Liverpool Banter 2

25 Aug 2026 08:51:34
ED001 are you worried as much as everyone else is concerning wirtz fitting in this team or has this become a popular talking point for headlines because of his high reputation and significant fee of his move to Liverpool?

Many thanks in advance

{Ed001's Note - it is just pundits spouting crap as usual. He will be fine when he gets some movement to pick out and that will come with Iraola in charge.}

25 Aug 2026 08:28:05
Ed of Gakpo does leave this window would you expect 2 wingers to arrive or at least are we trying for 2?

{Ed001's Note - I would think he would only be allowed to leave if 2 forwards are coming in, but that would suggest Hughes was competent, so I have no idea!}

25 Aug 2026 10:25:15
Ed, do you think the new investors would want to have a say on who is going to be our next DoF? Maybe they want their own pick to be the next DoF.

{Ed001's Note - you don't go for a place on the board unless you want a say in how a company is run.}

25 Aug 2026 09:06:11
{Ed's Note - phil_LFC has posted a new article entitled, Liverpool's Conundrum With the Modern Number 6

25 Aug 2026 09:17:18
"Macca is too slow (or lying on the ground) and so unable to cover."
That made me chuckle, brother!

25 Aug 2026 10:10:01
That article's description of the ideal no.6 is a description of Wharton.

25 Aug 2026 08:31:08
This whole Barcola saga is draining and starting to get embarrassing.

{Ed078's Note - embarrassing for who? A saga is what I watch when winding down at the end of the day, wine in hand, 3 legged puppy on my lap.

25 Aug 2026 09:17:01
Like The Forsyte Saga.

25 Aug 2026 09:41:54
First of all, he'll either be a good upgrade on the LW or a RW we need. Tho, it would be pretty funny if we walked away and left PSG with the 8 odd wingers that PSG have. Then it would be embarrassing.

25 Aug 2026 09:42:26
It's a holiday Mick Flanagan goes on with his Dad, isn't it?

25 Aug 2026 09:46:02
If it's draining for you, then forget about it and go concentrate on something else. It's really not that big a deal in the grand scheme of things......

25 Aug 2026 10:00:02
Showing your age there, Shankly!

"Draining"? Really? Like CBell says, focus on something else. It really isn't important.

25 Aug 2026 10:03:50
I'm on a lounger in the Costa's Rome - that's draining!

25 Aug 2026 10:13:41
Cheers to you, Bristol. Relax and unwind, my friend.

25 Aug 2026 10:20:05
Football isn't for everyone.

After reading this site since the game, following LFC only seems to be an emotional chore for many.

25 Aug 2026 07:07:07
I wanted to make this post as some people might take a lot of the analysis that's gone on after the first game of the season as massively negative.

I know for me when I'm watching a game where there are poor aspects, I do think, why did that happen and how can they be fixed over good aspects sometimes. And there were quite a few things going wrong on Sunday.

But the ideal was right. Dominate and get shots off. All the stats looked good, but obviously stats mean only a certain amount. That was a fair draw. But we got shots off which was a big improvement on last season already. We still won the possession by a decent margin etc. etc. Sometimes it's hard to harp on about the positives when there are some glaring problems to discuss and ponder fixes to.

I personally don't view this as negative, but a discussion and what went wrong and how do people view it can be sorted.

Tactical, player discipline, a particular player in the transfer market. I'm all for listening to people's ideas whether I agree or disagree.

In terms of the overall picture, there was still a big improvement in how we play. You could say Newcastle were decimated and they were. I feel we should have picked up three points there but still are going in the right direction.

I think you ask most here. They will fully acknowledge it's one game and no final conclusions can be made after one game. It will take time to get used to what is a very different idea to last season.

I always said I'd prefer to start slow and improve through the season rather than start fast and get worse. That shows to me that the manager's ideas are not working when the start is fast and we get worse. It's that improvement that I think will happen under Iraola and I look forward to seeing it.

25 Aug 2026 07:16:55
A decimated Fulham gave Chelsea a real scare last night. You can’t pass final judgement after opening day. It takes 3 or 4 games until everyone is fully fit, and you don’t really know how the league table will start to shape up until 10 games in.

Patience is key right now. Let Iraola coach. It’s the whole reason we were all so excited about him.

Good post, Davey.

25 Aug 2026 07:47:12
Surely that rule will apply to Utd and Spurs as well, who were ridiculed for their opening day performances/results.

I have no doubts Liverpool will improve, but only if reinforcements are brought in, as the bench on Sunday is the weakest I can remember.



