Liverpool banter 6

05 Nov 2026 09:34:36
Is Barcola's blistering pace a myth?
Because it's not been on display at all this season.

05 Nov 2026 09:37:47
Incase you missed it he set the then record for this season in the 30 minute cameo he played on his debut. Hope this helps.

05 Nov 2026 09:41:14
Drifts out the game to much for me at the moment. Could be tactics not suitable for him or getting used to different surroundings etc but out of all our signings he personally worries me the most. Hoping he comes good.

05 Nov 2026 10:12:58
He isn't a center forward and shouldn't be playing as one, particularly so early in his Liverpool career. Try it against lower league opposition, not in the Champions League in an incredibly hostile atmosphere. I'm not that worried about him, when he adjusts to the physicality of the need and what we need from him in the role I really believe that he will flourish.

{Ed025's Note - hmmmm..

05 Nov 2026 10:33:45
His biggest asset is Pace and he needs space to run. most wingers are nullified if you don't have space unless you are someone who can beat a man.

{Ed025's Note - for £125m you would expect him to be able to beat a man Sonic..

05 Nov 2026 10:56:14
Think he's played upfront a few times in his career PB. And let's face it the opposition were bloody woeful lastnight. He needs to be showing a lot lot more. He's not alone in that in fairness.

05 Nov 2026 10:59:34
How many wingers out there can consistently beat defenders one on one? It's not an easy skill, and is in fact a pretty rare asset, which is why a player like Rio is so valuable. I also said before he signed that Barcola is not a dribbly isolation specialist, dribbling to create against a set block he is maybe slightly above average at best.

When it comes to kicking and running though he is devastating with space to run into, similar to Munoz. I think he has also shown more technical ability in and around the box than I expected since joining us.

{Ed025's Note - he is certainly devastating PB, all the reds i ask say that they are devastated you bought him in the first place mate..

05 Nov 2026 11:02:07
We gifted them those goals, Florian, no excuses for that, it was one sustained brain fart of a game.

05 Nov 2026 10:55:52
Ed025, it would have made more sense for us to try our luck with Ndiaye than sign Barcola. I think we could have actually got him given the owners don't give af about Everton.

We actually played a front 3 of left wingers last night..

{Ed025's Note - it seems very unbalanced to me Taurus, i know these players are apparently top tier but they seem to be individuals rather than players who fit into a team system mate..

05 Nov 2026 11:12:00
We're not playing a style that ives him the opportunity to use it, we need to play rapid counter-attacking football, he will storm past defenders then.

05 Nov 2026 11:25:56
So what are we going to be, counter attacking or a pressing machine that dominates the ball? Are we to give up possession every week like the Brighton game? Hes not going to get space in this league. Hes going to face really well organised low blocks most weeks.

if that kills his game then bench him and play Rio. And look to get rid as soon as because the instances where you see on his YouTube videos where's he has 30 or 40 yards of space to run into is not going to happen in England.

05 Nov 2026 11:32:30
"if that kills his game then bench him and play Rio"
So that's £125 mill on the bench on the top of Szoboszlai and £116 mill Wirtz who should also be on the bench then.
You are however right about the style. you cannot play counter attacking if the opposition parks a double deceker.

05 Nov 2026 11:27:11
I agree Ed025, But then I look at Wirtz :)

{Ed025's Note - dont even get me started on him Sonic.. :)

05 Nov 2026 12:30:18
It is unbalanced Ed025. That's Hughes and Edwards for you. Too interested in hollywood galatico signings for their own CV rather than getting what the club needs. Does not take a genius to realise we should not be breaking the british transfer record on a left winger when you have 3 already and no right wingers.

But onwards and upwards, can't change the past or the fee so let's just hope it gets better and support the players.

Despite my little sulk here, things are better than last season.

{Ed025's Note - its finding a system that fits the players you have Taurus, may i suggest coning off the right side of the pitch.. :)

05 Nov 2026 13:24:20
I don't care how much moneys-worth is on the bench Sonic. If Rio is performing better than him bench him. On Dom and Wirtz for me it's up to the two of them to fight it out to see who plays in the 10.Its this whole thinking of the more expensive the better that has us where we are now. Carrying passengers every week.

05 Nov 2026 13:47:49
Dom should not be playing as a number 10. Though to be fair the way he is playing I'm not sure where he should be playing, because he hasn't shown that he can do what Iraola wants in his double pivot, either.

