Liverpool banter 10

06 Jan 2026 07:29:58
Something a bit different if possible ed001, can I request a player profile on the Brazilian Ronaldo and how much more he could have achieved without injuries and a party lifestyle?
His highlight videos are always a joy to watch.

{Ed001's Note - yes mate, I will enjoy watching the footage to remind myself of his play. Loved him as a player.}

06 Jan 2026 07:55:11
I don't think we will ever see a combination of sheer speed, skill and physicality in one player ever again. His control of the ball at that speed was just ridiculous, if he didn't go past or around you he'd just steamroll through you on the way to goal.

06 Jan 2026 08:09:31
Romario v ronaldo (brazilian) who your fav ed1? I loved watching Romario, the most underated striker ever imo. U never hear him mentioned when they talk of best strikers ever, him and stoickov joy 2 watch at barca.

{Ed001's Note - Ronaldo was miles better than any other striker ever. Romario was very good, but nowhere near Ronaldo. He is not mentioned in any best strikers ever because he simply isn't near that level. His attitude was poor, he could be extremely lazy. He was like Lineker - scored goals but didn't work for the team at all.}

06 Jan 2026 08:24:31
Brazilian Ronaldo was one of the best players I've ever seen. So many kids imitated his haircut in the 2022 world cup despite how ridiculous it looked. I was just getting into football around that time too so it would be a joy to read how good he actually was.

{Ed001's Note - I loved him, my ma's mate was working for Nike at that time and got me one of his full kits, all the training kit, trackie and everything from the France World Cup. Sadly before it was worn, as it was taken out of what was sent out to the teams, but I still treasured it. He was just special.}

06 Jan 2026 08:48:01
He was frightening Ed. Such a shame about injuries. Van Basten was top as well and held back because of injuries.

{Ed001's Note - van Basten was special too.}

06 Jan 2026 08:51:49
Always played with a smile on his face.

Must be a nightmare being a pro footballer these days.

06 Jan 2026 09:16:22
Nice one, cheers.
From a golden era of modern football.

06 Jan 2026 09:27:29
Ronaldo is the best striker of all time, and would have been the best player of all time had injuries not stopped him in 1997.
Drogba, of all strikers, is probably my favourite, however. Awesome player.

06 Jan 2026 09:30:08
My favourite lazy player was Berbatov, only United player i couldn't ever bring myself to hate.

06 Jan 2026 09:34:38
Ed, I still have goosebumps and the shivers watching R9's reels. Cos I knew exactly where I was and how I felt when I watched him play in real time.

06 Jan 2026 09:35:38
Oh, and Marco was my idol at CF. Well, till that young Brazilian Alien showed up from outta space.

06 Jan 2026 10:13:50
The best I've ever seen. The Real Ronaldo! El Fenomeno! What a player!

His lifestyle probably didn't help his injury record unfortunately but still had some rotten luck. Imagine he had as long a career as Messi and Cristiano!

A joy to watch, every few months I'll jump on YouTube and watch a snippet of him and also Ronaldinho, playing football with pure joy!

06 Jan 2026 10:31:41
If we're talking lazy players id say Pirlo, far too good to run and I mean that as a compliment .

06 Jan 2026 09:59:04
An incredible player. We've seen nothing quite like him since. Looking forward to this, Ed1.

06 Jan 2026 10:28:07
Ed001 Without the injuries there is a great chance Ronaldo would have gone down as the greatest ever.
At his prime he was head and shoulders above Messi.
Prime Ronaldo vs prime Maradona is a question to answer I feel Ronald's pure physicality would give him the edge.


But the best players I have seen in my lifetime with Zidane coming in behind them just because I've never seen a player play football like him before or after.

06 Jan 2026 10:43:31
Ronaldo was my favourite player growing up. I remember being so annoyed when Cristiano came on the scene, saying he's not the real Ronaldo haha.

That guy was the best striker I've ever seen play the game and I feel his end in the Brazil team was the end of their legacy in international football. It all seemed to go tits up after 2006.

Any chance of a an article about why Brazil diminished as a team over time Ed001?

{Ed001's Note - I have added it to the to do list for you mate.}

06 Jan 2026 10:49:17
Pirlo imo is one of the most overrated players ever, I'm sure saying that would upset some.

Ronaldo was probably the most awesome player I have ever seen play, at inter he was just absolutely ridiculous. My favourite striker growing up though was weah at his peak, just where he came from and how he handled constant racist taunts before becoming the world's best player at one point was brilliant to witness. That being said Milan had a lot of players I loved, I loved desailly, boban, albertini, maldini too as a kid haha. Of course weah and desailly would go on to Chelsea or all places, I remember weah scoring one of the few goals he scored for Chelsea against us, mixed feelings haha.

{Ed001's Note - I am with you on Pirlo.}

06 Jan 2026 11:12:36
Ed, you a fan of Ronaldinho? I remembered it was so fun watching him at Barcelona.

{Ed001's Note - he was fantastic, but he wasn't about winning. The reason Ronaldo was so good is because everything was aimed at putting the ball in the back of the net. Ronaldinho was fabulous to watch because he was doing skills for the sake of skills. So I am a fan of watching him, but I wouldn't put him in the greatest of all time for that reason - unless it was about who was the greatest entertainers, in which case he is easily top 3.}

06 Jan 2026 11:53:20
I presume you mean 2002, Drac?

06 Jan 2026 16:32:21
Ronaldo Nazario was unreal.

I used to dream of a Fowler-Ronaldo pairing when he was still at PSV. Alas, a Liverpool move was never a possibility.
That would have been filthy!

