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How much of this is down to jotas death and the knock on effects? Understandably impacted our pre season and just seems like we've been way off fitness wise. I know we lost one of the guys off our team few years ago and we were in a lull for about 2 years even all the lets do it for hims were not enough a lot of us were just mailing it in as we lost a great friend and were questioning everything. Guess its impossible to guage how much it has impacted us exactly. Grief is a funny one. Its one part of me that wonders how this season pans out without his passing.
I think too many people are trying to use Jota's death as an excuse for how crap we and most of our players have been this season. Whilst his death may have had an impact on some of the players, notably someone such as Salah, it shouldn't, nay wouldn't have an all consuming impact on every one of our players. Also what excuse do all of our new players have for how they've performed thus far e.g. Kerkez, Wirtz, Frimpong, and Isaak pre his injury?
Sorry, but there is only one unifying factor, Slot.
It’s down to selling key players and looking to play without wide forwards at lower intensity in an exclusively short passing style with a designated playmaker
And fucking lowering training intensity too, to try and prevent injuries
All Slot dreaming up ideas to try and look clever and make it his own because everyone knew Jurgen’s team won it last season
He’s tried to reinvent the wheel not based on science or research or statistics based on an idea he had
We’re not playing like Feyenoord because he never play this shit system with them either which makes trying to with us even worse
He has cause us to lose fitness mid season and lost a huge amount of ground in teams through the Orem when we were top of if and he’s wasted a shit load of money in players we didn’t need
I don’t think anyone can deny the effects of the tragic loss of Jota. And while Slot was ‘out of this world’ fortunate to inherit a turn key solution - a team of mentality monsters, the total benefit of Klopp a 2.0 rebuild in its second season - virtually no serious injuries and both rivals downing tools…. As the summer arrived and the parade went sour - then the total hammer blow to the club - the fans and especially the players - of Jota’s tragic death…
You could argue that no amount of planning, genius in the market or managerial brilliance could counter that massive collective grief. Pre season must surely have been all but wrecked.
This is part of why - despite the dire results and form - I have, at least until recently - been loathed to call for Slot to face the music. Much as I don’t believe he deserves the full credit for last seasons title - I don’t believe he in any way deserves the full blame for this whimper of a title defence.
Do I think he is good enough to lead us to any kind of success …beyond the total dependence on the backbone of Klopp’s team…? No - but I do think he has been dealt an absolutely terrible hand this season. On top of that and unlike last season - Expectations were sky high - despite the huge outlay on a a squad imo being weakened to boot. This is huge pressure.
Added to that I believe the real culprits - Edwards and Hughes - both managing the business model more than anything else - sat there while Arne is the lone target.
Anyway - that’s my bit
Heard a rumour that fsg have told slot if you can win one league match before end of season the jobs yours for life.