Liverpool banter 3

21 Oct 2025 01:18:56
Ed1, when you say that there is a gaping hole in the middle of the park when we're having the ball, is that the way Slot want the players to play? Or is it more on the midfield players not knowing which one of them need to drop, when to drop and when or whom to push forward?

I don't remembered this being in play last season, there's always someone usually Grav that stay there to get the ball from CB and advance the ball. Someone just posted a picture below title 'The Horseshoe', and it looks weird and awkward even to a non football fan.

{Ed001's Note - it was certainly a tactical ploy against Man Utd, Slot would have changed things at half-time if it hadn't been. I do not understand why anyone would think it was a good idea to have a player as slow as Macca go so far out of position leaving a huge gap. Clearly the plan was to have Szobo invert and cover the space, but it didn't work at all. It just ends up with all the players except the centre-backs up in a line, with no space for them to move the defence around. As soon as the ball is lost, there is no cover.

I am hoping it was just an aberration attempted for that one game and it will be dropped from now on. We can't press with a half-fit Isak and a woefully out of form Salah, so we need midfield cover to protect the defence. I really don't think you can get away with both Salah and Isak together, especially when Isak is so clearly miles off fitness. But then Isak should not be starting while Ekitike is in good form and he isn't. This is how title challenges are blown, by trying to shoehorn players in, rather than just trusting in who is playing well and making the rest wait their chance.}

21 Oct 2025 02:00:38
With Isak and Ekitike - if you've got two gun players for one position, it would seem to me to be an absolute balls-up to play one over the other for reasons other than form, or perhaps tactics.

Playing Isak when he is unfit and not firing, in the hope he will develop his fitness in-match and find his form, must be a killer for Ekitike who has started so well.

Surely to keep that competition alive, you reward the player in form. otherwise i think we run the risk of alienating the player who is being left on the bench while they're playing well.

21 Oct 2025 03:48:29
Slot said Isak is "fully fit. " We have to take his word for it. The way we are playing is not playing to his strengths imo.

We were all scratching our heads wondering why we were bringing in Isak after signing Ekitike. There must have been a masterplan right to play them together. Surely we're not spending 200m for two top strikers to put one on the bench. We're not City or Chelsea.

But here we are 2 months into the season with no clear picture for what the club were or are thinking or Slot for that matter. I thought they would interchange LW and ST or play both in front of Wirtz which looks like the clear solution all along.

Have to feel for Ekitike he linked play really well, showed some fantastic footwork, pressed and scored some important goals. Then he's dropped and has to watch Salah and Gakpo fail to impress.

You would think there were some conversations over the summer between Slot and Hughes Edwards etc. with the potential signings and what he wanted to take the club forward. It's as tho the right hand wasn't talking to the left to steal a metaphor. But I can't imagine that being the case at all. I'm sure all parties were onboard with the incomings and outgoings and it was all agreed and rubber stamped etc.

But clearly it's not working and frankly I don't see any signs that it's going to work unless Slot completely changes his approach. It's pretty depressing seeing all of this going on especially when the solutions looks so clear and obvious (sorry) yet like PGMOL the coaches just can't see it.

I see GVB being mentioned on here and I hope to god it's not another "is pep running the show" sort of a thing. Slot needs to be his own man and carry the can. His tone yesterday was in stark difference to what we have been used to. Understandable but he has to show a ruthless streak here now, which he has done in the past, and put his foot down and be fully responsible for setting up the team for success and not for failure, which is what he's done so far this season.

I feel that Slot focuses way too much on the strengths of the opponent and maybe that has a negative effect on the players. I remember the PSG game last season in Paris he talked them up so much ie we won't have much of the ball, that I thought maybe it affected the players mentally before going out onto the pitch. Just what I thought at the time and just my opinion.

Super frustrated and a little bit hurting at what's going on. I hope they sort it out soon but if Slot doesn't change tactics and personnel the pain may well continue.

{Ed078's Note - nice post.

21 Oct 2025 04:09:39
Thx 78. Appreciate that!

21 Oct 2025 05:24:36
That's a good point you made about Slot, Red Flyer, about him focusing too much on the strengths of the opponents. I don't think it affects our players mentally much but it affects the way he sets the team out to play which sometimes, runs contrary to our own strengths as well.

I believe he should be focusing on our strengths instead and set the team out to play our strengths instead of worrying too much about how the opponents would play and set out to nullify them.

21 Oct 2025 06:42:24
Noticed on Sunday Frimpong came on and put some nice balls into the box all after Isak had come off and Etitike was dropping a little deeper.

21 Oct 2025 06:55:57
Another thing I’ve noticed about Slot also. He doesn’t “use” Anfield to his advantage.

If there’s anybody who goes the odd game down the years will know what I mean. He doesn’t use the Fans. If anything when it’s about to boil, he subdues the atmosphere and slows everything down again.