If main media can be believed, the club are looking to bring in 2-3 but also sell/loan 3, which still leaves the squad short of quality for 4 fronts.

25 Aug 2026 07:56:45
Agreed Davey, St James Park, first game of the season, King Kev tribute, Isak return...always one of the most hostile environments too at the best of times. Yes they have been decimated but they still have a decent bunch of players and in particular plenty of pace.

I found it positive that we didn't offer up too many chances. To be fair, the main 2 were in transition, and again, as you mentioned, that's something that hopefully Iraola will iron out, as that's something we did so many times last season.

The negatives, I guess, were Isak and Wirtz both still lacked that "stardust", but again Isak won't have a more difficult place to go and also we didn't have wingers who could put in a decent cross, so hopefully that gets rectified in the next week.



At 1-1 we were well on top too, and that goal smashed the stuffing out of us. Say what you want about Macca, but he makes the foul in the middle of the park and takes the yellow... granted maybe it's because he wouldn't have the legs to get back, but as it's been mentioned before, we were too nice.

Overall, a point, albeit a late equaliser, is never a bad result in St James Park.

A couple of signings now and let's judge after 10 games. I too expected a rocky start, but you can definitely see we're more aggressive on the attacking front, even after we scored, where we probably would have sat back at 1-1 for a while and tried to "control" the game.

Anyway, good review, Davey! Onwards and upwards... Mon the Redmen!

25 Aug 2026 08:01:16
Yes, I get all that, both MKS and Davey, and so do a lot of the other sensible posters on here. It doesn't disguise the obvious fact that, in order for us to at least compete for the big titles, that we all want I'm sure!?, the first team squad is glaringly short of 5 top level players and I'm not including a competitor LB or GK in this assessment.

RB, RW, LW and 2 CMs. At this level, all opposition weaknesses are exploited on the pitch. We currently have too many. Iraola can only do so much.

25 Aug 2026 08:07:18
I think a lot of negativity is not from the performance in general, but the fear of looking at that bench and seeing such a limit in quality options should and when we'll need to make changes ?!
The quality of a number of positions were evident as early as the start of last season, and the same problem positions exist with no sign yet of being rectified, and that, to me, is a major concern.


I still think we'll do ok come season's end, but might well have to be content with a top 4 slot, but it's going to be a slog.

25 Aug 2026 08:26:19
If we get Mintah, and when he's fit, he will offer more defensive cover than Rio offered on Saturday, so that's a billy bonus.

25 Aug 2026 08:33:17
Rio looked as poor as I've seen him, alright, tbf. I don't like criticising 17 year olds, especially on the back of 1 game, but his fitness looked miles off, which is something there should be no excuse for. I'll give him allowances, as he was playing on the right and up against an excellent left back, in fairness to Hall, but no excuses for not busting a gut and pressing from the front.

Hopefully it was just a poor showing, and I fully expect him to improve, but I think impact sub for now is definitely more suited to him, up against tired legs.

25 Aug 2026 08:45:23
Rio
Is a hype machine with a very limited skill
set, which will not suit Andonis game. He can sign his contract this week and take
up his rightful
place as an impact sub before being sold
for an inflated fee next summer when his bros kick off at a lack of game time.

25 Aug 2026 09:10:16
Sensible post that, Bristol. I've got myself to that place, after a day of reflection. Barcola should help, Minteh may do in three months, and Connor and Ekitike when they're fit. Between now and then I'm taking up yoga and meditation.

25 Aug 2026 09:11:09
Round one of 38 rounds to Chelsea, Arsenal and Man Cheaty. They are the only three of any opposition.

While you cannot win the PL after the first 10-12 PL fixtures, you can certainly lose it with a bad start. Fortress Anfield is a must.

Elanga's first Premier League goal after 33 games, and Wilcocks' first goal after 66 games.

Reference Sky, from the only two Newcastle shots on target the whole game. Sloppy passing, particularly from Ryan twice, was the reason for that. The only solace we can take is not getting beat, that's a very good habit in football.

25 Aug 2026 09:18:53
Those statistics make bad reading, 007.

25 Aug 2026 08:19:03
I think it would be more helpful if we tried to pay attention to what we were trying to do on and off the ball that was different from last year, and how certain teething problems and imbalances, whether that stems from personnel or choices the coach made, resulted in us not being able to execute the plan in the optimal way.

So much of the opinion on here is about which players are fit or unfit for purpose, about how they are failing the same way as they did last year, when we are all, the players even, coming to grips with an entirely new way of playing.

