Sports
Liverpool Must Hire Oliver Glasner After He Schooled Arne Slot
Arne Slot is suffering his first rough spell at Liverpool, having endured seven losses in the last 10 competitive matches. If the Dutchman can’t turn that dismal form around soon enough, there will be very real pressure growing on his position at the club.
Sunday’s heavy defeat against title rivals Manchester City highlighted the areas where the Reds have been exposed constantly by each and every team they have faced in recent months. Despite lifting the Premier League trophy in May, having steamrolled the competition in his debut campaign in England, Slot is already being questioned after a £400 million+ spend in the summer.
The cut-throat nature of top-flight football in the modern era means the 47-year-old won’t be afforded the luxury of time in the same way Sir Alex Ferguson was at Manchester United in the 1980s, or even Jurgen Klopp when he first hit trouble at Anfield.
Arne Slot Has Already Lost vs Ideal Liverpool Replacement This Season (Twice)
Among the favourites to replace Slot at the helm should he fail to get things back on track, of course, is his predecessor. While Klopp admitted in an interview with Steven Bartlett recently that it was ‘technically’ possible he could return to Liverpool, it’s far from a likely solution.
Fenway Sports Group have never been owners who sack a manager without giving them ample opportunities to turn their fortunes around. After all, they kept Brendan Rodgers around after an awful 2014-15 season, before eventually correcting their mistake by replacing him with Klopp.
However, the American owners were also never the biggest spenders in the transfer market… until this summer. A huge overhaul of the first-team squad saw Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez all walk through the door. It was viewed as an exciting time to be a Liverpool supporter, having recently watched the club lift the biggest trophy in English football.
With that huge outlay comes enormous expectations. Slot will be well aware that the reigning champions won’t accept the current run of performances and results. That’s why there’s already a discussion about whether Slot is the right man to get the Merseysiders back on top.
Names such as Zinedine Zidane, Andoni Iraola and even Xabi Alonso have emerged among the favourites to be the next to occupy the Anfield hotseat. However, there is one man who suits this Liverpool squad much better. That man has already beaten Slot twice this season in cup and league – Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner.
Liverpool’s Squad is Perfect For ‘World-Class’ Oliver Glasner
After masterminding a 2-1 victory against Liverpool – which started their terrible run of form – before then going to Anfield in the EFL Cup and winning 3-0, Glasner has already shown he has what it takes to outclass Slot with an inferior set of players on paper. Ironically, the Reds would have the perfect set of players to replicate the impressive set-up the Austrian employs at Selhurst Park if they’d signed one player in the summer.
That man is Palace captain Marc Guehi, who was hours away from switching south London for Merseyside. Glasner ultimately stepped in and prevented his skipper from leaving on deadline day. As seen below, Liverpool’s line-up with the Englishman looks like it would be extremely threatening under Glasner’s watch.
Guehi would slot in alongside Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, with the Liverpool captain being afforded more protection to either side. In the same way Tyrick Mitchell and Daniel Munoz tear up and down the flanks for the Eagles, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong are ideal players to fulfill these roles.
The hard work of Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch in the middle of the park would also free up Florian Wirtz to play in a role similar to that of Yeremy Pino for Glasner’s Palace. Like Eberechi Eze, Wirtz isn’t a natural winger, but the way Palace set up allowed the Englishman to pick up much more central positions.
That leaves Alexander Isak (or Huge Ekitike) and Mohamed Salah to mimic Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr. They are more than capable of doing so. While Slot is changing things weekly, Glasner’s system would allow much-needed consistency and rhythm to the team.
Now, taking a step up from a mid-table Premier League side to a club where challenging to win the trophy each season is expected is no easy feat. Just ask Graham Potter, who swapped Brighton for Chelsea.
But Crystal Palace are believed to know they currently employ a ‘world-class’ manager, and are doing everything they can to convince him to stay at the club past his contract expiry date. It’s an opportunity for bigger clubs to swoop, and Glasner’s loyalty could soon be tested, along with his ambitions to take over one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Estadio Azteca, temporarily renamed Mexico City Stadium for the 2026 World Cup, sits well over 2,000 metres above sea level in the district of Southern Mexico City. It plays host to the Mexico National team as well as Liga MX side Club America.
Estadio Azteca is the highest stadium of all 16 venues used at the 2026 World Cup by a wide margin, and one of the most storied grounds in football history, having hosted three separate World Cups, a feat that no other stadium can claim.
