Liverpool banter 8

29 Jan 2026 13:02:45
Hi Ed 1, i've not posted in probably 5 years but on here daily, great site you've created and continue to feed the LFC addiction many of us struggle with (it is a struggle at the moment! ). I wanted to ask your opinion on a hypothetical question on Alonso if you have the time.

If he were to get the job in the near future, do you think fitness would be his main priority to start with? Would we see big improvements in the players ability to actually last a full 90 and once again be one of the fittest teams in the prem? Also what type of style do you think we'd see from the team, would it be closer to Klopp's press press press fast style? Thanks!

{Ed001's Note - the style of play he favours is the high octane, high press, so he would have to work on fitness to enable the team to play it. Interestingly enough, one of Klopp's assistants, I can't remember whether it was Krawietz or Buvac, said that doing it can also save players' legs, as they are doing less running back towards their own goal each time the ball is turned over. But Alonso's problems at Madrid stemmed from his insistence the players worked hard on their fitness in training. The poor dears couldn't handle the work required. Half a million a week and you won't even try!}

29 Jan 2026 14:33:44
Thanks Ed for the reply! Crazy to think the players were asked to run a bit for 500k! I'd like to think the Liverpool squad has a lot better character to it than that of Madrid. Should help that Wirtz and Frimpong are so familiar with Alonso, especially Frimpong who seems as though he is a big personality within the team.

{Ed001's Note - you only have to look at Salah, Wirtz and Szoboszlai to know that we have players who are not averse to putting in hard work. Though people will now start chuntering about how Salah wasn't tracking back, completely ignoring that it was on instruction from Slot that he wasn't tracking back!}

29 Jan 2026 14:38:01
To be fair Alonso did actually manage to get the Real players to run and press harder, there is an excellent video from Adam Cleary on just this very subject. If he can get that team to press high and work harder, he can do it anywhere.

29 Jan 2026 14:44:22
Even amongst the highly uneducated of us, surely fitness is one of the first things and easiest things to sort out. Most fans will forgive an under performing team as long as they're putting the effort in. Let's not wait until the back end of the season and hope every one else tires.

29 Jan 2026 15:31:33
Funnily enough, florent Perez (spelling) of Real Madrid, if true has been on the phone personally to the Real Madrid players after Alonso was sacked and told them they must start working Harder and trying more on the pitch.

29 Jan 2026 15:47:15
Ed, that as prolly Kornmayer who said this. Just a guess. Cos he was with Bayern when they played high octain footie and won the treble in 12/ 13 and then, he came to us in the summer of 2016.

{Ed001's Note - it was either Buvac or Krawietz. I just can't remember which. It was one of Klopp's assistants that he brought with him.}

29 Jan 2026 17:19:29
Ed I recently saw a snippet of an interview with Oxlade-Chamberlain and in it he was saying how tough training was when he first joined LFC.
That he was exhausted from training but once his body had accustomed to the rigours of it, that even walking onto the pitch he and the team felt in such peak fitness that the felt unbeatable.


That they could outrun and press any team for 90 minutes.

{Ed001's Note - yeah, I have no idea why we have allowed that to go. I know the fitness coaches used to have the argument with Klopp over it, claiming it was too much, but surely even they are not stupid enough to not have realised the benefits it brings??}

29 Jan 2026 17:41:39
The funny thing is ED01 - we hardly had any injuries back then. Played with a limited rotating squad Mane/ Bobby/ Mo hardly ever got rotated with Hendo/ Gini/ Milly/ OX held midfield before Fabs came in.

I can almost understand from a fitness coaching perspective that 3 games a week with the same players + heavy cardio sessions could be a concern but, on paper and before our injuries, we have plenty cover to rotate.

{Ed001's Note - they always come out with this nonsense about over training, but it has always been the case that those who train harder are likely to get less injuries. I have never understood why they can't understand that you have to push them harder to make the games easier.