05 Nov 2026 13:57:36
Exactly PB. At least he can actually play the 10, not saying he's brilliant there but for me with our squad he either plays there or RB.

05 Nov 2026 14:06:21
Dom was part of the midfield that won the league too btw.

05 Nov 2026 14:08:02
Oli is right. Of course Oli and my self wants us to win every game, but most of all we want a manager who can build a team for the long haul. He has to try different things this season, one of them Barcola up front and Gomes at right back. That did not go right, but he will have learnt a lot.
And this is exactly like Kloop in the start, I remember a ceartain Bournemouth game we let them twice to, ended up losing 4-3. Meta Can was tried out in defence and mid and all over the place, in the end we decided he wasn't good enough.
The same goes for Iraola, he is trying different things and not all will work out. Yes Jaquet looked like Konate yesterday, I think he is clever enough to learn from that game. Rio dribbled way too much, he will learn when to release the ball when to dribble. Nyoni is the bright point, but he is there cause Iraola took a gamble with him and right now it pays off.

Mac Allister has been a clear improvement this season but I don't think Iraola can learn him to stop play acting all the time.
I'm more worried about Szobo, Ali and VVD. Szobo seems a bit lost this season, he has a big problem with releasing the ball at the right time and positioning himself in midfield. I think he has had the most difficulty playing in Iraolas system. Ali seems to have decided to make all the errors he avoided the last 8 years, that is a worry, cause he'll not improve more, maybe because of the injuries.
VVD is just coming to and end of a great career at Liverpool, we owe him thanks, but I think this is his last season at Liverpool. Slots slow Italian wide system might suit him better.

05 Nov 2026 14:30:47
Anyone comparing this squad to Klopps first squad must have awful memories.

05 Nov 2026 14:47:11
Agreed again! Absolutely chalk and cheese JK.

05 Nov 2026 19:10:36
Selling Gakpo for 90m would help justify the money spent on Barcola, although I'm not convinced that Barcola will ever reach as many goal involvements as Gakpo has.

05 Nov 2026 19:31:39
There's many ways to skin a cat Florian, and we know for sure now that passing the ball sideways and backwards isn't one of them. As a fanbase, we have to drop the idea that the high press is the holy grail of football. It worked great under Klopp, with his system and his players, but that's all gone, and its time we accepted we need to adapt to what we've got currently and play to our strengths.

We don't have to adopt just 1 style of play, solid gameplans employ tactical flexibiility, tailored strategy for each phase relative to what the opposition is doing. We're not yet capable of a highly effective press for 90 minutes, we're improving, but we're miles off anything that resembled the Klopp era, we can sustain it for periods, but the more we do it the more fatigue we will suffer come the tail end of the season. Don't forget just how unfit this team was under Slot and the fact that it was a world cup year, Iraola has not had time to up he fitness levels and we can tell from how he spoken of the need to rotate and keep players fresh that he is also very concerned about this.

You say Barcola won't get space, which is true if we play like we did last night, but space can be created, and it happens every single week, the thing is you won't do it by dominating possession with slow build-up play that allows the opposition to get every man behind the ball, we know that for a fact, it was done to death last year and that's exactly why Slots out of a job.

What we need is tactical flexibility, we need to be able to press when we feel we can dominate opposition but also recognise when its not working. At times we have to adapt that press for the likes of Isak and Ekitike so that they're tactically closing down space and cutting passing lanes without overexerting themselves, knowing they likely won't turnover the ball but will at least pressure their man into making a decision. We need to give up a little possession sometimes for the sake of solidifying the defence and rely on the pace of a quick counter when we feel we can be overrun by fitter or more physical opposition. We have to figure out a way to get Isak more involved, create space for Barcola and inject a little creativity into this side because we are majorly lacking in that spark right now. We're getting away with it at the moment because Isak is pretty clinical in around that 6 yard line and Gakpo had a good start to the season but that's not enough to be competing for titles.

You speak about giving up possession to Brighton as if it was a bad thing, remind me, what was the result of that match?

05 Nov 2026 19:41:13
Szob is a big time Charlie chan, proven even more with his shrug to the fans. I'd let him go, give trey most of his game time. We still have grav too until he's sold. Them two and isak sold find a striker a cm and a LB.

05 Nov 2026 21:21:57
I know the result Chew. A result you would have to admit we were very lucky to get. And I don't think the Anfield crowd would be welcoming of too many games like that.3 points are 3 points but as we heard on here last year the fans want to be entertained.

