Liverpool Banter 4

13 Feb 2026 18:56:49
Remember the 20/ 21 season? When Pickford had a moment and forgot he was playing football and instead entered what appeared to be a Kung Fu championship and launched himself at VVD with zero repercussions.

For months we had hendo and Fabinho playing centre-back. It didn't work and we struggled. Then an actual defender called Nat Phillips came along who wasn't Maldini but he could tackle, head a ball and pass to someone in red.

Then boom suddenly there was stability! Hendo and Fabs back in their positions. We got Champions League.

This whole right-back situation feels similar. Surely we can find another lad who can run, tackle, defend and pass to someone in red and get slobs back in the places he can affect the game more. Try it in the FA Cup game.

13 Feb 2026 19:09:01
I agree with you, Statto. I am gutted that Ramsey, Soboz, Endo and CJ are the preferred options for Slot. I thought he played well against Palace. He didn't put a foot wrong. We have an injury crisis at RB, and Slot refuses to use him. I am sure CJ will get the nod in the next fixture.

13 Feb 2026 19:18:02
Zlatan still has nightmares about that Nat Phillips Cruyff turn.

{Ed025's Note - that is why Zlatan is a multi millionaire and Nat is struggling to get in the WBA team.. :)

13 Feb 2026 19:53:39
Did we not win with Endo and Gomez there, though, on Wednesday? Ramsey has never played a Premier League game, so I'm not sure why the pitchforks are out for him to be starting. I don't think, until Slot threw him under the bus at that press conference, anyone was vying for Ramsey to be starting games.

We've had midfielders at right back on and off all season, including the opening game when Endo came on there, and there was no Ramsey talk then.

13 Feb 2026 21:12:03
Ramsay has had loans at Wigan, Bolton, Preston, and Kilmarnock, and couldn't break into the side at any of them. What makes people think he's good enough to play for Liverpool? Slot got slaughtered last season for going weak at Plymouth. Why should he risk it again, when Ramsay would probably be up against Mitoma?

13 Feb 2026 21:44:29
Whatever West Brom think, Nat Phillips proved his worth for all time in those dozen or so games. Almost all of those WBA players will never appear in Euro competitions. Nat did. He was very good for us. I don't think Ramsay will ever get to that level.

13 Feb 2026 22:23:08
Having seen Ramsay play for years, from his youth to breaking into the Aberdeen team and being Scotland's best young player, it's not ability that has held him back, it's been down to injuries. How many loans actually work out for a player? We don't know the terms or agreement in place when he went, and, again, most were cancelled due to injury. While he won't make it at Liverpool now, he still, as an RB, should be given the chance to show what he can do, if nothing else to get some value back and sell him so he can try resurrecting his career.

The way Slot has publicly slated Ramsay is a disgrace. He deserved a chance, if nothing else, but Slot's "trust" issues are very much to blame for him not getting one. Ramsay would, and still could be, PL level. It's easy to slate a guy none of you have ever actually seen play, but hey, that's why we're all sitting here instead of being paid millions to play football.

13 Feb 2026 22:27:08
Nat Phillips is also a multimillionaire after we gave him a 5-year GBP60k-a-week contract, Ed25.

{Ed025's Note - more fool you then BR.. :)

13 Feb 2026 22:29:22
Good point, JK, I don't think anyone would be mentioning Ramsey at all. The false outrage is priceless.

13 Feb 2026 22:41:29
I tend to agree with the sentiment of this post. We have very few players, and if Ramsay plays RB at a 6 or 7 (oh, how I hate that trend) out of 10, and thus allows Dom to influence games further forward, I'm all for it.

13 Feb 2026 22:44:11
Where have we slated him, Slottheboard? And, amazingly, I have seen him play, mate. I've seen him against Palace. He had an ok game, mate, in the 0-3 defeat. I remember leaving the ground utterly pissed off that we, as a team, were awful.

I can't remember thinking he was awful, but right back was a standout. And, I'd bet money, no one on here said it after the 0-3 defeat either.

13 Feb 2026 22:53:40
Just to add, I'd have zero issue seeing Ramsay playing there. Truth be told, I didn't want Endo there on Wed or Szob in the past, but they have. I also want Slot out, but I'm not going to beat him with a stick for not giving a PL debut to a youngster when we're already struggling all over the pitch.

13 Feb 2026 22:58:41
Agreed, JK.

13 Feb 2026 23:52:14
How did we start the season with Bradley as our only right back? I reckon Frimpong is a wing back. We really need to bring in a proper, solid right back who will also work well with Salah or his replacement. Then Szob can really stay in midfield, his best position. This no right back does my head in.

14 Feb 2026 01:49:59
No RB cover? Blame Hughes. No CB cover? Blame Hughes. No DCM? Blame Hughes. Slot doesn't buy players, but we all know damn well who does (and mostly overpays). That being said, Slot does/doesn't pick them on match day.

14 Feb 2026 02:56:06
Totally agree. I don't know who has influence over the decision to play Nat and Rhys as CBs, but I remember screaming for that on here with others. The strength of the team is in the midfield, and it just seems wacky to weaken the midfield to try and patch together the defense. So, today I totally agree.

