Liverpool banter 3

27 May 2026 10:11:24
Pep Lijnders leaving MC as a coach. Really hope we can get him back on our coaching team.

27 May 2026 11:31:49
Rather crap in my hands and clap than have him back. He can go write some books.

27 May 2026 11:58:17
I know we've had a poor season but why are people pining for the likes of Ljinders, TAA and Nunez. It's so 2023.

27 May 2026 14:20:34
Jesus, why would we want him back? The heat is getting to people!

27 May 2026 15:34:43
Why the Hue and Cry?
Some fans will never stop looking for Lijnders.
It's a Labour of Love, for them.

27 May 2026 10:06:41
Just been reading about some interesting and innovative managers. Not recommending these managers but some interesting ideas.

1) Dick Schreuder (54) of N. E. C. Nijmegen formerly of Boston United FC. He’s led this lowly Dutch club to 3rd place in the league, ahead of Ajax and one of the highest goal-scoring teams.
Labelled by some as ‘the new total football’. His team are ‘high-risk, ultra-attacking’ with a high press. Every player is encouraged to attack in possession and they have an almost position-less formation. They also concede a lot and their games have featured the most goals overall. They sound a bit like an NBA team.



2) Jose Alberto (44) of Racing Santander. Currently 2 points clear of Deportivo with 1 game to go in the Segunda division and promotion to La Liga secured. He’s taken them from 12th, to 7th, to 5th losing in playoffs, to promotion/champions.
He coaches “relationism” instead of rigid formations. He’s trying to emulate the old Brazilian style, like the 1982 football masters. Very difficult to combat that kind of football.
Worth a read about these 2 and inspired me to rewatch highlights of ‘total football’ and my favourite non-LFC footballing watching experience - Brazil 1982. ?

27 May 2026 12:01:30
No idea how rated Dickie is, I'd be keen on winning games 5-4 again.

27 May 2026 12:26:50
Another bald Dutchman? Is this a wind-up?

27 May 2026 13:51:58
Like I say, Chewy, not recommending them, just interesting discussion instead of the "will he, won't he?" Slot soap opera and the constant negativity. I'm a bit fed up of the negativity, too easy.

27 May 2026 14:52:16
Fair, will be very interesting to see how Alberto gets on this season after promotion. Good turnaround with RS after things went tits up at Malaga, though they had plenty of issues all on their own.

27 May 2026 10:05:53
I see Sounsess has piped in on the Salah comments. It is divisional, to be fair but it seemed to me that Salah was saying these things because he cared about the club and fans, not because he wanted the spot light on him. For example, the spotlight would not be in his favour with his lower than usual stats and would be in Slots favour for benching him.



So long story there for this point... Do the old legends and players have no connection to the fans anymore, should they even? I would have thought at least one of them would have an individual thought and agree with Salah, the closest was Gerards statement about it.

27 May 2026 11:19:10
Not uncommon for managers that struggled to back struggling managers. Probably makes Souness feel better about the multiple messes he made. Anyone watching this team regularly can see that the flaws go way beyond the players.

27 May 2026 12:02:55
"It seemed to me that Salah was saying these things because he cared about the club and fans, not because he wanted the spot light on him."

Cos clearly, the above are the acts of selfish, self-centred bell ends.

27 May 2026 12:50:10
Why isn't what Souness said his own individual thought?

27 May 2026 09:15:36
I think as supporters we were all quite excited by the summer transfer window last year but really only 1 of the signings can hold their head high. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but we should have pulled out of the Isaak transfer and focused more on Guehi. Wirtz looked quality and maybe needs a season under his belt as Let’s face it Mo and De Bruyne didn’t set the world alight in their first season. The problem is though I don’t think most of us can even get excited with any new players we will get in this summer as the confidence in Slot and the drab football has beaten most of us.

