Liverpool fans say ‘let him go’ on Trent as Reds already have ‘defensive upgrade’
Liverpool fans are more than happy to wave goodbye to Trent Alexander-Arnold; it’s the Conor Bradley era now.
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Yet more on Trent; let him go
Might as well weigh in on TAA and provide my two cents.
Trent is quoted as saying the next accolade he wants to win is the Ballon d’Or. He didn’t say he wants to win the league again with Liverpool, or the Champions League with Liverpool, or any other trophy with Liverpool. He said the Ballon d’Or… the trophy for best individual. And where else could he do that better than Madrid, the perpetual providers of Ballon d’Or winners.
He’s gone. In his mind it’s evident after yesterday’s performance. And I say let him go, and when the Madristas turn on him he’ll realise how he’s made a terrible mistake.
Culk the Younger
…Why can’t the Liverpool supporters understand that he is holding the club to ransom over his contract dispute?
He is being very well paid to perform as primarily a defender not a show boating player who is letting down other defenders who must be fed up of covering up his inabilities!
Let him go to Spain, play with his mate, and instal a very able player, as he’s proved on numerous occasions, in Conor Bradley! He’s young and with time will get better and better.
He’s a better defender, and is quicker to understand dangerous situations that Trent Arnold would ignore and put pressure on others!
Bradley has shown that he can attack and create chances for others ! I’m sure that he will score the odd goal or two as well!
C’mon Anfield don’t let one player who’s been given so much at the club hold the club to ransom!
Let him go ! Let’s move on ! Everyone is fed up of reading about the situation day in day out! Liverpool should be concentrating on winning the League,Europe etc , not an individual who should have more feeling for his home club!
There is no i in team !!!!
Peter Spiring
…Having spent the better part of six months seeing almost everyone (except Jamie Carragher) get it wrong on Liverpool’s contract ‘fiasco’ (Dan Sturridge was abysmal on Sky this weekend), I have decided to return to the F365 mailbox to offer some clarity.
Trent is a great player, no doubt. As Carra says, if he wants to leave for Madrid, good luck. The fans would obviously want him to stay. The club, too, would want that. But there are limits. If he is getting paid 200k/week currently (give or take), I think it can be safely assumed that he will want 350k/week in his new contract. This will be a 5-year contract, so it will be up for renewal again in three years’ time (2028).
Assuming he continues to perform, what will Trent ask for then, considering he will still be under 30: 500k? 550k? Do Liverpool let him go for free then? Or do they destroy their carefully built wage structure (now and again in 2028) and the resultant financial stability? And it won’t be for just one player: every new contract renewal or new player purchase will be measured against Trent’s bumper contract. Once VVD does leave and Liverpool decide to replace him with a new world-class centre back, Liverpool will have to pay him on par with Trent. And suddenly the club ends up with two players earning close to half a million a week.
Then there is the on-field element: it has been very clear for years that Trent can struggle defensively. One solution floated has been to move him into midfield. But the fact that it hasn’t stuck at club or international level is telling. For all his creative and passing genius, it is astonishing that after more than half a decade in the first team, Trent’s defensive frailties are so noticeable and regularly exposed.
Enter Conor Bradley. A smashing good defender who offers something different offensively. He won’t spread the ball 60-70 yards, but he has shown to be an incredible wide outlet. Yes, he does not take set pieces or free kicks, but it is worth noting that Trent is taking fewer corners now, with Mac Allister taking on more set-piece responsibility. Bradley offers far better balance to the team, but yes, he is no Trent when it comes to passing.
It is worth remembering the time during which Trent came up: Liverpool had workhorses in midfield and lacked creativity following Coutinho’s departure to Barcelona in January 2018. Trent took advantage of an injury to Clyne and never really let go of the right-back spot. And the team needed him, with Fabinho, Henderson, Milner, Gini as midfielders – all solid, but not creative. The midfield is now different. In Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Jones, and (less so) Gravenberch, Liverpool have players who can do more than just press. The dependence on Trent providing 10+ assists per season from RB has reduced.
TL; DR: I hope Trent stays, but not at any cost. The team’s dependence on him as a creative outlet has reduced sharply. Bradley is an able replacement and an immediate defensive upgrade, if not on par offensively. It’s a shame he might leave for free, but if it suits both club and player – which I think it does – then it’s fine and let’s move on.
