Arne Slot has very much maintained the new world order at Liverpool with his latest dig at Manchester United’s expense.
The Dutch head coach humiliated the Red Devils in September with a dominant 3-0 display at Old Trafford that sent home fans fleeing in droves before the final whistle.
Not content to let his opponent escape with a shred of dignity, the 46-year-old deconstructed Erik ten Hag’s flawed tactical approach immediately after the tie.
The transformation of Ryan Gravenberch alone – another former Ajax star who wasn’t snapped up by the United boss – should count as an ongoing mark against the Dutch manager’s name.
Was that enough for Arne Slot until our next meeting with Manchester United in January? Absolutely not.
The former Feyenoord boss couldn’t help but fire a somewhat inconspicuous dig at his Manchester-dwelling counterpart in his pre-Bologna press conference.
In comments relayed on X (formerly Twitter) by the Daily Mail‘s Lewis Steele, Jurgen Klopp’s successor insinuated Liverpool’s arch-rivals were a ‘bottom league table team’.
Arne Slot with another little dig at Manchester United (whether intentional or not ): "Everybody tells me that a top league table team is harder to beat than a bottom league table team – and we have not faced one of them yet."
— Lewis Steele (@LewisSteele_) October 1, 2024
To be completely fair to Slot, his thoughts on the matter are entirely justified.
If you're wondering if United should persist with ten Hag… Stat of the Day. https://t.co/UvIbtKvEfo
— Andrew Beasley (@BassTunedToRed) October 1, 2024
United were utterly shambolic when facing us at Old Trafford, struggling to maintain any kind of authority in the middle of the park.
That couldn’t have been evidenced any clearer than by taking a look at Ryan Gravenberch’s full-time stats. The Dutch international recorded only six fewer ground duel wins (7) compared to the Red Devils’ entire starting midfield (13).
Despite a raft of new incomings in the red half of Manchester this summer, Ten Hag’s failure to impose an identity at a club that has looked, more or less, rudderless since Alex Ferguson’s departure persists.
It’s about time the Dutchman had a new contract, we think!
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