I don’t even enjoy watching the games anymore and that’s why most of the fans want to see a new manager come in but despite my trust in all the ITKs I have a horrible feeling come Aug, Slot will be in the dugout. Doesn’t help either that the Mancs look like signing Ederson who I think is exactly what we need to protect the back 4. Also we should be all out for the Brentford full back esp as we have a good relationship with them as a club.

27 May 2026 09:37:48
Salah scored 44 goals and 16 assists IAC in his first season. He absolutely set the world alight. Also, De Bruyne had 15 goals and 13 assists in his debut season. Just thought you might like to know.

27 May 2026 09:44:28
I don't think you are looking at their first seasons with Chelsea. ?

27 May 2026 09:56:27
So you'd have been fine with us unsettling Isak, making him promises and then dropping him like a stone? That's crazy talk.

Isak was a great signing and will prove himself but he's just one cog in a much bigger machine. As cogs go, though, he's one of the very best.

27 May 2026 10:24:38
We need to play to his strengths first, then you can evaluate him. He needs fast direct players around who are not afraid to put a ball in behind the defence. Without the right tactics he will always be a very expensive plan B.

I just don't see him working with Slot in charge. Good player, absolutely no doubt, but under Slot bang average like everyone else.

27 May 2026 10:35:52
Jgrant39, I'm purposely not counting Chelsea because their moves there are not akin to Florian's move to us. They were brought in as young raw bit-part players who weren't backed when they didn't have an immediate impact, whereas Flo has been brought in as a marquee signing, having already made a name for himself as a title winner in a top 5 league and as one of the top prospects in world football.

27 May 2026 13:23:56
Ekitike's injury is a blessing for Isak, assuming Isak finds his own fitness.

27 May 2026 09:00:08
I see Alexander Isak has been voted the worst signing of last season. I would completely agree. I would go as far as say he is the worst signing of the last 10 years. I am really not sure what the club were thinking about this. We would be lucky to get £50m for him now.

27 May 2026 09:45:07
?‍♂️ On line voting is never a good method for evaluating players.

I wouldn't sell him for £100m, he'll come good.

27 May 2026 09:45:57
Hopefully he comes good next season, would love to see the lad bounce back and net 25+ goals, but I do worry, I've seen careers fall off a cliff over a lot less. To be completely honest, I never wanted him, I have absolutely no doubts about his quality, but for me, he was a stylistic mismatch, a purchase very much against the Liverpool way, he was an accident waiting to happen, and the whole deal stunk of Torres to Chelsea from the get-go, no hate whatsoever; I would love to see the lad succeed, but that's just how I saw it.

27 May 2026 10:03:53
How was he an accident waiting to happen, Chew?

27 May 2026 10:15:28
It's fair to say that he was the worst signing of the season given he scored 3 goals as the prem's record signing, but that's just a judgment based purely on the return for the investment over the season and not his quality as a player. He has a lot to contribute when and if he gets fit, I think we're forgetting what an excellent footballer he is overall.

I was watching footage of him playing for Newcastle again and his involvement in overall play really can be excellent, he can drop deep and occupy defenders with his dribbling, he can pull wide left or right and cross the ball with very good delivery, he even has a through pass on him when he comes deep and somebody else runs in behind.

His positioning and instincts attacking the box and the posts is also pretty much second to none. He's not a Kane when it comes to being able to spray the ball or make plays in deeper positions, and he's still not great in the air, but as a 9 he is a very complete and well rounded footballer.

27 May 2026 10:32:02
Really, Inbeta1989? Are you trying to say that after one season where he broke his leg, Isak is a worse signing than Naby Keita? Embarrassing.

27 May 2026 10:44:46
Rigsby, because he's injury-prone, built like a barge pole, and he was always going to have a target on his back after moving to us.

27 May 2026 10:55:19
We have some stinkers in the past couple of seasons, but none come close to Balotelli for me. He may have only cost a pittance in terms of a transfer fee, but to only manage 16 appearances for us over two seasons is diabolical. And that's not even counting the shenanigans he got up to. He was a complete waste of money and squad space.

