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10 May 2024 20:52:53
Just a thought, but how difficult would it have been for Arne Slot had Klopp won more of the cups like the FA cup, UEFA cup and Premier League?
How much easier is it now for Slot that we only won the minor one of the cups?
10 May 2024 17:29:02
So, Julian Ward has returned to Liverpool?
He will oversee player development across FSG's football operations and strategies.
Maybe I am just catastrophizing, but it does feel like, now Klopp is gone, the old guard decision makers are steadily returning to the fold.
I feel like there is a lot more to this than we are seeing, or being told.
If so, maybe Ljinders can write another book about it? :P.
10 May 2024 17:53:53
Mango, my immediate thought was did Edwards and Ward leave because of Klopp? š².
10 May 2024 18:03:12
I canāt remember which journalist reported it, but somebody said that one of the reasons Michael Edwards left was because of arguments with Klopp over retaining ageing players. Not sure how true that is, but if Ward is returning as well as Edwards as soon as Klopp is leaving, it doesnāt feel like a coincidence.
10 May 2024 18:12:55
Pep ate the crayons after he did the last book, Mango.
10 May 2024 18:28:21
Pedro Marques Has also joined.
10 May 2024 18:29:22
Woolback, it doesn't feel like a coicidence at all. However, what do we know? It well could be just consipracy theory. But I must admit that employees who leave an employer usually join another organization before re-joining the previous employer, if ever. That's what I have seen.
10 May 2024 20:20:29
Liverpoolās new structure that as CEO Michael Edwards has put together. Only Will Spearman, David Fallows and Barry Hunter from the list below were already at the club. Safe to say Edwards has been busy.
Coach: Arne SlotĀ Ā
Sporting Director: Richard Hughes
Assistant Sporting Director: David Woodfine
Technical Director: Julian Ward
Director Of Football Director: Pedro MarquesĀ Ā
Director of Research: Will Spearman
Head of Recruitment: David Fallows
Chief Scout: Barry Hunter
Scout: Mark Burchill
Scout Co-ordinator: Craig McKee.
10 May 2024 20:41:35
I canāt believe some people say that football isnāt a game anymore eh?
When they all get to work do we think they line up in a 4 - 2 - 3 -1 or 4 - 3 -3 formation? I wonder if we use inverted scouts or do we look to then to get out far and wide?
10 May 2024 20:44:32
We have a director to direct the director of football?
Iād love that job!
10 May 2024 20:42:31
* Director Of Football Development: Pedro Marques.
10 May 2024 20:59:48
I remember that woolback. I reckon we know very little about the last few years and the real reasons heās leaving.
10 May 2024 21:27:44
What does a technical director do?
10 May 2024 14:18:56
A bit off topic but Liverpool have just released a video on their official YouTube channel titled The Reds Roundtable. It has Klopp, Pep, Alex (Academy Director), Elliott and Gakpo.
0:41-1:35 was emotional. Yes I'm excited for the future and yes I feel it's time to move in a different direction under new leadership. That doesn't make me less of a supporter or unappreciated of the great work Klopp has done. That being said, watching that part of the video got me emotional. I am going to miss Klopp. So many great memories. I will never forget the night we won the Champions League, nor the day we won the league. He made all of us walk with our heads held high during the 2017/ 2018-2020 years, as we were simply unplayable.
Wish him and his family all the best for the future!
10 May 2024 15:08:30
Just saw the vid on my youtube feed. going to watch that, for sure. As for the way you feel/ felt during that 3 years span of 2017 till 2020, you as spot on. Those 3 years where we became Champions of Everywhere and undoubtedly the BEST team in the world.
I remember those times like they happened a few months ago and remember vividly how I felt and how proud of my club and manager were at the time. If we have anywhere near an era/ period like that under Slot, I will be over the moon. Thanks for all the great memories, Herr Jurgen! You will definitely be missed.
10 May 2024 15:40:56
Alonso have you seen Klopps presser from today when he arrived late.
Thats a pretty good one.
