01 Oct 2025 04:54:44
I don't get it. How did nunez get so many chances every game and missed them all and now we have isak and ekitike and they don't get any chances!
What has changed? Full backs aren't full backing, midfielders aren't mid-fielding, strikers aren't striking. What is going on?
01 Oct 2025 05:48:12
A lot of reasons
Salah and Diaz were on red hot form creating from both flanks
Trent outstanding ability to pick a player form any area of the pitch
DOM the engine, pressing machine in midfield
I doubt if slot was even consulted before signing Kerkez and Frimpong because if he wants his full backs to invert then these aren’t the players!
01 Oct 2025 06:30:26
It’s a mess mate.
01 Oct 2025 06:39:18
Cause nunez movements brings chaos to defender and open up spaces for others? . i could be wrong though. ?.
01 Oct 2025 07:11:29
Trent was terrible last year so it’s nothing to do with him. it’s the balance of the team it’s off and Slot needs to go back to basics a bit. Robbo needs to come in for stability on the left and either Bradley or frimpong need to play RB to overlap Salah to give him space and pull the defender away. Dom back in midfield to give that energy needed.
01 Oct 2025 08:46:33
No more games and try this try that. We need to get back to basics
Gravy macca szobo in the midfield is a must. I am sorry but this situation to accomodate wirtz has destroyed the balance of team. We are not doing anything with the ball when in possession and are often out of shape when out of possession
Chiesa salah and isak up front.
Vvd konate (sigh) robbo and frimpong defend.
01 Oct 2025 09:08:00
The Slot Machine is not paying out lately, perhaps there's a niggle or a Florin stuck in it?
01 Oct 2025 09:09:11
I think the issue is that Slot has a vision of how we should play and the players cannot execute it or it doesn't suit them in some cases.
Slot wants to play similar to what Pep used to play a few years back, when teams just deep and didn't want to attack. But that isn't cutting it anymore, and even Pep has adjusted that part. Teams are not afraid and want to counter more than the used to.
On the other hand, there is something wrong with how we are holding the ball. The players are not holding to it and are losing it way often. I understand that they want to get a hold on the ball to attract the press from the opposition and for them to lose shape, but whenever that happens, we don't seem to take advantage of it or we lose the ball.
With the personnel that we have, the only option that I see is to instruct the players to release the ball quicker instead of waiting for the press. Another option, is that one of the midfielders (Grav) drops deeper to form more of a back 3, but it would be against his best attribute of holding the ball and resisting the press.
01 Oct 2025 09:12:39
How was Trent terrible last year? Honestly I understand if folks don't like him because of the move but to retroactively remember what actually happened differently is just bizarre to me.
01 Oct 2025 09:17:43
This season was always going to be a huge challenge.
Lots of new players, several of whom have not played in the premier league before plus we have a target on our back having won last season.
Following up a title win is always very hard, ask Klopp.
But to follow it up with so many new players is unheard of.
Some players are still adapting to the pace of the premier league.
Isak has lost a pre-season so he’s not match fit.
Players are not used to each other yet as they’ve not played a lot of games together.
Plus some players (Salah) are out of form.
It happens, don’t panic.
I’m amazed at how well our results have gone really, I never thought we’d have such a good start in terms of results.
01 Oct 2025 10:18:33
Trent (defensively) was average at best last year. There was a period where he was shamefully bad, Konate is in that period right now. Coincidence?
Mac Allister should be nowhere near the team. I have never seen him misplace so many passes. He is unfit and he probably isn’t sleeping much.
Time to go back to basics and keep it simple. Players will gain confidence and then we can reintegrate more complicated tactics.
First rules are keep the ball, keep it moving and keep moving. Standing around and passing side to side then giving it away cheaply is a very poor tactic.
01 Oct 2025 10:28:16
PB . the United game when he walked after a running player . summed his season up for me.
01 Oct 2025 10:39:22
Really good points made on this thread. For me, Darwin and Trent contributed to our winning the title last season. Darwin did not score that many goals BUT his pace, movement and tenacity did open up space for others by dragging defenders all over the place. Trent's ability on the ball, his passing and his ability to play those triangles with Salah and Szobo also helped. Denying the above is just delusional.
I'd also add that Elliott coming off the bench did his thing, as well. Those players aren't here anymore and we are playing with a new system with new signings who need time to bed in. As Ron said, Isak doesn't have ha preseason, some players are adapting while others are trying to get back to full fitness after injuries. You cannot just dismiss these factors off hand just cos things aren't going our way. We have to fight thru it and that's the only option now, IMO.
01 Oct 2025 10:50:57
And he improved dramatically the two games after that. What is your point? He played awfully against United, no one would dispute that. But he was also an incredibly important player for us in a title winning season, and was a central part of Slot's system. I can understand folks hating him for the rest of his life, but rewriting history to justify that hatred is nonsensical.
01 Oct 2025 11:00:04
People often forget that the United game came immediately after RM put in a bid for him to shake him up. Even Slot said as much. His head was clearly not right that game but he wasn't that bad every single game. I get that people dislike him for the way he ran down his contract but he was good for us and was a regular member of the team that won the title. We do miss his ability to create from deep, something we have not been able to replicate this season and is possibly a reason why Salah is looking so woeful now.
01 Oct 2025 11:02:07
The last two years for Trent have been his poorest output. which is what he’s supposedly brilliant at. Just because he scored a couple bangers clouds peoples judgement, apart from those couple of goals he was terrible defensively and average offensively so using him as a oh we had his passing is ridiculous slot had him for 1 season and it wasn’t his best so it’s not that. it’s the midfield being completely disconnected from the defence and Konate having an absolute mate every other game he needs to be taken out the team and Gomez given a chance next to do VVD szobo needs to back into midfield alongside Grav to give us som legs.
{Ed001's Note - the point was, when he was on the pitch the opposition would drop off 5 yards deeper to cut off the balls in behind, which gave us more space to play in. Without that, they are much more able to counter quickly, as well as keeping us at arm's length more easily.}
01 Oct 2025 11:03:52
Darwin played about 33% of the PL minutes last season.
If I followed the club on YouTube highlights I’d probably believe he contributed significantly as well.
01 Oct 2025 11:11:27
PB, it seems the crash out for Trent (with the way he left) seems to be diluting people's view of how important he was for us season. I get it. And like you, Im not a fan of rewriting history cos even tho, Trent did not have a great season, you simply cannot say he did not contribute to our winning the title. That is patently false and no amount of hate for him (of which I have none, btw) is going to change the facts.
01 Oct 2025 11:16:59
His output decreased because he started getting on the ball much deeper, as compared to the early Klopp years @Kloppers. His passing is otherworldly, and on so many occasions this season when we have struggled to progress the ball upfield, we used to just use him as a cheat code. I don't think people realise how much a change in styles we are trying to implement. For almost all his time, our main progressive play funnelled through him. Now we are trying to do this by short passes in midfield but haven't been able to use Wirtz properly at all. He is either too deep or crowded out too soon every time he gets on the ball. His passing has also been a bit off, but I am sure over time he will become the cog through which all our play will go. Anyway, I know Trent's leaving has soured taste but his contributions can't be rewritten now. For all his defensive deficiencies his upside was significantly higher in most games, and basically allowed us to have a key creator in defence. No other team has that, and allowed us to play an extra attacker without actually playing one.
01 Oct 2025 15:20:13
HE was a defensive liability. always was n continues to be that in his new team. yea he could pass an amazing pass. How many teams targeted him . tells you something doesn't it . do anyone target VVD no, the target Konate because he's also a defensive liability but he can't pass a ball so he not hero worshipped.