06 Jan 2026 18:31:21
Him and Bergkamp are my dream forward partnership. I use to play up front when I was younger and them 2 plus Shearer are who I watched endlessly. Tried so hard to emulate Ronaldo, that my mate started calling me the blag R9 😂. Still does to this day. Oh and I still have my blue Nike R9's too 😂.

06 Jan 2026 07:39:02
{Ed's Note - Red Man has posted a new article entitled, Time to Reflect on Manchester United

05 Jan 2026 23:33:16
Haven't heard the term "get" used to describe someone in years, Ed001.

{Ed001's Note - it was my grandad's fave term. Whenever he had guests he would always refer to them as gets as a joke.}

06 Jan 2026 07:15:49
John Lennon took a wild swipe at Sir Walter Raleigh in 'I'm so tired'
Something to do with tobacco being brought to England.
Anyway back to the football.

06 Jan 2026 08:14:02
As a regular Viz reader, I've seen the term "get" used a lot, specially with the character Spawney Get.

06 Jan 2026 10:04:43
Is Viz still going, I'm amazed it hasn't been cancelled. Thanks for the 90's throwback Vik, the Tarby character used to make me laugh.

06 Jan 2026 02:37:47
I would like Liverpools next leader to be a manager not a coach, a man manager who encourages, provides one to one criticism when it's needed, has a personality, engages with the fans, understands the city.

Jurgen come back my mate, we were spoilt!

06 Jan 2026 06:28:36
You might end up regretting it Shughes55, Never go back to your ex.

He has run his course and his style is not sustainable.

06 Jan 2026 07:31:03
Sami

That's not true. What makes you say that.? Klopp is exactly what the team and English football needs. The relevance suggestion is you being brainwashed mate.

06 Jan 2026 08:04:55
The Klopp of 6-8 years ago is what the premier league needs. The Klopp of today is enjoying his life away from management and says repeatedly that he doesn't miss it. What makes you think that he can go from that to going back to obsessing over every tiny detail of player performance from team dinners to minutiae on the training pitch?

That fire was what made him the best coach we Liverpool fans have ever seen. At best he could probably be a supervisor or director of sorts, I don't think we will ever see him coach a club team again, especially our team, given how much he loves the club and the city and would feel responsible for its fortunes if he had the job.

06 Jan 2026 08:15:58
People forget how average the football was in Klopps final season. More easy listening than heavy metal.

06 Jan 2026 09:35:30
A head coach should still do all of those things.

It's just a job title but people unfortunately (and understandably) associate Klopp with the manager role and Slot with the coach role but the differences are in the people and not the role.

Klopp was the biggest people person I can remember seeing in football. It made great things happen with players excelling because they would do anything for him but it also caused problems due to excessive loyalty. We had an aging squad because Klopp didn't want to replace his players.

Slot on the other hand comes across as one of the coldest emotionless people in football. He never bothered moving his family here and there doesn't seem to be any kind of bond with the city and the players are just assets to him but we have been able to bring down the average age of the squad whilst (on paper at least) raising the quality.

The main difference between a head coach and a manager is just that they don't have final say on transfers.

I'm happy to stick with the head coach approach but as the OP suggests I do think that they need to be more of a people person and build a relationship with the city and the reality is probably that the best thing for the club would be somebody who sits somewhere in the middle of the 2.

06 Jan 2026 10:37:43
Tell that Sami to Celtic fans after Martin O'Neil has gone back to Celtic for a third time.

06 Jan 2026 11:05:33
D'ya ever think the family said NO to moving Shipley? kids in College etc? If his family did turn diwn the choice to move to Liverpool i'd say its hard on the bloke. And he doesn't come across as cold or emotionless to me, just Dutch.

06 Jan 2026 11:57:44
And we've taken Slot so deeply into our hearts 😂.

06 Jan 2026 16:22:45
I don't find Slot to be cold and emotionless at all, he is very considerate in press interviews, is always respectful of whoever is addressing him regardless of how annoying their questions may be, is amiable and jocular in a dry way.

He doesn't beat his chest and hug players like Jurgen but he's not some kind of robot either. Would you prefer that our coach was 'passionate' like Conte and Amorim? Because I don't.

06 Jan 2026 00:12:50
Apparently arguements between Hughes and Slot on recruitment in the summer. Slot wanted Fofana or Barcola to replace and Rio sent on Loan. Hughes wanted Rio and Nyoni to get more game time. The issues seem to be similar to United where the coach doesn't get the players he wants or the calibre.

Slot after winning the league should of had more of an input on what type he wants. As I said before Isak was not needed and the money should of been spent on two £60m wingers.

06 Jan 2026 00:31:56
A CF was much needed seeing that we lost three on the summer. Diaz and Nunez were sold and Jota sadly passed on. Diaz may have been a winger on paper but he played most of his minutes in CF after dropping. Maybe Isak himself wasn't needed but we needed at least two CFs in the summer.