So, what is the altitude of the stadium and what are the effects? GIVEMESPORT takes a look.
What is the Altitude of Estadio Azteca?
|
Stadium: |
Estadio Azteca |
|---|---|
|
City: |
Mexico City, Mexico |
|
Capacity: |
87,523 |
|
Altitude: |
2,200m (7,218ft) |
|
Map: |
Estadio Azteca sits at 2,200 metres (7,218 ft) above sea level, which makes it the highest altitude stadium in North America.
How Does the Azteca Compare to Other Stadiums?
© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Azteca is high by 2026 World Cup standards, but modest next to South America’s true altitude giants, several of which sit above FIFA’s old 2,500m threshold for international matches.
The highest altitude stadium in the world is Peru’s Estadio Daniel Alcides Carrion, which sits an incredibls 4,338m above sea level, nearly twice as high as the Azteca.
You can see a list of some of the highest stadiums below for comparison.
|
Stadium |
City/Country |
Altitude |
|---|---|---|
|
Estadio Daniel Alcides Carrion |
Cerro de Pasco, Peru |
4,338m (14,232ft) |
|
El Alto Municipal (Villa Ingenio) |
El Alto, Bolivia |
4,088m (13,410ft) |
|
Estadio Hernando Siles |
La Paz, Bolivia |
3,600m (11,800ft) |
|
Estadio Olimpico Atahualpa |
Quito, Ecuador |
2,850m (9,350ft) |
|
El Campin |
Bogota, Colombia |
2,550m (8,370ft) |
|
Estadio Azteca |
Mexico City, Mexico |
2,200m (7,200ft) |
Why FIFA Has Different Names for World Cup Stadiums
Eagle-eyed fans may be confused as to why there are different names for the World Cup arenas than usual – the answer is frighteningly simple.
Does Altitude Give Mexico an Advantage?
The short answer is yes, it’s a very big advantage. The national team have lost just twice in 89 competitive matches at the stadium, and has gone unbeaten there for well over a decade — a record few nations can touch on home soil anywhere in the world.
As per The Guardian, Mexican football commissioner Mikel Arriola: “We have a massive advantage because we’re playing at the Estadio Azteca with our fans and the altitude. It is a very potent setting.”
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Thinner air at 2,200m means less resistance on the ball, so it travels faster and dips less than at sea level – a wrinkle that can catch out goalkeepers and defenders unfamiliar with the conditions.
More significantly, it means less oxygen in every breath, which hits visiting players hardest in the legs and lungs: heart rates climb quicker, sprints are harder to repeat, and pressing intensity drops off as the game wears on — exactly the kind of high-tempo football most European and South American sides are built to play.
There’s no quick fix for it either, with sports scientists generally agreeing that two to three weeks at altitude is needed to meaningfully boost red blood cell production and oxygen-carrying capacity — a luxury a tight tournament schedule doesn’t allow.
Some squads, like South Korea, base themselves in elevated cities to adapt to the conditions, whilst teams like Colombia arrive with a natural edge from training at similar altitude levels back home. But those flying in directly from sea level are faced with a rough opening half, and are advised to hydrate heavily and avoid overexertion in their first 24 hours in the city.
What Have Players and Coaches Said?
The altitude conversation resurfaces every time a lowland side draws Mexico, and the 2026 World was no exception.
Ahead of facing Mexico in the Round of 16 at the Azteca, England manager Thomas Tuchel told the BBC: “The altitude will be a big disadvantage because we cannot physically adapt to it. And in four days, it’s just impossible. More obstacles may come, we are ready for that.”
My understanding is that we cannot adapt to the altitude. That is just a huge advantage that Mexico will have. We have only three days in between these matches. Its physically just not possible to adapt to the altitude, which is quite high.”
Former West Ham midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker is one of few English players to have played at the Azteca stadium, and is fully aware of the challenges sides face, saying:
“It’s the most physically demanding place I have ever played football. To come from Europe and play in that altitude is so difficult. You cannot catch your breath. The first 45 to 55 minutes, you’re just trying to keep breathing.”
Senior Research Fellow at Leeds Beckett University, Dr Barney Wainwright, also told the BBC: “Maximum aerobic capacity at this kind of altitude usually drops around 10%, and that has a knock-on to performance. There will usually be a 15–20% increase in fatigue. For the distance it’s possible to cover, we would expect that to drop by 5-10%.
“Maximum sprint speeds won’t be affected, but players will need to wait a bit longer to recover from each one and go again. England might want to slow things down more to allow players time to recover between bouts of high-intensity play.”
