Liverpool banter 8

17 Jun 2026 09:13:50
Not Liverpool related, but I actually enjoyed how the ref handled the France v Senegal game.

Football is a physical game. Not every touch should be a foul. Allow the game to flow.

EPL refs can learn a thing or two. Otherwise, some of the play acting and cheating may never go away.

17 Jun 2026 09:50:19
Also, quick VAR has made these games more enjoyable. But, yeah, some of the tackles in all games I've seen and am so used to ref giving a free kick in the Prem, really refreshing to see play on.

17 Jun 2026 10:06:39
I agree with you OP, albeit that denied penalty was a bit of a negative.

17 Jun 2026 10:17:48
Fully agree, @nigerred. That is what expert officiating looks like and frankly, it has been the case all tournament so far. Also, notice that in real time, the ref pointed straight to the corner flag and gave the corner.

Even on the replays, I thought it wasn't a pen myself.

Then after the VAR check, they showed the video of what he saw in real time via the camera pinned to his chest and he got that spot on in real time, as well. Brilliant stuff.

17 Jun 2026 11:10:26
You should have seen Norway vs Iraq. The players couldn't touch another player before it was blown. Disgraceful.

17 Jun 2026 12:28:15
Should Messi have got carded last night, or is he untouchable again. 🤔

17 Jun 2026 09:03:31
Harvey Elliott has cut his holiday short to train in Liverpool, weeks before the start of pre-season. With a new manager brings new opportunity. Iraola was able to get ample improvement out of Alex Scott, and I think Harvey is capable of a similar improvement, if he impresses early.

Honestly, one of the biggest drawbacks of firing Slot so late, is that we now lack sellable assets because he never played Chiesa, Jones, etc, as often as he should, which devalued their valuation. Elliott is similar, due in part to Villa and Liverpool. We should have brought him back in January, allowed him to play at times, to rest Salah, etc, and be a rotational option during our injury crises. Or, worst case, play him to keep him in people's thoughts during the next transfer window. We didn't, and instead, he stagnated on the bench and is out of most people's minds when it comes to targets.

He does have a year left on his contract, though, so could be a risk. He is a Liverpool fan, but another season of few opportunities will see him leave for the sake of his own career, which is understandable. Honestly, I have seen nothing to suggest Elliott can't challenge Wirtz in the team, both have a similar profile, and Wirtz hasn't exactly excelled. I can see Elliott really pushing him for the position, and keeping him honest. Which will do good for both.

Either way, I do hope Iraola has a look at the youngsters we have (Yes, even Baj) as he is known to improve players beyond what many believed they were capable of. Slot marginalised the youth, neglected the work Klopp had done to bring them through, to be ready. Now, let's see what Iraola does with them. Harvey included.

17 Jun 2026 09:44:35
I don't think you can pick players to put them in the shop window. We needed to qualify for the CL, and advertising Elliott wasn't a priority.

17 Jun 2026 09:44:54
This is a huge lifeline for his Liverpool career. We went from a manager who doesn't like intensity and risk taking, which suits Elliott, to a manager who absolutely loves it and has historically played with a number 10.



If Elliott knuckles down, he has a chance to turn it around for himself. Klopp loved him and Iraola is more like Klopp than he is like Slot or Emery.

17 Jun 2026 09:51:24
We couldn't bring him back in Jan. The fault lies purely 100% on Villa.

17 Jun 2026 10:11:17
But we could have relinquished Villa's obligation to purchase Elliott after a certain number of appearances, which we didn't, meaning he didn't play again.
Villa acted very poorly and without consideration for the player, absolutely, but that's not under our control.

We could have done the right thing and positively influenced his availability to play football when it became obvious Villa had no intention of buying him, but we didn't, which I think was poor from us personally.

17 Jun 2026 10:22:08
Kloppiche, the whole operation was a ship show from the off. Unai Emery (who rules the roost at Villa esp. after Monchi left) did not want Elliott to begin with and did exactly what Slot did to Chiesa by not playing him. That is where these shinanigans began and there was no way we could have brought him back cos Slot didn't even want him back either.



MKS, I agree and like I and many of us have been saying, the likes of Elliott, Ramsey, Danns (if he is fit), McConnell etc. have a real chance of getting a look-in in preseason under Doni and it is up to them to take it cos it is a clean slate for the whole squad.

17 Jun 2026 10:24:23
That implies that Slot would have made use of Harvey Westwood.... and we don't know that he would have.

17 Jun 2026 12:02:42
Who's Harvey Westwood? Another promising GK in the academy?

17 Jun 2026 13:18:21
In fairness, he's just had 10 months off from playing football so I'm not surprised he was eager to return.

17 Jun 2026 13:44:52
Villa won the Europa League and qualified for the CL hardly using Elliott, though.

17 Jun 2026 14:03:48
Kloppiche, he's our player, not Villa's; if they don't see the value in the deal they can't be criticised for not committing. We should have negotiated a proper deal in the first place and not that mickey mouse nonsense. It was entirely our fault.

