25 Jul 2026 14:23:56
We can't go out and buy another 7 players this season, because they will all want to play along with the others we have at the moment. The way to build a team without massive disruption to the team is to build it slowly, integrating the new players into a settled formation. Unfortunately, not all the best players are the hardest working players and Iraola wants hard working players.
I would suggest most of last season's injuries were a lack of physical training during the pre-season and during the season, hence our lack of pressing ability and distance covered.
Give the manager a chance to develop those players we have along with buying a limited number of quality players.
25 Jul 2026 15:02:40
Good post, mate. Our squad is far more suited to Iraola's high intensity approach than Slot's half-arsed impression of Tiki Taka.
25 Jul 2026 15:11:18
RB, CB, DM, LW, RW are needed. And if any other starter goes, they will need replacing.
Some of you seem to want to go backwards to go forwards, when we really should have been building from a position of strength when Klopp left.
Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards (part 2) era has been an absolute shocker. No two ways about it.
25 Jul 2026 15:13:08
Back the manager. Can't not replace the best player we've had since Steven Gerrard. Can't go into the season with Bradley & Frimpong as right backs. Can't pin the defence totally on 35-year-old VVD.
Just back the manager and fix the problems.
25 Jul 2026 15:26:19
Agree with Nunez and MK, however there will be pain in the form of injuries while that resilience is regained after Slot not carrying it through.
This was mentioned indirectly by Milner in a recent interview, in that Klopp's methods created a lot of hamstring issues to begin with, until the boys built that resilience up.
It doesn't happen in a pre season. I expect the same to happen again.
25 Jul 2026 15:42:47
Agree with Pelican, although I think we could probably get a centre back that plays right back and turn 2 signings into one.
25 Jul 2026 15:46:33
They are backing the manager, LFC8. We’ve not even kicked off in our first pre-season game and we’ve already spent £95m.
FPF, £540m spent since Klopp left. I’d argue they are trying very hard to build from a position of strength. Edwards and Hughes have many flaws, but they did give Slot the TOTY left back (Kerkez), the 2nd top scorer in the league (Isak), a player many consider to be a generational talent (Wirtz), a 2-time Bundesliga TOTY right back (Frimpong) and an £80m back up striker (Ekitke).
As much as they screwed up with the Guehi deal and probably wasted £30m on Mamardashvili off the back of one good Euro’s, they put a lot of money down on the table to strengthen the team whilst we were on top.
Iraola’s most important job is to coach the talented players he has inherited because we’ve not seen anything close to the best of those we signed last summer and they didn’t all become bad players overnight.
25 Jul 2026 15:53:35
FPF, did you say that when they bought Isak, Wirtz and Eketike?
25 Jul 2026 15:54:39
Red-Willis, I think we should go all in for Kounde. Excellent RB and a solid CB. Very similar to Jurrien Timber. Barcelona need money and he's allegedly someone they're willing to cash in on. They're desperate to keep hold of the likes of Cubarsi, Pedri, Yamal etc. They also really want Laporte but cannot afford him unless they raise funds.
25 Jul 2026 15:57:49
MK, I think you are right to a point in all the posts you've made since yesterday, but come on, we need at least one, if not two, top class attacking players with blistering pace, an experienced center back who can fill in at right back, and probably a midfielder. Frimpong, I like and I think he can still do good things for us, but he is not a right back in a back 4 and should not start there. As a back up for certain situations, fine.
Yes, they spent a lot of money last year, but as I have always maintained, that was only part of the rebuild, and the second half of that reconstruction is supposed to take place this window. I still feel confident we will get most of it done, but, given how we are all eternally online, the radio silence on the transfers end has everybody nervous (of course I'm not immune to that either).
25 Jul 2026 16:16:54
Kounde would be a very good signing. Arnau Martinez would be a good budget option to do the same.
25 Jul 2026 16:44:52
FloMusiala, ideally I'd like Barcola, Camara and Kounde. I think we will end up with Barcola and Wharton though. I'm not sure what will happen at RB/CB. We have a lot of young players on the tour who can do a job there whilst Bradley and Leoni recover, so I think we'll wait until later in the window to decide.
Iraola will get a good look at everyone on the fringes over the next couple of weeks. Ramsay, Ndiaye and Ndukwe might do enough to convince him. He likes working with younger players.
25 Jul 2026 16:51:40
Did we not buy the young lad from France back in January.
25 Jul 2026 16:54:30
We've spent £95 million this summer to replace players who left on free transfers. We've basically spent £95 million to stand still. You can twist things all you like, but we all have eyes. One fit right back who is really a wing back, one fit striker, a central defender coming off an ACL and a central defender who can't play three games without breaking down.
List all of the names you can think of, Chiesa, Endo, Gomez etc., but once the season starts fully, and fatigue and injuries kick in, we'll have Chiesa starting up front and Szoboszlai at right back, and we'll have to flog Jacquet into the ground because we have no alternative. Iraola may be a good coach but he's not a magician.
25 Jul 2026 17:50:06
Fifth Element, maybe Iraola will make use of some of the u21's that Slot completely ignored? Will Wright and Jayden Danns are both fit strikers as I see it, and Munoz who we've just signed can also play as a striker. As can Chiesa, as you said yourself. So Isak isn't the only fit striker, really. We actually have 5 with Ekitike to return in December.
On RB/CB we agree to at least some extent.
I'd sign Kounde to play RB and cover CB in case Jacquet or Leoni struggle. Iraola might fancy Ndiaye, Ndukwe or Ramsay though. We'll see.
I'm not twisting anything, I'm just pointing out the players we have available when people say we're down to the bare bones because of 3 injuries and 3 players leaving. We need to add quality, not quantity.
25 Jul 2026 17:09:43
Unless at least 3 quality players (centre back, midfielder and winger) are brought in this window, Iraola has been hung out to dry. A right back would be nice too. Unless those players come in, we won't make the Champions League next season. The board got away with not backing Slot in his first season because he still had the nucleus of Klopp's team.
That won't work if they try to do similar with Iraola. There are glaring gaps in the squad, and anyone listing 30+ players and saying we have depth, doesn't understand football.