I felt the same after Torres. Then came Suarez. And so on.
Different Gravy
- Thread starter rurikbird
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maybe but i’m not sure you can apply that to managers
I’d imagine that’s how the fan base felt when Shanks left.
i’m struggling to work this one out. Clue please
Let's see if someone else figures it out, before I tell you.
Edit: It's actually the RCDNW brigade
The issue is not about having a go at Klopp - but what is happening is that as soon as someone seems to admit that just maybe that Slot is addressing the issues that Klopp never did even though it was in front of our eyes much of time - its an immediate high level demeaning of Klopp's tenure - when it's not. Any fan that does not appreciate Klopp's achievements in the victories and losses we had in finals is mad - he got us to 3 European Cup finals, nearly won us 3 league titles - how can anyone look back and fault it ? - but at the same time people need to understand that we need to move on - its fucking hard watching Slot, he does not make it feel like he wants to embrace the fans like Klopp did - but I get it that he has big shoes to fill and its only 3 games - but he understands one main thing ... we will be happy if he keeps winning games.
But I still get angry over Klopp's - somewhat self-inflicted failures - and they were self-inflicted by hanging onto over-used players, and that season we came 5th - I just wish he would have told the team - "OK - you guys don't have legs, so lets be a bit counter-attacking and not on the front foot all the time as we cannot run that much anymore" - would it have hurt ? - but we move on - and we miss him even for his flaws.
Still every bit Klopp’s team and the football feels similar to what we are used to so far. It’s more of an evolution and it’s sll credit to what he left behind. He left a harmonious CL qualified well balanced and youthful age wise squad, not many Successors can be so lucky.
Tut tut. That would be a double negative. Rafa can...
Damn, that's true...all these years and I didn't see it.
no way i was ever getting that
Like the players, I'm just bored of the Klopp to Slot comparisons. I enjoy Klopp bring relaxed and enjoying life again. His decision to step down means we can look back of his tenure as the best period in the last thirty years without any caveats. He was the longest serving manager in the PL and for a million and one reasons it's extremely rare for anyone to successfully go on much longer. The game is arguably more intense and mentally draining than Fergie and even Wengers era, and even more so for extrovert like Klopp who gives his all with people and the media.
I sincerely hope Slot has the ability for us to only miss Klopp as a person but not to reminsise and long for Klopp football. A fresh pair of eyes and new methods can be what's needed and the early signs look promising. The club deserves initial credit in how it's handled the transition.
It's a big ask in year one, but if Slots methods can maintain Gravs performances, reduce injuries to key players, get more from Nunez, Gakpo, etc, and get Chiesa to adapt then we should be cooking by the end of the year. We've got a nice run of games to build some momentum and generate some further belief in this squad and the manager. Anfield needs to wake up and stop waiting for the players to do something to get the atmosphere going.
I sincerely hope Slot has the ability for us to only miss Klopp as a person but not to reminsise and long for Klopp football. A fresh pair of eyes and new methods can be what's needed and the early signs look promising. The club deserves initial credit in how it's handled the transition.
It's a big ask in year one, but if Slots methods can maintain Gravs performances, reduce injuries to key players, get more from Nunez, Gakpo, etc, and get Chiesa to adapt then we should be cooking by the end of the year. We've got a nice run of games to build some momentum and generate some further belief in this squad and the manager. Anfield needs to wake up and stop waiting for the players to do something to get the atmosphere going.
It's very easy to read this in a comedy Dutch accent.
And then Nunez.
View: https://x.com/OptaAnalyst/status/1831021011120103579
In his first season at Liverpool, Gravenberch made 38 appearances in all competitions with just 21 of those as a starter, recording four goals and two assists. He only started three games in a row once, and prior to the beginning of 2024-25, had not done so since last October.
However, his new head coach and fellow Dutchman, Slot, has not just handed him three starts out of three already, but he has tasked Gravenberch with playing as a deep-lying midfielder, and the 22-year-old is thriving.
After three games and three wins for Liverpool in 2024-25, only Virgil van Dijk (220) has attempted more passes than him, with Gravenberch finding a teammate with 88.8% of his (159 of 179). Only Luis Díaz (45) has attempted more carries (moving at least five metres with the ball) than his 40, while no-one has followed a carry with a pass as many times as his 36, showing that he is not only moving the ball with purpose but is doing so as part of passing moves.
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The trip to Man Utd was Liverpool’s first big test under Slot, but it was also a big test for Gravenberch after two impressive showings against Ipswich and Brentford. Like his teammates, he rose to the occasion.
