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Had a look on Arsenal Mania last night. According to them us and Utd are on the same level, but City and Arsenal are a cut above. They are arrogant, smug, entitled cunts and I’m desperate for us to finish above them.

My all-time favourite bit of management honesty was Gordon Strachan's post-match interview after his Southampton team had just been twatted. "In which areas do you think Arsenal were better than you today?" "That big green area out there."

I was going to have a sausage sandwich this morning with some rapidly expiring bangers, but had the making of this 'air fry-up', a bit basic but went down well . My lips haven't fallen off yet, which is a bonus.

Football has to be about more than numbers. Salah amazing but Barnes was football. Same with Dalglish. Just pure football. Like Remmie said they were the reason you loved the game.

Neville was third choice to play Quasimodo in the Salford High School performance in 1988 of Hunchback of Notre Dame. Only four went for the role,he was ahead of Phil but they were both considered too ugly for the part.

No one talking about the little piss taking one touch cameo the boys put together like adults v kids stuff, just 10 or 15 secs of unadulterated "your shit so chase our fckin shadows". The whole bunch look really happy confident and on top form. As Carra said Slot 3 games in v ETH 3 years in, their shambles of a senior set up. They are Everton in red

Wankers:

If you can’t go over two hours after winning 3-0 at Trafford Falls then when can you? Great listen. I did chuckle at the “is there anything else?” from Dave at about 1:30 and then Brownie says “surely we’ve gotta talk about Everton“ and another half an hour ensues.

Bon anniversaire boss.

RDT_20240902_223906.mp4

That's more like it. After two disappointing results at Old Trafford last season, the Reds set the record straight with a drama free, routine 3-0 win over the old enemy as Arne Slot secured his crown as King of the Dutch Baldies. A first half Luis Diaz double and a second half strike by Mo Salah - who also bagged two assists in a sensational display - ensured a stress free afternoon for the Reds as they ruthlessly exposed mistakes from a poor Manchester United side. TLW Editor Dave Usher is joined by Ian Brown and Paul Natton to reflect on a lovely afternoon's footy as Slot's boys made it three wins from three without conceding a goal. View full article

Recorded for Granada TV as part of a blues show in Manchester in 1964 Filmed at a rainey unused Manchester train station Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a jewelled fur coat and a cream SG As cool as Sinatra and the helicopter pic

Nil Eggs Nisi Omelettes.

This doesn’t give Van Dijk enough credit. Physical dominance is part of his game, but not the only part. If it was, he’d get exposed whenever he plays someone who is faster or stronger than him. Granted, there are not a lot of those around, but whenever he comes up against someone who is faster, he adapts his game. His duels with Haaland present a pretty consistent example of this. He won’t be the best defender in the world when he’s 36, but I bet he’ll still be in the top 10.

Yeah, it said I’ve got mumps. And a I’m pervert. I definitely don’t have mumps.

It’s a thread about Oasis reforming. Oh and you’ve posted a few Norwegian bands and I don’t thing I’ve heard a bigger pile of utter wank in all my life. I don’t have any of them on any of my playlists. Closest I’ve got is The Winner Takes It All by ABBA. A superior band to any of your crap and from a far superior country.

