24 Feb 2026 09:49:25
Morning Ed001,
As we draw closer to the end of the season, do you think Rio should start a few more games, all be it he is still young and needs to be managed?
Cheers
Drogie.
{Ed001's Note - not really, he has not done enough to deserve a start.}
24 Feb 2026 10:53:18
I kind of agree, but I feel like he should be used more than 15 minutes here and there. He was impactful against Forest. See how he is given 30.
24 Feb 2026 11:10:05
I'd love nothing more than Rio getting more game time if he's shown enough, but apart from a few good cameos, I've not seen anything to suggest he is ready. Yes, he loves a step over, but defenders know what he is going to do, so it's easy to defend.
It's the defensive work and hard graft that I need to see before I'd say he is ready. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Gakpo is playing great at the min. I just wouldn't start Rio before Gakpo. Some more mins each game would be good for the kid.
24 Feb 2026 11:09:37
Ridiculous he should be starting over Gakpo without a doubt. Maybe this is why you were never a manager hey Ed01 you seem as clueless as Slot lad.
24 Feb 2026 11:45:50
Hope I'm wrong, but I see a similar player to Doak, imo.
24 Feb 2026 12:21:32
I keep saying that Rio is not ready to start, but everyone seems to disagree. He has potential, but, for me, has a lot of development to be considered a Liverpool-calibre player. I know the only way to get that development is through game time, but the boy is still just a kid and needs time and should not be thrown in with all those unfair expectations.
He is clearly still growing, and that needs to be taken into consideration, too.
24 Feb 2026 12:22:05
He's already shown he's got far better end product than Doak, Fatwallet. He's a great prospect, but he's a kid. I just feel that the only reason people want Rio to start is born from annoyance at Gakpo starting, which emanates from the fact that he's Dutch and therefore perceived as Slot's love child, which in turn gives people another opportunity to criticise Slot for starting him.
It's pretty obvious, actually. Gakpo isn't playing well, but neither is anyone else, and throwing a 17-year-old kid to the Wolves is not the answer.
24 Feb 2026 12:23:32
I would start Rio over Salah or Gakpo currently.
24 Feb 2026 12:25:49
Could have done with Doak this season. I liked Doak. I think Rio might be a bit cooler, though, when he gets in good positions.
24 Feb 2026 11:56:21
Calling Ed01, clueless, Lucas R? .I await his right to reply.
{Ed001's Note - there is little point Rome, have you not read his posts? He is just a troll trying to provoke a reaction.}
24 Feb 2026 12:16:14
Ed01, has he really been given a fighting chance, tho? I don't think so.
24 Feb 2026 13:21:37
Personally, I'd like to see him get a start against West Ham. With Gakpo + Salah well out of form most of the time, I don't see it as a big gamble.
24 Feb 2026 13:21:56
Ed01, Ed025 and I questioned his support for Suarez's behaviour last week, saying he'd do the same.
{Ed001's Note - yeah, exactly, something not right with him.}
24 Feb 2026 13:21:30
Lucas stop being disrespectful you absolute spanner. If there is one thing for certain it's this - Ed1 knows more than you'll ever know about football so zip it you tool.
24 Feb 2026 13:26:57
Sad ed as the man he's taken his name from was an absolute gentleman. Not sure about on the field but off it Lucas Radebe was an excellent human being.
{Ed001's Note - fantastic player as well mate. I would have loved him for us.}
24 Feb 2026 13:43:35
Is there anyone on here that's been a PL manager? Seems like an idiotic statement to me. ?♂️
24 Feb 2026 13:41:57
I'm surprised Lucas hasn't been banned yet to be honest. Some of his posts the other day were clearly designed to stir up racism and hatred.
24 Feb 2026 14:20:17
Kid has bags of potential. He looks infinitely more dangerous than Gakpo every time he steps on the pitch. I look forward to seeing him develop next year. No idea why you'd think that he might get a few starts now.
The season is nearly over, we're still scrapping for 4th, and Slot's hardly going to start benching his golden boy at such a critical point in the season.
24 Feb 2026 14:20:32
On the subject of young Rio. He should be getting 10/15 min cameos most games, but I don't think he should be starting games. As poor as Gakpo is, he still got a decent scoring record, but when he plays as badly as Sunday, Rio should be on, but he still has a lot to learn.