Siddharth (Liverpool need a new RB and 2 LBs)
Pay him what he wants? Really?
So this letter was triggered by listening to Daniel Sturridge and Carragher talking about Trent contract post game but really it can apply to any club/player.
The narrative told by Daniel was that clearly the club hadn’t offered the players anything or they would have signed and that these are very important players and the club should just offer them what they’re asking for or clearly they don’t value them.
I’ve seen this echoed by fans too but I’ve never seen anyone apply the same logic the other way. Nobody would expect the player to accept any terms offered because they love the club. But for some reason everyone (maybe not everyone) expects the club to offer whatever the player wants or they don’t value the player.
Seems a little unfair to me. If you think that in 2 years these players have never talked terms with the club and the club have just been playing FIFA the whole time you’re a bit naive. The agents will have been on the phone every week to talk terms.
With Salah and van dijk it’s a bit different because this will likely be their last big contract, their individual bargaining power is weaker because it’s unlikely anyone else will come in and offer 400k plus per season for 3 years like they are asking (that’s about £20m a year…each) most clubs don’t do that for post 30 year old players now. Usually it’s a year with the option for both parties to extend for another.
Trent has a willing suitor so it makes his position stronger. But his position improves Salah and Van Dijk too. Lets assume the club wraps up Trent’s contract, Salah will say he wants more than Trent because he’s the main goal scorer and Van dijk will say he wants more than Trent because he’s the captain. And both will have a point.
It’s a tough scenario and one in which signing any one player weakens Liverpool’s position for the other two. Which is also why you shouldn’t let this happen but this was Jurgen’s doing since he was in charge of everything with no DOF or technical director as this problem occurred (this is why those roles are important guys).
So the player saying “if you really value me you’ll give me what I want” can quote easily be countered with “if you really want to stay you’ll sign what we are offering you”
What happens when you give players what they want? I dunno, ask Man City who had to subsidise Robinho’s wages for three years after he left because nobody could afford him when it was clear the club wanted him to go. You have to basically put all your eggs in one (three) baskets and HOPE that player(s) performs at the same level as they did when they were trying desperately to earn that contract, because if they don’t. You can’t sell them and even loaning them is very difficult.
And assuming they all sign for the same wages they get now (which they won’t) that’s £60m per year that comes out of club finances that we can’t use to buy another player…for three years. It’s a big risk when that player has only two or three years left.
Salah is even slightly more unique because he tends to have a slump in January and February. Almost like he’s done his seasons work in sept to Dec. So maybe the club is keeping the contract situation going because while a player thinks his new contract depends on his performances he’s more likely to step it up.
Lee
Man Utd dream of being 90s Liverpool
I just wanted to pick up on a point mentioned by Minty in Monday morning’s mailbox about United reminding him of Liverpool in the 90s in that they can turn up for the big game but are nowhere near it by the end of the season.
Right now, I’d aspire to that level. We have had such a horrendous record against the traditional “Big 6” for a long while now and barring a few good results against City we haven’t really laid a glove on anyone of note.
Even in our 90s pomp I never felt that games against our closest rivals City, Liverpool and Leeds would be easy ones. Form always went out of the window.
Yes, the records probably show we picked up more points than we dropped but they felt nervy affairs as other teams lifted themselves. They were generally close games and we never saw a 7 nil!
This United team have shown a complete inability to even get up for the odd games against rivals, meaning that we can’t even look forward to the odd good day where we get to gloat. I went to the game on Sunday and mood amongst fans was low. Everyone I spoke to thought we were in for an absolute hiding. It was a pleasant surprise to see a disciplined performance against a better side and showing a bit of grit. Now we need to try and eke those performances out more often against the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham. Hopefully with more time on the training pitch, Amorim can really start to shape this team in a way he wants.
Nick, MUFC
Ps. I want to put on record my thanks to LFC for making us feel at home with the leaky roof. It was a small thing but much appreciated.
