Liverpool Banter 3

12 Jun 2026 07:39:45
Good Friday morning to all hope everyone has a fantastic weekend.
Tried to watch the game last night just no interest I think since about 2002 my interest in International football has just become less and less now virtually none.
I used to love world cups and euros always made summers great fantastic memories don't know if just because am getting older or the awful football of internationals now.
The worst thing is watching the Premier League last season I was starting to feel the same.


I don't know if it was just a comedown from Klopp's football even though coached well there was a madness like we wasn't an excitement that you did not know what was about to happen.
I hope next season we go back to that and the new rule changes stop the time wasting the soap opera you get from every corner because another season of that and I think I could not bare it.

12 Jun 2026 07:54:54
With you on all points there, Grino, I can remember going to mates' houses carrying cans at 6 in the morning for matches in the World Cup but not arsed at all now.

12 Jun 2026 08:15:25
Aside from Mexico's constant play acting, I quite enjoyed the game last night.

12 Jun 2026 08:52:25
Mexico looked fairly solid as a unit, although SA weren't much at all. The early games are probably going to be fairly low in quality, but hopefully more exciting to watch, as they shouldn't be overly tactical. The match up between South American and African teams often produces the best games. The European and Asian teams can be a bit cagey.

12 Jun 2026 09:39:24
For me, I do love the World Cup. Every player playing for the shirt. Nobody's coached to death. Always some drama and the crowds always look bouncing.
League football especially these days is quite dull in comparison.

12 Jun 2026 09:45:24
The Korea game was a lot better, as they actually looked like a well coached team. The opening game was horrendous as a spectacle and from a referring point of view.

12 Jun 2026 09:54:24
I'll watch it for the event and the emotion, but the standard of football is shocking.

12 Jun 2026 11:57:33
The current Japanese team is actually quite fun to watch (I've been following Japan most of my life, so I watch them anyway), maybe you can try watching them for a bit. Lots of rotations, overloads, triangles to advance through the thirds, it all feels very fluid and well drilled, rather than the more basic sort of playing styles typically on offer in international football.

11 Jun 2026 14:42:06
This new manager is terrible lads. Like he hasn't signed anyone since he took over. 🤭

11 Jun 2026 15:29:37
Maybe he went back home for a mini holiday, Barry.

11 Jun 2026 15:44:35
Just seen him in Ibiza blowing our transfer budget on a Lucky Lucky man.

11 Jun 2026 16:16:18
FSG out.

11 Jun 2026 16:17:34
I've heard he was in South America looking for the idol with a Dr Jones.

11 Jun 2026 16:32:04
BarryinLouth, the manager doesn't sign the players, hence Hughes and Edwards need to go.

11 Jun 2026 17:00:06
He's still unbeaten though, Barry.

11 Jun 2026 17:01:34
I think Barry is teasing, Oli :P.

11 Jun 2026 17:11:04
I do not think the manager could have asked for a better start. We have not shipped a single goal yet. We have not scored any either, but that is down to Palindrome being injured and Isak still finding his feet.

11 Jun 2026 17:39:55
Not long to wait now, Barry. I saw Edward's and Hughes at the returns section of the shop I was in at lunchtime. Apparently they were looking for "left backs".

11 Jun 2026 17:44:00
Robbyroll. Yes, man, I thought I was the only one who thought he looked like him.
Or give him a few years, he can be Doc Ock.

11 Jun 2026 18:40:00
Alfred Molina a.k.a Andoni Iraola. 😉

11 Jun 2026 19:08:36
Madmax, throw me the idol, I throw you the whip....

11 Jun 2026 20:16:46
You certainly can't argue with that RK. 👍

11 Jun 2026 22:53:18
Floral Mousehut is still waiting for the Slot dismissal to be overruled by VAR.

12 Jun 2026 00:05:07
Would have thought he'd have the players in training already.

{Ed078's Note - pretty sure I saw him with ED025 on the lash last night.

12 Jun 2026 00:59:46
That crafty Ed025 betcha he'd slip Andoni a Mickey Finn(No rude thoughts please)and get some information on tactics to help Moyes out

{Ed025's Note - if i was slipping anyone a Mickey Finn Barry it would be Moyes mate.. :)

11 Jun 2026 14:13:26
We have tabled a bid for Diomande, not sure how much, do you know what we have offered Ed's?

11 Jun 2026 16:09:00
Pull up a chair and see if the tables bid has legs. 👍

11 Jun 2026 19:08:09
Very good, Zed. 👏

11 Jun 2026 12:45:44
If we want Sangare we have to act soon, as Utd are going for him now, they have missed out on Anderson…. He’s a quality player rather us than Utd.