‘‘Arne Slot la la la la la la’’. Too soon? For sure, but I’m writing the day after battering ‘Them’, ‘There’. So I’ll sing what I want. While the sample size is pretty small – just the three games – one can only be happy with what the Reds have served up so far, especially in the aftermath of a difficult few months (Klopp’s departure, the lack of new signings). To come out of the traps like we have done is as impressive as it is encouraging. Bigger challenges lie ahead, of course, but as we move into the first international break, we can be confident about this team’s prospects, certain in the knowledge that the players are all on board with the manager, who has already, in a short space of time, put his mark on the team. Equally impressive has been Slot’s demeanour, on the touchline and in the media. The old expression, ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same’ seemed apt on the opening day. A 12:30 kick-off away from home. Check. A largely insipid opening 45 minutes? Check. The Manager getting hold of them at half-time and instant second-half improvement? Check. Jota – who had been largely ineffective – getting his customary striker’s goal? Check. Mo continuing his opening-day brilliance? Check. I’m being facetious obviously, but that said, there were a lot of similarities with the previous era. But for all the similarities, there have been subtle and not-so-subtle changes between this season and last. Since that first-half against Ipswich, the word that best typifies this team is ‘control’. This is something that had been spoken about throughout the summer and something that many of us felt was needed. The ability to play games on our terms has been evident so far – I said in the last piece I wrote that conceding first was often the bane of our existence and led to us chasing games. That, for now, has been fixed: three clean sheets in three games. It took us ten games (October 29th) to reach that number last season. If we can continue in this vein, we will always have a chance of competing, such is our quality up front. This has been evident on numerous occasions already: in the second-half against Ipswich with Jota’s clinical finishing; Diaz’s goal against Brentford after a hiccup-quick counter-attack; that move in the same game which would have been an early goal of the season contender; the high press and resulting quality finishes against United. Last season, the front five plundered 87 goals between them, in three games, they have already got seven. If we can retain this lethal goals tally (142 in all last season) and continue to control games, the signs are positive. Of course, every silver lining has a cloud, and there are a few dark ones over L4. Some are minor, but in the current social-media-obessed era, they can quickly become noxious. I’m referring to Trent’s insolence after his substitution against Brentford, mainly. As much as he knew what he was doing at Old Trafford when he came off (methink he doth protest too much…), he couldn’t have failed to realize that his reaction to his substitution would make the news as much as Slot’s Home debut (for that alone, he should be ashamed of himself). He should, of course, see the substitution as a compliment. We are going to need him at his best all season if we are to compete. Indeed, Slot said as much in his post-match comments. By taking him off, he’s saying, ‘I am protecting you as I need you fit and fresh for the bigger challenges to come.’ Of course, this is the tree which hides the forest, with everything being micro-analysed due to Trent’s contract situation. This ties in, of course, to the bigger picture around contracts relating to Mo and Virgil. In as much as I understand the Club’s position in relation to these two, Trent’s situation is baffling. One of the foundations of our stability – and thus success – has been our ability to tie down our players to long-term deals. That has two upsides: a) players thinking about signing can be ‘sold’ a long-term strategy and b) it allows us to command a fee (generally a big one) if we move them on. Maybe this is a moot point and the Club will announce something in the next few weeks, but January is getting a little too close for comfort for me. It should never have got this far and that’s on FSG. When I say I understand the Club’s position in relation to Mo and Virgil, I mean I understand that that is the way they do business. But from a football viewpoint (and by extension from a business one) it makes no sense to not renew. First, it would cost a fortune to replace them, if, indeed, you consider they can be replaced! Second, if we keep them, we have a better chance of winning matches, their statistics speak for themselves. Exceptions sometimes have to be made and for these two, FSG should power off their laptops and look at the bigger picture. I’m not sure what will happen, remember they don’t have Klopp going out to bat for them like he did in the past for Henderson, but if they go – for nothing – it will go down as the height of negligence. I also said in the last piece I wrote the lack of signings this summer was ‘gross negligence’. Despite the great start to the season, I stand by that. Gravenberch was sensational against United but it’s a (temporary?) solution we stumbled upon out of necessity. Maybe Slot can coach him into the ‘6’ he wants, but I still feel that we should have strengthened there and at centre-back. I feel there is a slight tendency to downplay the lack of signings based on our start, but business is about to pick up – literally and metaphorically. It’s all well and good vaunting the merits of the squad now – and I agree, we are very strong. But the start to the season has been pedestrian (Saturday, Sunday, Sunday). From now to the end of the year is a different kettle of fish: September 5 fixtures, October a possible 6 (depending on League Cup progress), November 6, December a possible 7 (depending on League Cup progress). Add to the mix six international fixtures (there are three breaks) and that is a potential 30 games between now and the end of the year. And there will be may more high stakes ones than last season, where rotation was a much more viable possibility in the Europa League. I hope we are not basing out hopes on Slot’s ability to keep players fit: last season we played 58 games in all competitions to Feyenoord’s 48. 10 games is three to four weeks of football and that in a more demanding League. Anyway, as things stand, we are sitting pretty and we can rejoice in those empty seats at Old Trafford as the Reds schooled United in their own back yard. On a weekend where two Manc twats bummed their fans, the Reds bummed the other Manc twats. John Brennan View full article

