Liverpool Banter 4

05 Apr 2026 15:16:52
Pardon my ignorance, but don’t the club conduct meetings with fan groups to discuss issues Liverpool related and fans to air concerns? Seems the club is becoming out of touch with fans, which is not what LFC stand for.

05 Apr 2026 16:13:01
Well, the fans walked out early yesterday so I think that says everything.

05 Apr 2026 16:31:44
As far as I'm aware, the Spirit of Shankly have a say on certain matters. I doubt very much that that stretches to having an input on the sacking of a Head Coach, though.

05 Apr 2026 16:46:38
Don't we have an AGM meeting or something?

05 Apr 2026 14:32:47
Lack of fitness really rears its head when you’re behind or towards the end of a half.
Fatigue affects concentration and you make silly mistakes, either conceding or missing easy chances.
It’s obvious that’s been a huge problem for us. At the beginning of the season we were nicking results late in games. Now other team's fitness has clearly overtaken ours. We’re on the wrong end of those outcomes.
Secondly, recently, when we’ve been behind, there seems to be no energy to turn it around.

I’m sure the players care. They’re just under-conditioned for the Premier League.

No doubt they’d be flying in the Eredivise.

Fitness and Leadership are the biggest issues the players face.

A new manager and fitness coaches can turn fitness around in the summer.
Leadership is a bigger issue.
I think we need a “midfield enforcer” to come in and be the dressing room leader we need.

The central spine of the team is weak. Isak will make a difference when fit. Becker will too, but we need to work out his long-term replacement soon.
Central defence and midfield are something which a new manager needs to work out immediately.

05 Apr 2026 15:09:08
I think you give them too much credit, Ron. Yes, we're being managed by an absolute joker, so things have to be contextualized from that point, but if the players actually cared like they should, they'd take it upon themselves to improve their fitness, be competitive in games, fight until the last, and even ignore the "coach" that they clearly do not want to play for.


Everything below the part about Eredivisie, I agree with.

05 Apr 2026 15:10:20
100%. Ruben Peeters, Lead Physical Performance Coach, brought in from Feyenoord along with Slot, is not catching anywhere near enough flack. Apparently his whole angle at Feyenoord was increasing "player availability". I can only imagine they did this by reducing the intensity/frequency of training sessions, which of course aligns with the rumours we've been hearing.

That might have worked in the Red Light League, but they're dealing with elite athletes now. Sometimes less is more, but this is not one of those times.

05 Apr 2026 16:50:47
And when exactly will they work on their fitness in the summer?

Will they be given a fitness program to do in-between the games at the World Cup?

It's going to be a long summer and longer campaign next season.



Maybe we can buy 7/8 very fit players to make up for the lack of fitness now and lack of time that we'll have getting everyone to the required fitness levels for next season.

05 Apr 2026 17:02:29
Buy 7fit players in the summer, Slot will train that out of them by xmas.

05 Apr 2026 17:35:55
FYI, JLC - Not all our players will play in the final of the World Cup. 👍

05 Apr 2026 19:35:24
Not the final, Ron, but nearly all will be impacted. The fact that it is a WC year and the reduced training time haven't made the board assess the situation earlier than the end of the season is concerning.

Combined with Slot being out of ideas, losing the team, and producing terrible football for over 9 months, with no intervention, paints a really damning picture.

Obviously, changes can be made in the summer, but we're starting out so far behind, it will now be a monumental challenge for the club to get back on track at some point next season, let alone the start of the season.

Even if we get recruitment exactly right and the next manager is perfect at addressing all the problems that have developed over the last year, I'm worried we struggle for part of next season as well.

05 Apr 2026 21:03:59
The fact that our players haven’t really put much of a shift in all season (except Dom, who isn’t going to the World Cup) will probably make them perform better in USA, and they’ll probably be less gassed than players from other teams.



The World Cup will impact every Premier League squad, but our players may have a bit of a head start because they’ve been strolling for 10 months instead of battling.

05 Apr 2026 14:23:27
Can someone tell me what Hughes n Edwards do everyday at the club, esp Hughes, there is only so many players to look at, so many contracts to do, so many chats you can have with a manager, what is their actual day to day job?

05 Apr 2026 15:11:03
Fannying about by the looks of it.

05 Apr 2026 15:22:37
The thing about football is that it's really not that complicated.

The issue with these modern suits is they think they are galaxy brains playing 4d chess, and that's why they're paid so much money.

We just wouldn't get it. Their genius minds can see five years into the future, and have calculated that we will be the best team in Europe, so long as we persist through this "transition" period.

