Liverpool Discussion posts 4

02 Jun 2026 14:07:35
Prayers for the kings, Kenny Dalglish and Kevin Keegan and their families at this time. ?

02 Jun 2026 11:22:08
Welcome to Liverpool Dr Octopus!

02 Jun 2026 19:55:36
Ringo built a garden for him.

02 Jun 2026 10:32:33
With the appointment of Iraola, which of course I am very much happy about. However, I would love to ask if there has been any appointment over the years of a coach or manager from the supposed smaller clubs to any of the big clubs within the EPL that was a success? I am genuinely struggling to think of any.

02 Jun 2026 11:16:49
Depends what success is. Not many though. Eddie Howe's done ok at Newcastle.

02 Jun 2026 11:40:05
It's a valid concern. The Sporting Directors are all powerful in these new models. To warrant this power, you would then expect them to be more visible, accountable.

It's a shame ours spends more time in Bournemouth than he does in Liverpool.

02 Jun 2026 12:11:39
Arteta?
Arsenhole was his 1st job as manager... came from City as Pep's assistant.

Can't think of anyone else from within the PL...

Mourinho came from Porto to Chelsea and did Ok.
Wenger was a nobody before he joined Arsenhole.


Maybe one of Chelsea's multiple managers... although it's difficult to say who was a success there and who wasn't... DiMatteo did win the CL with them....

We won't mention Spurs and all the managers that joined them from "smaller" teams...

02 Jun 2026 12:45:58
In the way you are presumably thinking about as a precedent for Iraola to follow, there is no one.

Arteta would come close, but as a different example given he went from assistant straight to the top job.

Otherwise, there is no one.

02 Jun 2026 13:34:38
Poch did pretty well at Spurs? Maybe even Harry R too?

02 Jun 2026 15:07:29
Marco Silva done well leaving Everton for Fulham. ?

02 Jun 2026 15:37:33
Again, is nobody concerned about Iraola's 37% win ratio as a manager?

02 Jun 2026 15:48:10
Do you not bother reading other posts, Fonz?

37% is fantastic for a team like Bournemouth. If he was hitting 50% plus then he would be winning the league, which, with a team like Bournemouth, would be remarkable.

What is more important is how he managed to over-perform in the EPL with the players at his disposal. Bournemouth didn't recruit £100m+ players, but Iraola has made them into that, and profited massively along the way, which is the business model that Bournemouth (and others, like Brighton, Brentford etc) operate.



I don't think anyone is stupid enough to think that, with a better quality of squad (remember we spend £400m+ less than 12m ago), Iraola will again deliver 37%! Do they?

02 Jun 2026 18:57:07
Yes, I do read other posts, no need to be snarky lad. His 37% with Bournemouth is comparable to Hodgson (41%), with worse players with us. Iraola's overall career win ratio is 38.4% - with 41% being his highest in the Cypriot League.
A 50% win ratio will not win the league. We had a win ratio of 49% last season, overall, marginally less in the league.

In answer to your last paragraph, a Premier League, Eredivise League and Cup winner managed to not deliver last season, despite an investment of £400m.



We will see what happens, obviously, but as a lot of people on here seem to have no patience if things go wrong and are very reactionary, how much support will he get from the moaning day trippers to Anfield when we don't win? I'm discounting any of the commenters on here as most of them don't go the match it seems.

02 Jun 2026 23:44:03
I'm with you, Fonz. This appointment really concerns me.

There are no managers that have successfully made that step up and been successful.

Zed, you have actually backed up our concerns by mentioning teams like Brighton and Brentford. Potter and Frank were considered to have performed miracles at those clubs, but completely tanked when making the step up.

It's far more likely that Iraola will do the same rather than him being successful.



Appointing any manager is a gamble, but I'd like to see us appointing someone who has won big trophies at other clubs and knows how to build and maintain a winning mentality. I just don't see that in Iraola.

He will get my full support, and I will pray that I'm wrong, but I just can't shake this feeling that this is a big mistake.

03 Jun 2026 02:58:31
I'm not overly worried about the win percentage.

It is just one metric and needs to be read in context.

