Liverpool Banter

21 May 2024 20:15:18
Surprised there is no talk on here today about Mo's comments that he wants to stay and win trophies next year.
My guess is Slot would want him to stay.

21 May 2024 20:33:35
Nice video of him hugging Klopp in the tunnel before they went out onto the pitch after the wolves game. Really glad they made up. If he stays we need someone in the other forward positions to help him score the goals we need to win the title. I’m not into this it’s a transition year. We also need to get him to sign an extra year so we don’t lose him on a free.

21 May 2024 20:39:55
His comment definitely implied that didn’t it. Mo is a proud man. He might not feel ready to call time on his career as an elite footballer. He sure as hell doesn’t need money. If he stays it doesn’t make great financial sense for us as a club, but as fans we would surely be delighted to have a player like him for one more year. He guarantees 20 goals and 10 assists minimum.

21 May 2024 20:45:43
Wish he’d just go now tbh and get us some money to reinvest. He’s not been great last couple of years but absolutely awful this season - particularly after his injury. He can’t even control the ball, let alone pass it and has defs lost a yard. No time for sentiment, time to move on and get rid.

21 May 2024 20:53:19
Reports that Slot wants to build around van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold, Salah and Nunez today too. That'll trigger a few people, I'm sure.

Although I think they originate from the Torygraph. idk what their sport coverage is like.

21 May 2024 09:49:40
@West Derby Wanderer3,

Macca not world class, come on west derby, mate. the lad has a medal and a trophy which tells you he is world class. He was a big part of the Argentina winning the world cup mate he is in the elite footballers of the world you do know buddy that there are only 8 teams that have won the world cup from 1930 to date.

When Macca has the settled midfield partners around him you will see why we got the bargain of the year unlike the lad at Chelsea who was Macca's partner in the world cup and cost 100+ million pounds. West Derby would you say Glenn Hoddle, King Kenny Graham Souness, Brian Robson, Paul Gaza were world class mate they never won the world cup?

21 May 2024 10:49:48
@iwillbered, I don’t see what you see with macca mate. I think he’s ok. winning the World Cup is no barometer it’s about 8 games. ( we certainly wasn’t the best team in Europe when we won in Istanbul) the Curtis who got sent off at spurs is better.

21 May 2024 11:23:55
@scousejohn

Not sure why as a Liverpool fan you’re going to such lengths to create a narrative that Mac Alister isn’t a top player.

Winning the World Cup is no barometer for being a good player? I disagree.

He’s much better than “ok”.

And he’s much better than Curtis Jones.

Player of the season in my opinion. Of course you’re entitled to yours too.

21 May 2024 11:54:04
People have forgotten how Mac Allister was struggling and how many goals were scored due to his mistakes, when he was playing DM. The story changed dramatically when Endo came in and Mac Allister was moved forward.

For me he's a very good player. But his body of work with us is too small for me to say if he is world class or not. I'm aware of the titles he's won, but I still want to see more from him. Alisson, VVD and Salah are world class for me because I've seen them be at that level for a heck of a long time.

I think Szoboszlai is better than Mac Allister and Jones, but very far from showing it on any consistent level. I don't know what's happened to him. I'll be watching him closer next season.

21 May 2024 12:19:49
Bernard diomede was world class then.

21 May 2024 12:21:58
I don’t think BD started many games for France in that run.

21 May 2024 12:24:42
Indeed, @Mad Max BUT Diomede is nowhere near the player Macca is, ability-wise.

As for me Macca ain't world class, mate I love the player to bits cos his ability on the ball, vision, press-resistance and goalscoring ability from midfield top class, IMO. The world class thingy is a bit much and just cos he won a WC (and was pivotal) does NOT mean he is world class cos football does not start nor end based on your performance in a tournament that comes along every 4 years. Just may take.

21 May 2024 12:12:22
Where do you see Elliot play Ed1? As no 10 behind main striker? I do like him getting the ball from deeper area and carry the ball forward like he is doing these days.

{Ed001's Note - he definitely could play there and that is the position I always have said would suit him best. So yes, that is where I would like to see him if possible.}

21 May 2024 13:16:29
If we could release Macca to play further forward I think we would see a completely different player- able to join in more going forward and use his technical ability to create in the final third

Same goes for Szob imo

We seem to have bought both and try to get them to play a way they aren’t used to or potentially suited to playing.

21 May 2024 13:34:08
Out of all the players who had poor season in this Liverpool squad.
I never thought we’d be discussing Mac.

21 May 2024 13:44:54
Macca struggled as a DM, but imo most of the games he played with Endo behind him he's been good. Not world class per se, but easily good enough.

21 May 2024 15:07:44
@navy Keith: I’m not creating any narrative, as you say it’s a all about opinions mine being different to yours. I hope he does become world class. Right now tho the Curtis who got sent off at spurs would get in my team above him every time.

21 May 2024 15:30:28
Madmax, yes diomede was world class if he won a world cup winners medal there is no higher honour. Oilred it takes four years to win the world cup.

21 May 2024 16:27:37
With Mac at DM we really struggled.

We struggled that much we were 2nd in the league with him playing 14 games there before being injured.

{Ed001's Note - but we were having to rescue most of the games. We were getting results despite playing poorly, not because he was playing well. It is idiotic to suggest that it was because of him in DM that we were in second, just shows a lack of understanding of how a team game works and how you can get away with a player having bad games when there are 10 others on your team. Context is key to using stats otherwise they are just meaningless.}

21 May 2024 16:41:04
@Iwillbered for those of us who actually watched Diomede play in the 90's in the French league for A. J. A (A;J Auxerre), nobody ever accused him of being world class. So him winning the WC as a bench guy, will never change that. Just saying.