The concern I can understand is that of it being difficult to reach peak performance in game after game, from a physical perspective. But you can aim at mini peaks for each game, by aiming training and recovery around hitting peak at each game. Most of the season, when playing so often, you are only really doing recovery and light sessions anyway, as the games give the fitness levels.}

29 Jan 2026 17:44:08
Specially now several years on Ed with
Even more science and reaserch now in regards to recovery and the human body. Surely they can find the perfect balance!

{Ed001's Note - I think there is too much specialisation and not enough exploration of how it works in other sports etc. It does not help that most studies are sponsored by companies that are interested in reaching a conclusion that helps them sell a particular product range. That is why for years we had all these studies claiming we had to have low fat food for our health, even though there was no independent studies that reached that conclusion. I remember when I was doing a sports science course through Liverpool, and I was determined to find independent studies. I only managed to find one, that was done in apartheid era South Africa on endurance athletes. They found that low fat food lowered endurance and slowed recovery time. That was completely contrary to the other studies and when I tried to quote it in my answers to a test, I was failed as it was not considered an acceptable study, even though it was the only independent one I could find. So there might well be an issue with the way these coaches are being taught, if they are not being given full freedom to learn from independent studies.}

29 Jan 2026 19:15:21
When it comes to the science, it's just like synergy between DOG and the head coach. If you want to play a certain way, in line with the coach, then bring in sports science guys who can help prepare your team to play that way.

29 Jan 2026 19:33:47
oops, meant to be DOF not DOG lol

another thought as was thinking on the other side of the coin is what feels like Slot's propensity to not use the wider squad.

{Ed025's Note - i think you were right first time Faith.. :)

29 Jan 2026 20:20:10
ed25 - lol, I'm sure everything Liverpool-related bar the Champions League feels more like DOG at the minute :)

{Ed025's Note - it really does Faith.. :)

29 Jan 2026 13:00:50
Isak is the finished article Hugo is not buying Isak was the right thing to do we needed a top class goal scorer and Isak fitted everything we wanted . Hugo has took off and looks a very good prospect but you can see things in his game that needs to be worked on so it was not a bad move signing Isak and when fully fit he will show his worth.

YNWA.

29 Jan 2026 13:07:37
The question is, will Isak ever be fully fit?

29 Jan 2026 13:09:06
Many people are very quick to forget just how good Isak is, when he's fit and under a new manager we'll be laughing. Ekitike is looking really good, but he has from the off. It'll be good to see them both on the same pitch.

29 Jan 2026 13:42:36
Before a ball was kicked I just assumed we'd have Hugo and Isak upfront together and Wirtz in the 10 behind them. (Especially when we didn't replace the direct-speed we lost in Diaz, Nunez and Jota)

Then we'd have Gakpo, Chiesa, Rio and obviously Salah to rotate with the 2 forwards.

Personally I actually hoped we'd help Salah change his game into a Muller type player in his latter years. His legs have gone Yes, he Can't play on the wing.

But his eye for goal and certainly his passing is still top top level. Just a personal wish I had to try prolong his Liverpool career coz I love the bloke, he's an absolute legend. I believe he could, he's good enough, just lost that Yard of pace you need out wide in a 433.

29 Jan 2026 14:41:56
Only 3 of our squad played more league minutes than Isak last season. But they won't mention that as it doesn't suit their narrative that he's always injured.

29 Jan 2026 14:56:29
I will rather take the opinion of Alan Shearer on Isak, who has called him a "world class" player with an "assassins" finish cos he wasn't a slouch himself as a striker. I love Ekitike and I'm so happy we beat the Toons to his signature but I'm hoping we can replicate what Dino Toppmöller did with him and Marmoush at EF.

Imagine getting Isak and Eki up top firing. Tasty.

