07 Jan 2026 09:12:58
I saw a few people question my claim yesterday that this is our best squad ever. I thought I'd clarify because I 100% stand by the comment, but feel it's been misinterpreted.
I'm not for one minute suggesting this is our best starting 11 ever. I never saw the great teams of Paisley and Kenny to make that assessment. However, I am obsessed with everything Liverpool, including the history of the club. So let me take a moment to explain, and I'm going to use the attacking squad options as examples.
Paisley's best team is widely regarded as the 1981 side that beat Real Madrid in the European Cup final, with Kenny and Rush up top. Does anyone know who the forward options were on the bench that day? Howard Gayle. 5 appearances and 1 goal in 4 seasons (! ) at Liverpool.
Dalglish's best team is universally believed to be that 1988 side that pasted Forest 5-0 with Beardsley and Aldridge up top. Liverpool didn't even have a forward on the bench that day as you could only have 2 substitutes! The forwards in the squad that season? Paul Walsh (9 apps, 0 goals) and John Durnin (0 apps, 0 goals) .
Klopp's best team is that 2020 league title winning side with Salah, Firmino and Mane. The back ups that season were Origi and Shaqiri. I think we signed Minamino in the January. All of them were just run of the mill players who weren't really good enough but Klopp got the best out of them.
Now look at the forward options this season. For the right wing we have Salah, Frimpong and Chiesa. The left wing we have Wirtz, Gakpo and Rio. Up top we have Isak and Ekitike.
We have never in my lifetime had squad depth like this, and prior to my lifetime, squad depth wasn't even really a thing. So yeah, maybe on the face of it for a club this size it seems an outlandish claim, but If anybody wants to try and convince me Howard Gayle, John Durnin, Paul Walsh or Divock Origi are better than Hugo Ekitike, I'm open to hearing the logic behind that. Never in our history have we spent this much money to give a manager such depth of quality.
I don't mind if people still disagree of course on whether this is the best squad, but I'm just clarifying my statement.
07 Jan 2026 09:48:46
Agree mate, the talent that's there is for all to see!
Once they're all fully fit and settled into a system that works and gets the best out of them (and has the right coach in place implementing it) then we'll be frightening.
The problem we have is at the back in my opinion (and many others) . We need at least 2 Centre backs who can read the game and don't shy away from challenges along with a strong no nonsense defensive/ box to box midfielder. (One that can either play with Grav and sit or one that's happy to interchange positions so that we don't lose any quality if one is injured or needs a rest)
07 Jan 2026 09:53:57
MK, I agree with your entire statement which you really shouldn't have to defend. I think more importantly is that, while having a strong squad is obviously an advantage, my problem is how slot isn't getting the best out every individual and confounding that on the field
I watched the Barcelona comeback with my 8 year old last night and i rewatched a team that was completely "out-talented" but had something Barcelona didn't have - desire! Your argument shouldn't even need to br defended!
I say it time and time again to my son, there will always be someone more talented or genetically superior to you (unfortunately has my genes and therefore he should get comfortable that lol) but getting out worked is a choice! That's where I get frustrated! Tactics aside (which are a huge problem), I'd rather watch 11 hard working players than a team full of depth, and I'm not saying you can't have both - but at a minimum, you should have the hard work in the kit bag, ready to fire on all cylinders.
I didn't read your original post and excuse me if I've missed something but after watching Hendo/ Milly/ Origi and the like dismantle a very good Barcelona team. I sat and thought why can our boys not replicate the easiest thing in sport (effort) .
All comes down to coaching and inspirational leadership and therefore the buck stops with Slot.
07 Jan 2026 10:05:16
Ian Rush didn't play in the 1981 European Cup final, though.
MK, you talk about back up options and then mention Chiesa and Rio. What have they done for Liverpool?
You talk about squad depth but I don't see a good enough replacement for Konate. Thompson, Hansen, Lawrenson, Gillespie and Ablett were all far superior to Konate.
I look at Grav, Mac, Szob, Jones in midfield and think about what Souness, McDermott, Ray Kennedy, Sammy Lee, Steve McMahon, Nigel Spackman, Ray Houghton, Jan Molby and Johnny Barnes would do to them.
Fabinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum and Milner would also dominate them.
Frimpong ans Kerkez would also struggle against the likes of Phil Neal, Alan Kennedy, Stevie Nicol and Steve Staunton.
Isak, Ekitike and Wirtz all cost a pretty penny but I would take Dalglish, Rush, Barnes, Beardsley and Aldridge over all three judging by what I've seen so far.
Besides, how can you compare squad depth now to a time when it 'wasn't even really a thing'?
07 Jan 2026 10:10:47
MK, I'd love to sit around a pub table with you and have this discussion. Typing stuff out is impersonal.