10 May 2024 16:11:46
@Oli Definitely a good watch Oli. They discuss many topics from his tenure, to the academy and it was good hearing from Gakpo and Elliott about the path from youth footy to becoming a pro.
@JK23 Hope youāre well mate. I havenāt yet but will do š.
10 May 2024 06:28:07
Hey their Ed's
What players on our books do you think will be sold on this summer and will some of the players we thought nailed on to go get a second chance ie a carvalho for instance or have decisions been made?
{Ed001's Note - Hughes and his team will be looking over all the info they have and I doubt there will be any decisions made yet. There is a lot to sort through. Contracts will have to be dealt with as well.}
10 May 2024 08:18:25
Ed001, in this current scenario where Hughes is still at Bournemouth and Slot is still at Feynoord, do you think they will be having any early conversations about plans for the summer? Or would they be focused on just finishing their contracts to their current clubs?
I can't imagine myself in the same situation not becoming a little bit distracted given they're stepping up to one of the biggest clubs in World Football. You wouldn't want to walk in the door on day one and feel as though you had no plan. I'm guessing if they were having any discussions it would have to be on their own time mind you!
{Ed001's Note - I am sure they will have discussions, but it will be difficult.}
10 May 2024 11:14:56
Late night whatsapp group chats on the burner phones Mickey sent to Arne and Ricky.
10 May 2024 11:25:49
Iām imagining Highes arguing with Edwards trying to convince him to bring Solanke back to the club
š¤£.
10 May 2024 11:31:51
I hear they are trying to rent Jurgenās tap-up caravan under the central pier at Blackpool - Bootroom re-boot, perhaps?
10 May 2024 13:17:44
Imagine them actually on group chats š sharing videos from YouTube of Bakayoko and Pacho!
10 May 2024 02:51:16
Can Ed001 answer something for me please? Is Yvie Ryan still the staff psychologist at LFC?
I was on a conference call a few days ago and the topic came up, I mentioned that it was Yvie and someone else in the call said they didn't think so anymore.
I checked online and far as I can see she still is? It's hard to tell with the club these days they're much better at keeping things in house.
{Ed001's Note - she works solely with the academy mate. I am not sure there is a staff one with the first team any more. Probably something that needs addressing judging by the way the team collapsed. The club's official site lists all the staff on it. For first team staff there is always Training Ground Guru as well, which also has a lot of other clubs. Also a useful resource for anyone looking to work in sports as a lot of the jobs are advertised on there.}
10 May 2024 07:57:39
Don't shout at me Ed, but was it really a collapse? I saw numerous goals going missed, simple chances not being taken. Maybe that constitutes a collapse, I like to think of it as an accumulation of bad luck and poor finishing. The XG must be huge the last month, the reality quite the opposite. Klopp seems to have fizzled out a bit, understandably and sadly, but with the odd goal here and there things could have been very, very different. No?
{Ed001's Note - luck is a misnomer, as any great athlete will tell you - the harder you work the luckier you get. And xG is utter bollox. It is completely subjective and utter cack.}
10 May 2024 08:42:00
Definitely a collapse BurkeyBoy. Got to say it as it is at times. Love Klopp and the players, but you can't go from top of the league with 8 games to go, in the Europa Quarter final with the far better side of the draw, and in an FA cup quarter final against the worst United team for 40 years; and within 6 weeks be out of both knockout competitions and 5-7 points off top of the league.
April was an awful month for us and it's gut wrenching because historically under Klopp we always finished the season strong and would go on a run to keep touch with Man City or drag ourselves to a European final. In fact we've gone to 4 European finals under Klopp because of that late surge of energy we always seemed to find. Makes you wonder if Henderson and Milner as captain and vice-captain made a huge impact in maintaining standards at the business end of the season, even if they were finished as starters at this level.
10 May 2024 13:21:46
Henderson and Milner made no difference last season MK.
