Sports

Arne Slot Learns 3 Things That’ll Save His Job

Published

4 months ago

March 6, 2026

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Liverpool put in a professional performance to cruise to a 3-1 win over Wolves in the FA Cup on Friday, and while it has been said plenty of times throughout his second season in charge, Arne Slot will have learnt a lot about what he must do to avoid receiving his marching orders from his side’s trip to Molineux.

It looked set to be another sluggish night of football for the reigning Premier League champions when they went into half-time goalless. But with a vengeance from their late 2-1 defeat to the same opposition just three days prior in the league, Andrew Robertson opened the scoring in the 51st minute and then quickly became the architect for the second when his cross was turned in by Mohamed Salah just two minutes later.

Curtis Jones finished off a near-perfect night with a stunning strike from outside the box with 16 minutes to spare, before Wolves pulled a late consolation. Slot and co. threw their hat into the ring for the quarter-final draw on Monday night. More importantly, however, the win may have shown the manager how he can continue to steady the ship after last season’s league title raised expectations – which have often put his position under the microscope once the honeymoon period ended.

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Three Things Slot Learnt After Liverpool’s FA Cup Fifth Round Win

1. Left-hand side fixed by Rio Ngumoha & Andy Robertson

Following the departure of Luis Diaz in the summer – which saw Slot’s dependence on Cody Gakpo grow exponentially – Liverpool’s left-hand side has looked markedly weaker this term. Those issues were further compounded by the accelerated introduction of Milos Kerkez into the first team, but Andrew Robertson – with a goal and an assist under the floodlights – proved he still has plenty left to give the Reds.

What’s more, 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha delivered his best audition yet after being entrusted with a rare start, winning a Man of the Match award. His unpredictable attacking style – defenders never knowing whether he will take the ball wide, drop deep, or cut inside – is a refreshing sight for those who had begun to realise that his senior counterpart, Gakpo, was becoming far too readable. Going forward, it will be increasingly difficult for Slot to keep overlooking the duo.

2. Joe Gomez can be trusted at centre-back

Used predominantly at right-back this season, and under strict restrictions given his injury-prone history, Joe Gomez has failed to provide Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk with any real competition for their spots in the heart of defence. But with the Englishman now fully fit for a month, having only missed six games through setbacks since September, Slot can likely start trusting him to feature more regularly.

Gomez looked solid in his centre-back berth on Friday night, and his partnership with Van Dijk can never be questioned after the duo won the Premier League title together under Jurgen Klopp in 2020. With Jeremie Frimpong back and ready to start out wide, Gomez should see his minutes in his natural position rise in the coming weeks, which should only help improve his competiitors’ performances as well.

3. Allowing the team to play with more expressive freedom

Critics of Arne Slot, like the outspoken Richard Keys, had previously suggested that his more conservative playing style would eventually put the Dutchman under pressure on Merseyside. But this weekend’s performance saw the Reds revert to a more aggressive approach, with the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai switching play and seeking more direct balls over Wolves’ defence to force the issue as opposed to risk-averse yet sloppy short passages of play deep in their own half.

That more expressive style quickly got the travelling Kop on board, and morale – often a forgotten art in football management – proved key in opening the floodgates. Slot must continue to look for ways to excite the crowd, and if he can pair it with an FA Cup triumph at the end of the season, murmurs of discontent around a team that can sometimes be tedious to watch will quickly dissipate. After all, he is blessed with a creative squad, especially now that Florian Wirtz is back from injury.

Sports

The Truth Behind Yan Diomande to Liverpool and Julian Alvarez to Man United with Ben Jacobs

Published

19 minutes ago

June 26, 2026

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Yan Diomande to Liverpool and Julian Alvarez to Man United lead the latest Market Madness transfer update with Ben Jacobs.

Kate Mason and Ben Jacobs are live for another World Cup edition of Market Madness as the transfer window continues to heat up, with updates on Liverpool’s pursuit of Yan Diomande, Manchester United’s shock interest in Julian Alvarez, and the latest around Elliot Anderson.

Faissal Chehade, Individual Development Coach at CD Leganés, joins the show to discuss Yan Diomande’s rise in professional football and the clubs that missed their chance early in his journey.

Guardian and Observer Manchester football correspondent Jamie Jackson also joins Kate and Ben to give his verdict on England ahead of the Panama game, plus the latest on the Elliot Anderson transfer race.

Ben also answers your transfer questions, including:

– Yan Diomande: Is a Liverpool deal getting closer?

– Nottingham Forest’s midfield plans after Elliot Anderson

– Could Lucas Bergvall be part of Forest’s next move?

– Manchester United’s interest in Julian Alvarez

– Felix Nmecha and Aurelien Tchouameni links to United

– Arsenal and Bruno Guimaraes

– Newcastle’s position on Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali

– Where Crysencio Summerville could end up next

All that and more on Market Madness.

