Liverpool banter 8

05 May 2026 22:13:13
Bad enough that Liverpool are really, really bad at the moment. But, to see Arsenal progressing to the Champions League final, and clear favourites to win the Premier League, makes it all that much worse. Say what you want about Arsenal and Arteta, and their unsportsmanlike conduct and awful way of playing, but they are in with a real shot of making history.

They are going to be even more unbearable than usual.

05 May 2026 23:49:16
They will get smashed by PSG.

06 May 2026 00:06:46
I'd agree, flidby, but in a one off game anything can happen, I guess. Ideal scenario is that the impending CL final distracts them from the league and they lose both.

In any case, we have been in 5 out of the last 20 CL finals, so they'll have to go some to have anything close to our European pedigree.



To put that into context, we have been in a quarter of all CL finals in the last 2 decades. That is incredible given the amount of teams who have thrown billions at it in that time.

We are very spoilt.

06 May 2026 00:33:54
It is far easier to stomach them winning anything than City scamming another treble.
Arsenal are just a football club subject to the same rules and forces as Liverpool. City are a proxy political entity that cheated us out of two more titles that we'd have certainly otherwise won, and are throwing every effort possible at subverting the jurisdiction of the game with this ridiculous court case.


The whole country should appreciate them not winning.

06 May 2026 03:20:37
Agree, Lowe1FC.

Arteta learned the dark acts (tactical cheating on the field) from Pep, and has taken it to an all new level.

Don't understand the hate against Arsenal when compared to City, who cheated at all levels.

06 May 2026 06:32:52
They won't get smashed by PSG in my opinion. Arsenal are very good defensively and aggressively. I can see them frustrating PSG or Bayern and winning.

06 May 2026 06:38:56
You see, I find it far easier to ignore anything City do.

I've come to properly despise Arteta and that Arsenal team.

It will be a very bad day for football if Arsenal win the double as it legitimises everything Arteta has done.

06 May 2026 06:48:06
Wassa, Ignoring everything City is the tribal, (in my opinion) immature perspective on it.
Arsenal's success is a reflection of good decision-making as a club, and it tells other clubs to get their act together. If City had their way, football wouldn't be a competitive sport - they'd simply quash any and all attempts to threaten their dominance in a way that legitimate, competitive clubs like Arsenal could never do due to said forces.


Ignoring that due to some "unbearable fans" (get off Twitter - you won't notice) is small time.

06 May 2026 06:59:26
Arsenal are anti football whereas Slot's current Liverpool team takes the beautiful game to another level.

Like watching poetry in motion.

06 May 2026 07:04:09
What has Arteta done that's so bad, Wassa?

06 May 2026 07:25:18
It is far from tribal, Lowe, and it isn't immature in the slightest. The idea that my hatred of this Arsenal team comes from some tools on Twitter is fantasy, mate.

With regard to City, whilst those 115 charges still linger in the background, everything City do is meaningless to me.

As for Arsenal - please don't treat them as some plucky underdog. Arteta has spent over a billion pound in his time as Arsenal manager. He's net outspent Pep by some distance over that same period, and they've only been outspent, I think, by both Chelsea and United. So don't bring financials into it.

My hatred of Arsenal is purely and simply down to two things (1) the play style and the (2) this "dark arts", i.e., cheating.

They cheat, every game. Gabriel, as an example, constantly drawing falls and falling over as a centre half to give them back possession, it's embarrassing.

If a mouse farts near an Arsenal player, they are ok the deck.

Arteta practically interfering with play every chance he gets by getting close to the touchline. He knows exactly what he's doing - it's like having a 12th man on the side pressing opponents. Watch him last night - it's cringe inducing.

Then there is the playing style. I can't respect any team that spends over a billion pound to play like prime Pullis Stoke. Rival fans used to admire how Arsenal played the game. Now they have succumbed to that "win at all costs" attitude. Everything they largely stood for under Wenger has gone in the bin.

The fact is, if every team approached the game like Arsenal now do, it wouldn't be worth watching.

06 May 2026 07:46:30
They were beyond lucky to not concede last night and should have had at least one penalty given against them. If they give up that many chances against PSG, then they will lose.

