Chapter 1: What challenges is Liverpool facing this season?
Hello and welcome into the latest edition of ESPN FC. Kay Murray, Alejandro Moreno and Xhaka Hyslop here in the studio, fresh from ESPN's gym, we'll have you know as well. A little later on we're going to be hearing from Frank Leboeuf and our Liverpool correspondent, Beth Lindop, who will be with us as well because we need to talk about what is going on at Liverpool.
As it currently stands, they have fallen to their seventh defeat of the season against Bournemouth and they are finding it hard to keep pace with the Premier League's top five. Arnaz Slot was asked ahead of the Carabao game a number of questions.
What do you feel you have to achieve now this season to quieten the outside noise?
No, I think it's going to be really difficult to quiet the outside noise with the position we are in in the league. So even if we win a few games, every loss or every disappointing result will start the noise coming back again. That's what you can expect if you start it The decision is we did, not started, but at a certain moment with so many losses.
So it's impossible to shut down the noise at a club like this if you are not competing for the league. When you are Liverpool, the aim is to win the league. But we've only did this twice in the last 30 years. We want to be competitive in every single competition we are in.
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Chapter 2: What does success look like for Liverpool this year?
That's always the aim. But reality is also that in the last three years, we've won one League Cup and one Premier League title. So when is things acceptable? I have my opinion about it. I'm not going to share that. Outside world has its opinion about that. As we all know, a lot has been said about the 450 million, where people tend to forget the 300 million we've brought in.
So, Arne Slott has come in for a lot of criticism lately. And when you take a look at the odds for the next manager to leave their post in the Premier League, Arne Slott tops the list right now. Let's bring in Beth Lindop and Frank Leboeuf to talk more about this. And let me start with you if I can, Beth, because it would appear that Arne Slott's job's in danger.
Yeah, well, I mean, it's been a tough old season for him pretty much since, you know, after winning the first five games, it's been a little bit of a disaster of a season, really. And there's sort of been peaks and troughs within that and periods where his job has seemed unstable. And then he managed to sort of claw it back with that 13-game unbeaten run.
However, you know, I think a lot of the supporters felt like that...
Chapter 3: How can Liverpool quiet the outside noise surrounding the team?
That covered a multitude of sins, really, saying that they weren't beaten in 13 games because they dropped a lot of points in that run. There were a lot of performances that weren't at the standard expected. So I think Arnaz Lot, despite having steadied the ship a little bit, still hasn't managed to win over a lot of the fan base.
And I think I was at Burnley a couple of weeks ago and they dropped points there and there were a smattering of boos at the full-time whistle. And I think when that discontent starts seeping into the stadium and the match-going fans start turning on you a little bit, then it's hard to sort of win them back, I guess. So I think, listen, I think the club have wanted to give him time and still do.
You know, all sort of indications are that they are still behind him. However... The main thing for Liverpool is qualifying for the Champions League for next season. Obviously, now they've dropped down to six. Manchester United and Chelsea both look capable of going on a little bit of a run with their new managers.
So I think ultimately the decision will come down to whether the people at the top of the club feel like Arne Slott is the man who can guide them into the top four this season.
It feels like it would be Champions League or bust in a situation like this for a club like Liverpool, doesn't it?
For a club like Liverpool, and to answer the question that was put on the slot, to quieten the noise, I think Liverpool have to finish third. To quiet that noise, I certainly do not think they do.
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Chapter 4: What are the implications of Liverpool's current league position?
As we said, 10 points between them and Villa. So, as a result, that noise is going to continue. And maybe it is. Winning the Champions League all of a sudden gives Arne Slotter a whole lot more time or certainly buys that time with the fans at the very least. But similarly, you do not see this version of Liverpool winning the Champions League.
But Champions League qualification alone, are we at a point now where we're talking about that with Liverpool, Shaka? That if he doesn't qualify for the Champions League for next season, he's gone.
Yes, I don't see. Whether he's gone or not, I'm not sure. Because Arne Slott is correct in pointing out that they won the league last season, second time in 30 years, and I think that buys him a certain amount of time, a certain amount of equity. Not a lot, though. Not given what we've seen of last season.
And to your point, which is what I was saying about how they finished the season, because...
Even though they aren't going to be in the top two, I don't think they'll be in the top three, he can make this an argument in that, well, they started well, weren't playing well, they had a tragedy in the summer that the club just struggled to come to terms with, and then we got going back end of the season. Last 15 games, I'm saying here.
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Chapter 5: What changes are being discussed regarding the Champions League format?
And that's who we are, and that's the direction we're trending. The trouble with that is, and for all Arnaz Lot claims around finishing first last season, second title in 30 years, you look at this season, you've had poor individual performances from Van Dijk, from Mo Salah, and that's down to the players.