03 Jun 2026 05:45:38
Moyes has done ok at Everton since making the step up from United.

02 Jun 2026 10:31:34
What’s the deal with Iraola then, Romano saying he’s the new manager? When he announced Slot he specifically put head coach.

If we walked away from Alonso because he wanted to be manager and not head coach, then why all of a sudden is Iraola being given manager but not head coach?

Happy with Iraola like, just don’t understand the whole thought process of denying one more control, but then giving another the control the other asked for?

02 Jun 2026 15:08:45
We don't know why we walked away from Alonso, that's an assumption on your part.

Some say we never even approached Alonso.

I don't think we'll know the reason for now.

02 Jun 2026 15:37:49
It is literally repeated in dozens of articles on t'interweb.

Looking at coaching styles, Alonso is a far better fit for Chelsea and Iraola a far better fit for the style of football that the owners (and the fans) want us to play - heavy pressing.



I truly believe that we didn't approach Alonso. It's a fairytale appointment given his past history with us, but if he hadn't played for us, I don't think anyone would be asking the question.

02 Jun 2026 15:49:20
Oh, and Alonso wanted to be a manager, whereas, at least until a coach is proven, FSG would prefer to appoint a head coach.

02 Jun 2026 17:18:39
Well said, Zeddicus.

It's like listening to a broken record when people talk about Alonso.

01 Jun 2026 16:56:02.
Taking away the players leaving as free agents and including the return of those on loan, below is the current 1st team squad according to Transfermarkt.

Gks:
Alisson
Mamadashvilli
Jaros
Pesci
Davies

Defenders:
Virg
Gomez
Leoni
Jaquet
Kerkez
Tsmikas
Bradley
Frimpong
Ramsay

Midfielders:
Dom
Wirtz
Macca
Jones
Gravenberch
Endo
Nyoni
Bajcetic

Fwds:
Isak
Ekitike
Gakpo
Rio
Chiesa

9 of the above are out of contract in 2027.
Alisson
Davies
Virg
Gomez
Tsmikas
Ramsay
Bajcetic
Endo
Jones
Huge summer ahead.

01 Jun 2026 17:20:50
Not a very strong or deep squad.

01 Jun 2026 18:01:11
Harvey Elliott?

01 Jun 2026 19:18:54
Hughes has a lot to answer for, looking at this squad. Letting Diaz leave was a huge mistake. I don't think anything would have changed TAA's mind. But, Jarrell, Harvey, Tyler should not have been sold, and the money used to buy players we didn't need left the squad thin and unbalanced.

01 Jun 2026 19:22:38
Not strong, if you add the fact that 10 are injured or returning from injury or long layoff.

01 Jun 2026 20:26:55
Spot on, Jari, shocking job from Hughes.

01 Jun 2026 20:37:09
Forgot Elliot Willo. He would make it 10 players out of contract in 2027 then.

01 Jun 2026 20:42:35
I honestly think Slot's poor coaching and tactics have warped people's perceptions on our squad. That is a very good squad with a competent manager.

01 Jun 2026 21:00:05
The squad numbers are there, but it's unbalanced and lacks quality as we all know. Also quite a few have recurring injury problems.

I think we need some experience in defense, particularly right side CB and RB. Midfield still needs a more defensively capable and mobile central player, and attacking wise we need both left and right wingers.



With the exception of Alisson and VVD, the out of contract players can all go, although it may not be viable to keep Ali as he seems to want out.

Chiesa needs to go, as do all the other keepers except maybe Jaros.

02 Jun 2026 07:09:25
I really liked Morton, but given he wanted to leave for game time and Slot's reluctance to play fringe players, I can see why he was sold.
Quansah was not showing signs of improvement, and again I can see he was sold. The fact he has done pretty well in Germany is either due to the lower standard or perhaps the move gave him the kick up the backside he needed.


Harvey is a hard one. I like his energy and passion, and he is clearly skilled, but his lack of pace really makes it hard for him to cement a place in the side.

