Liverpool Banter 2

25 Sep 2026 13:11:49
On a quiet afternoon, just a shout out to Liverpool's oldest surviving player who turns 96 today. Albert Childs is an England amateur international and a former teammate of Bob Paisley and Billy Liddell.

Next in line is Keith Burkinshaw, now 91, who managed Tottenham against Paisley's Liverpool in the 1982 League Cup final. Anyone remember him?

25 Sep 2026 16:04:03
Not quiet anymore 😂.

25 Sep 2026 16:47:05
I remember Keith Burkinshaw well. Always came across as a gentleman.

I was at the 82 final. Remember Brucie doing handstands around the pitch on the lap of honour.

26 Sep 2026 01:13:32
Blimey, I remember him managing Spurs but I didn't know he played for us.
I remember the 82 final but I didn't go. Was that the one with Souness and Graham Roberts?
A young Ian Rush scored, that day. And Ronnie Whelan.
It was a proper cup final in those days.

25 Sep 2026 09:23:53
Given we have 3 weeks to chat among ourselves, just wondering if anyone had ideas for how to the Champions League format could be changed to make it more exciting?

I'd say try to make it feasible with the constraint being it's a money making competition so going back to the old days of knockouts between the actual champions won't happen.

I ask this as I have to admit, the new league table format bores me. Stakes feel so low before knockouts as everyone goes through basically.

25 Sep 2026 10:36:32
Hadn't really ever thought about it Taurus.

25 Sep 2026 11:24:04
Whilst it would mean we would still be on "only" five European Cups and would have played in the competition only twice since 1985, I would like the European Cup to have never become the Champions League in the first place.

League winners only; no second, third, fourth place teams going into the Champions League. No place in the Champions League for winning the Europa League. Two leg knock out matches from the start, no group stages where you can lose three matches and still get through to the next round.

In turn, the UEFA Cup (Europa League) and Cup Winners Cup (no longer exists) would still be much bigger and more prestigious competitions if the European Cup was only for the domestic champions. The rush to make as much money as possible from everything completely changed the landscape of European competition. Europa Conference. don't even get me started on that. Even the Europa League is a mickey mouse competition if the best three or four teams from the major leagues in Europe don't take part in it because they're all in the Champions League.

{Ed025's Note - im with you RR..

25 Sep 2026 11:32:29
Not an easy one to answer.

Whether it was the old format or this new one, the rules for seed/pots and league rivals avoiding each other until the later stages means you end up playing the same pool of teams in the main.

The new league format does give you the opportunity of facing 8 different teams, which is more interesting than 3 home and away.

You could introduce more jeopardy by:

1) Get rid of the play-off and make the final league position a hard qualification.
2) Extend the league matches to 10 or 12 games and top 8 go straight into quarter finals instead of a last 16.
3) Allow league rivals play each other from the outset.
4) Get rid of the pots for league fixture selection.

25 Sep 2026 11:33:13
I like the league format but there's too many poor teams in it.

As for the Europa and the conference league, again some poor sides in it but it's great for smaller clubs and especially their fans to experience a form of European competition.

25 Sep 2026 11:41:13
I agree RR, it did lose the prestige with the change. The UEFA cup used to be more interesting back in the day too. Would quite like it if at the end of the season they ran a competition between champions of the 4 biggest leagues (by coefficient, e. g. England, Spain, Germany, France).

It would be one legged matches, so a semis, then a final, all in neutral venues, all in the space of a week.

I like that FPF, an actual league table where not many go through really would make the beginning stage more interesting. Good recommendation there.

25 Sep 2026 11:53:43
We would only be on 4, RR.

25 Sep 2026 11:43:40
Ed025 – I think we've exchanged thoughts on this before but the frustrating great unknown for Everton will always be what they might have done in the 1985/86 and 1987/88 European Cups having already won the Cup Winners Cup in '85. Could go down a rabbit hole wondering what might have become of Everton longer term if they had won one or two European Cups in the mid to late 80s; could that have become a platform for more success? Doesn't necessarily work like that (e.

g Nottingham Forest 1979 and 1980, Villa 1981) but even as a Liverpool supporter I feel sorry for Everton fans and players from that era who never got the chance.

