Liverpool banter 9

06 Aug 2026 12:05:29
I see Mbaye and Zabarnyi both started for PSG yesterday as they got hammered by Mallorca. Presumably means that there are no imminent transfers for either of them. By all accounts Mbaye was average and Zabarnyi was the worst player on the pitch.

06 Aug 2026 14:07:01
Shipley, until something is concrete, players are obligated to do their jobs and play in the games they're expected to play in.

As for how well they played, that will have no bearing on whether we or any other club sign or don't sign them.

Preseason friendlies are not that important, esp. their results.

06 Aug 2026 14:09:14
Maybe they know they are leaving, and don't want to get injured, and it's preseason, and they may not have a squad to choose from?

06 Aug 2026 14:36:04
When irony gets lost eh, Shipley?

06 Aug 2026 15:47:29
@Oli, I was simply pointing out that when a transfer is close to completion, a club will not usually play that player. This is to protect them from getting injured and the transfer collapsing - it has absolutely nothing to do with a player's 'obligation' and I would never expect a player to refuse to play if asked.
The rest was just information that I was passing on - there was no judgement from me. I didn't watch the match, and I didn't rate the players. I completely agree with you that how they played in a pre season game will have zero effect on any club's decision to sign them, so I am slightly confused as to why you even brought that up.

I simply thought that it might interest some people on here as both players have been linked to us this summer.
Just to make sure Oli is happy and has all of the context, I will also point out that it was PSG's first pre season game, so I would not expect anybody to be excelling. Like I said, I'm just passing on factual information with no value judgement from my side.

06 Aug 2026 18:49:35
You are very negative, Oli, at the moment. Do you need a cuddle?

06 Aug 2026 19:24:05
Nah, Flange. I'm good. Thanks. I'm always positive, and I am looking forward to the new season, btw.


@Shipley, seems you are offended with what I said. That was nowhere near being a personal attack or anything like that against you, but it seems you are upset.

The response seems a bit over the top, as well, and not sure why.

But you're my guy, so no problem, man. I apologize.

06 Aug 2026 11:40:20
A change from incomings conversation to outgoings this window. Just my opinion, but I think the most likely outgoings are

Koumas.
Jones.
Elliot.
McAllister.
Scanlon.
Maybe Ramsey.

I can only see Gakpo leaving if we bring in a further winger on top of Barcola.

I think Chiesa will stay as we desperately need attacking reinforcements and I think the new style of play would suit him better.

06 Aug 2026 13:15:01
Nothing that I have seen of Cheisa suggests that he is good enough to play for Liverpool. Enthusiasm is one thing, but ability is another. He might have had ability once, but that time has passed.

06 Aug 2026 13:23:49
Don't think Koumas will go, maybe on loan, but I think he'll be filling in until Ekitike recovers.

06 Aug 2026 13:28:57
I agree with Irishman, you probably get more out of Morrison than Chiesa.

{Ed025's Note - you would get more out of Van Morrison that Chiesa ASB..

06 Aug 2026 14:10:19
You get more pace and control in Morrisons.

06 Aug 2026 14:16:48
From the pre-season games so far I'd opt to have Koumas in the squad ahead of Chiesa.

06 Aug 2026 14:54:16
Why are people still clinging onto the hope that Chiesa will return to the player he was in 2020? He would not get a regular start in any other Premier League team. He is absolutely useless and is blocking a non-homegrown spot.

He is on the best paid contract he has ever had and is clinging on to it. The sooner he is gone, the better. It will put a stop to all the Chiesa is being hard done to nonsense.

06 Aug 2026 14:01:49
Come on Ed025, he's better than Barry but tbh I'm better than Barry.

{Ed025's Note - thats not hard now is it Taurus?. Chiesa is certainly not good enough to make Liverpool,s first team and is on too much money to be just an option from the bench mate..

06 Aug 2026 14:43:34
You just know he's going to bag the winner in the first derby now you have said that Ed25 don't you lol

{Ed025's Note - i will be surprised if he even gets on BK, hes happy to just get splinters in his arse while picking up his £150K a week mate..

07 Aug 2026 00:08:16
Love the guy, but I'd give the spot to Koumas over Chiesa to be honest.

Chiesa needs to play in Italy or Spain. He's no longer at the level to play PL football, and yes, he's on like 150k/week, which is way too much for a bench player.

