Liverpool star ‘gone missing’, Salah ‘particularly bad’ but loss is a ‘blessing’ for Slot amid ‘only positive’

The Mailbox reckons Liverpool’s humbling loss to Nottm Forest is a ‘blessing’, but there was ‘only’ one positive and Mohamed Salah was ‘particularly bad’.

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Slot honeymoon is over…
The honeymoon is over, Arne. Not quite panic stations but calm waters have definitely given way to first signs of choppiness. Of course I’d want three points each time out, but part of me (perhaps the sick part) had awaited impatiently and curiously to see Slot under some duress, how his touchline demeanor would be, what he’d say in post-match following a setback, whether his neatly combed hair might ever get ruffled.

I expected a win, at home no less, but a lot of the early underlying numbers on Forest had pointed to a stern test. I wasn’t joking two weeks ago now when I’d said Forest and Bournemouth would be tougher than visiting Old Trafford. As expected Slot made no changes to the XI, but perhaps that last away win had us overconfident and complacent because this side came out flat and stayed flat for the full ninety. For all talk over the international break about Slot’s opening three fixtures and newfound calm and control exhibited, today was a marked departure once we went behind. Suddenly Conor Bradley was on and Trent shifted fully into midfield, then we played a back three, and Arne’s barnet was a flock of seagulls. The maddest of scientists. All credit to Forest though, we never looked like winning.

Szoboslai was so incredibly poor today, Salah looked off pace, and for as much promise as Bradley possesses he was too easily fleeced by Hudson Odoi for the goal, but not before Darwin customarily coughed the ball up doing his best Casemiro impression. Just about the only positive I took today was another immense performance from Gravenberch, who is stunning me still with his improved displays and overall excellence. Too bad the rest of the side let him down, something I never thought I’d ever say.
Eric, Los Angeles CA (Toffees were two up as I wrote this but Villa just pulled one back… no way they’ll Bournemouth their way back to win at the death, right ?)

READ: F365’s 3pm Blackout: Liverpool plodding even with Nunez chaos as Haaland is inevitable

I don’t think there was anything in particular slot got wrong(we’ll talk about subs later. It was just that the players were completely off. The decision making in the final third was lacking and forest were good enough that we couldn’t eke out a clear chance.

Jota has gone missing at times. And he never had the kind of opportunities he craves and preys on. Salah had a particularly bad game by his high standards. Many of szobo’s little errors could’ve been better had him and salah been in sync a little better.

In theory, shifting Trent to midfield and bringing on someone who’d hug the touchline to let salah cut inside was a good idea, it just didn’t work, partially due to forest and rest because of our poor coordination.

Regarding the goal, Bradley should never have let him cut in, but the way he used konate as a screen was fking brilliant.

It was game over at that point since their low block turned into park the bus kinda shit.

Tsikimas and Jones weren’t on long enough to judge them well enough, but that one pass from Jones from centre to out left was fking awful and in close matches like this, that sticks in your minds.

Overall, it was a bad loss but with so many players off the game. The whole team except Allison, the CBs and grav were off the pace a bit. Let’s see how we respond to this with games back to back until next intn’l break.

This setback might be a blessing in disguise since a lot of fans were probably expecting too many things too quickly from this iteration of Liverpool.

It’s clear the stability slot brings isn’t inherently better than klopp’s chaos, but I have hope we can find a happy medium going forward. YNWA
Abhinav, Mumbai. (Excited for midweek)

Does Ten Hag deserve more credit?
In the post-match article on Utd, Sarah seemingly pines for a time when “we can stop talking about Ten Hag as a dead man walking without a discernible plan”. Well you could lead from the front and stop producing articles that suggest TH closes his eyes and throws darts at a random tactics board, sending players out without instruction. And command those subordinates of yours to follow suit! Why is it that anytime we win a match it was down to individual brilliance and not tactics, style and shape?

I agree we were poor in the first half an hour and it took a while to get going, with loads of players shaking off the international break, us being the away team with the saints well up for it and a good crowd behind them and, perhaps more importantly, they switched to a 4 at the back which differs from the formation previously used (3 at back) which took a bit of working out on the pitch/hop. But if TH is to blame for the first 30 mins then why does he get zero credit for the last 60? You can’t have it both ways.

We created 5 clear-cut chances yesterday, the most in the PL (tied with Villa). City couldn’t even match that when they beat Ipswich 4-1 at home. In fact we have been creating great chances all season as shown by xG stats etc. but do not, as of yet, have the same level of clinical finishing shown by the likes of City, Arsenal and Liverpool. We also have higher possession stats than last season so there are signs we are trying to hold the ball more and control games.

Without going into a deep-dive of TH’s style or tactics, I would argue that you can’t be creating the number of chances we are off the back of individual talent. Something has to create those overloads on the wings. Something has to allow players the space to take on their opponent. Something has to lead to the fast counter attacks and something has to be accountable for the guilt-edged chances we keep bloody missing! In the same way that something led to the gaping holes in our MF and quality chances conceded last season (of which there are fewer this season so far).

