Liverpool Banter Mobile

21 Mar 2026 07:17:12
Quick thing on formation and accommodating Wirtz.

For me this was one of the biggest factors affecting our form this season along with a noticeable drop in fitness.

In simple terms, I find it astonishing the ‘elite’ management didn’t recognise earlier that playing Wirtz in a 3-man midfield with 3-strikers ahead was crippling our play.

Against the stronger teams we were too easily played through or out-fought.

And against the bus-parkers we nullified any space in the attacking 3rd.

With the players we have in their current form, we should stick with 2 up top with the fullbacks providing the width.

3 in midfield with Wirtz free to initiate the press when out of possession.

In possession Wirtz to float and find pockets and link the play.

Getting Wirtz consistently registering 8/10 performances is key.

{Ed001's Note - isn't that what they had bought for? If you look at the players bought, that is very much the system best suited to them.}

21 Mar 2026 08:25:11
I don't understand why Arne Slot needs to shoehorn players into his system. Great managers of the past are able to change the system with the players they have. Managers who try to force their way end up with the boot.

20 Mar 2026 18:36:54
Hey Ed's,

Wanted your opinion on this.

The Liverpool area used to produce elite talents like Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler. Why are we seeing fewer local superstars now?

Is it down to modern academy structures and global scouting, or just the rarity of generational players?

Any current local prospects with top-level potential? There seems to be a lot from London area now.

Many Thanks.

{Ed001's Note - it is a whole bunch of things, academy set ups tend to scour the world, pushing out locals from the system to make space. Kids are not spending as much time outdoors playing sports any more, they are sat staring at screens. Even those that want to play out have fewer places they can do so. When I was growing up you could kick a ball in the street, now you can't due to all the cars.}

20 Mar 2026 20:19:56
The fact that kids are playing video games, watching YouTubers, and cartoons, rather than playing any sort of sport outside, is a very real contributor, in my opinion. Local parks round me are completely absent of children, outside of toddlers playing with their parents in their respective area. Which, as a football coach that does private group sessions, is a double-edged sword: plenty of room to train. However, I usually only get 6 - 10 players attending.

Then again, I know many parents who believe parks, etc, are simply too dangerous, and actively ban them from going. When we train at private facilities, I can get 6 - 10 players. But, when it comes to local parks (during Spring and Summer), it can go down to 4 players attending sometimes.



Honestly, now is the best time to make it as a footballer because most kids now like football, but don't genuinely love it enough to drop Fortnite, Roblox, or even the share bag of sweets and crisps (which they consume on their own). If a child was willing to work hard and commit to it, then their chances would be higher than previous generations, in my opinion.

Then again, most of the kids in my area are too busy trying to be the class clown, or their favourite YouTuber. And, the parents either ignore it, proportion blame elsewhere, or believe that shouting and aggressive behaviour will be enough to convince people that there is not a problem.

Apologies, went on an old person "Back in my day" tangent, gonna rein myself back in now.

{Ed025's Note - i think you are spot on Mango..

20 Mar 2026 20:13:23
Ed001 but the kids nowadays can do all sorts of skills on fifa or whatever it's called now.
I must admit though Ed I live near a massive green and there was never any kids in there since my age group played footy on it but since Covid kids round here seem to be on there all the time playing footy.

It's like because they was not allowed out during Covid they have seen what they was missing. Being an 80s child I just loved being out with my mates we would get the net up on the school goals and be playing till the goalkeeper could only hear the ball rustle in the net then we new it was time to finish.

{Ed001's Note - good to hear kids are back out there, I think a lot of that is the parents desperate to get peace after being stuck in with them during covid.}

20 Mar 2026 20:40:23
I remember years ago Harry Redknapp saying about the British kids not playing football, they were more interested in other stuff, social media, staying indoors etc n then compared it to the African kids, sayin they haven't got much but they're outside playing football in most of their countries and that's why we get plenty of these players rather than the British kids

20 Mar 2026 21:09:48
Kids wanted to be footballers when they grew up, now it's YouTube/TikTokers.

20 Mar 2026 21:35:54
100% Willo, most kids these days see how much money the likes of Jake Paul and the rest of these YouTube and TikTokers can make without putting no real effort in.

20 Mar 2026 22:17:00
There's been a clear drop in the quality of footballers in general over the last 15-20 years, despite more money than ever being pumped into youth development. I don't think that's a coincidence.

20 Mar 2026 22:18:56
There's actually a lot of work that goes into being a successful YouTuber, Red. It's not easy.

The problem I see is kids nowadays look at a 30 second clip on YouTube that has taken a week to prepare and think that's real life. They are comparing themselves against an impossible standard, and it causes so many mental health issues.

20 Mar 2026 22:26:15
Not just sport. Kids are growing up in the UK and can't even be bothered to work. Young lads used to want a job in a trade, now they wanna trade currency online instead.
It's a crazy new world, I'm glad I grew up before the Internet. 😐

20 Mar 2026 22:39:56
Me too, LFC8, I work in tech, but it definitely has plenty of downsides for society. Look at the death of the high street, online bullying, cyber crime, and people lacking social skills, to name just a few.

