Liverpool Banter 3

06 Apr 2026 19:11:59
Of course I have empathy for LFC mourning this season, however Diogo Jota was a fierce competitor on the pitch while representing LFC and Portugal! LFC players have repeatedly felt sorry for themselves after the slightest setback!

I will not throw immature insults at Arne Slot because under his guidance LFC gave me the happiest weekends of my life last year! Slot is clearly a top coach, but after the loss of Diogo, LFC needed a manager!

I hate millionaire footballers criticising supporters for leaving early and or booing! Being a match going supporter is expensive so maximum effort from players representing your club should be the minimum requirement! LFC supporters have looked past much poorer teams than this one because they ran themselves into the ground!

06 Apr 2026 20:30:50
I completely reject the idea of Slot being a top coach. It's utter nonsense. He can't even keep a group of elite athletes fit. They've literally been fit their entire lives, and in less than a year he has them all gassed at the 70 minute mark. It's a joke. He also has no tactical ability whatsoever. His strategy, if there is one, is beyond ineffective, and his decision-making baffles even the most experienced ex-players and pundits.

A top coach is somebody who can actually coach to a top level. Arne's not even a good one, let alone top tier.

A good coach would at the very least have a knack for 2 things, 2 things that are absolutely critical to coaching and undeniably core to being considered a good coach, that's conditioning and tactics. Arne has neither of those.

No disrespect to Diogo. It was a terrible tragedy, I'm certain it was a very difficult time for all, but we're pushing on towards a year since now. He'll never be forgotten, but using it as some sort of excuse really needs to stop. And claiming that Jotta's death means we need a manager as opposed to a coach is some unholy drivel.

06 Apr 2026 20:43:47
Just like war time Prime Ministers don't always make good peace time Prime Ministers, there's a time for a technocrat like Slot, and a time for someone who can bring the fans, players and club together.

06 Apr 2026 20:45:05
It's a factor.

I don't think we need to disrespect his life and importance to the players by trying to maximize or minimize the impact of his passing.

06 Apr 2026 23:22:33
That is exactly what I meant, @FlyPelicansFly! Slot proved the correct appointment to follow Kloppo!

I didn't read all this unnecessary hate towards Slot last year! He only signed a 3 year deal, so I don't think he was ever viewed as a long term legacy coach!


Following the tragic loss of Diogo, a manager with clout such as Jurgen or Pep would not have been dictated by Hughes and or Edwards!

An all encompassing manager / man motivator could have helped the lads use their grief for a much loved team mate to inspire them towards success! A lot claim Heitinga was the vital buffer / good cop between the players and Slot!? That seems more plausible with each day that passes!

07 Apr 2026 04:24:35
A top coach can get the best out of whoever he has at his disposal.

Slot, unfortunately, has no idea.
From where the club was to where the club is now is nothing short of a travesty.



And although Slot may not be solely responsible for that, he has to take the maximum amount of blame.

The performances are atrocious, sadly, and have shown no sign of improvement all season long.

07 Apr 2026 06:49:49
Is Slot playing an inverted Churchill, Pelican? 😉

07 Apr 2026 05:55:58
Slot is NOT a top coach, fact.
He is out of his depth, lacks leadership, drive, and personality.
He cannot get his own squad of players to give their all for the team,
Nothing TOP about him I'm afraid.
He will be back in the Dutch farmers league within months of departing Liverpool

07 Apr 2026 11:14:32
@His Name Is Diogo, Slot is not and nowhere near a top coach, OP. If you wanted to know if he was a top coach, then this would have been the season to prove it, one where things aren't going well.

That is where your mettle is tested and you earn your wages and you know, earn credit for being a top coach and superb man/crisis manager.

By still being able to motivate the team, keep them focused to give their best for themselves, the badge and the fans or even for the late DJ, if you like.

Slot has failed miserably at it and DJ (RIP) is not an excuse for him being useless as a man/crisis manager. Just my opinion.

07 Apr 2026 12:02:24
Top coach? So then this Xabi Alonso character is not a top coach then?

07 Apr 2026 12:45:36
Faith, stop trying to drag Xabi's name through the mud, you're embarrassing yourself. Everyone knows the situation at Madrid is unlike any other club, the players have all the power, everyone knows that, so just stop pretending it's anything other than what it is. Xabi was 2nd in the league only 4 points behind Barca, with just 2 losses on the board.