05 Nov 2026 21:24:10
Scouse John we have F all players with any end product. Dom is one of them who has.

08 Nov 2026 03:07:04
Are you suggesting that the more points we win, the less tickets we might sell? If we're not playing a particular style? Personally, I think the fans crys for the 'gegenpress' will fall quickly to the wayside when 3 points are regularly secured. Liverpool came long before Jurgen, and will continue long after.

05 Nov 2026 08:24:52
Last night was the worst we have played for a while, shows maybe that we are still miles off transitioning into a new system. We still looking slow and ponderous in position and vulnerable in defence. I think Nyoni is brilliant but I think he replaces the 8 and we still desperately need a six and an upgrade at full backs.

Loads of mistakes last night but the one I can't get is the Gakpo header, what is he intending to do with that, it looks like he genuinely aims it there, surely he wasn't trying to get enough on it to get that out for a corner.

05 Nov 2026 08:59:43
You're being hard on Gakpo, I thought it was a good assist ?

Yesterday was bad, Nyoni was the shining light. The fact remains we have an unbalanced squad, we need a new keeper (I think Ali will leave and injuries are catching up) a fb, ideally two midfielders, and another 2 attacking options.

We need some bigger personalities in the dressing room, people who aren't afraid to get stuck in and roll their sleeves up, bar Araujo we have nobody who does this.

I really think we need a pressing forward too.

Still, it is a work in progress. I hope we can get top 4 and a league cup win ?.

05 Nov 2026 09:14:35
"Last night was the worst we have played for a while, shows maybe that we are still miles off transitioning into a new system".

Alex, Yes and no. Yes, that was the worst we have played under Iraola. A true collective trainwreck with individual mistakes, lack of communication, slack defending, poor decision-making in both phases, I can keep going.

No, I don't believe we are "miles off" anything. We are exactly where we are supposed to be in terms of what the manager and the players are trying to accomplish in their development. These types of games happen and I think the loss to Arsenal (esp. with the way it happened) may have hit the players a bit harder than expected.

This season reminds me of when Klopp had his first full season in 16/17 trying to fully implement his ideas. There were games like the 5 straight wins we had pre Arsenal and then, there were setbacks like this and the Arsenal game. It is what it is and is part of the trajectory.

Sure, the team played badly and some players need to be questioned hard but overall, I just see it as part of of the development process.

05 Nov 2026 09:43:15
You'd make a good spin doctor, Oli. "We are exactly where we are supposed to be"? Really!? I don't think even Iraola would come out with tosh like that. Regards to comparison with Klopp's 16/17 season, he didn't have half a billion pounds worth of players to work with.

05 Nov 2026 09:50:27
Gakpo was excellent for the goal but then he was shocking after that. Shortly after his assist he was played through behind the defence but when Edison came out to meet him he just poked it out for a goal kick. Then for their second goal it looked like Ali shouted for him to leave it and he got caught in 2 minds. Rather than clearing it or leaving it he then flicked it on to the opposition player at the back post (who Szobo had chosen to leave free).

It was a very bad team performance where lots of the bad habits from last season seemed to resurface (which I felt started to happen in the second half against Arsenal). Ali had a shocker - his kicking was worse than Mama's and his decision making was also poor. Without Araujo in there marshalling the defence we looked lazy and sloppy (I thought that Konate had snook back in place of Jacquet at times) and conceded 3 really poor goals from set pieces. Nyoni aside (who I thought had another good game) the midfield was really poor again and although Rio and Munoz started quite brightly, the lack of control in midfield meant that the forwards got no service at all. As a result Barcola was a bystander.

I'm hopeful it was just a blip as like Oli says I have definitely seen a marked improvement as the players are getting used to the new setup. There is definitely a mental thing that kicks in during games though. When we score we seem to stop playing, take our foot off the gas and encourage the opposition back into the game rather than going on and killing the game off.

Its not a huge problem as we will still comfortably qualify for the knockouts and the main thing is that the team respond at the weekend and ensure that they put in a proper performance.

05 Nov 2026 09:55:58
Aye, OliRed, last night was a collective train wreck and we are exactly where we are supposed to be in terms of what the manager and the players are trying to accomplish in their development?
How does that work?

05 Nov 2026 10:22:33
How does anyone know exactly where we are supposed to be?

For me- and I posted it yesterday- I would expect us to be further ahead in our development to a new way of playing than what I'm seeing now.

05 Nov 2026 10:58:28
How does one go about finding out exactly what the manager and the players are trying to accomplish in their development to know they are exactly where they should be.

