Liverpool banter 5

10 Oct 2025 07:39:01
{Ed's Note - Thestigno1 has posted a new article entitled, If Steven Gerrard Returns To Rangers, Let's Finish What We Started

10 Oct 2025 09:15:19
If you think Gerrard will stay long term with Rangers you're delusional. He'll be out the gate quicker than Usain Bolt the minute a better offer comes along. And Brendan Rodgers the same.

10 Oct 2025 14:22:31
Stevie Me has shown his level, and Rangers is as good as its going to ever get for him - perhaps he will now realise this and stay there longer term.

10 Oct 2025 14:42:08
I don't understand the knocks Gerrard gets for his managerial career. He was extremely successful at Rangers, why would he not aspire to take a step up after what he achieved there.
It's not like he has come out and said he's the greatest manager ever, he tried improving and has realised where his level is at, hence why he is probably considering returning to Rangers.
God forbid people try to better themselves!

10 Oct 2025 19:12:16
Agree Stui Boy. Last manager to win the league with Rangers in some donkeys years!

10 Oct 2025 21:31:48
Totally agree Stuie - people do the same thing they do with players and speculate his thinking and then turn that into fact. “He thinks he’s bigger than he is”

When he went into management I’ve not detected that once.

10 Oct 2025 22:13:00
To be charitable, the SPL is average.

There are basically two teams who, relatively speaking compared to the rest of the league, can afford more and better players than the rest.

When was the last time a Scottish side won a European club competition? To save people looking it up it was Aberdeen in 1983, before that it was Rangers in 1972 and before that Celtic in 1967 and that’s your lot.

It’s a poor standard. Stevie, to be fair, won trophies which he was charged with doing by the club but it was in the ‘kiddies pool’. His attempts at swimming in the ‘big pool’ haven’t successful. Not a nice person, great footballer, average lower division manager. Just because someone is a great footballer doesn’t mean they will be a good manager - different job, different skills.

11 Oct 2025 00:47:13
He wasn't extremely successful at rangers in trophy terms, he won one league and no cups in 3 years. Admittedly, winning the league (and going unbeaten) was a great achievement, but he also left the squad full of highly paid players who were on the decline.

I've no doubt he'll get a tune out of the current rangers squad, it's a rival of Celtic's this season in my opinion, but clawing back a 12 point lead might be beyond him this season.

I think he suits rangers, and he's very unlikely to get sacked any time soon, unless he turns out worse than Russell Martin!

11 Oct 2025 09:34:22
I'd say winning the league unbeaten ranks as extremely successful based on the expectations of the board and fans at the time. I think people like to just give him stick for the sake of giving stick.
It's also interesting how many posters on this forum obviously know him personally to make such scathing character judgements!

11 Oct 2025 10:27:56
Who said they know him personally? One of my family knows him and has had (a fair while ago) a number of direct social interactions with him and has been in a number of social situations when Gerard has not out his best self forward. I’ve never met him but I have met my cousin and can vouch that they are a d3cent person without an axe to grind. Hence my observation on a Liverpool FC web site. You don’t have to take it as Gospel Stuie. Have you ever met him yourself or is your defence of him based on his being an exceptional footballer, which he undoubtedly was?

11 Oct 2025 13:51:48
One of his immediate family married into my non direct, so at weddings etc. Never seen issues, we've all heard the stories etc but it's just amusing that people criticise his management career, him personally etc with no real just cause.
I guess that's just modern life with the internet eh!

10 Oct 2025 01:15:15
Reality Check: What did everyone really expect at the start of this season, a flawless run of results and performances?

losing players (for various reasons), bringing in new players (also for various reasons, above) .

Some young lads from a different league, or a lesser pressured club. Some from a different culture having to find their feet so to speak.

Some getting to full fitness and still getting there.

It was never going to be perfect, started off ok tbf and now having a bit of a wobble, expected at some point imo, better its happening now and can be addressed early and worked on.

Bring on the next few fixtures and the chance to start putting things right again, players gelling, getting used to surroundings, getting used to the pressure cooker and getting full fitness, and back on track.

Fingers crossed!

YNWA.

10 Oct 2025 05:06:45
I don't think I really thought about what our results might be, but I expected it would take us much of the first half of season to iron out our chemistry on and off the pitch.

