Liverpool in ‘transition season’ as VVD ‘declines into Lovren’; Man Utd ‘hope cannot be allowed to fester’
Liverpool are ‘absolute s***e’ and now in a ‘transition season’ as Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are heavily criticised in today’s Mailbox.
Plus, how dare Ruben Amorim lead Man Utd to three wins on the bounce…who does he think he is? Senne Lammens is the cure at Old Trafford, while Liverpool are getting way too much Fergie time.
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Liverpool are absolute s***e
I actually don’t know what to say after 76 minutes. We are absolute shite. I just can’t believe what I’m watching.
Even if Gakpo had got the penalty and it had become 1-1 i still think we would have lost this game. This lot are totally devoid of any fight. Only Szoboslai and Jones have looked good today. The rest of them have been various shades of crap. Jones and Gravenberch both being injured really spells trouble.
I wrote after Frankfurt to point out that Slot needed to hold his nerve and play the best players. Bringing Salah back in, who has been totally anonymous tonight, was a massive fail. If I were Chiesa I’d be looking for a way out come January and who could blame him.
Mamardashvili might be a decent shot stopper but he literally dived out of the way of the 1 on 1 whilst staying on his line and the penalty was poor. I suspect most Liverpool fans were casting very envious glances at Kelleher tonight. Mama is not helped by everyone passing to his right foot when he’s left footed. But that makes sense because this group looked tonight like they’d never met one another. Just 11 guys pulled together for a match last minute.
A lot of criticism will deservedly be levelled at Slot. Mo, Kerkez and others were all poor but he chose the team and, astoundingly, chose to leave Mo on the pitch when he made his subs. He also somehow saw that joke first half and waited until 60 minutes and 3-1 down to make changes.
Credit to Brentford and Henderson. We were made to look pathetic tonight and they didn’t low block. They didn’t need to to absolutely dominate us.
Looking at the fixture list no game looks certain in the next month. 4 more losses in a row (Palace, Villa, Madrid and Man City up next) doesn’t see unrealistic right now and Slot might end up sacked which would be kind of wild after last season.
Minty, LFC
Look, this run is absolutely s***e , exactly like City’s last year. And we’ll get out of it at some point, just like they did. It’d be nice if some point was before December mind you.
Spending hundreds of millions on attackers, with no idea how to fit them all together, has turned out not to work that well. I mean, who knew? Slot’s a bright bloke though, he’ll figure it out.
I’m very relaxed about it all though. Why you ask? Because we won the f*****g league only last year! This is scarcely a decade long slump to put us all into a massive depression.
It’ll most likely not get fixed until it’s too late to stop Arsenal winning the league. But seriously, we’ll survive. They’re a really good team, they will deserve it.
It seems weird to write off this season when it’s still only October, but champions don’t have runs like this. Not these days. But by next year we will have a very good idea how it all fits together. Probably.
So keep the dummies in the pram and relax. An awful lot of teams would love to have our problems.
James, Liverpool
I think, on the balance of probabilities, that possibly, this is a transition season.
Last year Slot was known for making tactical changes with and without substitutions that meant that we finished strong. We aren’t seeing that this year. He’s making panicked, kitchen sink changes.
I just don’t agree with Szoboszlai at right back. It reeks of Gerrard for England rather than Gerrard in the Champions League final. For those watching football 20 years ago.
The game was brought to you with the word “delay”. How can a team be allowed to spend a whole minute taking a throw in, especially when they are leading? The whole nonsense with getting a towel, I thought that was banned in the Pulis era for causing delays. Add in VAR – a full 5 minutes to work out whether a molecule of someone’s foot was over a line. A substitute ref who took 20 minutes to warm up. The game finished at quarter past 10.
Is this movement to long to setup set pieces a result of VAR? Has VAR taught us to expect lengthy delays in the game so its now more acceptable. How long before we get the in game adverts? No doubt for gambling or something less dangerous like heroin.
The penalty confirms VVD decline into Lovren. Gakpo’s was more of a penalty than that one. The ex-pros didnt want him to have it for not taking the clattering so fair enough.