06 Jan 2026 01:58:02
Deluded- Isak will eventually be some player for the reds.

06 Jan 2026 02:01:23
Glasner short odds for United . The shallow pool is getting drier by the day although it looks like interim initially followed by him joining in the summer.

06 Jan 2026 03:58:14
All of a sudden there are disagreements between Slot and Hughes.

Where were these stories before Amorim and Utds Wilcox had disagreements?

Something smells fishy.

06 Jan 2026 00:55:39
If a "head coach" who has won the league in his first season at the club doesn't have the deciding input on player recruitment then it is a recipe for failure.

06 Jan 2026 01:06:04
Of course in hindsight we'd have been better with ekitike and not bothering with isak and getting a much cheaper back up striker. But hindsight is 20/ 20 vision. Do you expect me to believe that you weren't creaming yourself when we got him, because I know I was and 99.99% of others were as well if people would be honest.

06 Jan 2026 06:28:12
It doesn't matter who manages United - they have had the same problem since the Glazers took over and whoever is eventually installed will still face the same issues.

Anyway, before Tuesday gets started and the usual tearing of the team, manager and club gets underway I thought I'd wish all contributors a belated Happy and Healthy New Year. I love football and I love Liverpool FC. I love the game and enjoy watching football as a source of entertainment. At the moment, the going is hard, we aren't playing well at all and we still aren't playing as a team. So given that watching the team is hard enough work at the moment, I'm going to take a few weeks off from the unremitting repetitive criticism of everything related to the club, known as the banter page.

06 Jan 2026 06:33:47
I was 100% not in favour of Isak to start with and when Eat Tea Cake was signed, it was 200%.

We needed a poacher profile type of striker and not like Isak.

In fact I had doubts on Eat Tea Cake, but he has pleasenatly surprised with this quick footwork for such a tall guy.

Never expected he will be top drawer but but I still worry about his attitude. Something tells me he is very ambitious and if he keeps banging in for us, if RM sniff around, he will take first flight.

06 Jan 2026 06:53:33
I didn't want Isak after getting the low down from my Newcastle friend. We should have got two wingers and put Salah in the middle as his pace has gone a bit like Ronaldo.

06 Jan 2026 07:27:32
Salah cannot play in the middle, why do so many posters insist that he can? Mo loves getting the ball to his feet and then running at his defender to get in the box, or receiving in the half space to create, he is not a player to attack space in behind in the box to score or make a run at the near post. He also can't play as a 10 the way Wirtz does, popping up around the pitch to link up the play everywhere. He plays the right wing position like a right sided 10, but the important thing is that he stays on the right where he is most effective.

The biggest problem with Mo is that he absolutely has to be the axis of a team's offense if he is to contribute to the team, he isn't the kind of player to endlessly be making decoy runs for others or popping up around the pitch affecting the game in other ways, he is an absolutely ball dominant player and then the team's performance hinges on whether he shows up or not.

And Sami, Isak is a poacher type striker, I'm not sure why you think he doesn't fit that profile? The bonus is that he can do a lot of other things well, he can shift out wide, he can link up play with his back to goal, he gives us presence in the box. As a poacher though he is absolutely world class, his instinct in the box to anticipate where the ball is going to drop is one of the best I've seen. People have this impression that he loves to dribble past three defenders and stick on in the corner and yes, he can do that on occasion, but most of his goals for Newcastle are easy goals, and the reason he has scored so many is because he has top top class striker instincts in anticipating the play.

The problem is that for Newcastle he was also the focus of their offense, he was constantly getting on the ball to link up with Gordon and Murphy, and they were always looking to feed him in the box, even if he didn't score in a game he was constantly involved. For us he is completely uninvolved, and this is absolutely a tactical problem since for his previous team the first thought was getting him the ball early, the way we did for Mo last year. Ekitike is a much more all action player dropping into midfield and close to Wirtz and the full back to get on the ball, so naturally he looks to participate a lot more in our attacking play.

06 Jan 2026 08:16:28
I never wanted Isak, friends thought I was mad but 125m for an injury prone striker who's minutes needed managing and didn't really fit our system was absolute madness to me. We could have split the Isak money up between a decent Diaz replacement and a backup for Hugo, and we would have been in a much better position for it today. Nothing to do with hindsight, it was my genuine opinion at the time.

Hugo Spritz - Chelsea fans thought the same about Torres.

Ron Keague - That sort of thing was decided in contracts long before the league was won. Edwards only came back on the promise he had final say on transfers due to the same issues with Klopp. It's exactly why Arne's official role is head coach and not manager. Less power.

06 Jan 2026 09:25:42
Alvarez was my dream signing - was never going to happen - but once we got Hugo i never wanted Isak, he is injury prone, had no preseason, and we had just lost the only player that would provide him with assists from deep on the counter - and now we don't play to isaks strengths

i wanted to sign a winger who wouldn't mind being more of a provider than a star man, so whether you like him or not, Rodrygo would have been a fine Diaz replacement and has buckets of experience - he would never set the world alight but also much less of a gamble than Barcola.

06 Jan 2026 09:37:47
Very strange indeed, JLC.

06 Jan 2026 09:48:56
Patrick - Your answered the question that you were asking.

The problem is that for Newcastle he was also the focus of their offense, he was constantly getting on the ball to link up with Gordon and Murphy, and they were always looking to feed him in the box, even if he didn't score in a game he was constantly involved.

