21 Sep 2026 15:48:01
{Ed's Note - sgynwa has posted a new article entitled, My Assessment of Liverpool's Squad Right Now
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21 Sep 2026 15:54:02
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21 Sep 2026 15:54:02
In order to view all of today's banter, you may have to visit our Liverpool banter 2 to Liverpool banter 10 pages linked at the bottom of this page.
21 Sep 2026 14:16:08
For a team that has 4 left wingers and 0 Right wingers, no proper right back and no number 6 we are doing ok. The recruitment has been poor and when you bring in a new manager with a particular style of play you have to review the players you want. I think AI is doing all he can under the circumstances and has probably over achieved. We have too many square pegs in round holes and that won't win us trophies.
Barcola was obviously brought into replace Gapko, yet Gapko was then kept and actually is doing an OK job on the right wing but it's unlikely he will be effective and make this position his own. I just hope when the new guys come in they work with AI to find players that work in his system and if we scrape into the top 4 this season I think we can say that's successful.
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21 Sep 2026 15:18:33
I disagree. Iraola has a very good squad at his disposal, the left winger vs right winger debate is a total red herring. Any winger worth his salt can play on either wing. They are a winger because they are fast and skilful it really doesn't matter which wing they play from.
The jury is still out on Iraola I'd say he's about a 6 out of 10 so far. If the players can't work to your system then change the system not the players. It's down to him to coach the players and find a system that works.
That being said I do think that after the first 2 games he's worked on pushing the defence up and has got them defending more aggressively. Virgil isn't running away from the play anymore and the entire back four is getting tight and either nicking the ball or fouling rather than dropping off and allowing players to turn and run at them.
Thats a big change that needed to happen. It's meant that Macca looks much better as the defence is much closer to the midfield meaning he doesn't have to cover so much ground to get tackles in.
We even played the offside trap against Bournemouth which was impossible last season as Virgil was always 5 yards deeper than anyone else.
Where Iraola is failing is the top end of the pitch. He's not got them working as a unit and they all seem to be lacking confidence on the ball.
I'm hoping this is because he's working so hard on the off the ball stuff to give us a platform to work from. When we have the team structure right he'll hopefully start to work on patterns of play and connections with the ball because at the moment they seem like strangers at times.
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21 Sep 2026 13:17:00
Just seen this on sky sports "Man United ran 110.2km on Sunday - the second-lowest total of the Premier League weekend, behind Liverpool's 108.4km figure at Bournemouth.".
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21 Sep 2026 13:57:23
Irrelevant in my opinion, Iraola knew we couldn't just outrun Bournemouth; I don't believe that was ever part of the plan.
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21 Sep 2026 14:29:31
And in doing so confirmed that simply running further than your opposition doesn't mean you will win a game.
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21 Sep 2026 14:52:05
Agree with chewy, the players have lost a lot of condition and then gone in to a World Cup. They will be training hard but the condition will take a time to improve. Bournemouth are Iraola's old team, they will be well conditioned.
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21 Sep 2026 15:02:35
Could we sign Josh Kerr? He did complain recently on lack of money in athletics, so we could use him just to do laps to get our numbers up, as this is key.
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21 Sep 2026 15:05:09
So if we can run further than anyone in the league we are the best team in the league? Ever hear the phrase 'work smarter, not harder'?
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21 Sep 2026 15:19:27
Let them run.
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21 Sep 2026 12:23:05
We have to try reverting to klopp's style 4-3-3 and i know it will work for AI. This 4 2 3 1 or whatever variation we are playing isn't working (press wise) although results have been ok.
We have players for it.
Defence is already looking strong a 3 man midfield will provide much needed support in midfield and strengthen defence furthermore
And 3 up front - barcola isak gackpo.
Wirtz has to take the fall. He deserves it. I think the only reason AI isn't playing his preferred formation of 433 is to accommodate wirtz. 6 games now and he has 1 assist. We have to try and play what's best for team and not try to fit in wirtz and alter the system just for him.
