‘What I saw this morning’ – Mark Goldbridge reacts to ‘intriguing’ reality coming out of Liverpool
Mark Goldbridge has been left intrigued by Arne Slot’s impeccable start to life at Liverpool.
You could forgive supporters for likewise feeling astonished at the lack of a drop-off following Jurgen Klopp’s exit. Instead, the Reds’ new Dutch head coach, formerly of the Eredivisie’s Feyenoord, has seen the club soar.
Yet another big test was answered against Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea to keep the Merseysiders at the top of the table.
If they can manage to waltz away from the Emirates Stadium on Sunday with maximum points, Slot’s side will open up a seven-point gap to Arsenal.
An impressive new reality, given that the league title race was expected to be a two-horse affair between the Gunners and Manchester City.
Mark Goldbridge is impressed with Arne Slot
Mark Goldbridge compared Arne Slot’s start to life at Anfield to the likes of Pep Guardiola and Ange Postecoglou – and it’s hard not to be intrigued!
The 46-year-old realistically should have been sitting on a perfect start given how out of character a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest looks in retrospect.
“What I saw this morning is intriguing in the sense that… best manager starts in the Premier League after eight games in Premier League history – at the top of that is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with 22 points from 24 when he took over from [Jose] Mourinho in that December a few years ago,” the YouTube personality spoke on That’s Football.
“But for starts to a season, Arne Slot would be number one. He’s got 21 points from 24 for Liverpool. In third place, you’ve got Ange Postecoglou with 20 points from 24 last season. Then you’ve got Pep Guardiola in fourth place with 19 points.
“It’s a very, very impressive start from Arne Slot. The only loss was Nottingham Forest at home, which came as a massive shock and a lot of people thought that was going to be the reality bite. But they’ve gone on and gone up a gear since then.”
The league leaders travel to Arsenal on Sunday ahead of a doubleheader against Brighton.
Our thoughts on Arne Slot’s start to the season
There’s a certain amount of caution we have to apply to records and starts.
Take Goldbridge’s example of Solskjaer’s start to life in the Old Trafford dugout. The 51-year-old secured a whopping 22 points from his first eight games after a mid-season deck shuffle. How exactly did that relationship end again?
Critics of Liverpool would likewise point out that we’ve yet to face Arsenal or Manchester City. That will most certainly be the real litmus test of just how far we’ve come under new management.
Regardless, we have to agree with Jamie Carragher that it’s ridiculous to be dismissive of our league position based on the level of opposition faced.
A win at the Emirates tomorrow and at the Etihad in February wouldn’t automatically guarantee the title changing hands.
You need, with the greatest of respect to our fellow competitors, to beat the weaker sides. Emerging victorious in four out of the 38 games on offer will only do so much. As Arsenal have proven with poor results against Bournemouth and Brighton, even routine wins aren’t a guarantee.
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