07 Apr 2026 13:03:36
Faith, you know why? Xabi failed at RM not cos of his coaching ability and results, cos the stats speak for themselves. But cos the RM primadonnas, sorry, players were butt-sore cos he was making them run 10 more yards in training. The cheek of the man.

07 Apr 2026 13:25:05
Oli, I know and agree......and thank you for proving my point.
There is nuance and context to all this.

Chewy, thank you for completely missing the point. See above.

06 Apr 2026 18:58:01
Alonso did little with a squad blessed with a lot of talented players in Madrid. It can be spun in every and any way. He lost when it mattered. He had what many managers dream of, in regards to talent. He couldn't manage the talent well enough. I don't care about the Vini/Alonso talk. Vini's better than anyone we have in this squad.
Salah's not a problem next season for the next possible manager, but you probably have other problems within that squad as shown with certain antics.

There's no proper leaders in the squad and some players who think they're greater than what they are and used to be (Virgil).
If we do get Alonso, he'll need to be fully backed. He would need to get the best out of our greater attacking players and if he thinks there's potential rotten eggs, sell them on. Don't tolerate it if it benefits the team and squad.
We need to get the team morale back as well as the obvious physicality and quality.

06 Apr 2026 19:14:53
He also took a team with much less talent than the traditional heavyweights to a Bundesliga title.

We'll see how it shakes out.

06 Apr 2026 19:22:00
Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid managed 34 games, and had a 70.59% win ratio, and a +34 GD across all competitions.

He didn't lose it when it mattered. The results were actually good overall, and he barely even got a chance to change the toxic culture and implement his high pressing philosophy. He just lost a power struggle to a bunch of ill-disciplined children.

Slot would bite your hand off for a 70% win ratio. In his 104 games we've conceded first in 37 of them, and our win ratio in those 37 games is 21%.

Basically we give up soft goals, and then he lacks the intelligence to change tactics/personnel and get us back in the game. His overall win percentage is 60.6%, massively skewed in his favour by his first 6 months playing largely Klopp's tactics with players still fit from Klopp's training regime. Yet still just shy of a whole 10% below XA at Real Madrid despite that huge leg up he was given by JK.

So, elaborate on how XA lost it at Madrid? The players got him sacked because he asked them to run more.

06 Apr 2026 19:22:37
His training methods were too intense for their divas. The club is full of prima donnas. They lobbied to sack the nutritionist that wanted to ban breakfast pastries from the canteen.

06 Apr 2026 20:08:15
Well said, MKS. Fully agree.

06 Apr 2026 20:45:40
Absolutely agree, MKS. Those players ran off crying to Perez and were and are a disgrace.

06 Apr 2026 20:45:48
Didn't he have a winning percentage over 70%?

He was there less than half a season.

Hardly enough time to use outcomes as the reason why he was let go.

06 Apr 2026 20:48:02
Wildly ignorant take Ron, and the fact that your intentionally removing the drama in the dressing from the equation proves it, you can't just pick and choose factors to back your own opinion without considering the entirety of the situation.

Alonso tried to coach a team of divas whose egos demand nothing more than a man manager. He was too young for the role, he tried to put his own stamp on things which didn't sit well with the matriarchal prima donnas. Early morning starts, high work rates and squad rotations were simply unacceptable for the high maintenance moan bags.

What Xabi brought to Real, the very thing that lead to his "failure", is precisely what we need; somebody who's tactically adaptive, willing to ruffle feathers, up the work rate, push the players and raise standards. That's exactly what we're missing

07 Apr 2026 07:16:04
Utter nonsense. Think the biggest load of twoddle was saying Vinicius Junior is better than any player at Liverpool, wouldn't want that cheating, horrible player waster anywhere near the club personally.

07 Apr 2026 11:19:08
Mks, anyone rating Xabi based on his record at RM (where his record is actually stellar, as you demonstrated) as a stick to beat him with while at the same time deliberately ignoring his outstanding & legendary record in the Bundesliga (that will live long in memory, btw) needs to go take a walk and get some air. Embarrassing.