This was a cracker

Southgate to rebuild them around Harry McGuire's Easter Island head.

I was away camping this weekend down in Wales. Really sunny Saturday afternoon down the beach completely forgotten about any football being on. After the beach we went to a pub/restaurant, sat outside on a balcony overlooking the sea having a few pints. There's a table next to us, a family of six, young lad about 12 with Everton shirt on, the dad was on his phone and told him it was two nil, he's buzzing his tits off. Few minutes later in the bar, I see the dad booking the table for their evening meal, still all smiles and a spring in his step. We leave the pub and head back to the campsite to shower and come back later for our tea. So about two hours later we head down, I'd forgotten all about the footy and as the signal was poor I had no Internet anyway. Didn't need it, walked back into the pub, the other family still sat there but the fella, clearly had a few, had a face like a smacked arse, snapping at his kids and missus, looked absolutely crestfallen. My brother in law went to the bar and when he came back to the table he was laughing his head off and said to me 'You'll never guess what happed earlier' I mean, I'd had my weekly Everton laugh earlier in the week with the train station stuff and Maupay taking the piss and when I thought they couldn't possibly improve on that, they go and better themselves. The best screenwriters in the world couldn't make them up without it coming across as completely unbelievable.

When I heard checking for potential handball I feared the worst. Why was it even mentioned? "Hang on, he's got hands, it may have hit one" Wasn't even close.

Heady times these. Really hoping Slot becomes the Dutch Paisley to zee German Shankley. The best start we could have hoped for given the promising but fragmented preseason. This will be a loooong 2 weeks. Just can't wait for another pull at the Slot Machine!!!

Me and Paul left unsupervised always results in two hours plus.

I don’t think it’s a good idea to let three of our best players leave on a free transfer.

Everton Twitter tonight outraged that Leicester have escaped a points deduction for PSR breaches. Remember what club didn't get a points deduction one season and it got delayed to the season after, which meant Leicester got relegated?

You fucking arse sniffing, undie licking, twat faced mutant. You have forsaken the golden rule and I hope you go the way of Mark Fowler with bad cock aids, you slobbering cunt bucket. Get back under you bridge in Garston and rot away. No *F on the GF Neeeeggggggggeeeeeeedddddd

I'd pick up some bog roll as well next time.

Excellent laxative properties. I've just seen the price of them and near shit myself.

Enough with posting your sexual fantasies.

As for the poll question, I am taking Barnes but not just because I can't vote alongside Code. I just think he was one of the greatest players I've ever seen and unlike most player from that era, I think he'd have been even better if he'd played in the current era. That post above about him scoring 28 goals from the left wing makes me think that prime Barnes playing today would be pretty much unstoppable. That being said, I think it's a close call and it's not a hill I'd be willing to die on, but if I'm being pushed one way or another I'm leaning towards Digger.

Im sure if someone put up a poll about what the best of these two, around 50% would go for the Commodore 64, just because of the nostalgia.