06 May 2026 08:17:21
I don't want them to win either comp this season, but in reality I don't really care.

They have had a ridiculously easy draw in the CL this season, so reaching the final is no achievement.

In the league, if they win, they will have been the least worst team.


I know many said it about us last season, and I personally dismissed this view, but looking on it now I can see their point.

I would prefer City and PSG/Munich to win.

06 May 2026 08:38:06
I'm with Wassa, I've grown to hate Arsenal under Arteta. Loved Wenger's teams. They went from 1 nil to the Arsenal to great football, now they're playing 1 corner to the Arsenal. Not condoning City's cheating by any means, but Arteta is having a bigger detrimental effect on football than City's cheating. No one wants to watch Arsenal, or teams trying to copy them.

06 May 2026 09:03:39
2nd that Ron, League has been getting worse and worse for a few seasons now, we weren't great at times when we won it last season and dare I say, boring mostly. Every team playing the same way and a lack of tactical and exciting managers to blame.

Hence the need for Iraola for me. Hope PSG bury them and City win league, but it looks like City have blown that themselves.

06 May 2026 09:18:15
Arsenal have made a CL final and hats off to them. They will be hard to beat in the final regardless of who they play. That much we do know.

Now that being said, I cannot stand the way Arsenal play under Arteta with all the cheating, diving tactics they do (can't stand it when Macca does it either), and some of their fans have become just absolutely insufferable. Keep in mind that under Wenger, we had no issues with their fans as they were very humble, likeable and we shared our deep dislike for Utd. We were cool, right?

When Arteta came, all that changed. They started taking pops at Klopp, denigrating his/our achievements just to make Arteta look good and on the level, w/o the cache to boot.

That did it for me and to me, this is where the dislike and disdain for them started and this, across rival fans including ours, in my view.

This is why I agree to an extent with Wassa & @Scouse. Can't stand them and their arrogant manager. As for City, I don't care. Why? Simple. When they brag about all their trophies, I would like to ask them (considering the incoming verdict re: all these 115 to 130 charges on their head top) to tell me which of their trophies do they think are actually legal, at this point. I bet you, they couldn't tell you. That's all I need to know.

06 May 2026 09:37:22
They will bottle both, don't worry.

06 May 2026 14:23:40
"You see, I find it far easier to ignore anything City do."

Wassa, I find myself in the same boat, mate.

05 May 2026 21:39:01
Is it just me, or does it feel like Arne Slot won’t be here next season? People forget the human side of football—living away from family is tough, and if it’s not clicking on the pitch or with the fans, why stay? I haven't seen any signs of his family settling in England.

I’d love to see the club go after Sebastian Hoeness instead. He’s got the tactical spark we’re missing. 🔴

05 May 2026 22:26:36
"Money" is the reason he would stay because he probably won't get a gig as big as this again.
Liverpool's best exit is to pay him off and agree a mutual parting.

05 May 2026 23:04:48
He won't need money. He will be dining out on last year's prem for the next 10 years. Giving advice to all and sundry.

05 May 2026 23:17:41
Not cheap Ibiza.

06 May 2026 08:18:12
None of them need money, John, but they all crave more.

05 May 2026 19:21:00
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Matchday 35 - Quick Round Up

05 May 2026 19:50:19
Nice one. 👌 Thanks. 🙏

05 May 2026 19:51:35
Loved the part about Konate's positional sense, even though I feel it's very harsh towards the Turd. 😳

06 May 2026 01:07:56
ED001 - do you really believe Guehi has been excellent up until this game?
Anything I have seen other than his first 1 or 2 games have been bang average / very poor IMO

{Ed001's Note - he has been very good for City.}

06 May 2026 08:00:51
Guehi was a bad miss for us. Hughes and Co made a right balls of that one.

06 May 2026 10:29:35
"Shockingly bad and the kind of performance that should have seen Liverpool looking to replace Slot straight after."

Ed01, how many times have we seen this? It has become the norm to the point that people are and have been numb to it for months. I know I have.

{Ed001's Note - almost every week this season.}

05 May 2026 17:47:37
I don't recognise the concerning traits of this version of LFC no matter who the Head Coach is! I don't see a plan or tactical nous!