17 Jun 2026 15:57:25
Enrico Chiesa could have been manager last season and Chiesa wouldn't have played more games.

17 Jun 2026 08:57:28
Ed's and fellow reds I've not seen Ayyoub Bouaddi play can anyone tell me what kind of midfielder he is.
I am hoping he is full on combative high energy number 6 who is fast around the pitch.
I don't want to watch YouTube tells me nothing and playing against that Brazil midfield would not tell me a great deal with Casemiro and Paquetá in there and I can't believe fabinho is still in there squad his legs went 4 years ago.

17 Jun 2026 10:23:14
Grino75, if you have access to the Brazil v Morocco game, please watch it. Bouaddi was outstanding.

17 Jun 2026 10:32:29
By all accounts he has been tracked & scouted for a long time before the World Cup, so I doubt any interest stems from his performance in the Brazil game. I don't know if you watched that game, but Paqueta, in particular, was beyond terrible, lost count of how many times he lost the ball or gave it away to Morocco unprompted, Brazil's midfield is a shambles apart from Guimares.

17 Jun 2026 08:15:02
Apparently Schlotterbeck's release clause deal ends 19th July 2026. So if we want him, would have to get it done soon. Real Madrid and another club are one of the three but not sure which one.

17 Jun 2026 10:25:15
Keegan, it could be that whatever release clause he has is only for Bundesliga teams. Hence, if that is the case, then he could cost us a lot more as a PL team.



I remember when Bobbie was at Hoffenheim, I think he had a 14m release clause, but when we came for him, we paid double that. Just a piece of info to consider, that's all.

17 Jun 2026 12:14:47
Where did you read that, KP?

In doing a bit of research and I can only find that his clause takes effect from this summer, is worth €50-€60m and only applies to certain clubs.

Apparently us and RM have been confirmed as 2 of the clubs it applies to and Bayern may be a third - this is sourced from Yahoo, so take it with a pinch of salt.

The club haven't confirmed timings of the clause being in effect, so interested what source you have got the 19 June date from?

17 Jun 2026 14:17:51
He will hardly end up at Madrid, unless Mourinho is planning a clear out? They have Rudiger, Huysen, Asencio, Militao & Alaba from last year. They have now added Konate to that list aswell. Can't see Schlotterback going there with all that competition there.



I think Rudiger just signed a new contract, Huysen signed on a big deal, and Konate just after arriving aswell. Serious options at centre back!

17 Jun 2026 07:48:33
Morning Ed001

Just regarding the response you gave about Schlotterbeck being a potential VVD replacement.

Is it safe to assume he only comes in if Virgil leaves in this window? Or might we see Virg on the right?

{Ed001's Note - or rested. He is getting old and has played a lot of football, he needs to rest. We saw last year how tired he is and it made him afraid to engage high up the pitch.}

17 Jun 2026 07:39:01
{Ed's Note - thefutureisoldgold3 has posted a new article entitled, Wolves Face a Reckoning After a Chaotic Season

17 Jun 2026 06:30:43
Barcola v Diomande.
Diomande wins for me.
Less reliant on speed alone from what I’ve seen (although clearly quick) and seems to be able to be more creative.
Perhaps crucially under Iraola he’ll press and do his defensive duties when press is broken.
Style wise Leipzig model close to Iraola so that fits too.
Barcola looks great btw I just like the look of Diomande more.

17 Jun 2026 07:05:28
Not happening, but would love Diomande off the left and Olise off the right.

17 Jun 2026 07:08:54
From the little I have seen Diomande looks strong, quick, both footed, and likes to take a player on. He gives me prime Mane (Obviously has levels to go to reach that) vibes in that he looks like he will be able to bully defenders by his sheer physicality..... I am excited about his signing.

17 Jun 2026 07:38:18
I think Barcola is the better player right now, but he's much better on the LW. Diomande is better on the RW and, given we need primarily a Salah replacement, I think Diomande makes more sense.

Barcola has been consistently good for PSG for 3 years though and Diomande has only had 1 season at Leipzig.

Who has the higher ceiling is pure guesswork in my opinion, but for what we need, Diomande is the right signing.

17 Jun 2026 07:45:57
Oh please.

17 Jun 2026 07:48:52
Why can't it be both? Chiesa, Salah, and Gakpo move on, replaced by Diomande and Barcola.

17 Jun 2026 08:47:29
To be fair, if we sign him and he ends up becoming just half the player that Mane was for us then he will be a hell of a signing.

17 Jun 2026 10:27:02
I hope so, Lamborini, cos Mane was Balon D'Or worthy at his best.

Those are the levels he was at with LFC.

17 Jun 2026 13:53:11
Is Diomande better on the right though? When Amad came on for the Ivory Coast, Diomande was switched to the left. One of the commentators was saying the LW is his best position.