Sports

Fabrizio Romano Issues Marcus Rashford to Tottenham Transfer Update

Published

42 minutes ago

June 26, 2026

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Tottenham are being linked with England World Cup attacker Marcus Rashford as they look to continue their busy summer of recruitment. Spurs have wasted no time in this summer window so far, already snapping up three new signings, including three freebies and a statement defensive signing in Jan Paul van Hecke.

The signings will keep coming as Roberto De Zerbi looks to give this Tottenham team a whole new look to ensure there is no third-straight bottom half finish.

A midfield signing appears to be the next priority, but Spurs are also working on other potential deals, and a World Cup Three Lion has emerged as a possible option.

Romano on Tottenham’s Rashford interest

Spurs have been linked with a move for Manchester United and England winger Rashford in recent days. According to Fabrizio Romano, a deal could be on the cards, but there is nothing advanced at this stage.

“Many questions on Marcus Rashford and Tottenham, we had these links on Marcus Rashford and Tottenham and if it’s possible to see this deal happening,” Romano said on his YouTube channel. “If Tottenham can go for Marcus Rashford, if Tottenham is a possibility being considered. My understanding at the moment between Marcus Rashford and Tottenham is that there is nothing advanced, nothing close, nothing realistic as of today.

“Should the situation change I will be here to let you know because the Marcus Rashford situation is an open situation, a situation they have to clarify as soon as possible at Manchester United. There are several things keeping this open for Marcus Rashford but the understanding is at the moment there is nothing concrete or advanced with Tottenham.”

Why Rashford wasn’t signed by Barcelona

Rashford played a big part in Barca winning the LaLiga title, scoring 14 and assisting as many across all competitions last season. The England international will have hoped to land a permanent deal on the back of that form, but the Catalan giants did not activate their option to buy.

They did not – and do not – rule out a deal at this stage, but their current priority is to find a new number nine to replace Robert Lewandowski. The Blaugrana are well aware that a striker deal could be very costly, and so they will revisit the Rashford situation if he remains available later in the window. The same transfer stance saw Barca miss out on Bernardo Silva to Real Madrid, but unless they are not pivoting from the current approach, and that could see the price they have to pay for Rashford increase, given the clause is no longer available to them, and it may mean the England international goes elsewhere.

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The Italian wants Tottenham to make another ambitious move in the summer transfer window

Sports

Jon Jones’ Tweet to Dustin Poirier After Arrest Goes Viral

Published

59 minutes ago

June 26, 2026

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Former two-division UFC champion Jon Jones has sent a message to Dustin Poirier in the wake of the 37-year-old’s arrest at an Atlanta airport on Sunday evening for public drunkenness.

‘The Diamond was taken into custody after threatening a police officer, having been kicked off a plane because he was intoxicated. Footage of the fighter’s arrest has since emerged and quickly gone viral.

Since being charged, Poirier has addressed his situation in a series of social media posts, admitting that he needs to seek treatment for issues with alcohol. If found guilty, the Louisiana native could face up to a year in jail, together with a $1,000 fine.

Poirier retired from the Octagon after losing to Max Holloway at UFC 318 last July. In the days following his arrest, Dustin has opened up about how much he has struggled to adapt to life after fighting.

While reaction to his arrest has been split, Poirier has received plenty of support from inside the MMA world, with names such as Daniel Cormier sending well-wishes to the struggling former interim lightweight champion.

Jon Jones Sends Message to Dustin Poirier After Recent Arrest

Having retired from the UFC himself last year, pound-for-pound great Jones has now weighed-in on Poirier’s arrest. ‘Bones’ frequently encountered issues with the law across his own career and took to social media to share his thoughts with his former colleague.

“Wanted to write and tell my [expletive] Justin Poirier to keep your head up,” Jones wrote on X, while getting Poirier’s name wrong. “Life happens. This too shall pass. Just keep yourself busy my man, it helps.”

In a separate tweet, Jones expressed his admiration for how honest Poirier had been about his personal struggles since hanging up his gloves.

“I do respect the fact that he’s being honest about his mental state,” remarked Jones.

“I swear, in some weird way, retiring from UFC almost feels like retiring from the military or something. There’s so many similarities. I have conversations with my special forces buddies about this type of stuff all the time. It’s a huge change, or at least it can be.”

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‘The Diamond’ made it clear he was struggling…

Jon Jones Teases UFC Comeback

As if to illustrate how difficult it can be to walk away from the life of a professional fighter, Jones went on to tease a potential comeback of his own, revealing that recent stem cell treatments had helped to combat the arthritis that had initially played a role in convincing him to retire.

Jones is currently training amateur wrestling standout Gable Steveson ahead of his Octagon debut at UFC 329 next month and he hinted that the experience had prompted him to consider his own fighting future.

“Never say never. Right now we are finishing up Gable [Steveson]‘s training camp. He’s looking extraordinary. I’ve been his main training partner, and I’m moving like I never left. Stem cells must be working,” he wrote.