They will fade away with the daffodils as per the last few seasons.
I don't think they will this season, they are the the most complete team and operating at closest to their best. At city we have a lot further to climb to our peak as the likes of Cherki and Rijnders get up to speed with the PL, but really we need Rodri to be back at near his best to challenge for the PL title or the CL, and unfortunately I am now starting to worry that might never happen.
Slot is clearly struggling at Liverpool, he flattered to deceive last year as everything just fell into place, and this year he has a challenge to adapt that he so far shows no indication he is up to, although with that squad if it does click they should be formidable.
The gooners have had the closest to an "injury crisis" of the expected title challengers so far, and it has barely knocked them off their stride, maybe if it was the back line rather than the front line where they are well stacked the impact might be different, but no one should be relying on that to happen.
Mind you all the pundits were already to hand the title to the "winners of the transfer window" not much more than a month ago, so everything can still change.
I do wonder how much Jota's passing has affected Liverpool's team - they just seem to be in a funk, which is odd considering how they started the season.
Everyone else just when you think they're putting a run together the wheels seem to come off. I wonder if Newcastle will be able to string a few results together or if they only show up when the opposition is decent.
which is odd considering how they started the season.
Liverpool started the season winning games without playing well and looking very disorganised in defence. They now look disorganised throughout and the one summer signing that actually started well is no longer starting as Slot tries to fit Isak (he's playing exactly the same now as he did for the last 10 games at Newcastle) into the team to justify the cost of signing him, ignoring the fact they looked more of a threat with Ekitike up front
Liverpool finished last season not playing well.
They have spent a fortune and bought very unbalanced squad additions.
It seems that Isak's head has gone, he was always a confidence player and he is very injury prone. At Newcastle the whole team and system of play was designed to feed him and get the ball to him in shooting positions. Newcastle paid £60 million+ for him and a lot of people questioned it. He only scored 6 league goals in his last season at Sociedad. Maybe 24-25 was his high point?
How long will Liverpool keep Slot? They have some very winnable league games coming up, WHU, Sunderland, Leeds and Wolves. If he drops a few points will he make it to the transfer window?
I would expect them to win 3/4 of those. In theory this season's Forest should be a winnable game, & we all saw how that worked out.
Sunderland gave Arsenal a hell of game.
As defending champoions who have added to their squad - the only really tough games this season should be against the title challengers & maybe Champs league chasers. All the other games should be considered winnable.
As a Gooner with more scars of disappointment over 50-plus years of following them than I care to count I’m not getting carried away just yet. However, results over the weekend were very kind and if I may indulge in a little optimism at this point, we have a complete front line waiting to return from injury (although the barn door we bought for Jesus’s shooting practice is still unmarked I hear). All the top teams have a two games a week schedule into the New Year from here which means a lot of points to be won and lost. If momentum counts for anything, Chelsea are shaping up as the dark horses this season as Maresca now seems to have settled on a winning structure out of the squad he inherited, and it just so happens they are our next opponents; a six-pointer if ever there was one.
WTF was Pep doing last night - fielding a weakened side in the Champions League after losing to Newcastle at the weekend?
Chelsea had a shocker - winning against Barca, never saw that coming
yeah but.....obviously not the preferred outcome for Pep but the new CL format allows you to have an off/rest night at this stage. I have no idea how the Man City PL and CL fixture list looks, but as a Gooner we were discussing whether we actually need to field a first choice eleven against Bayern given where we are in the CL table and with Chelsea at the weekend. Mikel tends to work his first choices hard but given the depth of squad and some players returning from injuries the temptation to change things up must be quite high.
It seems that Isak's head has gone, he was always a confidence player and he is very injury prone.
I stand by my view that much of Isak's 'success' in the last couple of seasons is down to Eddie Howe. Without Howe's man management and willingness to build the team around him he's a fairly average player. He's not going to get the close attention and focus from Slot, and that's going to end very badly for both of them. I'd be worried about Liverpool poaching Howe once they dump Slot but apparently all the bridges have been burned between Howe and Isak and also Richard Hughes so we can probably be confident it won't happen.
it’s not just Liverpool you need to worry about though.