29 Jan 2026 15:56:13
That's thing, @Salah. The "Out of sight? Out of mind" phrase comes into play here, IMO. Isak is top class, end of. That is not a debate and was never a debate thru out his time at Newcastle. I NEVER saw any poster on here say that Isak was not a good finisher or missed too many chances or any of that mess. Not one. There is nobody I read on here who looked at Isak all thru his time at Newcastle and said, "Nope, I don't want that guy" so let's not do this.

Isak guy is ice cold and has near every type of finish in his locker, IMO. Him being injured and not being fully fit to perform does not remove from any of that, IMO. I do not see the reason to tear down Isak in a bid to big up Editike. It's just insane this type of rhetoric, as if we can't have both and one has to go.

Ekitike is awesome and will only grow from strength to strength esp. if we continue to get good players like Wirtz around him. Isak is top class and the only thing he has to do is prove it at LFC. He has nothing else to prove on the goalscoring front/ his ability to put chances away. Absolutely nothing, IMO.

29 Jan 2026 18:59:15
OliRed, I for one definitely said I don't want Isak and still struggle to figure out how he contributes to our team.

He's a good finisher, but he has never had work ethic to contribute to a high pressing team. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt so far that he hasn't been fully fit for us (somehow after months of training and playing before getting injured), but so far he's just jogged around for us, didn't take up good positions or make good runs. The number of touches he managed per game for us was terrible, but maybe it was fitness?

The problem I have with the hype around Isak is that he's, in total, had two good seasons with Newcastle in an era of football where no 9 target men are not popular. So maybe he's one of the best no 9 in the game, but that's currently a low bar, and I still don't think he suits modern pressing teams. The concern is that he requires a team built around him to thrive.

I'm hoping he can adapt to be able to contribute to our team (once we get back to high energy and pressing after Slot goes), but I'm not sure he will, and I'm afraid his best role for us will be a way too expensive impact sub who can come on and make a difference against a stubborn low block.

29 Jan 2026 19:19:41
I was saying Isak was uneccessary.

But at the time, I like many others were probably getting carried away with what felt like an embarrassment of riches we were collecting whilst on top.

Now, I definitely think his purchase has been a waste of money.

Not denying his talent at all. But the idea that it's good to have him while Hugo gets up to speed makes sense to me if it's at around £35-50mil range for an experienced striker.

Not a PL record transfer fee that we will want a return on investment in terms of G/ A. How are Ekitike and Isak ever supposed to return on that level of production?

29 Jan 2026 11:55:50
Just a question for the boys who go to the games. I have a few lads from Liverpool working for me. They always have said the fans at the ground are different to the online mob. I immigrated 10 years ago to New Zealand and when i was a season ticket holder, i agreed what you see online is different to the ground.

So does the ground reflect the frustration on Slot as much as we see online currently? (Eds and Reds)

29 Jan 2026 12:10:00
I'm a terrible fan online and in the ground 😂

Last night was ok to be honest mate, Liverpool fans just want the team trying their absolute best and actually going to win every Game, they'll respond to that positively every game.

I feel like this seasons failures have come down to 3 reasons.

• playing boring slow negative football
• formation that doesn't suit our squad
• not replacing the players we lost in summer

And slot will lose his job because he's refusing to change anything to fix us.

29 Jan 2026 12:49:15
It's like the chicken and the egg.

It's the crowds job to get the players up with their cheering and then the players jobs to enthuse the crowd with their play.

It's not been great from an atmosphere or viewing spectacle this season if im honest.

29 Jan 2026 13:02:30
Same as LFC8 I'm never happy at the ground, online or watching us on tv however last night I just laughed with those around me at how crap Gakpo and Macca are. Their no 9 rinsed Macca that much that at HT we had to switch Dom onto him.

Gakpo, don't get me started. I met MK Scouser after the match and I reiterated my view… Slot will die on that Gakpo hill.

29 Jan 2026 13:09:30
Not replacing the players we lost in the summer LFC8?

Nunez - Isak
Jota - Ekitike
Diaz - Wirtz
Trent - Frimpong
Tsimikas - Kerkez
Kelleher - Marma
Quansah - Leoni

We quite literally replaced all of the players we lost in the summer. In fact any business we did was to replace players we lost.

