‘To get the credit you want for winning a league title, it has to have seemed hard’ is the verdict, which will explain Liverpool’s lack of credit.
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Why Liverpool will not get credit
Interesting mail on Liverpool getting credit for what they have achieved this season (luckily Stewie’s deranged mails are so full of punctuation and smileys I can skip right past them now…).
I think to get the credit you want for winning a league title, it has to have seemed hard. I haven’t watched a lot of Liverpool games this season but the few I did watch, and what I saw from Match of the Day, it was fairly smooth sailing for most of the season.
Whether that’s due to Arne Slot being a brilliant manager, Salah having his best season ever, luck with injuries, etc., it didn’t seem difficult. You look at the table and they are going to win the league with a double-digit gap between them and second place Arsenal/Forest. For a team at the top to get credit now, one of City, Liverpool or Arsenal need to actually challenge for it until the end. Liverpool had the same problem in the Covid season. They got 99 points, City were 19 behind. So they weren’t “challenged” for the title.
I think Liverpool should get the credit they deserve for this title because they have made it look so easy but it won’t happen in the mass media. The media are trying desperately to still pretend there is a title race because it fuels clicks, views, engagement. Nobody cares about a league title that’s already decided.
The other two big fanbases in the Premier League, United won’t be relegated and Arsenal will get top 4. So the season is dead and nobody wants to write or talk about it. It frankly turned into a “boring” season for the big teams in the Premier League. It doesn’t help either that you are a big team and you can’t play the underdog card. And people don’t like big teams.
I think most teams in the top half deserve some form of credit because the Premier League is mental. Liverpool for the ease in winning the title, Arsenal have done well considering their injury crisis, Forest for being way higher than anyone expected, Chelsea for not being a complete mental case, Newcastle for keeping pace without significant investment, Brighton, Bournemouth, Fulham and Brentford all doing amazing things for small budgets. Villa the credit is more in Europe and City, meh, who cares.
So don’t be disheartened. Deep down everyone probably wants to give Liverpool credit but its not an interesting narrative, so you won’t get it.
Rob A (If Arsenal win the Champions League, haha, we won’t get credit either don’t worry) AFC
READ: Ten reasons why this has been the worst Premier League season ever
On Salah and RamadanI’ve seen it mentioned a couple of times, but not I think in the mailbox, about the potential impact of Ramadan and fasting on Mo Salah. To avoid this being conjecture, I thought I would look at the numbers.
In the 10 games before Ramadan began (the end of Feb) Salah scored 9 goals and assisted 5. His average score on whoscored.com during that period was 7.89. Since Ramadan began, in the 4 matches he has played, he has scored 2 penalties (no open play goals), has no assists and his average rating is 6.70.
It’s not a huge stretch to say that fasting may have impacted his performances. My Muslim colleagues and friends here in Dubai all talk about being tired, lack of energy and wanting to lie down for a rest in the middle of the day. Work and school hours are shorter to accommodate those that are fasting. Children who are fasting are not allowed to do PE in school, for obvious reasons.
Now this may be a coincidence, but its certainly worth consideration for those who have been slamming his performances. Whether its the fasting or just fatigue from the season, fingers crossed the upcoming break will allow him time to recharge for the run in.
Mike, LFC, Dubai
**Trophy or first loser?**It feels like I have written this same mail over the last 2-3 years, and have had the same nonsense reasoning from Arsenal & Arteta fans of why a 2nd place finish means more than winning a one off trophy.
So here I am, asking the same question again—would Newcastle trade their “lowly” EFL Cup for a second-place finish? Would there be fans in tears of joy, a city erupting in celebration, history unfolding before their eyes, for simply finishing second? Absolutely not.
Second place means nothing. Less than nothing. Finishing second or even in the top four guarantees nothing for the next season’s chances. In the grand scheme, it simply doesn’t matter. For a team that has finished 2nd or below most of their existence in the Premier League, Arsenal fans should know more than most that 2nd place is useless. Wouldn’t you rather win a real trophy?