05 Nov 2026 11:27:09
If you like the manager we are where we should be but when you don't.

05 Nov 2026 11:29:09
"We are exactly where we are supposed to be"
Is this after or before "We walk the league if it wasn't for Slot".

05 Nov 2026 11:34:36
It's up to the manager to balance the squad he has, his gamble to play this team backfired big time. They should have easily beat a team of old men who Villa trounced, no shots on target against Arsenal, the signs are he is not up to the job, this is not a knee jerk reaction I said he wasn't the right man for the job.

If you can't beat a mickey mouse Turkish team with the players we have there's something wrong with you.

05 Nov 2026 12:18:10
Good summary Shipley. For me we're quite far behind where we should be. Our results at home particularly against very poor sides like Forest are no where near good enough, I don't care what part of the season they fell in that's just excusing mediocrity.

It feels like we've again bought players who don't suit our style or system, and we're experimenting in matches which isn't what this club is about. Ok if they're very dead rubbers or pre season, but if not you should be looking for wins and going out with a killer mentality each week and putting players in their best positions.

As for tactics whether we're counter attacking or not, or counter pressing, well clearly we should have a preferred style and flex it if we feel that's the only way to get a result because of the oppositions quality. But also put simply we're not a counter attacking club, that should be the exception.

I thought the Rafa interview recently was interesting. When asked about Andoni he was reserved in his response. He basically said he knows what he needs to do, and will need time, but he wasn't any more complimentary than that. Typical Rafa in some ways but it felt a bit like damning with faint praise.

05 Nov 2026 12:50:04
The money is irrelevant here because regardless of what you spend, football is a team game and the manager still has to get them to play together and get the best out of them. That is the reality and money spent will not change that. Neither will people's whining fix anything any quicker. This ain't microwave football where you put the team in there and in three minutes, it is good to go.

The Galacticos cost a bomb and a half back then yet regardless of who coached them, they were a bunch of stars playing in their individual gardens on the pitch. The project failed miserably btw.

So if you are hung up on what players cost, that is solely your own problem. Also, anyone still thinking that because we spent loads a year ago will suddenly make us great under a new manager and a new setup then, that is also your problem.

The new manager still has to coach them up to play as a team and keep improving game by game. That is his reality and that is where I am. The rest is just immature crash-out, as if the players chose their own transfer fees.

05 Nov 2026 13:31:57
OliRed, but last season you said it was all on Slot. All, you said. Slot has gone but we still produced a 'train wreck' performance.
Who is that all down to? Oh, it's part of the development process and part of the trajectory, is it?
And you talk about whining and immaturity when you regularly whine and refer to people doing a job as 'clowns', 'bozos' and 'frauds'.


Miss me out with all that, my guy.

05 Nov 2026 13:35:39
Is what you've described there much different to this time last year though Oli? Our net spend this summer was just about as much as last year. Twice as many players joined last summer yet their seems to be a lot more patience about results and performances this season. There isn't a huge upturn in performances or results.

05 Nov 2026 13:49:54
Jimthered, very disrespectful calling them a mickey mouse team, Iraola didn't show them enough respect with the team selection and had no clue that the atmosphere would be like that, even though we all know what fans are like in Istanbul, it's an absolute cauldron.

Villa beat them at home, away I'm pretty sure that would not have been 6-0. We also got beat away twice at Galatasaray and then trounced them at home, sound familiar?

05 Nov 2026 18:03:45
We were very poor yesterday, but there is a lot of knee-jerk reactions and false equivalences on here.

First, although yesterday was bad, I think we are playing better overall and that's down to Andoni. The problem as I see it is two fold: 1) recruitment hasn't been great so we don't exactly have the right players: wirtz I like but he and Isak, who is so immobile, just don't make sense in this team. 2) Iraola is rotating because we have games fast and thick, and it's clear that is hurting our performances because not everyone is on the same page.

Second, the resurgence of "I thought anyone but slot could walk the league" crowd that has emerged has conveniently forgotten that slot had a very different team last year that was mostly fit (barring Isak who wasn't a huge loss with how poor he was all year). That team was more fit and much closer to a functioning unit than this team is which has a lot of new players in. I think this is especially true of the attack which is why we're struggling to make chances. They just not quite connecting yet.

05 Nov 2026 18:21:23
OliRed really is the most contradictory, hypocritical poster on here. I'll give him his due though, he still posts on here. There are a few who led the "Slot out" charge, and "we would've won the league, if we didn't have Slot", who are conspicuous by their silence.