For the visitors on Sunday, only Salah (21) attempted more passes in the final third than Gravenberch’s 17. He won seven of his 10 duels, with only Van Dijk winning as many, while he made four interceptions and won three fouls, both the highest totals for Slot’s men.
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Gravenberch has indeed been impressive without the ball in the opening weeks of the campaign. He has made the joint-most tackles for Liverpool along with Mac Allister (8) and has made the most interceptions (7). In fact, just four players in the Premier League have made more interceptions. Only Dominik Szoboszlai (19) and Mac Allister (18) have made more recoveries of Liverpool’s outfield players, while his 17 duels won is the joint-most along with Mac Allister and Díaz.
Gravenberch appears to be looking after the ball better as well. ‘Possession lost’ is a metric that doesn’t always tell the story it suggests; players like Kevin De Bruyne, Bruno Fernandes and Alexander-Arnold can fall foul of it because of their high-risk, high-reward approach with the ball.
However, it is a metric Gravenberch has always ranked highly in, which could have been a worry for Slot ahead of playing him in a deeper position where keeping the ball is so important. As is to be expected for a young, developing midfielder, Gravenberch has improved year on year in reducing how often he loses the ball, and he has brought his per-90 average down to 9.4 from 13.8 last season.
That’s not to say it’s because he’s being too careful with his distribution either, with 25.1% of his passes going forward. By comparison, his midfield partner Mac Allister has only sent slightly more of his passes forward (28.4%).
View: https://x.com/TheKopWatch/status/1836142150108479526
View: https://x.com/nathanevans94/status/1836148810034126948
Gravvy has arrived. His 6 interceptions (felt like more TBH) were one more than Milan managed as a team. Fabinho-esque defensive dominance.
Been a superb transformation, like a new signing, genuinely! Hope it continues
Bossed it at Ipswich
"Yeah but it's 1 game"
Bossed it at Brentford
"Yeah but he needs to do it in bigger games"
Bossed it at Utd
"Yeah but we know Utd are shit, he needs to be properly tested"
Let's skip past Forest (despite him being our best/2nd best player there too)
Bosses it at the San Siro.
So what's the next line for him to step up to the mark to? He'll continue to knock it out the park.
"Yeah but it's 1 game"
Bossed it at Brentford
"Yeah but he needs to do it in bigger games"
Bossed it at Utd
"Yeah but we know Utd are shit, he needs to be properly tested"
Let's skip past Forest (despite him being our best/2nd best player there too)
Bosses it at the San Siro.
So what's the next line for him to step up to the mark to? He'll continue to knock it out the park.
Been saying this for fucking ages.
Can we be honest about this team that Klopp left behind ? He realized that all these new midfielders he had signed were not gonna be running dogs like the previous lot. He knew he could not convince them to be running and pressing dogs .... so he left.
Yet they still are running dogs.
Yes but allowed to be midfielders who are not gonna be obsessed with getting the ball up there in final third every 5 seconds.
They are all running hard though, Klopp never had to covince anyone though as a hug was enough. The ones who are never fit enough to run like Jones are on the bench. He is so getting sold by Slot this Jan.
The downside of slower buildup is that you allow the opponent to drop into shape. Slot still needs to show that he can beat the low block; so far we struggled against it vs Forest.
Took Klopp some time to figure it out too, mind you.
We still need to see how Gravenberch fares against top teams like City and Arsenal, but that's more of an issue with the unit as a whole rather than something aimed specifically at him. We always knew he had the talent, and we saw glimpses of it last season. What he needed was a defined role, more structured football, and trust from the club. I was frustrated when we didn’t sign him for free from Ajax, but was thrilled when he eventually arrived.
Even as someone who’s admired Gravenberch for a while, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how quickly he’s adapted to this revamped midfield. His impact hasn’t just been limited to us either—by all accounts, he’s been outstanding for the Netherlands as well.
This season seems to be a real coming-of-age moment for Gravenberch. He keeps this up and clubs all across Europe will be looking on with envy. He's collecting MOTM awards week after week aged only 22 and only sporadically playing in the last 2 years. What he's achieving right now is seriously impressive.
Even as someone who’s admired Gravenberch for a while, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how quickly he’s adapted to this revamped midfield. His impact hasn’t just been limited to us either—by all accounts, he’s been outstanding for the Netherlands as well.
This season seems to be a real coming-of-age moment for Gravenberch. He keeps this up and clubs all across Europe will be looking on with envy. He's collecting MOTM awards week after week aged only 22 and only sporadically playing in the last 2 years. What he's achieving right now is seriously impressive.
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