06 Apr 2026 17:13:25
Ed's, Carra, Fields, Robbo. If the consensus is Arne will leave at the end of the season, wouldn't it make more sense to announce a mutual agreement now? Would create certainty in uncertain times. Fans, players might be able to then unite, and push hard with key objectives still attainable before the season's end.

Either way I will be getting right Arne and the boys this Wednesday, hoping they might just give a silver lining. Even if you aren't behind Slot don't let him walk alone, he gave us 20. Let's get behind him for now until the end of the season if it is to be so.

06 Apr 2026 18:34:19
That's a fresh take.

06 Apr 2026 19:23:05
We're not ruthless. We've never been a club actually ruthless. We give a lot of leeway in general, and this season it's really hurt us. It's been such a struggle from the very beginning. Especially for fans seeing every angle. You knew this team was in trouble from the beginning of the season. October was when I thought we'll see just how well run we are. Slot being completely exposed here. We persisted. Then, regardless of performances, January came around and we witnessed two apparent certain signings go to Man City.

That got eyes on two journey men above Slot.
We're a very badly run club atm. It's dreadful how a season was allowed to be written off long ago. Above the trio, the big boys enabled this rut of a season. I wish we were far more ruthless and that would have carried down to the dressing room. A Statement would have been sacking the trio months ago. Focus then would have landed onto what seems a polluted squad, with some getting away with some disgraceful stuff.

06 Apr 2026 19:43:42
Ron, reading between the lines, I think what you're saying is that you would support the appointment of Xabi Alonso.

07 Apr 2026 11:20:19
Red_Flyer69, in a kind of long-winded way, I guess.

06 Apr 2026 13:34:27
Can I just ask as I't don't understand where or why?

What makes anybody on here actually think or believe Ollsie would leave BM to join us?

I'm not joking or being an a***. I just feel like I've missed some big news somewhere somehow.
It makes no sense to me.

06 Apr 2026 14:14:10
Been asking myself the same thing, Chrisy.

06 Apr 2026 14:16:49
To be honest, I've no clue if he would join or not but at the price suggested I wouldn't be biting. He is a good player, don't get me wrong, but just not at that price.

06 Apr 2026 14:28:50
I don't want Olise. I think we need to just get back to basics. I would prefer we signed two early 20s wide forwards with pace and potential. The front line is too static and slow, giving no options for Wirtz to make his probating passes. Then I would like to see a rb and dm added.

We have a good team of players, they're just being mismanaged, and the balance of the team is slightly off.
I am excited by the potential of Jacquet and Leoni and I think they could establish themselves as a great long term partnership.

06 Apr 2026 14:30:01
Born and raised in England, so I'm sure he has a great desire to win the Premier League. Obviously our drop off this season seriously effected our ability to bring in top top talent. If we get Champions League, Xabi comes in, and we do make considerable moves this summer, taking last year's window into account, I don't see why he wouldn't consider it an attractive project. We won't be number 1 on his list, but we did win the league last season. We splashed out on big names, which shows our intent.

We have some ballers in the team, and with Xabi at the helm, we could be a formidable force.

On a sidenote, I wanted him brought in 2 years ago, could have had him for less than 50 mil, we could have easily signed him last summer too if we had our priorities straight, but, we're too buys waiting for the laptop gurus to gather enough data. We also wait too long to bring in understudies for players on their way out. Salah's literally never had competition or adequate backup for his position.

06 Apr 2026 14:33:49
The new manager, if there is one, probably won't lie to him like Slot did to Wirtz. That's all I can think about.

06 Apr 2026 15:22:17
Well, it's the Premier League, not the Bayern thrashes everybody by 5 goals league, we're still one of the biggest teams in the world, he'll probably get a huge pay packet and he's coming in to replace one of the greatest players in Premier League history. I'm not saying I want him, but those are all pretty big draws.

06 Apr 2026 15:52:31
Why would he not want to play for LFC? A top class club playing in a historically brilliant stadium like Anfield. The Premier League is noted as being the best and most competitive league in the world, although this season it's been v poor quality wise.

The advantages Bayern have is they pay bigger wages, and you're guaranteed trophies as the opposition are a lot weaker than them generally, but really 1 Premiership is worth 10 Bundesligas.
We've had a v poor season, but let's not forget we are a great club.

