A look at the outsiders’ opinions…
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00:00So, well, looking at Liverpool and in terms of the title race,
00:04and we've obviously mentioned how much of a great achievement it was
00:07for Arne Schlott to come in and do it in his first season.
00:10You know, taking nothing away from that,
00:12have they sort of won a weaker Premier League?
00:14You know, obviously, we've seen the fall off of Manchester City
00:17after an incredible four titles in a row.
00:20Arsenal were there and then they weren't suddenly.
00:23You know, you still have to go and do it, obviously.
00:25But is there that sort of doubt in terms of Liverpool's mind
00:30where they've had to go and win it?
00:32And it might have been a weaker Premier League this campaign round.
00:36That's the theory, certainly, from some quarters.
00:39Definitely those outside of the Red Harbour and Merseyside
00:42that, as you say, have Liverpool took advantage
00:45of maybe a weaker Premier League.
00:47Well, I don't think it has because, you know,
00:51look at, for a starting point, look at Aston Villa's performance
00:54against Paris Saint-Germain,
00:56a team who were arguably the best in Europe.
00:58They went and beat PSG.
01:02You know, a team who were, as we speak,
01:04sixth or seventh in the Premier League.
01:06Liverpool have beaten them comfortably this season
01:08and to do with Villa Park.
01:10So there's a few barometers.
01:12You look at the race for Europe now
01:13and the teams that are in it,
01:15it's really close.
01:16Teams like Fulham are up there
01:18and Brighton are up there
01:19and Bournemouth have been impressive.
01:21And Arna Stott said it a few times,
01:24you know, since he arrived from Holland,
01:26that in Holland,
01:28there's players at the bottom of the table
01:31who won't get in teams near the top,
01:32but that's not the case in the Premier League.
01:34I mean, look at West Ham,
01:36who have played last time out.
01:38Kudos and Paqueta, he praised.
01:41Jared Bowden have got a court.
01:42You look at a team like Wolves,
01:44Matthias Cooney is going to have a lot of suitors
01:46who have won him.
01:49Looking a favour from that Tottenham
01:50at, what, 15th Man Utd?
01:52Got how many international players?
01:54And then a team like Everton
01:55have got some real players,
01:58including the likes of Jared Bramfoy,
01:59who probably could go to any club
02:01that he wanted to if he did want to leave.
02:03So I don't think that Liverpool
02:06are looking at it that way.
02:08I think that they're looking at the Premier League
02:10that maybe the very, very top teams
02:14have dropped off a little bit.
02:15As you say, Man City, no one expected
02:17their demise, Arsenal have had their issues.
02:21But overall, I personally think
02:24it is stronger this season.
02:26That's just because of what's happening
02:27in the Premier League
02:28in terms of the money that's come in.
02:31And look at the teams that are coming up
02:33and they've struggled
02:35and maybe there is not just the top six,
02:38maybe there's going to be sort of
02:39a top 17 to come in years
02:42if it's going to be the half of the teams
02:44that are coming up.
02:45But Liverpool have only beaten
02:47what's in front of them.
02:49They've lost twice all season,
02:51once at home, once away.
02:54So, yeah, I don't think
02:55Arna Slotfield is thinking
02:57maybe we've got a way with one here.
02:59They've done it,
03:00and they've done it without making
03:01any signings at all,
03:03by Federico Chiesa,
03:04who has obviously came in
03:06as a squad player.
03:09Yes, Liverpool were there
03:10until the final,
03:12probably final month,
03:14six weeks of last season
03:15for the tails off.
03:17They have something to build on,
03:18but I definitely think
03:20it's been a strong Premier League
03:22overall this season.
03:23Yeah, it's funny how you say
03:25that Arna Slot's clearly come in
03:27and learnt a lot of lessons,
03:29especially about the English top flight.
03:31Do you feel there's been,
03:32how many lessons do you feel
03:34he has learnt in terms of,
03:36you know,
03:36the competitiveness of the division?
03:37It's a complete change
03:38to Dutch football.
03:40Do you feel there's been
03:41a few big factors like,
03:42you know,
03:42understanding how competitive
03:44the league can be,
03:45as you say,
03:46competing with the likes
03:46of Wolves West Ham?
03:47We've had a terrible season
03:48by their standards,
03:50but, you know,
03:51it's a league where anyone
03:52can give them a game
03:53and Arna Slot had to learn
03:55and adapt to that
03:56fairly quickly.
03:58Yeah, exactly.
03:59And I think he might have known it
04:00coming in,
04:01but maybe it's different
04:02when you're standing there
04:03on the touchline as well
04:04and you actually see
04:04how quick these players are.
04:07I think it was one game
04:10when he was serving
04:11a touchline ban
04:12and he said that
04:13the game looks so much faster
04:15when you are on the touchline
04:16and he's right there
04:18because that's what he would have seen.
04:19He would have seen
04:20these top stars
04:21for the first time
04:22in the flesh
04:23and I think one thing
04:24he will be learning from
04:25is maybe rotating
04:27a little bit more
04:28next season.
04:29He's talked about it previously.
04:32He's stuck to his main
04:33corner players
04:34and it looks like
04:35it might start to be
04:37catching up a little bit.
04:38Liverpool's obviously
04:38got enough distance
04:39in front of them now.
04:40They're going to win
04:41the Premier League.
04:42But he hasn't had
04:43maybe the players
04:44that he quite trusts
04:46who can do what he wants.
04:47So he'll bring out
04:49some of his own players
04:50in the summer
04:51and I think that's
04:51what he'll learn.
04:52Maybe rotating
04:53right grab and birdie
04:54a bit more
04:55or someone at the centre-half
04:56etc.
04:58Maybe even
04:59can you rotate
05:00Mo Salah a little bit more
05:01if he's getting a bit older?
05:02Can you just give him
05:03a little bit of rest place?
05:06Those are the things
05:07that you'll be looking at
05:08moving forward
05:09to kind of rotate
05:10a little bit more
05:11maybe next season.