I’m still sticking with my prediction that Amorim will be sacked before Christmas, then the managerial merry-go-round will receive yet another spin.
I know he’d have to be mental to go to Old Trafford, but that hasn’t stopped the last few, and it’s a massive payout when you’re sacked too in 12 months time
Watched the Chelsea game last night and when they click - they are very good. Took a very good PSG side apart last season.
@dazh I agree with a lot of that post but I disagree that Isak is "fairly average". He's a very good player but he's very high maintenance.
Howe has a big decision coming up, what to do with Pope, he's made some critical saves in the last 2 games but that howler last night cost Newcastle the game. The 2nd goal was direct result of the shock of the 1st.
My impression watching highlights and games is that Isak at Newcastle did his best work playing on the break and in open games whereas playing for Liverpool he is in theory going to be up against a low block for much of his time.
As for Pope.....the first change is Ramsdale....a man relegated three times in five seasons.
Howe has a big decision coming up, what to do with Pope
Never been a fan. Preferred Dubravka TBH. There aren't many, but one of Howe's weaknesses is his unswerving loyalty to some players no matter how they perform. You can add Bruno and BDB to Pope. They're great players, but they're not undroppable, and playing them every single game is affecting their performances and blocking other players who deserve a chance.
it’s not just Liverpool you need to worry about though.
As much as I don't want to lose Howe, it would open up the opportunity to get someone else like Iraola or Glasner. Howe is great but he's not perfect. You only have to look at our away performances this season to see that. And besides everyone knows he'll be going to England after Tuchel.
Such was the enthusiastic welcome for Kane from the Arsenal fans he fell over.
You know things aren’t going well for Liverpool when West Ham away looks unwinnable! What a shocker, Slot must be due a vote of confidence soon.
The Liverpool situation has once again underlined just how difficult it is to follow a successful manager when that manager quits on their own terms. And it has also made a mockery of his supporters who proclaimed last season as a coaching success rather than the actual alternative thought that he was a very lucky man to have inherited a team (especially midfield) which Klopp had overhauled.
I watched Liverpool last night and they weren't terrible, a few silly mistakes made the difference (Van Dijk, Kerkez, Konate) but for a lot of the game they looked the better side. I don't get some of the team selection with Kerkez preferred to Robertson and Gomez not getting a look in at right back. Confidence is clearly gone in the team but in the Premier League I think you can put a lot down to the quality of the league, there's no easy wins and a bit of bad luck and poor form can really hurt. Liverpool might have won the PL last season but they hardly played fantastic football for the most part.
I think it’s a bit harsh on Slot crediting the title last year to Klopp. Klopp didn’t win it with the same squad the season before - and Slot changed the midfield by playing Gravenberch at 6, which was lauded as master stroke at the time, given Klopp didn’t even play him. He definitely tweaked things, being less gung ho than Klopp. The 84 pts jibe is a bit of a misnomer too, they still won the league by 10 points and it was won by February in reality. And the football was great - top scorers by a distance.
Seems apart from City defending the Premier League is bloody hard - and shows how good they were/are.
I’d be interested to hear how much influence Slot has had with the signings. Klopp eventually had total control which contributed to Edwards leaving, I wonder if Slot has less?
Losing Diaz has been a blow but he wanted to leave, but maybe they just have loss of Trent is even bigger? Despite not being a great defender he was integral to the system.
I think they just have to go all in with Wirtz to be honest, and play him as a 10, or a free role.
OMG no. Thought he was destined for United before Amorim’s mini revival. Iraola would be good I think. More Klopp like in intensity.
That is surely fake!! Here are the current odds. (Klopp 2nd favourite??)
As a neutral oberserver, I would love to see little Stevie G take the job. It would be hilarious, except for LFC fans. How can we make this happen?