06 Apr 2026 15:59:00
I agree. Yan Diomande feels more doable and also feels like a better fit.

We have an excellent working relationship with the Red Bull clubs. In recent years, we've signed Keita, Konate, Szoboszlai and Minamino. We've also loaned them Bajcetic, Wisdom and Carvalho, as well as sold them Bobby Clark in the last 10 years or so. Not to mention that Klopp is currently their head of football operations.

Diomande is exactly what we need. A young rw who plays a direct style of football and runs at players with pace. He scored goals, he creates goals and he also isn't afraid to put in a challenge. He's even admitted his Dad is a Liverpool fan and wants him to come to us one day. It all just seems like the pieces fit so well, it's inevitable.

Olise is settled in a successful team, their CEO has said they will not sell to a European rival and strengthen them, the rumoured price tag would be 200 million euros, Olise himself is a London boy who I doubt would enjoy living in the North of England, and last but not least he's not particularly fast nor is he a natural winger. He roams in free role where he starts off on the right but goes wherever he wants.

As a result, you're effectively a man down in transition because he's not particularly hard working or aggressive, so it doesn't help at all that he's usually miles out of position when the ball is turned over. I don't see it working having Olise in the same team as Isak in the Premier League because Isak also likes to drift into the channels and also won't put in a tackle.

For years we saw Man United falter because they had 2 (sometimes 3) of Bruno, Pogba, Lingard, Martial, Sancho, Di Maria, Sanchez, Ibrahimovic, Ronaldo, Anthony and Rashford in the same side. In the Premier League you can't sustainably carry 2-3 luxury players at once. We're finding that out now with Salah, Isak, Ekitike and Gakpo. Firmino and Mane spoiled us because they had the ability of a luxury player, despite playing with an elite team ethic. I don't want to become the new Man United, flooding the team with individual stars on high wages. We need a balance and Olise does not add to that, as exciting as his signing would be given he's one of the Premier talents in world football right now.

06 Apr 2026 16:24:09
Great post, MK.

My point was more to the fact that, right now, we won't get CL, and then only if UAFA give out 5 places, which is no guarantee.

He is flying in BM and touted for Ballon D, yet we are so cock sure if we come calling he will drop it all for us?

With the best will in the world, we are dreaming.



We will need a Klopp type rebuild after this season is finished. We have been set back a decade in less than 8 months. It started this time last year. I was slaughtered on here for saying we limped over the line to win the league. Don't think anybody will disagree now?

06 Apr 2026 16:41:52
If the Bundesliga is that poor, does that mean that Wirtz isn't that good then?

06 Apr 2026 16:57:32
Chrissymate, What do you mean If UEFA give out 5 places, as it stands, I'm pretty sure the Germans would need a flawless run in all competitions and England would have to lose nearly every remaining game for them to go ahead. That's not gonna happen.

I don't think anybody is certain that we would be Olise's first choice. London born, spent most of his time as a youth at Chelsea.

Apparently an avid Utd fan, his admitted list of idols all played in Spain. He's going to be highly sought after but his price tag is immense so it will probably boil down to who's actually willing to part with the cash. I don't see anybody getting into a bidding war when the reserve is 140 mil.

06 Apr 2026 17:07:58
Bit of an exaggeration saying we've been set back a decade. We just need to add the right pieces next year, and we'll be back challenging. It's not like the players we have currently aren't fit for purpose.

06 Apr 2026 17:09:29
With the new PSR system coming in now called SCR, I would expect us to be more reserved with big signings on big wages, I personally think that's what helped the Salah decision. Diomande looks a good choice.

06 Apr 2026 18:15:24
JK, the Bundesliga is poor, but Bayern typically are not. Wirtz was the best player in a Leverkusen team that walked the league against a team that has about ten times the money that they do, and he was the one player they wanted more than any other when he became available.

06 Apr 2026 19:16:13
I assume how much he wants to join will be dependent on the financial terms Liverpool offers. Money talks.

06 Apr 2026 20:12:18
Diomande and Gordon would be great additions in my opinion.

06 Apr 2026 20:16:45
I don't rate Olise, he doesn't work hard enough. He's better shooting fish in a barrel at Bayern.

I don't think we should focus on attacking players, we desperately need to sort the central defence and central midfield.

06 Apr 2026 20:30:35
I'm surprised we're still on good terms with Red Bull if those are the players we've loaned/sold them!