11 Jun 2026 13:23:06
£35m too apparently.

11 Jun 2026 13:49:54
They already got a great player in Ederson for 35m + 3m in add-ons, fantastic deal in my opinion when Elliot is being quoted at 130m and Wharton up to 80m.

11 Jun 2026 14:25:37
Liverpool are not signing him.

11 Jun 2026 14:59:23
Ederson is not great, he is Ugarte mark 2.

11 Jun 2026 16:33:40
Ederson used to be great, just like the whole Atalanta team was under Gasperini. Can't say the same now for both parties.

12 Jun 2026 04:21:01
Zero chance of Sangare for £35m. He'll be 80m + for any English side.

11 Jun 2026 11:41:13
Before the first game tonight, I am predicting that the Netherlands will finally win their first World Cup. (I have my body armour on in preparartion for all the replies and comments). 😂

11 Jun 2026 11:56:25
Can't see past France. The forwards they have can out score anyone.

11 Jun 2026 12:08:54
ArAy, I agree with you. I have Holland and Portugal as the finalists and Holland to win. But knowing my luck they will get knocked out early.

11 Jun 2026 12:23:49
I don't think the Dutch can win it, they don't have the players imo, Spain, France & Portugal have the best chance imo.

11 Jun 2026 12:24:27
Spain for me to win.

Surprised by the amount of pundits picking England. Tuchel is a mess.

11 Jun 2026 12:32:10
No chance, I wouldn't be surprised if they struggled (periodically) against Japan.

11 Jun 2026 12:44:42
I would just love it if an underdog won it, for a change. The usual suspects make it boring, a bit. And world football has evolved a lot with more and more of a level playing field. This would be proof of that. (And I still think that Dutch 1974 team deserved to win it).

11 Jun 2026 12:49:02
The climate will be the biggest killer for the likes of England, Scotland, Norway etc. Has to be the likes of Spain, Portugal or Argentina with the best chance. I reckon the football standard will be crap too, given the heat.

11 Jun 2026 12:50:04
England to win. I'm surprised by the amount of people not backing them. They are a strong unit playing under a successful manager.

11 Jun 2026 12:55:19
1jj, You must be having a laugh mate.

11 Jun 2026 13:05:08
I too think France, but my pick for surprise package is Ivory Coast. I'm not saying they will win it, but think they will surprise a few people.

11 Jun 2026 13:06:39
England have a chance, but I struggle to see them beating the likes of Spain or France.

I think we could beat the rest, if we play to our absolute best, but those two will be the most difficult games, imo.

That being said, this is England, and we like doing the whole flatter to deceive thing at tournaments.

11 Jun 2026 13:08:59
Portugal for me.

11 Jun 2026 13:11:07
Who is going to score goals for the Netherlands? They have a decent midfield and defence, but the attack is extremely bad. I don't see them lasting to the QF.

As the others said, Spain, France, Portugal are the favorites. I have Spain as the winner since I feel the defence of France is more fragile.

11 Jun 2026 13:18:08
Either France, Spain, Portugal or Brazil for me, my outsider being Morocco.

11 Jun 2026 13:24:48
I think it's very hard to look beyond France. The squad depth they have is just unbelievable. That'll do for me.

11 Jun 2026 13:30:50
England to win it.
The Dutch have looked really average in their friendlies. I can't see them beating Japan myself.

11 Jun 2026 13:35:28
Irish, you're talking about the blue kit, French speaking, African team, right? 😂🤣😂

11 Jun 2026 13:54:39
My outside bet is Turkey. I was surprised how good their squad is.

11 Jun 2026 13:55:07
Thing about France is that it's the Mbappe circus with him being the head clown. He's become the albatross around the neck of any team he has plays for and I can see France exiting before the final and it going to crap in a way that would make the Dutch or Roy Keane look like small fry.

But no matter who the winner of the trophy is, the real winner won't be football. It'll be Infantino who'll continue to enrich himself and bloat his offshore bank accounts. That's who the real winner is out of this.