Could have done with Wirtz scoring that chance. Hopefully that goal for Salah will wake him up like releasing a mummy’s curse.
Alex, South London
False dawn
Having watched Liverpool succumb yet again to Brentford, I have the following suggestions to make
1. The Premier League should let Liverpool play all their games in Germany.
2. Wirtz should only play on home soil.
3. Slot should allow his hair to grow.
Yiembe (Where are the pundits who gave Liverpool the Premier League trophy before even a ball was kicked?) Mombasa
History never repeats but it rhymes
Dear editor,
Picture this:
A Merseyside club spending “half a billion” on summer signings for their charisma-less Dutch manager, including a record signing that they pursue all summer long, and it not working out is it?
Koeman_face.gif
EFCraig (Still believing in Davey Klassen!)
READ: Man United new arrivals pose some awkward questions, but old familiar flaws remain
Time Team
What a weekend of football we have had. Naturally, it has been extremely pleasing as a United supporter but there is one thing that stands out as being a major disappointment. The level of additional time consistently given to the team in red from Merseyside is borderline insane!
Yet again, for the 427th time this season, Liverpool scored long after the indicated allotted level of injury time and, I think we can all agree, the amount of Fergie time being afforded to them is simply unprecedented. The ref was too embarrassed to even come out for the second half, and so we got another numerically illiterate official in his place. Who then provided the first instance, in my memory anyway (somebody fact-check that for me), of a team being awarded a corner because the GK held onto the ball too long (more than 8 seconds).
The ref is supposed to provide a visual countdown with his fingers for the last 5 seconds. Watch it back, the GK gets rid around 7/8 seconds and the players complain he wasn’t given proper visual warning by the ref. Bear in mind Brentford did a lot more time wasting against United and weren’t punished in the same manner. They even had the temerity to score another against us in the injury time they had created – sacre bleu!! Don’t get me started on the time wasted by Arsenal-Wimbledon against us too.
It’s a fine line between corruption and incompetence, but let’s give the officials the benefit of the doubt and say it’s the latter. So what can we do to address this current timekeeping debacle you ask? Either all stoppages are clear and transparent, with a specific clock for stoppages that all can see, or the current team of officials should be sent back to primary school to learn how to count and how to tell the time. (There is a third option of not allowing Liverpool any injury time unless they have a narrow lead, but we’ll hold that one back for now to see how things shake out).
The irony of course is that the back-pass rule was basically invented due to Liverpool wasting time, passing the ball between CBs and GK once they had any sort of a lead (somebody fact-check that for me please). Hansen to Grobbelaar again is it? Not on my watch! We need more of that spirit in officialdom and strive to get back to a time when refs favoured the likes of United (as if they ever did).
In other news, VAR seemed a bit better this weekend. That VVD penalty was on the money, and they got the claim for a United penalty correct – the player touched the ball before making contact with Amad. Long may it continue.
Garey Vance, MUFC
Trouble brewing
What’s this, 3 wins on the bounce? Can someone tell me what Man United fans have done to upset Amorim this much? This is real pain! How could he even think we deserve this? We’ve gone and gotten used to having a bit of a laugh every weekend, safe in the knowledge that the game was there to be lost, and was usually lost. The quality of the players and the tactics always made sure of it. We knew our place, and all was right with the world.
Now, nothing is ever going to be the same. We’re in 4th place! 4th! What shall I do with myself? How can I be expected to function like a normal adult with all of this upheaval? The sun is suddenly shining brighter, but will someone please think of global warming? We just beat Brighton! I mean, people, this is Manchester United football club we’re talking about here! In what world can they even dream about beating a team as accomplished as Brighton? How dare Amorim!
Man United winning consecutive games cannot be allowed to continue. This hope cannot be allowed to fester. We can’t be allowed to climb too high, lest, a long, hard fall. He has to go. Give us our Man United back.
Yours sarcastically,
Olu, Calgary.
READ: Sunderland are mentality monsters and the best promoted team in 17 years after Chelsea scalp
I’m so happy the United board stuck to their plan and didn’t listen to the words of people who wanted Amorin out. If this is what doomsday looks like (we are fourth in the table after this game) then I cant wait for the good times when Amorin is able to buy his midfield.
