ARNE SLOT DEFENDS VAN DIJK AFTER SUNDERLAND GOAL CRITICISM: "SMARTER"
Liverpool's draw ends their home defeat run but is marred by Van Dijk's error: losing possession, backing off, and deflecting Talbi's shot past Alisson.
Liverpool tied with Sunderland on Wednesday, ending their series of home defeats in the league thanks to a lucky goal from Florian Wirtz.
After a scoreless first half, Chemsdine Talbi scored first with a shot that changed direction off a player. Arne Slot and Regis Le Bris ended up with a point each after a tight game.
Even though Liverpool didn't lose, their captain, Virgil van Dijk, was criticised for his part in Sunderland's goal. He lost the ball easily and then backed away near the penalty area, allowing Talbi's shot to hit him and go past Alisson Becker.
"Van Dijk loses the ball, and then he just backs off," said Steph Houghton, former Manchester City and England captain, on BBC Radio 5 Live.
That's the wrong choice. He has to challenge for the ball. Because he doesn't make a decision, nobody else knows what to do.
If he goes to the ball, he forces Talbi to go wide, but instead, Talbi gets a chance to shoot. With how Sunderland has been playing, it was likely to be on target.
Slot was questioned about his defenders not challenging for the ball during the post-game press conference, but he disagreed with the criticism of Van Dijk.
I believe that when they have the ball far from the goal, it's smarter to reduce their space because if you step out as a defender, the other team will try to take advantage of that space, Slot said.
So, first, reduce the space, but at some point, you move toward the ball, which I think is what Virgil tried to do, and unfortunately, the shot went in off a deflection.
I've seen many shots change direction and go in at the other end, and one of those led to a goal as well.
We were unlucky again that they scored from one of the few chances they had.
They didn't surprise me. We know they can press very high and defend with all 11 players around their box, which many teams do in the league.
That's the least you have to do—defend with all 11 players—because this league has become so competitive that it's hard not to.
MOHAMED SALAH SET TO LEAVE LIVERPOOL: FENERBAHCE PREPARE STUNNING THREE-YEAR CONTRACT OFFER
After a decade at Anfield, Mohamed Salah's next move is the talk of football. Will he join Messi or stay in European leagues?
Mohamed Salah looks set to leave Liverpool this summer, and it sounds like he wants to stay in Europe. One of the hottest rumours right now is about Fenerbahçe; they’re ready to offer him a three-year deal worth around £52 million. That’s a huge pay packet, but probably not as big as what he’d get in Saudi Arabia.
Salah’s been on Merseyside for almost a decade, and it’s hard to overstate just how much he’s done for Liverpool. Since joining in 2017 with Jurgen Klopp in charge, he’s picked up two Premier League titles, a Champions League medal, an FA Cup, and two League Cups. Pretty impressive, honestly. But this season hasn’t gone his way, and new boss Arne Slot dropped him for a few games after his form dipped. When Salah announced in March that he’d be leaving, people started up with transfer rumours right away.
In recent years, clubs from the Saudi Pro League have shown considerable interest. Last year, Al Ittihad went as far as slapping a £150 million offer on the table, but Liverpool turned it down.
Now the story goes that Salah wants to stay in Europe even though he’d pocket way more in Saudi Arabia. Reports out of Egypt claim Fenerbahce, managed by Jose Mourinho’s old club, have already sat down with Salah’s agent. They apparently laid out their big plans, offering £17.3 million a year with a three-year contract, and they want to build the team around him to end their league title drought stretching back to 2014.
There’s also talk of Real Madrid getting involved. Still, their transfer policy usually steers clear of handing massive contracts to players pushing the end of their careers, even superstars like Salah. Clubs in Italy, like Roma, Juventus, and Inter Milan, are keeping tabs on him too. And just to make things more interesting, someone floated the idea of Salah joining up with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami in the MLS, though the league's salary cap throws a wrench into that.
At this point, everybody’s watching Salah’s next move; the only certainty is that he won’t be short of offers when he finally says goodbye to Liverpool.
WHY IS LIVERPOOL HESITATING TO HIRE XABI ALONSO DESPITE OVERWHELMING FAN SUPPORT?
Liverpool has contacted Real Madrid to investigate Xabi Alonso’s tenure, as pressure grows on current manager Arne Slot at Anfield.
Liverpool have reached out to Real Madrid to ask about Xabi Alonso, but honestly, there’s some debate going on behind the scenes. People have been talking about Alonso stepping in at Anfield, especially since Arne Slot’s season hasn’t gone over well. Fans let out some boos after that 1-1 draw with Chelsea, and the mood is pretty tense. Even though Slot led Liverpool to a league title last year, quite a few supporters seem fed up with him and would rather see Alonso take charge.
But Spanish outlet AS says Liverpool have contacted Real Madrid to get the inside scoop on what happened during Alonso’s time at the club. It sounds like the decision-makers at Liverpool are starting to feel unsure about him, and they might actually stick with Slot for another season.
Alonso landed the Real Madrid job last summer after doing wonders at Bayer Leverkusen. Still, just six months in, Madrid let him go, reportedly because the locker room was falling apart. Liverpool’s relationship with Real Madrid is strong, and they apparently want some honest feedback – kind of like asking for a reference from a past employer, which isn’t unusual.
Liverpool’s spot in next year’s Champions League is almost locked in, but with two games left, it’s not guaranteed yet. When asked about the boos, Slot admitted he has some work to do to win fans over.
He said, “Not this season. Fans won’t change their minds now. But if we get the summer we’re planning, I’m convinced we’ll be a different team next season. Results, style, everything. It’s not always easy, though. Sometimes you know what needs fixing, but getting what you want isn’t so simple. This season, it’s been pretty clear what we’re missing. We’re trying to solve it, but one issue is simply having enough fit players. Still, our guys show every week in the second half that they’re giving everything they’ve got.”
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