Added to that, other than Frimpong every single one of them was an upgrade on what we had before.

Elliott and Doak weren't needed as we have Chiesa and Rio and both wanted more playing time which they wouldn't have got a Liverpool.

29 Jan 2026 13:47:15
I agree also fitness is a massive thing, i think a lot of the injuries are because they just aren't fit enough.

29 Jan 2026 13:57:21
I am a longstanding season ticket holder and go to most games. I'm in the Kop with my son. I have noticed a definite shift in support for Slot since the bad run started an throughout the season after the first 5 games. I think the crowd have been quiet and there have definitely been frustrations and unhappiness with the performances, teams picked, tactics and substitutions. Above all else the play has been really slow and at times this definitely affects the atmosphere. Up to a few weeks ago there was some chanting for Slot but that has stopped.
The main problem as I see it is the performances have not been anywhere near to the standard we've recently been used to and there seems to be a disconnect between Slot and the crowd. He appears to lack passion and personality. The rest of his bench also seem too quiet and spend most of their time looking at ipads instead of communicating with the players.


Under the circumstances I do think that the crowd have been supportive of Slot. However we need more from him and his team. The ground is idefinitely quieter than previously. He and the team have to give us something to feed off.
I don't see a way back for him because he doesn't seem fully engaged with either the team, the crowd or the city. Its a shame because of what he achieved last year but regardless of that I think there's been so little to get excited about this season. Last night was a good performance against a bang average team. Even having said that I thought it was not an electric atmosphere like a lot of other European nights at Anfield have been
You also pick up a lot of chatter to and from the ground and in the pubs.
I think he's done and regardless of what the big dog joinos say I can't see him surviving many more bad games. Just my opinion though.

{Ed025's Note - good post that mate..

29 Jan 2026 13:58:58
Most of us that go, are more reserved tbh.

29 Jan 2026 15:53:27
I think the away fans are more loyal in a way, they always support the team, always hear them singing. I don't go many away games now but some of my younger family n friends do go most weeks, at home the atmosphere is definitely not the same as a few years back.

29 Jan 2026 18:19:34
Dundee. I don't mean numbers. In my opinion we lost too much direct speed.

We didn't replace Jota, Diaz and Nunez. We are a different team now. We're MUCH slower and we don't have the speed, nor the creativity to play this 4/ 3/ 3

Add to the fact the manager doesn't really use Chiesa or Rio. We basically didn't replace what we lost like for like.

29 Jan 2026 20:45:35
What was it Nunez did that we haven't replaced? Serious question.

29 Jan 2026 10:38:50
Peterborough chairman claiming he was offered Rhys Williams on loan despite how low we are in CBs

Very bizarrw.

29 Jan 2026 11:19:47
There is no way that Williams will get a game for us again. He has been surpassed in the youth ranks too. Its best for him to move on and try to forge a career elsewhere. Hopefully he does well.

29 Jan 2026 11:50:08
I would sooner play mamardashvili at CB.

29 Jan 2026 12:50:12
Apparently during pre season fitness Rhys Williams raced a parked car and lost.

29 Jan 2026 12:54:40
Me too, Ernest. You obviously rate Williams as highly as me!

29 Jan 2026 12:56:03
Rhys went to Morecambe last season, which is a long way down from the prem. Good luck to him if he moves on.

29 Jan 2026 14:21:41
LFC1312 - If you're going to play Rhys Williams at CB in 2026, you might as well put me there. How on earth Williams is still at the club 5 years after his last passable performance is truly beyond me.
Just how much money was he offered as a reward for 2021?

{Ed001's Note - that is reason enough that Edwards should have never been allowed near a return.}

29 Jan 2026 15:24:24
I'd rather have Nallo even with his kamikaze {apologies to Endo} slide tackles that could have got him sent off for the third time in succession last night but fortunately he missed the opposition player entirely.