Xabi Alonso 5/2
Jurgen Klopp 3/1
Oliver Glasner 6/1
Andoni Iraola 8/1
Simone Inzaghi 8/1
Steven Gerrard 12/1
Zinedine Zidane 16/1
Unai Emery 20/1
Fabien Hurzeler 20/1
Roberto De Zerbi 20/1
Diego Simeone 20/1
Luis Enrique 20/1
Julian Nagelsmann 20/1
Marco Silva 20/1
Xavi 20/1
Gareth Southgate 25/1
It has to be fake, but I thought I’d post it up just because it’d be hilarious!
It’d be Woy Hodgeson all over again. The scousers would go into meltdown 😂
Simeone would be fun! Dude can start a fight in an empty room. Alonso knows Wirtz well but also happens to be Real Madrid manager, although they’re only ever a few games from the sack and Vinicius is sulking already.
If Arsenal blow the league this season it will have to be the most remarkable failure in their proud history of choking.
Sunderland winning again, after going 2-0 down.
Not looking forward to the derby next month.
Big win for Reading today. First away from home this season. New manager and ownership spells a glimmer of light.
Shrewsbury town looked much improved this afternoon as we put three past Gillingham.
Unfortunately we then conceded three, and finished the day one point above the relegation zone. But, you know. Baby steps
Sad news for West Ham fans: Billy Bonds has died. RIP Bonzo.
If Arsenal blow the league this season it will have to be the most remarkable failure in their proud history of choking.
Patience, dear boy. Let them christmas out of the way first before 'doing an Arsenal' from January onwards.
The table is bonkers at the moment. We've just fluked 3 points and gone from 12th to 6th
City are playing abysmally for large chunks of their games and still are somehow second. Like I say, Arsenal have no real competition for the title this season, if they throw this one away it will be talked about by historians in hushed tones centuries from now.
If Chelsea beat Arsenal today, they go within 3 points. City are only 4.
There is a lot of football to be played yet.
Anthony Taylor is going to ruin this game. 25 mins in and he's booked 4. It's just a feisty derby not malicious.
That was a nasty one mind.
It’s all getting a bit handbags, this
Sturridge and Walcott in the studio. Jesus wept.
Sturridge should only be allowed on with Roy Keane who fixes him with a look of utter withering contempt whenever he opens his mouth
Sturridge is wearing the same leather vest our coalman wore in the 70's. Maybe he's moonlighting.
Sturridge should only be allowed on with Roy Keane who fixes him with a look of utter withering contempt whenever he opens his mouth
I thought that was just Roy's natural expression?
It is indeed, but he ups the intensity of it quite a bit when Sturridge starts
Unsurprisingly really, as he talks utter nonsense!
Some mad game going on down in Fulham.
As a Leeds fan, I'm kinda disappointed we only put 2 past Man City's woeful defence at the weekend.
On the other hand, how hilariously desperate are Man City. Donaruma faking an injury at the weekend to give Pep time to give his players a little team talk when they were being battered by a crap Leeds team and last night doing the same. Taking every available second for a goal kick and throw in. Cherki going down under nothing and Foden's desperate little monkey face beckoning the medical team onto the pitch to wind time down. Just play football...
Just in case I didn’t already hate everything about international football quite enough…
Just in case I didn’t already hate everything about international football quite enough…
No need for all that nonsense
Just get Rod Stewart well oiled
Watching Leeds Chelsea tonight, I'd imagine the half 'n half scarf seller won't hit his target tonight.
Rod Stewart, tanked up, at the opening ceremony would be bloody brilliant!
More interesting results tonight and Leeds v Chelsea… I called the exact score last night but I wasn’t exactly being serious. But… MOT ALAW.
Rod Stewart, tanked up, at the opening ceremony would be bloody brilliant!
Along side John Terry in his Chelsea kit.
Also what is Trumps obsession with the Village People? Gay anthems don't seem to be good bedfellows with MAGA philosophies.