21 Oct 2025 07:17:08
Against PSG I'm not so sure it was a case of respecting the opponent too much, we were tired in the away game and didn't expect the intensity of the game. In the home game we had an unrelenting high press the first 25 minutes and should have been out of sight within the half hour, somehow we didn't score the goals we needed to, conceded and things became that much more difficult. That was the point at which a lack of rotation really bit us in the arse as we all remember, the Newcastle game was lost because we just ran out of mental and physical juice after the exertion of playing PSG.

The PSG home game proved that we can put opponents to the sword the Klopp way if we want to, but I just don't think Slot is ever going to do that consistently because it's just not his style, he plays every game with the rest of the season in mind.

Looking back at the game against United, I can't help but feel like the competition between Isak and Ekitike is not helping the team (besides the obvious point that Hugo should be the one playing), even when they were on the field together every time Ekitike got on the ball he looked like he wanted to score to make a point, it didn't look like there was a chance he was giving the ball to Isak even when the ball was on.

And yeah JK, the perfect cross that Frimpong put in right after he came on was the biggest miss of the game by Gakpo. Frimpong has one trick but he does it extraordinarily well, that change of pace and drop of the shoulder to get to the byline and float one into the box, it's not always a great delivery but the success rate is very high.

21 Oct 2025 07:40:36
I don't think Frimpong will work as a conventional RB for us but he's so impressive going forward. Rapid off the mark, happy to go outside players and can put very nice crosses in. I'd happily see him start at RW for a few games. I think Chiesa looks better as a LW anyway.

21 Oct 2025 07:43:22
We as fans never seem to say we lost to the better team on the day. We are the only team that loses because we failed to put our chances away, officiating, ran out of steam or so on.

In my humble opinion we lost to PSG over two legs on pens which could have gone either way and we lost to Newcastle who on the day were the better team.

Utd weren’t the better team on Sunday but with how we played neither were we.

We had enough chances to win against Palace, Gala, Chelsea and Utd but on the other hand they also had enough chances to have put us to bed as well.

21 Oct 2025 08:28:44
Newcastle were better than us on the day but we were also gassed jk, I think both things can be true at the same time.

Against Chelsea, united, gala and palace, I would say palace were superior to us in the first half by far but that was also because we were tactically inept. Gala was a bizarre game, it was barely a football game at all but neither side actually deserved to win, we were the better team but by a very small margin. Against United I do think we did enough to get a result, but Bruno really should have scored to make it 2 for them before we created a load of chances of our own in the second half.

Against any team we show that we have the quality to create and to score, it's not like we've been hopeless going forward, even though our finishing has been utterly disappointing. The problem is that this quality is more the unquestionable quality of our players in moments rather than the quality of a coordinated approach. We have a lot of instinctive, improvisational players now, but the problem is we're not even putting them in the best position for this improvisation to thrive.

21 Oct 2025 08:35:20
Good points, JK.
PSG were a better side than us last season and they went on to win the competition.
Newcastle outplayed us in the League Cup final, too. They got stuck into us, got a two lead and that was enough for them to defend.
There will be better teams than us and weaker teams that will better than us on the day.

21 Oct 2025 09:17:00
Pat i agree that both things can be true mate but Newcastle was a good 5 days after the PSG game.

We played PSG on the 11 Mar and Newcastle played West Ham on the 10 Mar so had 1 more day rest. Appreciate our squad had played more games but if they were that gassed they recovered well as they went on to win 4 of the next 5 league games to sew the league up.

21 Oct 2025 09:36:06
If Frimpong isn’t going to work as a fullback then we may as well him in January.

21 Oct 2025 09:49:54
'he has to show a ruthless streak here now'.

He certainly has done that. with Quansah and Bradley, though. Way to go if you ask me in order to ruin two academy prospects breaking into the first team

With Konate, Mac or Salah. well that's a whole different thing.

Indeed, it doesn't look like Slot is going to drop them any time soon. Why would he if they won us the league last season? I bet he feels vindicated and will play them every week not matter what.

21 Oct 2025 10:36:22
Kameron, and your last sentence is what I fear. Slot trying to prove a point rather than doing what is best for the team and playing players who are in form in a system that suits them. Klopp did the exact same thing in 22/ 23 for the disaster we knew it to be.

If Slot is going to do that just to try to prove a point and things get worse then, he will be solely responsible for his own demise and that of the team. Just saying.

21 Oct 2025 10:46:14
I did post a couple of times last season about Slot not fully appreciating the power of Anfield. The Anfield washing machine is legendary, but it's not being used.