29 Jan 2026 10:24:22
Great result last night hopefully we reproduce it v Newcastle. Sounds like a mess behind the scenes. Hopefully Alonso is strong enough to boot out the trouble makers. jurgen was a great authoritarian. He was the boss full stop.

29 Jan 2026 13:34:31
You sound like Alonso is a done deal.

29 Jan 2026 10:16:02
Thanks Carra. A very interesting appointment. Gerrard as assistant?

29 Jan 2026 10:53:39
Thiago.

29 Jan 2026 13:19:34
Gerrard cannot be anywhere near the squad, it will be like have Roy Evans and Gerard Houllier at the helm. An utter disaster.

Dream team would surely be Alonso, with Hyppia as defensive coach and Fowler as coach to the strikers.

Wanted to put Puyol down (to put some fire in their bellies) but he turned down Barcelona when they offered him Sporting Director role, so we have no chance.

29 Jan 2026 09:00:21
Day by day ekitike makes isak look like a 150m mistake.
Cant believe hughes got taken for a ride by the toons.

When he gets fit its going to be so frustrating for one of them.

29 Jan 2026 09:33:26
Why is that Cafu? Isak signed for 6 years and he will score bundles of goals the guy is class.

Ekitike has done well but he's no Isak. Yet.

29 Jan 2026 09:36:43
I genuinely can't wait to see them play together.

29 Jan 2026 09:40:24
First of all he was 120 million 😅 2nd of all he is class and Will prove it in time. Ekitike played 90% on the LW when Marmoush was at Frankfurt and I can't see why they can't play together (Ekitike and Isak) Imagine Ekitike instead of Gakpo on the LW with his skill and unpredictability. 🤌.

29 Jan 2026 09:46:45
I just don't see this.

Gakpo is struggling on the LW, Ngumoha is a great talent but nowhere near ready yet and putting Wirtz out there is a massive waste.

Ekitike on the left and Isak through the middle makes an awful lot of sense when Isak returns (and is properly fit). Isak is an exceptional striker who has been unlucky with injuries.

There's also the possibility of playing both of them up top with Wirtz in behind and the width coming from the wing backs or either of them drifting wide.

Isak and Ekitike were not bought just for this season, they are here for when Salah moves on and probably Gakpo too.

This is especially true if Alonso comes in as he has shown that his preferred formation is a back 5 with wing backs bombing on, 2 holding midfielders and a fluid front 3.

Apart from being short on centre backs and probably a holding mid (although Nyoni/ McConnell and a couple of other youth players could grow into this role, shame about Bajcetic! ), we are pretty much ideally set up to play this way.

Frimpong and Kerkez providing the width from fullback, and Wirtz sitting behind Isak and Ekitike with all 3 of them working together.

It's only taken half a season for Wirtz and Ekitike to build up a great partnership. Give Isak a pre-season with both of them and I am genuinely excited about our team next season.

I know "next season" isn't what the focus should be immediately, given where we are, but I can see the right Manager absolutely flying with this set of players, and a couple of additions.

29 Jan 2026 10:07:03
Cafu, that narrative does not hold any water cos one is injured for the rest of the season while the other is fit and playing and improving.

Also if we had to pick btw Isak and Ekitike based on their records before hand, a large majority would have picked Isak over Ekitike without question so again, the comparison is completely false.

And finally if you want to take shots at Hughes, there is a lot of material to work with. This ain't one of him. Give the man some credit for getting both deals done. Just my opinion.

29 Jan 2026 10:10:08
That's the spirit - big up one of our in-form players by crapping on one of our injured ones. People's opinions are what they are, but they absolutely stink sometimes.
There is one party responsible for Isak's situation at Liverpool: Arne Slot and his useless fitness coaches.

Had Isak been managed professionally, he'd be our undisputed 9 as we speak. Instead, he's out for the season with a broken leg. Ekitike is very good, but he's not Isak yet.