11 Jun 2026 14:05:52
I think it'll be one of the South American teams, Mexico to do a decent run with being a 'host', but ultimately falling short. I don't give England a prayer. I wouldn't be surprised to see us out in the R16.

But struggling to get excited for this one, I love the World Cup. However, with everything going on, it's not getting the same scrutiny as Qatar, with some questionable decisions.

The fees being banded around for tickets etc, and Blatter lite saying it's better in our pockets than the touts, and I feel this will not live long in the memory. That's before the elephant in the room that's Trump and whatever he will do throughout!

Hopefully the football can bring it to life, but I see that being a pragmatic bore fest.

11 Jun 2026 14:13:51
That's the thing I was thinking about also, Viktor. We've seen how a single or collective of big egos can destroy any team's chances of winning. We saw that with the Dutch, in particular, in the past, with characters like Seedorf and Sneijder. And France has those characters with big egos, now.

11 Jun 2026 14:38:49
Really?
Netherlands?

Their team is pretty average imo.
That attack is so basic.
Midfield lacks a match winner too.

France for me.

11 Jun 2026 14:48:51
I'm on France beating Portugal in the final 25/1.

11 Jun 2026 14:17:06
Iran, just to stick it to the Fanta fascist.

11 Jun 2026 15:00:39
Brazil for me, the Don factor proving genius.

11 Jun 2026 15:05:00
I'm going for Senegal.

11 Jun 2026 15:06:12
Brazil is my perennial favorite, but they've disappointed in recent Cups.

11 Jun 2026 15:31:37
Portugal for me.

Unless FIFA play favorites with Argentina.

11 Jun 2026 17:01:00
I'm going Brazil too.

11 Jun 2026 20:10:30
Portugal.

11 Jun 2026 23:27:04
I'm in regular touch with a nice old lady named Nellie who I first met on the road to Mandalay. She was telling me that her rascally son Donald and his bestest friend Gianni are convinced the US of A are going to win and make America great.

Being a bit more serious, I think England will surprise people, they are, oddly, a difficult team to beat and they might go a fair way, although I don't think they'll win it.



My vote for the winner is Portugal. They have a pretty good squad and they are entertaining to watch.

11 Jun 2026 11:34:21
It’s just madness to see City with the charges still hanging over them can bid £120mill for a player.
When can we expect a decision on these charges?

11 Jun 2026 12:26:55
Expect them to get a slap on the wrist imo.

11 Jun 2026 13:14:47
Especially when they've been so quick to Dosh out the various punishments to Everton.

11 Jun 2026 13:37:29
Burnley played crap and got relegated. Nothing to do with Everton. So is everyone gona sue Man City when we know they're guilty?

11 Jun 2026 16:27:42
When it is eventually decided, we will still have the appeal process on top. It really is scandalous how long this has taken. Haven't we already exceeded the deadline date they gave us previously?

11 Jun 2026 23:29:53
It's a shocker, isn't it? A case of one lot of justice for a tiny minority and a different justice altogether for the rest. Not only is modern football a business, it's also a corrupt business.

11 Jun 2026 11:20:37
I decided to put out there my top picks for the world cup and odds I'd give them.

Spain - it's OLMOst a joke the squad they have. The rest of the teams will be PEDRIfied.odds 1-1

France - they have TCHOUMENI good players to not be a KONEtender. 5-4

Germany - you d have to be inSANE to not put an each way between on them. The WIRTZ they will finish is third. 2-1

Argentina, when the going gets MESSI, they get get going 2-1

England - KANE they win it? They certainly have the STONES to go all the way. Odds 9-4

Brazil - FRANCAly I think injuries will cost them. Maybe worth a fiver bet but I wouldn't bet aNEYMAR than that. 4-1

Colombia - I ll give you 10-1. Or in Spanish DIAZ-1

Uruguay - I think UGARTE be crazy to put a bet on this lot. Do they have a chance. I think NUNEZpecially with this squad. 100-1.

Ivory Coast - some of their players are in high DIOMANDE and I think the distractions will prove too much in this TOUREnement. 100-1

Right I leave it there and get my Ivory Cote

I'll show myself out.

*Awkwardly reverses into chair while trying to leave

The door won't budge

Is it locked?

Oh, there it is. Just jammed.

So long!