For example, there are folks complaining about Gakpo being predictable again, scoring a good goal and then doing his old cut in and shoot routine again, but for the goal he kept drifting into inside channels in the build up (he did the same for the shot that flew just wide of the top corner earlier on) as Kerkez pulled extremely wide, and Gakpo coming so far inside the pitch made it so that nobody in the Newcastle block knew whose job it was to pick him up. When he scored, he received the ball almost on the opposite side of the pitch. In the last preseason game against Como, he was doing similar things coming central and slotting into half spaces with the fullback going extremely wide.

For folks saying that Grav needs to be dropped, I'm not so sure. Iraola clearly thinks that he is a sort of lynchpin in midfield to pick up positions between the lines, turn and drive into space. So many times in the game he would drive towards the opposition box and get us in a good position, but his biggest weakness, as ed001 rightly noted, is his passing, and it's no real use getting us all the way the pitch if he just gives the ball away afterwards. Clearly we need to figure out what to do about that, Iraola said as much when he said that he doesn't want to nullify that part of Grav's game because it's his superpower.

I'm wondering if maybe we can try Nyoni (a holding/passing/tempo setting player) and Grav in the double pivot with Dom advanced, and Wirtz tucked in on the left hand side picking up those central Gakpo positions, starting as a 'left winger' but effectively being a 10/false 9 picking up positions in central pockets. Of course then the question is how this affects Isak and service in to Isak from wide areas into the box.

25 Aug 2026 07:00:17
Ed1, you think there is a slimmest chance that we will bring in a proper DM before the end of transfer window?

{Ed001's Note - sadly, no.}

25 Aug 2026 07:17:02
Why do you think, since Fabinho left, we seem to be ignoring the need to properly replace him with a DM? It seems like we are somehow allergic to having a proper DM.

25 Aug 2026 07:23:42
IR doesn't play with a DM, he plays two centre mids. Last season it was Cook and Scott, and then he plays a 10. He will coach them how to be better in transition.

Honestly, I think people are over reacting. We just need to have someone extra that can get about the pitch, as I don't think McAllister would be good for this, in my opinion.

25 Aug 2026 07:24:43
The club went for Caicedo and then got Endo.

Since Endo came in, I agree the club seems to have transitioned away from a DM.

25 Aug 2026 07:25:13
Current managerial thinking rejects the use of a traditional DM. If we could just get our central kids to use their brains, then we'd probably be OK. We all saw how good Gravenberch was when he played in a disciplined way. Slot knocked that out of him last season, unfortunately.

25 Aug 2026 07:51:52
Central kids? Central Mids!

25 Aug 2026 07:53:39
Grav had one half of a good season and otherwise has looked
distinctly average at best.
We can keep harping on about Slot's great half a season when a few tweaks caught everyone out for less than 6 months, or look at the bigger picture - since Jurgen left there is a vacuum - a side with no soul, a bunch of vanilla players without any real
connection.

Andoni will
change this, but there will be some major casualties - Isak, Wirtz, Frimpong, Gakpo, maybe Virgil won't get a renewal. We are the beginning of a rebuild and of a new era - Andoni and Bezos. God only
knows what it will
bring, but I feel
certain that Andoni will bring some cohesion and identity, which we currently have none of.

25 Aug 2026 08:21:39
Got to trust Ai, it was his first competitive match, he will see where things went wrong and will work on it, give him chance before writing off the season, let's see who comes in.
No one really gets up to full speed until mid September. Just trust the process.

25 Aug 2026 08:32:05
The lack of a true DM wouldn't be as bad if the CMs we have could hold the ball, pass it well and move it forward quickly.
The losses of TAA and a younger Robertson compound the limits of the midfielders we have.

TAA could see an early ball and get us on the front foot, and Robbo wasn't bad either.
The two fullbacks we have now can't do it.

25 Aug 2026 08:39:47
Mfahmee, since Fabinho left, we won the league. Just saying.

25 Aug 2026 08:43:12
Agree with all of that, Rigsby.

25 Aug 2026 09:07:33
I do trust the manager who I don't trust is the people above and too many people on here last season kept saying the same thing... Trust Slot and the process when you could see it from day one. The squad needs supplementing, which isn't an overreaction, it's common sense.

25 Aug 2026 09:12:22
Very true that Rigs about the midfield. Often lost in the chaos of the performance.

25 Aug 2026 09:53:47
The league isn't moving away from DMs. If it's the label you don't like, then call it someone who is accountable for the centre circle and space between the defensive line and forwards.

One way or another, someone has to be accountable for that space. Whether it be inverting fullbacks, a DM, DLP or a CM.