If you were as quick to praise as you were to disparage then we might find the middle ground necessary to save us from the tired narrative that has been peddled about us since Jose took over. Remember, there is no I in ‘team’ and teamwork makes the dream work.
Garey Vance, MUFC

Horrendous Man Utd
Let’s be real, F365 is dead right. The first 35 mins were quite horrendous and the so-called underdogs were in complete control. They didn’t look like a team with 0 points and a 100% losing record (fair to say they were bullying their much vaunted opponents). Finally though the stars showed up and three unanswered goals ensured three points. And at this stage, points is all that matters and performances will improve as the team gels more.

Anyways enough about Aston Villa, it was a good day for Man United with goals for Rashford & De Ligt, minutes for Ugarte and a clean sheet for the defence.
Gaurav MUFC Amsterdam

READ: Man Utd escape deserved ‘bullying’ as Ten Hag given sack reprieve by magic moments

Saint Onana
Given the circumstances (Loss last time out, away kick-off at the 1230 slot post an international break), any win would have been welcome, much less 3-0 . Without reading too much into a game against the last team in the league (who seem to like self-sabotage), the performance was decent and the goals well-fashioned. The pressing in the 2nd half didn’t allow Southampton any momentum, and that helped us to see the game out comfortably.

That being said, we were 2nd best for the first 30 minutes and would have deserved to be behind when Onana bailed us out and changed the game. It’s still baby steps at the moment, hopefully this win and the 2nd half performance can carry over to next weekend.
Jason

MORE REACTION TO SATURDAY’S PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION…
👉 Manchester United lose first Chelsea battle in interminable £25m Jadon Sancho war
👉 Everton motto change due after latest collapse comes under weight of Jhon Duran’s brilliance
👉 ‘Not good enough’ – Arne Slot blasts ‘overrun’ Liverpool performance v Forest

Unique travelling fans must be protected…
In the middle of the Villa – Toffees game as I write. Just I’d like to say, Nottingham Forest were close to perfect, away from home, against a superior team. Very well done the lads there and Nuno and his team!

As lovers of the greater picture of our football. these performances are ‘lifeblood’ .

Talking of which, although I am not against away fans having their stadium sections moved from behind the goal, the guardians of the British game ( stand up and be counted please ! ) need to protect the unique travelling away fans which elevate the stadium experience in Scotland & England above football experience anywhere.

If you know, you know. Some inklings of fans getting ever more fleeced , have been seeping through. We can expect massive raises in ticket prices.

It must be remembered that the USA, generally, across the ‘ blue collar ‘ workers, have a larger disposable income than Europe, USA sport event prices are not possible in UK . Okay. Sometimes the prawn sandwich occasions, but to maintain the crowd barbarity of to -ing & fro – ing between them, always fanatical away fans and the vocal home fans, before, during and after the game, which, for me, is ‘priceless’, the ‘common man ‘ needs to have financial access to their home club’s stadium.

Even, at places like West Ham, I’d love to see a 3 foot pit behind each goal for standing Ds, of lads & lasses, under five foot five, at, let’s say 5 quid a pop.

Everton 2-3 from 2 nil again, luckily there are 3 worse teams.

Is Dyche-ball all washed up ?
Peter. ( pool still open here ) Andalucia.

Delusional Liverpool claim
Do people not realize when they use information, bias or are clearly petty it makes their points less valid. I’m not gonna to go through every little detail on Ash’s mail but sentences like this “I don’t mind an opinion from a Liverpool fan – we know they care deeply about us” just make me cringe. The fact that you labelled Liverpool’s PL title a covid title too is just weird. City are the ones who won the Covid title. Liverpool were like 25 points clear or something mental by the time covid hit. You just sound delusional when you say stuff like that.

A quick response to THWolfs mail, Sterling still isn’t the first player to be signed by 4/6 big clubs on a permanent basis. He’s also on loan, dunno how you’ve missed that.
Dion, Arsenal.

Fighting teammates
Really liked John’s article on teammates fighting , it makes me and me ol’ man laugh so hard when it happens.

I do think there’s one missing though, it was a Bradford centre back pairing and I was at Elland Road about 2006 maybe in the corporate seats.

Leeds went 4-0 at half time and the two centre backs just started slugging it out on the pitch when half time blew, much to everyones hilarity.

It’s easily done though, even in the Coventry Jewsons Sunday league you can join the club. There are so many twats playing football that it’s impossible not to fall out with your team mates. Like Mr Billy Big Bollocks swanning up the field with the ball, losing it and then us going a goal down.

Now that’s worth a smack in the face then I don’t know what is. And before the self righteous respond, violence is a the only language that football thugs understand. You bollock them for giving away a goal and they go for you, what would you do?
Fat Man (he was our captain)