Liverpool Banter 4

10 Apr 2026 20:53:03
Players like Robo are leaving because they were not offered a new contract and rightly so. He would have wanted a 3 year deal which would have taken him to 35 and too old.

In hindsight, which is a great thing, we would not have resigned Salah or Van Dykk and kept Diaz.
Salah was a waste of at least 20m in wages and Van Dykk has been poor in too many games.

10 Apr 2026 22:25:54
Starting any sentence off with "In hindsight" is completely irrelevant unless you've got a time machine. Salah had a record season, there's not a club on the planet who wouldn't have given him an extension. Van Dijk too was exceptional last season. Nobody with half a brain would let either of them walk for free after they guided us to a league title.

10 Apr 2026 22:30:57
And Diaz wanted to leave.

11 Apr 2026 03:10:11
OP, how do you know he "would have wanted a 3 year deal"? He, like Millie, wants to play as much footy as he can, whilst he can. Good luck to the lad.

11 Apr 2026 10:46:09
There was a reason klopp kept players around for longer than some fans wanted. Do you think if milly/hendo was still here the players would be where they are at atm? Losing Robbo and Mo is going to weaken the mentality of the squad, replacing men with pansies seems to be the M.O

10 Apr 2026 21:12:21
Ed's, or any ITK's,
Having watched our manager state he feels he has the support of the club and the fans, I find myself wondering if he is delusional?
Is this just bravado, keeping to the party line or does he mistakenly believe he really has our backing?
Thanks to all for a brilliant site
Phil.

{Ed001's Note - I think he is just saying what he has to say. If he criticised the fans that would immediately turn the atmosphere toxic. To be fair to him, a lot of the away fans have shown him incredible support, which I don't believe he deserved.}

10 Apr 2026 22:14:04
Lots of away fans have cheered Slot this season. Unfortunately, they are at Anfield.

10 Apr 2026 22:29:43
Option number 2 - Slot, "I am feeling the pressure now more than ever, the fans are booing, leaving games early, they call me a bald fraud on social media. I've been pretty sure that I'm getting fired at the end of the season for months now, I have had numerous meetings with the higher ups, none of them have gone well, things are not looking good."

Do you think that's the sort of thing he should come out with? I'm genuinely keen to know.

11 Apr 2026 01:26:56
He doesn't deserve support either away from home or at home. He's played his hand and couldn't give 2fs about the supporters. It's clear and obvious for months. He's an egotist. Which is fine to an extent if you are winning all the time. Or some of the time. But certainly not none of the time. Anyway, the end is near, thanks be to God.

10 Apr 2026 20:27:58
Hopefully wrong and Carra right but with players leaving on free transfers does slot think he is staying and players want to leave?

10 Apr 2026 19:38:56
After last summer's Kleenex transfer window, I genuinely hope they realise what they need to do this summer because all those Kleenex's should have been used for our tears at the shambles we have become.
Everyone asking for new wingers but how on earth are we going to fit Isak, Ekitike, 2 wingers, Wirtz, Szobozlai, Gravenberch and two attacking fullbacks into a functioning team?
No legs, defensive mindset, no physicality and no drive in that midfield.


A rebuild of midfield is needed.
They offer no protection to the defence whatsoever!

10 Apr 2026 19:48:11
If Hughes and Edwards are at the helm, I wouldn't trust them to do a pi$$ up in a brewery.

10 Apr 2026 19:59:18
Tell me, how is it you propose to move forward without replacing Salah? Look how well not replacing Diaz went. Players will have to adapt. End of.

10 Apr 2026 20:03:31
Could try an old fashioned 4-4-1-1, Wirtz in the free roll/10. Ekitike to rotate with Isak, wingers start on their natural sides but switch as needed like PSG. Gravenburch to sit in, and Szoboszlai as the engine room. If we get a DM, then chop and change them as needed, dependent on the opposition.

10 Apr 2026 23:34:01
Teacake on the left, Diomande on the right, Isak up front, Joao Gomes central mid, Mac at Madrid.

11 Apr 2026 03:26:07
@Chewy, We can't replace prime Salah - there was nobody like him and for three or four years he was the best in the world in his position. So, we either continue playing him until he's 40 or we move on and adapt the team to play a different way.

He and Robbo have accepted that they aren't going to be regular starters next season, but still want to be regular starters at the best level they can get. Good on 'em for giving it a crack, and I really hope they are successful.

That said, we need to move on. Hopefully at the start of next season we have 3 or 4 starters / worthwhile squad members added to the squad and a coaching staff that has the team fit and ready to play in August and that has a style of football in place that allows players like Dom, FW, Hugo, AI to achieve what we know they can do.