27 May 2026 11:24:11
More than a bit harsh, that. Surely you have to have actually played some games to be evaluated as being a bad signing? Started the season unfit, then had his leg broken, which, by the way, still didn't stop him scoring. Isak is a proven world class striker and he will come good.

27 May 2026 13:28:13
Definitely worst signing of the signing.
Wasn't for when he arrived, barely fired a shot before getting injured. Altho ironically got injured after a shot.....
Since his return he looks like less than an academy player.

What was working against him from the start?

- the price tag
- the lack of pre-season
- consequently lack of match fitness
- competing piece with Ekitike
- what eventuated was a lack of production and creativity from the wingers, which limited his effectiveness
- we need to see more of him but he seems most effective in the box.

I would have thought we want more than a fox in the box to help our overall style of play.

27 May 2026 15:45:18
Chewy, fair enough, but I didn't realise he was injury prone. I thought his appearance rate at Newcastle was reasonable enough.
I stand corrected.

I don't agree on the target bit though.

We can't not sign players because they will be targeted for signing for us, the fee, or the way they leave.

I can't agree on his build either. Classic centre forward build, for me, that. Ian Rush-like.

27 May 2026 16:44:19
Stringier than Rush, for sure. Rushy was what, 5'11-6ft in boots? Thin, yes, but muscularly dense. He had a powerful set of legs on him. He easily weighed as much as Isak does, yet Isak's got 4 inches on him. There's a reason the internet is full of memes about Isak being skinny, have you seen his legs? They're like matchsticks. The chap makes Mo Farah look hench.

Never once said we shouldn't sign players because of potential targets on backs; you asked why he was an accident waiting to happen, and I explained, they're not singular answers.

Obviously being injury prone is the main reason, but there's other factors. Having a target on your back wouldn't matter so much if you were built like Rooney or Zlatan, but it's certainly a factor for 'stringier' builds like Isak or Ekitike, who are always going to be more prone to injury. It's an unfortunate fact. Lower (absolute) muscle/bone density/ratios, longer levers, increased rotational forces - the biomechanics are not ideal.

27 May 2026 08:36:25
Just seen GS on Sky basically Blaiming the whole season on the players and Mo.

He had a point with Mo's behaviour, to be fair. But not the players!! Players get instruction and try to implement it simple as that. They set up and play how they are told. If they run out of legs at 60-70 mins because they are under trained that's on the head coach.

If that head coach cannot inject energy into the team and tactics in the later part of games, that's on him.

The players have gradually lost faith, but everything boils down to fitness and tactics. Boring, slow and uninspiring football totally down to Slot.

27 May 2026 09:04:21
Chrisy, what point did this GS geezer have on Salah, exactly?

27 May 2026 09:17:14
It was Souness, Oli.

27 May 2026 09:19:52
Oli, Salah has been selfish all season. We love the guy, so we can be blind to his faults, but his antics this season have been a disgrace.

As an experienced member of the squad, it's his job to bring the squad together and help the new and young players, not run to the press to moan every chance he gets.

As much as you might agree with him, those things should be kept in house. Fergie or Shankly would've bounced him out the door without a second thought.



No matter who he is, the club and the team come first, and he has shown categorically that's not the case with him. It's fine, because that's what made him the player he is, but let's not paint him out to be some hero sticking up for us. He isn't. He even said in his interview after the match he doesn't want to come back and wants to be far away from here.

Thank you, Mo, we love you, but now you can do one.

{Ed001's Note - you clearly are unable to understand what he was saying. He doesn't want to come back as an opponent was what he was talking about and it would hurt too much to come back not being a part of it. As for the Fergie and Shanks crap, you are forgetting that Fergie and Shanks actually worked the players so he wouldn't have a reason to complain about standards dropping under them.}

27 May 2026 09:48:23
I would blame Mo if he was the only one not performing and the only one not putting in any effort and the only one looking unfit.