05 Apr 2026 15:32:53
Strom, what do people in similar roles at other clubs do? Very few of us know. I certainly don't know, or particularly care.

05 Apr 2026 17:01:40
What do Hughes and Edwards do? A circle jerk every morning with the loser eating the spoiled digestive.

05 Apr 2026 17:20:34
They analyze the Slot stats, saying we are performing great, and should have won every game if it wasn't for the opposition.

05 Apr 2026 19:12:51
Glad I'm not the only who is a bit clueless, but thanks, Viktor, I won't be eating Digestives ever again ha.

05 Apr 2026 20:31:19
If they really back the manager, then where is the contract extension? Asking for a friend.

05 Apr 2026 22:53:25
They probably read this and crack up at a lot of the posts.

05 Apr 2026 14:18:57
Jesus Christ, I have never heard a player admit that the team gave up. But, Van Dijk, our captain, has just admitted as such. It is one thing to see it and know it, but another to have it outrightly confirmed.

If I went to the match, paid the ticket, then I would be absolutely furious to hear that.

05 Apr 2026 14:42:55
He's just not a leader for me. Great player, don't get me wrong, but in many respects the game has come too easy for him. In the past he's been able to stroll through the game, he's quick and can recover. He's dominant in the air so he's been able to be out of position and cope.

He's never been a 'blood, guts and thunder' type of player, he didn't need to be.

Now the game is too quick for him to recover, he's struggling.

Great servant, tough to replace, needs to be done ASAP.

05 Apr 2026 15:12:12
Agreed, not a leader, not a fighter, no grit, no passion. Great servant, will always be remembered fondly, but his time is up for me.

05 Apr 2026 15:46:17
I don't think his time is, but maybe it's time to remove the captaincy from him, I remember GH taking it from Sami Hyypia and gave to Gerard.
It improved his game if I remember.

05 Apr 2026 15:53:49
Funny how Mo's been crucified by fans, yet Van Diijk is having a woeful season and people are still backing him. He's 35 and having the worst season of his career. He's not recovering from this. Get a fee for him while we still can before we end up in the exact same situation with him next season as we did with Salah.

05 Apr 2026 16:00:28
Similar predicament to Salah, if he doesn’t ask to leave we have to pay up his contract, or at least part, and what would we get for him, probably less than his wages for the year.

05 Apr 2026 16:25:42
It's time to move him and get some fee. Legend and all that but he is done at top level and is 35 so yea no hard feelings, but he can go to MLS with Salah.

05 Apr 2026 19:02:12
I've been saying for weeks Vvd is a s**t captain, he has been making excuses since they apparently had a players only meeting in December, so sick of the players coming out and saying they don't understand what's going wrong, what's wrong is they're unfit and look like they don't give a flying f***.

05 Apr 2026 19:41:39
I agree Vvd hasn't been great this year, but I also agree with Chewy that Salah has gotten far worse treatment this season, and the treatment of Vvd and Salah is not consistent.

I also think this is why it's so damaging for the club to have persisted with Slot because now we're in the position of talking about "getting rid" of two legends who don't want to leave and could still have so much to offer because we're grasping for any solution to improve the team or blame players for the poor performances.



I think it's damage done to the club because both these players are class and if used properly in a team that hasn't been literally beaten into submission by Slotball negativity and poor fitness, they have a lot to offer on the pitch and even more to offer off the pitch.

{Ed025's Note - im not having that Snuggle, their poor form has been one of the reasons you have been struggling mate, these are seasoned internationals who cant control a ball or make a tackle and i know Slot has a lot to answer for but so do them 2 who are supposed to be leaders, the only thing wrong here is that you are very unlikely to get any money for them..

05 Apr 2026 20:32:01
Did we really need Vvd to say or infer that, op? We can see that with our own eyes, no?

05 Apr 2026 14:16:56
Worst case scenario this season is we are eliminated from CL by PSG and we don't finish 5th. I am in the Slot out camp simply because of the turgid performances and tactics.

We have been in worst situations than above. Does no one remember Roy Hodgson's era with the club days away from administration?

I have supported LFC since 1981. Like everyone else I have seen highs and lows.

Highs. Too many to mention.

Lows: Souness era, Evans era of Spice Boys, Houllier era (last 2 years of it 1-9-1 tactics), Hodgson era, Rodgers era (Luis Suarez dragged us nearly to the league title).



We won the league last season when we had no right to. Most agreed that finishing top 4 and a good cup run would be a good result from Slot's first season.

Next season will be a fresh slate with new manager, few new players and a stronger LFC.