Our dna is built for 4-3-3. It will also give more space to gackpo who is red hot form. He can do his favourite stuff cutting in and shooting. And also barcola can get more space.
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21 Sep 2026 12:56:39
It took him 10 games to get his first league win at Bournemouth. I wonder where they (and AI himself) would be now if he had abandoned his principles so quickly?
Villa didn't even score a goal in their first 6 games last season and look where they ended up. We were shocking last season and proper change doesn't happen overnight. Stop whinging and get behind the team that is showing some clear improvements over last season.
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21 Sep 2026 13:09:58
Since when is Iraola preferred formation is
4-3-3? Bornemouth under him always play with pivot 2 and a no 10.
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21 Sep 2026 13:10:45
We have no no6 - so 433 goes out of the window immediately.
Secondly, the game has changed. The single no6 anchor is no longer sufficient without either a midfield partner as a two OR fullbacks that can tuck in.
We just don't have the personnel at the moment.
There are a few issues. 1) we bought Wirtz without thinking through the midfield composition of the squad, 2) we didn't replace Trent's ball progression and 3) we have not replaced Fabinho's bite.
I would like to see Dom play RW and Trey to get a run of games alongside Macca. That will look a lot more balanced I would expect Wirtz and Szobo to look better as a result.
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{Ed666's Note - I agree Trey is the answer to help solve this puzzle but it’s a big ask of the kid
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21 Sep 2026 13:25:45
Gakpo won't be cutting & shooting as much from the right.
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21 Sep 2026 14:21:12
We don't religiously hold that structural shape and don't have players willing to put in the effort, lacking situational awareness and a sense of duty. Grav goes galavanting even though he can clearly see Dom in front of him and Dom gives 110% in the press but only jogs back despite goal threats being within arm's reach of him. I do agree we would be better off if we had a dedicated 6, but still, Dom would need to be more effective in his defensive duties even if that were the case.
As it stands our 4231 is like a 4033 when Grav and Dom are on the pitch so we're almost splitting hairs here. Responsibility has to be taken by these lads before we can progress; the formation is secondary to the real issues at hand.
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21 Sep 2026 15:08:02
If we play Gakpo on the right and he follows his natural inclination, they are going to need to clear the first two or three rows of the stand.
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{Ed666's Note - 🤣🤣🤣..to be fair he’s really sacrificing himself for the team which is credit worthy and beautiful to see. Good for him.
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21 Sep 2026 09:52:36
Excellent win yesterday. I am beginning to have so much confidence in our defence.
On another note, Wirtz is getting so much stick for his performance yesterday and rightly so but I think he improved in the second half. Although, it sometimes feels like he is a boy playing with men.
Szoboszlai on the other hand seems to be getting a free pass because others have been very poor.
I don't see the hype and if our midfield was any decent, I doubt he would be starting. Was glad when the manager substituted him. Looks like he is allowing the hype get to his head.
By the way, he is nothing like Gerrard. Not with these performances.
To end on a positive note, so glad we kept Gakpo.
Macca has really improved. Hope he is not just playing for a new contract though.
Jacquet, boy is golden. Always looking for a forward pass. Hughes take your flowers on this one.
Finally, I have so much confidence in Iraola. He will be a success.
11
21 Sep 2026 11:09:26
It is the first time that we have kept 3 clean sheets in a row in the PL in 2 years. There is still a long way to go but we are moving in the right direction.
As our press, fitness and workrate continues to improve we will continue to get better. Until then people need to stop obsessing about individuals and just get behind the team.
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21 Sep 2026 13:12:24
The players seem to be alive to second balls which is heartening. Araujo and Jacquet's enthusiasm for defending has been a godsend for the team.
Add Camara and Minteh to this team and we would be horrible to play against again.
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{Ed666's Note - I would second that mate. Camara and Minteh in January and we are a different animal.
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21 Sep 2026 14:06:25
We are 3 players away from being a real force, in my opinion.
Minteh, A CM and a left back.
