Liverpool banter 5

24 Apr 2026 09:36:56
Rafael Leao whilst at Milan.
287 games played.
80 goals scored.
65 assists.

He's also 27 in June.

Gakpo, who's 27 in May.
175 games played.
49 goals.
23 assists.

Pretty similar players but Gakpo's stats in the Prem is good.

His record at PSV was better but poorer league. Personally I'd keep Gakpo.


Compare that to the top ranking winger in the league in Saka.
Played 305.
79 goals.
79 assists.

{Ed001's Note - top ranking winger is Salah, even this season his stats are better than Saka.}

24 Apr 2026 09:57:24
Just imagine if we had used Salah more effectively Ed1.

{Ed001's Note - we wouldn't be scrapping for 5th place then that's for sure!}

24 Apr 2026 09:59:26
Not a dig but i do not personally get the hype around "Star boy" Saka.

from memory I cannot recall a season he has put up impressive numbers compared to those Arsenal fans allege he is better than.

24 Apr 2026 10:09:10
Saka is a good player but he is held back by Arteta and his tactics, especially this season. The shift to having a heavy reliance on set pieces does not suit him at all. Saka would thrive in a Klopp team imo

24 Apr 2026 10:12:58
Ed what I mean is Saka is seen as this top top player every season. I remember he was always compared to Salah even though we knew who was the better player.

24 Apr 2026 10:25:25
We shouldn't be letting Salah leave

24 Apr 2026 10:33:19
Saka is good but will never reach Salah levels. He is the golden boy because he plays for Arsenal and is English.

24 Apr 2026 12:37:47
If you ask many within the Arsenal fanbase, they will tell you it is Arteta that has ruined Saka.

I do agree with JLC that had we used Salah the same way we used him last season, he would have performed better even though I still agree that compared to his supremely high standards, he has been poor this season.

24 Apr 2026 12:57:53
Saka is an excellent player but he's not world class, and that's all it really is.

24 Apr 2026 12:57:55
Saka is massively overrated, his numbers are never that good,
Just don't get it

24 Apr 2026 12:13:10
Leao is faster than Gakpo and is superior at 1v1's, I'd argue his awareness is also better, makes decisions quicker and he's more effective in the transition where he's much better at running in behind. Definitely an improvement on Gakpo for me if he could find form in the PL.

Sakas best season was only as good as Mo's worst, tells you all you need to know.

24 Apr 2026 12:22:01
I think he was being sarcastic when he told top class winger saka

24 Apr 2026 13:38:33
I agree with Flitby. Salah should have stayed for the remaining year of his contract. If he's going, why in the world is he going for free? I don't understand this decision at all tbh. It's cracked! He loves the club and the city. He's good enough and fit enough to score and assist another 20+ goals next season.

It's almost a guarantee that he'd do it. Especially under a different manager and playing style. I think it's just as ludicrous a move by the club as signing up Konate for another few years. Just crazy.

24 Apr 2026 13:42:04
Leao? Lmao.

24 Apr 2026 13:55:36
It's not all about the stats though, to be fair. If you actually watch Leao, he is so much more of a threat than Gakpo. He's quicker, stronger, more direct, more creative, etc. Gakpo is probably a more refined footballer in my opinion, but sometimes you just need a bit of raw and unchained chaos.

Leao brings that to the side. The only issue with Leao is he's been playing through injury all season, which may show a great attitude and commitment, but it is also a concern as he could've caused a long term chronic problem. The medical would need to be stringent.

24 Apr 2026 14:52:28
Saka is always overrated because he is English, he would not play for France, Spain or Germanys starting 11s.

24 Apr 2026 15:28:32
Saka would be a great player under a manager who doesn't prefer the dark arts over playing footy.

Imagine what Klopp would do with Saka...

24 Apr 2026 18:36:18
I would take Saka in a heart beat. He isn't Salah but who is. Semenyo would have been a really good buy for the money also.

24 Apr 2026 22:57:02
Agree, Irish. I'd be all over Saka.

24 Apr 2026 08:21:06
Interesting to see what people would prefer.
Stick with Slot next season and year after have Enrique or next season start with either Xabi or Hoeness?