He did also say at the start of last season that the way we set up depends on the pressing structure of the opposition. So none of this is a surprise.

However, it does also mean we get slow starts as the team is figuring out the opposition.

On top of all of this, the Premier League teams are getting more creative with their pressing structures. We've gone from gegenpress, to De Zerbi-ball/ press-bait to now something else evolving that involves more long balls, set pieces and throw-ins. Teams seem petrified of overloads.

Bournemouth seem to be the only team in the PL that are still pressing without abandon.

We have a physically capable team so we cannot make excuses about not . We should take the game to teams when they come to Anfield at the very least.

Re the line up and system - the profiles of the fullbacks do not match the system being implemented. We don't have a stable of pseudo CB/ fullbacks to call upon like Arsenal (Califiori, Timber, White, Hincapie) or City (Gvardiol, Ake, Khusanov) so Slot will have to change his idea as he cannot keep asking Bradley and Kerkez to be what they are clearly not!

21 Oct 2025 11:12:04
I just think it’s simply Slot trying to recreate the team structure we had last season. Even putting Szob at right back he’s trying to recreate having Trent there who was essentially a midfielder playing right back.

The problem is we obviously miss Szob in midfield and don’t have anyone else with his energy or pressing ability.

Nobody was scratching their heads as to why we went after Isak. It was plainly obvious to everyone. We lost Nunez and Jota so we needed 2 strikers it really is as simply as that. Added to that we lost Diaz who did play as a false 9 for large parts of last season. If we’d ended up with just Ekitike it would’ve been a disaster.

The difference now is that with Isak up top we have a proper striker. One of the very best around in fact but the team have played with a false 9 for so long that they need to adapt. We tried Nunez up top and it didn’t work so we reverted back to a false 9 with Diaz there. Now we have no choice we’ve signed 2 number 9’s so we need to get used to getting wide and providing them with service. We haven’t done that for years.

I do understand why Slot has done what he’s done in the last few games though, he’s under pressure so he’s gone back to the tried and trusted but when it doesn’t work he just seems to change way too much mid game. To the point where nobody knows where they should be. It has worked in the past when we’ve needed a goal and he’s been lauded for it but it also leaves us exposed to the sucker punch which has happened in the last 3 premier league games.

We’ve also lauded him for feeling teams out in the first half then tweaking tactics to beat them in the second half. Again it has worked in the past but the one thing you can’t do if you are going to do that is concede a goal which we have done in the last 4 games.

It’s time to just go at teams from the start. Wirtz needs to play, forget Trent and the midfielder at right back that’s gone. Play Bradley or Frimpong, get wide and get balls in the box. Tell Salah his role is no longer the main goal scorer he needs to become more of a traditional winger and supply the strikers. Stay wide unless there’s an opportunity to cut in and shoot. Same with Gakpo on the other side. Use the overlapping full backs, actually give them the ball when they make the runs.

Get the midfield making late runs into the box they’re much more difficult to pick up than if they are already on the last line.

Slot basically needs to forget about the team structure from last season, that has gone. We are a different team now so we need to play differently.

21 Oct 2025 11:13:59
Pelican, hopefully Slot can hear you cos it's all on him now.

21 Oct 2025 11:51:32
Slot proved a point last season when he won the League by playing Konate, Mac and Salah.
There were times when they were out of form last season, too.
Drop them, by all means, but don't expect Gomez, Jones/ Endo and Chiesa to show us anything we don't already know about them.

They are not in form players.
The Plymouth and PSV games last season also proved a point.

21 Oct 2025 13:01:37
Absolutely spot on Rigsby. They say you are always a better player when you’re not playing.

21 Oct 2025 15:21:06
What do we know about Gomez, Jones, Endo and Chiesa? Endo has been superb at times for us, granted mostly under Klopp, Gomez did a job every time he was called upon in the back line last year, Jones had at least two man of the match performances last year and his performance last year against Chelsea was one of the more memorable midfield performances for us in my mind, Chiesa has had 3 goal involvements in 6 matches with very little playing time, which would contest your statement that he isn't in form. Or are you only in form when you play 90 minutes a week?

I simply can't get down with the suggestion that Chiesa only deserves 10-15 minutes a game, what else does he need to do to stake a claim to at least 45?

21 Oct 2025 17:34:48
PB, I disagree with your assessments of Gomez, Jones, Endo and Chiesa but they are your opinions which is fair enough.
I don't remember Endo being superb or Gomez doing very much in the back line last year. Jones did well against Chelsea but it was hardly memorable. When I think of memorable midfield performances, I think of Souness, Gerrard, Molby, Keane and Viera. Not Curtis Jones. But again, it's opinions. If we are talking about superb players and memorable performances, I think about players regularly playing 90 minutes. Why? They play every game because they are almost indispensable.


