Former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood said it was “crazy” that Liverpool was largely overlooked as a title contender at the beginning of this season. Arne Slot also received acclaim from Sherwood for the “magnificent” work he’s done since taking over from Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.
Heading into this weekend’s round of Premier League fixtures, Slot’s squad had carved out a five-point lead over reigning champions Manchester City, with Arsenal trailing by an additional four points. The Reds are hotly tipped to maintain their impressive streak when they face bottom-placed Southampton on Sunday afternoon.
Ex-Tottenham manager Sherwood feels that many pundits were too hasty in discounting Liverpool’s chances for the title. “Arne Slot has done a magnificent job, and the transition looks seamless; it looks like he’s kept all of the boys happy, and ready to go and lift silverware again,” he commented.
“Remember, we are talking about a team who have won the Premier League, and the Champions League. It’s crazy, really, that so many people disregarded them at the start of the season – everyone’s guilty of it; no one really thought they were going to win it, and I don’t know why we all felt like that, because they’ve done it. They’ve been there, course and distance, and they’ve still got magnificent players.”
Sherwood highlighted the impact of Liverpool’s new management on younger players, remarking: “And they’ve got younger players, like Curtis Jones, who almost look reborn under the new manager. His position has been tweaked a little; it looks like he’s driving forward from that midfield area, and Ryan Gravenberch has been pulled back a little. The manager is very astute; it looks like he’s working well with the group, and he’s getting the best out of every single player.”
Speaking at the Ladbrokes’ ‘Gaffer of all Accas’ launch, Sherwood said he still sees Arsenal and Manchester City as the threats to Liverpool’s title challenge. “The title race is wide open, but there’s only three teams in it: Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal,” Sherwood insisted. Any of those teams can win it – but I really couldn’t pick a winner at this stage.”
He underscored Arsenal’s disciplinary issues, saying, “You can’t discount Arsenal at this stage, but their discipline really has affected them. I don’t think they lose the game at Bournemouth, without William Saliba getting sent off. Declan Rice kicking the ball away against Brighton is another one which I think they’d have gone on to win right there… you take those points back, and they’re right in the race.”
Sherwood also pointed out that Man City’s injury situation is delicate: “Man City need their players back as quickly as possible, otherwise this title race could get beyond them. They need their players fit, and a lot of accountability has to go to their medical team – the same as Arsenal – to produce, here.
“Look, they can’t go and throw players out there, back onto the field, if they’re not fit. But they have to try and rehab these players as quickly as possible, to try and get them back out there, because any more dropped points for Man City, and it might be too late for them to catch Liverpool.”