06 Apr 2026 11:14:50
Sent to early, then Villa n Brentford. Only one im positive over is Brentford n thats because its at home n last game of the season.

06 Apr 2026 11:38:23
I think we win all our 4 remaining home games, but can see us losing all 3 away. That would give us 61 pts, which is pathetic. However, it could still be enough to get us 5th. We're obviously winning the CL, so not a bad season, all in all.

I think I ate too much chocolate.

{Ed025's Note - stranger things have happened Rome..

06 Apr 2026 11:47:04
Rome, you know it's not real chocolate nowadays, all them additives, n palm oil might be affecting your thinking mate.

06 Apr 2026 12:03:45
That and Guinness, Strom.

06 Apr 2026 12:33:19
I'll be honest, Rome, I see 3 draws and 4 defeats. I've never seen a Liverpool team with so little fight.

06 Apr 2026 12:38:15
If no one can say where our next win is coming from under this manager, then buckle up. Cos it's only gonna get worse, as if I can get any worse than this.

06 Apr 2026 11:48:29
Happy Easter, Ed! Hope you're well, mate.

{Ed025's Note - you too Rome mate..yes im good thanks..

06 Apr 2026 11:50:56
Ed025, on a lighter note, I went to see Mick Miller at the comedy store yesterday, funny man but didn't know he played in goal for Port Vale

{Ed025's Note - yeah great old school comedian Strom unlike the ones today like that Michael McIntire who is as funny as gout, they call them alternative comedians because they are the alternative to being funny mate, Port Vale could have done with him on Saturday..

06 Apr 2026 13:04:03
Ed025.I agree, todays comedians if you can call them that are useless, rely in shocking you to get a laugh.n Rome the Guinness is sound, the dodgy chocolate though

06 Apr 2026 13:13:45
I thought he played for Everton? Oh no that was Du Davis! Every time the defended a cornerback then it was like a beeneo for his false teath🤣 do you remember him Edd Welsh number 1

{Ed025's Note - Dai Davies Chrissy?..i remember him well mate..

06 Apr 2026 13:50:48
Dai Davies was our stand-in PE teacher at secondary school for a while.

Second only in my rankings to Kevin Ratcliffe presenting me with my Player of the Year award.

Mems.

{Ed025's Note - I take it you are Welsh then SB?.. :)

06 Apr 2026 13:34:38
Michael McIntyre made me laugh once Ed. It was when he got mugged for his £20k Rolex. Laughed? I nearly shat (as Derek & Clive once mused).

As for the remainder of the season. We're a soft touch with a manager who has checked out to the point he's almost only ever in the country if there's a match on. We're not winning many of those remaining matches. Not the way we're playing, not with the soft as rubbish midfield we have.

{Ed025's Note - love it VV..

06 Apr 2026 14:04:13
Why Rome? It's not like we've been particularly strong at home to win the next 3.

Anfield is no longer a fortress thanks to Slot.

06 Apr 2026 15:06:45
Dad's side is Ed0/5.
Brought up just inside the Welsh border- mums family from Liverpool

I was brought up in a time when the only team I wanted to win anything, if it wasn't to be Liverpool, it had to be Everton.

{Ed025's Note - im still like that now SB..only the other way around mate..

06 Apr 2026 15:19:21
I'm going to super negative and say I don't think we pick up another win this season. Hope I'm wrong, but with VVD coming out and saying they gave up. Any team that we play now will smell blood and play on that weak mindset. Do we even get 55 points. I'm not sure.

06 Apr 2026 15:49:47
I'm still the same Ed025

I dint get the whole "you've got to hate every other team" lark.
Not Liverpool then Everton can win it- and even though I'm now just outside Bristol it's always a check to see how Tranmere, Chester and Wrexham have got on.

{Ed025's Note - it used to be a lot better years ago SB, there was no trouble between the supporters on Merseyside mate but now it can be quite toxic at times, i just dont get it myself and think its more a symptom of the society we live in these days..

06 Apr 2026 11:13:30
Just been looking at the upcoming fixtures for the rest of the season, can only see us getting 9 pts maximum and I'm being generous, Fulham always a hard game, then the blue noses, Palace who have outplayed us all season, manc n Chelsea.