10 Oct 2025 05:35:32
PSG showed you can win this new formatted CL by starting slow and hitting peak late so o really fancy us to compete.

We’re very much in the PL title race but need to get back to winning ways to stay in that hunt.

10 Oct 2025 05:41:19
I have the same sentiments as Faith. When the season began, I was expecting us to be rocky initially as our new players are integrated but I did also expect the team to retain its efficiency in grinding out results. That was the cas win the earlier part of the season but the last three games have seen that part gone missing slightly.

10 Oct 2025 07:36:23
Most of the clubs in England added more than 3 players on an average. Football is a result oriented business. #JustSaying.

10 Oct 2025 09:04:04
And our results have been better than most clubs in England, Wirtz 007.

10 Oct 2025 09:23:38
What was the average number of players that clubs in England lost / let go @Wirtz 007, if we are doing meaningless statistics?

10 Oct 2025 09:29:02
most of the clubs don't have T*** headed supporters who expect perfection.

10 Oct 2025 09:32:48
Then you should be pretty happy Wirtz as we have the second best set of results in the league.

10 Oct 2025 10:08:31
This is being blown out of all proportion. We lost a couple of games in injury time, so what? Get over it.

JK is spot on. PSG looked awful in the first half of last season and ended the season as European Champions and everyone’s pick for the best team in the world.

We’ve got people saying we can’t play with Wirtz if we don’t have 2 DMs. PSG play with 3 ball playing midfield players and look damn good doing it. First half of the season they struggled for balance but they worked on it and got it right.

We will do the same.

Our squad is unbelievable. I can’t see a world where they don’t get it right and go on a mad run. It’s coming, just stop whinging and enjoy the show.

10 Oct 2025 15:22:15
The Jota impact should never be underestimated.

These guys are walking into work everyday and looking at his place in the training room/ changing room, knowing he will never be there again.

This is going to take a long time for some of the players to get over. Some may not ever truly get over it.

I think we are doing amazingly well, all things considered.

10 Oct 2025 21:33:37
I’m glad our club don’t just have black and white results-based lense.

09 Oct 2025 19:02:30
For a change of pace:

I keep an eye on the rangers banter page because my dad supports rangers and I like to get the banter with him. At the moment it's quite entertaining as they are hailing the potential return of Stevie G as a Messiah to fix the mess Russell Martin managed to create in about 4 months at the club.

So, what's people's opinions on Stevie G as a manager? Do you think he'll ever get to a high level? Is he perfect for a club like rangers where he's revered from his playing days and the league is a bit easier?

Find it quite interesting that he's recently openly said he's got some areas he's just not that good at coaching so he needs a diverse coaching team. You don't hear many coaches admitting that these days.

Would like to hear Ed's opinion too.

{Ed025's Note - a poor Scottish side or League 1 or 2 is where i put him as a manager RP, he tried his luck at Villa and was found out for what he is...an obnoxious chancer without charisma or motivational know how, a toxic character who i would not put in charge of making a jelly mate..just my opinion of course..

09 Oct 2025 20:01:39
Has anyone actually looked at Rangers recent history? 1 league title and 2 domestic cups in the last 15 years, in a supposedly 2 team league. Yes Gerrard failed at Villa but lots of managers fail in the Premier League, it's the hardest league in the world. Rangers have been a mess for over a decade and Gerrard brought them their only league title since 2011. He's probably never going to be a top quality manager but he can be successful in Scotland.

09 Oct 2025 20:09:09
He’ll do ok at Rangers if he goes back there. Big fish is a small pond comes to mind. It’s about his level. He tried to kick on after he left Rangers but his managerial career went no further.

09 Oct 2025 20:59:43
Ah now ed25 that no way to talk about the best player Merseyside has ever produced.

{Ed025's Note - i would describe him as a..talented arsehole myself Digger, horrible human being even though he could certainly play football mate..

09 Oct 2025 21:05:11
WDW was literally typing out how he was a big fish in a small pond then thought it'd be best to read the full thread. Glad I did as I would of looked insane if I just repeated you 😂 at least I can say I wholeheartedly agree with your point. Some managers just work with certain clubs and think Gerrard and rangers is one of those examples.

Up there he will feel like a big name manager but can't see him progressing much past the Scottish league.

09 Oct 2025 21:30:52
He's not a good manager. I don't know why.
But he's not a good manager.
Im happy to be wrong about him though.