06 Aug 2026 22:05:07
Not going to lie ed I'd take it haha hope your well bud

{Ed025's Note - im good thanks BK, and hope you are too mate..

06 Aug 2026 11:09:53
Akilouche on his ways to Paris to complete the move according to Fabrizio.

Dominoes about to fall it seems.

06 Aug 2026 11:25:02
Let's hope so!

06 Aug 2026 16:21:43
Hopefully, Taurus pal so we can get a few closed off.

06 Aug 2026 11:07:18
Ed1, you have any idea if any of the youngsters manage to impress Iraola during the pre season? I've not watch a single pre season games, but have seen a lot of good comments on Nyoni.

{Ed001's Note - I don't mate sorry.}

06 Aug 2026 11:35:19
These next games will tell us a lot about who he rates once we have all the World Cup players back.

Could see Nyoni starting first game of the season potentially or coming off the bench. Depends on what Gravy shows Andoni.

06 Aug 2026 11:50:57
I get the impression that Chambers has impressed and I wonder (hope) he will be considered as an alternative lb option. It will be great to start bleeding through some youth again. I also have high hopes of Nyoni. He has certainly grown and now looks physically strong enough to be considered an option and squad player.

06 Aug 2026 11:51:53
Ndukwe, Kouamas, Nyoni are the main 3 and Chambers has done a very good job filling in at CB when needed.

06 Aug 2026 11:53:47
I can see Nyoni starting next to Grav for the opener. With transfers moving at snail pace, I wouldn't be surprised to see Wirtz or Szobo covering on one of the wings, with the other in midfield alongside Nyoni & Grav.

I'm not sure that there is much point in guessing yet, though.

We don't know who will come in (Barcola?, Mbaye?, Wharton?) or, indeed, who will leave (Macca?, Gakpo?, Curtis?). Will any new signings be up-to-speed in time? I think we will know more after these upcoming Anfield friendlies on what kind of lineup Iraola is likely to put out for the opener.

06 Aug 2026 12:18:00
All of them have acquitted themselves pretty well in the grand scheme of things.

Nyoni and Ndukwe the clear standouts.

Rio was very rusty but looked better in the last game. The quality of the pitches won't help his dribbling.

Shout out to Koumas and Chambers for showing their desire to force their way into the gaffer's reckoning.



Abe is really really young. Ndiaye is very raw. Morrison struggled to get into games, though I did like his RB covering effort in the last game. Wright did ok in the few minutes he got. Scanlon has loads of pace but lacks the technical skills. Sonnie-Lambie didn't really have enough minutes to show anything.

06 Aug 2026 12:43:27
I don't understand this viewpoint of Szob starting on the wings. He is our best player. Why would we move him out to the wings, especially when Ai wants pace and directness out wide - I think both he and Ai, with their recent comments, have made it clear he will be in midfield.



Barring injury, I reckon our line up vs Newcastle will be (4-2-3-1)
Isak
Barcola, Wirtz, Rio/Munoz
Szob and Grav
Kerkez, VVD, Jacquet, new signing
Alison.

06 Aug 2026 12:49:51
I don't think Wharton will come in now, unless Jones/Macca leave. We had the whole summer to do the deal. He didn't go to the WC either.

06 Aug 2026 13:42:53
It's a possible need rather than a preference, @MOT. You have Barcola and 'new signing' in your lineup, which would be great, but I can't see any players not already signed by now starting that first game. Barcola doesn't even start his pre-season until next week, and the start of the season is rapidly approaching.

Hopefully Munoz can get up to speed by then, but he only started his pre-season this week, so we will need to see how his injury that he had at the World Cup reacts. Same goes for Jacquet. He hasn't been fit enough to play any pre-season games as yet, so we will have to see.

06 Aug 2026 10:14:58.
Apparently Rodri is close to agreeing a deal with Barcelona…. Maybe Madrid will now come in for Macca?

06 Aug 2026 10:31:38
Enzo Fernandez will be their next choice, I think. I think Macca will end up at Atletico Madrid, but I also wouldn't rule out him staying, and we don't sign a midfielder.

06 Aug 2026 11:41:09
If they wanted Rodri because they want a defensive minded midfielder, I can't imagine that either Macca or Enzo would be great alternatives.