Isak was the focus man to get the best and was being fed from both sides and the team was running (carrying) for him at 26.

1. It was very clear that we can't carry both Isak and Mo in the same team.

2. Mo has achieved more than what Isak has at Newcastle and he needed less defense duties at 32/ 33 (not tracking back) and not at 26.

3. Injury record - no questions asked

After getting Etikite it was a no brainer to have dropped him and we should have looked for alternative.

Even before that, at the sums being quoted, with a known injury record which required managing, don't you think we should have been careful?

06 Jan 2026 10:12:53
Chewy, Torres was finished as an elite striker when he left us, he had never had a major injury or setback before and it ruined him mentally and physically, without that burst from a standing start he lost his greatest quality.

He was still a very, very good player, he was crucial to them winning the champs league and he still scored important goals, but he wasn't the electrifying force of nature whose every stride chewed up the pitch and bowled every defender in his path over anymore.

Unless you think isak is also finished as a top striker? I have every confidence that with a proper preseason we will see the best of isak again, that is if we incorporate him into the team properly.

06 Jan 2026 10:37:11
Isak is a great signing but with Slots training methods he is just not ever getting match fit.
As for Salah though the middle that definitely wouldn't work Salah has earned him self a place on the right side of attack in Liverpool's all time 11 but he misses far too many chances to play down the middle and he doesn't have the skill set to play there.

05 Jan 2026 23:24:21
LFC have put millions into the academy and the first team have two forwards injured and one at afcon so struggling at the moment . Question why have we not got a forward to step up?

i know Danns is injured, but is he the only one we can look to help the first team.
Where is the next Owen, Fowler?
YNWA.

06 Jan 2026 00:08:21
Albey, it's been 3 decades since we produced those two. The only world-class talent we have produced since Gerrard is TAA. Players of that quality don't just grow on trees. Our academy was even worse in the 00s, trust me.

06 Jan 2026 00:39:00
Our academy isn't doing too badly in recent times. We have had TAA, Jones, and Bradley coming through. Kelleher was also a decent graduate from the academy and is doing well for himself now albeit at a different club. We also have McConnell, Beck, Koumas and Chambers who have a good chance of making the squad next year, with Danns, Rio, and Nyoni behind them.

The step up from the u21s to the first team is huge and not many can make it. We are doing well for ourselves with the taken that we are currently producing, I feel.

06 Jan 2026 01:04:45
Rio Ngumoha is an academy forward, the manager doesn't want to use him.

06 Jan 2026 01:43:48
Not many great CFs around, it's all inverted wingers and false nines even at academy level. Shearer was talking about it recently.

Ours doesn't produce masses for the first team but the standards are high. It's probably seen as much for trading purposes by the club, and without the multi club model we don't have ready made destinations for loanees which place us at a disadvantage in development terms.

06 Jan 2026 07:48:00
Rio was bought from Chelsea ( or stolen if you listen to them)

Due to his age, by default he is an academy player.

Our academy did not develop him.

06 Jan 2026 08:18:30
Not strictly academy, but surely Will Wright should get a chance now he's back from injury. Looks a real prospect him.

06 Jan 2026 08:42:28
To be fair JLC, we didn't develop many of those players listed above. Trent, Jones, Koumas, Danns and Chambers were all LFC academy players.

Rio was Chelsea as you say, Nyoni was Leicester City, Beck was Stoke City, Kelleher was Ringmahon Rangers, Bradley was Dungannon Swifts and McConnell was Sunderland.

Outside of that, looking at players still on our books, Elliott was Fulham, Bajcetic was Celta Vigo, Nallo was West Ham, Lucky was Real Zaragoza, Ayman was Wolves, Figueroa was FC Dallas, Kone-Doherty was Derry City etc.

Then if you look at some of the bigger sales of 'acadmey players' in recent years Ibe was Wycombe Wanderers, Sterling was QPR, Doak was Celtic, Solanke was Chelsea, Carvalho was Fulham, Van den Berg was PEC Zwolle etc.

We're very good at raiding other academies. When you're one of the big dogs in world football, it's hard for 12-16 year olds to say no, and we basically have enough money to make offers to less financially secure clubs that they can't afford to refuse.

06 Jan 2026 09:39:15
Well explained, MKS.

06 Jan 2026 09:54:15
That's how academies work these days. Gone are the days where they are just full of local kids. Now you scout for the best players around to bring into your academy. It is what Chelsea have been doing for a long time and why every player linked nowadays seems to have been in Chelsea's academy at some point.

I believe that our academy has improved a lot of late but it will take years for those younger players to come through and for the improvements to show. In the meantime we need to add in the likes of Rio and Nyoni to fill the void that was left by what was a terrible academy.

05 Jan 2026 20:35:12
Is it true City are now pushing for Guehi because of a couple of long term injuries? We couldn't lose out to that lot for Guehi and Semenyo?

05 Jan 2026 20:52:06
I heard about this link a couple of weeks back. They may have intensified due to the injuries to City's CB's.

05 Jan 2026 21:02:38
Although he seems like a genuine guy even Guehi could have his head turned if they offer a lot more money. Apparently that is part of the Semenyo story, although it may well be that we backed off as well I don't know.