02 Jun 2026 08:03:05
I don't think we have a bad squad at all,
Not one person thought last summer was a bad transfer window until Guehi transfer went wrong. But that was more Palace than us.
And to be truthfully is we world class I don't think so by a long shot.
Now Diaz, he wanted out for a long time and the season before Gakpo was playing a lot better than Diaz, who ran around a lot but with most of the time very little end product.
So he goes and has a good season in Germany. For his age and time left of his contract, we got a fantastic price for him.


Gakpo is not the answer to the left wing, but neither was Diaz. Both are massive step downs from Mane.
The players were not fit last season because of Slot's training methods, but it's a new dawn now. Am hoping that even Frimpong might improve this season.
Even Konate, when he had a full preseason, you see the best out of him, but he would pick up an injury, miss a few weeks, and all his mistakes would start, and it would take him 4/5 weeks to get back to peak again, and I wonder if it's just a case of him never being fit last season.

01 Jun 2026 14:59:08
Sad to hear that Kevin Keegan now has stage 4 cancer. YNWA & best wishes to a LFC legend.

02 Jun 2026 11:13:53
Kevin Keegan was my first football hero. So sad to see this news. YNWA.

01 Jun 2026 11:13:48
Just caught a chat about Gakpo out & Nunez back in from Saudi where he's struggling for game time. I wouldn't mind it at all but is it ever successful in going back to somewhere you've previously played?

01 Jun 2026 11:43:13
Just no. Not good enough.

01 Jun 2026 11:59:37
I believe this was my post. Whilst I get the sentiment of never going back, I think he has a point to prove if he were to return, and understandably Nunez is extremely frustrating in the striker role. I always thought he performed better on the left, and always gave his all in terms of pressing, something Gakpo doesn't do well at.

So my thoughts were, unless we can get someone in who is a massive step up, Nunez for me would perform better in that role than Gakpo does, and as you say he can't play in Saudi now they have Benzema, so would likely be cheap.

01 Jun 2026 12:08:45
If he were dirt cheap and bought to play on the left-wing, he would be a solid buy. Iraola would get his fitness back over the summer.

01 Jun 2026 12:17:35
If he came back in he'd more likely be a backup option to Isak until Hugo is back.

01 Jun 2026 12:27:30
I thought he was a headless chicken on the left. He always looked like he didn't know what he was doing or about to do with the ball and would often run into blind alleys.

Nunez is suited to a counter attacking team with space to run in behind and getting on the end of crosses for tap ins where he doesn't have to think.



I love his attitude and guile but he just isn't good enough.

01 Jun 2026 12:35:24
I understand that he could cover if needed too, but I would have him predominantly on the left when Isak and Hugo were both fit and available, he'd do a better job than Gakpo does, and as I said, he'd likely be cheap, he'd run his socks off, he'd press, and likely has a point to prove.

Everyone is saying he isn't good enough. Is Gakpo? Nunez would be a better option than Gakpo. If not Nunez, give Fede a real run in the team. Start of the season, he had a few Jota-like moments where he was right time, right place for the rebounds, then he wasn't given a run again.

01 Jun 2026 13:06:23
Personally, would like to see Gakpo under a new manager, he was decent under Klopp and his first year under Slot he did ok. Massive dip this year, but hasn't everyone in that team been pretty much poor?

Still scored the second highest for us this year, I believe.

01 Jun 2026 13:37:26
Gakpo is better than Nunez.

01 Jun 2026 13:57:09
imo, Nunez' problem as a striker is he lets misses get to him, and then he gets nervous, and misses more because of that and it snowballs. He's demonstratably able to finish well from the point of view of pure technique, but his mentality isn't strong enough to score more than 1 in 3 at this level, imo.

And at 25/26, is he gonna change at this point?

Now he could still be worth playing if his link up play was good enough, but just isn't quite there. It's not awful by any stretch of the imagination, but it's not anywhere near Bobby Firmino level. His touches can be a bit loose sometimes, and it costs him.

01 Jun 2026 14:17:00
I like Darwin, they say never go back, but if he was cheap or free, why not? Why not take advantage of his situation? 12 month loan with option to buy. Let's be honest, if Ekitike is out for a while, how long before Isak takes the knock again? We be hard pushed to get 25 games out of Isak this season.