However, there's only one player who I can say is blameless for this season and another player who has been on an upward trajectory.

They're both Hungarian.

27 May 2026 10:15:46
As much as I love Souness, he doesn't know exactly what's going on in that dressing room. Sure, he has the experience, but he had the pleasure of playing most of his career under Paisley, where he only saw a drop-off in form for 1 season. Would it be presumptuous for me to assume he doesn't know what it's like to struggle against an incompetent manager? Paisley, Fagan, Charlton... I don't think so. Ironically, Souness himself is the one most closely associated with that label. I think the fact that most of the team stood behind Mo's comments tells you everything you need to know.

It confirmed all of our suspicions. So whilst I have nothing but respect for Souness, I think he's a little too far removed from the situation. I believe 90% of the fanbase stands with Mo.

Mo is absolutely 100% a hero for sticking up for not just us, but the club and the Liverpool way. It wasn't about him, it was about what he believed in, what we believe in. He's genuinely concerned for the club because of the shortcomings he sees, and there's literally no better man to cast judgement over the standards being set.

27 May 2026 10:17:53
There are loads of reasons we had such a poor season.
Salah's loss of form is just one of them. His use of SM didn't help, but that and his form are not the only reasons.
Similarly, it's not all down to Slot either.

Thinking of all those reasons is making me depressed, so I'm going to move on. ?

27 May 2026 10:54:08
"He doesn't know exactly what's going on in that dressing room." Ah, c'mon Chew, if everyone on here knows every detail is, if we have secret cameras in the place, I'd say Souness knows a bit too.

27 May 2026 09:51:45
ItsSlotallthatbad, none of what you posted makes sense to anyone who has been paying attention to Salah thru out his time here or even this season. You say Salah has been selfish all season. Where do you get that from? He spoke out because he felt he was being scapegoated for all our woes as a team by this feckless manager? What would you have done at your job if it was you? Stay quiet? Oh and whether Salah played or didin't, we were still crap but don't worry, the manager has no say in tactics and playing structure. That's all on Salah. Wow.

Also, you say it is his job to bring the squad together. Sorry, is VVD not able to do that as capt. or are you just taking the mick, at this point? What about the rest of the senior players.? They suddenly don't have that responsibility either and everything is now suddenly on Salah? Was he supposed to do the tactics as well, mate? Lastly, is Slot exempt from doing this as well, as the head of the playing staff or is he also exempt? How convenient.

Also if Fergie and Shanks had Salah, they wouldn't have bounced him because he would have had their respect. in addition, we had Klopp and he didn't bounce Salah because he is the man manager Slot wishes he was and Salah had mad respect for him. You've had a 'mare on that one, mate.? I propose you focus on what you know next time.

And miss me with the whole "the club and the team comes first" crap. Does that apply to Slot too because clearly, it doesn't? What Salah posted last week was there for all of us to see and the fact that majority of the players backed it and so did huge majorities of the fan base did the same just shows where we are and how this manager (who by the way, wanted Salah gone last summer and was overruled, per Ed01) has botched this season completely. But clearly, all that is Salah's fault, you reckon.

Tbh, you sound like someone who is just mad about the fact that Salah spoke out and exposed this manager, something which you dislike without actually looking at the substance of his comments, something the whole media/pundit class did and you bought it. Sad for you.

Even Ed01 had to correct you because you didn't even understand was Souness was saying yet, you agreed with him, regardless.

Again, sad for you.

27 May 2026 12:11:12
Most fans saying the exact same thing as Salah said. I was made up he said it. Obviously he was getting no change outta Slot, Hughes and Edwards, so spoke out. But your ex pros saying you should keep it in house when in house is the problem are talking more crap than they say Mo is.

Why don’t the ex pros keep it in house and ask Mo what he meant instead of giving it more legs?