Cunha and Mbeumo are class. Lammens has changed our whole defense (we look solid and composed).
Onwards and upwards.
Manc In SA (when Brighton scored the second i still wasn’t nervous how times have changed)
Amorim’s United finally look alive – and it all started with a goalkeeper
Three Premier League wins in a row.
When was the last time we could say that about Manchester United unless we were talking about the Womens team or u-21s!
Something’s clearly changed.
Two words: Senne Lammens.
A proper goalkeeper makes everyone else breathe easier. Suddenly the defence looks composed, midfielders stop hiding, and the whole team plays like they actually trust the man behind them. It’s mad how one position can reset an entire club’s nervous system.
And it’s never the signing people expect who sparks it. Everyone thought Isak and Wirtz would light up Liverpool this season – they’ve flopped. Ronaldo’s big return was meant to lift United; Messi was supposed to carry PSG to glory. Ironically, PSG won the Champions League after Messi and Mbappé both left. Football loves reminding us that hype doesn’t equal impact.
Meanwhile, Liverpool could be about to lose their fourth Premier League game in a row (3-1 down at time of writing. Wonder what excuse/ refreshing explanation he will have in store for Carragher this time!) – a run unthinkable in the most optimistic Unites fans wettest of wet dreams just a few weeks ago It’s a perfectly timed reminder of how fast things can and do flip in this league. One team steadies, another unravels. That’s the Premier League ecosystem – ruthless and beautifully unpredictable.
For all those who doubted Amorim – time for humble pie.
Four trips to Anfield and the Etihad across two seasons: seven points from twelve, two wins against reigning champions. That’s not luck. That’s a manager quietly building something.
Now he’s got a proper keeper.
No European distractions.
A front three that finally makes sense.
And a full preseason to preach his ideas.
The magic’s not “brewing” anymore – it’s cooking on full heat.
United fans can finally smile again.
And the ABU crowd? They can get back to what they do best – pretending they’re not watching. But we know they are burning inside out and we love it!
Mustafa Rashid (Author, YouTuber and above all Manchester United fan. Hated. Adored. Never ignored. )
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Journalism in 2025
I feel like there is an ever-increasing stream of mails talking about the level of quality journalism on this “once hallowed” website (I only became a regular in 2020) and I find it extremely interesting.
Because part of me (not the whole, more on this later) is just as annoyed as those who rightfully point out that there are articles written that just come across as pure clickbait. Funny that Will Ford has recently earned the ire of the Liverpool fans because he was clearly tasked with riling the Gooner contingent for years until the current Liverpool CRISIS sidetracked him.
A few days ago I was going to write in response to an article from Lewis Oldham for which I would put the link but can’t find it now as the specific query “Lewis Oldham F365 fire arteta no matter what if he doesn’t win this year” unfortunately doesn’t lead me directly to that article even though it should. An article in which he ended by saying basically “If Arsenal don’t win the title this year, Arteta surely should be sacked, he’s been given enough time, this is his last chance.” And, today, he’s firing Nuno after two games? This is clearly clickbait material and it’s understandable that long time readers – who have whatever idyllic memory of F365’s halcyon days as a bastion of quality journalism – can’t stand it. And I will say as a more recent reader it has genuinely gotten worse in the last 5 years.
But honestly – whatever – I get it. Within the context of producing content in the 21st century this is a necessary evil to be able to keep alive whichever opinion articles we can all agree are quality.
Let alone Mediawatch and the Mailbox. Which is why we’re all here at the end of the day.
MAW, LA Gooner (The biggest advantage Arsenal have over Liverpool right now is that despite the purchases both teams made we require less reconfiguring of our first XI. Slot still needs to figure out his best two full backs; his best midfield, a task being further complicated by the abject form of Macallister; his best front three – that’s basically the entire XI. And Allison is now injured. The title will depend on whether or not he can sort that out quickly enough and whatever is going on with this iteration of City which I don’t think anyone really knows how good they are/aren’t yet.)