29 Jan 2026 10:18:30
Fully agree RedDawn. We need centre halves, a holding midfielder and then this squad is built for wingbacks and a fluid front 3.

29 Jan 2026 11:55:36
I've no issue whatsoever with our firepower and their potential- we needed a player like Ekitike who's been hugely impressive and Isak is best in class when he's fit and on it.
My concerns for this season haven't changed but if the crucial positions that need strengthening are addressed then this team could well be outstanding next season.

29 Jan 2026 13:00:19
Agree with Bristol and others on this. We needed some firepower, we bought it, next step is resolving the other gaps in the squad.

Ekitike has done well, it's nice to have him. Although Isaks injuries were always a risk there's no doubt he's quality when he's in full flight.

29 Jan 2026 13:39:24
I'm sure Isak will get back to his best. A full recovery and pre-season, him and Hugo will be unstoppable next season.

29 Jan 2026 16:00:52
"That's the spirit - big up one of our in-form players by crapping on one of our injured ones. "

LoweLFC, I have never unserstood this nonsense esp. coming out of a fanbase who keep complaining that we don't have enuff boss players. And when we actually do, some have to tear down some to big up others.

Same happened btw Salah and Mane with the "Who would you keep" foolishness back then. As if we can't keep both.

29 Jan 2026 17:13:11
Oh we will have a problem when both are fit. You guys are too positive and romantics.
The chemistry wirtz and ekitike have isn't just built like that and takes time (half a season).

Also isak cost us 150m usd its right there on transfermarket.

29 Jan 2026 07:56:19
Eddie Howe - would he have been considered and how 'possible' would it be - current contract situation etc?

{Ed001's Note - not a chance. Not good enough and is an Everton fan. Why would anyone want him? He can't organise a defence.}

29 Jan 2026 09:54:00
Scraping the bottom of the barrel there, Pompey.

29 Jan 2026 10:07:21
Howe? No way.

29 Jan 2026 09:04:17
I hope your above comments don't come back to haunt us on Saturday night Ed001 :- (.

{Ed001's Note - it is not relevant to how poorly Slot has us playing. Howe doesn't need to organise a defence as Slot has no clue how to play attacking football unless the team provides open invitations, like last night.}

29 Jan 2026 09:42:02
Crazy that he's am Everton fan ed, how does that even happen? 😅.

{Ed001's Note - dropped on his head as a baby.}

29 Jan 2026 10:34:35
He would no doubt drag fake tan Tindall with him, hard pass for me.

29 Jan 2026 16:02:07
EM, that alone is enuff for me to be Howe Oufrom the off, lol. That Tindall guy is as insufferable as they come.

29 Jan 2026 07:51:29
Wishing Lenny Dalglish all the best with the hangover 😵

Enjoyed your posts Lenny boy, clearly loves the club and I think we all sympathise with your vibe of 'wtf is the plan'?

{Ed001's Note - I was trying to edit the posts after waking up for a pee, they are very difficult to decipher when half asleep! Fun though.}

29 Jan 2026 07:26:18
Juve / Brugge/ Galatasaray / At. Madrid

We will play one of these sides in the CL Last 16

Cant complain with that.

29 Jan 2026 07:53:50
No easy games now JLC, hopefully we carry on our love affair with the CL a little longer….

29 Jan 2026 07:57:15
At Madrid will turn us over. We are a weak side when up against brute force.

29 Jan 2026 08:17:46
The same Athletico we beat in Sept you mean. Some people can't see the trees for bile.

I know our season has been a shocker but come on.

29 Jan 2026 08:39:36
We were fantastic against atleti, somehow managed to concede two dumb goals all the same though. If we defend decently well we should get through comfortably if that is indeed who we end up facing.

29 Jan 2026 09:41:10
I wouldn't like to play against Atletico because they are physical, and while we beat them in september, we had better momentum then. Additionally, in that game we made mistakes, as Patrik pointed out, which are mistakes that we haven't solved this season.

