Round 17 vs Liverpool on Anfield: Ten Hag vs Mourinho

[Scandi Red]

History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme!

In 2018 Mourinho also faced Liverpool on Anfield in Round 17 on a Sunday. He was sacked after an embarrassing 3-1 loss. It's almost eerie how similar our current situation is before kickoff, but there are some differences (I can't be arsed to look up domestic cup information).

Mourinho:

• 26 points
• +2 goal difference
• 8 points behind top 4
• Qualified for the Champion's League knockout stages

Ten Hag:

• 27 points
• -3 goal difference
• 6 points behind top 4
• Out of the Champion's League (last place in group)

Ten Hag is one point ahead and slightly closer to top 4, but with a worse goal difference and already out of all European competitions. Personally I feel that Ten Hag is in a worse position competitively because of the CL debacle, but Mourinho was very mopey in interviews and he had nowhere close to the same amount of key injuries.

Do you think that Ten Hag can survive a loss or will his unfortunate injury situation cut him some slack? And would you agree that this is the right thing to do?

 

[Remember the geese]

Yes, any loss will be survived. Nothing will be done until INEOS arrive and even then, he'll probably get until the end of the season.

 

[lex talionis]

Interesting parallel.

The crazy thing about where we are right now is that even a small uptick in results has us right in the thick of it for top 5, and in fact I’m reasonably confident we’ll somehow end up in the top 5.

 

[tomaldinho1]

Feel like the sale is now the main thing keeping everything in limbo so unless we get hammered I don't think much will change.

 

[Scandi Red]

Feel like the sale is now the main thing keeping everything in limbo so unless we get hammered I don't think much will change.

You reckon they want the input from the new part-owner before making any decisions?

 

[tomaldinho1]

You reckon they want the input from the new part-owner before making any decisions?

If it's a hammering maybe they'll be forced to do something but if Sir Jim is getting control of the footballing side of the club - it would be crazy to sign a new permanent manager now until we know what that looks like.

 

[MadMike]

Interesting parallel.

The crazy thing about where we are right now is that even a small uptick in results has us right in the thick of it for top 5, and in fact I’m reasonably confident we’ll somehow end up in the top 5.

So all we need is just to improve a bit and then we're in contention for a Top 5 stop. Damn, what low standards to have. Give the man another 500m in Jan, he might even make top 4.

Btw it only takes a couple of bad results to end up firmly in mid table. It's likely we'll be 8th after getting thumped at Anfield, because a Newcastle win against Fulham at St James and a West Ham win against Wolves in east London will see both climb above us in the table.

 

[lex talionis]

So all we need is just to improve a bit and then we're in contention for a Top 5 stop. Damn, what low standards to have. Give the man another 500m in Jan, he might even make top 4.

Btw it only takes a couple of bad results to end up firmly in mid table. It's likely we'll be 8th after getting thumped at Anfield, because a Newcastle win against Fulham at St James and a West Ham win against Wolves in east London will see both climb above us in the table.

Crap, I hadn’t even thought about that. It’s not out of the question that we will raise our game — sad to say, but we may now be a game-raising club — against Liverpool and snake a draw, and if we can at least stay within a few points off 4th or 5th we once long term absentees like Martinez start coming back we might just get there by May.

How sad our dreams now are so modest.

 

[Gator Nate]

Yes, any loss will be survived. Nothing will be done until INEOS arrive and even then, he'll probably get until the end of the season.

Goldberg had an interesting point about that... Who's in charge to fire him right now?

Seriously, though, I tend to agree with you on that point. Nothing will happen until INEOS are in place to do their thing. Whoever might call the shots at the moment is in no position to pick an interim when the upper-level management is about to change anyway.

 

[SirAF]

Yes, any loss will be survived. Nothing will be done until INEOS arrive and even then, he'll probably get until the end of the season.

This. Nothing is relevant or interesting until the ownership/structure situation has been clarified.

 

[DWelbz19]

There's no way he lasts a full season. He'll be gone sooner or later.