Mo Salah will not find a whole lot of sympathy for his big old tantrum, which has given Arne Slot to punish him as he sees fit.<\/p>\n
We also have views on Palace, Villa and lots more. Now watch Man Utd and mail theeditor@football365.com<\/p>\n
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Salah has proved the grief narrative (and me) wrong<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to be accountable when you make mistakes (take note Mo) and Salah has just laid my mistake bare \u2013 I am incorrect that the main factor behind Pool players\u2019 decline was grief over Jota.<\/p>\n
I thought Salah, who by all accounts won the league for us single handedly last season, was one of the most affected, along with Robbo, and therefore he was incapable of performing. With him being basically all of our goals last season, and with the rest of the squad affected to the extent that new players cannot integrate, we are garbage. But now I see that Salah isn\u2019t grieving anything apart from the tiny bench splinter in his impossible pert posterior.<\/p>\n
So, I apologise to the Mailbox and its esteemed MC, contributors and readers \u2013 I will try to do better in future. Maybe (probably) I just wanted it to be as simple as that, rather than the reality of the many-faceted cluster-bukkake exploding all over the place at the moment.<\/p>\n
In terms of what was said, and what happens next, I think Mo hasn\u2019t done himself any favours, and I think we will see if Slot has what it takes to succeed in the long term. Mo only talks when he thinks it serves him, but normally he does so from a position of strength<\/strong><\/a>, like when he scores in a victory and then tells the press that he\u2019s \u201cmore out than in\u201d i.e. how can this club possibly not keep their best player and match-winner, for example. This season though, his numbers don\u2019t justify selection, we defend better without him, and results have improved (1 win in 3 still, but no defeats. Dizzy heights).<\/p>\n I get fans of other clubs loving this open warfare, I really do \u2013 it\u2019s manna from heaven. As I\u2019ve said before, fill your boots lads. In terms of the whole YNWA is a PR stunt thing though<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 come on, I\u2019m no historian but wasn\u2019t that an organic offering from the Kop, i.e. the opposite of the This Means More rubbish? But again I can see how it\u2019s pretty funny to see from the outside, and painful from the inside \u2013 but that doesn\u2019t justify hating on Salah. Like Trent, he won us everything, and deserves gratitude and respect for his commitment and achievements while it lasted, even if he is no longer on the Christmas card list.<\/p>\n Being the fan of understatement that I am; Slot hasn\u2019t done well this season \u2013 I can\u2019t think of a decision he has got correct, and while I don\u2019t blame him for buying all the attackers when all we needed was Guehi (that\u2019s on Hughes and Edwards) I do blame him for persisting with Konate and Kerkez (the latter is improving tbf), playing Szoboszlai out of position, and allowing Wirtz to do whatever he wants while producing precisely nothing. Taking away Mo\u2019s freedom and giving it to Flo (the Flo and Mo sh*tshow, if you will) has stopped us scoring and culminated in Salah\u2019s ill-advised histrionics.<\/p>\n Slot doesn\u2019t have to worry about Mo any more though \u2013 after his outburst Slot has free reign to impose his will and ego on the team, assuming he has either \u2013 not sure we\u2019re really seen them yet? If Gomez can stay fit enough to replace Konate (seriously wtf) every week, and Wirtz and Isak can step out of Mo\u2019s shadow, then there\u2019s a chance we might get top four. Alternatively, Slot is the bald fraud boiled too long in the pan and his cracked egg head will be referenced in years to come in terms of what not to do to a Title-winning side. \u00a0<\/p>\n Why should Salah have divine right to start?<\/p>\n The most concerning thing that Salah said was that he\u2019d done enough to not have to fight for his place, so should essentially start regardless. Niall from Annapolis couldn\u2019t be more wrong \u2013 no player (or manager) is bigger than the team. It doesn\u2019t matter if Slot should go (and let\u2019s be honest he doesn\u2019t seem to have the answers), you can\u2019t feel that way, let alone say it.<\/p>\n It\u2019s clear that the players we signed this summer were to have us set up for a post-Salah team, but implementing that system while Salah\u2019s still there clearly hasn\u2019t worked, so either we have to play for the future or play to the strengths of a 33 year old (even though he is a top 3-5 PL player of all time) who is leaving at the end of next season. That\u2019s not throwing anyone under a bus, that\u2019s the reality of professional sport. He\u2019s still brilliant and can add a huge amount to the team, but shouldn\u2019t automatically start every game, because no one should.<\/p>\n The counter to defend his comments is that players who are playing worse than him are playing every game, but we don\u2019t have anyone who can play at CB regularly instead of Konate (who clearly needs a break out of the team to get his head right) and Salah\u2019s played more minutes (and fewer G\/A) than the likes of Gakpo even when sitting on the bench for 3 games.