{Ed025's Note - yeah RR it was very unfortunate mate as we had an excellent team at that time mate, i know its hard to tell but it could have really set us up a European force, the fact that it was not our fault but the fault of our neighbours really stung but its no use crying over spilt milk i suppose..

25 Sep 2026 12:02:51
Rome 1977! - good correction, you're right.

Also no "you beauty, what a hit son, what a hit" - Gerrard v Olympiakos, no Istanbul, no "corner taken quickly. Origi".

25 Sep 2026 12:10:54
We reintroduce the old European Cup, domestic title winners only, no league stages, controversially, no home and away, managers have to compete in a game of "Power Slap" to decide who gets to play at home, bring in golden goal and old-school American-style penalties with the 35-yard run-up, if the game ends in a draw we toss a coin to see which is used, 11 usable subs, no 'technical area' restrictions for managers, 3 yellows instead of 2 and Stevie Wonder on VAR.

25 Sep 2026 12:29:31
Good point there RR, we lose some great moments.

25 Sep 2026 12:52:32
My main problem with it is that a league where you don't either play every team home and away or every team once on a neutral venue is not a true league. It is massively skewed, not just by the seeding but also by the luck of the draw.

There is a time and a place for 'luck of the draw' and that is in true cup competitions like the FA Cup - you might get Arsenal or you might get Accrington Stanley but all the balls are drawn at random from the same pot.

At the moment the CL is neither a true league or a true cup competition. It's a weird hybrid of the 2 and quite frankly it is a pretty boring competition until the quarter finals.

25 Sep 2026 12:57:20
Prefer the new format tbf, the mini league was very repetitive.

25 Sep 2026 14:42:56
Ban PSG that'll make it more exciting.

25 Sep 2026 14:44:29
Ed025 I hate the fact the finger just gets pointed at us for that ban.
I remember that game as a young kid and it was the Italians causing that trouble trowing bits of the rotting stadium into our fans for along time before the reaction came back then it was more UEFA fault for playing the game there because that ground was not safe to have fans in.
I also don't think the Liverpool fans had a bad reputation for trouble in Europe back then like a lot of the English sides especially the London clubs but everyone got painted with the same brush.


Also was it not Maggie that asked for the ban too because of all the trouble in British grounds at the time.
Funny with all the stabbing in Italy and turkey over the years no other country has ever had a ban.

{Ed025's Note - they made an example of the English clubs Grino, 39 people did die (none of them Liverpool fans) and i suppose the authorities had no option but to issue sanctions mate, unfortunately for Everton it effected us more than it did anyone else including the perpetrators, but thats just how it was and its all in the past as far as im concerned..

25 Sep 2026 21:17:50
Liverpool fans were partly to blame; you can't deny that.
There was a lot of bad feeling carried over from the final the year before when Liverpool fans were attacked by Roma fans after we beat them at their home ground. A lot of Liverpool fans wanted revenge on the Italians even though the opposition was different.

Funnily enough, I've heard reports that the attacks in 84 in Rome would have been worse had Lazio's Ultras not come to help out Liverpool fans.

25 Sep 2026 07:13:42
Enjoyed matchday 5 eds thanks👍i'm very surprised how Chelsea have started the season had them as dark horses.

25 Sep 2026 07:47:25
I don't know if it's a modern fan thing but the amount of Liverpool fan pages, sites and groups that non stop blame wirtz for everything is embarrassing.

Having an opinion is one thing but saying he's the worst signing in the history of the club like some people have is madness. These are obviously very young fans who only ever knew klopp teams because back in the 90s almost every player except three or four was total rubbish and Houllier's last season every single player he bought wasn't just bad they were a genuine disgrace.

