Liverpool FC: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly – EPL Gameweeks 34 & 35
The Reds cut through the drops and find themselves a new boss. The games against the blues was worthy of boos and as the boss prepares to call it a day, there’s still time for a spat on match day. In FPL a below average score, but still, I’m confident of more.
The Good
The Reds securing Jürgen Norbert Klopp’s successor in Arend Martijn “Arne” Slot. I’ve already made a nickname for him. If Liverpool remain as successful as they have been and become a well-oiled machine, we can call the Reds the “Slot Machine”!
I’m sure someone in the mainstream will “by coincidence” think of that. The amount of stuff these Journo’s come out with which has been on small “unknown” channels is absolutely unreal!
Anyway… the Dutchman is currently the boss of Eredivisie side Feyenoord who he has led to the Dutch cup and second in the league – almost!
I’m actually excited by it. Liverpool are a football club that rely on the fundamentals. I like that. In my day job, I work in a “market” let’s call it that. One of the first lessons I learned in said “market” was: you can’t beat the fundamentals. Look after the fundamentals and everything will fundamentally, look after you.
Liverpool have looked for a manager who is fundamentally good. Someone that has been successful, one small budget, at a “small” club and disrupted the status quo. Arne Slot machine has done that.
When you look back, Klopp was basically similar. A club that wasn’t the biggest, nor the smallest. Worked on a small budget and brought them success. One could argue the Bundesliga is better than Eredivisie.
Perhaps, but the fact is both clubs are similar status. Slot has danced with the big boys and not stamped on anybody’s toes. He’s gone with the music and kept his rhythm. An odd analogy but you get my drift.
The (Very) Bad
Losing the Derby to Everton at Hospitation Park on Wednesday. I would say this was the worst performance I’ve seen from a Liverpool team in recent years, but sadly, that wouldn’t be true.
That said, it was very bad, and that sums this Liverpool team. Sometimes they can be as bad as they are good.
In a game where everyone would have expected the high-flying Reds would be to much for their neighbours. How wrong they’d have been.
Everton simply wanted this match more. This Liverpool team has simply shown that they are a side in transition. Klopp rightly said this week – as I have pointed out also, nobody expected us to be where we are with the changes since last season. Yet, here we are.
The manner in which Liverpool conceded goals, much similar to against Palace, summed them up. Maybe a tad tired? A bit disorganised and ‘all at sea’? lacking direction or leadership?
Whatever it was, we lost and no amount of finger-pointing is going to change that. Darwin Núñez has been criticised a lot. Maybe unfairly, maybe fairly. As humans we all want someone/thing to blame for our misfortunes.
Never mind. Let’s just keep going. We can’t change that now.
The Ugly
Liverpool’s draw against West Ham which effectively ended their title hopes, and the spat between Mo Salah and Jürgen Klopp during the game.
The Reds were held to a draw at the City of London stadium on Saturday. The boys fell behind to a Jared Bowen strike and went into the break 1-0 down.
A rare Andy Robertson strike got Liverpool level, 15 minutes before Alphonse Areola’s own goal gave the visitors the lead their pressure deserved.
Unfortunately, the hammers were able to snatch an equaliser – against the run of play – when Michail Antonio headed home. Hard lines for Liverpool to end what was actually a much improved performance over recent games.
Being on the Spurs!