I would much rather play a "weaker" RB at RB and then maintain the strength of the midfield. Also, I just think it sends the right message to the youngsters at the club, too. Otherwise, what is the point in having them if we're not going to use them in times like this?

14 Feb 2026 08:01:07
St Etienne, I'll blame both Hughes and Slot, as the latter knew the score when he signed. Slot should be playing more of the squad, and his stubborn reliance on a few players, combined with tactical ineptitude, makes him fair game.

14 Feb 2026 11:56:36
Spot on, Statto. A natural RB will always be a better option than a midfielder playing there, esp. when it comes to positioning for offsides, body shape in certain defensive 1 v 1 situations, etc., all the things a midfielder lacks.

14 Feb 2026 14:51:50
Stephenson, anyone?

13 Feb 2026 13:30:11
Ed001 what is your thoughts mate on trying Dom as an 8 alongside Grav with Grav as a 6.
I know Dom is not the best tackler, but I do think with their athleticism it would go some way to fixing the gaping holes in our midfield.

{Ed001's Note - that would be how I would prefer us to play. I think that would be our best pairing.}

13 Feb 2026 15:02:22
Ed001 what's your thoughts on Gravenberch he confuses me sometimes he looks pure world class receives the ball in the 6 position with two players round him does some mental turn loses them both and away he goes. Then he struggles all game to complete a 5 yard pass with no one on him.

{Ed001's Note - he is good in the deeper role, because of that ability to turn out of trouble. But he needs to work on his passing, desperately needs to learn to pass.}

13 Feb 2026 16:51:24
Yeah, if he could pass, Ed, he would be an outstanding player. The short passes should be no problem for him, Ed, because you can see how composed he is, the way he turns out of trouble with multiple players round him.

Long passes you would be able to work on, as most of the time deep players do have more time. But the worry is that he does give away simple passes way too often.

13 Feb 2026 16:52:40
Grav needs to keep passing simple, to avoid the trickier pass from the options of available players. Also, he needs to not take an extra touch to dribble more forward. If he kept it simple, with the turn into space and a simple pass forward at a quicker pace, his game would improve. imo.

13 Feb 2026 19:09:48
I think he's a class footballer, but his positional sense is very poor. He is constantly in the wrong place when we are out of possession. I think you'd really see the best of him with a real tough tackling No. 7 next to him.

13 Feb 2026 19:25:45
Not sure what a number 7 means nowadays, but to me it means Kevin Keegan, King Kenny, Peter Beardsley. Definitely not a tough tackling midfielder.

13 Feb 2026 20:35:20
If a midfielder can't pass the ball with at least 90% accurately then he's not a footballer.

13 Feb 2026 21:51:51
Only 5 midfielders have a passing accuracy of 90% or more this season. So by Shankly's criteria only Curtis Jones, Tom Cairney, Moises Caicedo, Sander Berge, and Lewis Miley are footballers.

13 Feb 2026 21:59:48
Pretty certain most midfielders won't have a 90% pass rate.

13 Feb 2026 22:32:17
They should, not as if they are trying 60 yard pings like Stevie was constantly landing on people's feet. Most of the passes they do are as simple as they come.

14 Feb 2026 02:56:52
imo, next year's strongest midfield combo will be Grav and Dom, with Wirtz ahead of them.

13 Feb 2026 22:03:47
I think he needs to add tackling, heading and positional sense to that too Ed

14 Feb 2026 07:10:27
That's our best combo at the moment, Faith. Altho I reckon we'll sign competition for Grav in the summer, so he'd better wake up and actually put in the odd tackle or he'll find himself getting splinters on his arse.

14 Feb 2026 10:40:48
Think it was Roy Keane who was describing himself, he said I win the ball n pass it to someone either 10 or 20 yards n I was good at doing that. You'd be surprised at how many footballers can't do that.

14 Feb 2026 11:59:34
Good shout there, Faith. Had we not had rb issues, and with Slot also looking for ways to play Dom at rb even with rbs available, that should be the starting trio in midfield, esp. with Grav sitting a lot more than he is doing now. Macca? The less said, the better.

16 Feb 2026 22:34:18
Florian, I agree, mate. But don't see that Slot agrees. :D I posted here that my prediction at the start of the season was that, over the course of this year, Wirtz would establish himself so that, by the 2026/27 season, Macca would be gone and it would be Wirtz, well established as the CAM and allowing Dom to play in his preferred and much more impactful position of 8.

What I didn't expect was Macca to turn into McDonalds overnight and really disrupt our rhythm and, in turn, Wirtz's transition into the team.

13 Feb 2026 12:46:07
Barcola is a much better player than Matheus Mane.
Kerkez and Mane on our left side would be equal to two headless chickens on the same flank?
Barcola is doable means another big summer of investment from FSG but that's also very possible.