Why not look at the figures, not opinions, of Gomez, Endo, Jones and Chiesa to show me how good they are? How many minutes did they all play last season? A title winning season. Chiesa started one game, was substituted and we lost.
Salah started every game, scored 29 goals and had 18 assists.
I need more than three goal involvements in six games to believe that someone is in form. Salah being out of form doesn't mean that Chiesa's 'form' is worthy of him starting. I can't remember the last time he played 90 minutes. At a guess, I'd say Plymouth or PSV and we both know what happened there.
I.

20 Oct 2025 22:05:41
We are not playing well right now: we have issues bedding in the full backs, and have lost our most creative player. It is disappointing. But success is all the much sweeter when these kind of setbacks happen. Let's please not start calling for the manager's head after 4 poor results.

20 Oct 2025 23:17:59
4 poor results that papered over the fact that we could have drawn our first 5 games. We could easily be on 5 points right now. Sure we're not but this run was on the cards if things didn't change. Luck is not a strategy at this level.

21 Oct 2025 10:38:55
Red-Flyer, no it is not. The harder you work, the luckier you become. Are we working bhard? Can't even say. What are we working hard at? Can't tell you that either.

So what does that say? We are in a hole and Slot had better do the first thing you need to do once you realise you're in a hole. Slot had better stop digging.

21 Oct 2025 11:07:38
Every team has a blip a poor run of results. My main concerns are we seem to be playing the same slow paced crap that almost all vilified Ljinders for when Kloppo took a step back. with only glimpses of anymore of intensity for a10 minute spell or when we're trying to claw a game back.

Last season, whilst I believe we won so easily cos the others dropped off, I was impressed with Slots ability to make multiple tactical tweaks during the game.

This time his changes always seem to revolve around shoe horning Dom into right back.

We have played well for 90 odd minutes over the season. So far.

In pre season there were glimpses of brilliance, when we played quicker. And we get the odd flash now and then. but its getting boring to watch us in the most part. pass it around the back slowly letting the other team either gain there shape easily or pressure us into a mistake.

Still I will watch in hope we improve and start playing with a bit more excitement in the game.
None of the new signings suit the slow boring tactics.

20 Oct 2025 19:26:43
People calling for Salahs head

Maybe understand he is being told
To stay in the touchline
Same as gakpo

While Macca szobos and Isak create that diamond in the middle so it's like 5 across the top

Salah so wide is not a threat and easy to defend against

That's the reason!

It's slot fault.

20 Oct 2025 19:37:53
Against both Chelsea and United, Salah was given the ball multiple times in great areas and in both games he couldn't hit a barn door, that's on Salah, stop making excuses for poor performances.

20 Oct 2025 19:50:19
I'm with you Thunderbird. It is, however, on Slot's head for keep picking him. Salah's form dropped towards the end of last season, and it's got worse this season. Excuses keep being dished out, saying it's because Trent left, it's the way we're set up, dah de dah.

All utter tosh, it's down to him. He's in the top 3 of our all time greatest players, but, and I hope I'm wrong, I think he's gone. I wouldn't have been against him going in the summer, because it will be sad to see this version of Salah play out the rest of this season.

20 Oct 2025 19:59:55
I’d argue the whole squad at the moment is underachieving. Individually we’re not defending well and our attacking players are wasting numerous chances. If we take our chances against Man U we win. Granted we’re not a great watch at the moment but goals change games and we’re not taking our chances.

20 Oct 2025 20:18:38
He has never been asked to do anything not under slot or under Klopp. Salah and vvd have fallen levels in pace. Its so evident.
Things will get better i assure you of that.


. When we had the money and that too almost half a billion to spend on squad we should not handed out ridiculous contracts to both of them at this stage of their career especially when at best they had just one full season of top level football in them.
Early days but what everyone feared is coming true. Vvd and salah have fallen levels off after securing their fat contracts.
Liverpool were well advised by an external party to not hand new contracts and invest in 3 certain players for future and we were leaning in that direction and club including the coach were prepared for it. Then one fine day almost immediately everything got agreed and new contracts were offered in two weeks. It was a shock to even the players. What was mind boggling is that the same offer never came for a certain player (who best deserved it)
Time will tell if hughes got this whole contract thing wrong and i believe it is what carra is talking about things being a little weird off the pitxh.

20 Oct 2025 20:27:27
Interesting that Akira has never mentioned any of this and as soon as Carra says something he appears to have all of the inside scoop.

20 Oct 2025 20:40:45
@Akira, Carra comes off to me like one who says a lot of stuff just like throwing stuff of the wall to see which one sticks. Not sure he has any inside info the same way Ed01 does cos I know who I would listen to btw both of them and it won't be Jaime Carragher.

