. I think this is a wise and good appointment at this point in time. Q: How important is Liverpool's victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in building confidence? Shearer: Any win is a welcome win, but when you lose four games in a row, you need to ge...
I think this is a wise and good appointment at this point in time.
Q: How important is Liverpool's victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in building confidence?
Shearer: Any win is a welcome win, but when you lose four games in a row, you need to get that win as soon as possible and get your confidence back.
So, to achieve such a statement victory, especially coming back from conceding a goal like they did, is impressive. They made changes, which I guess he (Slaughter) always does, but the highlight was obviously getting Salah.
He is not doing well recently; he even missed several opportunities when he came on as a substitute. He should have passed another ball but I understand the situation because he was so desperate to score.
Isak was substituted at half-time, I don't know if it was an injury, but it was a big win for Liverpool ahead of the weekend's game.
Q: Will Salah regain his scoring form?
Shearer: I think it's too early to say whether Salah will still be Liverpool's core figure. I understand that when you take a big-name player and then get a result like Liverpool did, dominating the game and scoring five goals, they should have scored more.
The outside world will clamor to exclude him from the starting lineup again, but it is too early to tell. I still think that if Salah is given time and a little confidence, he will still score tons of goals.
Q: How do you evaluate Arsenal’s lineup depth this season?
Shearer: Arsenal looked the strongest I have seen them in a long time, not only on the pitch but also on the sidelines (on the bench), in terms of the players they could put on the field.
Their lineup is very good. They replaced Gabriel a few nights ago and replaced him with Christian Mosquera. They rested Calafiore and brought on Skelly, they rested Trossard and brought on Martinelli.
Martinelli scored and Skelly was also very good, so this is the biggest advantage for Arsenal. They replaced the substitutes when they rested players. Their level of play has not diminished at any position.
Whether it's the Premier League or the Champions League, they look like the best I've seen them in a long time.
Q: Why is Arsenal the favorite in the Champions League?
Shearer: I'm not surprised that Arsenal are the favorites for the Champions League because when I look at their defense, they give nothing to their opponents. They are tough and have a ruthless streak in them. They have only conceded three goals this season.
I don’t know exactly how long it’s been, but they haven’t allowed an opponent to have a shot on target for a ridiculously long time, which is unbelievable. I know Alvarez hit the crossbar early in the second half against Atletico the other night, but that didn't count as a shot on goal.
They give their opponents very few chances and they can't play well every game, but when you have a set-piece weapon like Arsenal and they do it better than anyone, that's another huge advantage.
You can't play brilliantly all the time, you won't play well in certain games, and sometimes you have to find a way to win the game. They are very good at this, whether it is wearing down opponents or through set pieces, they are too good at this.
A set-piece tactic requires the synergy of many links. First you need a set piece, then you need quality passing, then you need movement in the box and finally you need the desire to actually head the ball.
Whether you take the corner kick to the front point, the center or the back point, Arsenal seems to have achieved the ultimate in every aspect. Whether it’s a free kick or a corner kick, their tactics always work and that’s amazing, they’re top notch at that.
Q: Eddie Howe started all three midfielders who had just participated in international competitions against Brighton last weekend. What do you think?
Shearer: I think it was a big decision for Eddie Howe to start all three midfielders fresh from international duty at Brighton last weekend, especially when Bruno Guimarães and Joelinton had just played in South Korea and Japan.
The midfielder looked very tired last weekend, so I think that's an excuse. He then made changes against Benfica on Tuesday night, taking out Joelinton and Tonali and bringing on Lewis Miley, Aaron Ramsey and Bruno.
I guess they do look more alive, and everything that goes with that. They didn't play well last weekend. I thought the first half was poor and then they started to get better in the second half.
Especially at home in the Champions League, when you have fans behind you, it's hard to appear listless. It's more obvious away from home, but certainly at home at Newcastle the fans can push you forward when the games get more difficult.
Newcastle will be favorites against Fulham, and rightfully so. I expect Newcastle to win, especially given the confidence and belief that comes with their win on Tuesday night.
Similarly, Eddie Howe must decide who to play. Will he bring back those midfield key players? Will he make a tweak or two? We'll have to wait and see.
Of course he has options, especially on the wing, with Harvey Barnes, Anthony Gordon, Jacob Murphy and Ilanga. Obviously the same thing in midfield, Lewis Miley came on and did a great job and so did Jacob Ramsey. He has options at those positions.
When you win a game and perform as well as they did in midweek, you think as a player you've earned the right to stay on the field.