24 Feb 2026 13:55:20
Ed001 I don't think Rio is ready yet too but can he be any worse than Gakpo at the minute.
I find Gakpo to be so predictable and he might get away with it if he moved a bit faster but he just seems to slow down every attack we have when he gets the ball.
I would have said put Wirtz there play Sobs in the number10 but feel he is needed more in the number 8 role.
Or maybe if Mac is going to be played he could move to the 10 role but seems a lot of messing around with players but someone needs to change after Sundays performance.
{Ed001's Note - and what makes you think that Ngumoha is any less predictable? Waving his foot over the ball and then running at them until he loses it is no better. They both need to be receiving the ball earlier so they can go at a defender 1 on 1, but we are not playing the ball forward quickly enough. Nothing would change if Rio was there, just people moaning that he is not good enough or too predictable.}
24 Feb 2026 14:14:02
May I request a player profile then ed? I was a bit young when he was playing but I think he's one of the few South Africans that did well in the Premier League.
He did a lot of work for hospice here in SA after his wife passed. Still see him on tv doing ads and the like, always has a huge smile on his face.
{Ed001's Note - yes mate, added to the list.}
24 Feb 2026 14:57:27
The Irish Rover, hey mate, I managed Liverpool in the PL for many a year. I won it so many times, and also won the CL a few times. Easy. Loved by all the fans and players. Great night's sleep, that I'll tell you.
24 Feb 2026 15:05:46
I don't think it matters who or who isn't playing. We play too slow, get it to the forwards quicker, not pitty patty across the back 4. Every time we have played quickly we have looked infinitely better.
24 Feb 2026 15:41:28
Rio excites fans. He should be getting more minutes.
24 Feb 2026 16:06:37
I actually managed Rushden & Diamonds in the Premier League back in 2006. My front three was Ronaldo, Messi, and Clayton. We must've averaged 5 goals a game on the highest difficulty setting as well. I just wish Clayton hadn't been a faceless regen.
24 Feb 2026 16:26:04
Radebe was an excellent cb. We don't seem to get many players in the Premier League from South Africa these days.
24 Feb 2026 16:49:33
Interesting one, Rio is. He has skill, but as pointed out by others, he is not ready. Yamal at Barca was deemed not ready, but injuries forced the hand and he had to play.
He is being developed through his playing time. Can we not do the same with Rio? More minutes will surely speed up his development, without the need to run him into the ground.
24 Feb 2026 16:56:20
I'd like us to try him starting against West Ham, though; we can't do any worse than Gakpo at present. Start him, and at least it's a learning experience for him.
24 Feb 2026 16:57:13
Hi, Rome. I must have missed that re: supporting Suarez. What was that about, mate?
24 Feb 2026 15:03:29
"Maybe this is why you were never a manager hey Ed01 you seem as clueless as Slot lad."
Wait, who is this guy?
24 Feb 2026 17:58:52
I would actually start Rio against West Ham because Salah and Gakpo are just not playing well enough right now to justify a start. It feels like being 2 men down most of the time. I'd like to see Ekitike up top, with Rio on the right wing and Wirtz on the left wing.
Then I'd play Mac Allister as the ten, with Gravenberch in midfield next to Szoboszlai. Gomez at right back, Kerkez at left back, and Konate and Virgil at centre back. Obviously, Calvin Ramsay in goal. ?
24 Feb 2026 17:58:58
I may be in the minority here, but I'd prefer Gakpo rather than Rio. If the system was better, Gakpo would be better. I think Gakpo is a really good player. Currently a bit one-dimensional, agreed, but he's big, strong, quick, a great striker of the ball.
Rio isn't a Liverpool first-team player yet, if ever. Quick football would probably suit him better too, I would suspect. Again, just my opinion. I was looking forward to Ed01's reply though. From behind the couch!!. ??
24 Feb 2026 18:16:12
Cantremember, basically, Lucas said he would have done exactly the same as Suarez did when on the pitch. Therefore condoning the biting of another player and racially abusing another.
24 Feb 2026 18:32:46
I don't think Gakpo or Salah are playing well enough to start. Rio is still too soon to start for me. I'd play Hugo, with Wirtz off him, and all four midfielders. We need to tighten up in the centre of the pitch, and the front 2 work really well together. Just my opinion.
24 Feb 2026 18:34:37
Thanks, Rome. Jesus, what a troll.