Gay anthems don't seem to be good bedfellows with MAGA philosophies.
It confused me a bit initially as well, but kinda started making sense when the rumours of the orange turd blowing off other blokes started to circulate.
The fact that fifa are going to present him with a 'peace prize' makes me hate them far more than having a shit band play at the Draw however
Gay anthems don't seem to be good bedfellows with MAGA philosophies.
Apparently usage of Grindr in a city tends to peak during Republican conventions, so they may be better bedfellows than you would think.
The fact that fifa are going to present him with a 'peace prize' makes me hate them far more
Sucking up to despots is basically what FIFA excels at. And they just love a bit of corruption, so Trump wins on both counts.
Sucking up to despots is basically what FIFA excels at. And they just love a bit of corruption, so Trump wins on both counts.
I am at this stage pretty sure if Inftantino got his way, the World Cup would now only be staged in countries that can give him the best shiny trinkets at whatever time of year suits that countries local weather patterns.
At least Blatter had a bit of shame, and the common decency to try to hide his corruption.
It’s great to see United reverting back to the United of last season, who we all enjoyed watching so much. Another absolutely pitiful display.
I wonder how many games of this shit Amorim has got left before the inevitable sacking? Sitting back on a one goal lead? That went well.
It’s great to see United reverting back to the United of last season, who we all enjoyed watching so much. Another absolutely pitiful display.
I wonder how many games of this shit Amorim has got left before the inevitable sacking? Sitting back on a one goal lead? That went well.
You're 8th in the Premier League, 3 points off a Champions League spot. Stop your moaning!
It’s great to see United reverting back to the United of last season, who we all enjoyed watching so much. Another absolutely pitiful display.
My team is third from bottom.
It’s just so bloody awful to watch though. We started the season really well, then we’ve just reverted back to this aimless, pedestrian ambling around
Its the hope that kills you
It’s do or die for them this season with no European football. Or league cup games. Lots more rest and coaching than their rivals will have, they can’t have any excuses if they don’t get into Europe via the league.
Cunha and Mbeumo looked like they’d injected some desperately needed pace into the squad, but the opposite has happened and they now seemed to have slowed down to the same half-arsed walking pace as the rest of them
Mbeumo is class, as is Cunha. But, yes, probably affected by the general malaise. Mbeumo is off to AFCON soon as well, same as Amad.
Decided to watch the Manyoo game last night. Really glad I wasted 2 hours of my life. Jeez that is dull... felt like two teams in the bottom 3 just trying not to lose. 7 shots on target in 90 minutes across both teams - to be honest it felt like there was less than half that.
Highlight was AWB - he was pretty awesome for West Ham last night. Negatives, has a player ever had less end product than Diallo? Oh yeh, maybe Zirkzee.
Clearly last season was planned so that Utd could have the easiest Christmas
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c33m10jgj4lo
I’ve sicked up about 15 times in as many minutes.
EDIT, not in my name Infantino you stupid **** face
This is horrendous 😂
I didn't know it was possible to simultaneously bleed from your ears and eyes whilst also vomiting from my nose. I'm slightly embarrassed that Scotland have qualified for this hideous tournament.
Oldfirmfacts killing it on social media.
This whole thing is just a culmination of all the very worst things in the world, notably Infantino rimming Trump
Did I hear hear it right that the cheapest tickets for even the initial group games, between nobody annd nobody are 400 quid a pop? 😳
The only way Rio's night gets any worse is if John Terry turns up in full England kit.
I had to turn it off before I cringed myself inside out
You might’ve missed the bit where that stupid orange **** did that stupid shuffle dance to gay icons The Village People. ****ing ****er.
Came for the comments…….thanks guys!! 😆
Refused to watch it. Fifa are a horrendous organisation, appropriate bed fellows for that orange w***er. The whole thing is an embarrassment.
If scotland lose to Haiti it'll make the entire thing even worse..the only slight ray of optimism is as soon as we get knocked out ill not have to give the whole farce a second thought.