I do see a poorly motivated, poorly coached, unfit and unbalanced squad!

05 May 2026 22:26:12
I don't think the squad is unbalanced but injuries have unbalanced it as they would with most squads.

05 May 2026 22:49:24
StockAitkinandJohnston, the squad is imbalanced in midfield, not one of our midfielders is capable defensively.

06 May 2026 00:37:26
It's the same midfield that won the league last season, Vik, so it can't be that unbalanced, can it?

We can always do with better players in all positions, of course. I don't know a team that couldn't, but with everyone fit we have a very strong, very balanced squad. 2 players for every position.

I get why people might question the quality in depth after this season, but they certainly weren't at the start of the season. It's the multiple injuries to one position that have made the squad look stretched and unbalanced.

RB and CB are both good examples. We've had 2 RBs and 2 CBs injured for most of the season.

We've had at least 1 of our strikers injured for most of the season. Ali has been in and out and now we are on to our third choice keeper due to injuries.

All of this has an effect on the balance of the team and the squad because we've had to overplay players and play players out of position in most games.

Virgil and Konate have played too many games and don't look like they want to run. They defend on the back foot, which opens space in the midfield, which then makes the midfield look unbalanced etc etc.

Cause and effect.

06 May 2026 07:01:49
Definitely injuries, Beckers.

Without them we'd probably have sewn up the quadruple, Super Bowl, post code lottery and Eurovision Song Contest by now.

06 May 2026 08:22:08
Stock, Aitkin & Waterman were famous for churning out multiple turgid all-sound-the-same s*** records back in the day and it's ironic that in the same unoriginal manner, StockAitkinandJohnston is rehashing and remixing the argument put forward before 22/23 from some corners that we didn't need to sign any midfielders because we "nearly won the quadruple" the season before, so the midfield was still good enough to compete. Last season is completely irrelevant, and it has no bearing on this season. We've won nothing this season, and will win nothing this season.

If we carry on with Slot, and don't bring in some suitable quality in midfield, the next season is a write off too.

We still have not adequately replaced Fabinho, and it looks like that mistake is going to continue going forward. Our group of midfielders is entirely imbalanced, there's no physicality, no defensive nous and no leaders in there, just a bunch of powder puff soft lads who are scared of getting their hands dirty. If this season shows anything it's that last season was an anomaly.

05 May 2026 16:34:21
I think Alonso will be here come next season. I think a lot of the talks stopping will be down to players losing respect for Slot even more than he had done by his own standards with knowing he was going.
I said yesterday I would not be surprised if we win Chelsea Saturday that an announcement is made before the last home game saying Slot is leaving at the end of the season to return to his family.


So he can get a good send off. I think everyone will give him one for last season title and two people will be just happy he is going and taking his style of football and work ethic with him.

05 May 2026 18:30:56
Don't think Alonso comes unless he gets full control, and we are reluctant to do it.

05 May 2026 18:53:15
No manager should have "full control". Our transfer strategy was at its best between 2016 and 2018 when Klopp had final say but the data and research guys weren't afraid to challenge him and had a model they stuck with.

Our transfer strategy went off when Klopp wrestled control off from them, only to listen to Lijnders instead, thus ending up with Gakpo and the very expensive flop Nunez (sorry, Nunez defenders, but he undoubtedly is). Klopp also started gifting ridiculous contract extensions out. I remember he went on record in his final season about how he thought we should give Matip a contract extension after his injury because apparently it was the right thing to do. Matip would retire from his injuries.



Now, the data boys seem to think they're the stars of the show. It's been a disaster. Mamardashvili and Frimpong don't even fit our style of play, so who cares what the stats say? Our squad has also been depleted of leadership and characters as the data boys seem too obsessed with the statistics to remember that football is a game played by humans and you don't win football games on a spreadsheet.

The manager and the recruitment team need to be able to challenge each other instead of one side trying to assert their dominance over the other. There needs to be an overall vision that supersedes the manager so we aren't chopping and changing every time we change manager.

{Ed001's Note - it wasn't Klopp giving the contracts out mate, that was Edwards purview.}

05 May 2026 19:06:34
Would Alonso demand full control? I very much doubt he got that at Madrid and still took the job.

05 May 2026 19:11:05
I'm a Nunez defender, I'd have him over Isak every day. He probably missed less chances than Isak misses games.