If we can do that then, again, hopefully we can look forward, restore belief and tear up the PL and Europe rather than looking back on what we had and lost.

10 Apr 2026 17:59:11
Does anyone else feel everything reeks at our beloved club at the moment?
I mean, obviously I am reading into Robbo’s statement. But think about it. Top players leaving, personality like Salah who literally fought for his big contract last year.

It’s a little bit unsettling.
I have a feeling something is very, very wrong at the club and we are not in a good space.

Top Management to academy everything seems broken.

10 Apr 2026 18:32:32
Something is very wrong, we have a pack of morons at the helm.

10 Apr 2026 18:47:02
I do agree, Cafu, that there's more wrong than just the manager.

10 Apr 2026 18:56:56
I just wish everyone gets their act together and this year is a one off and we get back on track.
Truth be told, the damage this year can go into a spiral easily and take years to recover.



Something has to give, and if it's changing structure top to bottom, then be it.

The first 11 has already changed vastly and will change even more this summer. So we better have plan A, B and C ready.

10 Apr 2026 19:27:45
Klopp was the Glue. The divide between Club and Fans now is very alarming.

I knew the day we deliberately crashed out of the cup at home in front of our own, there was something massively wrong.

It's getting toxic as well.

10 Apr 2026 19:29:12
It was always going to be extremely difficult to replace Klopp/Salah/VVD/Ali who absolutely are in the best manager/player debates that ever graced the red jersey. Add in Robbo + Trent and it's a serious serious job, all in 2/3 seasons.
Imo what we have to get back to is the work ethic, Slot has let it slip and he will pay the price.

Players have at times been disgraceful with their efforts regardless who the manager is. Sign a couple of proper men and get rid of anybody who aint interested in hard work. I think we do OK.

10 Apr 2026 19:36:00
LiverpoolFC8, that was the game, mate. Do you remember how horrible the night was? I just couldn't get over the disrespect shown towards the fans that night.

10 Apr 2026 19:14:58
Well I can now certainly see the truth that ED01 always opinionated regarding Hughes and Edwards. They have proved to be highly incompetent at doing their jobs. Getting those out of the club alongside the Dutch fraud squad would be a positive restart.

10 Apr 2026 20:03:02
It really feels like someone has jinxed us the way we seem to be falling apart.

10 Apr 2026 20:34:13
Digger10, I agree it's not easy, but we haven't been trying very hard, we're notorious for doing things last minute. Whether it's contracts or transfers, we're just too slow, too dependant on the "data men" to gather enough stats and make a decision. Salahs never had competition, neither had Trent, we've never even had proper backup for Salah. We rarely bring in understudies, we wait until players leave to even consider bringing anybody in and when we do, we often wait it out, "make do" in the meantime and eventually bring in somebody who's not a like for like as a replacement. I mean, we never really replaced Fabihno, Matip or Wijnaldum. We didn't bring in a like for like when Bobby left, whose style of play was so key to our success. We never replaced Diaz and I don't even know what Frimpong was brought in as anymore, so add Trent to that list as well.



We brought in Wirtz, Isak and Ekitike, who look great on paper, but to be honest, they're the completely wrong fit for the style of 4-3-3 that was so effective for us over the last 8 years. There's no cohesive vision for the direction this team needs to go. We have muppets posing as tacticians and transfer gurus, making all the wrong decisions, not even doing the basics right. So I have no sympathy for the difficulty in replacing anyone when we seem to have an aversion to doing so. You know what was more difficult? Finding them in the first place, back when we were bouncing up and down the table, borderline allergic to silverware, but we got it done. We've got more money, more power and more pull now than we did back then but somehow the task at hand is more difficult. The 3 muppets in charge have it arseways.

11 Apr 2026 07:48:51
I agree with that, Chewy, but at the end of the day we sell to buy club. For all the talk of spending 450m, we sold the guts of 300m. Previous summer, we had a profit, transfer-wise. If u look at our rivals, Utd spent 200m; I'm not sure if they took in anything, and they didn't even make Europe.

Arsenal bought 8 players in the summer and sold no 1st team players that I can think of. City bought Semenyo + Guehi in Jan. Those are things we don't do under FSG through the years.

11 Apr 2026 09:16:29
A rumour is with Robbo going Gakpos being touted as vice captain. This Dutch connection and VVD constantly blabbing on about trust the process and then flapping his arms around during a game is just a front from the Dutch boys to protect Slot. VVD, Gakpo, Gravenberch and Frimpong as the exception have been well below average and and i can't see it happening for them next season either, they back Slot because he's keeping them in a job to keep him in a job, not all teams are together when a dynasty ends and the 3 groups all allied to the cause will fully destroy Klopps legacy, that's Slot, Vvd Gakpo and Grav all backed up by Edwards and Hughes and this will cause a huge division in the team, its a matter of time before the likes of Slobbo and Wirtz say nahh i'm winning nothing if these idiots rule the club.