"Things being weird off the pitch" is a statement anyone of us can make on this forum under these circumstances. Personally, I take what pundits say with even less of a grain of salt esp. cos people like Carra and Neville often make statements depending on where the wind is blowing. Soon as that changes, they'll flip.

{Ed025's Note - i think you are wrong about Carra Oli, he has always seemed genuine to and gave some great information during the last window, the fact that you may not want to hear what he said may be clouding your judgement mate..

20 Oct 2025 20:51:13
Ed0025 I think Oli is on about Carra as in Jamie Carragher not the poster Carra.

{Ed025's Note - oh right, my bad then JK...sorry Oli..

20 Oct 2025 21:00:06
Think it’s the other way round, carra gives information then others seem to jump on. he's trumped everyone on info in my eyes.

20 Oct 2025 21:01:40
No idea.
Its just my opinion. I had informed same in January. Contracts were offered but and declined by both players and the sudden jump was not expected.
Then the summer happened and the contracts just didn’t made any financial sense at all in hindsight. If we had half a billion pounds surely we could replace both salah and vvd and still add what we added in summer.

However, i also still maintain club and players have not moved over the loss of Jota and it appears that the fanbase has.
I would attribute especially Salah’s downturn to the loss of his dearest friend jota. Its tough very very tough to cope with that. But if you have suffered loss you can empathise with that. All said these players are still pretty young and you cannot expect everyone to cope and be ready day in day out.

20 Oct 2025 21:05:01
Thunderbird
He is talking out of his pipe.

20 Oct 2025 21:06:02
Salah has to stay wide now as we are playing with a number 9 instead of the false 9 he’s been used to. If he takes up the same positions he’s always taken up he’ll just crowd Isak and nullify both of them.

We’ve tried playing with a number 9 before and it hasn’t worked which is why Slot reverted to Diaz in that position last season.

Now we’ve spent big on 2 out and out strikers though it’s just something Salah will have to get used to. He’s not the main man anymore.

20 Oct 2025 21:06:30
Doesn’t matter where Monis, he dribbles into defenders legs more often than not and has been doing that for ages not just this season.

20 Oct 2025 21:10:26
Salah was Player of the Season and PL top scorer less than six months ago.

20 Oct 2025 21:47:25
He was, Rigsby, but his form the last few months of the season dropped.

20 Oct 2025 22:24:23
VVD is still by a big margin our top defender . this year he's had to deal with bambi on ice Konate. 2 new fullbacks . a different grav position n the forwards not be able to hold a ball. id say VVD is still worth every penny.

20 Oct 2025 22:25:38
yes Rigsby, and I know it's a difficult argument to make. But the Mo we're seeing now is the Mo we've seen for many seasons just minus the lightening strike moments of a goal.

20 Oct 2025 22:26:38
Or does Oli think that Carra the poster is actually Jamie Carragher?

20 Oct 2025 22:43:18
Rome, you're right, it did. But I'm talking about over a season and the previous seasons Salah has had with us. I can't see how people are questioning a player getting a new contract when he was Player of the Season and the League's top scorer when we went on to win the title.
We should also remember that the team as a whole dropped because the title was wrapped up relatively early. And Salah does usually have a quiet spell or two in a season but he's been our top scorer in every season he's been with the club.

Akira, how can we have the benefit of hindsight regarding the new contracts when they are both at the beginning of those contracts?

20 Oct 2025 23:25:13
I don't agree that Virgil has fallen way off. I think Mo will be back. Does Slot try to play him back into form? I wouldn't. He can sub in and earn his place back.

I'd like to see Wirtz behind Isak and Ekitke. All three very capable link up players who like to play at speed. Drop Gakpo Salah keep the mid 3 from last year rotate with Jones who's been one of our better players this season. Get the full backs up the pitch. We'll look like a Klopp team I think that's what we all want to see.

20 Oct 2025 23:31:51
I have to agree Rigsby. Salah has had these spells before more than once when everyone is questioning him and his form drops off a cliff.

So far in His Liverpool career he’s always turned it around. I guess the argument could be his age but he has class and that is permanent.

He will have to change his role in the team as we won’t be playing with a false 9 anymore so he will be more of a winger but he still has it in him to affect games from there and he will.

Whenever he’s been questioned before he’s proved everyone wrong. I’m sure he’ll do it again.

21 Oct 2025 01:16:57
Many of the greats lose it really quickly, usually one final injury does for them or the legs just go. With Mo it seems to be as much that his hunger and sharpness mentally have gone, his pace has been going for a while. Virgil is still worthy of a place physically, but I’m not sure he’s as tuned in either and seems to be caught out of position more often than he used to.

