Arne Slot

[Buzzo]

Maybe or maybe they were made look more poor than they are. Either way a good result, a good performance by players and manager and a night to let the footy put smiles on faces.

We played well tonight for sure.

But they were terrible both legs. Rely heavily on getting field position by falling over in contact. What tonight shows is that if we bring our A game we will create a lot of chances.

[danperkins]

When you see a performance like that, intensity, aggression, passion and all at a fast pace vs albeit a poor side... you have to wonder is Arne putting the tactical chains on the lads and purposely making the lads slow up our play in the prem? It certainly reads like that. As a side, the players look so muchore comfortable we they are allowed to play their natural free flowing game and express themselves.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Hate to see you lads had we lost tonight

[peterbread]

It’s frustration because we saw what the team can be tonight. Yes they’re crap but that team would have beaten better opponents tonight the way they were allowed to play because of the system that was used.

He had Salah in the area of the pitch he’s most dangerous rather than wider. He had the fullbacks offering the width instead of playing narrow.

Wirtz and Salah picking up the ball in dangerous areas and Szoboszlai playing in midfield. Gravenberch and Mac Alister more controlled and balanced and it looks much better.

It shows you what the team can do. And even with injuries you can still play players in positions they can make a difference in. Earlier in the season he kept playing Bradley and Kerkez so narrow and Gakpo and Salah so wide. You are not getting the best out of any of them like that. It just didn’t work.

It’s frustration at seeing him do the same thing over and over that didn’t work and then when you set them up to get the best out of them they look a completely different team.

[Deano]

It’s frustration because we saw what the team can be tonight. Yes they’re crap but that team would have beaten better opponents tonight the way they were allowed to play because of the system that was used.

He had Salah in the area of the pitch he’s most dangerous rather than wider. He had the fullbacks offering the width instead of playing narrow.

Wirtz and Salah picking up the ball in dangerous areas and Szoboszlai playing in midfield. Gravenberch and Mac Alister more controlled and balanced and it looks much better.

It shows you what the team can do. And even with injuries you can still play players in positions they can make a difference in. Earlier in the season he kept playing Bradley and Kerkez so narrow and Gakpo and Salah so wide. You are not getting the best out of any of them like that. It just didn’t work.

It’s frustration at seeing him do the same thing over and over that didn’t work and then when you set them up to get the best out of them they look a completely different team.

I think Gala helped in that regard, you won't get that much space in the Prem

[vlahka]

Must have been told he needed a result or out the door. He's never behaved like that and always repeatedly told the team to slow down during games. Hopefully he got the message that this is how we expect the team to play.

[Buzzo]

Hate to see you lads had we lost tonight

You are obvs glass half full (as am I typically) but you aren’t a happy clapper to the extent that you also don’t think that we might require evidence to see that there is more form required than one convincing win against a poor side.

We have to start getting some momentum to the season and so far all we’ve seen are false summits. It completely valid to not get carried away after the win tonight. We saw signs of rythm tonight that have barely been evident all season, but the times we have seen it this season we’ve backed it up with a poor performance.

It was an enjoyable match for sure but is it a game in isolation? That’s what we should be finding out. The squad we have the investment we have we should never be going out to Galatasaray in a knockout CL tie.

[Catrin]

I think Gala helped in that regard, you won't get that much space in the Prem

I think in the Prem the refereeing is different. Macca was deemed to have fouled the keeper twice and Virgil once but I don’t think those are given in the Prem. Also Prem defenders largely ignore the ball and barely use their feet in 1-on-1’s. It is all about pushing/pulling the attacker off balance and basically wrestling them off the ball. European refs allow less of that than Howard Webb’s morons so players like Flo get to play a bit more.

[Doc_Piptorious]

You are obvs glass half full (as am I typically) but you aren’t a happy clapper to the extent that you also don’t think that we might require evidence to see that there is more form required than one convincing win against a poor side.

We have to start getting some momentum to the season and so far all we’ve seen are false summits. It completely valid to not get carried away after the win tonight. We saw signs of rythm tonight that have barely been evident all season, but the times we have seen it this season we’ve backed it up with a poor performance.

It was an enjoyable match for sure but is it a game in isolation? That’s what we should be finding out. The squad we have the investment we have we should never be going out to Galatasaray in a knockout CL tie.

And as supporters we should also be able to, in isolation, enjoy a good result for what it is without needing to use it as a reason to straight away after the final whistle dissect past poor results or criticize the coach.

Just seems that the small moments of respite, the small moments of good cannot be enjoyed without using them to shine a spotlight on the bad past results.

Yes the next game may not go well so surely that is even more reason to celebrate the good games when they happen and wallow a bit in the positive glow of the good stuff and forgot the rest of the crap season if only for a little bit?


Think looking for the negative or finding a negative in a positive becomes a habit or learned behaviour after a while so maybe that is just what it is and if doing that is what people want to turn following the team into for them, then more power to those doing that. They are not wrong in the slightest in saying if we played well all the time that the season would be a better one, but at the same time they are going to be missing out on some escapism if a good win is just an excuse to point at the bad stuff from other games. Imo of course.


Last night Arne, well the boy done well, as gets said, with his tactics and subs. The players almost to a man played well and more importantly most stood up and put in hard workinbg shifts for the entire time they were on the pitch.

Coach and players all get plenty of well deserved criticism when we plod along and play poorly so for one night I figured they should get the praise their collective perfomance warranted.

We have an outside chance of snatching something good from this mess of a season. That's where my head will stay about the team until that chance is gone, then come the summer the coach (current or new), the players, the suits etc come under the magnifying glass in a big way in terms of seeing what seems to be getting done to rebuild and vastly improve upon this season.

[frank the tank]

Was a brill performance especially in the 2nd half

Hopefully we can build on this and take it into the weekend....

[Doc_Piptorious]

Was a brill performance especially in the 2nd half

Hopefully we can build on this and take it into the weekend....

At some point a good performance is going to be followed by another and then another.


Might be this season, might be next season. Might be with the same coaching set up or a completely different one, but it is going to happen eventually and it will be glorious to watch unfold.

Think this weekend will be a tough game as the opposition is a better team with a lot more physicality, but if our guys put in the same sort of workrate as last night then we might start surprising a few teams that have become to see us as a soft touch.

Think if Salah is out with an injury it might be a good thing too as we will be able to put a bit more pace and directness in the attacking position on that flank be in Frimpong, Rio, Chiesa or a combination of two of those.

A few people last night were suggesting Rio and Frimpong on the right flank, that sort of directness and pace might well be what pins back another team.

[BG1973]

Just enjoy the win of the night, lads.

We can bitch about the losses and dull perfromances when they happen again.

You set the trap.

[Doc_Piptorious]

You set the trap.

How dare you, I resent resemble that accusation.

[Corndog]

CL games are more wide open than prem games nowadays.

That being said, this gala side is actually a good team, better than they usually are

[The_weatherman]

He needs to go. Really. Just get Gerrard in and get some fight in. And bench Gakpo.