13 Feb 2026 13:03:31
We are talking telephone numbers, better spent elsewhere or on several positions.

13 Feb 2026 13:26:37
Not convinced on Barcola for the money he'd cost.

13 Feb 2026 14:54:48
I personally think any winger we sign needs to have some real pace about them. I can't recall Barcola being particularly quick; he is more a ball-into-feet, dribble-type of player. We need someone to stretch the opposition when needed and be an outlet in behind, using their pace to disrupt the opposition. Pace is paramount. Having watched Gakpo and Salah this season, the lack of pace has been a very real Achilles heel.

It would also help Wirtz, who operates so much better with pacy players ahead of him. More often than not, Wirtz does not play the offensive pass because of a lack of movement ahead. Eki is the only real player willing to run in behind, and Wirtz instead keeps the ball moving, waiting for his next opportunity, rinse and repeat more often than not.

13 Feb 2026 14:15:20
I would rather sign Mane than Barcola personally.

I just think Mane would go on to be a superstar for us, whereas my gut says Barcola would flop. He's a young French player who's playing for his local team and the best team in his homeland. Every possible move for him except probably Real Madrid would be seen by him as a backwards step, even if he wouldn't outwardly admit that. You have to have the right mentality to be able to take a backwards step and not let it dent your motivation. I don't know much about him personally but he comes across as a bit of a fragile ego. I may be way off the mark with that though.

Mane on the other hand would be making the move of a lifetime if he left Wolves to come to us. Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal or United are the four dream clubs for most young English players and I'd hazard a guess that courtesy of his namesake, Sadio, Mateus Mane might well have already imagined himself at Liverpool one day.

I guess what I'm saying is I think Mane will give everything to succeed for us but I'd be worried about how Barcola will react to being perceived as surplus to requirements at PSG. On paper Barcola is clearly the better player right now and I'd just be talking rubbish if I tried to deny that. I just don't think it's the right move for us. Who would've guessed that Daniel Sturridge and Phillipe Coutinho would be better for us than Fernando Morientes and Jari Litmanen? Mane just feels like a Liverpool signing. Barcola doesn't, to me.

13 Feb 2026 15:39:08
I've seen quite a bit of Mane, he's athletic and has plenty of energy, but that's as far as I'd go right now. He's not as good as some are making him out to be, but he is only a young lad, and for a young lad he is promising.

Personally, I don't see the point. I think it'd be a big gamble, depending on the price tag, which I assume would be on the higher end. I wouldn't want Barcola either, I agree with Mango.

13 Feb 2026 16:33:23
Well, the posters banging the drum for Nunez all season have just had a great fillip. He has been axed from the Saudi squad he just joined at Al-Hilal. Benzema is his more than adequate replacement, and, perhaps most pleasingly, his replacement is also More Salad, who has 4 PL goals this season and six assists from 18 apps. Not hard to see who has not been pulling his weight. Regarding Diaz having to seek higher wages by going to Bayern, and Cody Gak-poor all season, you would have thought Slot, instead of offering a two-year contract for More Salad at circa 50 million, would have been more cautious, knowing full well he would be playing the AFCON and will do his utmost to avoid injury ahead of the World Cup, with a half a billion deal with a Saudi league club potentially pending. (Also, if he goes this summer, LFC will have to pay his remaining contract for next year at circa 25 million).

Diaz could have played RW all season, and Salah should have been sold last summer for 100 million, with part of his wages going towards Diaz staying. A top, top-notch manager would have spotted this in the making last summer. I note from reading Alex Ferguson's book that he had a "concrete agreement" in place to join Spurs in 1986, but he reneged for Man United instead. History tells me personally that Spurs would be absolute fools to not offer their current job to Amorim, and LFC, sadly, would be ideal for him. Can I also leave the Alonso bandwagoners and advocates with this thought: Alonso has already turned LFC down once for the RM job, hence Slot getting the nod at the time. That tells me Amorim is ideal for LFC next season, hopefully!

13 Feb 2026 16:44:46
I don't think any of us saw how drastic a tail off we'd see in Salah's form. Not even Mystic Meg.

13 Feb 2026 16:54:36
Salah was on a free last summer.

13 Feb 2026 16:54:42
007, how many have you had today?

13 Feb 2026 17:13:24
Gotta feel a bit for Darwin. He went from an 85 mill transfer gamble to no European club willing to take a gamble at 50 mill in the summer. The fact that he's only lasted 5 months in Saudi leaves him at a career crossroads. How much will a club need to pay to take the next gamble on him, I wonder.

13 Feb 2026 18:54:12
We could have had prime Messi, Suarez and Neymar, 007, and Slot's abysmal tactics would have made them look redundant. This pining after Diaz is comedy gold. He's better than Gakpo, but let's not pretend he was mostly flair with intermittent end products.

13 Feb 2026 22:37:52
Pretty sure prime Messi, Suarez, and Neymar would be just fine under Slot, Frode.

13 Feb 2026 23:01:36
Slot would play Messi in goal, Neymar at RB, and leave Suarez on the bench.

14 Feb 2026 00:02:03
On second thoughts, they'd probably struggle for game time ahead of Gakpo, Chiesa, Rio, and this season's Salah. It is up there with the best squads we've ever had, after all.

