Last week’s firey Merseyside derby was a fitting way for Goodison Park to host it’s final clash between the two local rivals.
A 98th-minute James Tarkowski equaliser rocked the Toffees’ outgoing stadium to its foundations as Everton held Premier League leaders Liverpool to a 2-2 draw, but there was more to come at the final whistle.
Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure went to taunt the visiting Liverpool fans, with Curtis Jones confronting him, resulting in both players being sent off after players from both sides squared up.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot criticised in Dutch media
Reds boss Arne Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff were also shown red cards as Goodison Park went out with a bang.
Slot faces the prospect of a two-match touchline ban for his red card, but was allowed to continue as normal for Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Wolves on Sunday, as he awaits the FA’s final decision on the punishment.
One man who has not delayed his verdict on Slot’s exploits is Journalist Leon ten Voorde, who pulled no punches with his verdict in his Algemeen Dagblad column at the weekend.
While Slot has enjoyed a stunning start to life at Anfield, with his side sitting seven points clear at the top of the Premier League and having topped the Champions League league phase, Ten Voorde believes that Slot’s ‘other side’ has now been shown for the first time.
“Arne Slot is the ideal son-in-law with the angry temper,” he wrote. “It was about time too, after almost a year of walking the tightrope in the ideal world. On Wednesday – after some setbacks – England finally got to know the other side of Arne Slot from Bergentheim. The ideal son-in-law with the unexpected angry temper.
“It is all too good to be true: too slick, too smooth, too much of a pleaser, too charming, too clever and too cunning and maybe just too good. A great coach of a more than great club.
“After all the adulation, things are now a little bit disappointing. And then the ideal son-in-law turns into an unruly spoilt brat, unaccustomed to dealing with adversity.
“Suddenly, they saw a side of the manager in England that we in the Netherlands had discovered before, it is a character trait that does not make him equally popular with all his colleagues. A narrative Slot whines and whines to the fourth man, he manipulates and postures.
“Slot was briefly himself again on Wednesday, a flesh-and-blood human being. Thankfully, because it was all getting just a little too perfect.”
In FourFourTwo’s view, Slot, who is ranked at no.9 in FourFourTwo's list of the best managers in the world right now, has done a superb job so far at Liverpool and these comments from Ten Voorde seem a little extreme, given the emotional nature of the occasion last week.
Few derbies in world football evoke feelings as strong as the Merseyside derby and the fact that is was Goodison’s farewell created a unique set of circumstances, so such criticism feels over the top.