06 Apr 2026 14:05:13
Hard to disagree, Strom. We're completely pathetic at the moment.

06 Apr 2026 15:32:40
A while back I said we would need about 64 points if we wanted 4th and guaranteed Champions League. 5th is now pretty much guaranteed qualification and a much more achievable goal for us. Unfortunately, we're going into these final few games just hoping Villa and Chelsea will be worse. Although our run in is far from easy, with pretty much every team being bogey, fortunately there are a few fixtures that stack things in our favour over Chelsea.

They still have to play City & Utd, who are up next, then they have us and Tottenham as their final 2 games, so we really need to take advantage of that. On paper, Villa have the easiest run in, but their final 2 games have us and City, so that could be absolutely massive if we can keep or improve on the current 5 point difference. It's not gonna be easy but it's doable.

06 Apr 2026 10:59:21
I don't know about the rest of you, but I always find that the twelfth emergency meeting is the one that truly makes the difference. I have no doubt that we will see a change in fortune and compete on remaining fronts. Then again, the twelfth emergency meeting happened in January, so what do I know.

06 Apr 2026 11:29:17
Probably arranging the group dance when they head off on hols, Ala Gerrard, etc., after the Stoke hammering.

06 Apr 2026 11:45:28
Can't wait until the next midweek break to see the leaked video of Slot leading the Kolo Toure in Dubai.

06 Apr 2026 11:45:48
The squad meeting still doesn't understand why they haven't sacked him.

06 Apr 2026 12:43:08
Scouse, that party celebration after that disgraceful Stoke battering still sticks in my throat till this day. The cheek of these players.

Saying that, I don't know if what Ekitike did, exchanging shirts with Cherki (esp, since they just met up on Int'l break), is just as disgraceful. Or even worse.

06 Apr 2026 12:53:49
Oli, I don't know why fans are sweeping for Ekitike. Klopp wouldn't have tolerated it. It's an illustration of how the culture has rotted.

06 Apr 2026 13:25:00
To be fair, Oli, I don't think Ekitike will understand how wrong it was! A word in the ear from VVD, and move on. New country, age, culture all play into it.

Sob has more to answer to imo, who the f*** is he to tell us how to support our team? He doesn't see what supports go through to get to these games, begging for tickets, turning over their hard earned cash.

Especially given the effort displayed. Disgraceful.

06 Apr 2026 14:22:18
Chrisy, Babbity, I understand what you guys are saying and cos I didn't watch the game (I was away finding happiness somewhere else with the family), I still do not know what Szobo did, tbh, but I heard it was bang out of order.

As for Ekitike, when I read what he did (didn't need to see it), you know what my first question was? I asked, "Now what would make Ekitike think he could do that/get away with that without any consequences or repercussions?"

Could it be that there is no leadership anywhere near nor around this team? I think so.

Cos that is the only reason I see for Eki or Szobo doing the crap that they did, simple as.

Cos we all know that under any other LFC manager, even under BR, let alone Klopp, that would never occur to any LFC player to do that in that game under the same circumstances.

06 Apr 2026 20:23:39
Chrisy, VVD having a word? He can't have a word when we are getting thrashed.

06 Apr 2026 10:22:06
Hi everyone,

Have been thinking about Utopia where one trick pony Gakpo leaves at the end of the season and needs replacing. Obvious names like Barcola come to mind, but seems unlikely.

Was looking internally at PL and keen to hear thoughts around Kevin Schade?

Seems raw and pacey, would be good to have him rotate with Rio?

Keen to hear thoughts.

06 Apr 2026 10:34:45
Kev is not at Yan's level. I like Mitoma, but he seems made of crisps.

06 Apr 2026 10:42:04
Kevin Schade is terrible imo, seriously overrated, I would rather keep the Crappy Gakpo tbh.

06 Apr 2026 10:51:45
Anthony Gordon.

06 Apr 2026 10:52:17
Schade is as much of a one trick pony as Gakpo. Not sure how that's an improvement. As for Mitoma, he's 28, that should be enough.

06 Apr 2026 10:52:29
Barcola must be good because everyone raves about him, but the 3 or 4 times iv seen him play, he hasn't done anything where id say he's a top player.