14 Feb 2026 02:58:36
Not saying Barcola is the guy, but he's already at PSG and doing his thing. So, personally, I'd like us to be unearthing the next Barcola, so to speak. These massive transfer fees are such a high risk with no increased guarantee of any positive outcome.

14 Feb 2026 08:02:32
Florian, would they? They wouldn't get the ball, because we'd play it around the back for an hour. I actually think Florian is Gakpo.

14 Feb 2026 12:02:11
Florian, I agree. I don't rate Barcola, esp. with the fee PSG would want. Nope, I'll pass. As for Mane, he is just a kid doing well in a dead team, hence just playing with no pressure. I seem to remember a certain Stefan Bajcetic doing the exact same thing with us in that dreadful 22/23 season.

We know what has happened since, hence I would be wary of making such signings under such circumstances.

13 Feb 2026 07:39:02
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Matchday 25 - Quick Round Up

13 Feb 2026 04:15:40
We have given them 6 points. Taken 5 away from Arsenal. We gave away kelleher who took 2 from Arsenal. Gave them guehi, gifted them semenyo ( who is doing his best salah inpression for them)
We have done everything we possibly can for city to win the title and when they do there are some players i want as payment and thanks next season. 😂.

13 Feb 2026 09:38:02
Jurgen's master plan - he sent them the book writer. I can see it all now. City to win the PL. Slot to get the old heave-ho, and Jurgen to be back in a blaze of glory for 26/27. On a slightly more serious note, it's nice to see Arteta showing signs of his usual end of season meltdown - nice to see him start the ball rolling with his post match comments about blocking out outside noise.

Let the games begin.

13 Feb 2026 09:49:20
I see what you did there, Cafu. Nice one, mate.

13 Feb 2026 10:35:49
It's not just his tar hair that melts as the weather gets better.

12 Feb 2026 19:11:08
Hi guys. Can we go back to last season and I'd like to know what everyone's favourite memory was. I'm not saying this because of who scored or just to annoy Ed25 but mine was Diogo with the derby winner.

12 Feb 2026 19:56:36
Seeing the fans celebrating outside Anfield. First time in my lifetime, and it was really special to see.

12 Feb 2026 20:10:54
Whole of the 2nd half against Spurs. Just pure euphoria, plus what followed.

12 Feb 2026 20:21:16
Nunez at Brentford. That's when I knew.

12 Feb 2026 21:11:15
Celebration for Macca's goal v Spurs in the game to seal the title.

12 Feb 2026 22:20:36
Good one, Faith. I'd be interested to know the decibels when the ball hit the net.

12 Feb 2026 23:27:23
Rome, I read somewhere that the movement in the stadium when that goal was scored was recorded as seismic activity. The earth literally moved!

12 Feb 2026 23:50:08
When Macca's goal v Spurs went in, I've never heard Anfield like it. What a moment, and celebrated with my son. Special.

13 Feb 2026 00:23:23
When Macca's goal went in, it caused a local earthquake, no s***.

13 Feb 2026 03:01:01
Toying with Manchester United whilst 3-0 up at Old Trafford.

13 Feb 2026 06:45:07
Like a cat with a mouse, Thunderbird. 💪

13 Feb 2026 07:02:37
2nd half v Spurs, when it was just pure euphoria, whiskey never tasted as nice as it did in the 30 mins of that game! The win against Brentford late on was massive. From memory, both Arsenal + City dropped points that weekend. Psychologically, I think that weekend was the real big 1.

13 Feb 2026 07:17:41
I'll sometimes watch the Tottenham MoTD highlights back after we've played badly, just to cheer me up!

13 Feb 2026 08:12:26
I'm just watching the end of match scenes on YouTube. I can't watch it without it bringing tears to my eyes. "One Kiss," "Freed from Desire," followed by "YNWA." I cherished every minute when I was there. It will come again. Have belief.

13 Feb 2026 09:56:46
LFC08, I remember very clearly that I collapsed to the ground in relief when Darwizzy tucked in that first goal at Brentford. Now, for me, it was our away fans celebrating our title win after we clinched it vs Spurs.

The songs, the celebration, the vibes, etc.? Just pure euphoria. @Willo_the_wisp, like you, I still have the MOTD highlights vs Spurs on my box. They are not getting deleted. Like ever.

13 Feb 2026 11:14:00
Darwin vs Brentford was the moment you felt it could really happen. Jota's winner vs Everton. Spurs at home was just the most amazing party! Alisson and Virgil's relief will live long in the memory.

13 Feb 2026 13:23:47
Why were our away fans at Spurs when we clinched the title at Anfield against them, Oli?

12 Feb 2026 18:47:39
Just watch on prime video on YouTube - when Liverpools kids beat Chelsea

And you will realise that slot has many qualities but a big thing he isn't doing is inspiring the younger players to help the team

And he's waiting for high quality we don't have only transfers could do that which is not right now.