Fair play to Koeman

Had to laugh at this

As Shanks once said

Win all our home and away games and we’ll be fine

How Liverpool hired Arne Slot: The data, surprise contenders and why talks grew tense It was in mid-April when Liverpool’s new sporting director Richard Hughes boarded a flight to the Netherlands. Back then, the speculation surrounding the club’s impending managerial vacancy was swirling around Ruben Amorim, the highly-rated young coach of Sporting Lisbon. But rather than head to Portugal, Hughes had a date with a different manager arranged for just outside Rotterdam; one Liverpool had identified as the perfect successor to Jurgen Klopp. It was the first time Hughes had met Feyenoord coach Arne Slot. Still, by that stage, he felt he knew the 45-year-old inside-out, having spent the previous weeks immersed in the data, video analysis and character references that had established him as Liverpool’s No 1 choice. Having sat and listened to why he was the preferred candidate, Slot made it clear that this was a challenge he was eager to accept. Keen to avoid creating any unwanted distractions before his Feyenoord side’s KNVB Cup final against NEC Nijmegen on Sunday, April 21, Liverpool waited until after that triumph before opening talks with the Dutch club the following Wednesday. Feyenoord chief executive Dennis te Kloese proved to be a tough negotiator as the two clubs sorted out a compensation package of around €11million (£9.4m, $11.8m), according to Liverpool sources, while the Dutch club indicated the figures may rise beyond €13m. Slot agreed terms on a three-year deal, having told Liverpool he was comfortable with the title of head coach rather than manager in a new-look hierarchy at Anfield which sees him answer to Hughes and Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of football Michael Edwards. He will bring assistant Sipke Hulshoff and head of performance Ruben Peeters to Merseyside with him. An official announcement was delayed until after the end of the season, allowing both Slot and Klopp to say formal goodbyes to their home fans last weekend. Slot will take up his duties on June 1, subject to a work permit. This is the inside story of Liverpool’s managerial search, gathered from conversations with multiple sources who had detailed knowledge of the process but who asked to remain anonymous to protect their positions. We can now reveal: How Slot scored highest on Liverpool’s internal data testing Why Liverpool knew it was impossible to find ‘another Klopp’ How Ernesto Valverde and Luciano Spalletti emerged as serious contenders The technical issues that counted against Amorim and Roberto De Zerbi The moment tensions between Feyenoord and Liverpool flared during negotiations His appointment has been warmly received by staff at Anfiel Slot’s arrival is a pivotal moment for him and Liverpool’s new executive pairing of Edwards and Hughes. All three know their reputations will be shaped by what happens next, and whether Klopp’s legacy can be built on. When Klopp publicly announced his decision on January 26 to stand down at the end of the season, Liverpool’s owners had known for two months that major changes were on the horizon. Director of research Will Spearman and his team of analysts had been tasked with getting to work on the club’s data-led approach for a suitable replacement. However, the owners’ initial priority was putting a structure in place that would enable Liverpool to adjust to the post-Klopp era. Central to that plan was convincing Edwards to return two years after he had stepped down as sporting director, with FSG president Mike Gordon keen to take a step back. Once Edwards was handed overall control of football operations in early March, the appointment of Hughes as sporting director was a formality. The former Scotland international, whose association with Edwards goes back two decades to their time together at Portsmouth, was already serving his notice period at Bournemouth. Together they set about assessing the credentials of coaches across Europe. The criteria were clear. Liverpool wanted a coach with a distinct identity in terms of his brand of football: dynamic, high energy and possession-based. Being prepared to take the title of head coach, rather than manager, was important. But while the successful candidate needed to have proved himself as a hands-on training ground operator, he also needed to harness the power of Liverpool’s fanbase in the tradition of the club’s most successful managers. A good record of keeping players fit and available was considered vital, as was a history of improving players. The focus was on making the right choice — not necessarily the most popular one — and Hughes and Edwards were prepared to be courageous in their decision-making. Externally, Xabi Alonso was viewed as the front-runner. The Spaniard, who has transformed the fortunes of Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen, was putting his side on course for their first league title in their 119-year history. He also has a close bond with Liverpool from his playing days. Even Klopp, who played no part in the process, described Alonso as “incredible” and the “standout” manager of a new generation of coaches. There was an obvious appeal to Alonso, but as far back as February it was regarded by Edwards and the Liverpool hierarchy as unlikely. Hughes has a strong relationship with Alonso’s agent Inaki Ibanez, who also represents Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola. They had discussed Alonso’s burgeoning managerial