With both it looks like they’ve also just lost that edge of invincibility that they had. Losing Ali again has also been a big miss for us when we’re trying settle in new players.

21 Oct 2025 03:38:44
Wasn’t the world going to end in those far off days of May 2025 when we hadn’t signed Salah and VVD up on new contracts? Interesting turn of events eh?

21 Oct 2025 04:41:00
WDW we all have short memories as fans for sure. We all wanted them signed along w Trent. Without Mo last season we didn't win the league.

Mo is missing chances he would have put away in the past. His passing is poor (when he passes) and he's lost a yard or two the last couple of seasons.

I think his form is temporary but I also think his role has changed limiting his impact. Klopp played him to wide 2-3 seasons ago and it was the same then his numbers went down. So not entirely down to Mo. He may not like the way we are setting up and playing this season so it may be affecting his form idk.

Last season Slot often praised the squad and said it would be hard to improve. Well I would argue it's improved and it's his job to make it work.

21 Oct 2025 04:44:00
Akira, I take it that player you mention was Diaz?

21 Oct 2025 06:28:32
I don’t think Salah has ever been as bad as he is showing right now. Sure he’s had periods of maybe not scoring, being a little greedy etc but this form of Salah is unrecognisable.

21 Oct 2025 06:46:22
In fairness though Salah only played with a false 9 for half a season last year and then before that it was the Bobby years.

Jota and Darwin definitely weren’t false 9’s.

21 Oct 2025 07:03:14
Yes. Luiz diaz.

21 Oct 2025 07:20:46
Ridiculous that so many people are coming on here saying they didn't want us to re-sign Mo, where were all these people when he was banging them in and assisting for fun last year?

He's having a bad patch, he will be back, he always plays better when he has something to prove. Maybe if he sits on the bench for a game or two coming on for 20-30 mins at the end, it will light a fire in him.

And as bad as a game as he had against United, he put Gakpo through on goal with a beautifully weighted pass. On another day that's an assist, and the volley he had at the back pass, 95% of the time that's a certainty of a goal for Mo.

21 Oct 2025 10:40:54
No qualms, Ed25. I was referring to the pundit, not to Carra the poster. All good, man.

{Ed025's Note - sound Oli, in future can you please refer to him as Carragher please, or spit the dog will do mate.. :)

20 Oct 2025 14:53:29
Can the eds give any insight into what is actually being considered to arrest the current slump? Surely Salah and Gakpo have to be benched as well as Kerkez? What is the issue with starting Chiesa and Ekiteke with Isak? I would persist with Isak because he just needs game time but Salah looks very distracted and Gakpo is off his game big time.

{Ed001's Note - from what I can find out it seems to be business as usual and just trying to coach the way out of it. I expect a few changes though for the midweek game, but that is more about fitness coaches obsessing over potential injuries.}

20 Oct 2025 19:26:21
Liverpool football club hasn’t Lost 5 games in a row since 1953

That’s Pre-Shanks. Champions or Not. He would be absolutely disgusted with this.

We cannot lose again. Change the system or the Line Up, and go and play for the god damn badge. Disgrace.

20 Oct 2025 19:31:04
Personally I think gakpo is the least of our worries, scored 2 in 2 and with bit of luck would be 4r5 in 2.

20 Oct 2025 19:39:48
Hey lads, let's buy the most attacking left back in the league last season and then never allow him to attack.

20 Oct 2025 20:42:50
TB2, or let's leave a giant doughnut in the midfield (and stick our two mid's next to the oppo. CB's behind the CF) and hope the oppo. don't know how to exploit it in transition.

20 Oct 2025 21:08:13
I think Gakpo would be unlucky to be dropped.

20 Oct 2025 23:38:11
Gakpo who hit the post three times and scored at the weekend? The only Liverpool player who looked like scoring, that Gakpo?

21 Oct 2025 04:03:06
I think Gakpo has been very poor this season. I could list a myriad of reasons why I think that but I won't. I don't think facing Gakpo keeps opponents up at night.

21 Oct 2025 04:46:05
Ed, coaching our way out of this as in changing tactics or the players getting used to whatever Slot is trying to do? What changes, if any, would u like to see? How do we get the best out of the new players? Can u see a way to play Isak and Ekitke at the same time?

{Ed001's Note - tweaking rather than changing them wholesale and the players getting used to the tactics and each other as well.