10 May 2024 13:31:41
VV, you wonāt get any argument from me that we lacked midfield quality on the pitch last season, but we were pretty consistent throughout the season. Consistently average, but consistent. Hendo, Milner, Fabinho, Keita and Ox definitely needed replacing. However maybe we should have kept one of Hendo or Milner as a squad player for their value off the pitch, and moved on Thiago instead. If we had somebody in the dressing room not letting concentration drift or standards slip, maybe we wouldnāt have had such a huge wobble. Thatās all I meant. Do you think Virgil is a good captain? Iām unconvinced myself.
10 May 2024 14:16:18
MK if reports are to be believed then it was Hendo who set the ball rolling to leave.
It was getting reported in mainstream that he had agreed the Saudi wages well before the offer came in for him.
Milner had already left and Hendo came out in his interview that no one tried to keep him and was reported he wasn't happy with the possibility of reduced game time.
I'd imagine the thought process prior to the Saudi bid was to keep Hendo in the squad as club captain and maybe not always match day one.
10 May 2024 14:37:59
Tallies up to be fair JK23. Hindsight is a wonderful thing eh! I personally don't think it helped though losing captain and vice-captain in one go. Virgil doesn't strike me as that great a leader. He's too lackadaisical in his play and relaxed in his demeanour. I think it's infectious when you see your skipper looking like he's in 1st gear.
10 May 2024 15:11:09
@mk Virgil doesn't strike me as a good captain either.
Good captains either command the dressing room or lead by example, he doesn't seem to do either. I think there is a lack of leadership at the club right now due to the recent player turnover, I can't really think of anyone who'd be suitable for ctain in my opinion.
10 May 2024 15:18:58
MKS, Both Hendo and Milner had run their races and that was palpable by the end of last season. Klopp himself recognised that hence, he told the story that he told Hendo that he would not get the same game time he had been getting and Hendo wan't having it and that set the ball rolling.
As for Milner, Klopp wanted to keep him still and then it was one of the higher-ups at the club (name was never mentioned) who overruled Klopp and then, Milner was really let go. That was the story shared on here at the time. IMO, it was the best time to let both go as they had done their time.
As for us collapsing or whatever, you can definitely call it that on one hand HOWEVER if we agree that the on-pitch problems that we had all season but never addressed, came back to burn us in these crucial last 6 weeks (which is what happens in footie or even in life), is that really a collapse or just a case of the chickens coming home to roost?
10 May 2024 15:40:10
Its hard to comment on Virg as a captain and Hendo was our captain through our most recent success.
For me up until the Utd cup game and Atalanta collapse at home there was no question about our leadership on the pitch and i thoight Virg was a true leader in our Caribo Cup final along with Endo.
We have quite a few international team captains in the squad also.
As its been pointed out we were consistently poor last season and looked consistently leaderless throughout the season and that was with Hendo and Milner.
Also looking at it now who wpuld Hendo have been getting game time ahead of this season.
Virg might give off lackadaisical performances but i'm not sure how a captain can lead when not playing which i think would have been Hendo's case.
I honestly belive Hendo could have helped off the pitch but our collapse has come on it.
10 May 2024 15:08:37
On the topic of luck -
Baggio was once asked what it felt like to be unlucky after a fiorentina game in which he hit both posts and the crossbar. He replied
"Luck? If I hit the posts it's because I didn't aim in the goal. there is no luck in football"
Thanks ed, I tried searching and couldn't come up with anything but I knew she'd worked as team psychologist before in a sports capicity. It's a genuine blind spot since most major teams either have one on staff and present at the training ground daily or an external one who is contracted to the club.
I just watch the team this season in regards to certain players and feel sure a decent psychologist would have ironed out some of those creases. They should perhaps promote yvie as I know she's excellent at her job and is well respected in the industry.
I seem to recall Liverpool working extensively with a psychologist during klopp early years, maybe I'm misremembering.
{Ed001's Note - I think she chose to work with the academy only, but I agree, the first team does seem desperately in need of one.}
10 May 2024 15:48:46
Klopp has been accused of hanging onto players too long but we wanted to keep Henderson or Milner?
One thing stands out to me about our midfield and the other teams' in the title race: we signed Endo and Arsenal signed Rice whilst City already had Rodri.