But at the same time, you've brought in the likes of Florian Virch, can't get the best out of him. Alexander Izak injured now, but you weren't able to get the best out of him. The one new sounding who... seem to be performing as you'd expect with Hiroaki Tiki. But then you don't start them. So there's a lot for Anna Slott, really, to answer to that at some point,
We finished top last season, second time in 30 years, just kind of runs a little steel.
It's interesting when you bring up Florian Wurz's name because there is a manager who did get the best out of Florian Wurz at Bayer Leverkusen. Turns out he's available right now, Ale. Obviously those rumours are going to be some of the outside noise right now.
It feels like you're part of the outside noise right now. Just putting some facts out there.
Xabi Alonso is free.
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Chapter 6: What is Gab Marcotti's perspective on Benfica's chances in the UCL?
He did really well with Florian Wurz under his management and he's available right now and he has many a link with Liverpool.
Yes, it seems like a very sort of direct path to get to Xabi Alonso. Now, I will go to Arne Slot and say, listen, buddy, this outside noise that is led by Kay and the rest, the way you keep that out is, and it's the most obvious answer that he could have given, and it's a vague answer that that is winning games. Winning games. You just say winning games, and there is no recourse to that.
It doesn't mean that you're going to win the next 10 matches. You're just saying the thing that quiets people is winning games. But then he goes into this path of trying to explain and give kind of context and saying we've only won this many leagues and this League Cup in over 30 years, so on and so forth. And he tells me that he... Not the outside noise, but he is thinking about it.
He doesn't need to give context. He doesn't need to give this sort of explanation as to, hey, listen, don't come after me. We won the league. No, no. We all know that you won the league.
Chapter 7: How does the performance of top Premier League teams impact Liverpool?
But now, because he feels like things are getting out of hand, and he was asked in the press conference last week leading into one of the matches, he was asked about, has Xavi Alonso contacted you? Which was one of the most ridiculous questions that any...
press person could have asked and somehow that's a question that was put forth to him so he can feel that Xavi and everybody else and the noise and the walls are sort of kind of closing in on him so he now feels like no no hey hey it's not like winning a league it's something that we do all the time here it's only happened so many times over the last 30 years give me some space you know how you get space you win games.
Beth what is success for Liverpool this current season now with what's left?
I think the ultimate thing is qualifying for the Champions League. That's the bare minimum that a club like Liverpool expects, particularly after the summer spending spree that they had last year. So, yeah, I think the bare minimum is getting in the top four. Beyond that, it's winning a trophy. They're still in the FA Cup. They're obviously still in the Champions League.
And actually, bar that really poor defeat to PSV Eindhoven in November, they've done OK broadly. They've done quite well in the Champions League. They played really well last week. away to Marseille, which was a game that I don't think many people had them pegged to win because Marseille have been doing well this season, particularly at home.
I think the frustration for Liverpool and for Arnaud Slot has been they've had these performances, they've shown that on the day they can beat anyone.
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Chapter 8: What are the expectations for Liverpool's squad in the upcoming matches?
They beat Arsenal earlier in the season, they beat Real Madrid. Again, like I said, they went away to Marseille, a really tough place to go and played well and won, but they just can't seem to generate that momentum, particularly in the Premier League. And coming back to what Ali was saying, it's... It's so hard now because Xabi Alonso is this presence that is just around the club at the moment.
And every conversation that's had about Arne Slott at the moment comes with a mention of Xabi Alonso. And I think from a human perspective, you know, it's quite hard not to feel a little bit sorry for Arne Slott because he's had so many things to contend with this season. Not all of them have been of his own doing and his own making, you know.
And I know Shaka mentioned earlier on about Ekotike not starting. And I think we were all surprised at Bournemouth on Saturday that he didn't start. But basically, you know, he's his only fit striker now that he's got for the next three months until Alexander Isak comes back. So he's wrapping him in cotton wool. He himself was injured a few weeks ago. And it's not just him.
There's a number of players sort of coming back from injury or people aren't quite adapted to the pace and the physicality of the Premier League.
And
I think that the issue is that there doesn't seem to be any reinforcements coming in this month to help him. So he's got a small squad to manage. But yeah, while the Alonso sort of rumours linger, it's hard to really quieten the outside noise.
Yeah, that leads us right to where we need to get to when you talk, Beth, about it doesn't look as though there's anybody else coming in at the moment, as we are in the winter transfer window. It's getting close to closing.
When you take a look at Liverpool's defenders and those who are out for the season, Connor Bradley and Giovanni Leone, as it stands right now, it does make that topic of not getting gay heat in the summer even stronger. It's something that was discussed on the latest Gavin Jules podcast.
You have five days left in the transfer window. Do Liverpool need to do something? Of course they do.
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