09 Oct 2025 21:37:07
He did well at Rangers before. Can only be up from the fraud that is Russell Martin, surely he doesn't get another big job.

Good move for Stevie G I think.

09 Oct 2025 23:25:28
Why the hate on Gerrard eds25. Genuine question mate. ?

10 Oct 2025 00:34:44
He's always said that he is aware of where his strengths and weaknesses are in management and needing a strong team around him.

It's hard to say because like anything with coaches and/ or players it's so dependent on their own development, having the right opportunity and so forth.

I feel that he should have stayed at Rangers and finished the job there before ditching them for Villa.

10 Oct 2025 04:01:07
@Longthing, he thought that being a famous footballer meant that he was better than those he interacted with and was entitled to respect and privileges that he had come nowhere near earning. That’s one way off putting it. A family member who lived in Formby back in the day and was part of the social life at the time had a more colourful description. They described him as “an obnoxious, arrogant tw#t”.

10 Oct 2025 05:47:16
I did hear stories about Gerrard in the earlier part of his career too, about how he'd mix around with the wrong type of crowd and generally cause a ruckus around town. He did get into a fair bit of trouble too. I'm not from Liverpool so I can't confirm if this was true or not though.

There were also rumours about him being given too much power as a player at our club, and how certain players were isolated from the main group. Again, these are rumours so can't be substantiated by myself.

10 Oct 2025 06:33:47
Didn’t he leave Rangers with Millions of debt with the constant buying of players, if the money wasn’t spent he was going to walk, which he did anyway?

Honesty in his Rio chat or talk for the cameras?

We’re see I suppose.

10 Oct 2025 07:39:24
Who cares about what Evertonians think about Gerrard. By and far one of the greatest ever to play for LFC.

10 Oct 2025 08:22:24
Wouldn't those endearing qualities make him a perfect match for the Bloos Ed?

10 Oct 2025 09:26:10
Were you a big fan of El Hadj Diouf or Suarez @Wirtz?

10 Oct 2025 10:24:51
He’s a by product of football today unfortunately.

If you treat these guys like kings from an early age and give them everything their heart desires they generally grow up to be obnoxious, spoilt brats who believe the Universe revolves around them.

We literally worship these guys like they are gods and then wonder why they might have a slightly warped view on reality and an elevated opinion of themselves.

Gerrard was the best player I’ve ever seen in a Liverpool shirt but he lacks the humility and humanity to be a great manager.

10 Oct 2025 11:06:46
Couldn’t agree more Robbo.

10 Oct 2025 12:36:52
@Robbo, I don’t ‘literally worship’ football players. Which one do you pray to before you go to sleep?

10 Oct 2025 13:52:11
So all this hate comes from second hand information about a young man in his early 20’s who apparently didn’t know how to handle the money and adulation? That’s some pedestal you lads sit on.

10 Oct 2025 18:46:07
I know the Gerrard family n some of his friends . a lot of the stories about him are made up but a few are true . he was a young man who got instantly famous in his hometown . some people don't like attention all the time n he quite reserved anyway . as for him with a bad crowd . we all know people who like that, its not like he's from somewheresuper posh . but no one can ever say he wasnt in the top 5 players to play for Liverpool n give hos all in each game . I don't get the slandering of him myself.

09 Oct 2025 13:50:36
The Greek Scouser seems to be doing well on loan at Roma, So far this season, he’s regularly featured for them. And with Roma second in the table at the moment and only conceding two goals so far shows how solid their defensive line actually is. Wonder will he be back up next season for us in place of Robbo?

09 Oct 2025 14:08:09
I do hope not, Mcgov.

09 Oct 2025 14:12:08
As much as I love Robbo, I’d have preferred to keep Tsimikas. Robbo’s influence in the dressing room is invaluable, but that alone doesn’t win games. I’m not Tsimikas’ biggest fan, but I do think he’d have been the better backup option between the two.

09 Oct 2025 14:30:35
Tsimikas seemed like a good lad and was best mates with Salah.

But ability wise he would have caused more issues than fixed at left back this season.

09 Oct 2025 15:36:52
He never got over the winning pen against Chelsea, JK! I swear he never recovered from the euphoria.