05 May 2026 19:13:19
You think we'll beat Chelsea?

05 May 2026 19:26:41
John, if you're a (Nunez) defender you'll probably find him 10 yards beyond you in an offside position.

05 May 2026 19:10:09
Im not sure Alonso wants full control. I think he wants "a say"(per Carra or Ed01, I think) in who we sign, which is not far-fetched as that happens at other clubs.

Now as Ed01 has responded to one of my questions on this topic, the two bozo's don't want the next manager to have any say/input in player personnel decisions. Just saying.

05 May 2026 20:00:35
Doubt he wants full control. More so, assurances to not be stitched up in key positions, either with misprofiled players or no player at all.

05 May 2026 20:38:31
Honestly, think people are setting themselves up for disappointment here. Slot is staying and having a third season. And it'll go wrong.

05 May 2026 23:09:35
@jk23, At least he will be on the pitch.

05 May 2026 22:30:54
Cheers Ed, wasn't Klopp pushing for the contracts though? I thought that was one of the reasons they fell out. I think I remember reading about Klopp wanting players like Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams to have their contributions rewarded with contracts and he advocated for fringe players like them and staff members to be on higher salaries to create less hierarchy.

That's not to excuse Edwards, mind. His job was to be the sensible one balancing the books and should have never allowed it.

{Ed001's Note - he didn't as for Williams to be given a contract so huge that he is impossible to shift. All he asked for was that they be given a bit of security in life with a longer term deal, as a thanks. Edwards was his boss and doing the negotiating, not Klopp. Edwards messed up big style and just paid well over the odds to everyone.}

06 May 2026 07:04:58
Scouse, unless he's in Saudi, mate, where he was binned from the squad in January.

06 May 2026 09:23:35
Indeed, Ed. I think you said back then, that Edwards was giving starter wages (150k, I think) to squad guys like Ox and Naby.

Even Chiesa who would have be a rotational option when he signed, got 150k a week. I mean, who does that? Edwards must think LFC's funds are his funds to blow recklessly.

There is a reason why he was the wrong guy to be the Sporting Director at the time.

05 May 2026 16:00:30
Thanks Carra. Always appreciate anyone who takes time to give any information.

05 May 2026 15:34:37
I read Carra’s post below and am a man of deductions.
Slot wants to leave and Alonso talks broke down and Carra being coy about who is next is just pointing to one direction.

Welcome back to LFC, Steven Gerrard. We have missed you and all for it.

05 May 2026 17:12:29
No chance of Gerrard getting the manager's job at Anfield. He would only be slightly ahead of me in the betting. If we were thinking of going for Gerrard, we might as well go for the man who cleaned up his mess at Villa.

{Ed025's Note - that was Charlie the lavatory attendant KR.. :)

05 May 2026 19:57:53
Nice one Ed25

05 May 2026 22:29:15
Ed025, apparently Charlie complained to the union that it was an unreasonable request and in the end they had to contract some agricultural cleaners to do the job

05 May 2026 15:33:29
So from my counting we need 7-8 first team players in the summer

Out
Salah
Robbo
Chiesa
Gapko?
McAllister?
Emdo
Alison

In
RW
LW
CM
CDM
GK
RB cover (Bradley made of crisis / Frimpong not a RB)
another striker (Ekitike out long term and Isak too injury prone)

Assuming this is true and the fact that only 2/3 of these would raise any transfer money.

I see maybe 2-4 incoming, the rest being young/squad players.
I can see why any potential manager would look at the project and walk away, expectation too high vs resources available.
I want him gone but I think we may be stuck with slot for another season.

05 May 2026 17:01:05
We're in trouble so.

05 May 2026 17:40:38
I think you've got a mix there of players who we know are definitely leaving (e.g. contracts ending) and players who have been so poor this season that we feel they should be replaced. Broadly speaking, I agree with the numbers, if not the exact positions.

Despite £70m spent on two full backs last summer, we don't have either full back position nailed down. Centre half looks a mess, but with Konate seemingly staying, Jacquet to come and Leoni back at some point next season, I don't think we'll add anybody else.

