McManaman: “It’s Not Luck”
The former LFC man praised the behind-the-scenes work that has gone into the load management this season.
Liverpool FC comfortably defeated Newcastle United 2-0, while Arsenal dropped points again in a scoreless game away at Nottingham Forest. The 20th league title looks inevitable and just a matter of time, which is a great luxury, considering we’re still in February.
Of course, Arsenal fans' discourse online has been mostly about their injuries: Martin Odegaard early in the season and Bukayo Saka in December. Liverpool are of course, deeply familiar with an injury crisis or two in recent years.
Speaking after the game as a pundit for TNT Sports, Steve McManaman pointed out the work that Liverpool FC have done in preventing injuries, especially the work of Arne Slot and sports performance coach Ruben Peeters:
“People say they’re fortunate about injuries. To a certain extent they are, but Arne Slot brought a sport scientist with him who he trusts implicitly, and he’s done a wonderful job, so it’s not luck.
“He makes five substitutes in every single game. He makes sure he rotates his team, so he knows what he’s doing. He’s helping the players out as much as he can, because the schedule is hard and arduous.”
It’s also important to point out that Liverpool have had their fair share of injuries this season. Their only new signing, Federico Chiesa has barely played. Key players like Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Ibrahima Konate, Diogo Jota, Conor Bradley and Harvey Elliott have all missed significant periods. That’s some of the best in the league at their positions missing time, along with some very capable backups. It’s not quite on the level of Arsenal losing their best player in Saka, but it’s not insignificant. Well done to Arne Slot and the team for getting the team to this position. There’s more silverware on offer for the rest of the season, so let’s keep cheering them on.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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