Liverpool banter 3

06 Nov 2025 08:48:54
Off grid in Indonesia the past week. Logged back on to nervously watch replays of the villa and Madrid games. My wife left me to it and headed off to yoga, hoplping I wouldn't be drowning my sorrows at the beach bar when she returned.
What a difference a week makes. I'd suggest that's the best display of Slot's tenure.

Not because it's the best footy we've played, but the pressure on the team coming up against a very in form Madrid was huge. There were plenty on here suggesting we could get nothing out of villa, Madrid and city.
2 down, one to go.

06 Nov 2025 10:30:25
Hope you had fun over there, Burkeyboy.

06 Nov 2025 10:35:06
I agree Burkey, seeing the desire and fight is just what we needed.

06 Nov 2025 11:18:23
What a miserable existence eh Burkey, off grid in Indonesia, wife gone to yoga and you cudda been at the beach bar. celebrating 😉.

07 Nov 2025 08:57:44
Intel, you have no idea. I've fallen into a Zen period. Sold lots of bitcoin that I bought 13 years ago and have just retired at 52. Poor internet is the least of my worries, but you can't take the Liverpool out of a scouser and I'd give it all away to see us put 2 massive fingers up to all the doubters at the moment.


Sorry, that's not true, I'd give up maybe 25%, any more would involve a divorce.

06 Nov 2025 07:39:02
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Matchday 10 - Quick Round Up

06 Nov 2025 10:58:04
Thanks as always for the Round-Ups Ed.

{Ed001's Note - very welcome mate.}

06 Nov 2025 17:25:57
Thanks for the round up Ed :)

06 Nov 2025 00:55:00
Flo played well on the left but I still think his place is left of a midfield four like Coutinho used to play
We still need a wide player in my opinion and possibly two as Salah has been grim this season and will go this summer or next anyhow.
Barcola on the left and Olise on the right would be lethal.

06 Nov 2025 08:35:09
Wirtz is just one of those players who you need to give a free role too, otherwise you waste his talent by shackling him into a rigid tactical approach.

He will work as hard as anyone else for the team still, but you need to give him that freedom to go where the space is and crop up in all sorts of positions as that makes him impossible to mark.

We saw against Madrid, that although he was playing on the left on paper, he was regularly cropping up on the right to slide a ball across for Dom, or tackle Huijsen by the right corner flag etc.

At Leverkusen he played like this, on the left of a front 3 but with total freedom, and he was unplayable. It's about time we got him back to that. Yes, he can play as a 10 or a false 9, but those are not the roles where he is a £100m player. Those are just role he can do a job in.

Coutinho is a decent comparison to an extent because he also needed a free role to really thrive in possession. The difference is, that Wirtz is also a grafter, something Coutinho never was. He'll press, he'll track back, he'll fly into tackles etc.

We've seen many players like this down the years (Ronaldinho, Payet, Nedved, Hazard etc) who playing off the left with total positional freedom are absolutely world class, but if you forced them into something more rigid it stifled their game completely. Very few players like this work as hard as Wirtz though, which is what really sets him apart. You don't need to coach a player like Wirtz. Put him on the pitch and let him play. Mavericks should not be shackled.

06 Nov 2025 08:45:39
Coutinho was left of a front 3 when at his best at Liverpool. We signed Salah, moved Mane to the left and tried Coutinho in the midfield and he was shocking.

I do think Coutinho was more of an attacker than Wirtz is though. Wirtz has a better engine and can get about the pitch. If he improves his physicality he could play in our midfield. Think Macca with more ability on the ball.

His physicality was much better against Real but can he do it on a rainy Tuesday night at the Emirates?

06 Nov 2025 09:30:00
Flo will eventually be the 10.

06 Nov 2025 10:17:01
Back the squad as is.

06 Nov 2025 10:22:51
Great post mk, my sentiments exactly.

06 Nov 2025 10:35:45
I think Wirtz already had a free role overall vs RM even tho, he started on the left on paper. He popped up on the right combining with Macca and Ekitike as much as he was on the right combining with Szobo which led to him laying that ball on a plate for Szobo that Courtois saved.

Now I do agree that Wirtz will eventually end up centrally in the 10 as I think that he is starting wide right now to drift in-field to create and combine cos it suits our setup right now, IMO.

06 Nov 2025 11:47:09
The thing is that wirtz' favored position actually is out wide or in the left half space even though he might start as a central attacking midfielder on paper.

A lot of times for Leverkusen he was picking up the ball on the inside left channel or all the way out wide near the touchline and then coming inside, he would also drift right in his free role on occasion, but the thing is that he was playing with two central forwards in boniface and schick who would rotate with him based on where he liked to go, frimpong as a super wide wing back pushed up the field and grimaldo staying wide or coming inside or holding back depending on frimpong.

Right now starting him on the left does kind of make sense, because he won't be tasked with as much responsibility off the ball, and because Dom's way of playing the 10 is so critical to how we press right now, he is like a non stop pressing machine closing down the keeper, center backs, and midfielders all at once.

06 Nov 2025 13:13:37
The Coutinho comparisons should end.
Not only are they very different players, but Wirtz is MUCH better than Coutinho ever was, other than the long-range strikes.
I’m saying this to anyone who’ll kindly listen: Wirtz will be the best player in the league next season.

{Ed025's Note - big shout that Lowe, you do know that Grealish and Ndiaye will be in that league as well dont you mate.. :)

06 Nov 2025 13:52:49
"The thing is that wirtz' favored position actually is out wide or in the left half space even though he might start as a central attacking midfielder on paper. "


This is indeed very true, PB. As for being in defensive transition, Wirtz was very effective in his work rate and pressing at Leverkusen. So him running his legs off covering spaces and pressing effective vs RM, was no surprise to me, personally.