25 Aug 2026 04:51:48
Flo is not the problem. He was often the one leading the press and repeatedly looking to run in behind, but our two wingers and forwards simply did not offer him any passing options. He is not Messi; he cannot glide past multiple defenders and score on his own. If that is what you expect from him, you will never be satisfied. Flo thrives on movement around him, and we need to resolve this to get the best out of him. Meanwhile, Rio looked devoid of ideas and was positioned far too deep when the team was attempting to press. A full 90 minutes is clearly too much for him at this stage, and that was evident throughout the match.

2. The number of times I shouted at Frimpong to either deliver a cross or release the ball early was extraordinary. He resembled a headless chicken: giving maximum effort but with almost no footballing intelligence. At one stage, with six players waiting in the box for a cross, he simply fumbled the ball without any pressure. Kerkez also looks lost. There is no discernible synchrony between Gakpo and him; he may have even stopped making overlapping runs because he knows Gakpo will cut inside regardless. His crossing remains among the worst in the side. Hopefully, better days are ahead for our full-backs, and I sincerely hope they arrive soon.

3. It is astonishing that a team can spend £125 million on a striker and still look like a side desperately in need of a clinical finisher. St James' Park has clearly affected Isak's confidence. If he can stay injury-free, he will surely start scoring, because at this stage we simply cannot afford for him not to.
4. Szobo at one point looked completely exhausted. He probably needs to curb his forward runs when Gravenberch is already pushing high, because Gravenberch never seems to learn from these situations.

5. The squad we currently have is profoundly unbalanced. AI faces a genuinely difficult task in finding the right equilibrium for this team. It is not impossible, but it will require some bold decisions. This is the ultimate test of his capabilities: whether he can identify these problems, make the necessary calls, and fix them, or simply allow them to persist. The squad AI inherited is far more talented than the one Klopp took over. Klopp needed two to three years before we began winning consistently. It is time we accept where we are and allow AI the space to do his job. The only real obstacle at present is recruitment, and, to be honest, Hughes' departure cannot come soon enough.

Before you go on rant, ask yourself a sensible question and you shall find the answer. As Klopp used to say Transfer is not always the solution to problems

25 Aug 2026 07:32:04
I said this last season but if Grav and Szobo are pushing forward, it is not a mistake on their part. They haven't just gone maverick and decided to do what they want on the pitch. If so, you will see Iraola jumping up and down on the touchline, pulling his hair out, and eventually hooking the players off.

{Ed001's Note - he did hook Gravenberch, or did you miss that?}

25 Aug 2026 07:55:50
No, I didn't miss Grav getting hooked. It will be interesting if he starts the next game and if the tactics differ any tho.

25 Aug 2026 07:58:36
LFC are not set up to suit Isak. Edwards' vision was pure fantasy based on data, not in reality. He lacks the human understanding that a real
man manager has.
Wirtz would thrive
In the formation Alonso played last night, which was largely defensive other than the front 3 with Cole and Morgan playing behind Joao.


Wirtz absolutely must be part of a front 3 with a solid MF behind him.

25 Aug 2026 08:28:44
Am I being paranoid, or is Baldrick Harry? And why are you referring to Chelsea players by their first name?

Also, I'm as big of a fan of Wirtz as anybody, but I find it curious why we can't just admit when he has a bad or ineffective game? Meanwhile, the likes of Kerkez get pilloried when he did about as well as he could with the yellow card and getting skinned by Elanga for speed in the first few minutes.

Wirtz not playing well is not entirely down to him, that much is true. Iraola is still discovering how to maximise his effectiveness, but even given all the mitigating circumstances, he has to do better. I think he will prove how good of a footballer he is in time, but I also think it's weird how sometimes it's everybody's fault but his in the eyes of fellow fans.

25 Aug 2026 08:36:19
Who cares if it's Harry and why can't a poster use first names?

25 Aug 2026 08:50:09
Wirtz isn't the problem, but he is part of the problem.
He's a good footballer, but I'm not sure he's what we needed. Szob has been one of our best players- if not the best- over the past couple of seasons, and he's best as a ten, but we buy another. I was surprised we bought both Ekitike and Isak, as well, when other areas needed strengthening.
We needed to replace both fullbacks, and essentially brought in two wing backs who love to bomb on.


I can't help thinking that Slot, Hughes, Edwards, and/or whoever thought that nearly every team was going to play a low block against us, and filled the squad with attacking players.
But teams soon worked out that our fullbacks were no longer releasing our wingers from defensive areas, and that they could get at us easily.

25 Aug 2026 09:14:26
Again spot on analysis, Rigsby. There's a vacancy at sporting director coming up, if you fancy it.

25 Aug 2026 09:54:41
Thanks, Overkill, I'd go and buy some turtlenecks, but I'd fill the squad full of defenders and spend months looking for midfielders that don't exist!