MORE LIVERPOOL V MAN UTD REACTION FROM F365
👉 16 Conclusions on Liverpool 2-2 Manchester United: Terrible TAA, frustrating Fernandes, silly Slot
👉 Liverpool should already be excited to target ‘soddy, lazy’ Trent down Real Madrid’s right
👉 Manchester United are ‘soft’ and ‘weak’ – Ferguson must hate how Liverpool are their cup final
Handball rule still needs work
The morning mailbox had a few mentions of Micheal Oliver’s performance, with shouts of bias etc. I didn’t think he had a great game, but the penalty award was the decision which got under my skin. Not because I’m a United fan or I think he got it “wrong” per se, but because the application of the rule in relation to handball continues to be horrible to observe. I just don’t understand how it’s been allowed to continue this way.
Did Matthijs De Ligt have his left hand in an “unnatural position”? I suppose he did, if that’s a thing. Was his intention to gain an advantage from that? Maybe, but it seems hard to prove. Did the whole incident unfold at a pace that suggests it was more coincidence than anything else? Definitely.
Surely the point of the handball rule is to punish a form of foul play, not introduce a massively high stakes risk whenever pinball breaks out in either penalty area? That ball came at De Ligt from point blank range and could have gone anywhere. It’s not a foul in a million years, except in Stockley Park where they clearly don’t have enough to do. Oliver waving play on was correct, as at full pace you can tell that there’s no intent. But of course the VAR goons get involved for fear of being discussed on Sky Sports this morning, and then it’s a death sentence.
When I think of handball, I think of Suarez’s flagrant one against Ghana. I think of Maradona. I think of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain against Chelsea and the bungled red card that followed. They’re actual examples of use of the hand to gain an advantage, and corresponding instances of it being refereed correctly, incorrectly, and bizarrely. If you applied the VAR logic properly to those incidents (I know), you’d retrospectively catch the Maradona one and make sure the correct Arsenal player got sent off. And that’s how it should work – punish cheating accordingly. But we also have this mad agenda to penalise defenders to the same extent for momentarily having a limb flail away from their body as they bust a gut to get into a better defensive position.
I know United will probably have a decision like that go our way before too long, and it might even earn us a point or 2. But it will never feel warranted. As long as the VAR lads are instructed to over-officiate this area of the game, the handball rule will be ruined by super slow-mo and spineless pandering to the lads in the booth, and that feels like a stain on the game that really doesn’t need to persist.
Keith Reilly
On fouls committed by the head
This continued nonsense about the Arsenal penalty. You know that this is all a deflection by Arteta so that no one criticises his management right? He’s never going to turn around and go “yep, got it wrong lately. I should have rotated Saka more, maybe I shouldn’t have spunked loads of dough on Havertz and Jesus. Maybe Martinelli has flat lined in his development.
“Maybe spending all of our time coaching systematic nearly-cheating instead of actual football put us in a bit of a pickle when our 17 year old winger got booked for time-wasting in the first half. Double lessons with the set piece coach for him. No, of course he’s not injured, that’s another lie what I say so its all woe is me and to avoid having to admit that I told my team to time waste at one nil up. The fans lap it though.
“I did play the injury crisis card too early didn’t I? Its just Christmas with the run of fixtures every 3 days for everybody. Except us, obviously, we had a bit of extra break over Chrimbo didn’t we, which was good for us. An advantage some might say. Not like that United doing fuck all for three games so that they had the energy to play at Anfield though amirite?
“As for the pen, no you’re right, you can’t have someone headbutting someone in the box. He didn’t win the ball, the ball was headed onto him and he skulled a player. Yeah, ball was heading in the other direction and everything. I wanted a player sent off for trying to take a free kick when Rice kicked that ball away and this was way worse.
“Yeah, should have told the boys to shut up for that Rice one but that’s the risk you run with these constant nearly-cheating antics. Still, its working for the corners though innit. How we are still getting away with that is beyond me. It’s a disgracia.”
As for fouls committed with the head John the Notts/Manc Gooner. If you headbutt someone you will get sent off and give away a freekick. And that’s even when the ball is not in play. Two players even just touching heads sees at least one of them get booked. Its almost as if people shouldn’t be headbutting people on a football pitch. A bit like that clash of heads with Rice IN THE SAME GAME, when Rice was awarded a free kick.
Bringing brackets back. Every sign off should now have brackets where a ref has a got a decision wrong for your team or in favour of Arsenal.
Alex (Odegaard basketball handball), South London
What’s the excuse this time, Arsenal fans?
As ever, it will never stop being hilarious to witness insecure Arsenal fans contend that they are categorically indifferent to Stewie’s Fake Ramblings – before going into laborious comedy excuses to legislate for the failure of the Basque David Moyes (though this does Moyes a disservice, because he won a European trophy).