career — and possible future path — long before Hughes was lined up to join Edwards in shaping the post-Klopp era at Liverpool. Those conversations intensified around the time Hughes’s move to Merseyside was confirmed, but Ibanez was insistent: Alonso intended to stay at Leverkusen next season and did not want to discuss any other job, not even at his former clubs Liverpool or Bayern Munich. Bayern’s very public pursuit of Alonso while lagging behind his Leverkusen team in the Bundesliga title race, muddied the waters. Reports from Munich suggested Bayern would be his favoured destination if he were to move. Liverpool believed the opposite, but that Alonso was likely to stay put. That line of communication was kept open, but the message from Ibanez did not change. Alonso did not want any offers or proposals. Alonso stated publicly on March 29 that he would be staying at Leverkusen, following talks with his club’s sporting director Simon Rolfes during the international break. The call Hughes received from Ibanez earlier that week had merely confirmed what the Scot already knew. Nobody at Liverpool denies Alonso would have been a serious candidate if he had been open to taking the job. But they dispute that a declaration of interest from their former midfielder would have made it a one-horse race. Slot, they say, was firmly in their thoughts by that stage. When Liverpool appointed Klopp in succession to Brendan Rodgers in October 2015, FSG put great trust in the data that was presented to them by Edwards, who had recently been appointed technical director, and theoretical physicist Ian Graham. At that time, much of it was highlighting the excellence of Borussia Dortmund’s record under Klopp and how, even though results had dipped significantly in his final season in charge, the relatively new phenomenon of expected goals (xG) illustrated they had endured a somewhat freakish run of bad luck that should not deter them appointing him – a sound recommendation, it turned out. Nearly a decade on, Liverpool’s data-gathering goes much deeper. Spearman, a Chicago-born Harvard-educated physicist who spent five years as Liverpool’s lead data scientist before succeeding Graham as the club’s director of research in January last year, has been working on an algorithm that evaluates coaching performance on a wide range of metrics — not just team performance but playing style, individual player development, compatibility with different types of players etc — to predict future outcomes and suitability for certain jobs. Slot’s scores, reflecting his performance during three seasons in charge of Feyenoord, are said to have been blindingly impressive: “Top of the top”. Hughes and Edwards had already discussed Slot, among others, as a strong contender. But they had not expected the data to bring such a resounding endorsement of his candidacy. It wasn’t just the data. Hughes had studied Slot’s Feyenoord team extensively in his role as Bournemouth technical director, signing Argentina defender Marcos Senesi from the Dutch club in August 2022 and having also watched other players such as right-back Marcus Pedersen (now on loan at Italian club Sassuolo), left-back Quilindschy Hartman (who has filled the gap left by Tyrell Malacia’s move to Manchester United in July 2022) and Colombia winger Luis Sinisterra (who ended up joining Bournemouth via a year at Leeds United). There were other Feyenoord players Hughes looked at, on his scouts’ recommendation. But it became a standing joke in Bournemouth’s recruitment department as Hughes told his scouts to stop recommending Feyenoord players because: “It’s not about the players. It’s about the coach and his system.” There was a recognition inside Liverpool that it would be impossible to find a facsimile of Klopp — and, because he was regarded as such a one-off, that it would be ill-advised to try. But in Slot, they saw some appealing parallels with the German coach who won seven major trophies at Anfield and has been the club’s most transformative manager since Bill Shankly. Edwards and Hughes feel Slot’s exciting, intense, high-pressing, possession-based brand of attacking football ticked the box of energising Liverpool’s players and crowd. Given their belief in the playing talent already at the club, they are convinced his style will be a good fit for the squad he inherits. Crucially, given that Jarell Quansah, Conor Bradley, Bobby Clark, James McConnell, Jayden Danns and Lewis Koumas have made the step up to senior football this season, Slot also has a proven track record of putting his faith in and developing young talent. The data served to underline how Slot had Feyenoord punching above their weight. In May 2022, he led them to the final of the Europa Conference League (where they were beaten 1-0 by Roma). Domestically, he was crowned Eredivisie manager of the year. Despite the departures of key players and having only a fraction of the resources available to rivals PSV Eindhoven and Ajax, he led a new-look team to league title glory and the quarter-finals of the Europa League in 2022-23. This season they won the KNVB Cup and finished runners-up to PSV in the league. His first taste of managing in the Champions League saw them finish third in their group behind Atletico Madrid and Lazio before dropping into the Europa League where they were beaten on penalties, again by Roma. Liverpool’s current coaching staff were not asked for their views on Klopp’s successor, but Slot has a big advocate in Pep Lijnders, who will also leave the club this summer. Slot