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04 Dec 2025 08:25:58
It’s alright calling for him to be sacked but the reality is who is available today to replace him? Since the boot room went we haven’t had a plan for succession. I’d like reporters to call him out at his press conferences ask him about the lack of pressing and lethargic tactics.
04 Dec 2025 08:11:46
When we talk about back to basics, I’d be training this team with no more than two touches and you must go forwards if the pass is on. No hesitation, just do it. These players are man for man as good as any in the league to play quick one touch and move - why aren’t we playing to their strengths?
The other ‘basic’ is sorting the press; what do they do in training?
And finally fitness and strength conditioning. The bare minimum is to have the tools to compete.
That quick progression of the ball, no more than 2 touches would bring Anfield to its feet - this ain’t rocket science Arne!
04 Dec 2025 07:33:28
We could do worse than get Martin O’Neill to stand in until end of season, he’s got that persona to get players playing.
04 Dec 2025 05:58:51
Dom is on for player of the season and everything but if he stands and watches another player win a header that’s 70/ 30 in his favour anymore often it’s a joke.
04 Dec 2025 07:13:52
Fin is 6 to 6.5 out of ten every game and compared to the rest who are on 0-4/ 10 he’s our best player. But let’s not pretend he’s brilliant at passing, shooting, tackling as clearly he’s not. He has brilliant stamina and runs around a lot but that’s about it.
03 Dec 2025 23:15:05
I think Diaz is more of a big miss than people thought he would be.
03 Dec 2025 23:12:26
I will rewatch tomorrow as usual, but I really want to push back on this idea that we played badly from minute one. I am going to get absolute pelters for this.
What I saw in the first half was very familiar of us under Slot, but we saw it a lot more last season. Give the opponents space in less dangerous areas, control our defensive shape and effectively gather information on the opponent, make tweaks at half time, come out and hit them hard. The only thing lacking from the first 15/ 20 minutes of the second half was a goal, as has been the case far too often this season. We’re getting into dangerous areas consistently, but you can see the attacking relationships are still developing – that is going to take some time. For everyone asking for a return to last season’s style of play, this was pretty close I think.
While we’re at it, we have to give Sunderland some credit. They’re a really good team and seem to be able to adapt between two very different playing styles at the drop of a hat. The manager deserves huge credit. Despite this, their goal did come against the run of the play in my opinion and another mistake.
As usual, when we went behind we lost our heads. That was the worst we’d been all game. Whatever the reason, there is a mentality problem in the team, I think we can all agree on that.
The positive thing, in my opinion, is this time we managed to regain our composure somewhat and eventually got the equaliser. From there, we could have either won or lost it. The only thing which seemed was that it wouldn’t be a draw. Grazie mille, Federico!
Not what I expected to be thankful to him for, however I’m no less grateful. How this guy is not starting ahead of Gakpo really does boggle the mind. About the only I agreed with Carragher on tonight was his analysis of him. So predictable. With Chiesa, it’s not just about goals, assists or goal line clearances, the guy has two questions on his mind every time he gets the ball:
1) Where is the goal?
2) What am I waiting for? Dilly-ding dilly-dong!
Big picture, yes it’s more dropped points but I genuinely think this is a small (almost imperceptible) step forward. We went behind, lost our heads, but did recover. This was always going to be a result we need to get on the path to recovery. Whether Slot is there at the end of that journey is for others to decide. One thing that is going to have to improve to get back to the top, regardless of the manager, is the player’s mental resilience. I think we showed some today.
04 Dec 2025 05:18:32
I thought similar. Before tonight we hadn’t drawn a game, amongst other things that showed a team that mentally couldn’t come back from losing positions and find a way to get a point even when not playing at their best. So getting a point isn’t the end of the world occasionally.
The real problems with the team are the lack of pace and intensity, but also the drop off in form of the key men. Over the years even when the team have played badly one of the world class players have stepped up, that’s usually either been Mo, VVD, or Ali.
Painful as this is to watch at times the team is in transition. The world class players are in decline. The decline in Mo and VVD has been levelled at the coach which is unfair. When Barnes, Dalglish, or Hansen came to the end it wasn’t that the coaching had failed, it was because their time was coming to a close.
Where there has been a failing is that the transfer committee, whoever they are, haven’t recognised that VVD was coming to the end and replaced him with a successor. It’s easier said than done but he could then have been phased out gradually.
Same with Mo. And before someone says that was Frimpong he just isn’t anywhere near that level, or ever fit.
Although Ali isn’t there yet, his successor has been bought but is nowhere near the level. So there we have some of the main problems about why we can’t win games when not playing well right now.