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{Ed666's Note - I think we could be a force with Minteh and Camara and play JG as an auxiliary LB
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21 Sep 2026 07:39:02
{Ed's Note - The_thin_white_duke has posted a new article entitled, Making Wirtz Work in Liverpool's Build-Up
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21 Sep 2026 11:31:55
Hope we get camara in January and see if it helps him more, otherwise I feel he might have to be sold.
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21 Sep 2026 12:05:12
Like all players Wirtz and the set up he plays in need to be compatible.
Behind him in Gravenberch and Szoboszlai you have two players that hold onto the ball too long and with a limited range of passing. One is a carrier the other a runner.
We have one midfielder that can play short, snappy passes in MacAllister but he's currently playing too far away from Wirtz.
Play Nyoni as the deeper of the two and see MacAllister combine with Wirtz in faster attacking play, hopefully with more movement from the forwards.
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21 Sep 2026 12:13:23
Non excuse this. We didn't buy wirtz so we could buy another 10 players just to support him. he has the season to prove himself and if not he should be gone
He lacks basic football right now and it quite evident he is even more out of sync under iraola. i'd sell him to chelsea for a reunion with alonso and get those funds for olise.
We will only work in 433
A French attack of barcola ekitike olise next season by looks of it.
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21 Sep 2026 13:17:08
Hughes and Edwards really did a number on the balance of the squad. Those big new Szobo and Gravy contracts and fullback profiles could go down as mistakes.
Unfortunately, it will be Wirtz that will get run out of the Premier League by Carra and his mob first.
Iraola is clearly seeing the issues. Araujo has become no1 choice at RB. And yesterday, Trey came on before Gravy did.
3
20 Sep 2026 20:13:02
Why all the negativity. Not sure what some on here were expecting at the beginning of a new season with a new manager in charge.
Some positives to build on (imo):
Undefeated so far in all competitions.
Team has shown character to come back and get a result when behind.
Isak is scoring goals again.
3 clean sheets in a row in league and defence looking more solid.
Team showing more energy.
Youth getting a chance again.
Slot, Hughes & Edwards gone.
Yes there are things to improve and AI needs time and at least 2 more transfer windows, but can see direction of tactics under AI, similar to when Klopp started.
Wirtz is main concern as is center of midfield. RB & RW need to be addressed too but AI finding temporary solutions.
Maybe time to try Wirtz at RW?
43
20 Sep 2026 20:33:11
Take the points and get out of dodge for now.
Overall I'm happy with the points total we have and the fact the squad is happy and in relative good health.
At least we know that Iraola won't be in Ibiza for the next 3 weeks and will be actually working out how to improve the balance with the tools he has.
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20 Sep 2026 21:27:47
"Why all the negativity."
Cos it's what certain people do on here. They say we are so easy to play against yet B'mouth couldn't lay a glove on us overall and they same people say, "We have a porous defence" after the B'mouth game.
Last week, people almost quit on the team after the Fulham game and today being a marked improvement in a tough away game, winning with a clean sheet, the knives are still out.
Again for certain people, it's what they do.
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20 Sep 2026 22:22:12
Cheers Oli. I'm sorry if I disappoint you.
5
20 Sep 2026 23:51:53
I agree with Dan. There are signs that things are improving, Defensively we are much better than in the first couple of games. Ourr press is better but a long way to go. I like how AI is decisive, dropping Frimprong & Gravenberch, trying Tsimikas the deciding he is worse than Kerkez. His comments on Isak and Wirtz are telling also, how he expects more to come from them. I trust that he will make the right decisions here after giving everyone a decent chance. Overall given that the way he wants to play is so different from Slot and that many players were recruited to fit Slots system we are doing well.
11
21 Sep 2026 00:32:15
It's like listening to Carragher on commentary for last match. It's like the worse. Dude never seems to have anything positive to say about Liverpool and we were winning the game.
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21 Sep 2026 02:29:30
Well said, Oli.
