Arne Slot has turn into the tenth Dutch supervisor in Premier League historical past after being appointed by Liverpool. Whereas the foolish season is now formally upon us. Gary Lemke highlights just a few speaking factors forward of the weekend’s soccer.
ENTERTAINING, BUT SHOOTING BLANKS
Liverpool may need “solely” completed third on the EPL desk, however they’d the joint most attracts (10) of any staff within the high half. Their “issues” stemmed from their defence, the place they conceded 41 objectives, versus Man Metropolis’s 34 and Arsenal’s 29. Or had been their “issues” up entrance? Their 790 photographs within the League had been the many of the season and the third most in EPL historical past. Solely Chelsea (in 2008-09 and 2009-10) have had extra photographs. Nonetheless, Liverpool scored with solely certainly one of each 9 photographs. Darwin Nunez tried 108 photographs, and netted 11 instances, however his taking pictures accuracy was 43% and he missed 27 “huge probabilities”.
SLOT MAKES IT 10 DUTCH EPL MANAGERS
Now that Jurgen Klopp has left the constructing and bid an emotional farewell to Anfield and Liverpool, the duty going through his alternative Arne Slot is big. Some say it’s just like what David Moyes confronted after taking on from Sir Alex Ferguson at Man United. Slot turns into the tenth Dutch supervisor in EPL historical past. He due to this fact provides to an inventory that has Ruud Gullit (Chelsea), Martin Jol (Tottenham), Guus Hiddinck (Chelsea), Rene Meulensteen (Fulham), Ronald Koeman (Southampton and Everton), Louis van Gaal (Man United), Dick Advocaat (Sunderland), Frank de Boer (Crystal Palace) and Erik ten Hag (Man United).
EPL DUO SACKED ‘OUTSIDE’ OF SEASON?
Query. Does Mauricio Pochettino’s departure from Chelsea this week represent him being fired as an English Premier League supervisor within the 2023/24 season? Particularly given the precise league completed final week. Apparently, it does, and he joins 4 different managers to depart an EPL membership in 2023/24. The FA Cup is being staged this weekend, which implies the season hasn’t formally come to an finish. Pochettino’s sacking has parallels with that of Wolves’ Julen Lopetegui. The primary EPL match kicked off on eleventh August, however he was axed three days earlier than it began. Pochettino suffered that destiny two days after the final match.
‘SILLY SEASON’ IS NOW UPON US
Whereas one season formally involves an finish, one other one begins. And that’s foolish season. The interval between now and the beginning of the 2024/25 marketing campaign is a interval that brokers love. They feed tales to media, who generate sought-after clicks because the hearsay mill of participant transfers hots up. Gamers seem on the radar, as do managers. That is the time of 12 months to deal with plenty of the belongings you learn as if it was the first of April. Don’t be fooled by the rumours.
BAYER’S UNBEATEN STREAK STOPS AT 51
All good issues come to an finish and so was the case with Bayern Leverkusen. Sure, it took till their remaining match of the season, however it got here, nonetheless. After 51 unbeaten video games in all competitions – a European file – they got here unstuck within the Europa League remaining, shedding 3-0 to Atalanta. Nonetheless, it’s some benchmark they’ve set going ahead. They now high the record forward of Benfica (48), Rangers (44), Juventus (43), AC Milan and Ajax (42) and Fiorentina Notts Forest, Inter Milan, and Actual Madrid, all on 40.
VAN DE VEN QUICK OUT THE BLOCKS
Tottenham’s Micky Van De Ven may not have the ability to match Usain Bolt, however he clocked the highest velocity of all EPL gamers in a single sport this previous season. If stats are to be believed, he sprinted at 37.38km/h, quicker than Luton’s Chiedozie Ogbene (36.93km/h) and Forest’s Anthony Elanga (36.91km/h). That’s relatively spectacular although, given Bolt touched 43.99km/h when he instances 9.76sec for the 100m. That high velocity got here some 67m into the race. And Bolt wasn’t working in boots on a grass subject.