06 Apr 2026 10:59:15
If not Schade, Barcola or Mitoma, then who?

06 Apr 2026 11:10:11
Malick Fofana.

06 Apr 2026 11:46:16
There are only a handful of good wingers in the Premier League on this season's form. Semenyo, Mbeumo, Bowen, Ndiaye and Saka are probably your lot. Bowen is probably the only one there who is a realistic option, though he turns 30 this year; I'd still take him at Liverpool on a 3-year contract if West Ham got relegated. Everton won't sell Ndiaye to us, and the other 3 are all at teams likely to finish in the top 3 this season who will have no reason to sell to us, nor would the players be willing to take a step down to what will probably be a lower tier of European football.

I think there are a few who could be good in the near future and will be attainable to us.

Minteh, Outtara, M.Mane, Kudus and Gordon all come to mind. I am keen for us to add raw pace to the side, so I'd be very interested in us signing one or two of them. Minteh and Mane, I think, have the highest ceiling of the young wingers in the Prem, but I fully expect us to go after Gordon as he's probably the closest to being ready to play for us week in, week out.

Ideally, we'll also go abroad and put in a serious offer for Yan Diomande. He's the one who can be a world class Premier League winger. Diomande and Gordon flanking Isak/Ekitike next season would be frightening for any defence.

06 Apr 2026 11:58:26
I reckon we are going to go three up top next season. Isak up top, Diomamde on the left, and I know we have been linked with Olise for the right (fingers crossed).
Looks great on paper at least. Then you have Ekitike, Rio and Frimpong as backups.

06 Apr 2026 12:19:07
Mikey, Diomande has 11 goals and 6 assists in 21 games this season as a RW. In 8 games as a LW, he has 0 goals and 2 assists. I don't think it makes sense to sign him and play him on the left. I think you're right about the 3 up top though. I hope that with 2 proper pacey wingers and a higher tempo, more direct approach to attacking, we'll finally see the best of Isak.

I really like Olise as a player, but in terms of what I think our team needs, Diomande is a better fit in my opinion.

Olise is a top player with more technical ability than Diomande, but he lacks raw pace and struggled with the intensity of the Premier League with a recurring hamstring injury, despite having a virtually free role at Palace where he didn't get asked to do any defending or pressing. I'd be pretty excited by either player though, to be honest. I'd rather an actual LW to play LW, though.

06 Apr 2026 12:35:04
Saka the man the Myth, don't rate him at all.

06 Apr 2026 12:44:59
Saka ain't been good this season, MK, just my opinion.

06 Apr 2026 12:50:56
In what universe is Schade a better player than Gakpo? Insane.

Olise isn't what we need, unless we want somebody to play the Mo inside right position the way Mo did, as virtually a number 10. Diomande could hit another level or three in the next few years, and he has everything we need in a wide player despite being raw and having only played one year of top level football. Knowing FSG, I think he would be the one we target.

Gordon isn't worth the money, but he is kind of the profile we need, a wide player that has serious pace and can supply ammo to the forwards. I'm not sure he has the one on one ability we require on the flanks, though.

The question is whether we play withdrawn wingers with Kerkez and Frimpong providing the width or inside wingers like Salah going forward.

06 Apr 2026 14:12:29
I wouldn't take Bowen, has maybe one good year left in him and the price West Ham would ask would be too much, plus he's settled there and not going to be interested in moving.

Gordon is too one dimensional, yes he has some pace, but he's not explosively quick, he has no physicality and his use of the ball is pretty poor. Stewart Downing vibes with that lad.

Barcola isn't going to be interested in joining us. Forget that. Same for Olise.

Minteh's end product is non existent, Outtara looks pretty ordinary and that's being generous, Kudus had a shocking injury history at Ajax and it looks like it's returned at Spurs, so hard pass.

Mane at Wolves would be a good long term investment because he would count as HG, which is useful. I think Diomande is the stand out because it's pretty clear his ceiling is pretty high and he offers the same qualities that Semenyo did, explosive pace, physically strong, hard working, good end product, and makes good decisions in attacking situations.

06 Apr 2026 15:31:54
Viktor, I believe that Minteh has the most Premier League goal involvements of all u21 players since the start of last season. 8 goals and 8 assists in approximately 3600 minutes across the 2 seasons. Is that really that bad for a player who is still only 21?