24 Apr 2026 08:40:54
If it was a case of two scenarios that would definitely happen then I'd wait for Enrqiue

24 Apr 2026 08:48:32
Get the bald dude out of my club! How is this a question BTW? I mean, every fan of the club must be downcast with the tripe on show every other match day surely? Whether Hoenes or Alonso, I don't care. Just get Slut OUT already! Thanks for no. 20 but I love Lfc more

24 Apr 2026 08:50:02
I would take option 1 but I need to know in advance that Enrique is a guarantee at the end of the season.

Another season with Slot is very likely to be tough watching. I will need to know something good is coming at the end of it.

24 Apr 2026 09:12:01
Nothing is definite in football. And Liverpool have a horrid track record (over the last 25-30 years) for poor decision making.

Simao, Villa and Anelka being the standouts. Carroll and Isak being especially costly. Isak may yet bear fruit but I am not optimistic.

24 Apr 2026 09:15:48
I'd change now. A lot can change in a year (look how har we have fallen in the last 12 months). Even if Enrique promised to take over next year there are no guarantees and the damage Slot could do in another 12 months does not bear thinking about.

Slot should have gone in November and we should not even be entertaining the idea of another season of this.

24 Apr 2026 10:24:58
In a fantasy land, I would rather have Enrique next year. It would be tough to watch Liverpool next season but I truly believe Enrique is a low risk high reward signing deserving of waiting.

But this is not realistic since there are not guarantees that Enrique would 100% come because if we continue with Slot we would have a high chance of missing CL, and thus, Enrique, hence why that is not a realistic choice for me.

Therefore, being realistic, take the bullet and sign whoever is best suited for the job now.

24 Apr 2026 10:36:39
I would give up about anything to have Slot out of the club. You know what, I'd do outrageous stuff to get the three stooges as far away from Liverpool as possible. Every passing day they are moving the club closer to a point of no return.

24 Apr 2026 11:04:29
Who knows maybe Slot will have learned this season and come back better next.

24 Apr 2026 12:39:03
Indeed, Ugbes. Get rid first and go from there with Enrique or whoever. got to stop the bleeding first and foremost.

24 Apr 2026 12:14:49
Ive said it many times, you'd have to be delusional to think Enriques leaving the best team in Europe to come clean up Slots mess, espetially under the current model with Hughes and Edwards having full control over the ins and outs. No chance. He'll be resiging for PSG

24 Apr 2026 12:16:44
Hasn't Enrique agreed a new deal to 2030? Why bother hanging around for a guy who won't join us. It's Bellendhingham all over again.

24 Apr 2026 15:05:35
Enrique will never manage Lfc.

24 Apr 2026 08:04:08
Anyone seen the video off the refs cam from the derby, good little watch, see the game from the refs POV. Salah's nice comment to the ref at the end of the game, shows how nice n respectful a person he is.

24 Apr 2026 02:37:47
We should look at Dejan Kulusevski. Very good player.
Injury record needs to be looked at, but very good player.

24 Apr 2026 06:54:33
We can look at him if he ever gets on the field to play. Till now he has never given anyone a chance to look at him. ;)

24 Apr 2026 08:41:27
Genuinely thought he was sold

24 Apr 2026 10:34:20
Great player when he's available.

23 Apr 2026 20:15:15
I don't know what's going on regarding managers. But, what's happening with Edwards and Hughes? They've proven to be two journey men. Who's overlooking them two, allowing them or Edwards to steer our future?
Is it Hogan? We need a new sporting director and what everyone Edwards actually is. Seems he's been given far too much power. The transfers and squad have been nothing but a disaster. You can argue he needs time, he was injured, slot etc.

We got absolutely no value for our money and the squad still needs several players.
I'd also guess Edwards would still want a "head coach". That's going to exclude immediately some top names. One which I'd guess would have been Alonso.
I like Hoeness but this game eats up managers who don't carry the personality.
I'd go for Naggllesman. He's the one for me as this stage.

23 Apr 2026 21:31:26
Completely agree, I see us struggling to replicate our successes of the last 8 years if Hughes and Edwards stay on. It's unacceptable, when we were told last summer that we were spending big money to become a dominant force. If FSG don't realise that the men in charge of spending that money are every bit as accountable as the coach then we're wasting our time.

