Liverpool banter 5

05 May 2026 08:33:47
The biggest issues we have faced this season is having a fully fit RB, a pathetically soft middle and no depth on the the wings.
For me a starting quality RB and RW is the two biggest signings along with a top hard as nails centre mid. All must have good injury records, and to football intelligence.

05 May 2026 09:03:30
Midfield isn't going to be sorted anytime soon. Our only purported target is Adam Wharton, who is as far away from a defensive midfielder as it gets. And, if Slot is still here, we're just going to carry on with his baffling midfield set up which offers absolutely no protection to the defence.

05 May 2026 09:17:14
Sadly, VV, we have had this baffling midfield setup since Fabinho left, and, to be fair, before he arrived.

Prior to Fabinho, our last solid DCM was Mascherano.

Not sure what has happened to the Gravenberch of last season, who showed so much promise.

05 May 2026 09:38:04
Didn't Klopp deploy Endo as a DM in his first season and he did really well.

05 May 2026 09:38:10
Keegan, is that the biggest issue? I don't think so. We have so many problems, it's absolutely frightening when you decide to start looking closely.

imo, there is a whole list of "biggest issues" with this team this season that we would need a poll to decide where they rank.

05 May 2026 09:51:26
The biggest issue we have this season is having a manager/head coach who isn't as committed as he should be. That leads to many of the problems we see on the pitch, such as players lacking fitness and players not playing to their strengths.



In terms of personnel, however, we do need an RW and a CM as a priority. Then I'd start looking at RB and LW. LB would be lower, since we do have Tsimikas and a few youngsters who can cover for Kerkez when need be.

05 May 2026 09:54:32
Grav, this season has been told to score more goals and now he is neither a 6 or an 8. I would tell him to focus on being a 6, and work on his defensive understanding of the game.

{Ed001's Note - told by his dad, not even by Slot, that is the embarrassing thing that Slot has just accommodated this.}

05 May 2026 10:01:34
Keegan, Slot refuses to play Endo, he rather run Grav into the ground without rotation & play him even when he is not performing.

05 May 2026 10:17:44
ED01 I read earlier in the season that Grav had said he asked to play further forward and Slot agreed. But your saying Gravs dad told him to to do this and Slot agreed??? that's just another ridiculous thing to add to a season full of amazing mistakes. Please just GO.

{Ed001's Note - Gravy's dad told him he should score more goals, so Gravy asked Slot and Slot is stupid enough to agree. It is idiotic.}

05 May 2026 10:44:36
The biggest issue is Slot.

You know how I know?

These same midfielders won the title last season.

05 May 2026 10:59:35
That's the biggest gripe I have with Slot. Grav was brilliant last season in the 6 and I saw the interview when he said his Dad wanted him to score more goals and I thought surely Slot hasn't let his dad dictate his son's position??

That in itself is enough to support Slot's sacking.

That and this insistence on taking off a defender for an attacker and moving Szob to right back when we are chasing a game.

It's only ever weakened us, yet he does it time and time again.

It seems so simple to correct these issues, I find it hard to believe that Slot and his Miriam of staff don't firstly see it and secondly make the changes.

Bizarre.

05 May 2026 11:19:03
In general, the rise of inverted fullback has meant less of a need for classic destroyers in the game. Perhaps those that were destined to be DMs found their new opportunities as inverted fullbacks and even ball playing CBs.

05 May 2026 11:39:36
After all, I have just read, I am now defo certain that we need a pool to determine who our biggest problem is this season.

05 May 2026 12:10:35
I've no issue with Grav shooting more, but still as a 6. Love a good long range effort and it's in his locker. But he shouldn't be actively looking to get in goalscoring positions, and should be looking to bring in others, and if a chance for a screamer comes along, then fair enough, but sit and maintain discipline, please.

05 May 2026 12:56:20
If it's true about Grav's father, then all 3 are idiotic. How each of them can't see how good he was as the 6 last season is beyond me. The buck stops with Arne, though. Of the few things we had to tinker with last summer (the end of the Trent/Robbo combo, replacing the CF's), DM was one position where we were golden.

The other two should have been told to duck off by the manager.

05 May 2026 14:03:07
Every father would want the son to score more goals. Nothing wrong with that; the father can try to pull whatever he wants, since most Dads do. What is very wrong is a coach who doesn't have the backbone or testicular fortitude to push back when something does not benefit, or is in the interest of the team.