Let us put things into perspective.

Arne Slot will be gone and we will rise again.

05 Apr 2026 14:44:05
Good post, CL qualification is important but not vital.

05 Apr 2026 14:56:31
I think CL qualification is pretty vital myself. How much revenue does it generate? Massive loss in my opinion.

05 Apr 2026 14:57:47
So one year after winning the league and signing players worth a fortune, and watching the drop off under Slot, and the loss of faith from a fans' perspective, it's not vital we get Champions League? Of course it is, for the money, the pull of the club when it comes to signings, the whole mood of the fanbase.
If we don't qualify after one season of winning the league, then the negligence from FSG in not stopping the rot before Xmas is beyond huge.
I still cannot get my head around us not changing things earlier on, when it was clear things weren't working, and if any of this is down to the arrogance of Edwards and Hughes wanting to prorect their man, then the lot need to be outed.


This is Liverpool Football Club, not a project club or a club to keep putting back in transition, a club that should expect the highest order every season.
I'm sorry, but the Europa League isn't somewhere we need to be one season after walking the Premier League.
YNWA.

05 Apr 2026 15:05:17
For one season it's not vital, otherwise we would have sacked Klopp when he didn't qualify.

"Vital" to me means the club will take years to recover. It's simply not true that one season out of CL will cause that. Several seasons would, which is why lack of CL will lead to changes.

05 Apr 2026 15:18:08
Heavily disagree, Ron, it's absolutely vital. Not qualifying will see us lose £100+ million in revenue, meaning a reduced transfer budget and making us a far less attractive project to any potential transfer prospects. It will also leave us with our own players more likely to consider moves elsewhere.

05 Apr 2026 15:28:44
I also remember how long it took for us to recover from those bad periods, AYB. It was years of football being miserable.

I don't want the trio of frauds Edwards, Hughes and Slot blowing Klopp's legacy with their incompetence. We've been too patient watching the club catch up on the pitch and financially to allow these fools to come in and ruin it.

05 Apr 2026 16:28:58
I think you guys are forgetting we will still be in Europa League, which still is 30mill in revenue and another 20mill if we win it. So, yea it's not absolutely vital, but does not mean we should be giving it our everything.

05 Apr 2026 17:05:34
Cafu, I really hope you're joking mate.

05 Apr 2026 17:15:16
Europa League is massively disruptive to a league campaign. The absolute maximum a team can earn, including winning the final, is substantially less than what you're saying, Cafu. If a team had a perfect run this season, this is how the prize money would work out.

League Phase Participation Fee £3.74m
8 League Wins (EUR450k per win) £3.13m
1st Place Ranking Bonus (36 shares) £2.35m
Top 8 Finish Bonus £521k
Round of 16 Qualification £1.52m
Quarter-final Qualification £2.17m
Semi-final Qualification £3.65m
Finalist Bonus £6.08m
Champion's Bonus £5.21m
TOTAL £28.37m

Compare that with what we've already got from the year's Champions League, which is around £83m.

That's a £50m+ black hole in the budget. And that's without discussing the hugely disruptive impact Thursday night football has on the bread and butter of the league campaign. Don't sit there and paint it as being ok. It's nothing but toxic positivity.

05 Apr 2026 17:38:57
What was it when Klopp didn't qualify for the CL?

Presumably, the club folded and we sold all our first team players...

Or, maybe it wasn't the death knell it's being painted as. Maybe it turned out "OK"?

05 Apr 2026 17:56:40
Ron, the club survived it because it was the only time in eight full seasons that Klopp didn't achieve Champions League qualification. Everyone knew what the issue was (the midfield), Klopp said "mea culpa", but everyone still trusted Klopp to put us right again and players still wanted to come and play for Klopp. He had earned that.

Financially, we invested okay that summer. We let go of some big earners that summer (Firmino, Henderson, Milner, Fabinho).

Could we have invested more if we had qualified for the Champions League? Probably.

I'm not so certain that failure to qualify for the Champions League will be interpreted as a blip as much as it was last time. We will be left to convince players of the validity of the project again. Urgent course correction is needed at the club, preferably before the end of the season.

05 Apr 2026 20:34:52
Spot on, Babbity. And btw, many of us hated watching us play EL that season and couldn't wait for us to get back to CL footie the season after.

Is CL vital? It depends on what you think a lack of CL footie would impact us, esp.

when it comes to being able to attract the actual players we need of a higher quality. Pretty subjective, imo.

05 Apr 2026 20:51:52
From vital to death knell? Upping the ante, Ron? I don't think anyone has suggested it would be the end of the club.

