Sports
‘Slot’s Liverpool will evolve, but he can build with Salah & Van Dijk’
Virgil van Dijk is more than just Liverpool’s leader on the pitch. He is also hugely important to the way they play under Arne Slot.
That’s why it’s brilliant news for the club that he has followed Mohamed Salah and signed a new contract to keep him at Anfield for another two years.
The pair of them are already Liverpool legends because of what they have done for the club, but they are going to be a big part of what happens next too.
There are still going to be some changes when Slot shapes his squad at the end of this season but it will mostly be a case of strengthening rather than filling the huge hole he’d have been left with if two such iconic stars had gone.
It is going to be fascinating to see what happens next but, with Van Dijk and Salah staying, Slot can build his team around them instead of having to replace them first.
‘The biggest reason Liverpool can pour forward’
Van Dijk allows Liverpool to play with a high line, and be aggressive in the way they play, because of his speed and strength together with his quality in the air and in one-on-one situations.
The team are less gung-ho under Slot than they were in the last couple of seasons under Jurgen Klopp, and now they tend to only flood players forward when they know they have got a better foundation in behind, if they do lose the ball.
Even so, Van Dijk can still get dragged out of position sometimes when their back four is unbalanced – for example when Alexander-Arnold goes into midfield and Ibrahima Konate has to shift across.
But he always looks comfortable – and it appears almost effortless when he deals with whatever situation he is put in.
He’s the biggest reason Liverpool can attack and pour forward with confidence, knowing they are not leaving the door open behind them.
Van Dijk makes it all look very easy and is extremely consistent too, so when he has a couple of shaky games, or even just difficult moments in games like he had against Everton and Fulham at the beginning of April, you always notice, but I always expect a big response to any mistakes.
When people talk about the best centre-backs of the Premier League era, he is obviously right up there.
If you could genetically engineer the perfect defender then you would build Van Dijk because on top of his physicality he can pass the ball brilliantly to launch attacks, and has this calmness about him too.
We often talk about when a player has composure on the ball, but what is special about Van Dijk is how composed he looks without it, because of his positioning and anticipation.
The barometer of an elite-level centre-back is whether they are in control of the striker they are facing, or vice versa.
It’s very rare that Van Dijk is not in control, in any game, and he gives Liverpool the platform to dominate their opponents.
How Slot’s system gives Salah more space
Salah has thrived under Slot and the way Liverpool play now definitely suits him, and makes him harder to stop.
One of the tweaks Slot made from Liverpool’s playing style under Klopp was to add an extra attacker, and now we see Dominik Szoboszlai playing high up the pitch in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
It means more defenders are drawn towards the other players, and that gives Salah more space than he had in Klopp’s 4-3-3 shape.
As a former full-back myself, I know the last thing you want in that position when you are facing him – and Luis Diaz or Cody Gakpo on Liverpool’s left – is to be isolated in a one-versus-one situation with them.
When they are narrower, they are running inside into more bodies and have less of an effect on the game, but this season Salah is being asked to stay very high and wide.
That’s partly down to Szoboszlai almost playing like a false striker, because Salah doesn’t want to congest that central space too much, but his incredible numbers this season show how the system works.
He has been quieter of late – his assist for Luis Diaz’s goal against West Ham on Sunday was his first goal or assist, other than penalties, since the end of February – but even during this spell where his form has dipped, you can tell Slot is reluctant to take him off because he knows if something falls for Salah, then more often than not he is going to convert it.
What is going to be interesting is the relationship he has with the right-back next season, whether it is Trent Alexander-Arnold or Conor Bradley.
Whoever plays in that role will know that Salah is not going to track back as much as he once did, which adds to their defensive responsibilities. And if the right-back is still getting forward as well, it means one of the centre midfielders and the right-sided centre-back will have to get across to cover more often.
Alexander-Arnold’s future is still uncertain and his exit would affect the whole team, but it would have implications for Salah, in particular, given the phenomenal dynamic they have down the right.
If he leaves, Salah is going to lose some of his supply line for chances too.
I look back at the first game under Slot, at Ipswich last August, when Alexander-Arnold plays that ball behind the defence for Salah to run on to and set up Diogo Jota. It looks so easy, but it’s not.
Durability is not a fluke
Some people pointed at the run of games in March and April where Salah did not perform well and put it down to his age – he turns 33 in June – but I don’t see that as a factor.
Like Van Dijk, who turns 34 in July, he has started every Premier League game this season, so durability is not an issue.
You can see the condition Salah is in from his social media posts, but you only understand why he is in such fantastic shape when you hear his team-mates speak about his approach to training.
I’ve listened to interviews with Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones where they talk about how Salah is always first at the training ground and how hard he works during sessions and in the gym.
So it is not a fluke that he is able to play all these games. He is prepared to put in the work off the pitch.
It is exactly the same with Van Dijk, and it shows their professionalism as well as their hunger for success. They have both won it all with Liverpool but they still want more.
We will probably see both of them rotated more next season, especially Salah, and they will obviously need replacing at some point – but it must be a huge relief to Slot to know that time has not come yet.
What is going to change?
It looks as if Slot is going to win the Premier League in his first season, although until last weekend’s results I actually was not too confident about that, despite Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table.
The team have looked exhausted in recent weeks, with lack of rotation one of the reasons for that.
It felt as if there was far more trust in the squad in the first half of the campaign. Since then, Slot has almost reverted to a certain team and they are starting to look a bit tired, and far more vulnerable.
I am certainly not criticising Slot, because to do what he has done with a team he has inherited is still incredible, but I feel he knows he needs to strengthen and that we will see the difference next season when he has the squad depth he wants.
Even when Liverpool have looked heavy-legged, Slot has hardly given a sniff to Elliott or Federico Chiesa in midfield or up front. He either doesn’t trust them, or feels they are not suited to his system.