05 May 2026 14:07:28
Poll, not pool.

05 May 2026 15:09:38
If Grav won't play as a deep No 6, then bring someone in who can, simple. Grav really did protect the back four when we won the league.
Why change something so successful, crazy.

05 May 2026 17:11:22
Grav seems to struggle to keep possession in tighter spaces further forward... Anyone think we should return to the "boring" 3-man midfield shield a la Fab/Gini/Hendo?

Wirtz as the Bobby then Isak/Ekitike narrow either side with fb providing the width with a better mf shield.

05 May 2026 07:39:01
{Ed's Note - Eddie74 has posted a new article entitled, What Liverpool Need to Restore Their Standards

04 May 2026 23:37:46
If Slot was to leave do we not think it would be announced to give him a send off? Seems he will be staying to me.


If he stays then I question why he wasn’t backed him January if I’m right in saying we were interested in Guehi and Semenyo at the time.



I thought we pulled out of both deals due to the uncertainty of the manager's future.

Don’t know if anyone has info on why we didn’t support him when it was evident we needed to strengthen CB and buy a winger.

05 May 2026 00:05:25
Bobcat, of all the Slot in / out narrative, that is the best question I've read!

My gut is that there is no easy way to skin a cat, and whatever happens may not follow a smooth or linear timeline.

05 May 2026 00:36:23
No. Absolutely not. He's only been here 2 years. He won a league but he's no club legend. In fact, I can think of many players who were great servants of the club and got little or no send off at all.

Qualifying for the Champions League is a thousand times more important than giving Arne some sort of long goodbye. Announcing he's leaving prior to the end of the season could rock the boat and ruin our chances.

05 May 2026 04:15:11
Chewy, I can't recall all the great servants who didn't get some kind of farewell. But, if the opportunity is there, why would we go out of our way to walk that bitter path and not give him a farewell?

Are you / we really below common respect and decency?

05 May 2026 05:31:51
Have you read the personal abuse of Slot on here, Faithinworks? Respect and decency disappeared with the advent of anonymous online opinions.

05 May 2026 06:10:02
Slot is a head coach. We should have a football philosophy and player profile that we stick to regardless of coach. If we have opportunities to make signings that fit this criteria, it should be done regardless of who the coach is. At least that is how it should work in principle. Both Semenyo and Guehi would have improved this team, but maybe the club had turned to Jacquet and we're saving cash for that business! Also, both of them are in their prime years and maybe would have expected higher wages.

I do recall our wage bill being too high, so it may not be as simple as not trusting Slot.

{Ed001's Note - neither were expecting large wages. That was not the issue.}

05 May 2026 06:27:19
I don't like how he chooses to play the game ...

But, for me, he deserves a send off ... which is why I think it will be announced as late as possible ...

and probably trying to work out how to do it so Salah and Robbo get theirs too ...

Just got last home game vibes to me ... Think CL will be wrapped up this w.end.

05 May 2026 06:44:23
I'd hope he gets a send off personally. It's absolutely fine for him to go, but he still helped bring us one of our best moments, and I'm sure he's a decent bloke.

05 May 2026 06:56:45
If posters choose to tarnish everyone with the same brush, and then get offended by comments, then that's a them problem.

Liverpool have hundreds of millions of fans. What a handful say on an internet platform doesn't translate to everyone including the match days fans.



If Slot had a final match farewell, then the opinion of people bashing their keyboards wouldn't come into it. It would be inside the stadium.

05 May 2026 07:18:35
Why give him a send off? He won the league, yes, but he has shown zero affiliation or interest in Liverpool as a whole.

05 May 2026 07:30:28
Incompetence of Edwards and Hughes is your answer.

05 May 2026 07:31:06
When he is gone, it's time to have a party.

05 May 2026 08:48:24
Only our second manager to win a League title in 30 odd years? I'm just glad most fans won't think like Chewy 😏. He deserves a decent send off, if he goes. 🤣🥴

05 May 2026 10:04:53
It is just the proper thing to do. That's all.

05 May 2026 10:15:27
I'll give him a send off. nice pair of clogs, same ones he's had our players training in all season. Honestly, the guy has totally refused to buy into the club, the city and respect the senior players who have achieved so much for this club and people think he deserves a send off. I give up, in one season he's completely destroyed the culture that Klopp took nearly a decade to nurture. I sit just below the press box, I'll give him a nice send off at the Brentford game (no doubt after another snore fest).

sod off Slot, that do you gentlemen? Or how about "thanks for the mammories" (Slot's head with a raspberry on it) 🙄 apols Ed I'm just sick of the Slot sympathisers, he's brought this on himself, won the league and turned arrogant and disrespectful to the LFC philosophy. Been watching us 51 years and I'm not having him full stop.