Whether it is the intense home atmosphere, Mexico’s quality, the high altitude, or a combination of the three. One thing for certain is that the Azteca Stadium is one of the most difficult environments in world football, with visiting sides at a disadvantage before a ball has been kicked.
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Behind-the-scenes footage has emerged from the UFC‘s historic Freedom 250 card at the White House, revealing the one thing that President Donald Trump hated about the event.
Headlined by the UFC Lightweight Championship unification fight between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, the show was commissioned as a joint celebration of both the 250th anniversary and Trump’s 80th birthday. It even took place on June 14th, the day the President was born.
However, while Trump loved the show overall, calling it one of “the greatest ever” afterwards, there was one element of the event he really wasn’t happy with.
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With the fights taking place on the South Lawn of the White House, space was always going to be limited. Trump, though, seemingly wasn’t fully on board with the reality of just how limited the numbers would be.
In footage shot before the event, Trump told a crowd of reporters: “We’ll have an arena of 8,000 [people]” watching the event live.
Wanting somebody to back up that number, the President bellowed: “Where are the UFC people?”
When UFC Executive Producer Craig Borsari made himself known to Trump, he had some bad news to share with the controversial politician.
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Telling Trump he could have less than a third of his desired attendance, Borsari noted:
“Right now, the current infrastructure that we have is only about 2,500 [people].”
Trump couldn’t hide his frustration at the number as he fumed: “That’s terrible!”
Sensing the President’s anger, Borsari reasoned: “But, we can go a level up, and start to get into the 3,500 range?” If he had hoped to fully satisfy Trump with the extra 1,000 seats, it didn’t work.
“Oh, but you say you’re not talking about the six or seven thousand,” he replied in an annoyed tone.
Trump later voiced his own ideas for expanding the capacity of the event. In a sit-down interview, he stated:
“My concept was right, smack at the front door of The White House. Build it as big as you can. You know we’re a little confined because of trees and these beautiful plantings and everything else, so not easy.”
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Trump appeared to give Borsari full permission to do whatever he saw fit to make the request a reality.
“You can build it as big as you want, there’s no problem.”
In reality, on fight night, Borsari managed to make room for an estimated 4,300 attendees. No tickets were sold to the public, with the majority of those in attendance being either invited guests or military personnel.
Trump may not have got his way in terms of a larger attendance at the White House itself, but the company did manage to accomodate 80,000 spectators at the Elipse in the shadow of the venue.
As impressive as that number is, though, it’s clearly not quite what Trump really wanted.
Tottenham Hotspur have been incredibly active in the transfer window so far this summer, but they have now pulled the plug on one deal according to Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg.
Spurs have already brought in Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka on free transfers, while they also signed Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton and broke their club-record to sign Mateus Fernandes from West Ham in an £85m deal.
The club also agreed a £100m deal to sign Newcastle star Sandro Tonali this week, cementing their ambitions to climb up the table after back-to-back 17th-placed finishes in the Premier League, but they have now backed out of a deal for another signing.
Tottenham Pull Out of Move to Sign Palhinha
Tottenham are pushing to strengthen their squad, and new manager Roberto De Zerbi had previously stated that he wanted the club to retain Portugal international Joao Palhinha as part of the squad following his loan spell in 2025/26.
The holding midfielder was described as ‘one of the best’ by the Italian coach, and had made a return to north London his priority for this window despite having agreed terms with Sporting CP over a potential move, with Bayern Munich desperate to cash in on a permanent deal.
But after completing a deal for Fernandes and agreeing terms over a move for Tonali, Spurs have now pulled the plug on any return.
“Joao Palhinha is set to return to FC Bayern for now,” Plettenberg wrote. “The Tottenham deal is now 100% off following the signings of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.
“A possible move to Sporting is also complicated due to Bayern’s asking price. There are further interested clubs. Talks are ongoing.”
Tottenham Make Right Decision
Palhinha proved what everyone already knew last season with his performances. The 30-year-old is a strong defensive player, who covers ground well, but has limitations with his passing.
The fact that he scored the goals that ultimately kept Spurs in the Premier League may have made the sentiment of keeping him at the club difficult to ignore, but ultimately they have signed major upgrades on him now, and it makes sense to let him leave.
With Tonali and Fernandes joining the likes of Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Pape Matar Sarr in the squad, there is no space for Palhinha and it makes sense to put that money towards strengthening other areas of the squad instead.
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