I don't care about the old saying that there are no easy games in the champions league. I do not think that is true because teams will always have better matchups than others and for us Atletico is NOT a good matchup at all compared to other 3 (even if Galatasaray already beat us earlier).

29 Jan 2026 09:45:40
By dumb goals I don't mean that we defended badly, they were very flukey goals, unlike a lot that we have conceded since then.

29 Jan 2026 09:56:58
Same Ath Madrid that just got turned over by Bodo/ Glint?

29 Jan 2026 10:07:35
An inform Liverpool team would beat any of these teams. Under normal circumstances it's a good draw, so there can be no excuses. Unless it's Gala and there fans start whistling 😳.

29 Jan 2026 10:10:33
JLC, Brugge at their ground are a very formidable team esp. in CL games. I live in Belgium and watch them play esp. in the CL and they are not to be messed with. Many a team have struggled there, for real.

Away from home? That is a separate issue. Regardless, any of these opponents will be very tough.

29 Jan 2026 10:18:41
Preference would be Brugge or Gala and then Juve and Athletico as the last one.

2 leg knockout football is a different kettle of fish to the 36 team league format.

29 Jan 2026 07:39:01
{Ed's Note - thefutureisoldgold3 has posted a new article entitled, Planning for the Championship: Wolves' Financial Rebuild

29 Jan 2026 00:05:36
Hey Ed001 what your intial assessment on palindrome aka Ekitike as we enter the second half of the season. I remember in the summer you mentioned you liked the look of him but he was a bit too raw? He has blown expectations out of the water for me as he looks like everything you would want in a modern centre forward.

The scary part is he can get even better at certain parts of his game, e. g., in the air, he should be a lot better for his height, and his finishing can be improved on for sure. He and Wirtz clearly are getting on the same wavelength, and those two should have the team built around them. Isak is looking like an expensive buy right now.

{Ed001's Note - it is the same as when I watched footage on him from last season, the more I see, the more I like! He has the talent, the work rate and the understanding with Wirtz, plus he is physically excellent, strong, fast and tall. He looks like he could go on to be a better version of Isak to be honest. Just needs to work on his finishing, which is good but not good enough, and heading, like you said.}

29 Jan 2026 06:02:47
I'm not sure how its going to work out with Isak, his purchase is looking like a huge mistake.

29 Jan 2026 06:17:01
Whoever is responsible for signing Isak should be first out of the door. Ridiculous and decision making, as well as an irresponsible use of finances.

If I didn't know any better I would be suspicious of money laundering. That's how bad it looks. We really have to stop signing players with known poor injury records, when will we learn?

29 Jan 2026 06:22:59
I think it's a bit harsh to right Isak off after just 9 league and CL starts so far.

On Ekitike the lads had a excellent first season so far.

29 Jan 2026 06:29:52
Alvarez for Isak anyone.

29 Jan 2026 06:59:07
Bit unfair saying Isak is a waste of money, he is an absolutely elite number 9 and actually has slightly different qualities to Ekitike. He is probably the best 9 in the world in the box, both Isak and Ekitike are great at linking up the play with the wings and the midfielders, Isak is the better finisher, Ekitike is probably more comfortable dropping deep or out wide.

Next year Isak will be back to his best, assuming that we actually involve him more in the play, the only problem is that by that time Ekitike might have already gone up another level to stake a claim as a truly world class forward, this season he is on track for 15+ goals in the league.

29 Jan 2026 07:12:29
A bit harsh on Isak I feel. We needed a Striker on top of Ekitike and we went and got the best one available, albeit at a premium. The issue with the purchase is he was unfit since he missed preseason and got injured when he was building up match fitness.

29 Jan 2026 07:35:30
I know the start he made wasn't ideal, but I wouldn't write Isak off whatsoever. Lad scored goals for fun the past 3 years in the premier league and no doubt when he gets back for us will do exactly the same, one of the best instinctive finishers the league has seen in a long time.