05 Nov 2026 08:06:47
Jaros

Ron, Leoni VVD, Jogo

Jacquet, Nyoni, Macca

Rio, Isak, Barcola.

05 Nov 2026 08:21:18
Wouldn't have Barcola in the starting eleven at the moment. Hes not playing well enough he should be taken out and eased in as his form hopefully improves. We havnt got time for him to hopefully get up to speed.

05 Nov 2026 08:35:00
Ok gapko.

05 Nov 2026 08:44:25
It was always going to be a tough transition. In the space of a few years we've lost or are seeing the end of the best manager we've had in decades, the best right sided player in a generation, and arguably the best keeper and CB since Clemence and Hansen. Robbo was probably in the top few left backs ever seen in a red shirt, Mane was top five left sided players. It was a golden generation.

So where next. Personally I think any rebuild needed to start with the right top level manager and transfer team on long contracts, as I don't think we've had the right squad for years and it'll take more than a few windows to sort. I just don't see this team producing consistently as there isn't any real star quality, or any more mature players at the top of their game. This is a Roy Evan's era type team who'll show up every now and again, and maybe win a lesser cup.

I hope Iraola is the right candidate but I just don't know yet, I'm not feeling it tbh although he's likeable and knowledgeable. Something is just missing which I think is his stage presence, you need that to inspire players like ours or a new top level team as it's being assembled. Hopefully it develops quickly.

As for the rest of the off the field set up I've got even less faith. It's not about the individuals it's the promote from within mentality from FSG. It more than suggests they think we're getting things right in the transfer department so why change too much. I think it needed more forensic analysis and change as it's not been successful for at least three years now.

Arne always felt like a stop gap appointment to me, Iraola seems similar but I hope that's wrong. When the new ownership beds in I can see further change as well be a squad in transition for a while as we try to rectify the huge mistakes of the last three or four summer windows, and see the last of VVD and Ali.

05 Nov 2026 09:05:27
What managers out there now wouldn't feel like a stopgap? The age of the superstar manager is gone now there's young coaches trying to make their own name. And before anyone says Enrique can we just let go of that pipe dream. i have full confidence in Iraola, if he's given the tools to do the job.

05 Nov 2026 09:23:52
It's not Iraola per se that's an issue for me, I think he's a good young coach finding his way. It's him combined with the backroom set up that's buying foreign youth players for massive money, and hoping it'll all gel. That's a huge ask of any coach, even a superstar one if such a thing exists.

We touched very very lucky with Jurgen. He was the Yang to counterbalance the likes of Edwards. Our success was all due to him really, and a sprinkle of magic in the transfer market with the players I mentioned above. The transfer magic was short lived but set us up for almost a decade with Mo, Ali etc.

That magic touch on transfers deserted us about five years ago, so now we're hoping for magic in the dugout. Let's keep on hoping.

05 Nov 2026 09:47:23
Still think we get as many transfers right as other top clubs. All our tivals have multiple cases of big money moves that didn't work out. its just we were spoilt for a few year because the transfer guys got practically every move right. People used to moan about wasting money on Keita when he was practically our only flop of them few years.?.

05 Nov 2026 09:53:53
Nunez, Florian. Just saying.

05 Nov 2026 09:59:48
He was the start of the rot Rome?.The few years before that(summer of 2017-2021)were peak though.

05 Nov 2026 10:44:25
Was Nunez that bad? He scored some important goals and he contributed off the ball most of the time, I distinctly remember quite a few games where him and Mo combined well together on the right.

Keita was a waster a lot of the time but even so he made some kind of contribution to the title win and wasn't a complete non factor, you do wonder what on earth happened with him because you could see that he was a player when he felt like it, which was about twice a season.

But it's true, for a while we were killing it in the transfer market, even the likes of Shaq and Minamino were good signings who always did a job when they were called upon, Diogo was a fabulous squad player overall.

05 Nov 2026 11:48:44
Clearview, our success wasn't solely down to Klopp and it wasn't "magic" in the transfer window. It was Ian Graham and his transfer team, many of whom left after Klopp wanted them to have less of a say, only to delegate that judgement to Lijnders, which is why we ended up with Nunez.

Klopp has to take his share of the blame for our decline. He was way too loyal to players that were declining and he didn't sufficiently succession plan. A good example is buying Thiago, who was old and injury-prone, when our midfield was full of players who were either old or injury-prone.