Salah pulling out is testiment to the toxicity within the club and team. Expect more to follow him if Slot stays.

11 Apr 2026 11:32:05
That's a bit of a stretch, Fbart.

Can't be saying stuff like that as if it's fact.

10 Apr 2026 15:25:41
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot insists he feels "complete support" from the club's hierarchy and fans despite a run of poor on-field performances and growing discontent about his Anfield future.

"I'm repeating myself a lot, but I feel a lot of support.

Not only from the owners but from Richard [Hughes] and Michael [Edwards]. A lot of support from them but as weird as it might sound, I also feel the support from the fans," said Slot.

Just wow.

10 Apr 2026 15:59:55
What do you expect him to say?
'The club aren't supporting me, the players have switched off, the fans hate me and I'm getting sacked at the end of the season.'
Seriously.

10 Apr 2026 16:06:56
He is truly devoid of reality if he honestly believes that... Was it a case of trying to "convince" the public, or solidify his delusion?

The so called support he is feeling from the fans must be those faceless mute fans, similar to those within the club's hierarchy!

10 Apr 2026 16:08:43
I think it's Raac.

10 Apr 2026 16:17:38
I mean, if you actually believe he meant any of that, you need your head checked...

10 Apr 2026 16:18:12
Anyone else get the email letter from Billy Hogan.

Looking like preventative damage control prior to tomorrow's game.

10 Apr 2026 21:40:01
Yes, I got it, JK, please don't hate on me, but as much as I don't want to pay more, everything has gone up.
Sadly, at the moment, the quality in the product is missing!
I feel they have been fair in recent years and the increase is inevitable and probably fair if I'm honest.

11 Apr 2026 08:46:12
Boof, why would I hate you.

I'm not protesting against the tickets but I understand the people who are.

All opinions.

11 Apr 2026 17:28:11
Cheers, JK.

10 Apr 2026 14:20:26
Be an interesting summer. You buy two top wingers, where does Wirtz fit in? Isak or Etitike start as our central striker.
In midfield we need two top midfielders to go straight in. A proper 6 and Maccalisters replacement.


The back line needs multiple player's including a goalkeeper. How can soo much have been spent last summer and we still need several player's if we are to compete.

10 Apr 2026 14:53:59
How does Xabi play? Can't see him being enamoured with Isak or Eki's workrate either.

10 Apr 2026 15:26:57
It doesn't work. This is the main failure of the season above all.

We've assembled a squad that can play 2 formations at best. 4/3/3 isn't one of them.

Factor in how amazingly Slow and Unfit we are, how we've changed the Style to a walking pace, and refused to add anyone in January.

Just a total recipe for disaster, designed to Fail from the beginning.

10 Apr 2026 15:48:55
I don't think Ekitike is an out and out number 9.

Last season he was meant to have been very good as a support/second striker to Marmoush and apparently can play on the left.

10 Apr 2026 16:11:13
The squad is there to allow for rotation and making tactical tweaks. Then the manager can worry about how people fit into certain tactical approaches for different games. The key is to have enough variety in your squad that the manager has something to work with. It's not for us fans to worry about how he keeps everyone happy. I'm hoping we have something along the lines of the below.



Forwards: (7)
Isak, Ekitike, Wirtz, Diomande, Minteh, Rio*, Morrison*

Midfielders: (7)
Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, M.Fernandes, Jones*, Stephenson*, Nyoni*, Endo

Defenders: (9)
Frimpong*, Bradley*, Virgil, Konate, Jacquet, Leoni, Gomez*, Kerkez, Tsimikas

Keepers: (4)
Alisson, Mamardashvili, Woodman*, Pecsi

* = HG.

10 Apr 2026 16:14:06
Personally, I'm not sure where Ekitike features, as a regular starter, moving forward. I'm struggling to see where he, Isak and Wirtz feature in a starting XI.

10 Apr 2026 16:38:42
We've zero depth! Counting the likes of Gomez as depth is a joke!

10 Apr 2026 16:59:37
MK, if that's the squad we go into the next season with, gawd help us.

10 Apr 2026 19:12:54
I think the question you ask just goes to show the complete lack of cohesion between Edwards and Slot when it comes to the vision for the team. Isak, Ekitike and Wirtz all look like great signings on paper, but for a team that's used 4-3-3 so successfully for the last 8/9 years, they're really not the ideal signings. We're kind of in no man's land right now in terms of what's the most effective formation to deploy. Obviously, a 4-4-2 diamond or similar would be best for including Isak, Ekitike and Wirtz in their optimum positions, but nobody can deny that our loss of pace and creativity on the wings has massively affected us, and I think a lot of fans would agree that we need to fill those holes immediately. It's all going to depend on the new manager's assessment of the current situation, and how he thinks is best to move forward.

