Gauging the fan mood from the away end at Portman Road, as Liverpool got their campaign off to a great start with a win over Ipswich Town…
WHAT struck me most was the ruthlessness.
I’ve been watching football regularly from 1976 and started attending matches in 1981. I’ve seen 11 different men in the dugout, and I’ve been lucky enough to see many opening day fixtures. I’ve seen managers replace legends; I’ve seen legends replace managers.
But I’ve never seen a manager take a centre half off at half time because he wasn’t winning his battles.
Talk about ruthless.
Stood on the back row of the bottom tier at Portman Road with an impressive 70 per cent view of the pitch (Jesus, those stewards), I just supposed Jarell had gone off because of a knock or as a precaution. I’ve never seen a like-for-like tactical sub involving centre backs, particularly at half time.
These are different times.
There are seldom certainties in football. Things change so rapidly. Looking back, I was happy with a point on opening day last season at Stamford Bridge but, once I got to see what Chelsea turned into, I later decided that we’d been sold some magic beans with that 1-1 draw.
Context is key. A 2-0 win against an excellent (the first half at least) newly promoted Ipswich side, though, will always be welcomed.
Sure, we were shaky in the first half, but we got a glimpse of what an Arne Slot team might look like.
The manager drew the odd line in the sand yesterday. Trent Alexander-Arnold is a full back again. No messing about. No ‘drift in there occasionally’. Just be a full back. I like that. Sadly, it looks like Joe Gomez is about to be a full or centre back for someone else. A shame, but it would make sense.
It would make more sense if we bought a replacement for both him and Joel Matip. Just a thought.
Day ones can make or break you. Brendan Rodgers went to the Hawthorns and was lucky to get nil – battered all over the park. Liverpool were terrible that day and the rest of the season wasn’t much better. Jürgen Klopp got a goalless draw on his, but you could see what he wanted almost immediately. Pressing and heart. That felt more optimistic.
Arne Slot seems to want control and aggression. I loved his post-match interview. I loved that he didn’t come out at full time to take a curtain call, even though it was his right to do so. It’s incredibly early days, but I love his ruthlessness there.
This Liverpool isn’t being allowed to rest on its laurels. The first-half performance wasn’t good enough and, despite both the improvement and the result, it’s right that that was what was on his mind more than waving to my sweaty mess on the terraces.
I felt for Jarell, though. To be honest, I thought he was great in that first half, but I suppose that’s the difference between watching it as a fan and looking at player through the prisms of instructions and accountability.
If Ibou Konate is to start the next few games, then this might be more about the bar being raised on the level of performance. Jarell’s day will come, though. No doubt about that.
Ipswich were good, too. It was nice to hear songs only implying that we’d somehow bought the referee (if we had he wasn’t keeping to his side of the deal) and that we were a bit quiet at times – none of the usual stuff. I like them for that. I like parts of Ipswich, too. Nice marina.
A lovely day and one that might be the start of something fresh.
I’ve missed this.
Karl
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Yes you were a bit quiet at times, but thank you too for being fair minded fans and no trash singing. Very comfortable starter the game too. Looking forward to Anfield (last time I was there was an Ipswich 1-0 courtesy of the now ill Marcus Stewart.
Liverpool had too much for us 2nd half, but a lot of positives for the new boys in town. Good luck for rest of season