Liverpool is enjoying a rare midweek without a game, though Arne Slot will have to adjust to that before the campaign ends. With only the Premier League to focus on, he will get some more time on the training field.
The Reds are just 11 points off being confirmed as Premier League champions, with West Ham United at Anfield next. Morgan O’Sullivan in Florida gives us his take on all the latest talking points ahead of the game…
Are you worried at all about the current Liverpool wobble?
If the league was a more competitive race, I would have been very worried with our current form. However, the reality is that we have built such a lead that it would take a collapse of monumental proportions to lose the title from here. No matter how many points we drop, you always have the feeling that those around us will drop points too.
Is it fair for Arne Slot to be criticized for not playing the likes of Harvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa more often?
The manager has guided us to the top of the league and with seven games to go it is comfortably in our own hands. We should acknowledge, though, that we were also top of the league with eight to go last season with our destiny in our own hands. The difference now is that the title is essentially wrapped up, whereas last season we essentially ran out of steam. The fact that we seem to be running out of steam again would point to the question of whether we have utilized the squad properly.
Last season we had a lot of injuries, but the expectation was that the returning players would come back to give us the boost and carry us to the title. A loss of form, a dip in confidence, and possibly a lack of experience may have all contributed towards our eventual demise. Maybe, just maybe, the same pattern of last year is being repeated without the injuries, but the big difference this year is that the other teams are not in a position to capitalize.
The manager seems to have a core of 14-15 players that he will rotate and he rarely ventures beyond that. If he wins the league this season, it is hard to question his judgment. But it can be argued that we lost at home to Nottingham Forest due to a lack of rotation after an international week last Autumn.
(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
And there have been games where the players have been more sluggish then normal the last number of weeks. This is the first season for Slot and no doubt it is all a learning experience for him, and with an expected presentation to come on May 25, I think we can all agree that he has done alright!
Trent Alexander-Arnold appears to be leaving. How big a concern is that?
Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of the most divisive issues within the supporter base right now. Ultimately, I think both Trent and the club have played this whole situation wrong. I feel the club left it too late to open negotiations, and there is a possibility that they were overconfident that they would never lose their homegrown superstar.
When they finally decided to make their move, Trent’s head had been turned. Last July should have been the line in the sand where Trent was offered a super deal to stay on and if not, he should have been sold. We have learned over the years how the club has historically taken the local player’s loyalty for granted, and despite having developed an image of being shrewd businessmen, FSG may have gotten this one badly wrong.
(Image: Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
From Trent’s perspective, he has won every trophy with his hometown team. He may just want to experience another climate and culture. It may be about more than just football. But his insistence to keep his negotiations as private as he has, while the Real Madrid media machine has kicked into overdrive, has created a largely negative cloud around him.
Will he leave? Probably. But it is always possible that he is playing Real Madrid along to extract the best deal from Liverpool. Time will ultimately tell, but we all thought Steven Gerrard was leaving… twice!
Are you still confident that Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah will stay?
I think both will ultimately stay. As the season has progressed, there has been less and less chatter from outside clubs being linked and that would seem to indicate that those deals are essentially done.
What would your priorities be in the transfer market this summer?
Liverpool likes to balance the books. I have heard people say that the manager spent minimally last summer, and that he will have plenty to spend this year. Combine that with the Adidas contract, the continuing increased revenues from the Anfield redevelopment of recent seasons, and the funds generated from Europe and the league, and it would appear that there is plenty of money.
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I suspect we will be as tight as ever in the market and looking for the bargain and right fit. Last season I felt we needed one up forward, one in midfield and one in defense. Depending on any outgoing, I would say each of these positions are still a must.
A world class striker, guaranteed to be able to carry the forward line on his own, would be the dream. A top central midfielder that can come in and provide an alternative and competition to Ryan Gravenberch would be more than welcome. A top quality central defender and potentially a left or right back would be welcomed also, but that will be influenced by whether there are departures or not.
Anything else to mention?
We have only won the league once in 35 years and that was overshadowed by COVID. We essentially won the league this year the weekend we beat Manchester City and Arsenal lost at home to West Ham. Now is the time to sit back, relax and enjoy the last few weeks. Would we really rather be on the edge of our seats with the adrenaline kicking in every week until the final weekend? For the second time in 35 years, let us enjoy the procession. Only this time, we will do it together.
