People have been so busy choosing the shortcomings of Manchester City, Arsenal and the rest, that Arne Slot and Liverpool did not receive the necessary recognition for what they did this season.
At the start of the campaign, a post-jurgen Klopp Hangover was expected. Nobody for sure she to be champions and yet they are now 13 points clearly at the top of the Premier League, the conversation suddenly was about how happiness was to have inherited such a great group of players!
That is why I think that this week's Champions League, against a reviving Saint-Germain Paris is so important.
Finally, the domestic title can win and enjoy success in Europe, it will have to fall as the largest management debut season we have ever seen and surpass Jose Mourinho when he burst through Chelsea's doors like the 'Special One' in 2004.
I am sure that some readers will lift their eyebrows to a former Liverpool player – and someone who was once upside down – who demanded more praise for the club.
But the statistics don't lie. Liverpool has lost only four games all seasons. Two of them – against PSV and Tottenham – did not matter because they are still in the Champions League and yet reached the Carabao Cup -final.
It was a virtual reserve team that lost in Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup, which means that the Home Premier League against Nottingham Forest, back on September 14, the only consistent loss with a complete line-up.
What makes even more worries for the rivals of Liverpool is that they no longer have steam.
They had as much energy against Newcastle on Wednesday evening as in any other match this season. It is proof of the way in which Slot's Sides Control agreements controls.
This Liverpool does not waste any resources – the balance between attack and defense has been perfect.
They can trust Salah to scatter the Stardust more than other great Liverpool teams such as Klopp's Champions League winners, who had Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino who supported John Barnes's African and Kenny Dalglish's trio, Peter Beardsley and John Aldridge in the 1980s.
But Liverpool also has a tradition to be ruthlessly efficient. The big teams from the 70s and 80s often closed games – the BackPass rule was still allowed! – But would indicate trophies that have won every season.
The style of lock is certainly different, less crowds or exciting than Klopp or Mourinho, but to underestimate the impact he has on Anfield, is not to understand the game.
Yes, he has had some fantastic players to work with, but he has also made a number of extremely smart decisions to maximize the versions.
Who would have thought last August that Ryan Gravenberch might be the best midfield player in the world this season?
Or that Cody Gakpo could score 16 goals before March, including important against Real Madrid, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham.
Gakpo has flowering because Slot saw something in Luis Diaz that enabled the Colombian to work centrally after occasions, so that Gakpo can cause on the left.
Curtis Jones has been allowed to break through and has flourished, the trust of Dominik Szoboszlai has recovered in the excellent player when he arrived for the first time. The list goes on.
As far as the chief, Mo Salah, I have never seen him smile so much. It is clear that his pleasure in playing in this team has encouraged him to include the number of goals and assists – and at 32 he works harder than ever.
For a less stable manager it would have been easy to have responded when Salah, with his contract in the summer, began to give interviews after competitions that questioned his future in the long term at Anfield.
Slot continued to choose Salah and the Egyptian was won in winning competitions. The Liverpool manager did not feel the need to respond and sometimes that is the best way.
Similarly, contract discussions between the club and Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold have not derailed results, even if Trent is the most distractions as a local player.
Liverpool held the 36-team Champions League group, perhaps more easily expected opponents than PSG in the last 16. The French champions had to qualify through the play-offs, but they are young, hungry and wear a real threat in Ousmane Dembele.
I am still Liverpool back to continue and explore or Real Madrid to win the tournament. The defense of Arsenal should help them pass PSV Eindhoven, but injuries have their chances of going completely.
I also tilt Aston Villa to beat Bruges. It is a blessing that they lost to the Belgians in the group, because it will eradicate any feeling of complacency. I remember that my Liverpool team lost to Bayer Leverkusen in the quarterfinals of 2002. We had underestimated them when the draw was made and they started reaching the final.
Liverpool has a proud European record and I think the Champions League is the route to get the support he deserves. Forget, Pep's problems or the injuries of Arsenal, this ruthless consistent Liverpool team would be a match for every team in every era.
The Premier League star Tuchel must choose
A name that I have desperate to see on Friday in Thomas Tuchel's first English team is the young Arsenal player Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Left-back has been a problem position for England and Lewis-Skelly for some time, and Lewis Hall of Newcastle, are currently the best and must now get a chance to feel comfortable by the time the World Cup is in the summer of 2026.
Lewis-Skelly is only 18, but this season it has been proven that he can perform on the largest stage. The only thing he misses is experience, so why not accelerate it now.
He is left-feet-England suffered when Gareth Southgate last summer right feet on the left used and can also play in midfield. It is important in the modern game to have full-backs that can step midfield when their team has a lot of possession, which England will certainly do against Latvia and Albania this month.
The teenager has shown two red cards this season, but I don't see that as a problem. The first was rightly withdrawn, it was a ridiculous decision, and the second against West Ham was only one of those instinctive moments after Mohammed Kudus had done well to keep the ball away from him.
Lewis-Skelly will learn from that, it would not worry me if I were his manager. He is so gifted on the ball.
Why Fulham should support himself at Old Trafford
Fulham has a good chance of eliminating Manchester United on Sunday in the FA Cup – if they go for it and do not change what they are good at, because they are worried about the Ruben Amorim side.
At their best, the Marco Silva team is dynamic and good. Last weekend they had no shot at the goal against Crystal Palace and then switched to a back-hot to match wolves in the midweek.
But although Manchester United also plays with wing backs, I think Fulham should concentrate on their own strengths because Amorim's team does not play well enough before they have to change.
I will be at Old Trafford about the game for the BBC. United has no coherence and trust despite beating Ipswich on Wednesday. Fulham has not been to the FA Cup final for 50 years, but this is an opportunity for them to reach the quarterfinals.
Comments