21 Mar 2026 07:54:29
When I was a kid, my mum did a play scheme on the field in front of our house. This used to go for 3 weeks of the summer holidays. She spent a lot of her own money doing this. Technology has changed, but kids haven't. They need something to do, and someone to treat them with respect and be able to listen.

There's a reason why antisocial behaviour is rife: the working-class areas have been left behind. Many of the best players mentioned, and a lot more, come from these areas.

21 Mar 2026 08:23:44
LiverpoolFC8,
You must be ancient, mate 🤣. I'm 57 and even in my early teens we had the dial up internet when you couldn't use the phone.
You're right tho, great times indeed. God knows what it'll be like in another 20 years. 😳

21 Mar 2026 08:28:22
I lived in Spain and Portugal, and the access to sport is so much better than in England.

Lots of playgrounds everywhere for kids to have space to play, and then renting courts for five-a-side was so cheap to do.

It was a while back, but I remember paying EUR5 to rent an entire court for an hour! That was for everyone. Maybe things have changed over the last ten years, but that was brilliant.

21 Mar 2026 08:32:09
I train young kids at football, and to see their faces when I talk about running home from school to get over the local field to play football and use your jumper and/or push bike for goal posts. Arguing if a shot was over the bar or not, or if it was inside the post.


Now they swap user names and have no communication skills. I've seen kids of all ages not talk at training and on football pitches.
It's a lost skill having social time.

20 Mar 2026 13:37:54
Afternoon ed001 .

Not a big England fan, but it's good to see Jarell Quansah getting a call up the the national team where Trent has been omitted

Do you think, with a bit more time be could have had a part to play with us?

Cheers
Drogie.

{Ed001's Note - no, it just shows how bad the options are or how bad a coach Tuchel is. Quansah is not very good. He simply is a very weak defender.}

20 Mar 2026 16:03:41
DJed Spencer has also been called up. He is an absolutely shocking defender.

20 Mar 2026 16:22:49
Crazy that a DJ named Ed Spence has been called up to play for England.

20 Mar 2026 16:37:48
Trent's defending has gotten even worse in arguably a better current team than ours. Tuchel is a top coach, and you cannot have a professional player defend like that in a major tournament.
Also worth a mention, Bellingham, when fit this season, has done extremely little. I hope Tuchel goes with in-form players performing at high levels.

20 Mar 2026 09:11:13
Looks like James Pearce has confirmed what the ITKs here have long been hinting about. He mentions Edwards being frustrated with FSG turning down every club he scouted for the multi-club project. Also mentions of Hughes' Saudi links, Slot facing pressure, all three having just one year left on their contract etc. Interesting that he chose this moment to write this article.

20 Mar 2026 10:51:29
Well, Edwards is a drama queen; look how he left last time. I think he may be out of his depth in the position he has at the moment. I can see a parting of the ways between Edwards and LFC, given the way our season has gone so far.

I have always been of the opinion that Edwards coming back was a catalyst for Jurgen stepping down, even though he had recently signed a new contract for two more years at the club. YNWA.

20 Mar 2026 11:41:14
OP, that could be because there is prolly solid news about Edwards being out the door come this summer, esp. with these Saudi links gathering pace. This happened with Edwards a couple of years ago, btw.

@albeydered, I actually think the opposite.

Klopp leaving led to Edwards actually coming back, cos clearly, he wanted nothing to do with Klopp, even tho, Klopp's portfolio was not even within his purview in his new position, IMO.

20 Mar 2026 11:58:37
I'm with you, Oli. I don't think Klopp left because Edwards was coming back, but rather Edwards came back because Klopp was leaving.

imo, Klopp wanted to leave a season earlier, but extended his contract because he chose to extend it for a further two years because of how poor our midfield was, and he didn't want to leave in a state of rebuild.

When the rebuild was more or less done, he chose to step down as per what he intended all along. Nothing to do with Edwards coming back.

20 Mar 2026 14:22:25
It used to be that the manager and the players were responsible for the results on the pitch.

When did it become a thing to blame the DOF and his boss for team performances?

I have no idea what Hughes and Edwards' remit is, but I know that the manager and the players' remit is to win football matches, which they haven't done enough of this season.



That's why I can't understand people calling for Hughes and Edwards to be sacked. You have no idea what they are being asked to do, so how could you possibly know they're not doing it properly?

20 Mar 2026 14:59:26
Certainly with Edwards. Is the main part of his job not concerning FSG trying to purchase a feeder club to help with signing kids and getting them experience?

20 Mar 2026 16:43:12
Yes, oilred, I take your point, and I know Edwards was not at the club before Klopp left, but Klopp would have known Edwards was on his way back, which may have been in his thinking, and led to him wanting to go after signing a contract extension. There was a strong rumour that they had a big fallout leading to Edwards leaving the first time.


As for Klopp staying because the midfield was running out of legs, I think his mind was made up, and the players brought were scouted months, if not years, before, so Klopp probably did not have to be at the club because of a rebuild.

20 Mar 2026 17:33:20
Wasn't Klopp being a drama queen then, by your reckoning? Leaving the club after signing a contract just because someone he'd had a few words with previously was on his way back?

21 Mar 2026 07:44:09
Klopp was done. Sometimes it comes quickly, like it did with Klopp.
He was mentally done. I'm glad he left when he did with his health and his legacy intact.