Bowen, I agree, will cost too much unless West Ham are relegated. Even then, he might not want to leave. Kudus I'd also put bottom of the list due to those injuries you mentioned, although he could still become a good player, it's just too risky for what Spurs will want. Ouattara can be hit and miss, but on his day he's a very hard player to stop because he's so quick and strong; I think he'd be complimentary to Ekitike, Isak and Wirtz, but he's not the best option.

Minteh, Mane and Gordon are the 3 best options in my opinion. Mane and Minteh as long term projects and investments who might not make the impact we want until a year or two down the line. Gordon would offer an instant impact because we know he dovetails well with Isak and is a huge Liverpool fan who will run through brick walls for us. He isn't as limited as you've implied either.

He can cross with both feet, and he's also a very disruptive player for opposition defences because he has that 'housery' about him where he'll get about them and make them rush with the ball. A useful trait in the modern era where everyone wants to play out from the back. We could do with a bit of chaos. Nunez, Jota and Diaz were the only forwards we had who brought that unbridled 'housery' to the frontline, and we lost them all last summer. Gakpo, Isak, Ekitike and Salah are all too nice. Gordon also knows where the goal is and has proved that this season, in the Champions League in particular.

Gordon has 17 goals in 2798 minutes this season. Ekitike is our top scorer with 17 goals in 2763 minutes this season. We could do a lot worse. Getting the best out of Isak (a £125m investment) has to be a consideration. If you spend that amount of money on a striker, it has to be with the intention of building a team around him. He made his name playing with fast and direct wingers, not Gakpo and Salah drifting inside because they lack the explosiveness to beat a full back, only to smash their shots into a wall of defenders.

06 Apr 2026 15:36:41
Gordon has spent a lot of time playing number 9 for Newcastle, though, MK, so he is essentially playing the same position as Ekitike. As a winger he scores a lot less. You're right that Isak thrived with Murphy and Gordon behind him, though, which is why we need to target wingers who will supply him with chances rather than goalscoring wingers.

06 Apr 2026 16:16:02
I agree, PB. He's played as a 9 a lot because Woltemade is so poor. That was my point though, Viktor called him one-dimensional but he's actually proven the complete opposite. When his team needed him to step up, he moved to a new position and worked his socks off leading the line whilst still scoring goals.

You're spot on, though, that targeting wingers who compliment Isak is the key to success going forward. We will never recoup £125m on Isak so we simply have to make it work, or we're essentially writing off close to a quarter of a billion pounds when you factor in wages and agent fees. Building the team around Isak and also Wirtz is paramount now. We've committed to that and they both thrived in their former teams when they had willing runners either side of them. Isak, so he got crosses and cut backs to attack, and Wirtz, so he could showcase his excellent vision. Isak has 3 goals this season for us, and it is no surprise to me that 2 of them were from cut backs to the space between the penalty spot and the 6-yard box (Hammers and Soton), and the other was when he made a run ahead of Wirtz (Spurs).

He will score 30+ goals a season if we play to his strengths. His only assist was a knock down for Gakpo against Chelsea, after he attacked an early cross into the 6-yard box. If you want him to be effective, put whipped or driven crosses into the box and play passes in behind for him. Salah and Gakpo always want to cut back and float a looping ball into the box. Isak will never thrive off that kind of service because he lacks the upper body strength to compete with a CB for a 50/50. This is exactly why I said last summer that Osimhen was the right striker for us. He is physically strong enough to deal with big CBs and he will get on the end of those looping crosses because he has an insane hang time.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, I suppose.

06 Apr 2026 17:16:37
I don't think Woltemade is poor, really, it's just that Howe doesn't trust him up front/doesn't know how to use him, and bizarrely makes him play as an 8 or a sort of 10 sometimes.

Woltemade needs to play in a 2 where he's sort of a support striker (like he was at Stuttgart with Undav/Demirovic), not a lone 9, and Howe, for some reason, thought he could play like Isak running in behind or being a target in the box (which is what he had to do in the beginning, most of his goals were headed goals even though that was never his forte).

Howe doesn't know how to use a player who comes short and wants ball to feet most of the time, and wants somebody purely to stretch the defence in transition, which is what Gordon is.

06 Apr 2026 09:57:49
I was hoping he was being serious. Can't take much more of this! 😞.