23 Apr 2026 22:56:16
Was Edwards not responcible for getting deals for most of the best players of the last decade over the line? He won't be short of offers

23 Apr 2026 23:27:18
Florian, as Mark Twain said, never let the truth get in the way of a true story.

24 Apr 2026 01:35:39
Florian if you think players signed for Liverpool because of anything that came out of Edwards mouth you need your head checked. Players come to Liverpool because it's Liverpool. The club is hugely successful, has the richest history in England and the best record of any Premier League team in Europe. Not a single player signed up to play for Edwards.

Not to mention Edwards has been involved in transfers since about 2013 so don't forget to add all those flops we signed to that list of players you have there mate, you know, the likes of Balotelli, Markovich, Keita. won't bother naming them all cause there's a list as long as you arm. Out of interest, hows that half a billion worth of players he brought in last summer getting on? Yeah, he's a real genius that Edwards fella, a proper transfer mastermind.

24 Apr 2026 04:40:27
Ed001 got it bang on for Edwards. He has just been promoted beyond his area of expertise. That's why he was great for us in the earlier years but has been hopeless for us as of late.

24 Apr 2026 05:09:35
How would someone that hasn't been at the club for a decade be responsible for signing most of the best players over a decade?

24 Apr 2026 07:11:40
Agreed Dracred Ed001 called it about Hughes and Edwards from day 1.

24 Apr 2026 07:58:49
I don't get the issues around Hughes and Edwards. why do much anger directed towards them both.
Both have had very successful careers to date. Both have delivered huge success at our club.

Our club is going through transition both on and off the pitch however we are still champions, we signed quality players and some very good potential and linked with more quality.

However, many on here want slot gone, his team gone, hughes gone, Edwards gone and many players gone. if we did this, our club would be in turmoil.

Trust the leadership team, they've proven themselves very successful so far. This season could merely be a bump in the road towards a long lasting pathway to success. both on and off the pitch

TheVicar

24 Apr 2026 15:09:14
Look at some of the players we've signed during Edwards' time at the club, WD40. So Chewy, if they screw up it's their fault, but if they do their jobs brilliantly it's nothing that they've done, it's all because we are LFC? There's literally no winning with some on here.

23 Apr 2026 19:46:15
With City apparently favourites for Anderson, Semenyo, Guehi, Anderson, all players I think the majority of us would agree would have been exactly what we have and still need. Maybe Pep Lijinders was the real mastermind behind us after all!

23 Apr 2026 20:17:34
@Bob if that was the case then why was Lijnders and unmitigated disaster when he went to mange twice on his own esp. at RB Salzburg? Serious question

23 Apr 2026 20:24:59
We ended up with Gakpo and Nunez because Lijnders advocated for Klopp to sign them. I don't think so.

23 Apr 2026 20:25:06
Gutted we are not trying to rival them, would be a great addition for us and exactly what we need in the centre right now.

23 Apr 2026 20:46:47
That's a bit of a reach 😁

23 Apr 2026 20:50:20
Does Ljinders sign the players then?

23 Apr 2026 21:12:55
Nunez was a better buy than isak. At least He suited our style and we didn't have to change the whole squad to suit him

23 Apr 2026 21:35:32
Ljinders is no manager, he's no mastermind, he has nothing to do with signings. Take off your tinfoil hat, save it for the Ancient Aliens re-runs

23 Apr 2026 21:39:53
I'm not excited by anything that city are doing. I think their team is average to what they used to have. Now, we got hammered by them but that's because how backwards we've went. Geuhi, was never a fan. The rest, there's better out there. There's always the next guy

23 Apr 2026 22:41:00
Ron, Did you read that in his fabled book

23 Apr 2026 23:19:33
I think Bob's comment was tongue-in-cheek guys. Relax.

24 Apr 2026 00:02:12
John, that's an incredibly low bar. There's no way that Nunez can be seen as anything other than a massive flop for the money we paid for him.

24 Apr 2026 06:04:15
I would say Nunez is a flop but not a massive one. He did score a few crucial goals and winners en route to us winning the league last season.

24 Apr 2026 06:29:32
If Anderson, Guehi and Semenyo had replaced Macca, Gomez and the legend that is Salah I think you would be hard pushed to say that wouldn't have improved our team

24 Apr 2026 06:32:01
Babbity
Big season for Isak next season then? How much did he.cost?

24 Apr 2026 06:55:53
Ljinders is a joke. Pretty sure if Pep leaves, then Ljinders would be out of City and struggle to get another job. The guy is way too far up his own arse.