05 Jan 2026 21:04:50
I wonder if it'll force Dickie to pull his finger out and get the deal done.

05 Jan 2026 21:05:30
They have made contact and are pushing.

05 Jan 2026 21:21:19
Man Cheaty (still no verdict? ) have far more skilful squad players to offer Palace, just look at the state of our subs bench the last half dozen games, we have to select two reserve goalies to swell the subs bench, half a billion doesn't get ye much nowadays.

Said it before Harvey Elliot could come back and have a prolonged spell in MOs more advanced RW position, if no good bye bye in the summer? he had a good under 21s tournament last summer in the RW position sh! t or bust? if ye don't buy a ticket ye don't win a raffle!

05 Jan 2026 21:35:18
If we lose both transfers to City I'm afraid Dickie Hughes would need to go. Two signings of good value with huge Prem experience, in positions we desperately need to bolster, who'd walk into our team and we don't get them done? Unforgivable.

05 Jan 2026 21:57:55
Genuinely. Why would anyone want to play in this Liverpool team right now?

I can't see Guehi joining this bore fest. And could anybody blame him really?

05 Jan 2026 22:20:17
Might be coming true regardless Jimble.

05 Jan 2026 22:51:45
You have to laugh really. No doubt we'll end up not making a signing and both Konate and Gomez pick up long term injuries.

05 Jan 2026 23:03:08
Hughes needs to go. Again! Jeez, this is like a kid who has everything he wants for Xmas, then come New Years Day starts screaming because he hasn't had next Xmas's presents!

05 Jan 2026 23:07:04
There won't be any first team incomings this month for us.

05 Jan 2026 23:09:24
By all accounts Palace want £40 million for Guehi. Anyone paying £40 million for a player out of contract in 6 months needs their head examined.

06 Jan 2026 00:30:55
Or Risk not getting him at all thunderbird? but agree mate that's a huge amount for a player out of contract in 6 months!

My concern is the possibly of not getting him is becoming quite high and bearing in mind he is / was our primary target I'm not hearing much in the way of alternative incomings in a position were woefully short in!
Also Guehi giving his word last September is all well and good when we were the top dog but it's a bit different to now when we've a battle even for a CL spot?
My couple of £ is - he goes elsewhere - hope I'm wrong.

06 Jan 2026 01:53:42
Sounds like daft money, but what would an equivalent talent cost. The higher the fee the more realistic he'll need to be on wages.

06 Jan 2026 02:14:16
I agree, Thunderbird. If we do, it'll just be a continuation of the summer - overpaying for players when we really don't need to, especially considering some of them wanted to join us anyway. I get the impression Hughes isn't a very good negotiator.

Overpaying for players is bad business. If City go ahead and pay it, then fine - I'm glad we didn't.

The financial side of things has gotten ridiculous, and I don't want to see us getting dragged into that game. I'd much rather see us picking up bargains or unknowns and turning them into something special.

06 Jan 2026 01:00:58
Buying a player to cover injuries is a bit daft to me and I can't see city doing that. What happened after those players are back from their injuries though? Guehi would be wondering about that as well. City have bought so many players in recent years and they're all sitting on the bench now or getting loaned out.

Unless he has assurance from them that he has a decent chance at being a starter, I can't see him moving to City.

06 Jan 2026 09:41:46
TB2, I agree with you on the merits cos on paper, that deal makes no footballing or business sense at all. If any other club was doing this, I would be calling them incompetent.

Having said that, it depends on how desperate teams are. Are as desperate as City? That's the question, IMO.

06 Jan 2026 11:15:35
I wouldn't want Lfc to pay £40m, or even the £35m we were going to pay in the summer for Marc Guehi. Good player but let's be real if Konate was playing anything like in previous seasons Guehi'd be defensive cover and nothing more.

Remember folks we were getting offered €20m this time last year for a world talent in Trent. Let Parish make some other team look silly.

05 Jan 2026 19:26:50
Ed's to get away from managers

How would any of you feel about adding a second referee to the field, like in Ice Hockey? They each work a half, can see what the other doesn't. I think it might standard go up. Hockey has improved for the most part, but there is still the human tendency to even calls out.

{Ed001's Note - it would just mean another useless get on the field.}

05 Jan 2026 20:30:34
they trialled it in Oz for league - from memory primarily because teams were cheating on getting back 10 yards from the ruck. It went pear-shaped to start with because each ref is different (so complaints about consistency) . They still have 2 but they look after different things.

I can see the same issue for football - each ref is different and as a player you want to know what their standard is so you can play within it. Having 2 would mess that up big time - not least because a lot of the EPL refs aren't consistent to start with.

05 Jan 2026 20:51:55
Don't blame the refs, blame the rules.

05 Jan 2026 20:53:28
Ed01, it would be the latest installment of Police Academy.

05 Jan 2026 22:03:14
It's not just the rules though, Eco. The refs run around like headless chickens 90% of the time and make stupid decisions over and over again.

05 Jan 2026 22:05:30
There would be less controversy if rules were simpler.
If the ball touches a hand its handball regardless of intent or body shape. A player is offside regardless of whether he is interfering with play or not.


Theres no doubt most the PL refs are pretty incompetent but they are not helped by having to spot so many nuances to each rule. Simpler interpretations of the rules should make it harder for VAR to screw up too.

05 Jan 2026 22:22:50
What if an issue happens on the half way line and they can't agree whose half it was in? They'll need a VAR ruling to decide which ref makes the decision. They could draw lines and take 5 minutes then have them both go and argue at the pitch side screen.