09 Oct 2025 18:39:47
What for, to run the pensioners lottery, he will be in his thirties by then.

09 Oct 2025 20:13:32
Along with VVD and Mo @Mytton.

10 Oct 2025 00:35:25
imagine losing another leader in the team.
no thanks.

10 Oct 2025 02:52:02
Wdw . bit of a difference in Mo n VVD to the Greek scouser though.

10 Oct 2025 09:27:23
Yep, VVD and Mo are 3 or 4 years older 😉.

10 Oct 2025 18:46:55
And 3 or 4 times the player wdw.

10 Oct 2025 22:22:21
Totally agree @Strom.

My point was that writing off players for reaching the age of 30 iis ridiculous and based on what you (rightly) say about VVD and Mo suggests we agree on this one.

12 Oct 2025 01:30:22
Wdw . yea definitely agree on that one . I like the experienced player . helps the youngsters on n off the pitch.

09 Oct 2025 10:16:36
See egypt qualified for world cup, mo scored a couple.
Hopefully that gives him the wee boost he needs to recapture his form.

09 Oct 2025 10:57:46
Anyone know what position he played last night for Egypt? Wonder if he plays closer to goal for them than he does for us? Also appreciate that international football tends to be lower quality than the PL so the answer to those questions may tell us nothing 🤣.

09 Oct 2025 11:09:11
He could play any position against Djibouti mate.

09 Oct 2025 15:11:08
He probably does play closer to the goal Johnny because he’s their main man. He’s not the main man for us anymore and perhaps he’s having some trouble accepting that.

It’s like me and many others have said all along, if we sign a top centre forward who scores 20+ goals it won’t mean that we’ll score more goals as a team. It just means that Salah will score less goals. Mo has to accept that 10-15 goals this season is a decent return as long as he’s supporting Isak and Ekitike and helping them get 20+ goals. If he is trying to compete with them for top scorer then everyone will suffer.

Salah has shown last season he can be prolific in assists as well as goals. This season that’s what he needs to concentrate on.

09 Oct 2025 16:31:54
Is that Sheik Yerbouti! Sorry, Frank Zappa quote there 😁.

09 Oct 2025 20:22:51
Might do Mo the world of good. I think he needs to be in a positive frame of mind to be at his best - he suffered a couple of years back when Egypt lost in the AFCON final and then didn’t qualify for the Workd Cup. I think he took Diego’s tragic passing very much to heart and I think the shift in the squad with ‘big names’ and proper CFs has had an unsettling effect on him. Like I say, a couple of goals, qualification for the World Cup and the positive press from the game could be the best thing that’s happened to him in recent months. I genuinely hope so.

09 Oct 2025 21:41:48
Time too put mo Salah on the bench for us for a bit and give Chiesa a run of games too see what he can do for us opinions?

10 Oct 2025 05:31:55
Mo has had enough opportunities to get his obligatory stat pad goals :p.

09 Oct 2025 08:11:17
It's all very simple.

1) half of first team starters joined this summer

2) death of a team mate and friend

It is remarkable the results we have got under these circumstances. Things will gel but don't expect it to be overnight.

Their side is to achieve that and our side is to be positive and support the team to when it happens (likely months rather than years folks so keep patient) .

Personally I love the bumps along the journey as it makes things more interesting.

09 Oct 2025 09:43:35
Spot on, 1jj. It's a small miracle that we are where we are with all those things consider at this point. We just need to recaliberate things tactically, selection wise and do a better job of putting players in the best positions and situations to perform their best. If we do that, we will have a chance of gelling a lot quicker and go from there. That's my hope, at least.

09 Oct 2025 10:12:37
1jj good points but when we won the first 7 it didn’t seem to be an issue.

Surprised to hear earlier when we’ve scored first this season (7 times) we’ve won all 7. When we’ve conceded first (3 times) we’ve lost all 3.

09 Oct 2025 10:15:08
I hope you're right 1jj, but for me, they are two parts that will undoubtedly have an effect, but there is more to it.

I see a squad and team of players that are fantastic players, but not necessarily the right profiles to compliment each other. I also think going into the season with such a heavy reliance on a 34 year old CB and a 33 year old forward was perhaps not the best planning - unless of course the idea is for Frimpong to rotate with Salah (which it doesn't look like it is, thus far) .