visited Lijnders’ house when he was starting as a youth coach nearly a decade ago and they exchanged ideas over several hours. Lijnders regards Slot as the best Dutch coach around: someone who is tactically smart and an innovator, with a clear playing style and the personality to handle the step up. In recent years, Lijnders has frequently talked up Slot’s body of work in conversations with senior Anfield figures. Hughes also spoke to Bournemouth defender Senesi and others who have played for him, but also people who have seen his work at Feyenoord at close quarters. A consistent message from Rotterdam cited the way he transmits his energy to the players and the fanbase. Like Liverpool, Rotterdam is a football-mad port city. The way he has taken the players, the club and the fanbase on a journey with him was felt to be pleasingly familiar. That was not a prerequisite in the search for Klopp’s successor. But in Slot’s case, on top of his other qualities, it was a bonus. For at least three weeks after Alonso ruled himself out of contention, the coach most persistently linked to the Liverpool job was Amorim, who has led Sporting to the brink of a second Primeira Liga title in four seasons, and who before his appointment had not won the title in 19 years. In the second week of April, reports in Portugal suggested Amorim had been offered the position as Klopp’s successor and had verbally agreed a three-year contract. Liverpool vehemently denied that, as did the man himself. “There was no interview and certainly no agreement,” the 39-year-old said on April 11. The reports about Amorim — whose fitness coach at Sporting, Paulo Barreira, was a former Anfield staff member — caused a degree of annoyance at Liverpool, who did not want any candidate, such as Slot, thinking the job had been offered to anyone else. The reality is that Amorim, who was keen to move to the Premier League, did feature on Liverpool’s list, having scored well in much of the data analysis, but he was never a front-runner. Amorim’s agent Raul Costa came to Merseyside in early April but that trip was primarily to visit Luis Diaz, the Liverpool winger he also represents. While impressed by his record, Edwards and Hughes had doubts about Amorim’s compatibility with the Liverpool job specifically. They were unconvinced that his preference for a three-man central defence — shared by Alonso at Leverkusen, incidentally — would suit many of the players he would be working with. But more significant was a nagging concern about Amorim’s playing style. Sporting may have scored 96 goals in 34 league matches this season, but theirs is regarded as a slower style that is less front-foot — both in and out of possession. There were similar conclusions about De Zerbi at Brighton and Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann. Like Amorim, De Zerbi was on a theoretical shortlist but not one of the first names on it. Playing style and compatibility with Liverpool were again considered to be a factor. Others who were discussed briefly included Iraola, whose Bournemouth contract had been due to expire in 2025 (he signed a new one last week), and Newcastle United’s Eddie Howe, having both worked under Hughes at Bournemouth, together with Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness (whose data scores were closely aligned with Klopp’s, and who had many admirers at Liverpool) and Michel, who has enjoyed a superb season at Girona in La Liga. Inter Milan’s Simone Inzaghi (a well-respected coach whose lack of English was potentially problematic) and Lille’s Paulo Fonseca (now interesting AC Milan) were also considered, but they were never seriously in the frame. Bayern’s outgoing coach Thomas Tuchel, who succeeded Klopp at Dortmund in 2015 and won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021, was not in contention. Indeed, many of the names linked to the job were either never in the frame due to being incompatible with Liverpool’s criteria or were simply pushing their candidatures. The claims of Ernesto Valverde, however, were regarded by Liverpool as much stronger. The 60-year-old was a leading contender, having won two league titles at Barcelona, three championships in Greece with Olympiacos and recently ended Athletic Bilbao’s 40-year wait for a major trophy by winning the Copa del Rey last month. He would also have fitted the ‘brave’ ‘criteria laid out by Hughes and Edwards. Luciano Spalletti, 65, was also of significant interest. Last season, he guided Napoli to their first Serie A title since 1990, but he had only been appointed to manage the Italy national team last August. The fact that both men were seriously considered, however, suggested that age was not a major consideration in Liverpool’s thinking. When Edwards and Hughes set out to find Klopp’s successor, they envisaged a process where they might start with 20 candidates and gradually whittle them down to 10, then perhaps five and then three for a final round of interviews. It ended up being more straightforward than that. They might have had a notional shortlist, but they also had settled on Slot as their preferred candidate and successfully persuaded Gordon and the rest of Liverpool’s ownership team to open formal negotiations with Feyenoord. When Klopp originally announced his decision to stand down at the end of this season, Feyenoord executives did not believe they had much cause for concern. They knew Slot would score well on data assessments of high-performing European managers, but there was no expectation that a club with the scope