05 Jan 2026 19:01:09
I ve noticed a noticeable shift in the mainstream media after the Fulham game. Perhaps it's upped after the Leeds game and hammered home after the Fulham game.

I think the pressure is as high as it's ever been now for Slot and Management.

Fans are nigh on universal now for change. Up to now, I would read comments on the press conferences that Slot does and previously, there would be arguments pro and against Slot getting more time. Now it is comment after comment wanting him gone.

I don't want to name names of different media sites here but the usual club friendly medias have starting posting more articles about the boring style. Eg. One had an interview where John Aldridge said he feared for our manager now. Another one, who was very pro giving Slot time has almost done a 180 saying how boring the football is and that they all of sudden don't like where the direction of football the club is heading in.

I was wondering if the media was going to turn on him a little as that is a serious nail in the coffin. Not the final one but a nail all the same. And it has.

It's certainly a big headache for Slot now as chance creation and boredom are the questions he is going to get asked game after game until things improve.

I'm not sure if he is close to the end. I think the hierarchy will give him time. But barring a serious energy/ creativity change in the team, I think he will be gone by end of this season. I'm not even sure that top four will save him if he doesn't up the performances to that of a top side. Fans and media have turned and it will be very very hard to get them back onside.

05 Jan 2026 19:18:41
Now that Amorim has gone they need to find a new target.

05 Jan 2026 19:54:38
Some people here wanted Amorim. So maybe now is the time to strike.

05 Jan 2026 19:54:46
Outside of this site, I don't know a single Liverpool fan who wants him to stay after that Fulham game. I mean, I only knew one still defending him and that last game finally broke them.

05 Jan 2026 20:10:02
They're relentless on TV and phone ins. Without taking breath they annihilate one manager or coach after another. It's gone too far.

05 Jan 2026 20:57:25
MKS, I think this started after the second half dross served up by Slot in the Wolves game. Then, came the City game where we only created one big chance (according to the experts) with 71 poossession in 95 mins. And now, Fulham.

As a result, I think the media has caught up with the reality of Slot's baffling system (or lack thereof) and are starting to question him a lot more and the pressure will only ramp up with Chelsea and United sacking their managers if he doesn't fix up, which I think won't happen and frankly, it's too late cos Slot is dug in hard.

05 Jan 2026 21:15:58
MKS, im a season ticket holder in lower Main stand, I meet up with friends by the wall of fame who are season ticket holders in the Kop, before, during and after the Leeds game, which by the way was a cold, wet and horrible watch nobody was pulling the trigger with slot out.
As iv previously posted, I don't want to see us bouncing from manager to manager, 38 years a season ticket holder iv seen great players, great teams and great football, iv also seen the opposite.


Let's hope slot turns it around, still 4th, still champions league and FA Cup to go at, and if he does get sacked, let's hope the guy thst employed him gets the next appointment right!

05 Jan 2026 21:37:59
Think the pressure couldn't ramp any more than when we were down in 12th. At the moment were back up to 4th and looking ahead instead of behind us hopefully.

05 Jan 2026 21:52:08
Was it Dev, MK?

OliRed, we played City well before we played Wolves. I didn't think you listened to the media, anyway.

05 Jan 2026 22:24:07
Yep Davey, Sky calling BS on Slot's latest babble about how we've improved. Statistically giving up more big chances and creating less, contrary to his drivel.

06 Jan 2026 09:48:21
Leeds, is what I meant to say. Not City.

05 Jan 2026 16:47:47
Chelsea sack thier manager, United sack their manager. let's hope it comes in 3s .

05 Jan 2026 17:18:35
it has, Celtic sacked their manager.

05 Jan 2026 17:34:59
Aberdeen sacked theirs too.

05 Jan 2026 17:58:53
Maybe good things come in 5?

05 Jan 2026 19:14:02
Hypothetical, but imagine if Slot ended up being manager of Chelsea or United, do you think he'd be able to turn them into title contenders.

05 Jan 2026 19:29:10
Not a chance, it would only inflate his ego more.

05 Jan 2026 19:38:59
Na, has to be the same league, Scotland doesn't count .

05 Jan 2026 20:44:23
Arne Clot will never ever work again in the Premier League again, only a Ludicrous Owner or FSG would employ him.

Whoever comes in now has a major re-building job again, a new central defence, players/ staff who will want to leave etc

It's back to square one again for LFC, Amorim has magnified in the papers today what FSG/ Slot/ Edwards&Hughes will not accept, you cannot have a Head Coach in charge of any PL football club, as Amorim says today he wants to be the MANAGER of the Club and be responsible for everything, signing his players for one not one's recommended by people who have never played professional football aka Edwards, FSG?

Sir Bill Shankly emphasised what Amorim said today in 1951, when he first had an interview for the manager's job at LFC, he was grilled by the Board of Directors and the then Chairman said to Shanks right Mr Shankly you have got the LFC managers job just as he was about to leave the boardroom, the Chairman said we will "TELL YOU" what the team is for tomorrows match?

Shankly replied as he was leaving the Boardroom, then you don't need a Manager do you, and slammed the door in their faces!