27 May 2026 12:20:46
@ItsSlotallthatbad, you sound like your username. Yeah, Slot is all that bad, indeed. Frankly, you are literally blaming Salah for the things Slot is actually in charge of and responsible for. Bringing the squad together, help the new young players to settle and setting up the type of environment in the squad as well as on the pitch for all the players to thrive on and give their best? That's all the manager's job or did you not know that?

Salah also spoke his mind cos he is a leader and felt he was being scapegoated for all our ills, and I personally had no issues with it cos he was not the only one struggling. Every, single player was, and if that is happening, Slot is to blame, plain and simple. Salah spoke out again to call our attention how the club is crumbling, but it seems people like you are mad that he spoke, but conveniently, do not address what he actually said. Funny that, right?

Also, mentioning Fergie and Shankly is not the flex you think it is.

Salah is extremely hardworking and respectful. So had he been that way with Fergie and Shankly (the exact same way he was with Klopp), then, they would not have needed to bounce him out cos Salah would have respected them like he did Klopp and went about his business with no issues.

Lastly, I do not call Salah a hero. I call him an absolute legend and leader, one who chose to speak out and expose the absolute rubbish and disharmony going on in the DR and how the standards the club and players past and present under Klopp had fought to build and maintain, was crumbling under the guy you support and the players and majority of the fans agreed. The truth hurts, I know.

Now, if that makes your boy Slot look bad and you have a bee in your bonet about it then, I propose you go to Slot and hold him accountable for his crimes. Don't shoot the messenger.

27 May 2026 13:17:13
Florian, I think you'll agree that none of us know exactly what's going on in the dressing room, we can only speculate based on what we're seeing. With all due respect to Souness, he can be a little out of touch at times, and if he isn't willing to accept Mo's recent comments for what they are, then I believe that's a solid indicator that he has a very different opinion of what is going on behind closed doors. Couple that with the fact that he comes from a time when managers were unquestionable and that, for the most part, he worked under some of the best in the business. I think there's plenty of reason there to claim his opinion is a little skewed.

Even if Souness did agree with the consensus on issues in the dressing room, I feel his traditional mindset hinders his ability to assess the situation in its entirety, hence why his comments feel a little out of context.

How can Mo be making it all about himself, as Souness put it, when he had just 1 game left and nothing at all to gain from doing it. Not to mention that everything Mo said was in regard to his concern for the future of the club without him.

If Mo really wanted to just grab attention and take a dig at Slot, the comments made could have been far more direct, and made a lot earlier in the season. He could have been a hell of a lot harsher and said it months ago, which would have caused 10x the drama, but he timed it perfectly, kept it polite and professional.

27 May 2026 13:47:13
Chewy, and you can apply all the things you said about Souness and his MO and experiences with the pundit class of today, where none of Neville, Keane, Rooney ever questioned Fergie on a damn thing. That is the culture those players played under, hence why they simply cannot come to grips with the fact that players of today have the latitude to come out and speak out.



They conveniently say Salah is only complaining, cos he had a poor season and not owning up to his side of the ledger. Forgetting that in a poor 22/23 season, Salah came out and said the exact same thing re: not letting standards drop even after scoring 19 goals (& 12 assists) in the PL.

And who was the manager? Yeah, Herr Klopp.

And what did Klopp and the club do? Nothing.

27 May 2026 14:08:40
Spot on, Oli, the Slot fanboys are trying to paint Mo with a heavily biased brush because it suits their argument, there's nothing more to it.

27 May 2026 14:23:15
"Florian, I think you'll agree none of us know exactly what's going on in the dressing room." The sentence I've most agreed with you on ever, Chewy. That's the problem, too many have taken personal opinions and passed them off as facts which gullible people eat up. Things that people could have no clue about unless they were in and around said dressing room. Down to what time people clock out. On Salah, I idolise the man. Best player since Stevie. My personal opinion from watching his goodbye videos this week and seeing him talk about the gym etc is that his comments are aimed as much at the players he's leaving behind as they are at the manager.