24 Apr 2026 07:55:30
@ babbity: my point still stands "we did not have to change the way we play to accommodate Nunez".

24 Apr 2026 08:43:18
Not everyone is built to be head of the ship.

Nunez wasn't a flop other than what we paid for him. So whoever agreed that fee flopped

24 Apr 2026 15:10:37
Rage bait.

23 Apr 2026 19:31:10
Checking in with the bookies regarding our manager situation. We have, starting with the most likely odds:

Alonso
Slot stays
Ireola
Hoennes, Enrique, Naglesmann

Beyond that we have Brendan Rodgers available at 50/1. 😉

23 Apr 2026 21:54:43
Safe bet Slot stays unfortunately.

23 Apr 2026 22:04:42
Clot goes Hip, Hip, Hooray

Iraola goes Real Madrid,

Enrique stays PSG per contract.

Alonso it is then? if the other also rans were not good enough for Nottingham Forest, spurs or chelsea then they are also not good enough for LFC.

FSG knows if the Clot stays on, pre-season tour revenues and next seasons revenues will fall drastically.

man United started the season as the laughing stock, wonder who rightly wears that crown now, job done Agent Clot!

24 Apr 2026 11:36:04
United have done well under Carrick, which is nothing to do with Slot (or Clot, if you are a 5 year old in the playground). We have been very poor to watch but, I'd be willing to wager that one of the club's major targets for this season is to qualify for next season's CL.

We are being helped with UEFA allowing 5 English teams into next season's CL but irrespective of the numbers of clubs allowed to qualify Slot will probably stumble over the finish line in one of the qualification spots and will meet one of his main KPIs.

23 Apr 2026 19:16:17
I don't know about anyone else but unless something definite happens I think the management chat needs parked!?

We will know soon enough!

Hopefully LFC get CL confirmed asap and we move on from a difficult season!

Should we just rip the bandage off completely by letting Mo, Robbo, Ali and Virgil leave this Summer?

23 Apr 2026 19:59:49
You are literally on a rumours site telling people to park their rumours chat. Okay, lad.

23 Apr 2026 20:06:29
Virgil is still our best and most reliable defender by far. Yes he has not had a great season but then who has. The midfield gives almost zero protection anyway. Also, he is as respected as they come and a huge leader. Selling him would be a very foolish decision in my opinion.

23 Apr 2026 20:07:47
It feels like the biggest issue at the minute especially after recent bits in the media. Potential players will always be talked about but the level of discontent with how we've been this season is gong to lead people to vent and ask for change.


We've been talking about a ball winning defensive midfielder for god knows how many years now, i'd still like us to sign one that's good enough to start.

23 Apr 2026 20:18:45
Yeah, @Slot. That was wild.

23 Apr 2026 20:19:46
No not at all mate LOL! As the last few days on here has shown football changes quickly!

It is the last week of April so if Slot is leaving we will know soon enough then we can speculate on next Manager. Until then there are 5 games to play!

If you know something definite then feel free to share lad no worries!

23 Apr 2026 21:13:02
Oh thanks, beneficent lord!

Well, I'm saving what I know for definite for the Liverpool Facts board, or maybe I'll post them on LFC Transfers 2028-29

23 Apr 2026 21:40:22
I agree, let's stop talking about management rumours, its too negative, let's stop talking about transfer rumours too, actually let's park all the rumours cause there's just too much negative energy right now, let's build ourselves a campfire instead and sing kumbi-f***ing-ya instead.

23 Apr 2026 22:32:22
Let's talk knitting patterns and top off the pow wow with who are favourite Spice Girl is, and whether you should put the milk first?

23 Apr 2026 23:41:20
@SSSS, the daily conversation about Slot has appeared multiple times every day for the past 9 months. It isn't a rumour - it is just a daily wind-up for obsessives.

Rumours are good fun - do you think the 'conversation' about Slot is good fun? We have established that most of us would like to see him replaced. I think we are up to the third or fourth poll on the same subject. What else is there to discuss about Slot?

24 Apr 2026 03:36:22
That's exactly my point @WestDerbyWandererIV thank you!

This is a great page with good information and contributors!