He never returned back to Anfield till 1959, when he was appointed MANAGER of LiverpoolFootball Club, eight years utterly wasted because they wanted a "Yes" man, just what Clot is and Shankly/ Paisley/ Fagan/ Dalglish/ etc/ Klopp the complete opposite thank god men with backbones and more importantly footballing brains.

I take my hat off to Amorim Why? the man has "Guts" sadly something that LFC doesn't have now in any capacity!

05 Jan 2026 21:27:24
Amorim wouldn't willingly change his system, Slot won't change his - they are the same thing, talk about 'guts' is not really applicable, more ineptitude and stubbornness for both of them, if anything.

05 Jan 2026 21:39:45
Dont see how needing a new central defense is on Slot.

06 Jan 2026 09:47:38
What guts? More like arrogant stupidity than anything else. The guy's system does not work in the PL. Playing a 2 man midfield vs teams that play a 3 man midfield is just hubris of the highest order cos anyone that can count already can tell you that his midfield is being outnumbered hence, will always suffer.

Then, he inverts the wingbacks which leaves them short at the back cos their defenders as a unit are crap. That is not guts. that is stupidity, arrogance and being all up your own backside.

05 Jan 2026 16:30:26
I'm not Slot in or Slot out at the moment. Nor I am ITK in any way. A huge amount goes into the recruitment of players, managers and other staff. Those behind the scenes work to ensure the best for the club. Ed002 was the first to call Slot, I recall. He wasn't just a name plucked out of the sky and hope for the best.

So, if it's not to be Slot - and things aren't great I know although a huge amount of change happened over the summer and not all within the club's control - who would take over? Who would we want to take over? I know a lot about Alonso has been mooted but the others?

05 Jan 2026 17:33:47
If we can't get Alonso, I'd take Iraola. At the very least I want to be able to enjoy watching my team. I haven't watched a game since late October or November now and it doesn't seem like there's anything to suggest I should turn on the television since the style of play is still dire.

Full disclaimer I watched every game under Hodgson, so you know this is bad!

05 Jan 2026 18:56:13
We are in Souness / Hodge levels of poor football and have been for a while, give or take the odd game.

Slot seems egocentric and self-focused, unable to lead during difficult times.

He and Hughes are as one, as I understand it .

05 Jan 2026 19:20:14
We are nowhere near end of Benitez, end of Houllier, end of Rodger's or Hodgson days. That's complete nonsense.

05 Jan 2026 20:04:10
At last, some actual sense. Thanks WM73. There's a few in here been at the Xmas sherry or worse. Get a grip.

05 Jan 2026 20:23:11
I liked Arne last season. He seemed quite understated, apart from occasionally over explaining tactics. And we won the league.

If he has grown a bit more of a front, or a defensive streak even, that's perhaps understandable when you're threatened. Let's be fair no one minds an ego or idiosyncrasies when you're winning.

05 Jan 2026 20:39:03
Actually, getting spanked 3-0 at home by Forest, several rancid draws sprinkled with a few fairly fortunate wins is very reminiscent of Bodgers final stretch.

05 Jan 2026 21:02:41
VV, we got smoked by Forrest 3-0 and 4 days later or so, got battered by the mighty PSV 4-1 and Slot still kept his job. If that didn't tell you that he isn't getting hooked till next season then, nothing will.

As for who I would want, I'll take Alonso cos he played and won here. Won as a manager at Leverkusen and will have the maestro he created in Flo Wirtz to work with. Alonso knows what it's like to win when no one thinks you can. That's a very big thing for me.

06 Jan 2026 01:02:09
Oli no-one thought Slot would win the league last season.
Alonso has proved nothing, one season wonder in a farmers league and struggling at Madrid.
I don't think he's a head coach, I don't think he'd work with Hughes.

06 Jan 2026 01:49:49
Well slot also won with feyenoord and nearly with az of all teams when no one thought he could. What's your point?

And Alonso hardly 'made' wirtz, he merely recognised what an incredible talent he was and built his team around him. Wirtz at koln was already the talk of the town. He started and scored his first goal for Leverkusen two years before Alonso even showed up.

06 Jan 2026 09:58:12
What are you people talking about? I have repeated on here that I wanted Slot cos he knew how to win. I said that already repeatedly hence, the exact same reason I want Alonso. Cos both know what it is like to win a title when no one thought they could so relax. Literally, that is my point and you are just repeating it. I don't want an Iraola for this exact same reason.

And yes, Alonso did put Wirtz on the map as the best 10 on the market cos he played two years under him and blew up, fact. Why? Wirtz was already playing in the first team and Alonso took over in the middle of the 22/ 23 season after Wirtz returned from a nasty injury. Within 2 years or so, Alonso turned Wirtz into a the best no. 10 on the market. Someone we would later sign for a king's ransom.

05 Jan 2026 16:27:05
I think Arne Slot is effectively an Interim Coach at LFC. Good chance there will be a handshake and thanks for number 20 in the Summer. When FSG sacked Rodgers Jurgen and Carlo were plausible candidates.

If LFC sacked Arne tomorrow the pool of suitable replacements is simply is not there!

05 Jan 2026 17:11:34
Any coach, with half a brain, should be queuing up to work with this squad, being cheered on by an amazing fanbase too (mostly haha) . I don't know who any of these coaches are, I'm not ITK. But they should be telling their agents, "Get me involved in that! ".

