Statement!!

What a result that is! After the Arsenal game, I was frustrated and a dissatisfied with our display. Not so much the result, a draw away at Arsenal is a result every team in the league would accept if offered but I felt in the circumstances that we’d missed an opportunity. An opportunity of a statement victory to ram down the throats of everyone pointing to our favourable run of fixtures in the opening weeks but we showed little hunger for it. Normally I’d understand and even agree with that thought process but consider the following. They’d started the game with a patched up defence, their main CB suspended and forced to play a midfielder at RB but by the end of the game with Gabriel and Timber being forced off with injury, their back line was a midfielder at RB, Ben White, a LB I’d never heard of as the other CB and a kid I’d never heard of at LB. Yet we never made any real attempt to truly test them and a nervy moment or two would’ve forced the whole Arsenal team to drop back a bit. Instead, we ended up finding ourselves hanging on in the final minutes.

Tonight however, Slot got his statement victory. A thumping 4-0 win over the reigning Bundesliga champions and one of the hottest teams in Europe right now, with arguably THE hottest up and coming manager, although Slot may have something to say about that at the end of the season if we can keep this up.

Football does funny things to you emotionally. There’s very few things in the world that make you love being wrong about your opinion but your team is one of them and I have to hold my hands up tonight. I questioned Slot’s decision to play Diaz through the middle and during a tepid first half of little goal scoring threat from either side, I felt my concerns were being vindicated. We couldn’t get Diaz on the ball and a well organised Leverkusen were proving to be a tough nut to crack. Diaz is the only player in our team that’s likely to pick the ball up deep and beat 2-3 players to create something from nothing and I felt we missed that. A second half Diaz hat trick however, put me firmly back in my box but I’m delighted it did.

The second thing I was delighted to be wrong about was, I had no sooner finished a post saying Jones may not have the speed of thought to play the 10 and how none of our midfielders had stepped up to provide the final passes that Bobby used to, when Jones played a sumptuous through ball that Bobby would’ve been plenty proud of, through to Diaz for a brilliant goal. Slot seems to pick players on form, we’ve seen it with Tsimikas getting the nod in recent games, as well as Nunez having to work his way up from effectively starting the season as 6th choice, with even the fleeting visitor that was Chiesa getting the nod ahead of him for the 10 minutes he was fit. I’ve no problem with that, it’s how it should be but to that end, it’s difficult to make a case for Dom or Macca to be starting ahead of Curtis on current form.

To our forwards then Diaz stole the show, taking home the match ball and more importantly, earning the prestigious 4KK McMOTM award. The only thing stopping Diaz being a truly world class player up to this point was his inconsistency in front of goal. We all knew he COULD finish well as we’d seen it but it was erratic. To move to the next level as a player, he needed to find that consistency in front of goal and this season, he seems to have found it. If he can maintain it now moving forward, we’ve got one of the best players in the world in our hands.

We also have to give kudos to Gakpo though, continuing his own good scoring form and it’s no coincidence that those two are playing at their highest level since joining the club, as they’re effectively competing against each other for their place in the team. Both recognise the other is a top player and they’ll need to bring their A-game to stay in the team and that’s why you need healthy competition for places. Not Torres pissing his pants laughing at the prospect that N’gog could take his place, or any chance Glen Johnson might’ve been thinking he’d better improve the defensive side of his game because Phillip Degen is snapping at his heels. Two top players for every position is what you need in the modern game, if you want to compete for the biggest trophies every year, as opposed to one flash in the pan season a couple of times a decade.

As for Salah, I’m actually really enjoying watching him evolve as a player. His game has changed, I can’t remember the last time I saw him hanging on the shoulder of the last defender when Alisson had the ball, waiting for Ali to play one of his long brilliant passes that would leave Salah in a 40-50 yard foot race with the last defender, which he usually won. He doesn’t quite have the explosive pace he used to and his days of making lung busting 50 yard sprints are likely a thing of the past as well. Like all great players though, his game has evolved and he’s still being equally or possibly even more effective, even if not scoring quite as many as he did 2-3 years ago.

He’s turning into something I’d never have believed he’d could be though and that is a world class creator for others. His assists are off the charts these days and he’s mastered that pass with the outside of the boot, he’s almost Modric like with it now. We were discussing on the thread last night about great players never being satisfied and constantly trying to add new things to their game. My example last night was Gerrard become an expert free kick taker in his late 20’s. Clearly he’d been working on it until he became a master at it and Salah has clearly worked tirelessly on perfecting that technique with the outside of his boot and so many of his assists come from that pass.

There’s a maturity to his game now as well. He still has the odd ridiculous shot but gone is the player who so infuriated Mane with his tendency to shoot, with teammates better placed. I’ve had my criticisms of Salah’s game over the years and his decision making at times in his relentless hunt for goals, was just ridiculous and beyond the usual standard of strikers being selfish. You could never argue with his stats but I used to think how he could be even better if he just made the correct decision more often than not. That’s what he’s doing now and we’re reaping the benefits as he seems to get an assist in almost every game these days, while still maintaining an impressive scoring rate.

I have a theory I mentioned to Dimi on the thread, that I wonder if Haaland’s arrival to the PL has had an impact on Salah’s mentality in that regard. For a few years, Salah and Kane basically slugged it out for the golden boot and it was clearly important to them as demonstrated by Kane earning his ‘Harry Claim’ nickname, after petitioning the league to tae a goal off his teammate and award it to him, based on his spurious claim the ball touched his shirt and video evidence proving inconclusive. So yea, to be arsed going to all that bother, he must’ve REALLY wanted that golden boot and you can’t blame him really, given that he could be bottled and sold as trophy repellent. Anyway, Salah and Kane would record similar numbers but Haaland’s come along and just destroyed everyone in the scoring charts, which makes me wonder if Salah accepted he couldn’t compete with those numbers and so the golden boot became less of a target to focus on. Pure speculation of course but whatever the reason for the change, I love it. I always thought Salah would ultimately move to playing through the middle, copying the Ronaldo model but the skillset he’s been displaying this season, I think he’s developing into what I remember Klopp describing Coutinho as when he was in his pomp with us – a wing/10.

Other notable mentions include a shout out to Kelleher who was excellent again when called upon and will surely set a new record transfer fee for the sale of a second choice keeper when he moves on next summer. Darwin was Darwin, brilliant to farcical from one moment to the next. I thought Tsimikas had another good game but I was also delighted to see Robbo snapping into that challenge that launched the counter attack for the 4th goal. That was the Robbo we all know and love, decisive and aggressive. Good to see him more like himself, after looking out of sorts in his last couple of appearances. Once again though, reiterating my point about genuine competition for places.

That just leaves the manager and there’s not even anything left to say, you just need to stand back and applaud. The best ever start to a season from any manager taking over at an English club. The best start EVER!! BY ANYONE!! It can no longer be considered a new manager bounce, or down to a fortuitous run of fixtures. It’s there in black and white – the best start ever! Frankly I’m stunned at how well it’s gone. Not only has there not been any kind of Klopp hangover, the team has improved in this short time and in some areas, certainly in defence, improved significantly. I’m usually one for tempering my expectations but I’m not going to lie, I’m starting to get genuinely excited about what’s possible for us this season, a season which I’d written off as transitional where 4th would be considered a successful campaign. Now that would be a bitter disappointment and the fact my attitude has changed so much in such a short time, is testament to the amazing job Slot has done.

Make no mistake, if they hadn’t already, Europe sat up and took notice tonight. Liverpool are the real deal once more. Walk on!