Slot may well be ok with leaving to be with his family after an emotionally draining season for himself and LFC but by the sounds of it all options are still open! I don't think LFC are sure yet because there is as much uncertainty around Hughes as there is Slot! If people still want to go around in circles then fair enough but nothing is going to happen until the season ends I personally I am just going to enjoy Mo and Robbo's last games in LFC shirts!

24 Apr 2026 07:09:25
Sporty

23 Apr 2026 18:08:16
I just hope whoever they bring in or if Slot remains, they give them the tools they need to implement their formation and tactics.
I see Hoeness plays an out and out holding defensive midfielder alongside Stiller, who is also his captain.
He likes a 4-2-3-1 and his teams to work hard in and out of possession.

23 Apr 2026 18:34:07
Molby, Slot did not even have the tools last season in terms of signing yet he created a variation of the Klopp system which ended up dominated the league, winning it at a canter. All credit to him and the players, btw.

Now he was given more money and way better tools than any LFC manager has had in one summer and suddenly doesn't know how to coach himself out of a paperbag because his system/tactics is ship and doesn't want to change for anyone or anything. That is a Slot issues, not a tools/formation issue IMO.

As for Hoeness, never seen Stuttgart play this season. Never heard of the guy either so can't comment.

23 Apr 2026 19:02:09
I agree Molby. This is the most important thing.

Going into this season trying to play 4/3/3 with a squad built for a 4/4/2 Diamond was horrendous.

No wingers, slow team, and trying to shoehorn midfielders into fullback positions. It was a disaster and Set up to fail from the off

23 Apr 2026 20:48:56
I am not defending Slot and he is very lucky not to have been sacked.
His teams in Holland were built around a solid back four with two fullbacks who could also play centre half and inverted into midfield.
A double pivot in midfield with one being a proper defensive midfielder.
A number 10 play maker.
Fast, hard working wingers who could get to the byline and cut the ball back and a hard working centre forward who could hold the ball up and link up play.


We now have hardly any of those features in our current squad.
Either Slot has abandoned the tactics that got him the job completely, which is then totally his own fault or he hasn't been given the signings that he needs to implement that formation.
There seems to be no coordination between the management and coach.

23 Apr 2026 21:41:40
Fat chance of that happening with Edwards and Hughes at the club

23 Apr 2026 22:52:48
We have a def midfielder (endo) and Slot ignored him until he got injured. We have a fast winger (Chiesa) and he is not being used either - he might not be the player he was but he offers something different.

So not sure we can totally blame the transfer committee for Slots failings.
And imo a great coach will change his tactics to suit the players he has.

24 Apr 2026 07:08:17
So dumping 3 100+ million players on the manager and asking the manger to make them fit in straight away and not signing a CB and winger that we desperately needed in January has nothing to do with it.

Its simple club was overwhelmed with emotion with DJ and then went for too much change too quick in the summer when only adding wirtz would have been fine with addition of a CB.

Season started with Too much change without any time to bed in players and find the best way strategy and formation. Season started well and then it all went haywire the moment we had our first RB injury to bradley.

Again i reiterate this season was planned badly by powers that be and they have to hold responsibility. Slot on his part tried best to soothe players with rest and holidays but that does not work in a demanding league like Premier League. Senior players had disagreements with manager over being overly casual and they questioned his authority which the manager had to put his foot down and bench players ending up disjointing the team.

This is not a season that we got right from the start so the effort to improve needs to be collective. Some big players will leave and we will be much better and fitter next season.

A new manager solves nothing in this moment.
Qualify for CL, win next 5 games and then plan next season collectively starting with getting right players.

24 Apr 2026 08:48:45
Chiesa is not fast nor is he fit enough.

Endo isn't the starting level CDM that people are talking about

24 Apr 2026 11:57:47
Endo is a good squad member who is useful as a sub coming on for the last 20 minutes to close a game down,

Chiesa seems like a decent bloke who is committed to doing his best. I was really, really pleased when we signed him for a modest sum.

Sadly he hasn't got back to anywhere near his pre-injury levels and his body doesn't seem able to get to the level required to play regularly in the PL.

He tries but he is just too lightweight for the demands of the PL. It's not anybody's fault and, I'd guess, it isn't for the want of trying but the lad will never reach PL standard, which is a real shame given what he could have done if he hadn't suffered the injury.