13 Feb 2026 01:30:45
Apart from Nyoni, Rio, and Nallo, who have all played recently.

13 Feb 2026 08:25:44
Never let the truth get in the way, WDW.

13 Feb 2026 09:04:01
WDW - I am glad you named those three. Do you think they have been given a fair opportunity in the league this season? The League Cup is not an equivalent competition. Rio, maybe at the beginning of the season, when he accumulated most of his minutes, before Gakpo "had" to play 90+ every game.

The other two have been used appallingly. Beyond them? And last season?

13 Feb 2026 09:58:35
WDW, if Klopp was still here, a lot more youngsters would have gotten chances, for sure. Whether they make it here in the long term is something else, but they would have definitely gotten chances. Arne Slot is not interested, nor does he care about any of this. That much is clear.

12 Feb 2026 16:34:18
It seems obvious what we're lacking is pace and power in our wide forwards (wingers) and a dynamic player to break up the play in midfield.
Do you have any ideas of players fitting these attributes that we're currently linked to?

12 Feb 2026 17:05:29
How do you break down a low block? I don't know, it's tricky, and you need great technical players and lethal finishers. It's crucial you get an early goal. Or You can do what Klopp did and - to use an NFL term - blitz the opposition as soon as their attack breaks down. Basically, you have to transition so rapidly and attack them so intensely that they don't have a chance to get the low block organised.

Take the low block out of it by overwhelming them. Power and pace from wide would help, but it needs to be coupled with very rapid transition between defence and attack. Something we're not doing under Arne Slot.

12 Feb 2026 17:30:28
Even if they get the low block organized, Ron, you should be able to hammer it into submission. This keep patient BS is what it thrives at. You go at it, and go at it, and go at it until it just cracks.

We are often too passive, waiting for openings that never come, so ultimately we just end up wasting time and opportunities. We are only somewhat better of late, but still a long way to go.

12 Feb 2026 17:34:34
Pacey wide men who can dribble will solve the vast majority of our problems imo. Teams press us high now because they don't fear the ball over the top anymore. And our current wingers (or lack of) are incapable of spamming take-ons to upset a fixed low block. Salah, Gakpo, Isak, Hugo are all players designed to finish the move. Salah and Gakpo benefited from Diaz causing hassle, committing defenders, pulling wide, running in behind, etc, while Salah and Gakpo capitalise on the bit of space that opens up as a result. Salah benefited from Mane doing the same. Haaland benefits from Doku, Semenyo, Cherki doing that.

Haaland would struggle next to Mo and Gakpo, and vice versa. Balance. We need to build around Hugo, Isak, Flo now. All 3 will be further unlocked by fast dribblers. The thing is, while i hope we target super elite wide men like Olise (dream Mo replacement) or a Kvaradona (the one that got away), i think even "very good" will be enough as long as they have the right attributes. I think we have so much creativity from Flo and so much quality in Isak/Hugo that any two from the likes of Diomande, Barcola, Yildiz, Gordon, Williams, Adeyemi, Minteh would suffice.

12 Feb 2026 17:43:07
Reason why LFC are where they are is just a lack of quality in specific areas. Yes, we do need fast wingers who are direct and cause defences so much problems, as we kinda don't have that anymore. We do need Isak badly to finish all these chances we create.

And we need 3 defenders and a defensive minded midfielder, tackler, etc, etc. And hardly any sales. But if we do this one in one out crap, then it's over for years.

12 Feb 2026 17:48:26
The cure for that imo is bringing on a central progressive passer like Adam Wharton, who has already shown in the league how good he is at setting tempo, and then going in and buying pace in wide areas. Also, we do that and we further unlock Wirtz, who at times is having to drop deeper to pick up the ball, so by the time he gets near the box he isn't as explosive.

Once teams know you have dangerous runners in behind, they often step back 5 yards, which also invites chances for our forward players. Gakpo is a ball-to-feet winger, and at his age Salah has now become similar, which in turn can leave our striker, often Ekitike, isolated.

12 Feb 2026 17:49:26
Yan Diomande is the winger we seem to want, if we believe the rumours. Big fee needed, though. Other wingers linked are Malick Fofana, Yankubah Minteh, and the more unlikely Bradley Barcola and Michael Olise. I like the look of Matheus Mane at Wolves, like many other clubs. If rumours are to be believed, we are front runners for Adam Wharton. He's not a DM, but he would offer a lot more in terms of ball progression than Macca or Gravy do. Angelo Stiller is a similar profile, but maybe a little more mobile. We are amongst a whole load of clubs that like Lille's DM, Ayyoub Bouaddi.

The same goes for Kees Smit, although he's more box to box. I haven't seen any links with Carlos Baleba or Elliott Anderson, but I am sure they are liked. Lamine Camara and Lucien Agoume are a couple of alternatives, although only the latter is a true DM. A new name that was mentioned in the last couple of days is Nordsjaelland's Caleb Yirenki. Finally, there's a very Rodri-like kid at Stuttgart called Chema Andres. Although I am sure Real will be looking to take him back.