Today was a very satisfactory away win in the PL. Away wins are harder than ever to get, and though the spectacle isn't great across the league, the smaller teams are more capable than ever.
A few things:
1. Jacquet looks a *superb* addition.
2. We have massively reduced the rate in which we concede chances, silly goals, and look miles better from set pieces already.
3. Isak needs to do more overall, but 4 in 5 (in 3 different games, too) is why we bought him.
In the split second the ball fell to him, to a man everyone knew it was 0-1. Sniper.
4. The team is getting fitter. They went the full 90 against an exerted but very fit Bournemouth team with very little drop-off.
5. Iraola has had an imperfect but good start. Don't underestimate how far this team had fallen last season. We are finally showing the signs of being well coached again.
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{Ed666's Note - If I’m being critical which I am but think Isak should have had at least two goals. My maligning of him is well documented I think he could do more off the ball but I want him to succeed so much ergo the criticism.
4
21 Sep 2026 02:58:29
Not sure why people were expecting us to dominate Bournemouth. Arsenal and Chelsea got battered this weekend and United scraped a draw. Playing away in the Premier League is extremely difficult.
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{Ed666's Note - I don’t think anybody expected us to batter Bournemouth but I think what people were expecting was a lot more from a squad that cost 650,000,000 pounds.
5
21 Sep 2026 03:37:32
Interesting comments from Area , Irialo . whatever his name is about Isak needing to work harder in the build up to attacks. At present Wirtz and Isak are regulars but I think it might just be necessity and it might change when Eki is back. I think he offers a bit more in al round effort and industry than Isak and he also knows where the goal is. Interesting to see in the new year.
@TFE, some of the fans on here, for a long time, make the (tacit) assumption that teams turn up just to make up the numbers when we play. People don't / can't come to terms that all Liverpool teams can't play like Jurgen or Bob's or Shanks's teams.
Today's interesting factoid : the last time a new manager had as good a start as AI (five games unbeaten) was Uncle Joe in 1983.
I think that we have a long way to go but we are going in the right direction and, like I say, if we are still in the mix in Jan / Feb I think we will only get stronger and might very well challenge.
After all, don't forget, there's also the winter transfer window and we are going to sign loads of players 😉.
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{Ed666's Note - Good post mate but I don’t think we see the best of Ekitike till around March at the earliest.
3
21 Sep 2026 05:21:58
When have we ever played there good even from klopp days.
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21 Sep 2026 05:22:54
I think people need to forget about how much a team or player costs. It's mostly detached from ability level and decided by economics of sport rather than talent.
Get where you're coming from ed but finance and talent aren't related anything more than correlationally really as many expensive flops demonstrates.
We are improving defensively significantly, our striker is finding the net after basically being a citizen for a year and no football. Araujo and jacquet have fitted in very well. Cody is turning up every game at the moment.
I think people were expecting too much. A new manager and system, new CB, new rb, new RW, and also recovering from what seems to be the worst squad fitness levels since the spice boys. It was always going to take time and just like when klopp came in I'm happy as long as we are improving.
7
21 Sep 2026 08:31:37
Rome wasn't built in a day.
3
21 Sep 2026 08:52:13
I'm personally enjoying this season. It's much better than watching the last one for sure.
I think people forget performances like yesterday did happen in the Klopp era too.
1
21 Sep 2026 08:58:13
Got to agree with Nevada. Iraola also doesn't give a toss about who costs more money either, if the underperforming players continue underperforming they are going to find themselves on the bench for Nyoni or Koumas or whoever.
Also, we have three clean sheets in the league in a row. Can't we appreciate that this is an achievement? I get the football is pretty frustrating to watch and can even be somewhat dour right now. Last night when Barcola got the ball in space early I expected him to eat the fullback alive and drive forwards rather than hesitate for a split second two or three times and then pass it to somebody else. Wirtz pretty much put in the most enervating performance that we have seen from him in a Liverpool shirt. Isak looked like he was suffering some kind of Space Jam hoodoo until he scored, before that he just couldn't get the ball out his feet at all (which was a vintage number 9 goal, his instincts and positioning were top class).