05 Nov 2026 11:48:47
Florian, tools for the job? He has a squad loads of managers would love to have, a decent manager would be able to get them to play well, we are clueless, chopping and changing on the wings, midfield not settled, Barcola playing as a striker? I'm glad you have faith in him, if this was Slot last year you'd be calling for his head and don't say you wouldn't.

05 Nov 2026 12:12:47
Minamino was a decent signing and did well in the league and Fa cup. I think he started 9 games in 3 seasons in the PL and CL.

Agree on Jota he was a fabulous signing.

124 PL appearances
79 starts
47 goals
14 assists.

30 CL appearances
18 starts
4 goals
6 assists

24 league and Fa cup appearances
14 starts
10 goals
2 assists

5 Europa league appearances
4 goals
0 assists.

His professionalism was subject to lots of debate, but what a load of cods wallop that was.

Terrific player RIP Diogo.

05 Nov 2026 12:19:38
Jim I can back Florian up here he certainly wouldn't have been calling for Slots head.

I imagine If Florian caught Slots in bed with his Mrs he would have made him a cuppa and some scran and probably wrote him a great character reference.

05 Nov 2026 12:52:39
Well, Klopp wanted Nunez so people should air their grievances to him directly for starting the so called "rot".

The kid didn't sign himself.

05 Nov 2026 14:43:55
He also didn't help himself.

05 Nov 2026 18:05:36
Jim I was about the only one NOT calling for his head. You mustn't be long around here?.

04 Nov 2026 21:43:19
Only positive is we might have accidentally found our answer as to how to shoehorn Szobo in to the team. Play him right back, shift Araujo to CB and start phasing Virgil out.

04 Nov 2026 22:08:18
Missed Araujo big time for sure tonight.

04 Nov 2026 22:43:39
If we're down to missing Araujo then we've bigger troubles than those visible.

{Ed025's Note - he has been arguably your best player this season SG..

04 Nov 2026 22:57:43
Contrary to popular belief, Doms not good at RB, he gets caught ball watching just like Trent used to do, that's how the 3rd goal went in today.

04 Nov 2026 23:06:53
Since shrugging the Liverpool fans, you can count his good performances on one hand

Liverpool captain material? No chance.

04 Nov 2026 23:12:21
That was a bad performance today just when we were gathering momentum.

We need to nip this in the bud quickly at the weekend and get back to winning ways and far better performance.

That was disappointing I must say.

04 Nov 2026 23:40:27
We were poor. The consolation is that we are better than that. We missed Araujo - he leads by example and is turning into the touchstone for the team's all round motivation.

05 Nov 2026 06:54:06
So heading into the right direction there @davey.

04 Nov 2026 23:04:58
He has been our best player ED25. But there hasn't been many more to challenge for that accolade unfortunately. We actually do have another 10 on the pitch and 5 from the bench.

If we cannot assemble a team from that very expensive lot without 'missing' Araujos contribution then our squad is even worse than weak. If you get what I'm trying to say. I think you do.

{Ed025's Note - i do SG but you made it sound like Ronald is not all that mate, i think you missed him big time but as you say its a sorry state that nobody except Trey stepped up to the plate..

05 Nov 2026 07:16:44
It's the energy he brings and the fight and desire to compete and win, something these lot just haven't got. Such an unlikeable group of players at times. What does sob actually do? AI will have so big decisions to make, go with the status quo or try and make the best team he can out of what he's got.

05 Nov 2026 08:00:02
I do try to call it as best I see it Sonic and granted I of course wear rose tinted glasses. We need a reaction now.

No sugar coating that performance yesterday in any way. That was very poor.

05 Nov 2026 08:05:08
Slobz was at fault ffor 2 and 3 goal.

He allowed Brown all the space in the world for second.

Nothing against slobz he does not have defensive instinct.

We should have replaced gomez with Arajao. and slobs with One of Witrz or Gapko.

05 Nov 2026 08:15:09
Aruajo has been good this season but its very blinkered to think we lost because he wasn't playing. He was on the pitch for the first half shambolic performance against Villareal and played in the Fulham, City and Arsenal games where points were dropped.

This isn't me saying he's the problem, i'm just saying him alone isn't the answer.

05 Nov 2026 08:59:27
As much as i like Dom, he just doesn't fit into this team and way of playing, there are a few players that look like they have been bought with no idea of a system they were to be used in, Hopefully they will start to buy or bring players on that fit a system and have the right profile.

work towards the whole is greater than the sum of its parts YNWA.