<\/p>\n Finally, on the YNWA stuff, it feels very simple to me. As long as you\u2019re committed to the club and fans, the club and fans are always going to back you. If you put yourself apart from that, by engineering your departure while claiming you want to stay and captain the club (and admitting that you were not trying against our arch rivals) or by saying you\u2019re too important to have to earn your place, you\u2019re no longer part of that, so why should you get unconditional support? \u00a0<\/p>\n Hold your head up high\u2026<\/p>\n A strange mailbox this morning<\/strong><\/a> where, in a general summing up, lots of non LFC supporting contributors disagree with Salah\u2019s actions and words. Won\u2019t name all but RHT\/TS calls him a \u201cwee prick\u201d, there are also the usual \u201cI\u2019ll make something up\/say something stupid\u201d contributors like Niall who says Salah has given LFC more than they deserve, what? Doing his very well paid job to an exceptionally high standard is \u201cmore than you deserve\u201d. plus the ridiculous \u201csometimes a player is bigger than the team\u201d, showing a complete lack of understanding of a team game and rendering any of Niall\u2019s comments as obsolete.Dion disagrees with Salah\u2019s behaviour but rightly calls out Darren.<\/p>\n But a lot of these contributors then condemn LFC fans for YNWA and use this as a stick to beat them with. Col Brown asks \u201chave I misunderstood the words?\u201d, the answer Col is yes! The words talk about holding your head up high, not being afraid of the dark, dreams being tossed and blown, a golden sky, having hope in your heart and if you do these, you\u2019ll never walk alone. Salah and others previously haven\u2019t done this, at the first sign of adversity he\u2019s broke rank, called the Manager and the Club into question, claimed to deserve his place in the team due to past performance and said he doesn\u2019t know what to expect on his return from AFCON.<\/p>\n YNWA, stick with us, be a part of something collective and we\u2019ll have your back and be there to support you overcome adversity (he got a fantastic reception when warming up), everyone knows his obsession with personal records but whilst his ability is a huge factor, these can\u2019t be achieved without the support of a squad of very good players. I love Mo Salah but if I was in the dressing room my reaction this morning would be \u201cWTF Mo?\u201d.<\/p>\n LFC and their fans have been called out numerous times for their handling of the Luis Suarez\/Evra situation, Suarez was clearly in the wrong but received the full support and didn\u2019t walk alone, you can\u2019t criticise us when we do this but then criticise when we don\u2019t.<\/p>\n A certain commenter will mention Gerrard and Karius. neither received a negative reaction when wearing a red shirt and any \u201cabuse\u201d was from the cowardly world of twitter which doesn\u2019t count, the reaction in the pub\/club may well have been different but this never transferred to the pitch. I recall when someone one on the Kop had a go at Kevin Keegan following his \u201cI\u2019m leaving\u201d statement, the guy was quickly told to pipe down and silenced. Keegan received a hero\u2019s welcome when he returned with Hamburg and them some very high level \u201cabuse\u201d (ribbing) when they were 6-0 down. \u00a0<\/p>\n That one special player<\/p>\n In response to YNWA Darren regarding Mo Salah<\/strong><\/a>, who states \u201cFor all this club has done for you, taking you from mediocrity in Italy, to giving you the freedom to become a world class player, you\u2019ve been given everything\u201d.<\/p>\n That\u2019s really all any footballer needs to become a world class player. It\u2019s kind of surprising that everyone in Liverpool\u2019s squad isn\u2019t a world class player or have they just given this freedom to Mo Salah. Why hasn\u2019t a club like Burnley, which has a limited budget and cannot afford to buy world class players done this. I hope Scott Parker reads this so they can just make their own world class players by giving them a bit of freedom. Watch them tear Fulham to shreds this weekend.<\/p>\n In regards to Arsenal, who I\u2019ve watched play on TV several times this season, their performances never match what is being written about them. Sometimes I watch them and read the reports on them and it\u2019s like I\u2019ve watched a different game.<\/p>\n The media is clearly setting them up for a fall by constantly implying that the league is theirs to lose and they\u2019re the best team in Europe. They\u2019re clearly not. They\u2019re highly functional but ordinary. Someone on here mentioned a few weeks ago that Arsenal always finished second because there was always a better team than them in the league.<\/p>\n I feel this year is no different, I watched City against Sunderland and I\u2019ve not seen this Arsenal team play like that. Man City are a better team and unless some PSR nonsense blows the wheels off, they will finish top this year.<\/p>\n I think Arsenal\u2019s attack is a who\u2019s who of nearly men. They\u2019re nearly great but not quite. Saka hasn\u2019t progressed in almost 2 years, as he\u2019s stalled a bit. Odegaard has regressed, as has Martinelli. If Madueke does not have a final product by now, he never will. Eze is another nearly man, nearly great but not quite. In addition, Gykoeres\u2019 strengths are completely unsuited to the way Arsenal play and this seems like a bad bit of recruitment from Arsenal.