21 May 2024 17:06:11
Ed001 i actually agree Mac in the 8 and Endo in the 6 is a better fit for us i just don't think he was awful and i've never said we were 2nd just because Mac was playing there.

Even when Endo came in at 6 we have spent most of the season having to rescue games as we have gone behind more often than not.

I'm looking forward to seeing what changes Slot makes to the formation that hopefully keeps us an attacking threat but really tightens us up as a unit.

Gonna be strange seeing a new man in that dugout or technical area for our next game.

{Ed001's Note - that was my point, it is not about one player. But Macca was awful there, it was clear he didn't understand the role and was struggling. A lot of people blamed it on him being too slow, but that is nonsense, he just looked slow because he was reacting after the fact, so being caught on the hoof. It was just not the right position for him and another case of Klopp and Lijnders insisting on shoehorning players into positions that didn't fit them.

I am actually looking forward to a fresh start, even though I love Klopp and will miss him, it was clear it was time to go for his sake.}

21 May 2024 19:04:33
Eds, re elliot, am I right in thinking he's been playing a completely different role over the last few weeks? I've been taking double takes as he popped up on the left, middle and the right but that seems new considering we're used to seeing him on the right in place of salah (or behind)

{Ed001's Note - yes mate, he was on the left side of the midfield pairing. I think it suited him as he was excellent. Probably our best player over the last few games.}

20 May 2024 19:34:09
I'm having trouble replying to threads. With regards to the debate on Trent moving to midfield on the basis that he'd be better than Mac Allister. Dear oh dear. Not in my opinion. To suggest a world cup winner, who is top quality in an advanced midfield role and not a number 6, can be replaced by someone who has the occasional dabble, is foolhardy. With all due respect.

And, like I've said many times on here, I don't think Elliott will ever be more than a good squad player.

20 May 2024 21:27:17
You on an older Samsung by any chance? I was having all sorts of problems replying to posts on my old J6. The text used to lag as I was typing and then jump and add in whole paragraphs. Sometimes it just completely crashed my Chrome tab. Resorted to typing my replies up in another app and then pasting them in. Not having any issues on the new iPhone using Safari though tbf.

20 May 2024 22:04:55
Good squad players got us to a title win. Hendo wasn't more than a good squad player. To imply a squad player is less than a "world class" player I think is a little naive.

21 May 2024 00:39:15
So Eddy, I’ll take it a bit further. Some squad players help keep the dressing room humming as well. Whether it’s an older player, local lad, solid player or a natural leader the most successful teams are able to maintain that over prolonged periods of time.

21 May 2024 11:38:01
In fairness to Elliott Rome, I'd imagine he's a lot further along in his career than McAllister was at that age. Not saying Elliotts as good because Macca is top class but for his age Elliott has already achieved a lot. Odegaard for example at the same age was off on loan at Sociedad not pulling up any trees. Elliotts form this season has been very good for the majority of games.

21 May 2024 14:35:40
That's a good comparison, June, with Odegaard. Listen, I hope you're right about Elliott and he starts every game next season. I love it when our players prove me wrong for the better.

21 May 2024 18:32:21
I wouldn’t say Elliott has been very good for the majority of games but he has had very good moments but you’re correct. He’s still a young lad and I certainly wouldn’t be giving up on him. Just a little more consistency needed.

21 May 2024 19:06:40
Irish Rover, I've always found that playmakers like Elliott will always be based on moments. I'm probably in the minority in thinking that. But a player like Dirk can run himself ragged for a whole game and nobody bats an eyelid but then Stevie blasts one in or plays an inch perfect pass to set up a goal while being largely anonymous all game and that's what everyone remembers. I'm not saying one thing is better than the other but it's the sum of all parts. Elliott for me is a number 10 . The greats in that position, like Baggio, Bergkamp and people of that ilk never played well for 90 mins every game. But when they came alive they where the match winners. Elliott reminds me of Baggio with his touch and control, and Baggio at his best wasn't the quickest even though he was lightening when he first arrived on the scene. Get him in regularly behind a goal scorer and I think he will be the one to unlock the defences we need.

20 May 2024 18:44:13
Trent is our best long ball player and maca is our best ball player along with Thiago.

20 May 2024 19:33:58
Is Thiago our best player or was he our best player?

20 May 2024 21:31:34
Thiago is the footballer version of Schrödingers Cat. He is a world class footballer but if you try to observe evidence to prove it, he will break down and become useless. Quantum physicists will spend years trying to unlock the secret that is Thiago Alcantara.

20 May 2024 21:41:21
Thiago was never fit enough to better than anyone we never seen the best of the man.

21 May 2024 02:54:16
That’s doing my head in @iwll. How can TAA be our best (long) ball player if Macca and Thiago are (was in Thiago’s case) our best ball players? Only one can be the best, by definition. Not having a go - like I say just can’t cope with the idea that three of them are the best.

21 May 2024 06:47:30
I think the answer to your reply West Derby Wanderer 3 Trent is brilliant at passing long balls which are usually counter attacking long passes over 40 yards ( old school I know) Where as Macca and Thiago pass short decisive balls through the lines making openings for the forwards to run onto so that is why i said Trent best long ball passer and other two better short passers.

Also when Trent passes a long pass on most occasions it is not to create a goal scoring opportunity it is to switch play from right to left to start an attack but the goal scoring chance are usually made by Macca or Thiago when he was fit .
I hope that covers my former post West Derby . YNWA.

21 May 2024 12:26:30
West Derby Wanderer3, that initial post is still doing my head in.