25 Sep 2026 08:28:19
Rubbish. He's far better than Sean Dundee.

25 Sep 2026 08:36:33
He's levels above Milan Jovanovic.

25 Sep 2026 08:52:52
I'd have him above Konchesky. Just.

25 Sep 2026 09:15:05
Has anyone said he's the worst signing in the history of the club, Nevada?
He's certainly not that. I don't think anyone has said he's to blame for everything, either. To blame for what exactly? Qualifying for the CL last season and being unbeaten so far this season?
I don't think it's right to call almost every player in the 90s total rubbish and Houllier's last season signings genuine disgraces though.


You're doing what you accuse modern fans of.
In fact, those reactions are more unfair than I've seen of those about Wirtz.

25 Sep 2026 09:40:01
Well said, Rigsby. I look forward to Nevada's right to reply.

25 Sep 2026 10:00:21
Steve finnan was signed in his Houlliers last season and he was excellent.

25 Sep 2026 10:21:10
I wouldn't say he's that bad, but he's definitely no Igor Biscan or Bruno Cheyrou.

25 Sep 2026 10:41:20
I would say Frimpong, Kerkez, Gravenberch and Szobozlai have all got at least comparable levels of stick to Wirtz this season. After two games Van Dijk was finished.

25 Sep 2026 10:06:19
Hyypia was signed by Houllier. I think Nevada needs to do a bit of research.

25 Sep 2026 07:39:01
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Matchday 5 - Quick Round Up

24 Sep 2026 17:52:15
Hi Ed01,

I am a Wirtz fanboy, so I tend to notice the good things he does in a game, and that bias probably isn't helping here. Everyone has gone berserk over his performance against Bournemouth, but I thought he improved quite a bit in the second half, including his link-up play. He was subbed off in the 71st minute, and I felt we were much more open after he left. That could be down to a combination of factors, including Bournemouth pushing forward more with us only leading by one, or it could simply be my bias making me see things that aren't there. What's your opinion?

{Ed001's Note - I think most people are following the ball and so miss most of what happens, which is why they have no idea how important he is to the team and the way we play. I don't think he was that bad against Bournemouth, it wasn't a great performance, but it was not as bad as people are making out. If he wasn't the latest scapegoat, nothing much would be made of it.

Bournemouth are the hardest working, highest pressing team in the Premier League, which meant it was a tough game for all the players, so not sure why he is the one getting crucified? Once again he was left getting the ball while the rest of the team stood around watching him. Somehow that is always blamed on him.}

24 Sep 2026 18:44:55
And without his run to the near post, Isak's winner doesn't happen!

24 Sep 2026 18:55:58
I agree about the Bournemouth game, first half it looked like they had 13 players, not one of our players had a particularly good half. I thought Wirtz was much better second half, as was the entire team. That was only Bournemouth's second home defeat in 2026, it's an exceptionally hard ground to go to.

24 Sep 2026 18:56:50
Many thanks for your response, Ed01.

{Ed001's Note - very welcome.}

24 Sep 2026 19:11:19
Is he injured tonight.? ✌.

24 Sep 2026 19:42:00
Klopp picked 45 players split over 2 squads that play 2 games each, wirtz is in the squad that plays the last 2 games.

24 Sep 2026 21:10:20
When Wirtz isn't in the team we miss him ( last season and this). He gives the ball away when not under pressure which is odd because his high risk passes are nearly always decisive. It would help mid his team mates particularly Dom actually gave him the ball at the right time and in the right place.

In other words we are not getting the best out of him because we are not playing to his strengths.

{Ed666's Note - I think 3 more weeks of talking about Florian Wirtz and Slob is gonna put me in the loony asylum.

25 Sep 2026 00:51:44
What's a high risk pass? Just pass to another red (or away kit) shirt.
If it's risky, don't pass it. Keep the ball.
He's not managing simple passes nevermind risky ones. Risky passes are not ones that should be attempted too often and that's why they are called risky.
He's hardly making loads of risky passes and creating goals but giving the ball away, as well.
He's got one assist, I think, and no goals.