Arsenal fans are apparently all about “context” now when it comes to Brewster’s Millions and his spending – of course, that context is to be ignored when it comes to the spending of other teams (ManYoo generated their own huge income, Citeh for all their wealth spend less than Arsenal and recruit better).
The one thing I want to highlight is this season’s Arsenal excuse (it’s the new Netflix Special we’ll call “THE EXCUSE”): “Slot inherited a Galactico squad”. This laughable point ignores the fact that Slot took over a squad that had finished BEHIND Arsenal for two consecutive years, and wasn’t backed as finishing top 2 this season by a single bookie. How curious, considering Slot apparently inherited a Sacchi Milan-esque side eh! Go back to the mailbox pre season and see how boastful Arsenal fans were: consensus was that Pep was the threat, beat Citeh and the league is Arsenal’s. We all know this.
But oh, you can’t mention Slot now all of a sudden because it’s “not his team”. Naturally, on the other hand, how inconvenient it must be to point out that the only tangible success Arteta has had – and upon which his current tenure is predicated – came with Unai Emery’s team! That’s right, the only thing Arteta achieved was with a team that was not his! The only attacking threat of outstanding quality at Arsenal FC, again, had nothing to do with Arteta and was a player Emery plucked out.
Arteta has had a four-year head start on a Slot who has never coached in a Top 5 European league. Aren’t Arsenal fans always about “giving time”? That “time” bollocks refrain that began with Wenger in 2006, until the gormless realised that they didn’t even have a watch! And now Arteta, who “needed time” when he finished 8th, and then 5th….is suddenly at a disadvantage because he’s had bags of time, s d Slot has had…errrr…None?! 😂😂😂 Ok!
So to recap: Slot, who not one Arsenal fan mentioned as a threat in preseason, inherited an insane squad of Galacticos, not fair, how do you compete….oh except for Arsenal finished ahead of that very squad for 2 seasons running lol. 🙄 You lot have had 21 seasons to finesse your excuses for failure and THIS is the best you can come up with? SAD!
I’d literally love nothing more than to retire dear Stewie from 365, as it’s no longer a challenging sport kicking an inanimate object for 21 straight years. For the love of God Delusional Next Season FC, please win a league title man, come on this is pitiful! Even Leicester did it! I’m literally rooting for you! It was funny for the first 20 years but this shit is ridiculous.
Stewie Griffin (Pep’s worst ever side is going to finish ahead of Arteta, isn’t it? Evra was right, AFC is Netflix: always “Next Season”! Tune in next May for season 22 of “THE EXCUSE”)
Arsenal gripes
The two most annoying things about Arsenal on this site:
1) Stewie Griffin (undisputable).
2) All other Gooners complaining about “conspiracies against them” from referees and VAR.
The latest case in point can be seen by going here, setting your playback speed to 0.25 and then going to 1:58 in, followed by 2:03 in. It’s clear as day that Pedro gets to the ball first, which then bounces off the top of Saliba’s head as he tries to beat Pedro to it but fails – you can even see the flight path of Saliba’s head going to where the ball would have been if Pedro hadn’t reached it first.
If an attacking player knocks the ball past a goalie who goes for the ball but catches the player instead, is it not a penalty? If an attacking player gets tripped by a defending player going for where the ball would have been, is that not also a penalty? It seems pretty obvious to me that if you are second to a ball and catch the attacking player in the box with ANY part of your anatomy, it’s a nailed on penalty but the number of letters and comments from Arsenal supporters saying Saliba got to the ball first is utterly baffling. Seriously, just go watch the video at those two time indexes above and if you still think he got there first there’s no hope for you. Even SpecSavers will turn you away.
Newsflash: VAR is equally crap for everyone. It’s not a conspiracy, it’s a fact. And until they remove referees from Stockley Park who will continually look out for their mates in the hope they will be looked after when they take to the pitch themselves, it will continue to be crap for everyone. The best thing that can happen to VAR is to give it to a neutral body separate to referees so that they can call decisions as they see them, but it will never happen because Howard wouldn’t want it made so blatantly obvious just how bad the state of refereeing has become under his tenure.
Jeff G, West Brom Villan (Looking forward to the expected kicking in the Comments section)