05 May 2026 11:20:50
Give him the tunnel of death old playground send off.

05 May 2026 11:44:22
There's a fair difference in being a "Slot sympathiser" and having a bit of decency, Dougie.

05 May 2026 12:45:07
Lol - then what are we bothering doing here then Jk?

Darwins - it's a sad reality.

05 May 2026 13:48:17
Faithinworks, Re-read my original comment, mate, the answer is written right there.

05 May 2026 14:12:16
For God's sake, give the man his farewell send-off, if it's decided that he's leaving before the season is over. It's a little thing, but says so much about the club; some class and YNWA, and all that.

05 May 2026 14:59:37
ArAy1969, as many on here have said, the club will wait until the end of the season to make an official decision. Why would we give him a send off before that decision is made? Even if it was decided he'll be going, the club has made extensive efforts to quiet the noise amongst the fanbase in regard to rumours of him leaving in an effort to rally behind Slot and the team in the fight for Champions League qualification.

Why would they undo all that effort and potentially jeopardise our position for the sake of Arne getting a round of applause? Makes zero sense. As you said, it's a little thing, CL qualification is huge. One massively outweighs the other.

05 May 2026 15:17:18
💯 ArAy.

05 May 2026 16:02:45
Chewy, I clearly said "If it's decided that he's leaving before the season is over".

04 May 2026 23:11:58
I’m likely wrong but I think I remember an itk poster or a potential itk poster a month or so back suggesting slot was gone but there was a concerted effort from the club to the media to suggest slot would be staying - despite the certainty that he would leave.

Sounds like the club got its way. Could have been a dream. I’ve been known to do that.

05 May 2026 00:42:31
Hi, sorry. No, you are right. Carra specifically said that Slot was gone and there would be a lot of reports coming out to the contrary between now and the end of the season. Now, he has said other things since then, but I like to think this is still accurate.

05 May 2026 00:53:16
I'm not going mad!!! Thanks, Westwood. I seriously doubted myself there.

05 May 2026 09:40:26
Yeah, Westwood. Carra did say all of that. We're gonna have to see what happens.

04 May 2026 21:57:12
Fair play to Everton- passion energy, hunting every ball, closing everything down. Football can be exciting! Well done ed25. You should be a proud blue tonight- deserved more than a draw. Pity it's handed that prick arteta the title

{Ed025's Note - i cant fault the effort JB, but you cant defend like we did those last 10 minutes and not expect things like that to happen mate..

04 May 2026 22:46:58
Yous should have been 4 or 5-1 up. Totally switched off for Haaland's goal. The ref did add on a lot of extra extra time tho for that Doku goal.

{Ed025's Note - we bottled it in the end Flidby but should have had a penalty when Bernado wrestled Rohl in the area mate..

05 May 2026 04:39:27
Good to see Everton win. Draw for City feels like a win.

Not sure why everyone is on Arteta and Arsenal to lose. If its tactical cheating, he learnt it from Pep.

Fernandiniho's cynical fouls as soon as they lose ball and no ref ever gave foul.

He has just taken it to new level.

I am happy for Ed25. Just that his fav player had stopped one of the goals, it would have been great.

{Ed025's Note - he never had much chance Sami they were 3 very good strikes mate, our defending for the last 2 was a bottle job though and shows we still have a lot of work to do..

05 May 2026 09:43:24
Everton could have blown City away with a 4/5 goal drubbing had Iliman Ndiaye known where the goal was, 8 yards out. He seemed to choke in the last moments cos he is young and inexperienced.

That being said, Everton did very well, but they aren't in these situations that often vs a big team, and holding such results till the end.

A sheer lack of experience in these moments cost them more than anything, imo.

05 May 2026 09:47:03
iirc, there was a game Fernandinho committed 12 or 13 fouls before his first booking. MOTD highlighted it. It was shocking how much he got away with, and those were the ones given.