In terms of the rest of the team, although those three are so fundamental that it can’t be dismissed, we then have the fullback and left wing problems. At our recent prime under Jurgen, and even last season, we had most of our creativity coming from full back and wide players. I’ve mentioned Mo, but last season we also had Diaz. Gone but not replaced. Cody is solid but predictable. No real intensity. He also offers less offensively than his predecessors and allows the other teams more time to play.
The fullbacks are just offering next to nothing offensively, but have been more solid in the last two games, hence the four points rather than conceding three goals a game as we had done previously.
So tactically we’ve improved slightly defensively which is good. We haven’t yet made the offensive changes though to get more out of Isak, Wirtz, or Ekitike.
Wirtz is improving slightly, you can see more from him. Still not enough but better. He’ll probably end up more central.
Isak is the new Mo in the sense he offers little defensively. His work rate and press is poor to non existent. He’s the goal scorer, but we haven’t yet worked out how to get him frequently into goal scoring positions. That’s a coaching and tactical issue in part, but we haven’t got wide creative players in the team either to supply.
Then centre mid. When all about you fails you need a winner in there. We haven’t got one. Macca flatters to deceive, he’s a five or six out of ten man most weeks which isn’t enough. It only works when the rest is clicking. His better performances are too few.
Grav and Szob are fine, they just need to be in there and supplemented by a grafter who does the hard yards or knits it altogether. We’re missing that, and a bit of bite and fight when other team mates are struggling.
Where does that leave us coaching wise. I’m not sure. This is a big transition job. He doesn’t yet have the right tools (and apparently has been overruled on a number of buys) . This is a big problem for us whether we like or rate Arne. We failed to get Zubimendi, we failed to get Guehi, big fails. Not only did those things fail, we didn’t get anyone else either in those positions when we couldn’t get them. Diaz was sold against the coaches wishes and not replaced. Contracts were renewed against the coaches wishes. No right back was bought. They are major issues, and are Richard Hughes faults.
The Arne faults are intensity and fitness, and the failing so far to get more out of Isak or Ekitike in my eyes. The other main one may be the failure to recognise the centre mid problem, but apparently he was raging that we didn’t get Zubimendi, and we still haven’t bought one, but did buy a Frimpong for example.
Initially I was putting a lot of these struggles on Arne. I thought, and still do think, he’s really finding this tough going. This may be too big a job for him. But the more I watch this team I’m realising that several of our transfer and contract decisions have just been really poor and we’re only probably 60% through a rebuild.
04 Dec 2025 07:20:37
I think what annoys me the most is that when an offense pass is on we often turn the other way or go sideways, the odd times we do pass, move into space and zip it around we look good.
As said a million times on here there are too many players looking leggy which is criminal at this stage of the season. If only we could bottle the enthusiasm Chiesa has and pass that around.
03 Dec 2025 23:05:49
1 point closer to the top 4.
I'll just keep banging this drum.
People need to stop comparing the team to the best version of last year's team or the hypothetical best version of this team.
Shoulds, coulds and woulds.
whatever.
We are where we are and the team are making steps towards becoming a top team.
We are on a journey and I think taking each step as they come and improving game to game, week to week is key for me.
03 Dec 2025 23:26:54
Improving? It was Sunderland at home. No disrespect to Sunderland but we should be beating them easily.
03 Dec 2025 23:27:40
Slot is that you? No I’m only joking and I get the positive spin but it’s not even like we’re putting up a fight. It’s so painfully boring to watch, and it’s not new for this season. The signs started to show toward the end of last season but we’d won the league by then and put it down to that.
Feel sorry for the fans paying a fortune to go the game. I’d take a draw or us losing if we could see the fight to get the win. It’s not the results that’s killing everyone it’s the performances.
03 Dec 2025 23:31:31
If you see improvement faith you got a better optician than us mate.
04 Dec 2025 00:08:32
How could you watch that shower of rubbish tonight and conclude there was any improvement, Faith?
04 Dec 2025 04:36:09
He is the kind of poster who thinks that supporting whatever plop is slopped out in front of us will get him a Blue Peter badge and a half-half scarf. Improvement? Let your head wobble off into space. Blind faith. PS Do you want some magic beans?
04 Dec 2025 08:13:58
Improving?!?
Seriously?
I don't know what you're watching but there simply isn't any! A last ditch effort at a goaline clearance was the only reason we didn't slump to yet another defeat at home!
There is no improvement, it's clear to see which is why everyone is getting rightly annoyed.
If their were signs of improvement great, there aren't. It's the same old cross each and every single game
It was Sunderland at Anfield!
Not for one minute did they seem bothered about that.
03 Dec 2025 22:32:36
Chiesa the man slot doesn’t fancy and treated like crap probably just saved his job tnite.
03 Dec 2025 22:28:16
He has to go, he is clueless and we are papering over the cracks.
He does the same thing over and over expecting a different result. I thought Slot was supposed to be a tactical genius? His head is full of tic-tacs not tactics, I can literally hear it rattling from here.