We're crying out for a high quality defensive midfielder. We need at least one new wide forward. Meanwhile, jury is going to have to stay out until next season on Wirtz and Isak, and Ekitike is going to have to recover from one of the worst injuries a footballer can suffer.

Even allowing for the cruel luck of the Ekitike injury, to go from being league champions who spent half a billion on upgrading the team that had just won the league, to needing new players for almost half the first team just 12 months later is extraordinary.

05 May 2026 18:07:33
A good manager will get the best out of the players we have.
When that happens, you might find we don't need too many new signings.

05 May 2026 19:00:11
Definitely need 4 or 5 though, Ron, no doubt about it.

Right back is essential, RW is essential due to Salah moving on, LW needed as Gakpo is average to poor.
Midfielder to replace Mac Allister and a DM would be great too.
LB cover too unless we use a kid or buy someone versatile like Kayode.

05 May 2026 19:13:41
Indeed, Ron. As many have said, I would like to see this team under an actual manager who knows what he is doing, fully committed to the cause, and can get the best out of the current squad and move from there.



We may still need 4/5 players cos players will go here and there, but your point overall is what I agree with. And, as I've said before, if I had 300m to spend, I ain't giving it to this manager.

05 May 2026 19:19:01
Even when we were winning the league, fans and pundits said we did need players brought in. I think we signed the players we needed to, but not getting another seasoned cb and a left winger hit us hard.


We have a pretty great squad - the players, for one reason or another, have seriously underperformed this season.
I reckon we need two wingers, a cm if Mac moves on, and possibly a rb.
So, 4 at the most.

05 May 2026 21:04:35
Can't see us moving Gakpo on with Ekitike injury unless we get crazy money for him and have replacement lined up. Surely Rio will get more minutes again next season...whether that be right or left, but seems to be stronger on the left. A RW starter is essential and possibly a versatile Jota like replacement who could cover all 3 positions.

Right back is a tricky one, but unfortunately Bradley just doesn't look capable of staying fit, which is a shame, as I've a lot of time for him, and Frimpong isn't the worst back up, but don't think he's strong enough first choice. Is there nobody in the Academy who could play there? Luca not good enough to step up? Haven't seen much of him tbh, but if we're spending big money I'd rather it be in the middle or out wise over right full.

Centre midfielder needed too, think if Konate stays we're sorted at Centre half, hopefully with Leoni back and Jacquet coming in, and a couple of young lads signed for academy/ 21s who could potentially step up too.

Do we need a new GK? Would hate to lose Alisson, but can we rely on Mama as first choice for a large portion? Harsh to judge him too badly, but his kicking is beyond horrendous.

We still have some v good players. If used correctly, we could improve a lot. I'd expect a lot more from Wirtz next season, and hopefully Isak can get a good pre season and stay fit.

05 May 2026 13:00:16
I heard this take recently and it's stuck by me.
As many have stated, Slot is unsure he himself wants to stay in England.
The Liverpool board are potentially willing to stick by him but will certainly not stand in his way if he wants to leave.


So the hope is, Ajax come in with an offer to Slot, he goes on reasonable terms - no payout contract termination required.
Alonso/Iraola are there to be got.
I think a lot of this scenario will come down to Slot himself and his options come summer.

05 May 2026 15:22:56
The One and only reason to keep Slot next season is that Edwards and co have been given absolute assurances that Enrique will join at the end of next season.

It's the only possible reason.

Any other scenario, and it is pure negligence on the side of the board. Tell him his time is up, pay him what he is owed and move on.

05 May 2026 15:40:21
Will there be any chance, however slim, that it might be that Harvey Elliot comes back for another chance for whoever is in charge next season?

05 May 2026 16:50:47
The slimmer the chance the better for me, Hunter.

05 May 2026 18:32:02
How come m8, surely he warrants another go, has better mobility than, say, McAllister?

05 May 2026 19:29:54
Hunter, I think we lack mobility and physicality, which are 2 things I wouldn't really associate with Elliot.

05 May 2026 19:55:40
He simply isn't good enough, Hunter. On this season's showing, you could possibly say the same about Mac Allister as well.

06 May 2026 11:30:40
Harvey Elliot is a great player for the squad.