No disrespect to Endo but he's not in the same league as Rodri or Rice. If we'd signed a top quality defensive midfielder we'd have been a lot stronger. Instead we bought a stop gap and spent bigger on flashier types like Szoboszlai and Gravenberch.
09 May 2024 09:21:57
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new player profile about, Thiago Alcantara
09 May 2024 10:21:10
Great player . can pass the ball beautifully n just oozes class. just a pity his injuries stopped him being a really good player for us . I understand the pace was a bit too much for him in the prem. but sometimes between all fast pace, you need someone to be calm n pick out passes . pity it never worked out for him at Liverpool.
09 May 2024 10:46:27
A real shame. Do also think we tried to make him into a Gini replacement when we should have used him as Thiago.
We will always have those masterclass performances vs United at Anfield and City at Wembley to remember, I suppose.
09 May 2024 11:05:05
Good read that Ed been looking forward to it too. I was genuinely excited when we signed him, one of the rare finished article signing not hoping for potential but an established class act. Reminded me a bit of being a kid when Jari Litmanen came in. But as u say injuries have taken away his time on the pitch, still such a quality player though.
{Ed001's Note - thank you AAR.}
09 May 2024 11:27:50
For that 21/ 22 season he was absolutely unreal. Was my favourite player to watch, especially his first touch, which would instantly take about 3 opposition players out of the game.
Shame it ended the way it did.
09 May 2024 11:51:31
Made of crisps, was already nearly 30 and had a terrible injury history when we signed him. As good a pro as he is and as talented a footballer he is, was completely not the type of midfielder we needed and felt like a luxury we couldnāt afford. Fundamentally a bad signing, as bad as Keita when you look at it logically, thereās no escaping that fact.
09 May 2024 12:55:26
Thanks for this piece, Ed001.
I just feel Thiago is going to become a world-class manager in the future. His understanding of the game is truly remarkable.
{Ed001's Note - very welcome.}
09 May 2024 12:59:27
Edd001 you never did a write up on hendo. You said you'd do it when he left. When he signed, how he improved, became captain, his importance and how je left. That'd be a great write up.
{Ed001's Note - it is still on the list. This Thiago piece was first requested when he was about to sign, that is how far behind I am! It is hard work getting to watch enough footage to write about them at the moment.}
09 May 2024 14:01:31
I hope we replace him properly rather than viewing it as he missed the whole season we donāt need to. Similar to Matip we probably came into the season with both viewed as part of our best 11 weād probably have won more with even just 1 of them fit.
09 May 2024 13:52:45
Unfortunately I can't really disagree with u there ViktorV, but christ if anyone ever asks u to do somebody's eulogy just don't haha.
09 May 2024 14:39:40
Pelican, if the club thought that buying Thiago would suitably solve Wijnaldum's departure they were mistaken in their thinking. Nothing in common between their styles of play. Wijnaldum was a ball carrier and possession protector. Thiago was all about distributing the ball forward from a defensive position. Spraying passes forward he way Alonso did earlier for us.
When we bought Thiago I actually thought that Klopp had decided on a change of play within our midfield, but it turned out Klopp wanted Thiago on the left and sometimes the right, while keeping Fabinho central further behind. Not the optimal use of Thiago's talents. He was a wonderful player no doubt, but not played to his strengths.
09 May 2024 15:22:18
Hi ArAy. Have not seen you around on the main page lately. Hope you have been well.
Anyway, I do agree with your sentiments. When we first signed Thiago, I thought we would be transitioning our style of play but we have not done so. Even now, it feels like an odd amalgamation of a high pressing style and a possession based one. It hasn't worked out for us and deifntiely has not worked out for Thiago. Love him as a person though as he clearly is putting in effort.
Someone compared him to Keita above and maybe in terms of impact they are similar but not in ability and effort. Keita could have made it if he had put in more effort but, as Ed said in the article, Thiago is just a case of wrong player in the wrong place. He isn't suited for this league.
{Ed025's Note - unfortunately Drac the wrong place was Liverpool mate, hes been a total waste of space and cost the club a fortune..