From a personal United point of view, I know for sure that I would rather finish 17th and win the Europa League than let’s say finish top 4-5 and not win that league. The same way I was happy we won 2 cups in 2 seasons rather than stumble along the top 4 and have a few years without winning anything.
So again I ask, would Arsenal fans trade their last 4 trophyless years, for 1 FA & 1 Carling cup? Not trolling, actually asking if any minds have been changed? Or are we still trusting the process?
Aman
READ: Arsenal set for worst kind of second place: Dull and distant to Liverpool
Arsenal do not play PepballRespectfully, Keith Miller probably doesn’t watch a lot of Arsenal if he thinks Arteta’s teams play like Maresca’s.
Arteta didn’t ask Arsenal to spend the better part of 130 million on Raya, Havertz & Merino so he could do a Pep tribute act. Arsenal regularly and consistently employ long balls in conjunction with passing buildup. The man is an amalgam of Wenger, Pep, Moyes & McLeish.
Losing 4-1 at the Etihad in the 22/23 season ended any permanent devotion Arteta might’ve had to peak Pep tactics, given that Pep himself wasn’t shy about abandoning his principles to play direct into KDB & Haaland that day.
On the other hand, Maresca seems to have more loyalty to Pep’s old ways. Then again, the Chelsea job is only his second as a manager and he’s only been a manager for two seasons, so I’m sure he’ll evolve over time… like Arteta.
To be fair, Keith was absolutely right about the game last weekend, but I’d assign the blame to Maresca and Chelsea since Arsenal actually tried to attack. Besides, the managers had to repurpose a midfielder and winger as 9s, so the odds of any direct play or an illustration of where the future of football tactics would be were unlikely.
Deen (Arsenal, Houston… let’s pass on the rest at the moment)
Stewie has an admirer…I’ve just finished reading the latest thought-provoking, constructive and 100% factually checked email from a Mr Stewie Griffin. I wanted to let you know just how much I appreciate his work and the depths that he goes to in making his points succinctly and without resorting to nonsensical guff. I would suggest that you put him on the payroll, as I think the quality of his writing could only enhance this excellent website. However, on the off chance he is available could you provide me with his details, as I have a position or two that I think he could fill (Elon is already getting a bit too big for his boots).
Yours sincerely,
Donald J. Trump
We don’t think we’re special
Can we stop with this nonsense that Newcastle fans believe themselves to be ‘very special’? It’s a narrative created by and perpetuated by the media.
Did like the Simpsons reference in the mood ranking though.
Chris, NUFC
Pet peeves corner
I’ve come close to writing this a few times recently but Adidasmufc has taken the handbrake off with his decent mail.
Holding. Or more specifically, preventing an attacking player by either grabbing them with hands or putting arms around them to restrict movement. I just don’t understand how a player pulling another player’s shirt/shorts/hair/arm/leg/anything else is seen as acceptable. And I don’t mean that free kicks aren’t given because they are, but how is this practice fair? No attempt to play the ball, only hinder the attacking player. Surely this should be an automatic yellow card? Remarkably, if you do this in the 18 yard box then 99 times out of 100 it doesn’t even warrant a card! I just can’t make it make sense, no matter how hard I try.
Offsides that are clearly offside to everyone but are not given as offside until a “phase of play” has completed. Complete and utter bollocks, this one. What advantage does it give anyone to allow play to continue when it’s just going to be struck from the record anyway? “Well it was a great goal but you were a clear two foot ahead of the last defender soooo it doesn’t count, sowwy!”. And who’s going to admit culpability when a player inevitably gets injured in a “phase of play” that should never have been allowed to continue because an offside wasn’t given in time? It won’t be the idiots who brought this rule in, that’s for sure. Should be binned off immediately.
As a follow on from Adidasmufc’s second point, I’ve never understood why a player taking their shirt off in front of their own fans is considered “incitement” and is punished, but an opposition player winding the fans up isn’t? Just to clarify, I’m not saying that opposition players should be punished – I’m a firm believer in “if you give it, you’ve got to take it as well” – but if that’s the case then remove the punishment for shirt removal. It’s highly unlikely that fans will invade a pitch just because a player has removed his shirt – in the Giggs example, it’s more probable that fans would run for the exits screaming.