The first changes I would make is to move the wide players, usually Gakpo and Salah, closer to the centre and have the full-backs given freedom to overlap. We signed two players in Kerkez and Frimpong who are excellent at getting down the flank and delivering, so let them do that. Gakpo and Salah are starting too far away from the centre forward and the goal. It is little wonder Salah's numbers have dropped when he is playing out there. He needs to be inside, either between the full-back and centre-back or on the left sided centre back if the opposition plays a 3. Give Wirtz freedom and have the other two midfielders mostly sit to cover the defence. Play the hot hand up front in Ekitike, Isak will just have to get back to full fitness and sharpness as a sub and playing in the cup matches. Oh and most of all drop Konate. I can't believe people saying he played well against United when he was once again abysmal at defending. He is a full-on liability this season.

We get the best out of the players by playing them to their strengths. Kerkez was the best attacking full back in the Prem, so we should stop asking him to be a third centre back and let him attack, for example.

There are plenty of ways to get both in the team. Ekitike could play off the left or behind Isak as a 10. You can't really play them as a 2 because they are not really a pair, they tend to make similar runs.}

21 Oct 2025 07:07:15
One other thing on Konate ed001 is that he turns over possession every single time he has to head the ball. Now that probably wasn’t helped by our somewhat absent midfield but I can’t recall a game where every defensive header that went long into the defence was given to an opposition player. Even under minimal pressure it was headed straight to a United player.

{Ed001's Note - don't mate, I was getting really frustrated with his heading. It is worse than Sakho, at least his heading could sometimes go to a teammate or out of play.}

21 Oct 2025 07:31:11
Interestingly Isak has sometimes played as a 10 behind Gyokeres for Sweden, ed, and he has done that effectively at times (though this was before the precipitous drop off a cliff under Tomasson) . So one could imagine that either of them could play support off the other and rotate within the game.

I am frustrated with Kerkez' place in the team, in the attacking third he either takes up the wider position so Gakpo can move inside or he goes inside so Gakpo can stay wide, but it's only ever as a foil, everybody and their mother knows he isn't going to get the ball and is just a pointless decoy.

When he does get the ball in his own half with space to drive into ala Robbo, he stops his run midway and then turns back or sideways, why isn't he being trusted to do Robbo things and carry? And then we have fans getting on his back for staying close to Virgil in the build up and turning to play a progressive pass forward, I mean, sure, he needs to do better in that respect, but that's not his game, and he needs more coaching and training to improve in that respect because that's not what he's used to. The lad is having a mare but we're asking him to do something entirely different from what he's actually good at. I can't recall one single instance where I've seen him use his explosive pace, either to chase back or to surge up the pitch, and that's probably the one attribute that we remember most from Bournemouth Kerkez.

Instead he just looks worried all the time about his positioning, whether somebody is breathing down his neck in the build up or completely lost because he is basically an invisible man in the attacking third, I look at him marooned up there with an 'what did I even bother running up here' look on his face.

{Ed001's Note - I have seen Isak play there and he is half the player, it was just about shoehorning him in.

Yeah, Kerkez needs to be given more freedom and used more.}

21 Oct 2025 10:45:40
You make too much sense here, Ed01. In fact, no need to be a managerial guru to say all you have said cos these are adjustments/ tweaks anyone can see are needed to get the best out of the team as a whole and Im sure Slot knows this.

21 Oct 2025 12:07:35
Does Slot know this or is he trying to prove a point, OliRed? You have said both now.
And do you want tweaks or do you want big changes like Konate, Mac and Salah dropped for the likes of Gomez, Jones and Chiesa? Again, you have said both.


It wasn't that long ago you were telling me how good that Konate is when I said that he wasn't.
It seems you change your mind quicker than Jamie Carragher does.

20 Oct 2025 18:13:16
If things don’t improve, what's the chance of Jurgen Klopp coming back?

20 Oct 2025 18:30:30
Haha, are you a united fan in disguise

What is all this bollox about changing you're manager

Talk about desperate.

20 Oct 2025 18:34:01
Don’t be silly. I love Klopp he’s an absolute legend but he’s gone and we have moved on.

Talk of new managers is more than just a little ridiculous.

If we become a club that sacks a manager 5 months after he won the title then we are in big trouble.

20 Oct 2025 18:34:40
Slightly less than zero.

20 Oct 2025 18:36:06
Genuinely can't believe we're talking about sacking a league winning manager in October.

20 Oct 2025 18:36:51
I mean seriously. Rodgers got more patience from the fans than this, and he didn't win anything.

Sorry for the double post.

20 Oct 2025 18:51:48
In fairness SR I don't think many people had much hope or expectation when Rodgers was manager, save one great season driven mainly by Suarez's brilliance.
Klopp revived us back into a team that fans now expect will be competitive every game, and when you look at the names in that squad list, I think it's fair enough the be critical of a style of play that quite obviously isn't working.

20 Oct 2025 19:34:08
Rogers was Naff, most of our players were Naff.

We’ve got a world class manager and a World class squad. We shouldn’t be losing 4 games in a row at all, it’s not good enough.