12 Feb 2026 18:04:19
Florian Wirtz, that's how you break a low block. 😂

12 Feb 2026 18:23:07
We've seen perfectly how a 4/3/3 operates under prime Klopp and, again, Slot, in the first half of last season. Our squad isn't built for that formation anymore. It lacks any direct speed. If the plan was to continue to play 4/3/3, we should've replaced Luis Diaz in summer and again in Jan.

12 Feb 2026 18:44:18
We have a head coach on £6 million per season, so should he not have a plan to beat the low block instead of moaning about the low block? Have a plan A, B, C in place. After all, that is what he is being paid for. YNWA.

12 Feb 2026 19:36:19
I feel our quick counter attack is truly finished. This was a massive part of our style and game, and made us dangerous. It made others fear us also, imo.

12 Feb 2026 19:55:07
A masterclass in coaching ideas. Thank you all.

13 Feb 2026 10:04:16
You can be as patient as you want, but if you are unable to make the oppo. defence think, the low block will remain intact for the whole game. As Ron said, Klopp played a way that made the oppo. team's defence think. His tactics, up-tempo and intensity, made them stay on their toes with their heads on a swivel, and our guys would smother them a bit like a python slowly wrapping its coils around its prey and then, gradually start squeezing.

And before the oppo. knew it, teams began to choke and then, we lay them out. Whereas the way Arne Slot plays lulls us all to sleep rather than make the oppo. low block think and react.

13 Feb 2026 12:57:54
Another key thing for breaking down the low block is making the most of our set pieces. Football is changing, teams are more efficient with them, while we remain awful.

12 Feb 2026 15:42:06
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Matchday 25 - Quick Round Up

12 Feb 2026 23:32:53
Thanks for the weekly round up Ed. Always look forward to reading these

{Ed001's Note - thanks mate.}

13 Feb 2026 08:17:25
We are still waiting for the Southampton review mate

13 Feb 2026 10:05:11
Livebird0031, stay tuned for the Amazon Prime series.

12 Feb 2026 14:23:47
So two of the next four teams in that run of "winnable" games we have will now be getting the new manager bounce. Really didn't need that.

12 Feb 2026 15:51:18
Think the Forest game is after they've played away to Fenerbahce on the Thursday in the Europa. That should help.

12 Feb 2026 16:42:54
There is zero consistency in what the Reds are serving up under Arne. We have been poor since the Spurs game last season, and the results/stats do not lie.Slotball is dross.

12 Feb 2026 16:48:26
Should still be winnable games.

12 Feb 2026 17:06:11
They'll be tough to break down. I prefer our games in May to these ones.

12 Feb 2026 19:22:20
I am old enough to remember our last winnable run of games, way back in December 2025.

12 Feb 2026 22:39:17
We will win at least 3 of our next four games.

13 Feb 2026 10:07:47
Respectfully, I don't care about games that are "winnable" on paper when this team has been a shambles in other "winnable" games, like Leeds (twice), Burnley, B'mouth, and Sunderland. Sorry, I can't take that rhetoric seriously.

12 Feb 2026 10:47:36
I'm really hoping this team turns a corner based on last nights result. There's been a few false dawns of late, but (late collapse against City aside) that's 3 wins in the last 4 and, Alisson mistake aside, you get a point out that City match.

I still get incredibly frustrated with the constant dropping off after scoring a goal. This must be a tactical instruction as it's been happening constantly, it has been routinely stinging us all season - I thought it would yet again last night. Thankfully I was wrong.

I thought the spine of the team last night played well however Gakpo and Salah are still struggling. The final action on both wings is just miles away from what it should be. Summer two wingers are a must, Diomande from Leipzig looks an absolute superstar in the making, he toyed with Bayern yesterday. In my opinion we badly lack a dynamic winger who can take players on. It would open a new facet to our game and likely free up Wirtz and Ekitike even more.

Wirtz is starting to play really well, Ekitike looks tired but he is always a thorn in the side of defenders. A rest this weekend in the FA cup would be a good decision.

I think we may have just enough to get into the UCL this season, finally some players are turning up. Next season a new winger (at least), combative midfielder and a new RB would really aid this team.

Thoughts Eds on Liverpool's fortunes going forwards?

12 Feb 2026 11:07:26
Definitely agree on the wingers..

12 Feb 2026 11:11:07
It's going to be a dogfight to get CL qualification via the league.I think a lot of focus is going into the CL knockout stages.

12 Feb 2026 11:33:42
And remember Ron, United have one game a week, and with us trying to win the CL as best as we can, it will take a lot out of us.

{Ed025's Note - they are playing football for 90 minutes Oli, not digging trenches for 8 hours a day mate.. :)

12 Feb 2026 11:47:16
We've turned more corners than the labyrinth cast.

12 Feb 2026 11:51:57
Add a CB or two to that list.

12 Feb 2026 12:46:36
A replacement for Mo must be found, as he nears the end of his illustrious career. He, for sure, will go to Saudi in the summer. Who wouldn't secure the future of his family? Treble his wages must be mad to turn that down, but, in all fairness, he is not firing on all cylinders.