He talks about players having to continue turning up early after he's gone. I personally don't think Salah should have posted what he did (nothing to do with Slot, I'd say the same no matter who the boss was), and, unlike you, I think it was timed perfectly in his own favour. He knew he was out the door in a week, and, even the one game he had left, he knew the manager couldn't leave him out. As I said, I absolutely love Salah, just didn't like that. Not our way imo.

27 May 2026 15:52:07
Oli, Rooney and Keane did question and fall out with SAF. Maybe not on SM, which is Mo's MO (see what I did there?)
Keane's views on SAF are well known.

27 May 2026 07:39:01
{Ed's Note - MK Scouser has posted a new article entitled, Slot, Reijnen and a Summer of Big Calls

27 May 2026 09:04:41
I'd be gobsmacked if we got Dumfries. Too old, not good defensively, relied a lot on pace/stamina, which post 30 will fail, recent ankle problems.

Right now we should be looking at promoting another right back or getting in some one like Martim Fernandes from Porto or Livramento (I have my injury concerns though).

Wharton will be a disaster signing, end of. He's not a DM, the English press are overhyping him as some sort of Alonso/Gerrard/Kroos/Prilo esque player. We need a Proper DM who can win the ball, take it off the CBs, play it or run with it, intercepts, blocks passing lanes, A BULL of a player who can play.

That just isn't Wharton and he's no different to what we have now really. I felt a few years back Kephren Thuram was an option here.

There are a few that would tempt me to do a job e.g. Douglas Luiz, Onana, Tchouameni

I like the look of the Gladbach kid Reitz, but he may be on his way to Salzburg. But it would allow Gravy further up the pitch.

I've seen bits of Diomande and he looks good, Barcola would be my choice.

I feel looking at your final team, it would be another season of praying for a Champions League spot if we get Wharton, keep Macca, keep Jones, and keep Konate.

Oh, and God forbid Slot's still here.

27 May 2026 09:26:25
PBN, I agree on Wharton to an extent. I actually do really like him and think he's a better midfielder than Mac Allister or Gravenberch. However, you are correct that he just won't compliment them. I don't know if you've watched Lamine Camara? I saw him a couple of times for Senegal at AFCON and he is exactly the type of Bull midfielder you describe. I really hope we see sense and move for him over Wharton, but that squad was my prediction, not my wish list. Wharton to Liverpool just seems inevitable.

I do disagree slightly on Dumfries. He's still a very good player and he came back from his ankle injury looking totally unaffected. At 30 he may only have a couple of years before his legs start to go, but by then I would hope Bradley is over his injury issues and ready to take back his starting berth.

If not, then Dumfries will have just been a cost effective short term solution and we can sign a younger player once we know Bradley has no future. Having said all that, I do think Kounde is the better player by far, so I'm really hoping the tentative links to him come to fruition. He's quicker and technically better as well as only 27/28 years old. Dumfries is stronger and much more effective in the air though, as well as cheaper. Coin toss. ??‍♂️

Likewise, I'd be very happy with Barcola. He's an elite talent in my opinion. Diomande has looked very good in the Bundesliga for one season, but Barcola has looked very good in the Champions League for years.

27 May 2026 09:55:33
MKS on Wharton, he plays next to a DM in Hughes or Lermer at Palace, so if we brought him in w/o the DM or Grav playing DM again, he will struggle.

Wharton is more of a Macca replacement in terms of the second stage of build up play through the midfield.

If we buy him to play deep, he will drown, cos that is not even the role he plays at Palace to begin with.

Hence, we still need a DM to play and cover and protect the defence, whether it be Grav or a true DM/protector.

27 May 2026 10:22:39
I don't think of Hughes or Lermer as DMs.
I don't see much of them, but they don't strike me as solid enough to free up Wharton enough.

27 May 2026 11:00:49
Something about Barcola doesn't fill me with confidence, MK. Just can get the thinking that Diomande would be the better option to go away. Can't see Barcola busting a gut for us, which is what we need.