06 Nov 2025 13:47:00
Steady on @25, it’s not 100% certain that the “People’s team’ will be in the same league next season, let alone any of the players 😉.

{Ed025's Note - i would expect we will WDW, this season is just the start of the re-build mate and it is only going to get better from here.. :)

06 Nov 2025 14:01:19
Big fan of Ndiaye, Ed. He’s a quality player.
You never know, might even get a move across town someday ;)

{Ed025's Note - hes very good Lowe but needs a bit more help i feel mate, that will come i expect and he would be a great replacement for Mo but once this club has touched your heart there is nowhere else to go.. :)

06 Nov 2025 14:59:05
Will they be playing in Everton blue or city blue ed25?

{Ed025's Note - there is only one shade of blue that matters John...the royal one, its the colour of kings and queens mate.. :)

06 Nov 2025 18:56:11
As Derek Trotter famously said “This time next year …” @25 👍.

{Ed025's Note - i will feel like a millionaire on Saturday WDW, im going to my first game at the Hill Dickinson Stadium mate.. :)

05 Nov 2025 21:32:35
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Matchday 10 - Quick Round Up

05 Nov 2025 21:46:48
Cheers Tris. Good point about Robbo, same last night as Flo did more than enough to track back and help out. We have missed that since Diaz left. I like Cody but his work rate is nowhere near Diaz or Flo on that left side. Robbo looked buzzed last night to have more of an outlet.

05 Nov 2025 21:51:11
Thanks Ed. Nice to see you highlight Dan Ballard, so far this season he has been superb.

Would love your opinion on a few players if you have time? Alex Scott at Bournemouth has caught my eye, and a few times I've watched Fulham it seems Josh King has a lot of talent, although maybe a bit light weight. Have you watched any of these lads this season?

{Ed001's Note - I would say Scott was lightweight, King is wiry strong but dives. Scott is ok, but for me he needs to put himself about more. King is skilful and quick but needs to stay on his feet in the box as he already is getting a rep for throwing himself over ala Grealish and Tarkowski.}

05 Nov 2025 22:34:37
That looked like 2019 Robbo last night. Unbelievable performance. Sometimes all it takes is competition, Kerkez has come in and not really impressed yet, and Robbo has responded

I think we might see a sharper Gakpo also, now Wirtz has impressed out wide, he’s under threat. And we all know how much Cody and Diaz pushed eachother last season.

06 Nov 2025 10:39:42
I agree, Ed. The Wolves manager benching ballers like Andre and Joao Gomes alone deserved the sack.

05 Nov 2025 19:46:28
Much much better the last few games. There could be a few reasons for that .

Firstly Slot looks to have changed tact somewhat and the slow side ways passing and slack press seems to have gone. Back to something like the intensity and speed of passing we are used to. Secondly neither Villa or Madrid played the way that has troubled Liverpool these last few months. Thirdly the team was at home . City on Sunday will be a huge test however .

I very much doubt Pep will play a low block ( or flat back 10 as it used to known) and lots of long balls so that may work in Liverpool favour. It is at the Etihad which I've never found to be the most intimidating away ground when I've been there but its still an away game. The main worry is Haaland. Remove him from that City team and they are no where near the side we've seen in recent years but he is there and is a machien. I feel he will need to have an off day Sunday as stopping him is not really possible at the moment he's just on a hot streak and scoring for fun. If he doesn't play well we will win comfortably. If he does play well he will score. I feel the game could be a high scoring draw and game of the season so far . Don't rule out Pep going long a lot more to Haaland to try and disrupt Liverpool . Poor Haaland performance 3-1 win. Good Haaland performance 3-3 draw. Lookong foward to the game massively.

05 Nov 2025 20:03:26
Good job Slot didn't get sacked after the Palace game right?

05 Nov 2025 22:02:49
Van Dijk has Haaland’s number. And City can never be written off.

But they did lose to Villa, who are apparently rubbish (because we beat them) .

05 Nov 2025 22:20:51
Haaland gets nullified every time we play them. Van Dyke is all over him.

05 Nov 2025 23:31:23
Thunderbird. If slot persisted with the way we played for the last 6/ 7 games prior to our 2 wins . how long do you think he would've lasted.

06 Nov 2025 10:42:39
Slot would have gotten sacked eventually (whenever that would be? I don't know) had he been playing the same way. That much we do know.

He did the right thing and swallowed his pride and ego and I applaud him for that BUT let's not act like Slot was going to survive had he been playing the empty midfield/ horseshoe nonsense we were seeing initially.

05 Nov 2025 17:37:09
We've taken to calling Dom Duracell bunny in our house now, what a engine and great to see the shooting shackles removed, how many MotM performances so far this season.

05 Nov 2025 18:02:57
I was at the game last night first of all the atmosphere was amazing.
The amount of work Both Dom and grav do off the ball is incredible neither of them ever stop both played very well.
I know Connor will get all the plaudits and rightly so but my personal MOM was Florian his energy, work rate and effort was second to none every time he picks the ball up his first thought was to progress forwards .

I was disappointed with Salah I thought his body language looked a tad off and end product did not come off fir him last night .

05 Nov 2025 19:30:12
I like that, Idontlooklikeklopp. As for MOTM, if you have that many MOTM candidates to choose from then, you know it was a good day at the office. Personally, I can't pick one.

As for Salah, I didn't think his body language was off at all. I thought he worked hard and the ball stuck with him a lot more. His off the ball work was better, as well. Then again, Im not a body language expert.

05 Nov 2025 19:43:22
These body language experts are hilarious.