05 Apr 2026 13:35:18
At this rate Slot is after our lives with these performances, I streamed that match and was sat by myself but I tell you I felt ashamed (why I don't know). Haaland used to hardly have a sniff Vs Liverpool. We've been humiliated 3 times just this season already and whatever aura we had left If any is surely gone.

05 Apr 2026 12:21:33
For discussion, who would people prefer to be our next manager next season?

Seems to be out of
Alonso.
Hoeness.
Ariola.

For me Hoeness.

Also, who would people prefer as captain next season? Tougher question for me as hard to decide with a lot of the old guard leaving.



Szoboszlai.
Robertson if there, but wouldn’t play as much.

Allison, never been a fan of a keeper being captain and has more injuries lately.

05 Apr 2026 12:46:07
Manager: Alonso (although his style won't be too dissimilar to Slots)
Captain: Ehhh VVD? Where's he going?

05 Apr 2026 12:53:46
Iraola.

05 Apr 2026 13:02:55
Alonso is the least experienced of the 3. I'll support him, but there's plenty better out there, I believe.

05 Apr 2026 13:37:29
Re Xabi - He is the only coach, bar Klopp with Dortmund, to break Bayern's dominance of the Bundesliga in the last 15 years, along with picking up multiple trophies.

He's worked under Rafa, Mourinho, Guardiola and Ancelotti.

Why are we saying he's inexperienced?

05 Apr 2026 13:38:06
Iraola for me. I think he's done wonders with Bournemouth after they sold half of their first team.
I'd stick with VVD until he leaves end of next season, and then I'd go for Dom.

05 Apr 2026 13:38:30
Slot doesn't have a style. So, I'm guessing Alonso doesn't either.

05 Apr 2026 13:40:01
I'm just done. I want the season to end.

In an ideal world, we sack Edwards, Hughes and Slot. Jurgen steps back in for another 15 years without Pep Lijnders, and we go back to Heavy metal Fist pumping all out War.

Second best scenario, they all leave, and we have an overhaul anyway.

And if not, then the FSG pitchforks will, and should, be back out.

It's got to the point now where nobody cares, and our best player this season is seemingly blaming the fans. They all can go for me. Every single one of them.

05 Apr 2026 14:04:20
Enrique.

05 Apr 2026 14:27:03
Alonso, hands down, his achievements are by far the most impressive. Hoeness is the clear 2nd choice. Iraola if needs be.

Dom for captain with the current squad, he's the only one out there playing like one, but I fear he doesn't have the fire we need.

A Souness/Keane type figure could take this team to the next level, trying to find one these days is no mean feat.

funky061, VVD clearly isn't up to the task.

Incredible Bulk, less than zero chance of getting Enrique mate.

05 Apr 2026 14:47:17
Manager = Iraola - the most similar to Klopp, in my opinion. His Bournemouth team press like Klopp's. They are one of the teams which do the most running in Europe since Klopp.

New player to be captain, someone with high standards in fitness and professionalism. If Newcastle are in the mood to sell, forget Gordon and go and get Bruno.

05 Apr 2026 15:01:58
In fantasy football world, what Liverpoolfc8 said,
Klopp for 15 years, with no Ljinders and all out heavy metal fist pumping war, couldn't have put it better myself.

05 Apr 2026 15:03:54
Alonso for me. Excelled at Bayer, held his head high at Madrid. Just feels like the right fit at Liverpool, and if his reputation for driving the RM players hard at training is correct, he could be the antidote to our current lethargy on the pitch.

05 Apr 2026 12:02:30
We all know the issues with the club and team. The topic has been done to death:

Slot. Hughes and Edwards. Lack of fitness. Players not being arsed, etc.

But one of my biggest concerns for next season is leadership within the squad.

Slot is currently my number one concern, but I believe he'll be gone next season. On the other hand, we have very few leaders and the players we're linked with aren't really that either.

In our current squad, I consider Robbo the best leader and captaincy option, but he's no longer a starter and there's every chance he goes at the end of the season.

VvD is not a leader and should not be our captain next season. He's like a teenager that throws his arms up and blames others for everything.

So who do you captain?

I know Szobo is the Hungary captain. Maybe he's the best option, but he's not quite the captain type in my opinion and I worry his head would get too big with the role.



Ali? Maybe. I'm not a big fan of goalkeeper captains but maybe. He seems like a fairly quiet guy though.

Beyond the captaincy, I'd love for us to get some more experienced players who are leaders even if they're not the captain. We often go young exciting prospects but I feel we're in desperate need for leaders!