05 Nov 2026 09:11:29
Would he not be able to play in the 10 position? i know people used to knock his numbers there but I!d imagine they were better than the guy that is playing there at the moment. Sort the midfield and let Dom and Florian fight it out.

05 Nov 2026 09:14:03
Agreed JK.

05 Nov 2026 09:58:27
For me Araujo is the key part of our defence this season. He plays like a captain and leads by example which I'm sorry to say Virg does not. Virg was so good in his prime that his laid back casual style is really starting to cause problems as he ages and it rubs off on the other defenders.

Is he perfect? No. But the defence is much better when he is a part of it.

05 Nov 2026 10:53:00
Dom played 10 last night I'm pretty sure, Flo? Dom's problem is that he just does not have the instincts of a 10. When he played 10 in the title winning season he was basically a water carrier who would pass the ball to Mo, who was basically our real number 10 in the right half space. Dom's job was to press high up the pitch, which you would think is actually his biggest asset, but he has not been doing a great job of it lately.

Say what you will about Wirtz but he actually plays the 10 like an absolute natural. He is outstanding at making himself available anywhere on the pitch, and making decisions really fast after scanning what's around him. To be a 10 you need to have a super fast footballing brain in tight situations, and the ingenuity to make risky plays in small spaces.

Dom on the other hand is just slow, he doesn't have the footballing brain of a 10. His strength is carrying the ball himself, or arriving in and around the box to get on the end of chances himself. He cannot play one or two touch football, he takes too many touches before making a play.

You have to fear for his position in this team because now you have Macca playing out of his skin on and off the ball now that he isn't left exposed, and Trey looking like an absolute natural punching the ball through the lines fast as well as improving all the time off the ball. Both him and Grav are coasting on the one skill they have in their locker that is elite, with Dom it's long range shooting, with Grav it's ball carrying, but neither of them look particularly suited for the double pivot as Iraola imagines it.

05 Nov 2026 12:54:31
Spot on, WDW. Scapegoating is futile. It was a collective disaster with blame to go round.

Just need to do better, continue to work hard and improve.

05 Nov 2026 19:17:19
Gravenberch is 1/3 Viera without the nasty edge.

04 Nov 2026 21:23:47
I've seen teams less talented in my days as a Liverpool supporter, but I've never seen a team with less spine as this one.

04 Nov 2026 21:37:33
I think it is time to accept we are entering into our Manchester United post Fergie era.

04 Nov 2026 21:53:17
Who cares about tonight's game.

Do we know if opta have changed the shots on target for Sunday. That's the real outrage.

{Ed025's Note - quality JK..

04 Nov 2026 22:01:34
We would've been OK tonight, JK, if not for that pesky ref. He was corrupt.

04 Nov 2026 22:21:37
It's all slots fault and we should get Darwin back.

04 Nov 2026 22:26:01
Not worried about tonight's game. The only aim in this phase of the CL is to finish in the top 8 - otherwise it's irrelevant where you finish.

{Ed025's Note - nice bit of spin there Ron..maybe the players thought the same..

04 Nov 2026 22:33:05
Ron - it's about building a winning mentality and a team capable of going to tough environments and grinding out wins -atm we're miles away from that!

And top 8 in the CL is no way in the bag with that sort of display.

04 Nov 2026 22:44:33
It's also about managing workloads over 2 very busy months ahead.

{Ed025's Note - are you head of PR at LFC Ron.. :)

04 Nov 2026 22:46:08
I'd be worried about tonights game. It showed all the things that are wrong with this side. The only consolation was Nynois contribution.

04 Nov 2026 22:48:27
I never knew that losing is a good way to prepare for those busy two months ahead.

04 Nov 2026 22:53:59
you weren't watching last season?

04 Nov 2026 23:18:43
Last season is over. And I watched every bit of it. Unfortunately. Losing didn't get us anywhere then and it won't again this time around. We need to build mentality and confidence. We're sorely lacking in both and I cannot see a leader in the team to consolidate the team when either leading or trying to get out of a losing fight.

A team without those attributes isn't going to get very far. That's a job Iraola needs to fix and it's the most important one. IMO only.

05 Nov 2026 06:43:36
Ron you do know we are now in that top 8 by the skin of our teeth don't you?

05 Nov 2026 06:56:42
At what point are we going to start criticising Irola for the results. Just asking for a friend.

05 Nov 2026 07:27:08
Next season after he's had a chance to replace half the team.

05 Nov 2026 07:35:37
So you want to chnage half the team @War? Well then we would chave kept slot in charge and chnaged half the team.