Jeff G, West Brom Villan
…In reply to Adidasmufc and pet peeves, and as a follow up to the “rolling around in agony” b*llocks he referred to, I have a question. Has anyone else spotted the irony with this?
No? OK, I’ll explain, and it’s certainly one of my pet peeves with the current game. Here goes;
Scenario 1 – Player gets slightest contact from opposing player and immediately collapses to the floor in agony and a show of pathetic hysterics as if they have been shot by Mark Wahlberg and his big gun from the film Shooter.
Scenario 2 – Later in same match (and after making an instant and frankly miraculous recovery) same player turns into “ten-men” and wants to fight the entire world when the slightest altercation occurs that is absolutely nothing to do with him.
But while I’m here, maybe my biggest peeve of all is the sheer amount of money now involved in the game. Not for one minute do I blame any of the players (I mean, if your boss one day decided he was going to pay you £100k/week, you’re not saying no are you?), but the sheer sums of money that are now involved (and also referred to in the media without a second thought) genuinely leave me feeling more distanced form the game I love than ever. Almost like I don’t even belong anymore.
I’m fortunate (and grateful) to earn enough money to provide me with pretty comfortable way of life, but I have very close friends and even members of my family for whom surviving month to month is a struggle, despite working full time jobs. Compare this to Jhon Duran leaving Aston Villa (you know, Premier League, Champions League and with arguably one of the best 5 or 6 coaches in world football) to go and play football in the desert and in front of no fans because the (approx.) £50k or £60k per week “pittance” Villa were paying him at the ripe old age of 21 wasn’t enough. I always try to be objective, but however you loom at this, it’s greed of an utterly obscene level and is only possible because of the vulgar amounts of cash now being pumped into the game.
As a fully signed up member of the Grumpy Old B*stards Club, I’ve got a list of peeves as long as the M6 but I thought these would do for a start.
(PS – F365 Ed, if you’ve got any jobs going then please let me know as I quite like this writing lark and I’m cheap).
Andy FTM (looks like it’s gonna be the playoffs after all, but at least it’s not Donald & Methven, Parky and pink seats anymore)
…One of the greatest ever, Chris Waddle, used to have his socks round his ankles. He used to be my vet’s neighbour when he played for Marseilles (apropos of nothing at all!). It’s not a new thing; languid ball players have frequently been described as metaphorically or literally having their socks around their ankles.
It’s a bookable offence because money. The close up of the goal scorer gets the shirt and thus the sponsor in full focus; no shirt, no sponsor exposure. The FA will probably say something about being properly equipped to play the game or something. Sponsors whining about missing exposure is more likely.
The cut socks thing is nonsense.
In no particular order: players appealing for everything even when they clearly know they’re in the wrong. Rolling about on the floor, forcing the physio to go along with the injury charade and then a miracle recovery. Arise Lazarus! Taking 40 metres up the pitch for a throw in; take it from where it went out.
Dan, sunny rural France
…To Ryan, Whitehead from the morning mailbox.
Glad to hear I’m not the only one bothered by the pronunciation of Bruno Fernanshhhh. Derek Rae does it all the time and it really grinds my gears.
To be fair to him, he does pronounce Scott McTominay in a Scottish accent, so maybe he’s trying to get them all in local dialect eventually…
Andy, DC
…On Ryan, Whitehaven’s point, I actually agree that when speaking in English it can be a bit dodge to affect a foreign accent when saying foreign words.
He’s wrong about Fernandes though. My understanding is that it just isn’t a word you’re supposed to pronounce phonetically… you can still say “Fernanch” in your native accent rather than saying “Fer-nan-des” and probably should because, you know, that’s his name.
It’s like the surname “Menzies”. I look at it and see “Men-zees”. But If a Scottish bloke tells me to call him “Mingis”, I’m not gonna tell him he’s wrong and stick to my guns. He knows better than me, with it being his name and all….
Andy (MUFC)