Still our defense looked pretty impregnable and they had no good chances, the closest that they came to scoring was that Evanilson chance that Ali pulled off a worldie to save, and that can't actually be classified as being a good clear chance. We didn't exactly fashion good chances ourselves, but we have top players who on paper have the quality to put games away even when clear cut chances don't present themselves. Kerkez and Araujo were generally excellent on the night defensively, Rayan got no change out of Kerkez besides that one time he got past him and cut the ball back into the box. Araujo also looks unexpectedly okay in forward positions and pretty imperious in duels and in the air.
4
21 Sep 2026 09:02:44
Also I have to say that Macca was quietly very very good yesterday. He might be playing for a new contract but his levels haven't dipped since he got back in the team.
3
21 Sep 2026 11:51:32
if you could spend money like a PS5 micro transaction on buy connection and chemistry, then I'd sooner spend $650million there and whatever change is leftover I'd spend on the squad.
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20 Sep 2026 19:52:18
{Ed's Note - The_thin_white_duke has posted a new article entitled, Making Wirtz Work in Liverpool's Build-Up
3
21 Sep 2026 01:59:53
Jacuet looks absolute class, particularly with Ron alongside him on the right. The doom and gloom about the defence could have been debunked!
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{Ed666's Note - JJ is so good you don’t notice he’s there. That’s the mark of a great defender. Hes a rolls Royce.. Richard Hughes did something right.
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21 Sep 2026 05:30:03
I'm probably alone in this but I actually think Dom and wirtz can't both play at the same time unless one of them is playing RW.
At the moment they both aren't very disciplined from a positional standpoint and I'd argue that forcing them to be loses their best attributes.
I see wirtz in the mould of kaka, a player who is a classic Brazilian ten in the sense that he floats around links midfield and attack and constantly finds space in the final third.
Dom is basically Gerrard before Rafa but with zero defensive game. High engine. Long distance threat, finds spaces by arriving late.
I think their lack of positional discipline means they can't both play cm because it basically leaves macca, grav or trey doing too much work. I'd push one of them (doesn't matter which) onto the right wing, that keeps the midfield stable but will also allow the player to cut into space in final third and still be creative or goal threat. As a bonus it might teach Dom discipline the same way it did for Gerrard.
3
21 Sep 2026 03:39:37
Leoni, on his one outing also looked like the dogs. There may well be genuine competition to get a game at CB.
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{Ed666's Note - let’s hope he can get up to speed when he comes back because as you say we’ll have some serious ballers at the back and that can only bode well.
2
21 Sep 2026 07:09:41
Jacket is absolutely class and only getting better definitely gt the better of the highly rated young French cb's, we nearly got yoro who's nowhere near jacket.
1
21 Sep 2026 08:49:15
I do notice that he's there all the time though ed0666, he consistently plays line breaking passes with ease and is always in the right place to stop goal scoring chances, he sticks out like a sore thumb as pretty much our best performer besides Gakpo since the start of the season.
0
20 Sep 2026 19:32:05
City home Prem 11/10
Lask away UCL 14/10
Brentford away Prem 17/10
Villarreal home UCL 20/10
Brighton home prem 25/10
Chelsea home EFL cup 28/10
October's fixtures.
4/6 at home as well so less travelling meaning less tiredness I'd hope.
7
20 Sep 2026 19:40:17
Tough run in prem league, probably the 3 in form teams in a row.
2
20 Sep 2026 19:54:42
Great tests. Bring it on.
6
20 Sep 2026 20:05:23
Win them all except Villarreal we draw.
1
20 Sep 2026 21:29:58
Indeed, Lfcfan. You can either go hide behind the sofa with these opps.
Or you can stand tall, stick your chest out and welcome all the smoke with grit and desire to give your absolute best.
I guess we all have choices to make.
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21 Sep 2026 03:40:35
The only one that matters is City in the next game.
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