a crossword rather than playing Fortnite.

But Minty’s email also dredged up thoughts from the past, when Sralex wrote his book on leadership and even lectured at Harvard University.

It threw up images of hardened US CEOs kicking Gucci brogues at the management team after a bad quarter.

It shows how anyone can pass themselves off as a leadership guru today, and it will be lapped up by brain-dead businesspeople. Just waiting for the next batch of guru talks:

Jim Jones on ‘Retention Strategies’ and ‘Maximising Buy‑In.’ Charles Manson on “Personal Branding” and “Influencing the Next Generation.” The Reverend Sun Myung Moon on ‘Scaling Culture’ and ‘Mass Weddings as Team‑Building Events.’

And for the sports side:

A Lance Armstrong masterclass on ‘Ethical Marginal Gains.’ Diego Maradona on ‘Managing Lines of Communication. ’
Tonya Harding on ‘Eliminating the Competition.’

Feel free to add your own Master Class. Paul McDevitt

Taking the peace