04 May 2026 21:52:18
Hi Eds Iraola is doing a brilliant job at Bournemouth is he involved in the player signings or does it come from a sporting director. Many thanks

{Ed001's Note - he doesn't have, nor does he want, any real involvement in transfers.}

04 May 2026 23:00:04
Then that surely proves his skill at adapting the players he is given into a cohesive unit instead of blaming everything except themselves for poor performance. Iraola has dealt with multiple cogs of his team being sold every window, yet still manages to get them to perform.

My only reservation is him having not done it at a big club before, and the reports his family are unsettled in UK and want to return much like our current....erm....person lol.

04 May 2026 23:37:36
I can only hope the stars are aligning secretly in the background and Iraola becomes our man.

What he has achieved at Bournemouth is simply incredible, and he has exactly the humble yet passionate personality to match Liverpool.

He pretty much builds something that looks like it's going to kick on and then it gets torn down and he builds again. His whole side was ripped apart before the season, and worse during the season, and he is still challenging for European spots.

Honestly, whoever picks him up will be going places, and whoever doesn't this summer will have missed a very big opportunity.

I think he is a perfect fit with us. We can't stick with Slot. We simply can't. It's over, and prolonging the relationship will be absolutely toxic next season. It already is, to be honest. He is done. Just leave already, please, if you happen to read this.

05 May 2026 00:30:26
Whatever the model is, there needs to be cohesion between management, coaching, recruitment etc etc.

The environment is key for any coach and player to thrive.

05 May 2026 00:38:43
Sounds like the perfect man for Edwards, so I'm surprised we haven't really been linked.

05 May 2026 00:46:50
Iraola has done some fantastic work with Bournemouth and I think it has been understated how difficult his job has been. Almost his entire back five were sold in the summer, and he lost his best player in January. But yet his team is still up there as one of the most in form teams currently. I'd love to have him at our club to see what he can do.

My only concern, other than his family, is that he does not have any experience managing egos.

Adapting is fine for up and coming players who are looking to make a name for themselves, but I feel it is more difficult to get top players to do that, as they are more stubborn and want to play a singular way even if they can be better playing in another way. It would be interesting to see what he can do at a bigger club and whether he can adapt to the pressures that come with it.

04 May 2026 23:10:04
Ed, then he should be perfect for Edwards and Hughes who want no part of the mabager having input in transfers, no?

{Ed001's Note - yeah, they want a coach not a manager.}

04 May 2026 21:11:06
Eds been meaning to ask all year but why do you think we have signed two full backs who prefer overlapping, which in theory would suit both gakpo and salah who like to cut in. But instead mainly Kerkez but Bradley also when he was fit underlapping being on the inside the majority of the time?

{Ed001's Note - because Slot doesn't understand how to use them.}

04 May 2026 21:42:46
Not many of us are tactical visionaries and could see it made no sense you'd hope he would. Guess he is too married to what he wants from positions instead of adapting to what's at his disposal which he was being applauded for at the start of last season.

04 May 2026 21:44:19
Very worrying that Slot doesn't understand this, it is pretty obvious you don't need to have a Pep Guardiola football IQ to work that one out... Jesus, Slot is clueless. Makes me wonder how much say/tactical involvement Heitinga had.

04 May 2026 21:59:34
If I remember correctly, a fair few implied he was a bigger influence on Slot and the team than what you'd think. Another bizarre decision, if it's true that higher-ups blocked his return middle of this season.

04 May 2026 22:31:49
Marc Guehi was the biggest transfer bullet dodge ever. 🤡 Single handedly lost them the UCL, lost them the league.

04 May 2026 23:13:01
Guehi is a good CB and very good on the ball. But to go from there and make him some type of saviour like many were making him out to be, just tells you how far we have fallen with the likes of Konate having the dreadful season he is having.

05 May 2026 06:25:36
Oh Oli, one contentious game doesn't make Guehi a bad player. He's been elite all season, let's not forget that.

05 May 2026 00:31:35
ed1 - you made a comment earlier in the season that the transfer strategy was to enable Slot to play the way he did at Feyenoord.

Surely these two flying fullbacks don't fit that strategy if that was the case?

{Ed001's Note - I don't know mate, that was all I was told. It doesn't seem to fit, but then Slot doesn't seem to have any intention of playing that way anyway. I am guessing they were just looking to swap wingers and full-back roles around, with wingers drifting inside while full-backs got forward to provide the cut-backs.}

05 May 2026 09:50:14
@Frode, if you read must post, I credited Guehi for his actual qualities as a CB, hence, nowhere did I say he was a bad player or that one game should bury him. I don't think that way. Give me a bit of credit, lol.