Just something off about him for me despite his talent. 6 goals in 42 Champions League appearances over a period when they've been the best team in Europe doesn't overly impress me either.

27 May 2026 13:24:44
Rigsby, I have seen a lot of Palace and Lerma is a DM who plays DM (like he was at B'mouth before his move) or CB in a back 3, and Hughes is the same at DM with Wharton ahead of them. Indeed, Wharton can pass a ball, get forward, and can score the odd goal. These are the things Macca could do over the past two seasons (even tho, his main issue was athleticism and physicality).

However, with Lerma or Hughes next to Wharton, he takes up the second phase of build up whenever he receives the ball the same way Macca did with Grav in the title season and build up play from the back.



My fear is that if we sign Wharton, Slot (hopefully he's gone) will play him in the deeper role without a DM/Grav at DM next to him, cos just like Slot has done with Macca, cos he doesn't wanna play with a true DM. Wharton in the deepest/DM midfield position is not it. That's all I'm saying.

27 May 2026 14:00:44
Wharton doesn't solve anything in midfield. He's just as slow and immobile as Mac Allister and just as defensively inept. If you need an expensive defensive midfielder to make him work then maybe he's not the right player in the first place. As for Dumfries, he's another wing back, and one who has had quite a horrendous long term injury, the last 30 something wing back to come from inter Milan was Maicon and he was absolutely dog muck.

You'd be just as well setting fire to £20m than sign him. Also I refer anyone to Ed001's comments on him, as Dumfries is a weapons grade bellend.

27 May 2026 15:57:54
I know what a DM does, Oli. I just don't think of Hughes, Lermer or Lerma when I think of one.
If Wharton needed one of those behind him to allow him to do his stuff, then he can't be that bad.

27 May 2026 16:34:17
They probably just think Wharton is far better than what Macca showed this season. I would agree. There's nothing to say he won't be played with a more defensive player behind him. People say Wirtz is crying out for the line-breaking passes Wharton is capable of, don't they? Well, get the lad in if that's the plan, and see if he is up to it.

27 May 2026 03:35:22
Hey Ed, if you had to take a guess who could possibly buy the club from FSG? I understand 4-5 years ago the rumour mill had the Saudis in the mix for co ownership or something on that note.

If FSG were to sell, who do you think would or rather could, buy them out?

{Ed001's Note - I have no idea, it would need to be another consortium of some kind, maybe different investment vehicles like bought Chelsea.}

27 May 2026 00:45:10
Few stats on Barcola.
He's about to turn 24 in September.
Played 62 games for Lyon scoring 10 goals and 16 assists. Moved to PSG and the last three seasons has played 154 games, scored 39, assists 37.
Valued at £60-£65m.

27 May 2026 03:19:24
Barcola is a great player, with him his football levels are not the issue, the only concern is will he be happy in Liverpool and will he have the tenacity to prove himself away from the superstars in Paris?

Still no other updates, by the way, from the club buying properties in Cheshire from my sister-in-law.

Two properties, two French footballers is what she claims to be going on.
I'm pretty sure Jacquet is one of them. Sales staff are not involved with the deals.
She is gutted coz she works on a commission basis.

27 May 2026 04:05:25
Surely, with Ekitike and Jaquet already at the club, he has a French connection. Plus, he can play across the front line, so is guaranteed game time.

27 May 2026 05:36:04
And if he can play RB, then he'll even be a starter...

27 May 2026 07:39:18
Barcola, a great player? Give me a break. He makes Gakpo look like a prolific finisher. In fact, he is the French Gakpo. He hasn't put in a tackle in his career, can't head the ball nor pass, can't finish his sentence, never mind a chance in front of goal.

Poor work ethic, dodgy fitness levels, can't even get a game for France in friendlies, a sub for PSG most of the time, a complete waste of money. Avoid like Covid.