11 Jun 2026 11:57:02
😮. How and where do you have the time to come up with all this? 😂

11 Jun 2026 12:17:21
Enjoyed that, Davey. Fair play! Not sure I like your odds as much, mind. 😂

11 Jun 2026 12:31:26
Loving the puns, Davey, great work, mate!

11 Jun 2026 12:34:26
I trust you'll see yourself out.

11 Jun 2026 09:33:40
Just to put footballers wages into context, Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs has just signed a contract that will see him earn around £920k per week (plus bonuses) in a sport that sees you play a maximum of 21 games across a season that only lasts 6 months.

11 Jun 2026 09:47:40
Interesting comparison across sports, I know nothing about NFL, but is this chap the equivalent of a Galactico?

I guess you could say that with the popularity of NFL in the US, and the fact they tend to have much larger stadia and a population that's multiples of our own, the broadcasting rights alone would probably be multiples higher than our deals with Sky/TNT etc?

They are crazy numbers, but it's entertainment for billions of people.



Interesting discussion.

11 Jun 2026 09:52:03
Mahomes is absolutely a galactico.

11 Jun 2026 10:09:48
Have a look at baseball. The salaries and transfer prices are even higher. In a sport where you are considered world class or a galactico when you successfully hit the ball only around 30% of the time.

11 Jun 2026 10:22:59
At least you can get a bit more value for money in baseball with up to 184 games per season!

11 Jun 2026 10:28:51
I consider baseball differently to NFL because they play about 150 games over the course of 6 months, so on a per game basis their salary is probably lower than NFL.

Then again, baseball players don't get consistently hammered by giant men in both training and games, so it's difficult to make the comparison.



At the end of the day, if the money wasn't there, the salaries would be lower in all sports. TV money, and the increased costs of being a supporter, mean they'll only ever go up.

11 Jun 2026 10:52:09
Yeah, if you have the right QB and the right head coach you can win with decent players in other positions.

Mahomes is one of the most valuable QBs.

11 Jun 2026 11:05:14
Injury risk in NFL is obscene in comparison to football. NFL play a lot less games, but the risk of injury is a big part of what pumps the prices up.

11 Jun 2026 11:19:43
Pfft. American Football is just catching for joggers wearing crash helmets.

11 Jun 2026 11:52:21
Never got into any of the American sports. They always seem a bit on the silly side or incredibly boring.

11 Jun 2026 12:35:25
And he's only on the pitch for half the time as well.

11 Jun 2026 12:37:55
Don't forget the ball is only in play for about 10 minutes of the 60-minute game, which actually takes more than 3 hours to complete.

11 Jun 2026 12:42:53
Kermit the Frog has always had large wages, hasn't he? Could this be the new name for a new wonder dog, Sparky? Miss that puppy.

11 Jun 2026 12:48:33
NFL games only take that long because of all the advertising. Which is the reason the media rights are so expensive. Last year the highest rated TV "programs" were all NFL. But you are right, Chewy. I love the Pittsburgh Steelers. I can't sit down and just watch a game any longer. Have to be doing something else as well.

11 Jun 2026 13:07:28
Don't forget that NFL don't pay transfer fees. They make trades for other players and draft picks, plus I believe the television rights are huge. Mahomes is the big name these days, so will always be one of the highest earners.

Also, the first 5 years of a player's career they are on a rookie contract which I broke means they never earn more than $1,000,000 a season, then after that, they can earn the really big money.

11 Jun 2026 13:10:38
American sports viewing is awful.

Adverts all over the place, even during the game, they will cut the screen in half to show some god awful medical advert.

Disgusting.

11 Jun 2026 14:27:31
420FL, New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys, for me.

11 Jun 2026 16:37:49
Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals for me. Lived in Cincinnati for 15 years.

11 Jun 2026 08:18:16
Ed1, who would you say is on top of the list for midfielder that we are interested as of right now after managerial change? Its crazy market for midfielder right now if the likes of Elliot Anderson going for more than 120M and both Alex Scott and Mateus Fernandes are price at 80M.

{Ed001's Note - I thought it was Camara, but not sure now as not heard anything about it since Iraola came in.}

11 Jun 2026 08:53:27
Camara looks the right fit for what we need for a midfielder who can rotate with Grav in different games, and I would think Wharton would be a no-brainer for the other profile to play the other side in the pivot. I love Scott as a player, but to me he feels too similar in function to Szoboszlai. They are both all action, running and carrying midfielders who are well rounded on and off the ball, but who love running with the ball.

