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Welcome to the homework club, like Liverpool at Arne Slot. We have come to the time of making decisions: Who stays and who goes?
Plus: We take a look at the winners and losers of MLS’s biggest move window.
Yesterday I wrote about the training market, which is booming. Twenty-four hours later, kickoff is about to sound.
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In terms of management, there are 3 types of clubs: clubs that surely want a new manager (Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Barcelona), clubs that want to block their current manager (more to come at Aston Villa) and clubs that may soon abandon the manager they already employ (looking at you, Chelsea, after last night’s debacle against Arsenal).
There is some debate as to whether Jurgen Klopp warned that his aim to step down as Liverpool manager has been either bad for his season (personally, I think the bias of recent makes this seem more of a factor than it is), however, he has at least given the club enough time to think about his next move.
The last call-up at Anfield? Arne Slot, the Dutchman who led Feyenoord to the Eredivisie squad last season. Slot appears to be Liverpool’s pick and this morning’s news is that they have rejected an offer of €9 million ($9. 6 million; £7. 7 million) through Feyenoord. current. If they locate his man, I can see why he’d be smart if he had compatibility (see below for a representation of his playstyle).
You may not like the word “synergy” as much as I do, but that’s what elite clubs want: top-down connected operations, joint thinking at all levels and departments on the same page.
Our own Adam Crafton joined Feyenoord last year. Read their article, being on the same page is the common thread of your good luck under Slot. He’s also exactly what Michael Edwards, the guy leading Liverpool’s post-Klopp life plans, is saying. , will try to do so at Anfield.
Unai Emery had the unenviable task of replacing Arsene Wenger at Arsenal in 2018. It didn’t work out and some of you are wondering if, in the case of Liverpool, Xabi Alonso heeded a warning about the truth of replacing a legend.
Emery has discovered his rhythm at Villa, who are generating more pound-for-pound effects than any Premier League side this season. We broke the news of his contract extension, which now runs through 2027, and again, it’s simple to see why. Villa is doubling down.
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Sensible clubs like coaches to be projects. Level-headed coaches also love projects. That is precisely what Villa have and Emery. Su signing is smart and in Monchi, their “president of football operations”, they have brought in a strong figure of Emery.
It’s easy to finish in the Premier League’s top four, but this Villa-Emery axis has real legs.
And so it goes to Chelsea, who are the complete opposite of Villa. Everything and no idea.
Watching them lose 5-0 to Arsenal last night was an idea that in the days when Roman Abramovich was running the display at Stamford Bridge, Mauricio Pochettino’s coat would be on a fragile ankle.
Firing Pochettino wouldn’t be a panacea for Chelsea’s utter lack of consistency or the messes of owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, but their slow, disorganised football can’t go away either.
Depression affects everyone. It seems that Nicolas Jackson can’t score an inch. Chelsea’s Twitter account didn’t dare call Kai Havertz. Pochettino says Chelsea are more than Cole Palmer, yet Palmer is the only incredibly smart thing about them.
Some dates are destined for a satisfying ending. You’d be surprised if that was one of them.
A satisfied finish for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta is nothing short of a major trophy, especially the Premier League title.
Beating Chelsea was like hitting a soaked ball, but Arsenal were ruthless. Some of their deaths, Martin Odegaard’s in particular, were brilliant.
Art de Roche has written about Thomas Partey’s presence in midfield and how his muscles have allowed Arsenal to go berserk. More broadly, the article got me thinking about the higher levels of functionality of Arteta’s team.
Ben White wins a win 5⃣ for Arsenal ?
? @tntsports
– Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 23, 2024
(Readers outside the UK can see White’s purpose here)
How would you choose a standout player of the year?The applicants are endless. Even Ben White screams. As Chelsea melted like human ice, White scored two goals from the right-back, at the time of which (above) a blocked volley/tight cross.
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If Manchester City win their remaining six games (they are four points behind Arsenal with two games in hand), the name will remain at the Etihad Stadium. Everything Arsenal can do, and Liverpool too (three points off the most sensible spot after betting a game less). it’s not giving City any margin for error.
The advantage for Arsenal from beating Chelsea last night?If the most sensible point comes down to goal difference (they are 12 ahead of City), that is their way.
MLS’s main transfer window closed last night. Its secondary window opens on July 18; For now, the doors and wallets are closed.
Tom Bogert and Jeff Rueter delved so deeply into this matter that they got to the mantle layer. My main takeaways from their analysis:
? LA Galaxy flexed their biceps: Joseph Paintsil is a match
?Federico Redondo: opting for Inter Miami over Europe is not an easy task
? He’s 37 years old, Luis Suárez hasn’t lost it
? Minnesota United did their homework under head coach Eric Ramsay
This season’s challenge, however, res. Stop Lionel Messi.
Mo Salah has been Jurgen Klopp’s ace up his sleeve for longer than Liverpool can remember. It has a superhuman aspect, like a fatality.
Or he had until this season. To protect what some see as a diminishing effect from Salah, it’s worth remembering that Klopp has slightly reinvented Liverpool, leading to a replacement in Salah’s role. We’re still talking about a 17-goal, nine-assist campaign from him in the Premier League, despite being sidelined by a hamstring injury.
But it did not go unnoticed that Klopp was left without Salah in his line-up for last Sunday’s match against Fulham, a game Liverpool had to win. Historically, Salah’s position would not have been debated when matches were being played.
So, Mark Carey asks, is it decreasing?He doesn’t beat anyone as reliably anymore, but his creativity has increased. It’s a nuanced discussion.
There is also an angle to consider. Liverpool resisted Saudi Arabia’s money for Salah last summer. Based on their season and with Klopp’s departure, would they be more tempted this time around?