and size of Liverpool would come in for him. But the landscape changed dramatically. Feyenoord were not thrilled to learn that Liverpool’s approach to them had only taken place after talks had been held with Slot. On one level, Liverpool’s strategy made sense because, with no release clause in Slot’s contract at De Kuip, they needed to secure his approval and potentially agitate in order to force matters. But with the world now knowing that Slot was Liverpool’s top target, it strengthened the Dutch club’s negotiating position. They could now force up the price. Hughes came up against Feyenoord chief executive Te Kloese, who has previously worked as general manager at Los Angeles Galaxy in MLS, and been director of youth football and general manager at the Mexican Football Association. Te Kloese is regarded as a strong negotiator and having played a key role in Feyenoord’s finances and player recruitment, his importance in the club’s recent achievements could be seen to rival Slot’s. Another club’s sporting director, who came up against him previously, said: “I love his approach. To your face, he will be smiling and you think it is moving, but then nothing moves in the background until he is really happy with his deal.” Feyenoord had become well accustomed to rumours linking Slot with a move to the Premier League. He had rejected previous approaches from Leeds United and Crystal Palace before Tottenham Hotspur tried to secure his services last summer. Contingency plans were made and potential replacements considered on that occasion, but Te Kloese persuaded him to stay and sign a new deal. Slot’s previous contract stipulated that he could have been extracted for a fixed sum of €5million in the summer of 2024. But his new contract, which theoretically ran until 2026, removed that clause and strengthened Feyenoord’s hand. Negotiations with Liverpool started on the morning of April 24 and tensions spiked after an initial offer of €9m was rejected. That prompted Slot to speak out prior to Feyenoord’s Eredivisie game against Go Ahead Eagles four days later when he declared it was “clear” he wanted to take over at Liverpool and that he was “confident” the two sides would reach an agreement. Slot referred to the fact that he had generated a lot of money for Feyenoord by developing players who had been subsequently sold on and that they would be receiving the highest compensation fee ever paid for a Dutch coach. Talks continued throughout the Friday and, with Saturday, April 27 being King’s Day — a public holiday in the Netherlands — there were fears they might drag on until the following week. However, an improved offer from Hughes broke the impasse and a verbal agreement was secured on Friday evening. Liverpool then began to sort out the finer details on personal terms in discussions with Slot and his representative Rafaela Pimenta, the highly influential agent who also represents Manchester City striker Erling Haaland. Slot had hoped to convince Marino Pusic, formerly an assistant at Feyenoord, to be on his Anfield staff, but he only joined Shakhtar Donetsk as their head coach last October and wishes to remain in that job. Slot will be joined by trusted assistant Hulshoff, who is no stranger to Liverpool trio Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch as he also served on the Netherlands national team staff with Ronald Koeman. Head of performance Peeters will also make the switch to Liverpool. Appointing Slot is not without risk, and some outside of Anfield are sceptical. He has just two major Dutch trophies to his name, which is low for a manager of a club with Liverpool’s profile, and has had only fleeting experiences in the Champions League. Klopp, too, only had three major trophies on his CV when he arrived at Anfield — but two were Bundesliga titles, with a greater cachet than the Eredivisie, and he had also reached a Champions League final. Slot is also a forthright personality. He has high standards and is used to getting what he wants, which helps explain his success but can also be antagonistic. There was a flash of this in the way he publicly called to be allowed to join Liverpool when negotiations with Feyenoord over compensation threatened to become difficult, but a more pronounced example came at AZ Alkmaar in December 2020. Feyenoord had announced that Dick Advocaat would be leaving his role as manager at the end of the season and held talks with Slot. AZ, who did not know these discussions were taking place, were furious and sacked Slot for going behind their backs (Slot eventually joined Feyenoord in the summer of 2021). But as his AZ predecessor John van den Brom observed of the situation: “You always want to leave by the front door. So it wasn’t good for Arne and it wasn’t good for the club.” None of this will surprise Hughes and Edwards, but Liverpool will need them to quickly develop an effective working relationship with Slot as they plot their post-Klopp future. His appointment has been received well internally at Liverpool, where some staff members have had contact with him stretching back long before this process began. They consider him likeable and collaborative and feel that Slot seems to be an ideal cultural fit. The size of the task awaiting Slot was obvious on Sunday, when Klopp’s send-off from Anfield prompted an outpouring of emotion rarely seen in English football. Replacing him will not be easy but Liverpool are convinced they have the right man. Additional reporting: Adam Crafton, David Ornstein, Simon Hughes and James Horncastle