David Lynch did an excellent video on Scott yesterday where he made the case, clearly illustrated through stats, that at the present moment Curtis Jones is a far superior player, though Scott might have a higher ceiling because of his age.

For all the folks slating Curtis and saying he isn't worth 30 mill, while salivating at the prospect of signing Scott for 80, it's definitely worth a watch.

We don't need more box to box players who love marauding with the ball, we need a physical presence who can win the ball and win his duels (though Scott is good at both on the ground and aerial duels), and a specialist passer who can spray the ball quickly and efficiently.

11 Jun 2026 09:39:53
Curtis Jones being a far superior player is such hyperbole, especially if it's based on stats, a player playing at RB for 70% of the season with almost no meaningful stats from his natural position is, in my opinion, another proof that stats are a bunch of nonsense for the most part.

The only attribute Curtis excels at is his ball control & dribbling, but he almost never uses it for the benefit of the team, dribbling into blind allies and passing backwards after taking on 2 players for no reason!

11 Jun 2026 10:49:20
Those datamb stats can be highly misleading. Just looking at that alone could lead you to think Jones was as good as Vitinha, for example, which he plainly is not, nor will he ever be. The eye test also matters, and this is one of the places where Jones fails.

As ASB says, Jones makes poor decisions on the pitch; most of his passes are just five/ten yard passes, and on far too many occasions he makes a poor choice with his pass selection and puts a team mate in trouble (the back pass to Ali against Wolves across the face of goal, which then directly led to Wolves scoring, when clearing it up the line would have been a far better choice, being a good example).

He also switches off far too often; his positional sense and defensive awareness are almost non-existent (I lost count of the number of times Jones stood and watched runners from midfield go past him), and he is as tackle shy as it gets (ironic given that guff he came out with about getting stuck in).

There's a reason why he's overlooked compared to the likes of Anderson & Scott; they are actually effective in their position. Jones is not. Whether anyone wants to admit that is up to them, but the facts don't care about your feelings.

11 Jun 2026 12:02:17
Does every midfielder need to be able to make a piercing through pass or a raking ball out to the wings? Jones is a player who keeps possession in tight spaces (are there many players in the league who are better than him at this?) and carrying it forward or playing a simple pass to someone else, he always shows for the ball all over the field and is comfortable receiving the ball on either foot.

I don't think he often makes a poor choice with his pass selection. It's just that when something goes wrong with one of his passes it sticks in the memory. I also think he is a very capable presser and is very mobile, covering ground.

11 Jun 2026 12:52:55
The problem is Patrick, all too often he makes the wrong choice and he never learns from those mistakes. No one is expecting him to be peak Gerrard or De Bruyne with his passing, but being aware of your team mates being closed down before passing to them feels like a minimum expectation.

The whole schtick about him keeping possession in tight spaces is pointless because of his tendency to use the ball so badly, either because more often than not he then holds on to the ball far too long or chooses the wrong pass. By comparison, Wijnaldum was far better at that because he did think quickly and moved the ball on intelligently, Jones doesn't do that, he's clearly not a quick thinker and needs far too much time on the ball.



And it has to be repeated that he's defensively all over the place, he has all the worst traits a midfielder can have, he ball watches, lacks concentration, doesn't track runners, never takes responsibility, has poor situational awareness, and for a bloke standing at six foot he's very weak in the tackle. At coming up 26, these deficiencies should be ironed out of his game if he's as good as some would have us believe, but they're all still there and that's why he's not good enough to be a starter at a club challenging for the league, but also why his comparative value is so low compared to the likes of Anderson, Scott or even Wharton. If he ends up at Inter, I can see him occupying the bench.

11 Jun 2026 13:15:38
Ed, is it true that we were interested in Van Hecke when Slot is still in charge? There is also another Dutch midfielder that we were rumored to be interested in when Slot was in charge. I just can't seem to remember his name.

{Ed001's Note - not that I am aware of, Slot might have liked him but I don't believe he was being targeted at all.}

11 Jun 2026 16:38:47
Ed01, one of the reasons i'm glad Slot is gone.

Van Hecke is absolutely dreadful.