06 Aug 2026 11:41:38
Didn't he (Rodri) want to go to Real Madrid?

06 Aug 2026 12:44:47
I wouldn't be against Macca staying, especially if he wants to.

If that eventuated, I would hope that Iraola's plan is to play Macca higher up the pitch.

06 Aug 2026 12:52:53
Can we entice them with a 20% off or something? He's gotta go, man.

06 Aug 2026 13:02:11
Keep hearing that Macca's hair today, gone tomorrow. I think it's important that we keep him, as he can plug the gap and weave his magic.

06 Aug 2026 12:44:23
Imagine going for Rodri and ending up with that rat faced knobhead Enzo.

06 Aug 2026 13:18:05
Is diving Magic?

06 Aug 2026 14:08:10
VV, that's some nasty work.

06 Aug 2026 09:38:12
Hello guys,

Anyone got anymore info abt a marquee signing in midfield that was brought up a few days ago?

06 Aug 2026 10:14:27
Apparently it's a midfielder.

Ta.

06 Aug 2026 10:16:52
It would be just guesswork, mate. Nobody apart from Victorgoddamn would know! Hehe.

06 Aug 2026 10:42:33
I'm thinking Valverde but that's a complete guess.

06 Aug 2026 10:43:38
I would guess it's not really going to progress anywhere, seeing as it's 3 weeks until the window closes.
A transfer of such scale should take many weeks and many man hours to negotiate. There would probably be some info coming out. We don't really have the time to dedicate to one player, we need several players.

That's my uninformed take.

06 Aug 2026 11:17:54
Maybe he could just tell us? Crazy, I know.

06 Aug 2026 11:29:29
Could be related to Rodri moving. If he moves to Barca, maybe it's Gavi/Casado.

06 Aug 2026 11:50:18
Florian, if he did tell us and it didn't come off, can you imagine the pelters he'd get from some on here. "But you said...."
Also may compromise the person he gets the info from.
If it happens and a top player is signed, great.
If it doesn't, that's football.

06 Aug 2026 12:29:50
To be fair to VG, he did say that he wasn't going to divulge that info because it could compromise his source.

He also said it was in the works and the club are confident of a deal. At no point did he say it was a definite.

It's all a bit of fun really and shouldn't be taken too seriously.

06 Aug 2026 16:08:44
Seems like nonsense to me.

06 Aug 2026 08:08:53
I hope our players are also "fuming" after the Leeds loss, just like the Gooners players after their defeat yesterday.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

06 Aug 2026 08:49:35
It's always been the Liverpool winning way:

"To get ye own house in order first"

Jealousy gets you nowhere?

06 Aug 2026 08:58:09
I've really enjoyed oppo fans trying to banter us about that Leeds result. If you look at the team that finished the game, it's not going to be remotely reflective of the team that plays for us next season.
GK Mamardahvili - will play >20 games next season.
RB Ramsay - probably will leave.
CB Ndukwe - will leave on loan.
CB Ndiaye - will play >10 games next season.
LB Tsimikas - probably will leave.
CM Jones - probably will leave.


CM Gravenberch - his first minutes back from holiday.
AM Elliott - probably will leave.
RW Scanlon - an actual LB, who will probably leave.
ST Chiesa - probably will leave.
LW Koumas - probably will leave.

Mama, Ndiaye and Gravenberch are probably the only 3 on the pitch who will play for us next season and one will be 2nd GK and another will be 5th or 6th CB. Gravenberch is the only one I was concerned about.

06 Aug 2026 09:16:26
Who cares about training matches?

06 Aug 2026 09:37:31
Whilst I agree with the principle, Adam. But realistically, we won't be losing 7 of that team, in my opinion.

I think individuals who then get drafted into the first team over the season because of injuries etc won't be quite as exposed with lots of first teamers around them.

06 Aug 2026 09:50:22
Anyone who allows themselves to be wound up by opposition fans after losing a training match where we literally had one potential first team player on the pitch needs to give their head a wobble.

It didn't even point to a lack of squad depth. Some of those on the pitch were 5th choice or worse.

Take it for what it is and move on.

06 Aug 2026 10:22:40
I think we will, Zedd. The way I'm looking at it is we will sign another 3 or 4 players and most of them are academy kids who were filling in for senior pros. Tsimikas is the only one I was debating to myself, but I think Chambers has done enough to be the new back up for LB/CB. Even, if you take out those 8 players I said won't be here, this would still be the 28-strong squad with 4 new signings.