09 Oct 2025 10:22:33
This sounds crazy but I think we are struggling for competition in certain areas, mainly the wings. Salah has literally no one to push him. Yes we signed frimpong but he did not impressed against Galatasaray and looks so lightweight. Then on the other side we have gone from Gakpo and Diaz to Gakpo and Rio a 16/ 17 year old boy who has played a few minutes here and there. This isn’t a dig at Rio by the way I like the lad. It’s just no competition for Gakpo who I think is very predictable.

09 Oct 2025 10:43:12
@TP, I guess you are one of the few posters referred by @Salamon who is posting the same thing over and over again 😁
You explained the same thing yesterday in another post. Though I agree with your opinion perhaps you should change your opinion and align with “lack of chemistry” and all you know lol 😂.

09 Oct 2025 12:42:44
Tbh, I would put hold up a mirror and maybe, just maybe, consider that the person was referring to you instead, Harry ;)

09 Oct 2025 13:46:46
Why are we heavily reliant on Salah TBB? We’ve just spent £300m on attacking talent who have been bought to take the reins from Salah. They haven’t even got started yet and you’re writing them off as ‘not the right profile’?

We tried to sign Guehi to take pressure off VVD but due to circumstances beyond our control it didn’t happen so we have to go with what we have until January. But what we have at CB just won a title so they can’t be that bad can they?

You’re in your own head too much TBB.

09 Oct 2025 14:45:12
OliRed, you say 'it's a small miracle we are here are' but a couple of days ago you told me that we are in 'pretty deep hole'.
Which is it?

09 Oct 2025 15:06:26
JK23 most would agree that we didn’t play that well and were slightly fortunate in those first 7 games hence I’d suggest we are ahead of sensible expectations. It will gel but will take longer than some are expecting.

09 Oct 2025 15:45:41
When we beat Bournemouth Salah was crying after the game. Of course it's affecting the players and everyone said it would in July but now we are in October some people think footballers are just robots and it shouldn't affect them anymore.

09 Oct 2025 16:30:02
Robbo - we may have signed £300m of attacking talent, but not one attacking player in our squad other than Salah is left footed. So if we're not going to play with someone cutting in (like Salah does) and change style, who exactly is going to play there? Chiesa is clearly not fancied and it doesn't look like it's going to be Frimpong from what I've seen, other than in an emergency. None of Isak, Ekitike or Wirtz play on the right either.

Some might say leaving the Guehi signing until the final day isn't the best planning.

We are short in both central defence and right wing.

09 Oct 2025 16:39:25
Sorry, no specs on.
OliRed, you say 'its a small miracle we are where we are' but then you tell me, a couple of days ago, that we are in 'pretty deep hole'.
Which is it?

09 Oct 2025 18:21:38
Wirtz007, you are definitely one of the main culprets! But then you are a city fan….

09 Oct 2025 20:29:33
Great original post @1jj and @TB2. It seems to be easy to forget that football players are actually just ordinary people, who have to do everyday things and who experience everyday ups and downs and emotions.

09 Oct 2025 21:02:06
Agreed 1jj.

10 Oct 2025 02:23:04
Not really related at all but i'm kind of curious why rigsby and jk23 dislike Oli so much, it's a little bit distracting haha.

10 Oct 2025 05:31:08
Not really sure why my comments would be a distraction to you Patrik.

But hey ho.

10 Oct 2025 07:51:33
PB, I find OliRed's posts condescending, hypocritical and some other things but I can't think of the words to describe them.
Maybe I shouldn't react as I do and as often as I do but it is the banter page. We're not all going to get on and we can take the pee out of each other, imo. It may not always come across well on the internet and in a face-to-face situation the way you say something or a facial expression can show that it's not really dislike for a person.
I've no dislike for anyone because I don't know them well enough.
And I don't want to be on Oli's ignore list.

10 Oct 2025 09:56:47
Okay lads, just wondering whether there was some longstanding vendetta that went back years and years, maybe I'm the only one who's as curious as I am.

10 Oct 2025 11:59:05
Nah, Oli gets on my nerves but that's my problem not his.
I think I've insulted every Liverpool player that I've ever watched, at some point, but it doesn't mean that I don't like them or don't want them to succeed.
I actually enjoy JK and Oli's exchanges (even if it is just Oli saying I'm not talking to JK) but my sense of humour is too close to the bone, at times.

10 Oct 2025 12:39:52
@PB, I can categorically state, without doubt, that there are a lot of curious people on this forum.