29 Jan 2026 07:37:30
We were all clamouring for Isak a bit easy in hindsight. I still have faith Isaac will come good the problem for me is both he and Hugo are too similar in how they play the game.

29 Jan 2026 07:45:47
Personally I like Isak I actually thought before the injury in the Spurs game he was actually putting the work in and looking like the player we bought. You cannot doubt his talent but his attitude maybe you can.

29 Jan 2026 07:55:46
Isak scored a great striker's goal and in the act of scoring was tackled awkwardly and broke a bone. I wouldn't write him off just yet and actually saw yesterday something that said he might be back next month (which is only a couple of days away).

Isak is one of the best strikers in Europe and we are now talking about Hugo having the potential to be better - I'm lost as to where the problem is?

29 Jan 2026 08:17:10
Isak may come right, maybe not. But him and Ekitike thrive in the same position.
I think it is highly unlikely that we see the best of both players in their time at the club unless one of the adapts to playing say primarily off the LW.
Isak was a luxury spend and I really don't think that is controversial to say.

29 Jan 2026 08:30:27
Can't remember many being upset when we signed isak?
Ekitike can come in from the left so can't see why both can't play together.

{Ed001's Note - they can also play one up, one off easily enough.}

29 Jan 2026 08:42:36
Ekitike played with marmoush in a front 2 and was devastating for Frankfurt, he could easily play off isak. I suspect next season we will see something quite different from the 4-3-3 we are used to, we've already seen the two of them look okay together in a 4-2-2-2, regardless of what manager is here I'm sure it's something they'd consider given the squad we have.

29 Jan 2026 08:44:03
Isak is a cracking striker, can't believe people are writing him off - hi, Ekitike and Wirtz will be brilliant for us I think going forward.

29 Jan 2026 09:02:29
I'm sure the club will take into accounts your concerns on luxury spends Faith.

29 Jan 2026 09:21:45
Where would Wirtz play if Isak and Ekitike both play.

29 Jan 2026 09:45:09
Because people want another reason to criticise the club Bill.

Isak has been here 5 months was unfit when he arrived and had 2 muscle injuries before a bad tackle broke his leg so he's hardly played.

How are people writing him off already? Did you not see him play for Newcastle? He was unbelievable.

Added to that he came into a squad of players who were mourning their mate and have been woefully unfit themselves all season.

He's one of the best strikers in the world and we were fortunate to get him through the door. He'll be amazing for us.

29 Jan 2026 10:13:23
@Livered, that is the manager's job (whoever that hopefully will be). Let him and his staff deal with that. Im just happy we have two very good CF's on paper who would start for any team when both are fit and firing.

29 Jan 2026 13:04:35
We needed two centreforwards. Only Lfc fans would moan about us going out and getting Isak and Ekitike. One of the few areas of the pitch where we are set and don't need strengthening for next year.

29 Jan 2026 19:42:46
Agreed Ekitike can play off the left, but that feels like limiting him. Kind of like how Nunez could play off the left, but he's really a central striker (bad example in terms of G/ A I know lol)

I really like both players. Just not seeing the same kind of balance between them two.

For me, what would change would be if we shifted to a two striker system or if one of them consistently moved to the LW. I definitely see people's points about Ekitike playing LW, but to me he looks like he has the personality and playing style to be 'that guy' so would just wonder if he'd thrive playing on the LW long term or not.

But back to my original point, for 200mil, we surely want both players to be banging in the goals. and unless we find a way to get them both in the starting XI, it feels unlikely to me that is going to happen. at least not at the level that you would want for that kind of spend

Also JK - find another passion project brother. You're embarrassing yourself with nit picky posts.

29 Jan 2026 20:13:03
Faith you worried where your illegal streaming money is being spent brother.

29 Jan 2026 21:35:28
do people pay money to stream illegally?

30 Jan 2026 07:58:34
You tell me?