I just pray that Edwards isn't going to be in charge of transfers this Summer.

If we bring in 2 wingers and go with a 4-3-3, play Wirtz in the middle instead of Macallister, give him the freedom of a more advanced playmaker role, a sort of hybrid-CAM but with more responsibility of tracking back, Dom will have to play more of a holding role, but he won't be completely restricted and Grav (or whoever) will have to be a strictly holding DM.

Wingers will need to have intense work rate tracking back, acting as wide midfielders in the defensive phase. To start, I would hold back on having the wingers press the back line to recover the ball, revert to a 4-1-4-1 when not in possession so as to condense the middle of the park and prevent teams from just walking through our midfield as they have been.

Forget this nonsense of having 70% possession and doing nothing with it. If the opposing defenders have the ball, let them have it, they pose no threat. Force the opposition to choose between playing through an overly stacked midfield or go over the top, massively limit their ability to play through the middle, force mistakes, full-on heavy metal football on the counter-attack, lightning fast transitions, a direct high pace assault, reward players for taking chances.

10 Apr 2026 19:16:47
Mid to Lower table squad that.

10 Apr 2026 20:07:14
Alison

?? Jacquet. Vvd. Kerkez

Grav. Slob

?? Wirtz. Ekitike

Izak.

11 Apr 2026 03:37:51
We need to build a squad - picking a starting 11 can wait until we have a coach who wants to play football first and foremost.

Then, we need additions over the next couple of years that enable us to challenge for the PL, CL, and domestic cups, and allow for the youngsters to be fully integrated into the squad / starting 11.

10 Apr 2026 14:01:48.
So realistically we need four signings like a must next season - RW LW RB and LB. We need these because players are leaving/have left this season (Salah Taa Robbo Lucho)

Then we also need to replace VVD Alisson and Macca (as they probably will leave next season or next to next season)

Then we have players on fringes like Endo and Chiesa that need replacing either from academy or otherwise

So 10 players realistically need replacing.

10 Apr 2026 15:45:05
You are correct in my opinion, Cafu.

10 Apr 2026 17:58:02
We had these same conversations before the 24/25 season. And only added Chiesa. And only won the league.

10 Apr 2026 19:26:54
Sure, we'll only add one again so Delvecs, and see if we win it again. I bet we don't.

10 Apr 2026 21:05:49
Things obviously seem dire now, but I'm not sure our squad is in that bad of shape. I fully believe that Slot has just misused them so much, even the fans can't figure out how they could be best used. This is also why I hate letting Salah (and even Robertson a little bit) after this season, because I think the poor performance from all players is down to Slot not having a clue.

One example is the wing where we have both Chiesa and Rio playing all season, but Slot persisted with a 433, using low work rate Gakpo and Salah instead. Salah could easily have been used in a 4212 next to Ekitike, which would play to both their strengths, but he never did.

I agree that if our team is a 433 then Ekitike and Isak can not both play in it, and I still don't rate Isak for any formation in our team because he just doesn't have the work rate that should define our team.

Ekitike works hard, but obviously doesn't offer much defensively and needs to work on his fitness because he's gassed after 60-70min. He could easily be used in a modified 433 if we used actual wingers, with Wirtz behind him and a double DM pivot (which we'd need at least one DM to play long Grav).

I think this squad have a lot of options (which is why it's unforgivable that Slot has been so clueless with it). I'm not saying we don't need players either, but depending on the formation we want to use, we don't need that many. It's just that before we sign players, we need someone competent who actually has an idea of how to match our players strengths to formations/tactics.

11 Apr 2026 07:58:15
Good post, Snuggle. Only thing I'd disagree with, mate, is Ekitike works hard. For me, he seems like a player who comes alive in possession, but isn't really bothered when out of it.

10 Apr 2026 13:40:37
I know the general theme on this forum is that slot will leave end of season and Alonso will come in. But are we in serious issue of if we lose out on Champions League, Alonso might second guess given reduction in available funds, not playing Champions League a City also interested?

10 Apr 2026 15:37:21
This is not 2015, where Liverpool were significantly behind even their domestic rivals in recent success and wealth, and in need of a legendary figure like Klopp to come in and remind everyone what Liverpool are. We now generate revenue that rivals everyone except Real Madrid and have a squad incomparable to what we had before Klopp.

Any manager would love to work with us, and it has taken one of the worst seasons of management in recent history to make us almost forget that.