Here's my reply to you. The 87/ 88 squad knocks this one into fits. I'll cut you some slack with the forward line, though Isak hasn't been fit, so you're basing your argument on how he performed for Newcastle not us.
However the 87/ 88 defence comprised
Ablett
Gillespie
Houghton
Lawrenson
Nicol
Staunton
Venison
The midfield comprised
Barnes
Dalglish ( hardly played)
Houghton
Johnston
Macdonald
Molby
Spackman
Wark
Whelan
I stand by my argument that our current squad doesn't come close.
07 Jan 2026 10:12:26
Mk, I know you say squad but years ago we only had one sub so the squads wasnt as big . but i think the players were better standard than they are now, look at the players Rush Dalglish, Hansen, souness etc all better than we've ever had.
07 Jan 2026 10:12:45
Until the last couple of decades it's not been a squad game so there is a small sample size to compare to.
However, I think the quality of what we have up front is nowhere near what we've had in the past.
Mane, salah, firmino.
Suarez, sterling, sturridge, coutinho.
Today salah has lost a yard or two of pace, Isak has shown nothing here yet, chiesa the same. Only ekitike has reached the levels above.
Last seasons forward options I'd challenge were better.
Then we get into midfield and the whole defence.
Three good centre mids but lack of quality behind that.
One great centre back in VVD but he's getting on and can't do it on his own. Only Joe Gomez as backup.
TAA and Robbo in their pomp far better full backs than our current options.
Compare this to Arsenal. Genuine quality across first XI and squad. Defensive depth and forward depth is unreal.
This to me raises serious questions about our recruitment.
We've moved away from our tried and trusted template of buying the £30-70m lesser known names tha are a great fit. I think Wirtz is and will be a great player but was that the area that needed to be addressed? Isak great for Newcastle but with his susceptibility to injuries and the fact that we'd already bought ekitike was that the best use of resources?
Not buying a centre back whilst selling Quansah is as negligent.
We've been unlucky with Leoni and he looks good but given konate's and gomez's injury records there was a clear need for another centre back. This shouldn't have been left until the last day of the summer window to address.
I also find it strange that we didn't go back for zubamendi when he became available.
07 Jan 2026 10:20:14
Let's break this down a little though mate. We have on paper at least some amazing (and expensive) talent. I totally get your point, this should be the best team ever, but it's not.
In reality:
Salah: best days are long gone. Been terrible all season.
Frimpong: done pretty much nothing in a reds shirt so far.
Chiesa: done pretty much nothing in a red shirt so far either.
Wirtz: criminally underused and not performing at anywhere near the level expected.
Gakpo: been terrible all season.
Rio: a child who shouldn't be in the first team let's be honest.
Isak: if you had never seen him play before playing for Liverpool you would think we had picked some random out the crowd to play up front.
Ekitike: the only player here who is playing at a high standard.
I don't think I'm being harsh here based on this seasons performances. There is obviously huge potential in our team but for them to be the best ever we need a new coach who is going to get the best out of them.
On paper we are one of the strongest teams in the world. Football matches are not won on paper though.
07 Jan 2026 10:20:58
I agree, Para-red. MKS, why do you feel to defend your statement in any way? It is your opinion which you are entitled to esp. when you have actual valid points to back it up. If they were misinterpreted then, you can clarify and leave it there.
Speak your mind, my friend. If people disagree (which is also their right) then they are free to prove you wrong and let the debate begin.
As for my opinion on the matter, I can agree that the level of actual proven talent on this team/ squad is above the level of any other squad we have ever had in the PL era, for sure. Hence, I agree with your statement to a point.
07 Jan 2026 10:42:27
Sorry, but having a decent bench doesn't automatically make you a better squad. I'll take 11 absolute legends and couple of nobodys over 20 good players any day.
The fact that you admit you never saw the great's play says it all.
Salah, Virgil and Robertson are basically gone, Alisson will not be far behind. Fantastic players but 3/ 4 have had massive drop off this season with retirement knocking. Gakpo? 1 good season, he has as many critics as he has fans. Wirtz is unproven at this level. Chiesa was a good player, 4 years ago, no disrespect. Isak's had 2 good seasons and just broke his leg, his whole career is up in the air. Hugo has been great but it's his first season. Rio looks to have great potential but he's 17 and has only 48 premier league minutes this season. Grav, 1 good season. Mac, 2 good seasons, massive drop off. Kerkez and Frimpong are only in the door. Szoboslai, fantastic payer but nowhere near the realms of a Dalglish.
You want to claim this lot are better than our 14 major title winning golden era legends, come off it. Names look good on paper but trophies are won on the pitch.
