It was even better at Feyenoord, wrote this in June 2024:
“Naturally, two important factors are critically important for the consideration and suggestion of attainable targets for the summer: the stylistic fit for Arne Slot’s high-tempo brand of football, and the age profile preferred by the current transfer department (still yet to enter prime years). Since the Dutchman’s appointment at Feyenoord in 2021, no team in Europe’s top seven leagues had scored more goals from opposition turnovers and regaining possession high up the pitch. Characteristics of an Arne Slot side in possession (based on spells at AZ and Feyenoord) include inviting the opposition to press the central defenders, overloading one side and set a winger 1v1 with the full back on the other flank, with penetration and speed in behind the back line.”
Wasn’t intending for any of the Iraola bits to be in relation/opposition to Slot.
Only that it strikes me that a manager coming in my find it hard to get this squad doing what he wants them to do. I dont think Slot changed his footballing identity this season, we just couldn't spin all the plates required.
I sincerely hope Iraola succeeds. I really do. But i doubt it.
Because success, for the majority of the delusional Liverpool fanbase, means that he competes/wins the League and plays/wins one or more cup Finals, Champion League included. Additionally, playing attractive attacking football.
Anything less is a failure.
Of course, no excuses allowed...(deaths, injuries, fall of performance of key players, criminal decisions against from refs/var, alien invasion...ecc).
The injury crisis mentioned, is very worrying. Similar crisis plagued some of Klopp's teams, and Klopp had much greater experience in competing in multiple fronts. I can't see how Iraola, in his 1st season at Liverpool will manage to avoid such injury crisis.
Slot had already, before Liverpool, experience in competing in multiple (domestic and international) fronts, and in his 1st season managed superbly to avoid such crisis, keeping the team fresh until the end (although he didn't rotate very much due to his lack of confidence to Liverpool's reserves).
In his 2nd (and last) season, the catastrophic, season ending, type of injuries that happened (broken legs and ligaments), unfortunately were not preventable by no means.
These, along the loss of form of many key players (lack of preseason + Zota's death), the "too many" new players (loss of cohesion) most of them without PL experience (wrong transfer strategy?) , and the too many wrong decisions against from refs/var. ( penalties/red cards/DOGSO) cost him his job.
Fair points mate I understand the doubts on the change and I raise some myself. Needs to be an enormous summer for this approach, for me. They simply do not get to bring in 3 while selling a few and cry hard lines when we’re on our knees by December. Because there will be injuries. Back him to the hills or don’t appoint him. What I love about him in this respect though is how he gets everything and more out of fringe players in these injury crises - underlying data still remains great regardless of circumstances. Some of the youngsters he was being forced to give minutes to are now playing in League 2.
There isn't an available manager on the market without concerns - Flick's not moving. Kompany is all set and prolly never coming here. Enrique is on a generational run. Bosz would be a brutal, almost insulting, appointment. And apparently Xabi wanted too much control and played his best ball with 5 atb. Nagelsman is at the WC. That leaves dudes with question marks, including the incumbent.
I'm naturally an optimist. I would have been behind Slot if he stayed and I'm behind the move for Iraola now that its happended. Most elite people develop into World Beaters rather than arrive on the scene as one and I think Iraola has the talent to communicate and inspire. We played a man down last year because the ball didnt allow the supporters to involve themselves. Maybe the suits acknowledged their misjudgement that the Kop would vocally back any product in Red and decided to go towards a more emotionally inspiring play style. Maybe there was some finger pointing in the season review. Maybe this was the plan after next year and we moved it up. We will likely never know.
Slot also had a track record for goals from high turnovers.
His Feyenoord team were league leaders in that metric and Liverpool continued to do it more than others even in this season that got him sacked.
It was even better at Feyenoord, wrote this in June 2024:
“Naturally, two important factors are critically important for the consideration and suggestion of attainable targets for the summer: the stylistic fit for Arne Slot’s high-tempo brand of football, and the age profile preferred by the current transfer department (still yet to enter prime years). Since the Dutchman’s appointment at Feyenoord in 2021, no team in Europe’s top seven leagues had scored more goals from opposition turnovers and regaining possession high up the pitch. Characteristics of an Arne Slot side in possession (based on spells at AZ and Feyenoord) include inviting the opposition to press the central defenders, overloading one side and set a winger 1v1 with the full back on the other flank, with penetration and speed in behind the back line.”
Wasn’t intending for any of the Iraola bits to be in relation/opposition to Slot.
I didn't read it that way.
Only that it strikes me that a manager coming in my find it hard to get this squad doing what he wants them to do. I dont think Slot changed his footballing identity this season, we just couldn't spin all the plates required.
I sincerely hope Iraola succeeds. I really do. But i doubt it.
Because success, for the majority of the delusional Liverpool fanbase, means that he competes/wins the League and plays/wins one or more cup Finals, Champion League included. Additionally, playing attractive attacking football.
Anything less is a failure.
Of course, no excuses allowed...(deaths, injuries, fall of performance of key players, criminal decisions against from refs/var, alien invasion...ecc).
The injury crisis mentioned, is very worrying. Similar crisis plagued some of Klopp's teams, and Klopp had much greater experience in competing in multiple fronts. I can't see how Iraola, in his 1st season at Liverpool will manage to avoid such injury crisis.
Slot had already, before Liverpool, experience in competing in multiple (domestic and international) fronts, and in his 1st season managed superbly to avoid such crisis, keeping the team fresh until the end (although he didn't rotate very much due to his lack of confidence to Liverpool's reserves).
In his 2nd (and last) season, the catastrophic, season ending, type of injuries that happened (broken legs and ligaments), unfortunately were not preventable by no means.
These, along the loss of form of many key players (lack of preseason + Zota's death), the "too many" new players (loss of cohesion) most of them without PL experience (wrong transfer strategy?) , and the too many wrong decisions against from refs/var. ( penalties/red cards/DOGSO) cost him his job.
I wish i am wrong
Fair points mate I understand the doubts on the change and I raise some myself. Needs to be an enormous summer for this approach, for me. They simply do not get to bring in 3 while selling a few and cry hard lines when we’re on our knees by December. Because there will be injuries. Back him to the hills or don’t appoint him. What I love about him in this respect though is how he gets everything and more out of fringe players in these injury crises - underlying data still remains great regardless of circumstances. Some of the youngsters he was being forced to give minutes to are now playing in League 2.
Elliot may get his redemption arc this summer.
Or Ramsay for Balon d'Or?
Good read, man.
There isn't an available manager on the market without concerns - Flick's not moving. Kompany is all set and prolly never coming here. Enrique is on a generational run. Bosz would be a brutal, almost insulting, appointment. And apparently Xabi wanted too much control and played his best ball with 5 atb. Nagelsman is at the WC. That leaves dudes with question marks, including the incumbent.
I'm naturally an optimist. I would have been behind Slot if he stayed and I'm behind the move for Iraola now that its happended. Most elite people develop into World Beaters rather than arrive on the scene as one and I think Iraola has the talent to communicate and inspire. We played a man down last year because the ball didnt allow the supporters to involve themselves. Maybe the suits acknowledged their misjudgement that the Kop would vocally back any product in Red and decided to go towards a more emotionally inspiring play style. Maybe there was some finger pointing in the season review. Maybe this was the plan after next year and we moved it up. We will likely never know.
On a side note... Abe!!!!!