It's The Emperor's New Clothes with Wirtz, so far. You have to see what just hasn't happened for fear of being wrong or the fear of looking stupid.
I'd sooner look stupid and say he's not doing anywhere near enough. But I've got the figures to back me up.

25 Sep 2026 03:49:19
Rigsby high risk passes are were goals come from. Only ever doing easy risk free sideways passing is how you become derby county.

24 Sep 2026 22:39:05
Wirtz is getting judged for his price tag.
It's not fair, to my eyes he's the hardest working player in the team.
I'm sure Iraola sees it.

Agree with Ed001.

25 Sep 2026 02:10:56
"If it's risky, don't pass it" Is Arne Slots football ethos, and that's why he is no longer here.

25 Sep 2026 08:38:31
Who's ethos is it"to not make a lollox of every pass you try? ".Bloke makes a mean near post run though😂.Seriously though the bloke is working hard that can't be taken away from him but some of the occasions he loses possession are atrocious. Maybe the coupla weeks away from the club will do him good.

25 Sep 2026 07:50:13
Ron, and ED01, Working hard during a game is what he's meant to be doing regardless! That's his bloody job! It's every players job. That element of a players game should be a given not a attribute to be lauded. We did buy him to actually do more than just what the likes of Milner and Henderson did.

Anyway I've enough of the Wirtz stuff myself just like ED0666. I'm staying off this subject for a while it has become boring and fractious on here. Let's just see how it goes from now. Hopefully upwards and onwards for FW and the rest of us. YNWA.

{Ed001's Note - nobody say it wasn't part of his job, but that doesn't mean a player working harder than the rest shouldn't get praise for it. We did not buy him to do more than Milner or Hendo, we bought him to do a completely different job but then bought lazy forwards who don't give him any opportunity to do what he was bought for and moronic pundits blame him rather than the players not doing their jobs.}

25 Sep 2026 09:01:32
I think we have different ideas on what risky means, Nev & Brown.
High risk passes are not where goals come from, imo. A pass or cross in the opponents penalty area isn't necessarily risky or dangerous. It might be a dangerous pass for the opposition but not us. It was said that Wirtz is giving the ball away because he attempts risky passes. If he is giving the ball back to the opposition then it's not even risky for them.
Brown, I didn't know that that was Slot's ethos.
But Wirtz has been coached by Slot longer than Iraola. Is it Slot's fault that Wirtz didn't play risky passes and now he's gone he is playing them because Wirtz was disappointing last season as well?
If risky passes do lead to goals how many times has he attempted them because he doesn't have that many assists?

Anyway, I'm not slagging him off. He's got ability and he seems to want to succeed but I'm just saying that he's been disappointing so far. So far.
Maybe I'm expecting too much or can't read the game as well as some of you but I'd love him to show what he's obviously capable of and help us win a load of games and trophies.

25 Sep 2026 09:03:20
Shankly then why are you not roundly condemning the players who are not working hard during the game?

Szoboszlai gets a pass because he runs up and down the pitch like a marathon runner but half the time he is running alongside someone and he cannot tackle to save his life. Gravenberch is worse. MacAllister is working hard but that is one player in the midfield doing the work of three.

Wirtz is getting the spotlight because of his fee, that's unavoidable but Szoboszlai and Gravenberch are over £10m a year and offering jacksh.

25 Sep 2026 10:04:03
I honestly couldn't care less what pundits say. I've been watching football long enough to know what I'm watching, and I'm certainly not one of the new breed of fans who Nevada makes reference to above.

I'm struggling to think of another player who we've had, back to the early 70s, who has had so many excuses made for him. And before folk pile in, it's not just him, I accept. However, in the case of Wirtz, he's been with us now for 14 months and I'm being kind when I say he's been disappointing. It was nothing to do with Slot and it's nothing to do with lazy forwards in front of him. We paid a ridiculous amount of money for him - which isn't his fault, I know - he needs to step up and prove he is the supposed "next generational talent" we thought he was.

