DByrd2

quote:

---

I honestly don’t think Slot is the problem. He had no pace on the wings, injuries and depth issues at the forward spot, decimated at right back, etc.

The team was already incomplete and in a transition phase going into the season and it was only amplified by injuries.

Liverpool made some splashy signings but the squad was pretty thin and didn’t give Slot much to work with.

---

I’ll give you the injuries. It’s tough for any manager to be successful given how hard we were hit this year.

That said, the mentality on the squad is unacceptable. It’s been like that since late last season. It started with the falling out between Salah and Slot. The work ethic and standard of effort have changed since Slot came in, and you better believe Salah called it out in private before the public falling out.

The revolving door in midfield, the square peg/round hole game with Gakpo constantly, the walking in-game when the need to chase the goal is on… all of that starts with the mentality that the manager instills by putting his players in a position to succeed. Slot has failed on that front in epic fashion.

Speaking of Salah (and standards), having a player like him on the wing while simultaneously keeping a spark plug on the opposite wing benched is inexcusable if you want to argue a lack of pace.

This squad has had the players to be top four all along. There aren’t many on the squad that weren’t here last year. The midfield is in shambles, and entire groups of players don’t cave in unless their mentality / confidence is shaken, and the manager is responsible for putting them in successful situations to keep that mentality at a high.

quote:

---

I think fans had unrealistic expectations after the big signings. I feel this is a transition period. The older players are aging out and need to be replaced. TAA left, Salah and Robertson are leaving, VVD eventually, Alisson appears on the way out, Diaz was sold, Jota passed, etc. This is a team that is transitioning to a new squad of young players that are going to compete for the next decade. This season was always going to be difficult. If people had the proper context going into the season, I think they’d have more patience with Slot.

---

I can get on board with the unrealistic expectations when it comes to the signings, but not the overall product. Transition period or no, the effort should be there. There should be confidence in the system and confidence to push through. That’s what has always been a trademark at Liverpool. The last time I remember seeing this kind of “poor us, we’re trying” was under Brendan Rogers.

Our defending has not improved all season. The center backs are completely exposed every single match, and there has been relatively little adjustment to fix it in the back end. If we are going to claim injuries and transition periods, the tactics need to adjust to reflect and address the glaring weaknesses. We have not seen that happen.

quote:

---

But I’m optimistic about next season and the future. This season made it clear where upgrades are needed. Young promising CBs coming in with Leoni coming back from injury and Jacquet. Hopefully upgrade on the wings. Rio coming in with more experience. A healthy Isak with a full summer of preparation. Year two of Wirtz who is settled in and will be ready to hit the ground running. Szoboszlai coming off a breakout year. And hopefully make some other upgrades whether a CDM or depth at RB. The one thing I’m concerned about is Ekitike. He was so good this season and that’s a terrible injury. I hope when he comes back he can be the same player he was. But other than that, there’s a lot to be optimistic about.

---

I can agree with the optimism regarding knowing what we need to address in the summer in terms of player personnel. I just struggle with the idea that the mentality will improve if the manager doesn’t change what is going on out there on the pitch. You can have all the players you want, but if you can’t adjust either in-game or week-over-week, then that isn’t on the players.

I’m hoping for the best. I just don’t have a ton of patience for a lack of resolve in the players, and even less so coming off a title season.

It starts with the manager.

There is no excuse for being in the last month of the PL with a squad like we have and wondering if we will be in the Champions League.

If we miss out on the CL, the transition just got significantly longer. The best players don’t move from other CL squads to play in the Europa League.

I wish we had made a change when alarm bells rang with Salah and Slot around Christmas.

Strikers - Balogun, Pepi, Wright

Mids - Pulisic, Tillman, McKennie, Adams, Tessman, Berhalter, Aaronsen, Weah, Zendejas, Reyna, Roldan

Def - Richards, Jedi, Dest, Ream, Trusty, McKenzie, Arfsten, Freeman, M. Robinson

GK - Freese, Turner, Schulte (?)

I don’t think Luna makes it. I hate that, though. I think Zendejas has a better shot than Luna to be named to the roster because our lacking wing depth.

quote:

---

sms151t

---

They have been better than us since before Berhalter was axed.

They play somewhat disciplined. Nothing crazy bad, but not quite as “good” as Mexico either.

quote:

---

SlowFlowPro

---

Keep your “education”.

quote:

---

I can point out bad rhetoric/logic if I'm engaging directly with someone or if I see it elsewhere.

---

You sure can. You’re also entitled to be both wrong and an a-hole. :lol:

Both are things you tend to excel in.

Can we nominate SFP also? :lol:

quote:

---

No rhetorical conflict exists with those 2 positions.

---

Well yeah, not if you ignore it. SMH :lol:

Every argument in this thread has included morality as the attached theme to slavery. Slavery in and of itself demands consideration of morality nowadays.

The problem lies in folks making morality the primary consideration and oversimplifying the many complex and nuanced causes of the Civil War.



And just like that, I’ve run out of food for the troll. :lol:

I saw we just beat Brazil on a 90 + 6’ Pulisic olympico in a commercial…

I don’t know how disgusted I should feel. :lol:

quote:

---

The most eloquent post in this thread so far.

---

Third most… I posted twice before this. (KIDDING :lol:)

quote:

---

Dont be nieve, be proud our ancestors shed blood to do away with the system.

---

It’s not naivety. It is about Root Cause Analysis. It is simply lazy and emotional nonsense to say that ending slavery because of “superior morality” was the cause of the North.

The truth is that in hindsight both sides were wrong.

At the time, the North was only selectively abiding by the Constitution of the United States of America (evidenced by Lincoln’s many quotes about not explicitly being morally against slavery). The Constitutionally outlined standard operating procedure of States’ Rights that we still value heavily today was under attack and being selectively ignored to harm Southern business, morality aside.

The South seceded to protect their economic standing from those threatening it, making use of slavery as the case-in-point regarding the unconstitutional infringement upon States’ Rights by the North.

The ramblings of Southern leaders about the “proper status of the negro” in society at the time were just as emotionally unhinged as the Northern leaders’ willingness to selectively ignore an entire clause of the U.S. Constitution just to hold power over their competitors’ heads.

Slavery was the accelerant, not the source, of the flaming scourge that was the American Civil War.

People will scream about injuries, but you can’t tell me that a 17 year old should come onto the field and be the first player all match to take someone on to the end line and try to make a play.

It’s inexcusable that our attackers stay on the edge of the box and just wait.