Liverpool Banter 2

04 May 2026 21:52:18
Hi Eds Iraola is doing a brilliant job at Bournemouth is he involved in the player signings or does it come from a sporting director. Many thanks

{Ed001's Note - he doesn't have, nor does he want, any real involvement in transfers.}

04 May 2026 23:00:04
Then that surely proves his skill at adapting the players he is given into a cohesive unit instead of blaming everything except themselves for poor performance. Iraola has dealt with multiple cogs of his team being sold every window, yet still manages to get them to perform.

My only reservation is him having not done it at a big club before, and the reports his family are unsettled in UK and want to return much like our current....erm....person lol.

04 May 2026 23:37:36
I can only hope the stars are aligning secretly in the background and Iraola becomes our man.

What he has achieved at Bournemouth is simply incredible, and he has exactly the humble yet passionate personality to match Liverpool.

He pretty much builds something that looks like it's going to kick on and then it gets torn down and he builds again. His whole side was ripped apart before the season, and worse during the season, and he is still challenging for European spots.

Honestly, whoever picks him up will be going places, and whoever doesn't this summer will have missed a very big opportunity.

I think he is a perfect fit with us. We can't stick with Slot. We simply can't. It's over, and prolonging the relationship will be absolutely toxic next season. It already is, to be honest. He is done. Just leave already, please, if you happen to read this.

05 May 2026 00:30:26
Whatever the model is, there needs to be cohesion between management, coaching, recruitment etc etc.

The environment is key for any coach and player to thrive.

05 May 2026 00:38:43
Sounds like the perfect man for Edwards, so I'm surprised we haven't really been linked.

05 May 2026 00:46:50
Iraola has done some fantastic work with Bournemouth and I think it has been understated how difficult his job has been. Almost his entire back five were sold in the summer, and he lost his best player in January. But yet his team is still up there as one of the most in form teams currently. I'd love to have him at our club to see what he can do.

My only concern, other than his family, is that he does not have any experience managing egos.

Adapting is fine for up and coming players who are looking to make a name for themselves, but I feel it is more difficult to get top players to do that, as they are more stubborn and want to play a singular way even if they can be better playing in another way. It would be interesting to see what he can do at a bigger club and whether he can adapt to the pressures that come with it.

04 May 2026 23:10:04
Ed, then he should be perfect for Edwards and Hughes who want no part of the mabager having input in transfers, no?

{Ed001's Note - yeah, they want a coach not a manager.}

04 May 2026 21:11:06
Eds been meaning to ask all year but why do you think we have signed two full backs who prefer overlapping, which in theory would suit both gakpo and salah who like to cut in. But instead mainly Kerkez but Bradley also when he was fit underlapping being on the inside the majority of the time?

{Ed001's Note - because Slot doesn't understand how to use them.}

04 May 2026 21:42:46
Not many of us are tactical visionaries and could see it made no sense you'd hope he would. Guess he is too married to what he wants from positions instead of adapting to what's at his disposal which he was being applauded for at the start of last season.

04 May 2026 21:44:19
Very worrying that Slot doesn't understand this, it is pretty obvious you don't need to have a Pep Guardiola football IQ to work that one out... Jesus, Slot is clueless. Makes me wonder how much say/tactical involvement Heitinga had.

04 May 2026 21:59:34
If I remember correctly, a fair few implied he was a bigger influence on Slot and the team than what you'd think. Another bizarre decision, if it's true that higher-ups blocked his return middle of this season.

04 May 2026 22:31:49
Marc Guehi was the biggest transfer bullet dodge ever. 🤡 Single handedly lost them the UCL, lost them the league.

04 May 2026 23:13:01
Guehi is a good CB and very good on the ball. But to go from there and make him some type of saviour like many were making him out to be, just tells you how far we have fallen with the likes of Konate having the dreadful season he is having.

05 May 2026 06:25:36
Oh Oli, one contentious game doesn't make Guehi a bad player. He's been elite all season, let's not forget that.

05 May 2026 00:31:35
ed1 - you made a comment earlier in the season that the transfer strategy was to enable Slot to play the way he did at Feyenoord.

Surely these two flying fullbacks don't fit that strategy if that was the case?

{Ed001's Note - I don't know mate, that was all I was told. It doesn't seem to fit, but then Slot doesn't seem to have any intention of playing that way anyway. I am guessing they were just looking to swap wingers and full-back roles around, with wingers drifting inside while full-backs got forward to provide the cut-backs.}

05 May 2026 09:50:14
@Frode, if you read must post, I credited Guehi for his actual qualities as a CB, hence, nowhere did I say he was a bad player or that one game should bury him. I don't think that way. Give me a bit of credit, lol.

What I said was that, tho, Guehi is a good CB, good passer and can defend, he is not this saviour that people made him out to be. I have said this plenty in the past, as well.