I'd love someone like Anderson who, despite being young, has leadership qualities in my opinion, but he seems mostly linked with the Manchester clubs. Would also like a more experienced CB if Konate goes, not just another young guy.

Anyway, I think this is an important area I hope the new coach pays attention to. I pray we get CL so we can go for the top players next season!

05 Apr 2026 12:21:55
I share the exact same concerns. Dom is the obvious choice as he's the only one out there who's playing like a captain, but I do worry he's not aggressive enough, I don't see him lighting a fire under anyone out there at the moment, which is the kind of trait you want to see in a potential captain, whether he's wearing the armband or not.

He's the only real candidate right now, so I'm hoping he'll step up to the plate because Virg just isn't doing it, which is a shame, I really thought he'd do better in the role considering his experience.

05 Apr 2026 12:23:29
I'd get in a guy like Lacroix.

05 Apr 2026 12:32:01
There is nobody in the current starting XI with the cojones required to be captain. They all appear to be petulant pouting sulkers. Maybe Salah would have been a better choice than Virgil.

If it were solely based on passion and fight, then it is a 2-way shootout between Endo and Chiesa, as sadly Robbo appears to be off next season.



However, neither of these two are of the preferred age nor standard required.

05 Apr 2026 12:36:55
Ed1, do you see all three stooges being gone this summer? There were articles from both Joyce and Ornstein during the international break which insist that FSG is fully backing Slot, FSG sees him as the one to turn things around; Slot is their man, etc. Joyce also stated that Edwards might not renew his contract, and that Saudi clubs are interested in Hughes as DoF.

I consider Joyce to be quite reliable when it comes to Liverpool news, so it looks like Slot might stay while the other two could leave, which is worrying because I can't really think of any reasons to keep Slot for another season. Personally, I want all three to be gone this summer, but FSG might think that's too much change at once.

{Ed001's Note - I expect the crowd to turn, and all 3 to go because of it. I don't believe a word Joyce says. I would be stunned if Slot was in charge next season.}

05 Apr 2026 13:05:11
Joyce = firms man. He'll spout what he's told.

05 Apr 2026 13:38:28
Chewy, agree, mate. I think likely VvD or Dom get it next season. I'd rather Dom since VvD didn't clothe himself in glory.

SSSS, Lacroix is a really good shout. Has done very well in a struggling CP that lost Olise, Eze and Guehi in the last little while, plus extended periods of time with an injured Sarr and very out-of-form Mateta. Lacroix really stepped up in that squad after Guehi left and you can tell he's outspoken and a strong personality.



StEtienne, gotta feel for Endo. Was captain in his previous team, captain for Japan, too. Did a job for us under Klopp and always gave his best. Then Slot barely used him and he's now injured in a race to make the WC squad. Really sucks for the guy.

05 Apr 2026 13:38:57
If you don't sign players that like to tackle, you can't cry about not having leaders when the chips are down.

05 Apr 2026 13:41:46
We've seen our senior players over the years at times, Down Tools.

This is no different, and they all sacked the season off last year. There's only one fixture that matters, and it happens to be Next.

05 Apr 2026 14:52:12
Agree with StEtienne.

If there is a way we can get Bruno Guimares, he'd be my captain.

05 Apr 2026 16:57:45
FSG fully back Slot?

Really? Did they appoint him? Or did FSG appoint people to look after these footballing matters?

05 Apr 2026 17:19:50
JLC, although people are of course hired to deal with the formalities of appointments and whatnot, ultimately FSG have final say on such matters.

Edwards/Hughes are not acting as some ''commander-in-chief'' duo. They make recommendations to the board/owners. They don't call the shots on big decisions like this. They have freedom on day-to-day running matters but not major decisions like managerial appointments.

05 Apr 2026 11:57:18
Sad to watch the players capitulate when faced with adversity.

05 Apr 2026 12:12:52
Even sadder, knowing that it's because they're fed up playing for a fool who has no idea what he's doing, sadder again, knowing the board and the owners don't have the balls to make a call, the season could have been saved 4/5 months ago.

05 Apr 2026 12:47:04
It's the Slot way unfortunately.

05 Apr 2026 13:04:28
Agreed, you have to think why practically the whole team basically collapsed when they went a goal down. A season of horrible results, dire performances, has had its effect. Sad to see, but you have to ask if the same players would be significantly better under another coach? I believe you would see a definite improvement for sure.

05 Apr 2026 13:41:50
Not looking forward to PSG.

I think, even Rob Page from the Under 21s would've done a better job if given an interim role the last 2 months.