05 Jan 2026 17:43:48
Amazing fanbase, not sure anymore Ritchie. Slot was getting slated and called ridiculous things after his first defeat this season to Palace.

05 Jan 2026 17:55:25
I hear ya FM.

05 Jan 2026 18:17:43
It's a terrific fanbase and as a season ticket holder I've never once heard fans say Slot Out or generally disrespect him. The fans however are rightly disgruntled because we haven't had one convincing league win this season. You're utterly delusional and I'll reiterate this moral stance you're taking doesn't make you a better fan it just reaffirms that.

05 Jan 2026 18:40:55
Every manager in the world, with the exception of Arteta and (probably) Pep would be interested in the Liverpool job, period.
There is no "He's not available, mate" with the Liverpool job any longer.

05 Jan 2026 19:08:14
Kipper, you've never heard fans say Slot out or disrespect him?
Not even on this forum?

05 Jan 2026 19:15:20
We have had convincing wins. didn't say im a better fan, there's no such thing as a better fan. People that go to games are no better fans than people who watch every game abroad and try get to a game or two a year. We're all the same. But im not utterly delusional and i'll tell you who the WORSE fans are, the ones who like i said to Ritchie above slated and called Slot every name under the sun since he lost his very 1st game of the season vs Palace. People who were only waiting on a negative result. its a recent thing, don't know whether its the social media age because it certainly would not have happened in years gone by.

We could be talking about what tea bags are used in the club canteen and someone would tie it to a way to criticise the man. I support LFC not Slot and i mentioned earlier today he could've easily been sacked during that nightmare run but this site in the last few months has just became pathetic in my eyes the amount of hatred supposedly grown men are throwing at the man. All while just refusing to acknowledge any small positive we might be having along the way.

05 Jan 2026 19:17:16
Think our fanbase is too good at times, iv been a few games this season n the manager hasn't been called out . plenty of moans n groans lately but we are still supportive even though we are playing this poorly.

05 Jan 2026 19:27:39
Frode, I go to most of the homes games. Would you agree with me, that if the attending support were to show dissent towards the manager, the powers that be would have to sit up and take notice? The problem there is, that that rarely happens.

I think you have to go back to Hodgson when some on the Kop sang Hodgson for England. I don't think we are there yet, I don't know about you.

05 Jan 2026 19:35:56
Lowe1FC - You trying to tell me, Enrique would leave PSG, Flick and Alonso would walk away from Barcelona and Real, to set up shop on the Mersey?! Come off it, Alonso already turned us down once before. We're not luring anyone out of a job unless they're at a lower ranked club.

05 Jan 2026 20:05:04
Florian, I have to disagree regards to all fans being equal. Those that follow us home and away, spending thousands, are more of a supporter than those that can't even bother to watch us on TV, because they don't like the way we play, but still come on here and slag the manager off.

05 Jan 2026 20:14:51
We've had a few convincing win, a fair few unconvincing wins and way to many defeats and now becoming draw specialists against teams we should be beating. 😏. It's not great from the PL Champions by any stretch.

05 Jan 2026 20:24:53
I'd love to be local Rome, nd get to go to more games. Even to get across from Ireland now has become so expensive. But i never miss a game on tv no matter how bad we are, i simply can't not watch them.

05 Jan 2026 21:00:57
Florian, being local won't get you into games easier . the tickets seem easier to get if your out of the area . never ever used to be like that.

05 Jan 2026 21:04:55
Saying Slot out is an opinion based on actual facts and evidence that can be measured. Not disrespect. Good grief.

05 Jan 2026 21:20:45
Don't worry, Strom. According to some, give it a few weeks and nobody will want to watch us.

05 Jan 2026 21:41:53
The measure of a good team points wise is averaging two points a game I'd say.

At that level you're worthy of top 4. Arsenal are worthy leaders right now, 48 points in 20 games is good going by most seasons standards.

We're quite a lot below the two point average which shows the consistency gap outside of the top three.

In terms of performances most fans prefer quicker intense pass and move football, with a few goals each game. Again we're nowhere near that level of play or goals, only Arsenal and City are near or at that level.

05 Jan 2026 21:43:15
Helps with the plane tickets and hotel stays though Strom.

05 Jan 2026 21:55:57
Rigsby, sorry I should have been more clear there. At Anfield, I've never heard fans saying Slot out or booing him directly in the stadium. They're disgruntled, me included but never booing him. Florian is waving some sort of invisible flag of moral bravery by now condemning fans because our current football is garbage.

05 Jan 2026 22:17:12
Rome . iv been offered a few corporate tickets lately, mainly on the day of the match though cheaper obviously but that's usually the 1st sign but when we get to semis n that . no chance.

05 Jan 2026 22:37:14
OliRed, who said saying 'Slot out' was disrespectful?
Calling him 'clueless' and accusing him of 'literal insanity' is disrespectful, I would say.
That would be you, btw, my guy.
A similar disrespect you also showed Klopp when describing his 'footie' as 'nonsense'.

05 Jan 2026 23:48:45
Fair enough, Kippers.
I think everyone is disgruntled and that includes Florian. I think some are far more disgruntled than others though.
We all react to bad results and performances but I do think some overreact.

I can understand fans wanting a change of coach but when I read some of the names to replace Slot it leaves me bewildered. And some fans will even ignore facts and rewrite history to suit their agenda.