Liverpool Banter 2

09 Aug 2026 16:39:07
Once again today's game against Monaco highlighted what we probably all know - our first 11 to 13 players will hold their own against anyone, but the rest of the "squad" is severely lacking - lacking to the point I'll say they are simply not good enough.

09 Aug 2026 17:45:31
Agreed Guru.

09 Aug 2026 17:54:13
Yeap, Guru mate, outside of Mamardashvili, Nyoni, Rio and Kerkez that finished the game, the rest are simply not good enough. Add to that the relatively average performances from Tsimikas and Frimpong in the 1st half, and it just shows how light squad quality and depth is. Look, it's only a friendly, but if the likes of VVD, Dom or Isak get injured we are bang in trouble. Iraola has a lot of work to do, and he doesn't presently have the tools to do it.

We are at least 3 1st-team players short of where we need to be quality-wise, it's too much pressure and expectation for kids like Rio, Nyoni etc to be expected to solve. If we don't add quality to what we have we are gonna struggle big time this season. I hope I'm 100% wrong but there is nothing to show me in the preseason games so far that our squad is near good enough for a potentially 60+ game season.

09 Aug 2026 18:23:12
Mamardashvilli worries me. Alisson is a level above the other keepers. I hope Alisson stays injury free.

I would have Woodman in goal before Mamardashvilli.

09 Aug 2026 19:03:05
Yeap Spion Kop, mate, he's just an accident waiting to happen, distribution is poor at best! Woodman must be injured, didn't even make squad today. Jones must be on his way as didn't make squad either, or has he picked up a knock. 🤔🙄

09 Aug 2026 16:33:35
First half we look good till they scored near the end.
Then from there on we looked very weak. Squad looks paper thin.
But saying that, I don’t know why I watch friendly’s; they show very little and it’s very rare you see a good one.

09 Aug 2026 16:33:05
Some really scintillating football in the first half. Koumas really stood out for me. Gakpo was livelier than the usual of last year. A lot of the criticism of Frimpong is unwarranted.

Second half was the exact opposite. I know it's only a preseason game and bla bla. But we have a squad depth problem. Second game in a row where it looks like boys against men when the subs come in.

09 Aug 2026 16:22:41
It's going to be a long season. At least Iraola is angry about the result unlike the Dutch fraud.

09 Aug 2026 17:28:19
It's like someone who's remarried still banging on about their ex.

09 Aug 2026 17:47:34
Maybe some people are a little upset with the way Slots left the team, fitness-wise, and with second-string players and younger players getting minimum minutes under Slot? I think people are allowed to be concerned as fans, or do we just wipe last season from our minds?

09 Aug 2026 19:26:11
Mcgov, people should stop banging on about Slot. He's gone. Whatever we do now has nowt to do with him.

09 Aug 2026 16:22:39
Another case of a brilliant first half followed by an absolutely brutal second. At least Iraola's getting a very clear view of who his starting 11 will be.

09 Aug 2026 17:06:39
It's easy to see why we've pivoted the transfer policy to players like Araujo. The exits of Mo and Robbo have left us seriously short of leaders.

I'd thought Chiesa might find a fan in AI, but seemingly not. He and Harvey need to get some game time.

At this particular moment in time, it could be that Koumas has the nod over Fede, but that could still change. Nonetheless, I suspect a lot of late window exits as AI strives to get the balance of the squad right.

But we need leaders.

09 Aug 2026 17:22:01
Yeah, earlier in the window I was calling for us to bring in a couple of young diamonds in the rough due to the inflated market, but I think it's very apparent that what we really need at the moment is experience off the bench.

Tbh, Elliot doesn't do it for me. He never came across as the type of player who could become a starter for a club like Liverpool, nor does he have the ability to be an impact sub.

When it comes to Chiesa, sure, he puts the effort in, but he's just not the player he once was. He looks rusty every time he gets on the ball, in my opinion. If we look to build real depth, they will both be moved on by next summer.

09 Aug 2026 16:22:26
Don't think this is an overreaction and I understand we have some injuries but we need quality reinforcements badly.

09 Aug 2026 17:19:50
Weak and soft in midfield.

09 Aug 2026 17:37:40
I'll get my boots.

09 Aug 2026 16:22:21
And again, the players who played in the 2nd half are more than likely to not be starters, with the exception I think of Kerkez, although he didn't cover himself in glory today.

Been said this entire window... our squad depth is seriously lacking.

09 Aug 2026 16:20:43
Unbelievably poor 2nd half performance, really disappointing and quite frankly worrying.

09 Aug 2026 16:20:08
Leaking too many goals.