Board need to show what they are made of. It will be costly to pay him off but get someone else in who can put some fire in the bellies of the players and picks players on merit not out of favouritism.
Nobody in the first XI should be guaranteed a start. Nobody.
03 Dec 2025 22:54:35
That is the biggest frustration for me, 4,3,3 doesn't seem to work with this bunch. 9 losses in 12 was enough proof of that.
We then change, or appear to, to a 4,2,3,1 and drop a shocking first 45. Slow, laborious and not particularly pretty. But rather than dropping Szobo back in to his favoured position and giving us genuine width by changing Gakpo and bringing on Salah, we move to more of a 4,3,3 and ended up with the same issues. An unbalanced team.
We have so much quality but it's being used in the wrong manner. The players may get some blame but I'm putting this on the system we continue to use that just isn't bringing out the best of the outlay we made in the summer.
02 Dec 2025 21:11:11
As a break from the usual, how about everyone’s top sports movies? Not documentaries, dramas.
In no particular order I would go for any of Moneyball, The Natural, The Hustler, Color of Money, Slapshot, Rocky, Escape to Victory, Jerry Maguire, Chariots of Fire, Rollerball (the James Caan one) .
Putting my cards on the table I would opine that The Hustler the best movie, Color of Money the most insightful, The Natural the most emotional, and Slapshot the funniest (though a nod should go to Happy Gilmore, even though golf isn’t really a sport…) .
02 Dec 2025 21:45:30
Out of all them monster id have to go slapshot.
02 Dec 2025 22:46:49
Slapshot is just so great. I fear it is too slow to try out on my kids, but the slow opening has such a pay off with the 3 peacenik dudes who turn out to be total maniacs.
I sort of feel a weary, pre heart bypass Souness saw that movie, and thought that’s how he wanted us to play.
03 Dec 2025 01:21:31
Moneyball was good, I’ll have to rewatch some of the others. There haven’t been many when you think about how obsessed we are with sport in the UK and US. I know documentaries were excluded but the McEnroe Borg one was a good watch.
03 Dec 2025 02:18:09
Bull Durham, Tin Cup and a forgotten one -
Cinderella man.
03 Dec 2025 05:11:42
The Damned United or The Fighter.
{Ed001's Note - how has no one mentioned Mike Bassett?}
03 Dec 2025 06:49:21
Invictus, Raging Bull and one for the really old un’s - somebody up there loves me!
03 Dec 2025 07:13:50
Cool Runnings.
{Ed025's Note - the Mighty Ducks..
03 Dec 2025 07:21:47
Great call with Raging Bull, Bristol.
03 Dec 2025 08:15:09
I’m on a roll now Rigsby
Talladega nights and blades of glory.
03 Dec 2025 08:45:23
The mighty ducks is a shout Ed! . "the flying V".
{Ed025's Note - a good family film Harty, it makes a change from all the violence and swearing we seem to get these days...or is that just me getting old mate.. :)
03 Dec 2025 09:21:40
Dodgeball or Blades of Glory.
03 Dec 2025 09:26:15
no particular order Rush, Coach Carter, A league of there own, Remember the titans. not really a sports film but Dodgeball always makes me laugh.
03 Dec 2025 11:12:05
Caddyshack and it’s not even close. Rodney Dangerfield lit up every scene he was in, he improvised through the film and wasn’t scripted, just told what everyone else’s lines were, what the scene was and guided by Harold Ramis.
03 Dec 2025 11:50:39
Don't know if this would qualify because it is a documentary, but When We Were Kings is a fantastic and fascinating movie about the Ali-Foreman fight. I remember that fight as a child and brings back a lot of memories.
03 Dec 2025 13:01:27
If your into motorsport Ford v Ferrari is great. Shouldn’t of started this thread we’re in Christmas movie mode in our house we have been since October truth be told.
03 Dec 2025 15:49:16
Caddyshack
The legend of Bagger Vance
Fever Pitch
Slapshot (I know the referee in the movie)
03 Dec 2025 17:49:40
My fave . Debbie does Derby county.
03 Dec 2025 18:43:56
Some great suggestions already but will add the following that haven't been mentioned, I think:
Bang The Drum Slowly (early de Niro)
Brian's Song
The Babe (Babe Ruth biopic)
Breaking Away (my personal favourite, along with Slap Shot. )
03 Dec 2025 19:42:39
Field of dreams, eight men out, major league and a movie that well worth a look Miracle. And bull durham.
03 Dec 2025 22:15:45
Happy gilmore for comedy, rocky 4 for more serious.
03 Dec 2025 22:18:46
Ali. Will Smith movie or wrestler micky rourke.
03 Dec 2025 21:34:18
The Good, The Bad and The Dowie.