Are Liverpool being crowned too early?
I have been called a lot of things in my life but Howard Jones suggesting that I might be a pretend contributor has really knocked me for six. I spent the day (in between work and typing this) pacing up and down the hall, occasionally looking into the mirror and asking myself “Am I real?” – I am having some sort of existential midlife crisis!
Howard offered me the red and blue pills and I took both, now I’m stuck in a scouse matrix being chased by Agent Tommy Smith and bumping into an oracle obsessed with facts and net spend! In reality, Howard just let a joke go over his head and needs to lighten up.
We’re only 10 games in and already the Liverpool fans are talking of titles and how Slot is the new messiah. Conveniently forgetting that Brighton should have been 4 or 5 up at HT at the weekend, they got lucky to get a draw against an injury-stricken Arsenal (does Salah score that goal with Timber and Gabriel still on the pitch?), Chelsea deserved a draw at Anfield (more clear cut chances), narrow wins against Wolves and Palace, and got beaten by Forest. The remainder were (four) good wins, including beating us at OT. But a bit of luck going the other way they’d be sitting 4th or 5th, and nobody could complain.
As it’s only ten games in it is difficult to draw conclusions, but comparing Liverpool’s averages for last season to this season:
fewer goals scored (2.3 v 1.9);
lower xG (2.4 vs 1.8);
fewer goals conceded (1.1 vs 0.6);
better xGC (1.2 vs 0.8);
lower possession (61.3% vs 57.1%);
lower successful passes in final third (112 v 94);
fewer goal attempts (20.8 vs 14.1); and
slightly lower big chances conceded (2.1 vs 1.8)
So thus far, better defensively but not as dangerous in attack – bearing in mind they had a relatively kind fixture list until recently, where they have been riding their luck, I do wonder if there is some premature celebrating going on in Merseyside. It’s definitely not like them e.g. booking redundant victory buses, this does not slip etc.
Let’s hear from the Liverpool fans what has changed tactically that makes Slot on a par or an upgrade of Klopp – and please back this up with evidence and stats, not armchair anecdotes and unnecessary personal insults.