I find it hilarious that you somehow think mentioning the 2 sub limit and minimal app's from the bench weighs in your favour?! Firstly, having such a small limit on sub's massively reduces the need, want, possibility of, or effectiveness of squad depth. Secondly, these guys played more matches, in worse conditions, got absolutely booted off the pitch with tackles that would end the career of most modern day players, and they did it for 90 minutes almost every game. Almost no rotation and no sending youngsters out for cup games.
And just so you know in Paisleys era it was 1 sub. now talk to me about squad depth.
07 Jan 2026 10:52:58
Sorry, I missed Mcmahon out of my 87/ 88 midfield, to add even more weight to my argument.
07 Jan 2026 10:59:45
88/ 89 squad we had defensive squaddies like Hooper, Venison, Abblett, Burrows. Players like Molby, Whelan and McMahon vying for two spots in midfield. An aged Dalglish on the bench along with either Rush or Aldridge. Then of course that 11st eleven whìch would crush our team of today.
07 Jan 2026 11:04:04
The most depth we have had was probably 21/ 22 season when we challenged for all four trophies right to the death. We were able to do this because Klopp could make 5/ 6 changes every game and get a good enough performance out of them. Even then we were short of one defensive midfielder and the Thiago and Fabinho injuries at the very end of the season scuppered the Champions League final performance by the few percent we needed.
We definitely lack depth at centre back, defensive midfield and in wide positions at the moment.
07 Jan 2026 11:09:47
Look guys, I've said everything I have to say, if you still disagree that is fine. I'm not interested in this becoming a carry on. I just think our current squad is being massively under rated because of how severely mismanaged they've been. But we can all have differing viewpoints on what it means to have a good squad and subjectively which squads are better than others. That's football.
I only felt the need to reply because some people seemed to be implying it was an outrageous statement due to the comparative success past teams had. Appreciate everyone's replies, including those who still disagree.
07 Jan 2026 11:41:46
Totally disagree for the simple reason that the squad completely lacks balance.
Our defensive options are utter gash! Inexperienced or injured full backs.
Van Dijk (25/ 6) is not Van Dijk (19/ 20), he's slow and ponderous and has lost confidence and composure. No-one else is good enough to play alongside Virgil.
Salah (25/ 6) is not Salah (19/ 20) his legs have gone.
Robertson (25/ 6) is not Robertson (19/ 20).
Our midfield lacks strength and solidity.
You can't name these stellar names and say, they're still great players. Salah, Virgil, Robbo have been superb, but they're not the same anymore. They're old and finished.
We used to have a 'strong central spine'.
Becker (often injured now), Virgil at his peak, Matip alongside, Fabinho, Henderson, Firmino.
Experienced, durable, solid players.
Now who have we got?
Marmadashvilli, Virgil's grandad, dying-swan MacAllister, 1-season Gravenberch, unfit Isak and Hugo (God bless him) who keeps getting messed about.
This squad is weak, old and unbalanced.
07 Jan 2026 11:48:49
Agree with Rome. This squad is nowhere near.
I hardly know the past but comparing this team with some of the great names is hysterical.
Out of the current squad, I'd call Salah, VVD and Alisson as world class and can be compared.
Others are just starting and have a long way to go - Eki, Szobosz, Wirtz, fit Isak are next level and still need to prove over long term.
Don't want to next level.
07 Jan 2026 11:59:55
It's a great discussion between Reds of different generations, it seems. MK doesn't have to defend his views but he wants to. He started a new thread about it. If he doesn't want to continue it further, we can leave it and agree to disagree but it would be a shame.
I will agree that we did buy some attacking talent in the summer and it was reminiscent of the Barnes, Beardsley and Aldridge signings.
They all hit the ground running though and Isak, Wirtz and Ekitike have not. That is not just down to Slot.
Also, I watched Liverpool regularly in the 80s and Dalglish and Rush played nearly every game. They picked themselves but we also had back ups.
David Hodgson, Michael Robinson and Paul Walsh, for example.
They were never going to be first eleven but they were bought for decent sums as squad players.
Currently, I look at Salah, Isak, Ekitike, Wirtz, Gakpo, Chiesa, Ngumoha and Danns and how many will be available to start tomorrow and are in good form?
Drop one of the midfield and I would ask the same. The same also applies to one of the centre halves and both fullbacks.
The first eleven is far from great and the alternatives are just not there or not in form.
The summer window was huge and exciting but the reality is that we are weaker than last season. For now, at least.
07 Jan 2026 12:31:44
I think disagreement could easily be managed if you just clarify it's the best Liverpool squad in your lifetime as a fan and clarify you didn't see us during the past glory days.
07 Jan 2026 12:59:00
Agree with that, Rigsby.