He is more of a passenger. Any chance he can take Gakpo with him, and with that incoming money purchase Elise from Bayern, but would he want to return to the Premier League?

{Ed025's Note - i dont think Mo needs to secure his future by going to Saudi Hunter the guy is a multi multi multi millionaire mate, and if he does need a bit more he could always get a paper round in the middle east.. :)

12 Feb 2026 12:49:16
I agree on most of that, MonkeyMad. Jacquet is a good start to replace Konate, but I really want us to go and get Wharton and Diomande to replace Salah and Mac Allister. I think that would transform our team, as they're the 3 weak links in our best 11, in my opinion. From a squad perspective, I'd also look at Mingueza to replace Robertson because he's very versatile and can play LB, CB and RB, which will be a huge boost whilst we wait for Bradley's return and also Leoni to fully recover. On top of that, I'd also take a punt on Matheus Mane to replace Gakpo, as although he isn't like for like, he looks a real future star and helps the HG quota long term.

I also think Alisson will go, with Mamardashvili waiting patiently and Ali expressing a desire to return to Brazil. Lastly, I'd like to see Jaros, Stephenson, Nyoni and Rio get plenty of chances next season. They can help to replace the likes of Ramsay, Endo and Chiesa, who barely play anyway. Stephenson especially looked to be very good at both CB and RB last pre-season and is having another exceptional loan spell. I think he could be our very own Wes Brown/Nacho. You need a versatile clubman like that, in my opinion. Jaros, I think, could provide genuine competition for Mamardashvili. He might even be the better prospect.

12 Feb 2026 12:57:03
Hunter64, Salah is a club legend and deserves to go out on his own terms. I think the best move for him and the club is that he leaves in the summer, and no doubt Saudi will come kicking for our Egyptian King! This "secure kids" future rhetoric is a load of crap. He has been earning millions a year since he signed for the club, you don't think their futures are already secure? We're not talking about your typical 9-5 jobber here, we are talking about millionaires.

If he wants to go to Saudi and earn unimaginable sums of money, that is his choice, but let's not pretend he isn't already a superstar with significant wealth.

12 Feb 2026 13:04:25
I don't think Salah will go to Saudi. I think Turkey, or maybe even the MLS, are far more likely. My only reasoning for this is that they'd be better places for him to raise his family, and that seems to be a huge priority for him. Galatasaray and Fenerbahce would both take him in a heartbeat, and he'd be a huge coup for Turkish football.

Inter Miami might fancy a punt on Salah too, though, with Suarez (39), Messi (38), Busquets (37), etc, all getting on a bit. They may be on the lookout for a new global icon. I'm not ITK, I'm just putting 2 and 2 together, but probably getting 5.

12 Feb 2026 13:09:03
I thought Salah ran his socks off yesterday and had an okay game overall. I don't know what people were watching calling him a passenger! Absolute nonsense, maybe not his usual standard, but passenger means he is just stood there, which is simply not true.

12 Feb 2026 13:12:13
Arne Slot should be giving a lot more minutes to Chiesa and Rio at the moment. Gakpo and Salah offer very little right now and are getting full minutes (in the case of Salah).

12 Feb 2026 13:35:16
Here we go. We labour to a win against a newly promoted side who looked knackered and didn't create much, and suddenly the corner is turned. I think this is the twentieth time this season.

12 Feb 2026 13:38:16
Still need a senior cb too

12 Feb 2026 13:59:23
Definitely not turned a corner, Frode, but they got a draw at our place 2 months back, and they were unbeaten at home, so I take the positives from that.

12 Feb 2026 14:11:16
About right, Frode.

12 Feb 2026 14:27:35
Barnesy87, what about Jacquet? We've not spent £60m on him to sit on the bench, surely? I very much expect him to be starting next season alongside Virgil. We'd then have Leoni and Gomez as the senior back ups, which is admittedly quite a risk, with one just back from an ACL and the other serially injured. With that in mind, I'm certainly not against replacing Gomez as well, but will he actually leave? He seems to be linked away every summer, and every time we don't get an acceptable offer. His contract expires in June 2027, and to be honest with you, he'll probably just leave for free then.

We have a buy back clause for Quansah, which can be activated from July 2027. Maybe not a coincidence? All this is why I think a player like Mingueza, who is more than adept as a CB but can also play multiple other positions (primarily RB), is the best option to improve the CB depth. Then we look to re-sign Quansah summer 2027 and maybe put Virgil on a 1 year rolling deal, to be Sami Hyypia style 4th choice figure head.

12 Feb 2026 14:33:03
Surely Sunderland couldn't have been more knackered than us lads, what with our lack of fitness n all.

12 Feb 2026 14:52:39
Don't you know Florian, every single team in the world is fitter than us until the incredibly rare occasion that they're not, just like every half decent team has us figured out, but every now and then, out of purely good fortune, we stumble upon one that plays into our hands.