Yep we’ve got plenty of money. Pretty clear they are both still top class this season. No reason not to give them a 3 year extension each, they will still be good enough to be squad players by the end of that, even if not first choice, and we can easily carry their wages. Should Mo somehow absolutely fall off a cliff Saudi would be happy to have him, so there is absolutely no risk with him whatsoever.

We didn’t go 2-0 up there last year, did we? For anything else you can say about him, not sure it’s right to say Rashford frauded his way to an MBE. What he did was genuinely impressive, even if he does still live the high life.

Great stuff Dave. Agree that Slot needs something like fist pumps for post-match celebrations. Has to be his own thing, though. How about five pelvic thrusts towards the fans?

It's the UCU (Usher Cinematic Universe). You have to follow everything to understand these little easter eggs.

Barnes hit 28 goals from the left wing in 89/90 in a 442. That's a 50 goal season in todays money.

That vile cunt had football in his pocket for 2 decades. I was watching racing a few months ago, Ferguson and his consortium had 2 winners on the day, who was there celebrating with him but no part of the ownership, Allardyce. That got me thinking about 2 incidents that he got 2 managers to do on his behalf. The first one involves Allardyce and when he made the pathetic claim of Benitez saying the game was over against Blackburn and the other with Pulis taking back 2 players on loan at Preston after his son was sacked. You can go even deeper with the media and how he got them to round on Benitez after he correctly called him and his influence out. I hated Mourinho but he was the beginning of the end for Ferguson because he had balls of steel and was media savvy.

Never change Scotland, never change

Personally I just thought gakpo stuck his leg across him to win the pen. There was contact, but I agree that's not a foul.