Have Liverpool won an ‘easy’ Premier League title?

National World - LocalTV

A look at the outsiders’ opinions…

Transcript

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.

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