27 May 2026 07:48:04
I'm not an expert, so I would like the opinion of others, but I don't see anything special with Barcola. Whenever I have seen him, I just saw a decent player, but do not feel that he has the potential to be more than that.

Could someone explain what is/could be special about him?

27 May 2026 08:13:11
How often do people on here see Barcola play? Champions League matches perhaps, as I doubt that they watch Ligue 1 football. So perhaps 3-4 times a season? I wouldn't judge anyone on that level of exposure. It is not possible to do so. For clarity, that's all I see of him, and anytime I have, he hasn't been a regular starter but has been good on the pitch once playing.

That said, I also think Gordon is a good player too, whilst a lot of people on here do not. It's all about opinions in reality. The people in charge of putting the squad together should know best what suits us. As long as we don't end up with another Frimpongadingdong we'll be ok.

27 May 2026 08:41:24
Barcola is a decent player, and between him and Diomande, you could say he's very much closer to being the finished article. It's true that every time I watch him he seems to fluff easy chances, but looking closer at the stats he is a bigger goal threat and a more polished provider than Diomande is.

What Diomande offers though, is a massive upside given his age and trajectory. Also he's one of the hardest working, hardest pressing wingers in Europe already, his involvement off the ball in the opposing third is actually insane. That's exactly what we need if we are going to press from the front again.

At this point I'm much less concerned about goal output from a winger, Isak is there for that, and more concerned about how they can help us get up the pitch quickly or pin the full backs when we don't have the ball.

When we had Mo and Sadio, teams had to change the way they played against us entirely because they were terrified of the two of them running into acres of space with one ball over the top. Our wingers also have to do a lot of super aggressive pressing with Isak leading the line, because he can't engage in that too much over the course of 90 minutes.

The problem now is that we need at the very very least 2 wingers who ideally can play either side, and maybe 1 cheaper option who can be a squad rotation option and can play through the middle if need be as well. The clear option for the cheaper option would obviously be somebody like Bowen. I surmise the other 2 would perhaps be Diomande and maybe somebody like Summerville, though there are questions about his work ethic off the ball too.

27 May 2026 08:46:17
Barcola is defo an Arsenal type player, we'd be carrying him, and there's enough players at Anfield at this moment who are being carried. Looking for a Salah replacement will cost us a fortune.

I'd like to see us go after Bowen, and there's a couple at Wolves who wouldn't look out of place in red. Then I'd look at strengthening at defensive midfield so we can play with wing backs.

27 May 2026 08:57:41
Kingkev10, you beat me to it. Barcola is nowhere near being a great player. Now Khavatschelia? Now that's a great player who is levels above Barcola, it is not even worth discussing. Barcola ain't the level we need to get over the huge hump we created for ourselves via the absolute disaster class produced last season, imo.



Now the talent is there but his end product is very suspect and, frankly, like @PB, I would take Diomande over him cos he is just as talented and has a lot of room to grow and continue his upward trajectory since his move to Alaves from his academy in Miami, Florida.

27 May 2026 09:27:02
Gordon and Bowen for me. Both know the league, no settling period, both will press quality. Just my thoughts.

27 May 2026 09:35:05
Diomande will go to PSG and we'll fund their purchase by buying Barcola from them, top business. ?

27 May 2026 09:58:03
@steviep62, just "knowing the league" or being "PL proven" is not the flex many think it is sometimes. Not anymore, in my view.

I just don't think that should matter when recruiting players cos we all know how BR failed using that mantra to sign players back in the day, per Ian Graham's interviews.

27 May 2026 11:04:25
Diomande over Barcola for me. In fact Gordon over Barcola for me. Don't forget we're going to also have Wirtz and Isak/Ekitike in our front four.

27 May 2026 13:32:59
Flo, if your boy is kept, Wirtz will be playing right back.

27 May 2026 14:16:10
Gordon & Bowen, the most Brendan Rodgers signings ever.

27 May 2026 16:37:14
Good man, Oli. Knew someone wouldn't be able to go a whole thread without auld Arne.