12 Feb 2026 15:09:48
Not sure about turning a corner with this team, but last night we played better, more togetherness, a bit more fight. We still lack the bravery n confidence to either finish the game off or hold on to a lead, but last night was undoubtedly better than lately. But its got to continue in every game. I just hope we do.

12 Feb 2026 15:14:07
The post-goal drop off is always weird. It's like there is an instruction to just protect the lead for a few mins, but it just ends up as an epic fail. It always feels like we aren't being coached to the players' strengths, which is to attack mainly.

12 Feb 2026 15:15:31
Not sure about fitness, but good to see the lads weren't grieving on a Wednesday night.

12 Feb 2026 15:25:59
I do think that the team lacks physical and mental fitness generally, and it doesn't help that we are particularly hamstrung with injuries, which means that Slot doesn't have a wealth of options once the 70-minute mark comes up. Against City, we were going man for man, and legs and minds were tired at the close of the game. That's just normal, and any team would start to tire at that point.

Madness that we didn't get reinforcements in January, just so we can keep the quality and intensity levels up late in the game. I still think that is a completely unacceptable decision from Hughes and Edwards. Having somebody like Geertruida there to fill in at right back so Dom can play in the center of the park would make such a difference for us.

12 Feb 2026 15:31:47
Flip back pre season, and the gloating that we had boss forwards, with not one person doubting the signings and existing players on the front line. Now, people are wanting more, suggesting players are tired, etc, and have suddenly become bad players. Unbelievable.

12 Feb 2026 18:51:06
I think it was Bob Paisley who said in an interview, "defending starts by attacking." In his Liverpool side, his first defender was Ian Rush.

12 Feb 2026 20:08:29
I thought we were a reasonable 7 out of 10 against Sunderland. One of our better performances in the league this season. We got the three points, which nobody else had done at their place this season, and, once again, Wirtz showed up well. I think the performances are getting better (not hard to do, really), and I think the win seemed a bit different - a bit more solid or assured, for want of a better word.

Hopefully, confidence levels (at least in the squad) get a bit of a boost. Totally unrelated, but congratulations to Millie on equaling Gareth Barry's PL appearance record.

12 Feb 2026 20:29:36
Well, if Hugo pressed like Rush instead of jogging, maybe we could play like Paisley's side.

13 Feb 2026 01:36:47
@Florian, have another read at what you just wrote and, like me, have a little laugh too. @Frode, totally agree, people harping on about turning corners all season - it's pathetic, although it seems to happen mostly when we win, eh?

13 Feb 2026 10:09:41
You're prolly right. Everton have been playing one game a week for 20 years, and they are still, well, Neverton.

13 Feb 2026 18:58:10
Wdw, mind you, Florian and another few on here were gloating when we'd gone on an unbeaten run, despite us drawing most of them against dross opposition and still condemning us to sixth.

12 Feb 2026
New image uploaded to the
Liverpool Player Sightings page entitled,

Click picture for larger image

12 Feb 2026 08:57:57
Is 'her' name Callie Ramsay? Honestly think that kid will try anything at this point to get a game.

12 Feb 2026 09:21:49
Ha! That made me guffaw MK.

12 Feb 2026 09:23:56
A bald fraud of a manager that's who.

12 Feb 2026 10:19:24
Classy.

12 Feb 2026 10:19:24
Classy..

12 Feb 2026 10:24:18
You truly are the definition of a "supporter", Frode. YNWA and all that, eh?

12 Feb 2026 10:48:08
Maybe that's why Slot flies back to Holland so much.

12 Feb 2026 11:28:10
What is this weird notion that you can't support a club and still don't believe in the manager? All the evidence is there that he is actively hurting the club: alienating players, outing youngsters in the media, etc.

YNWA goes a long way, but surely it isn't absolute in the sense that, as a fan, you should just bend over and support everything associated with the club. My opinion, at least.

12 Feb 2026 11:35:26
"What is this weird notion that you can't support a club and still don't believe in the manager?" @DAN, that notion is called nuance, or lack thereof.

12 Feb 2026 11:37:28
"Not believing in" vs "relentlessly abusing on SM". Where is the dividing line? Not for me to say, but it feels like it's crossed by some posts.

12 Feb 2026 11:48:12
Come in and ride back. I'm here all week.

12 Feb 2026 13:06:50
It certainly does, Ron. Can't see why posters can't voice their concerns without getting personal. Not necessary at all.

12 Feb 2026 13:15:30
I can't believe a fellow fan calling the manager a fraud has triggered so many of you. Jesus, get a grip, it's a banter site. Occasionally, people might say things you don't like.

12 Feb 2026 13:44:42
I support Liverpool, not Arne Slot, and I want the best for Liverpool, and currently that's not him.

12 Feb 2026 14:35:21
We all support LFC, Frode. Doing it with a bit of class doesn't hurt.

12 Feb 2026 15:06:52
FM if you stop posting when Slot gets the sack I'll be convinced you're Slot! If you are, do the right thing and bugger off you bald fraud ;)

12 Feb 2026 19:12:21
I agree with Frode.