Now, Guehi may look elite cos Konate is having a dreadful season, which I understand. But for me, he is nowhere near being elite. Never has been.

We've seen elite CB's before, man. Guehi ain't one of them. In fact, it is more of a scathing indictment of how much of a shambles we have been at the back than anything else.

04 May 2026 21:06:35
Hi Ed001

Is it fair to say that Edwards and Hughes are also part of the issue?

And maybe the best solution is for all 3 to leave together. Bring in a new manager and sporting director that share the same vision and philosophy.

Then let them build this team together.

{Ed001's Note - yes.}

04 May 2026 22:13:08
Well said, Ash10. We might as well deal with all 3 at once, rather than doing it individually.

Who is in charge of the football operation on behalf of FSG?

04 May 2026 21:55:52
Your pick for S.D Ed001 if you please and why. We already know your managerial preferences

{Ed001's Note - I think I would probably look at someone like Rangnick if it was up to me.}

04 May 2026 23:08:11
I would go for a DOF who is either the person they worked with before or similar, e.g. if Alonso comes in, hire his DOF from Leverkusen or someone with similar stylistic tactics/set up, as they could work towards a similar goal.



No point hiring someone with a different view of philosophy than coach/manager as, like we have already seen, buying players that don't fit the system.

04 May 2026 23:14:20
Ash, if I had any or the final say in this, I would simply ask all 3 bozos to clean out their desks at 9 AM the day after the season ends, period.

05 May 2026 00:32:21
They need to be in sync. Whoever it is. It's like thinking Alonso would be a dream match with Real Madrid and then it quickly falls apart as he isn't aligned with the players, the management isn't aligned with him and so forth.

04 May 2026 20:57:38
Just watching the Everton v Citeh game, Beto caught Khusanov a lil bit late, nothing major, n the theatrical Swan Lake dive afterwards was embarrassing, Rudolph Nureyev would have been proud of that move. I think the only way to cut this out is to embarrass them by giving an hour segment on Sky Sports etc to show what cheating baskets they all are.

04 May 2026 22:22:35
The only way to stop it, Strom, is retrospective action and start banning players for games if guilty of diving, etc?

Shame that process wasn't already in place this season, really. McAllister would've only played about 10 games for us.

04 May 2026 23:49:10
BR ..The cowards who run our league wouldn't have the balls to do it (they should though), but if they get shamed on TV then it's a start, McAllister could easily get a Golden Globe for some of his acting.

05 May 2026 09:51:27
Strom, don't get me started on Macca and his pathetic play-acting. It's just too painful.

04 May 2026 20:02:25
I'd personally go with Hoeness given what's available. Alonso chose Madrid and it derailed his managerial career. There's a question mark over Alonso.
Hoeness? He looks a bit like Klopp and is German. Football is similar. When you lose a great ex and a similar appears, the rest is history. 😉

04 May 2026 20:29:17
Moyes is Scottish, the same as Ferguson. That didn't work out.

04 May 2026 20:48:02
Xabi Alonso's management career derailed?

04 May 2026 21:11:45
I am leaning towards Iraola.

04 May 2026 21:19:55
Happy with any of the three that keep getting mentioned. Think they all offer something different... Iraola or Hoeness (not fussed which, but kinda want both!). Alonso 3rd.

04 May 2026 22:24:48
Alonso was stitched up by the toxic cretins in Madrid squad. He was appalled by their unprofessionalism. Those same toxic cretins were apparently so unhappy at being asked to train and get fit that they complained to Perez, repeatedly.

Unfortunately Perez listens to players and not common sense. I don't see how this puts any shade on Alonso, he comes out of this with his reputation in order, Vinicius, Mbappe, Camavinga, Bellingham, and the other usual suspects however, not so much.

04 May 2026 22:52:36
I have little sympathy for anyone that goes to Madrid. Alonso went there and he was chewed up and spat out.

04 May 2026 23:18:17
Ron, being chewed up and spat out by the RM dressing room, is not a dig when you look at what those players have done to managers levels above him in the past. Rafa, Jose, Jupp Heynekes, etc.

all suffered over the decades past, so not sure if you think this is some kind of slight on Xabi, imo.

Now, what I would ask is that what does that have to do with his actual managerial record while at RM?

05 May 2026 00:34:49
Xabi, Iraola and Hoeness would all be projects. Altho Xabi would come with a bit more pedigree given the titles and also his Real Madrid experience. Although it ultimately didn't work out, there is great learning in adversity, and he has that experience to bring with him into his next role.



Out of all three I'd rank them Iraola - Xabi - Honess, a distant distant Pluto kind of far away distant 3rd.