It’s the same with Jarell Quansah. He was on the bench against Fulham but, when Konate came off, Ryan Gravenberch dropped back to centre-half instead.
Whatever the reason, it feels almost a case where Slot is getting across the line using this squad this season, and there are going to be wholesale changes in the summer.
It makes what he has done in such a short space of time even more impressive, especially handling the contract issues of three of his biggest stars at the same time too.
Source: BBC Sports
Ghanaian International Brandon Thomas-Asante continued his fine form for Coventry City during their resounding victory over Swansea City in the English Championship on Saturday.
The Black Stars attacker saw 62 minutes of action as Coventry City romped to a commanding 3-0 away win in the Matchday 39 fixture at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Thomas-Asante shot Coventry City shot ahead with a smooth penalty kick in the 32nd minute.
Coventry City doubled the tally six minutes after Thomas-Asante’s goal when England international Matt Grimes scored in the 38th minute, making life difficult for Swansea City.
Thomas-Asante in Ghana squad for two friendlies
The visitors continued their onslaught when Japanese forward Tatsuhiro Sakamoto added a third goal before the break to effectively put the game beyond Swansea City.
Coventry City comfortably saw out the game to claim all three points and strengthen their position on top of the league standings with 80 points, nine points better than second placed Middlesbrough from 39 games.
Thomas-Asante has now scored 12 goals and four assists in 27 Championship appearances.
His contributions for Coventry City could pave a way for his inclusion into the Ghana squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
He made Otto Addo’s squad for Ghana’s two international friendlies against Austria and Germany this month
The CAF Appeal Board decided that in application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Senegal National Team is declared to have forfeited the Final Match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 (“the Match”), with the result of the Match being recorded as 3–0 in favor of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF).
The Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) Appeal Board decided today that in application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Senegal National Team is declared to have forfeited the Final Match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 (“the Match”), with the result of the Match being recorded as 3–0 in favor of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF).
On the appeal by the FRMF regarding the application of Articles 82 and 84 of the Regulations of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the CAF Appeal Board made the following rulings:
The appeal lodged by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) is declared admissible in form, and the appeal is upheld.
The CAF Disciplinary Board decision is set aside.
The CAF Appeal Board further finds that the conduct of the Senegal team falls within the scope of Articles 82 and 84 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations.
The protest lodged by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) is upheld.
It is declared that the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF), through the conduct of its team, infringed Article 82 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations.
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In application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations, the Senegal team is declared to have forfeited the match, with the result recorded as 3–0 in favor of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF).
All other motions or prayers for relief are dismissed.”
The CAF Appeal Board also ruled that:
“The appeal lodged in respect of Mr. Ismaël Saibari (Player No. 11 of the Morocco National Team) is partially upheld.
The CAF Appeal Board confirms the finding that Mr. Ismaël Saibari (Player No. 11 of the Morocco National Team) committed misconduct in violation of Articles 82 and 83(1) of the CAF Disciplinary Code.
The sanction imposed on Mr. Ismaël Saibari (Player No. 11 of the Morocco National Team) is amended to a suspension of two (2) official CAF matches, of which one (1) match is suspended.
The fine of USD 100,000 imposed on Mr. Ismaël Saibari (Player No. 11 of the Morocco National Team) is set aside.
The appeal lodged in respect of the ball boys incident is partially upheld.
The CAF Appeal Board confirms the finding that the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) is responsible for the conduct of the ball boys during the aforementioned match.
The fine imposed on the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) in respect of the ball boys incident is reduced to USD 50,000.
The appeal lodged in respect of the interference around the OFR/VAR review area is dismissed.
The fine of USD 100,000 imposed on the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) in respect of the interference around the OFR/VAR review area is confirmed.
The appeal lodged in respect of the laser incident is partially upheld.
The fine imposed on the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) in respect of the laser incident is reduced to USD 10,000.
Sports
Coach Otto Addo announces Black Stars squad ahead of Austria, Germany International Friendlies
Otto Addo has named Ghana’s squad for this month’s international friendlies against Austria national football team and Germany national football team.
Ghana will be playing two friendlies as part of Preparations towards the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup in USA,Canada and Mexico.
Squad Breakdown
Goalkeepers:
Lawrence Ati-Zigi (St. Gallen)
Benjamin Asare (Accra Hearts of Oak)
Joseph Anang (St. Patrick’s Athletic)
Defenders:
Patrick Pfeiffer (SV Darmstadt)
Derrick Luckassen (Pafos FC)
Derrick Kohn (Union Berlin)
Jerome Opoku (Istanbul Basaksehir)
Caleb Yirenkyi (FC Nordsjaelland)
Kojo Oppoong Pepprah (OGC Nice)
Jonas Adjetey (VFL Wolfsburg)
Marvin Senaya (Auxerre)
Alexander Djiku (Spartak Moscow)
Gideon Mensah (Auxerre)
Midfielders:
Thomas Partey (Villarreal)
Elisha Owusu (Auxerre)
Ibrahim Sulemana (Cagliari)
Kwasi Sibo (Real Oviedo)
Forwards/Wingers:
Brandon Thomas Asante (Coventry City)
Jordan Ayew (Leicester City)
Prince Adu (Viktoria Plzen)
Christopher Bonsu Baah (Al Qadsiah)
Abdul Fatawu Issahaku (Leicester City)
Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao)
Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City)
Kamal Deen Sulemana (Atalanta)
Daniel Agyei (Kocalispor)
Exciting line-up with a mix of experienced stars like Thomas Partey and Jordan Ayew, plus young talents ready to make their mark.
Ghana found themselves in group L alongside Panama England and Croatia in the FIFA World Cup group.
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