20 Oct 2025 19:38:33
Westwood, there's critique and then there's "Well, if we sack Slot, then etc. etc. "

20 Oct 2025 20:23:10
We’re a tough watch at the moment and the early wins were papering over the cracks of the performances.

Slot has earned the right to be given time though. He definitely has to change something or I can’t see performances changing and results will be up and down.

20 Oct 2025 20:43:50
Coming back to do what?

20 Oct 2025 20:45:01
And you're right, SR. I remember on this same forum people who were fighting for BR to be kept and for Klopp not to be hired when the links with him were getting rife. BR should have gone way ealier than he did, IMO.

20 Oct 2025 21:13:24
When you walk through a storm….

20 Oct 2025 21:16:33
And I remember OliRed saying that Klopp should have gone two years before he did. Before he rebuilt the team that won the League under Slot last season.

20 Oct 2025 21:09:45
I can’t remember one poster fighting for Rodger’s to be kept.

20 Oct 2025 21:48:57
Westwood666, best post since that defeat on Sunday.

20 Oct 2025 22:28:16
Cant remember anyone not on board when Klopp rumours were rife . Rodgers should have went when we lost 6-1 to Stoke.

20 Oct 2025 22:49:15
Me neither, Irish.

20 Oct 2025 23:54:06
Nobody wants to see Slot fail. I think he has shown enough that he can turn this around.

But there are certainly worrying signs that he may have lost the dressing room? If we as fans are asking why on earth Kerkez is starting over Robbo then surely the players are questioning this too?

In slot we trust. But if we lose another few on the bounce then the pressure is on. and if Klopp was interested then after losing Jota maybe his influence is what the squad needs right now.

21 Oct 2025 05:46:45
Bmena obviously we don't want to see Slot fail but we do want to see him change things or my guess is that he will fail. Last season's Slot made tactical changes and tough decisions like taking Quansah off at Ipswich. He's not shown the loyalty (if you like) that Klopp showed in keeping players too long (the opinions on here) .

What we need to see from Slot now are clear tactical changes. It's not the fault of Kerkez that he's ahead of Robbo so that shouldn't upset the players. Kerkez was outstanding at Bournemouth and he himself is frustrated at his role thus far with us after reading his comments last week. He's not playing well so why is he playing and Frimpong is not? All good questions a presser should ask Slot. I know that I'd like to know.

Klopp seems to have fostered a harmonious dressing room and we seemed to have that last season. I think it's a big part of our success over the years. If there are "issues" developing then I can see how the players might point fingers at Slot.

There are certainly 4-5 players I can think of that have good reason to have beef with Slot at the minute. Some would be those not playing some would be players that seem like Slot favourites who aren't playing well. So reasons are both tactical and player pref.

Lots that we don't know and we all banter and speculate. But the bottom line is that we love the club and want to see the manager and the players win and win convincingly and not the way we've been accustomed to winning in the last 15 months ie by 1 goal and games going down to the wire. We need to be smashing teams with the players we have.

21 Oct 2025 10:46:49
That is bold face lie, Rigsby. Not surprised, btw.

21 Oct 2025 11:03:59
IR, cos you can't remember something has never meant it did not happen cos I remember the actual comments that were made to this effect. You're not the oracle of this forum, btw.

21 Oct 2025 11:14:22
Which posters said it then?

21 Oct 2025 12:16:40
Oh you said it, OliRed. I remember it.
You've even mentioned the disaster of Klopp's 22/ 23 season today. At the end or during that season you agreed that Klopp should have gone twelve months before.

You not remembering saying it doesn't mean you didn't say it.
Irish never said that it didn't happen about Rodgers, either. He said he doesn't remember it.
As JK asked, who did say it, then?

20 Oct 2025 18:10:48


PatrikBurgher has written an article entitled, I'm Confident That Arne Slot Can Turn Liverpool FC Around

21 Oct 2025 07:15:52
I agree mate, one of the biggest problems has been persisting with a half-fit MacAllister in midfield, should be Szoboszlai and Grav as the two

Play Frimpong and Kerkez, will rotate obviously at times for Robbo and Bradley, but let them two give the width we lack - I do believe Salah and Frimpong can be very good together and Frimpong does put some lovely balls into the box tbf

Isak just not match fit either, like MacAllister, bring him on for the last 20-30 mins a match and let him build up that sharpness

Konate has been a liability this season, shame TYLFP got injured we may have seen more of him but surely you would have started Gomez a game or two - not sure what's going on there

Salah also woefully out of form though I do think having Frimpong provide the width would get more out of Salah but what else does Chiesa have to do to get a start? Salah's form will return but use Chiesa to help.