GK: Alisson, Mama, Jaros, Woodman.
RB: New, Frimpong, Bradley.
CB: Jacquet, Leoni.
CB: Virgil, Gomez, Ndiaye.


LB: Kerkez, Chambers.
DM: New, Nyoni, Endo.
CM: Szoboszlai, Gravenberch.
AM: Wirtz, Morrison.
RW: New, Munoz.
ST: Isak, Ekitike, Wright.
LW: New, Rio.

(Hopefully Kounde, Camara, Mbaye and Barcola).

If any of Ramsay, Ndukwe, Tsimikas, Jones, Elliott, Scanlon, Chiesa or Koumas are still here when the window closes, I'll be staggered. Ndukwe aside, they've just not done enough in pre-season, in my opinion, to justify keeping them; and Ndukwe can't get a work permit.

06 Aug 2026 10:25:35
Btw, even that is assuming Gakpo and Mac Allister leave on top of those 8 I listed.

06 Aug 2026 10:27:21
More worrying thing is we seem to be doing pre-season matches for non first-team players.

We all saw last season what the importance is of a pre-season, and with the WC and players yet to sign, the best case scenario is some first-team players might get minutes in our last 2 pre-season games, and worst case 1 or none prior to the season starting.



Realistically I'd imagine all top leagues would like to see a later season start after World Cups etc.

{Ed025's Note - i agree JK..

06 Aug 2026 10:59:38
I agree with that in principle, JK, but I would say that players coming back from a World Cup have still maintained their fitness until late July.

Last season we had players clocking off in late April after we'd won the league and then coming back to the devastation of a lost team member and friend.

Like Robbo said, they just didn't feel like playing football, so any preseason we might have had would not have been conducted at full intensity.

It's just a totally different scenario than this season and so shouldn't be compared as if it's the same thing.

06 Aug 2026 11:05:01
If Infantino manages to keep hold of his job and he gets his way for a 64 team World Cup, it'll rake months to stage the tournament. The following season won't start until Christmas !!

06 Aug 2026 11:19:29
Couldn't give the slightest toss about pre-season results. Good or bad.

06 Aug 2026 11:43:11
1jj, people who have some sense.

06 Aug 2026 13:46:18
We were cack in the 2019/20 pre season. That didn't turn out so bad.

The real game to be looking at is Newcastle.

06 Aug 2026 14:09:58
Exactly, Lofty1979. Anyone losing their ship over a preseason game is doing his/her own head in.

The rest of us don't have to participate in their own madness.

06 Aug 2026 15:32:55
Bp, I suppose it depends on when they were knocked out of World Cup, I suppose, mate.

Dutch lads we've seen Grav get minutes but not Virg or Gakpo.

You agreed in principle and then argued against it lol. Always good to debate with you.

06 Aug 2026 07:06:13.
Morning Reds.
Really big fan of the site, looking forward to the new season under the new manager. Hopefully we will get some of the transfers over the line soon.
All the best.

06 Aug 2026 11:32:28.
Rather Koumas stays, MK. Need the HG status, and he's versatile; all attacking positions including AM.

Two-footed (dominant left), quick, direct, hardworking and tough, above average finishing, pressing machine, Wales regular.

Covers Isak and would trust him earlier in the game before putting Chiesa in for the final 10mins.

With the possibility of Elliott and Jones leaving, HG status is replaced by Chambers and Koumas.

06 Aug 2026 06:46:14
Signings are a bit slow this window. Are the Newcastle scouts on strike?

06 Aug 2026 08:00:03
Don't worry, they will be looking for dm soon.
And we can swoop in and take it.

06 Aug 2026 08:49:40
And at the same time we can take their current RB off their hands...

Wouldn't mind Livramento at LFC.

06 Aug 2026 09:26:58
JLC, Livramento is pretty injury prone, I'm afraid.

06 Aug 2026 09:35:14
Livramento would become good friends with Gomez and Bradley.

06 Aug 2026 09:57:33
I've heard the Newcastle scouts have some big plans for this weekend.
Washing cars and packing bags in a supermarket, I believe.

06 Aug 2026 11:44:30
JLC, Livramento is more injury prone than Gomez. Let that marinade, a lil' bit.