09 May 2024 15:27:34
I think Thiago's injury issues were over egged when we signed him. He'd averaged around 40 games a season for 5 seasons when we signed him. There was a slight drop off in his first 3 seasons for us with him averaging about 32 games a season which is not great but still not horrific.
The last year though has been absolutely ridiculous. 1 appearance this season is just unprecedented in his career so I don't think it's fair to whip Klopp for his decision to sign Thiago. It looked like we were getting a world class player who was available about 60-70% of the time. What we actually ended up with was a player who didn't suit our system who could only play 50% of the time. Then the last 12 months his body's just completely disintegrated for whatever reason.
Gutting it hasn't worked out but people make out like he barely played for Bayern and that's just not true.
09 May 2024 15:37:01
ArAy, I am not suggesting Thiago was bought to replace Gini but that is certainly how Klopp ended up using him in the end, whilst actively choosing not to sign a Gini replacement for years. Perhaps Klopp thought Curtis would be further along and more available. Not sure tbh.
09 May 2024 18:23:21
Fantastic player just unfortunately didn't turn out to be a fantastic signing for LFC.
09 May 2024 18:44:36
Sorry MK, his injury history wasnāt over exaggerated.
18/ 19 34 days 3 9
17/ 18 127 days 8 20
16/ 17 35 days 4 5
15/ 16 31 days 2 6
14/ 15 154 days 2 37
13/ 14 267 days 5 75
12/ 13 122 days 2 44
More red flags there than on the Kop on a Saturday afternoon.
09 May 2024 19:06:44
Viktor he was injury prone but as your stats show, you had to go back to 2014 for when he had a major injury. They were absolutely exaggerated. I remember people making out he was a cripple who managed 10-15 games a season.
Either way the mistake was in buying Thiago and then not playing to suit him (think another poster said that above) . He played 30, 39 and 28 games for us in his first 3 seasons. Iād love to know what went wrong at the back end of last season though when he had that hip surgery and basically never played for us again. Was something botched medically or could his body just not repair itself? Either way we should have sold him last season instead of letting his contract run down. I think Barcelona wanted him in a cut price deal. Instead weāve paid him circa Ā£12m to spend a year in physio.
{Ed001's Note - insurance pay his wages while injured.}
09 May 2024 19:14:33
Couple of comments here allude to Thiago being asked to play a role that he wasn't really suited to. I love Klopp but I do wonder if trying to do this with too many players is part of the reason we've been a bit up and down in the past few seasons. We've seen it recently with the likes of MacAllister and Gakpo.
09 May 2024 19:49:49
Great read, Ed01. With this write up, it seems the Thiago move was doomed to fail from the off cos tho one of the best ast and most cerebral players I have ever seen put on a red shirt in a long while, I would like to know what type of thought process was underwent to decide to sign him when clearly, he was and is not suited to the PL in any way. I guess we will never know.
{Ed001's Note - the thinking was to bring in a new more controlled style of play, similar to what we have been watching th last 2 seasons, with Thiago at the heart of it in the Mac Allister role. His body is just not up to the rigours of the Prem sadly, whereas Mac Allister has shown more robustness. It is a shame because Thiago is a beautiful player to watch when he plays well.}
09 May 2024 19:59:40
Thank god for that Ed001 š his premium next year is going to be wild!
{Ed001's Note - I don't think it actually works on individual players like that. I think, if I remember correctly, it is a package deal that clubs pay based on salaries. Things like operations are usually paid for separately, rather than by the insurance, as clubs always want the best surgeon and to get their players in immediately, rather than joining a queue.}
10 May 2024 00:42:47
Thanks for writing this Ed1. Such a shame he didn't make it with us.
{Ed001's Note - it hurt to write that because I love watching him. It is a good reminder to the recruitment department that just being a great player is not always enough. Just like they have to be applicable to the style of play you are looking for, they also have to be suited to the league you play in.}
10 May 2024 01:05:42
Kind of gutted for the lad to be honest Ed1, it's not as if he hasn't tried but you're right, the league just isn't for him. We weren't the club for him. When he first joined I thought he was going to be absolutely incredible, I was so excited. Unfortunately these things happen.
