10 Feb 2026 10:02:24
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Liverpool v Manchester City - A Quick Liverpool Perspective
10 Feb 2026 11:12:46
A sad but true read. From Champions to mid table fodder within a few months. Hard going.
10 Feb 2026 10:32:07
"This game was entirely predictable, it is rinse and repeat from Slot. Come out slowly, struggle badly in the first half, second half play much better and have the lion's share of possession and then score, only to sit back, invite them on and lose. "
Well, that just about covered it so not going to add anything mlore on that front. As for the game, it was a poor watch substantively from both teams. That City team is a shambles under Pep and had we just played them a lot smarter by playing in a block (a mid block) and pressed them as a team rather than a half press, we do them over completely, as the second half already showed even while not playing cohesively at times.
We gave them the game with the way we played overall (esp. with individual errors all over the team) and the way we setup, vs a team that would have gotten their bells rung by other City teams that we battered, btw back in the day.
Again, the manager and his decisions and tactics have done us in for the upteenth time this season. CL is becoming a mirage, at thi point.
10 Feb 2026 10:53:34
Good analysis of our team which seems to be full of demoralised players. Konate seems to be constantly auditioning for Strictly Come Dancing.
10 Feb 2026 10:57:28
Thanks Ed, reading that and actually seeing all the issues laid out bare is pretty damning.
It is just so bizarre that Slot sticks with the same players despite them obviously struggling. He consistently leaves subs until the last 5-10 minutes which is just odd.
I'm wondering whether Slots team negotiated a clause whereby he is allowed to travel home X times a season to Holland.
{Ed001's Note - I had to cut it short as well, there were so many things I wanted to really get off my chest but my parents are staying and they want to go out. They are not safe on their own, they can get lost in the building these days. I feel like I am looking after two toddlers!}
10 Feb 2026 11:05:06
Totally agree with that Ed1. One of the (many) things that irks me the most this season is watching players pulling out of 50/ 50 challenges. In a lot of those they are jumping out of the way to avoid contact.
It's embarrassing. There is no passion or fight in this team. We are getting bullied and out fought. The most fundamental expectation every player should have is to fight for every ball and run themselves into the ground.
{Ed001's Note - my biggest bugbear is players pulling out of tackles. I was particularly annoyed with Gravy as he did it at one point when he was 90/10 to win the ball. One the third City goal, though it was disallowed, watch him get out of the way of the initial ball through. He could have got in there and challenged, at least put his body in the way, but he bottles it and just stops short. Weak minded. Klopp would never have allowed that.}
10 Feb 2026 11:30:50
Klopp- "I love it when we read after the game that we ran more than the opponent", We need to stop inviting intensity and put it back on the other team, and it all begins with running and pressing.
10 Feb 2026 12:16:14
the lack of fitness all season has been terrible and it will get worse as Slot only trusts a handful of players,
The officials were awful i have to agree, what i couldn't understand was if he sent Dom off why didn't he give Haaland a second Yellow for pulling him after or does the first offence stop the second.
who knows we keep watching and hoping though.
10 Feb 2026 11:38:54
Ed001, we're weak all through midfield. On the whole our midfielders are a bunch of soft lads who shirk challenges and don't appear to have any defensive nous between them (Endo doesn't have the legs anymore, so he's exempt from that criticism).
Also doesn't help that Slot is clueless at organising that shower of rubbish either. We've never adequately replaced Fabinho and we're now reaping what we sowed.
10 Feb 2026 11:39:45
Cmon Ed. tell us how you really feel.
Im waiting patiently for the super fans to come at you with how this isn't Slots fault, the players are to blame, and he won us the league, and its not his team, and the sky is blue ( actually its red), and the sea is blue, (again its red) blah blah blah blah blah.
Popcorn is at the ready.
10 Feb 2026 12:09:25
Ed, correct me if I'm wrong here. Liverpool kept Rodgers and backed him by spending over £100m after finishing 6th and losing 6–1 to Stoke on the final day, all because he finished 2nd the previous season. The person responsible at the time, as DoF, was Edwards.
Granted, this time Hughes is the DoF, but Edwards still has the power to remove Slot if he wanted to, so him taking his sweet time with Slot, even after all the new, worse records and stats this season, is not uncommon at all. It's a red flag for me.
10 Feb 2026 12:11:41
Maybe it was just my interpretation Ed001 but in that first half where they literally man marking Semenyo at times during open play?
It seemed at times like both of them were following him around.
I remember thinking what is Kerkez doing so centrally and he was literally following semenyo with Gakpo covering in at left back during that particular City attack.
As I said - might have just been me!
{Ed001's Note - I thought there was a fair bit of man marking of Semenyo.}
10 Feb 2026 12:19:48
Thanks Ed001, a good read albeit depressing. I found myself with my eyebrows raised silently nodding along to that.
It's so strange seeing the change in results from last season. Part of me thinks if we had this seasons Salah and Gravenberch playing last season we would have seen similar results last season. Those 2 are like completely different players, their form is the polar opposite to last season.
I was interested in Slot's PC today. He talks about being better in both boxes. I think that's an oversimplification and massively ignores the most important "box" i. e. the middile of the field. I'm astonished if he can't see that and maybe that's part of his problem - he's ignoring the midfield.