25 Aug 2026 00:06:49
Gavi went off at the weekend after injuring his troublesome right knee, so he now must be cert to joining us. 😁

25 Aug 2026 02:51:37
Yeah but we're recruiting a team to be competitive for the next 5 years, not just tomorrow.
:D

25 Aug 2026 06:05:32
It's a bruised knee. He is back in training again already. People really love to harp on about that knee...

25 Aug 2026 08:09:30
Nevada, because at this level and with our other injuries, it is a concern to be linked with a player who has a fitness history like Gavi. If we're after midfield players, purchase ones without such a history. I don't get this penchant for our interest in Gavi, Minteh, and purchasing Araujo. There's others that are better options out there. That's why.

25 Aug 2026 08:33:15
They may be better options in your eyes, but not in the eyes of Iraola himself. I can only assume that if we are truly after Gavi, that Iraola might have some say in it and has identified him as a player who can execute what he needs in our midfield.

When it comes down to it, the best player we can get is not necessarily the best player on paper, but the one who best fits the needs of the team. We already had a transfer window last year where we bought all the best players on paper for positions of need.

25 Aug 2026 09:24:37
I'm sorry, PB, I'm never interested in who's the 'best' player and I always make my assessments based on who fits best. Nobody can tell me that there's not better options than Gavi out there for what the team and Iraola need.

And, imo, who we bought last season were not the best on paper and are not the best on the pitch either. We require players!!!

25 Aug 2026 09:28:23
You're right, Pat, but only if the players fit and available?

I think we're spent up, are struggling to sell players to free up cash, so are looking at Gavi in the knowledge he won't play a lot of games, but he's available at a discount as a result.



He probably has the skill set they think we need, and perhaps twenty games a season with him would be better than not having him at all.

25 Aug 2026 10:12:31
If we're recruiting for the next 5 years, Gavi would probably be injured for three or four of those years. And absolutely agree with Shanklys Ghost, no one can convince me there aren't better options than Gavi, because there are. Fundamentally his body is not up to the physicality of the Premier League. Should not be looking at a sicknote like him.

23 Aug 2026 23:47:57.
The game was a real mix of emotions for me.
On one hand, it was so refreshing to see us actually try to play, work hard and make things happen. I genuinely enjoyed watching us again. We were open in the middle and that created a major issue at times, but at least I didn’t fall asleep like I did during most games last season! 😂

That’s got to be a positive. As I understand it, the way we’re trying to play has similarities to the Klopp approach. I remember feeling very much the same when Klopp first started — exciting, energetic, but also pretty open and chaotic at times. The big difference for me is the personnel.

The full-backs Klopp had at his disposal were on another level technically. Ours might not have the same quality, but they are full of running and that changes the way the system works. It can leave us looking a little rash and lacking calmness on the ball at the back because we simply don’t have the same technical security.

Jacquet, though, looked extremely assured on the ball.
Then there’s Wirtz, who is almost our Coutinho. Coutinho was unbelievable, but ultimately he didn’t quite fit the system Klopp wanted to play.
And Isak is simply not Firmino. He doesn’t naturally link the play in the same way, which is why I think the role of a genuine No.10 becomes so important.
So where does the manager go from here?

You can’t really play a flat 4-3-3 and expect to get the best out of both Isak and Wirtz. There has to be some compromise somewhere, and that’s probably what makes the next few months so interesting.
For those already singling out individuals, give your heads a wobble and show a bit of patience.

This is clearly a team and a system still developing. It’s probably going to be a bumpy ride at times, but there were enough positives for me to be encouraged.
The team need everyone on board.
And if you can’t hack the bumps along the way, then simply don’t watch it. 😂

25 Aug 2026 00:52:17
Sorry Farmer, but Gravenberch & Szoboszlsi will not work as a midfield pair, nor will any combination of the "options" because not one of them is competent defensively. That's not singling players out, it's just a matter of plain truth.

25 Aug 2026 02:52:14
So what you're saying is that you feel better, so everything is better?
:D :P

25 Aug 2026 03:44:11
Nyoni and Dom worked very well in pre season, Victor.

25 Aug 2026 07:02:19
I agree with Farmer. Good, balanced assessment.
However, we still need better firepower up top, more quality depth in midfield, and a different type of right back. A Munoz type would be ideal.

25 Aug 2026 10:15:02
"In pre season", Big Hairy Ape.

Our weak midfield is going to be the main contributor as to why we won't likely win anything this year.