25 Sep 2026 10:06:45
It's ok to criticise Szobozslai, Gravenberch and MacAllister as well as Wirtz.
It's ok to criticise anyone but what happens is that folk react to criticism of a player they like by attacking another player or players.
It's just a deflection, really. And we shouldn't take criticism of a player that we like personally.


We all like some players more than others. I find it harder to criticise van Dijk and Alisson than any other current Liverpool player but it doesn't mean it can't be done or that I take it personally.
Not with fellow Liverpool followers anyway 😂.

25 Sep 2026 10:37:12
I don't agree at all about praising him just because he works harder than the rest. He gets very well paid to work hard. My point is that that is the absolute least we should expect of him and any other player that plays for our club and that's my reference to Milner and Henderson. They were workhorses and did it diligently week in week out without question or plaudits. However the fee, expectations and hype surrounding his arrival signalled that he was to be a star and offered more than just being a worker. I expected a different level player that could turn draws into wins and losses into draws, a Kevin De Bruyne 2.0 or something similar so to speak. If Arsenal or City or United had signed him and he was putting in these performances then we would all be on here laughing at them for doing so and singing what a waste of money.

Conversely if he was putting in MotM performances every other week we'd be here saying what a great lad we bought, he's going to win us the whole lot. Like I said before perhaps I expected too much from him but running around the field trying to win the ball and make things happen is the least he should be doing. He isn't doing a whole lot more than that and certainly isn't justifying his reputation. And yes I agree that the players surrounding him are not helping. Hopefully it'll all change soon under Iraolas charge and we'll get going and see the absolute best of them all. I want it to happen and I think we're all on the same page regarding that.

25 Sep 2026 10:46:07
Some would say Wirtz is also on £10m a year and offering jacksh.

24 Sep 2026 16:31:56
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Matchday 5 - Quick Round Up

24 Sep 2026 23:41:22
Brilliant round up as always Ed001 👏.

{Ed001's Note - thanks Bazza!}

25 Sep 2026 00:59:28
Thanks for the round up Ed. Much appreciated :)

{Ed001's Note - very welcome Drac mate.}

25 Sep 2026 10:40:05
These are great reads! Mighty job ED01. And yes Rice should have seen red most definitely.

{Ed001's Note - thank you sg!}

24 Sep 2026 12:18:44
Do you think the likes of Wirtz and Kerkez read these chats?

24 Sep 2026 12:38:35
Let's hope not!

24 Sep 2026 13:20:19
Rome1977 is Wirtz 👌.

24 Sep 2026 13:33:44
I'm his Dad, ASB! It's my way of getting the best out of him. Tough love. Him and everyone on here will thank me in the long run.

24 Sep 2026 14:04:18
You're the Daddy Rome! You're the Daddy!!🫵🫵🫵🥳🤣.

24 Sep 2026 14:09:29
I've gone all funny, shanklys ghost! I've had a flash back from somewhere!

Hope you're well, my friend.

24 Sep 2026 14:29:54
All good here Rome! Until the budget next week!! Thanks for asking. 😎🥳🤣💥.

24 Sep 2026 15:25:15
Taking "Rome wasn't built in a day" very seriously with Wirtz, aren't you?

24 Sep 2026 12:06:07
Great interview with Robbo on stick to football. Insightful into Slot and last year. as well as good memories about Klopp and his time with us.

On a side note I watched inside training for Germany. Klopp had his old team back together. Was like watching an old Liverpool inside training but with Klopp speaking in German.

24 Sep 2026 12:46:59
He spoke well. Didn't fall into any of their traps to criticise anyone. A good lad and Liverpool legend.

24 Sep 2026 13:48:48
It was interesting when he said that Reuben Peeters would stand around with an iPad, telling players when they couldn't sprint anymore.

24 Sep 2026 22:40:33
He was playing Candy Crush on that iPad.