01 Jun 2026 14:50:29
Darwin Nunez, I believe, is available for free. He is being released from his contract. I would def take him as a backup.

01 Jun 2026 15:56:00
Ah, on loan or free I'd be all over him. Won't lie though, I'd rather a chance fall to Jayden Danns than Darwin. Shame that lad can't stay fit.

01 Jun 2026 16:18:13
I did read he was available for free, however I wasn't entirely sure, hence why I said cheap due to his situation. Honestly, he would be worth a punt given that we're likely going to go back to pressing from the front. I'm under no illusions that there's work to do, and he'll need to rebuild proper fitness levels, but surely we need someone up top to set the standards for the other forwards and rest of the team in terms of pressing. Working hard and being on the left takes away the pressure of being the main goalscorer.

We all know it's when he has time to think he makes mistakes in front of goal, but his record in Saudi hasn't been bad and he had spells whilst he was with us. 2 year contract or a loan make him earn another contract, nothing to lose from that, and there is no way that Gakpo is better than Nunez. Nunez on his day runs rings around Gakpo, on his usual day probably the same albeit Nunez works harder.

{Ed001's Note - Wirtz would benefit massively from having someone willing to make runs and would play earlier passes, so Nunez might even be able to stay onside.}

01 Jun 2026 16:48:26
Come on Ed01, use your connections lol would love to see Nunez back in the red shirt, hopefully a little less chaotic admittedly but I honestly think someone like Iraola would polish his game whereas Slot either couldn't or didn't want to

01 Jun 2026 17:15:42
Man of T, you're getting mixed up between Nunez & Diaz, who I actually thought was a busy fool where nothing creative ever came from him. Bayern dominance has helped unravel him a bit. I'd prefer Nunez on a free.

01 Jun 2026 18:43:51
Nunez on a free is a 100% yes, absolute no brainer. Anybody who can get 33 G/A playing in the Prem whilst still being heavily criticised for poor performances obviously has ability, albeit poorly honed.

01 Jun 2026 19:13:00
Not just that, I'm sure I read somewhere earlier that Barca, Chelsea, Newcastle and Juve were all potentially interested in him as a free agent. Obviously, I don't have a clue if that is correct but would show he isn't a bad player if Barca, Juve and a Chelsea under Xabi are showing interest.

02 Jun 2026 06:16:41
Never had an issue with Nunez. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I feel his attributes, willing runner, never give up attitude and pure emotional determination were sorely missed last year.
I would happily take him back if he was a cheap/free option.

02 Jun 2026 06:16:47
Anybody who can get 33 G/A playing in the Prem whilst still being heavily criticised for poor performances, obviously has ability, albeit poorly honed.

Sounds like Gakpo to me, Chewy?

02 Jun 2026 11:16:18
Nunez on a free, got to be all over that.

02 Jun 2026 15:21:49
Interesting shout, not a bad option on a free when Hugo will be a long road back to full fitness and Isak will need rotating.

02 Jun 2026 16:05:38
If you look at overall stats in all competitions, it makes perfect sense, especially as Gakpo has had an extra season with us and, in general, played more minutes:

Darwin Nunez: 143 appearances, 40 goals, and 22 assists across his three seasons (2022-2025) before moving to Al-Hilal.



Cody Gakpo: 180 appearances, 50 goals, and 20 assists for Liverpool across all competitions up to the end of the 2025-26 season.

01 Jun 2026 10:46:38
I just wanted to say that Slot's letter was a touch of class. It would have been nice for him to get a send off on final day, but it didn’t work out that way. It’s been a strange year but hopefully things start to pick up. I will always be grateful for the title win, Arne.

01 Jun 2026 12:31:59
You're ragebaiting, I see, a bit like Slot's open letter.

01 Jun 2026 13:38:44
Agreed inbeta. Thanks for No.20. We, and him, move on.

01 Jun 2026 10:02:05
So Milner's just retired... Could it be? The ultimate standard setter back in as a coach. Would be awesome.