Any news on where he will end up going to mate or are we a bit too early for that? he's pretty much done and dusted now but hope the end of his career can suit him well.
{Ed001's Note - his injury has meant that there is not a lot of interest in him until he gets back to fitness. I think he might well end up in Italy though. They love a player like him and he is well suited to their play.}
10 May 2024 02:11:35
Thanks Ed1, hope all is well mate :)
{Ed001's Note - all good mate. How about you?}
10 May 2024 02:44:19
I think it's telling that when he needed a holding mid who could pass well pep didn't got back in for thiago.
Personally I've always felt he was a little overrated and the time and space you get in Spain and Germany always made it very easy for him to pick good passes. He struggled in prem not just because of it's more physical nature but because you have to move and think much faster.
10 May 2024 07:34:23
A joy to watch when fit, unfortunately not fit near enough. I do hope in future we make call earlier on players that v injury prone, sturidge, keita, ox and thiago all leaving for free when imo we should've took the hit on them after 2-2.5 years, sell for whatever we get and move on.
I think we now at that stage with konate, Jones and jota of current team, I really rate all 3 players but they miss so many games and judging by past experience with these type of injury prone players it only going to get worse.
10 May 2024 07:52:10
Was over the hill and injury prone when we signed him and no amount of hand wringing changes that. Bayern absolutely rinsed us. Given his age and the physical nature of the league it was always likely that his injuries would get worse and that heād struggle, both of which have happened. Much like Keita, should have been moved on far earlier than he has been. Although signing any player is a risk, signing one who has a year on year history of breaking down for long periods of a season and who is nearly 30 is just plain bad decision making. Itās only a saving grace that we never signed Dembele to join him in the sick bay.
10 May 2024 08:51:46
Not bad thanks Ed1 mate, can't complain even though I love to! lol hope your day is a good one mate.
{Ed001's Note - I am sure you can complain, I reckon that is something you would be world class at!}
10 May 2024 11:41:51
Jesus ed1 the way my morning is going I could complain for great Britain.
{Ed001's Note - it could always be worse mate.}
10 May 2024 18:24:05
Thanks Dracred. Oh, I'm still here every single day but I am posting and commenting much less than before. I avoid things when they get personal and the temperature on here has been quite warm to hot in recent weeks. š. And given that I am one of those non match going super fans, I am staying in my lane.
Pelican, we don't disagree. The moment Klopp placed Thiago in the left midfield position it became apparant that the player was being asked to adapt and mold himself to that position. And I agree with Johnnyr1970, in that Klopp has that tendency to believe everyone is a Milner or a Gomez and can be shunted around the field according to need. It hasn't always worked. It didn't work with Emre Can in right sided defense, didn't work with Hendo and Fabinho as CB's (despite having Phillips and Williams on the bench which he eventually used) , didn't work with Wijnaldum as DM and didn't work with Thiago as CM.
09 May 2024 07:39:01
{Ed's Note - Beckers pecker has posted a new article entitled, Respect Your Team's Football Players
09 May 2024 12:38:05
Agree wholeheartedly with your post Beckers with the exception that Darwin's finishing issues can be solely put on pressure caused by some clowns comments. I definitely itely agree with the sentiment, that the pressure of the media and fanbases putting every missed chance by him under the microscope has an affect from a mental perspective. I also think his lack of composure is something he needs to work on personally.
10 May 2024 10:03:41
Donāt forget he was signed at the same time City signed Haaland so was instantly being compared to him and put under the media microscope.
Then he gets sent off for a ridiculous headbutt in his second game so the pressure was ramped up even further and it took him ages to settle after that.
This season heās shown at times his composure is not an issue with some lovely finishing in the middle of the season but he has caught the bug from the rest of the squad towards the end of the campaign. Then the media, rival fans and even his own fans jump on every miss like heās the only one missing chances.
Carragher doesnāt help either. The guy is an absolute buffoon but unfortunately his opinions, however wrong are seen and taken on by so many fans who canāt actually think for themselves.