I was also interested in Slot talking about never having lost 2 games in a row before and I wonder if this is a problem with inexperienced managers like Slot and indeed Alonso.
They haven't experienced the really difficult runs of form and what it takes to adapt and pull the team mentally out of that position.
Until a manager has experienced difficulties, we don't know how they'll manage them.
Slot has been found out on that score. He doesn't seem to have the strength of personality to turn around and galvanise team spirit, create that warrior mentality that Klopp and indeed Fergusson were so good at. I don't know if any of the names mentioned as replacements have been through those difficult times either.
I feel the exception is Iraola who has been through tough runs of form and loss of key players but has seemingly kept his squad out-performing expectations.
10 Feb 2026 12:28:40
Do you think the pulling out of tackles is down to it being a World Cup year? They're all afraid of an injury?
10 Feb 2026 12:34:13
A another Gripes aside from pulling out of challenges.
Aside from VVD, we seem to let the ball bounce a lot instead of attacking it with a header.
When I was at school that was always drilled into us as standard - NEVER let it bounce.
Baffles me how often I see that happening on high balls from goal kicks etc in midfield but also sometimes in our defence.
10 Feb 2026 12:48:17
Ron considering where Leverkusen were before Alonso took over he seems quite capable of pulling players out of a bad mental space. Slot seems to reinforce it though.
10 Feb 2026 12:56:58
We get it Ron you don't like Alonso.
10 Feb 2026 13:25:15
Good read, Ed, thanks.
I had a question about VVD. What is your opinion on him as a captain? I could be wrong, but I just don't see it with him, regardless of his class as a player.
{Ed001's Note - he did well last season but I am not a fan of him as captain. Too laidback.}
10 Feb 2026 13:37:24
I think Ron likes Iraola.
10 Feb 2026 13:46:36
Hilarious blaming Salah and Gravenberch for Slots tactics!
10 Feb 2026 13:51:02
Thanks Ed. You put into words all of my thoughts and frustrations. Tough times and difficult to see how we can get out of it with the current regime.
10 Feb 2026 15:01:28
At no point did I blame anybody for the form of Salah and Grav. I said their form is the polar opposite of last season. Now, take that how you wish, but basically at one end of the spectrum - Slot benefited from Salah and Grav being great last season and the reason we won the league but they can't carry the team forever. Or at the other end - Salah and Grav are the reason we're underperforming. I didn't say either.
At least interpret my posts with honesty. I'm not Arne Slot so having a go at me won't change anything.
I don't have any feelings towards Alonso the manager. He was a great player for a few years, he also went missing for at least one season. I don't like the way he turned us down when he was at Leverkusen. I don't like any player or manager that snubs my team, as far as I'm concerned they only get the chance to do that once. That was the attitude of all our great managers and the principles which made us winners.
As far as Iraola is concerned, he's a risk too, but I think he might be the least worst option. Anyone looking at our squad knows there is going to be many many changes ahead due to ageing and poor form.
Iraola knows the prem, he knows Hughes so he's obviously not phased by working with him, he has dealt with players coming and going, he has dealt with poor form and turned it around. He has a lot of reasons why the risk is reduced with him. But he's never had a chance at a big club and going from small club to huge club is a big jump. He has also not had to deal with big name players.
Whatever we do, there is no slam dunk success story out there waiting to join as our manager like Klopp was. It's a big job for whoever gets it.
10 Feb 2026 14:43:24
One of the best reviews you've written, 001! I can't add a word to it, and I was nodding away because all the issues you pointed out resonated with me, including the inconsistent refereeing on the day.
Tough times for us, but Slot is cheating us by being this half-arsed aboutbthis job running to the Netherlands every week while the house burns down.
It's so disrespectful to the Liverpool institution and unfortunately, Hughes and Edwards are too arrogant to hands up in the air and say we got it wrong. The owners are too aloof to take action. Until it pinches them in the pocket, they're going to let this foolishness continue to play out. It's very sad indeed.
10 Feb 2026 14:46:34
ED001, 2 things really bothered me from this game, well a few more but these 2 are my gripes, surely the manager must know we can't absorb any pressure for more than 10 mins bfr conceding a goal, yet he continually does it and the tackling, i said in a post after the match I was watching who actually tackles and it was only Kerkez, the rest try n block or as u you said bottle it, are they coached not to tackle or they scared of getting booked.
It's baffling.
{Ed001's Note - makes me angry mate. Nothing worse than seeing someone pull out of a tackle.}
10 Feb 2026 16:30:07
@Strom also, if you're not fit physically, you're not fit mentally. hence, you're going to get scared of getting injured hence, why you pull out of challenges. It's a mental thing, IMO.
10 Feb 2026 15:04:24
DirtyMic:
A new manager joining a club that's underperforming with fresh ideas is completely different from a current manager going through bad results and being able to turn that around.
It's about the message the players are hearing and whether they engage. Takes a strong personality to get it across when your results are bad.
10 Feb 2026 17:40:10
True oli, but there is some players who's job it is to get stuck in, namely the midfield n defenders, but the likes of grav trying to poke it instead of tackling does my head in esp in the position he plays, Kerkez n Endo are the only 2 who do it, n one doesn't play, VVD 6ft 5 built like a brick outhouse doesn't want to get his shirt dirty etc.
i'm old skool so tackling is a big part of football for me.
11 Feb 2026 10:38:00
For me, as well.