<\/p>\n There are currently two world class players in the league (in my opinion only offensive players can be regarded as world class), Haaland and Salah. Whichever one is bang in form will lift all the players around them and win their team the league. Salah was that in form world class player last season and Haaland will be that guy this season. It\u2019s very hard to win the league without, not only a world class player but a world class player who is in form. Arsenal don\u2019t have one of these and there isn\u2019t that many currently playing in world football.<\/p>\n Arsenal needed to sign a special player who lifts everyone around them. Arsenal should\u2019ve went all out for Kvaratskhelia, as I think he was gettable but they didn\u2019t and bought players of the calibre of Eze, Madueke, Merino and Gyokeres instead. Saka could\u2019ve been that guy but it is not happening for him as of late. He\u2019s not world class but he could be. The team should be set up and built around getting the best out of Saka and even though Timber has been great, that means dropping him for Ben White. They have a much better footballing chemistry and everything should be done to get the best out of Saka.<\/p>\n I think Arsenal\u2019s only chance this year is if they can get Saka fit and firing because he is their special player. Yes, it\u2019s a team sport but often that one player can lift everyone else\u2019s game and that almost always is the difference between finishing top and finishing second. \u00a0<\/p>\n Some Liverpool perspective<\/p>\n Obviously, quite right to laugh at Liverpool\u2019s woes this season<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 everyone loves kicking the Big Boys when they\u2019re down, etc. But they are literally 3 points off 4th<\/strong><\/a>. They only have to wait 23 days before they can sign players who can actually run and jump and defend.<\/p>\n Etikite looks decent. Isak will get fit. Slot will realise that playing defenders in defence who defend and midfielders in midfield who, err, midfield, is a valid and acceptable form of management. Salah will sulk and then return to the team and score a few goals against a poor side. Liverpool will probably finish in the top 5. Maybe go on a cup run. Actually that\u2019s quite boring isn\u2019t it? Maybe they\u2019ll be relegated and storm to the Champo title with 100 points. \u00a0<\/p>\n Daniel Farke: All is (almost) forgiven<\/p>\n Football, bloody hell.<\/p>\n I called Daniel Farke a whopper<\/strong><\/a>, recently, which was not entirely unwarranted. His tactics, formations and team selections as well as his ability to read a game left a lot to be desired, but when the chips were down and facing down a cricket score, he changed it.<\/p>\n And boy did he change it. He\u2019s changed the trajectory of the season \u2013 from looking like relegation dead certs and facing a 5 point gap to safety, we\u2019re still in it after playing last season\u2019s top 4 \u2013 down and out vs City when a tactical switch and subs change the game and we narrowly miss out on a draw.<\/p>\n We pummelled Chelsea into submission with a big-bastard mode and then after failing to capitalise on Liverpool\u2019s frailty and them seemingly cruising to a win, he switches it to last seasons 4-2-3-1, introduce Aaronson, Gnonto and Tanaka \u2013 all three subs score or contribute an assists (well, if winning a penalty counts). There is clearly plenty of fight left in this team, and they don\u2019t much look like downing tools for Farke or the fans yet.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know where this Farke has been for the last two years; but I like it. Long may it continue. Now \u2013 the real games begin. 6-7 points from Sunderland, Palace and Brentford, and I\u2019ll really start believing we\u2019re going to be safe. READ: Leeds United 3 Liverpool 3 a sign of a weak Premier League? Behave\u2026<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Up the Villa<\/p>\n Well, that was fun! I don\u2019t have anything fancy to say unfortunately; after the win at Brighton I thought I\u2019d do my snarky gloating and then hibernate before the Winter Is Coming fixtures arrived. But aside from Trossard looking a bit Targaeryen, it\u2019s not here yet. So:<\/p>\n Rogers, Youri, Cashy, Both Emis were all brilliant as usual. But time for Pau Torres to get his Flau-es (sorry); we\u2019re unbeaten in the last 15 home games he\u2019s started, we\u2019ve won the last 7 of those in a row, and Arsenal\u2019s goal on Saturday was only the second we\u2019ve conceded in that time. Emery seems to have backed off a bit on the need for him to be the team\u2019s playmaker, and let him do more defending, and it is paying off handsomely. Spain not calling him up is odd \u2013 especially considering how much he looks like Butragueno \u2013 but it\u2019s obviously helping, so I\u2019m aqui for it.<\/p>\n
Gofezo (Genuinely no idea where it goes from here \u2013 it would be exciting if it wasn\u2019t almost certain to keep getting worse)<\/strong><\/p>\n
Tom, Andover<\/strong><\/p>\n
Howard Jones<\/strong><\/p>\n
Seamus, Sweden<\/strong><\/p>\n
Dan, London<\/strong><\/p>\n
Mat, Leeds<\/strong><\/p>\n