04 May 2026 19:48:36
Honest question, and I don’t want “it’s not the Liverpool way” but at which point do fans actively start protesting at games regarding Slot, Edwards and Hughes… One thing that is the Liverpool way is fans making themselves heard when it counts.

Everyone has witnessed Liverpool's slow slide to mediocrity this season and it’s like there’s nothing we can do. I know there was the walk out vs City, but do fans become more vocal or demonstrate so that the message is clear?

04 May 2026 20:09:04
I think we're miles off that sort of carry on.
We have no divine right to win things. We're 12 months post winning the ultimate - the league title and we're strong candidates to qualify for the Champions League.

If we were battling a relegation fight, which we almost were with Hodgson, then that is the point when people would protest.

04 May 2026 20:45:36
I said something similar to Ron earlier in the day. The last game of the season will be all about Robbo and Salah. It looks likely that we've got CL qualification, so any dissent against Slot, Hughes, Edwards, whoever, is highly unlikely. I know posters don't like hearing this, but it's the way it is. Yes, the football's been dire, yes, we spent 430 million, but, in my opinion, we would have to be in the bottom half, continuing to play dire football, into next season, before there's dissent in the stands.



That said, the Kop may unfurl a 50ft "Slot F*** off back to Feyenoord" banner the weekend, but I'd be a tad surprised if they did.

04 May 2026 20:52:55
Given the club are constantly surveying engagement across all of their channels/platforms, they will know what the supporter sentiment is and whether it's heading toward toxicity pretty quickly, I would think.

04 May 2026 20:59:19
Not gonna happen.

04 May 2026 21:03:33
FPF, if they monitored this site they'd have detected toxicity as far back as September!

04 May 2026 21:05:00
Can't compare Slot n Hodgson, Hodgson had one of the worst teams ever at Liverpool and was brought in because he was good at organising players who weren't the best, with a very limited budget. Slot had one of the best squads ever n doesn't know how to utilise it, last season was last season bfr anyone pipes in with but he won the league.

04 May 2026 21:15:46
Who says we have the divine right to win things? No one, but we all expect a lot better than the tripe we've endured this season. I've seen worse Liverpool sides narrowly miss out on CL football, and I've complained less, as we'd shown heart, fight and passion.

Importantly, the manager had ideas how to play, which this fool doesn't. So yes, I'll complain all I want.

04 May 2026 21:34:56
We're all complaining, Frode. The question was, when will fans start protesting at games? I think Ron's reference to Hodgson was merely highlighting the last time there was any dissent against a manager. I'm sure Ron can speak for himself, though.

There obviously is no comparison between this side and Hodgson's.

04 May 2026 23:19:47
That's not gonna happen, sadly.

04 May 2026 18:52:37
Onto a totally different topic, does anyone have a good article that describes the current financial situation at Chelsea?

I always thought that those long contracts of 8 years plus would somehow come back to bite them, and given the new financial rules from next year, would be an interesting read to understand the full impact, and what options they have going forward.



Maybe I have misunderstood the whole situation that side, but they could be in some serious trouble in the next couple of years.

04 May 2026 20:32:21
I don't think they will be on trouble, Jlc. They should be but people with money always find a way to get away with it.
You only have to look at City, who have been found guilty on multiple counts but have not received any punishment versus the likes of Forest, Everton, etc, and lost way less (and even grassed themselves up).


There will always be ways around getting caught and punished if you have the money to fight it.

04 May 2026 19:55:21
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new video entitled, C U Next Time - Seamus Gloats}

04 May 2026 18:36:06
Didn't Carra say Iraola wanted to go back home as the family can't settle in England. So that would leave Xabi Alonso or Sebastian Hoeness if Slot stands down at the end of the season.
I know things change quickly in the world of football... So who knows, but one thing is inevitable, Slot must go!!!!

{Ed001's Note - Iraola has said that he wants to continue to manage in the Premier League, the family are unsettled but they will support him.}

04 May 2026 19:05:54
Let's give them a big scouse welcome then.

04 May 2026 19:46:05
Great, that's what we need another manager who doesn't want to be in the country.

04 May 2026 19:04:39
Maybe his family could go back to Spain and Iraola could visit 😜

04 May 2026 19:36:47
Thanks Ed001, all roads point to Iraola atm. maybe nothing has came out as he's still the manager somewhere else. unless its a smokescreen for Xabi.

interesting times over the next month.

04 May 2026 20:38:43
I'd be quite happy with Iraola, Hoeness or Alonso to be honest. 3 decent managers and the first 2 are known to have super energetic teams who attack and players who play above themselves.
And I'd be more worried about getting Slot out than being able to attract 1 of the above. Slot hasn't made us an unattractive proposition, yet.

04 May 2026 21:07:23
Can't our team just train n live in Holland or Spain, n fly in for games.