17 Jun 2026 17:10:08
If Amad was better than Diomande he would have started ahead of him. 😂 Stop pushing it.

17 Jun 2026 05:53:50
I’m going to pin my hopes on The Fields post from a couple of weeks ago.
Diomande on the RW (now looks done) and Barcola on the LW (Gakpo moved on) with either Palestra or Kayode at RB.
That’s a top window for me, unless VVD decides to call it a day, then we need Lacroix or Schlotterback.

17 Jun 2026 07:49:45
Barcola, Diomande, Schlotterbeck, Kayode and a midfielder would be an incredible window.

17 Jun 2026 02:13:41
Watching the Argentina Algeria game. 2 offside decisions. Took seconds to rule the goals out. The Prem would have taken 4 minutes each. Why?

17 Jun 2026 03:43:13
Messi hat-trick. I know opinions vary, but I still say he's the best player I've ever seen.

17 Jun 2026 04:37:12
We have out Messi in Salah but apparently he is done and just not good enough now.

{Ed078's Note - you think last season was Messi like?

17 Jun 2026 05:34:27
Messi is the Goat.

17 Jun 2026 05:35:55
Fat Ronaldo was the apex player. At his peak he was Messi x Ronaldo. He was unplayable for a few seasons against far better defenders

17 Jun 2026 06:26:40
As much as I've loved Salah, Messi is streets ahead as a player. Game intelligence, close control, and, most importantly, execution after making the right decision.

Think of how many times Mo tries something and you're like 'what was that'. You'll rarely say that whilst watching Messi. Decision making and ability on a different level.

17 Jun 2026 07:32:31
Yes Messi also has had avg seasons after 8 consecutive banger seasons.
So Salah, we judge on last season while rest get the excuse of Slot tactics. Great!

17 Jun 2026 07:44:58
Really? I said a few years ago I'd cash in on Salah. Don't get me wrong, he will go down as one of our greats, but if you had Bobby, Trent and Mane feeding you for several years, you'd even put a few away. That's not belittling him as a player, I didn't mention him, I commented on Messi and his performance level year after year.

Rarely injured, despite being kicked to pieces at times (cough cough scumbag Real defenders), and still going strong now.
I've played and coached at a decent level, pro for one year before I was found out, and I stand by what I've said. Best I've seen, and I've seen games at Anfield starting late 70's.

17 Jun 2026 07:57:32
Did you see the goals?
First, keeper flaps it into the top corner.
Second, keeper spills an easy save straight to him.
Third, will give him that one, tidy finish but should be scoring those if he is that amazing!

17 Jun 2026 08:30:58
@Rola, if you genuinely rated R9, you wouldn't call him "fat Ronaldo", lad.

17 Jun 2026 08:33:11
Maradona was by far the best player ever, watch him play on pitches that looked like a school pitch, no protection from referees and defenders who could boot you up in the air.

By far the best player ever.

17 Jun 2026 09:22:04
Navy, I think he may be referring to the original and far better for a couple of years, Ronaldo.

17 Jun 2026 09:34:08
In response to the OP, I feel the PGMOL want a piece of the limelight, hence, we spend more time after each game talking about VAR and their staff being consistently inconsistent.

17 Jun 2026 09:40:01
In Spanish-speaking countries - I am bilingual - "gordito", "little fat one", is a term of endearment. R9 is absolutely adored in Barcelona. He is, with Digger, my favourite player ever - ask Nesta and Maldini as well. He did it in three separate leagues before the age of 23. He's my GOAT. I don't think that's at all controversial.

17 Jun 2026 10:23:03
You will refer to Ronaldo as either Ronaldo (Nazario), R9 or the real Ronaldo. Fat Ronaldo is unacceptable.
The other one is Cristiano, Penaldo or Crynaldo.

17 Jun 2026 10:25:54
If we're talking snippets of a player's talent, then Ronaldinho is top of the pile, imo. But, we're talking about a career. I still can't go past Messi.

17 Jun 2026 10:30:08
Lofty1979, I agree. The PGMOL want to get in on the show at PL level, same way those other refs like Graham Poll, Mike Dean etc. way back when.

While the refs at these int'l tournaments just get on with things with efficiency, professionalism and rigor. Spot the difference.

17 Jun 2026 10:34:45
What nonsense, Burkey. Salah had his best season numbers wise last year and there was no Mane or Firmino last season, as I recall. Some people will never give the man the respect he deserves. Shocking fans, imo.

17 Jun 2026 10:42:44
Considering you've recently soiled the bed here and made yourself a pariah, I'll disregard your whine and call him what I please. At least I've met him and chanted his name from the crowd when he was at Inter.

17 Jun 2026 08:35:44
ed078, Messi scored a combined 32 goals ins 2 seasons at PSG, when he was a similar age as Salah, in a sh**te league.

{Ed078's Note - Square peg in a round hole at PSG.