What I said was that, tho, Guehi is a good CB, good passer and can defend, he is not this saviour that people made him out to be. I have said this plenty in the past, as well.



Now, Guehi may look elite cos Konate is having a dreadful season, which I understand. But for me, he is nowhere near being elite. Never has been.

We've seen elite CB's before, man. Guehi ain't one of them. In fact, it is more of a scathing indictment of how much of a shambles we have been at the back than anything else.

05 May 2026 12:48:31
ed1 - it does seem odd. I have seen the inverted fullback system in patches throughout the season. Often I've just felt like it's needed time to develop so that there is better synergy and interchanging between the fullbacks and wingers. at time it looks like they're starting each other waiting for something to happen haha

In any case, I can see inverted fullbacks working with Kerkez and Frimpong but it will need time for them to get more accustomed to it.

Injuries, poor form etc and probably the reduced training time we keep hearing about have probably impacted on that development though aye

{Ed001's Note - inverted full backs never works. Even Pep gave up on it as impossible to maintain as a system. It is idiotic. It comes from people trying to be too clever for their own good and not understanding basics.}

06 May 2026 12:16:59
ed1 - I wonder if the term 'inverted Fullback' is a bit of a red herring. All I am saying, and saying in terms of Slot has inverted his fullbacks is that in the attacking third they play inside the winger. then when the winger goes narrow, they go wide. I'm not thinking of inverted like how Trent played pretty much as a CDM.

I do see the potential as it provides flexibility with their movements. They just have to do the moving! But the other challenge is for the type of fullbacks we brought in and who we already had, they're naturally wide attacking fullbacks.

So if the intention was to bring players in that Suit Slot's style, but Slot's style is to use his fullbacks narrow and inside the winger, then we've kinda fumbled the ball from the start ye?

Anyways, I just want the recruitment, coaching and management to be aligned. It feels like they are not

04 May 2026 21:06:35
Hi Ed001

Is it fair to say that Edwards and Hughes are also part of the issue?

And maybe the best solution is for all 3 to leave together. Bring in a new manager and sporting director that share the same vision and philosophy.

Then let them build this team together.

{Ed001's Note - yes.}

04 May 2026 22:13:08
Well said, Ash10. We might as well deal with all 3 at once, rather than doing it individually.

Who is in charge of the football operation on behalf of FSG?

04 May 2026 21:55:52
Your pick for S.D Ed001 if you please and why. We already know your managerial preferences

{Ed001's Note - I think I would probably look at someone like Rangnick if it was up to me.}

04 May 2026 23:08:11
I would go for a DOF who is either the person they worked with before or similar, e.g. if Alonso comes in, hire his DOF from Leverkusen or someone with similar stylistic tactics/set up, as they could work towards a similar goal.



No point hiring someone with a different view of philosophy than coach/manager as, like we have already seen, buying players that don't fit the system.

04 May 2026 23:14:20
Ash, if I had any or the final say in this, I would simply ask all 3 bozos to clean out their desks at 9 AM the day after the season ends, period.

05 May 2026 00:32:21
They need to be in sync. Whoever it is. It's like thinking Alonso would be a dream match with Real Madrid and then it quickly falls apart as he isn't aligned with the players, the management isn't aligned with him and so forth.

04 May 2026 20:57:38
Just watching the Everton v Citeh game, Beto caught Khusanov a lil bit late, nothing major, n the theatrical Swan Lake dive afterwards was embarrassing, Rudolph Nureyev would have been proud of that move. I think the only way to cut this out is to embarrass them by giving an hour segment on Sky Sports etc to show what cheating baskets they all are.

04 May 2026 22:22:35
The only way to stop it, Strom, is retrospective action and start banning players for games if guilty of diving, etc?

Shame that process wasn't already in place this season, really. McAllister would've only played about 10 games for us.

04 May 2026 23:49:10
BR ..The cowards who run our league wouldn't have the balls to do it (they should though), but if they get shamed on TV then it's a start, McAllister could easily get a Golden Globe for some of his acting.

05 May 2026 09:51:27
Strom, don't get me started on Macca and his pathetic play-acting. It's just too painful.