05 Nov 2026 07:43:40
Sonic has a point though WM!

Iraola shouldn't get a free pass over performances like that. He's paid big bucks to get these players to perform and if he was under any illusions about how weak mentally this squad is he certainly knows now.
Time to get tough and a that means getting tough with a few big names that are clearly on the wain.
Our first loss last season away to Palace and people on here wanted Slot out at that very point and so there's no free ride at this level.

05 Nov 2026 07:54:56
V strange decision to play Barcola upfront when he could have started Koumas there and either given Barcola a rest or played him in his proper position.

05 Nov 2026 08:00:07
You can't make Ron captain. he don't speak English! Not now not never. Haas to be a scouser.

05 Nov 2026 08:27:22
I'm still waiting for the heavy metal football to return. It's better than last season but it's not even soft metal yet.
And I wonder how long it will take for Iraola to earn a new moniker like the one Slot got ?.


It's not the end of the world. We've had a bad few days but Iraola needs time. I didn't think I'd see the day when fans turn on Alisson. Again, he has earned the time to put things right.

05 Nov 2026 08:40:42
I wouldn't turn on Allison Rigsby. He's an all time great like Vyrgil BUT they are on the wain & it can be rapid,
What makes a great keeper is their instinct & reaction to situations, Ali is struggling but he's still the best we've got which isn't filling me with confidence.

05 Nov 2026 09:20:48
There's zero room for sentiment in professional football. Once Paisley saw a player on the wane, regardless of their past achievements or reputation they were out the door. Both VVD and Allison fall into that category. Come summer 27 they need replacing. That's not a slight on either of those 2 greats it's just reality.

05 Nov 2026 09:46:01
SG, I remember The Kop booing Phil Neal because he was on the wain and Bob Paisley still picking him.

05 Nov 2026 10:42:02
I can't say otherwise Rigsby. I wasn't there and I can't remember last month let alone 50 odd years ago!! I do think ED01 always thought Klopps big weakness was being over loyal to his stalwarts. We can't repeat that. But I'd certainly repeat every other thing he did when with us!! Anyway Onwards and Upwards!

05 Nov 2026 11:38:20
Paisley would replace you if he could sign someone better. That has to be the standard.

05 Nov 2026 11:44:36
Full head of hair fraud, doesn't have the same impact does it really, Rigsby?

05 Nov 2026 12:55:34
Iraola Out.

05 Nov 2026 16:03:20
Fair dos, SG, and not at all, Rome ?.

04 Nov 2026 20:52:10
Liverpool teams can't be soft, but some of our senior players are absolutely spineless, and one or two are spineless and useless in equal measure.

Hope the club back AI to get rid of the wimps and bring in players with some guts.

04 Nov 2026 21:24:36
Would you care to name them?

04 Nov 2026 21:49:04
Sadiki, Camara and there are others.

05 Nov 2026 00:33:08
@Den, nice try and thank you for playing. Perhaps @Longthing was asking about the 'wimps'.

04 Nov 2026 20:25:10
The higher ups at Liverpool have a big decision to make concerning Alisson and Van Dijk. Both out of contract at the end of the season, and neither have shown they are worth keeping on. Both can't cut it at this level anymore, one is physically gone, the other has been played so far into the ground that he is no longer able to operate at former levels.

Difficult decision, but we need to rebuild, rather than retain players far past it.

We need a new right back (Should have been done this season). A new centre back (Hope in Ndwuke). A new left back (Tsimi couldn't hack Italy! Italy! Yet he was allowed to stay with us. A new left back should have been brought in this season). A 6 has been needed since Fabinho left and we still do not have this profile of player, despite all top teams having it.

Don't even get me started on the offensive unit. Complete mismatches and, worst, highly expensive. We will take a loss on these players in the future, and understandably so.

Extensive work needed, and hopefully, when the new owners take over majority ownership, they'll look to make their mark and get us back to where we need to be. Hughes and Edwards destroyed all of Klopp's work, but there is still time to rebuild. There will certainly be years of hurt, but with the right people, we can get there.

The worst thing I can say about this squad, is that it resembles Man United's period of buy for reputation, over consistent squad building. No thought for balance, just names, zero plan to integrate or with a thought for playing strategy.

Don't know whether to feel for Iraola or partly blame him, because I expected more from him, but I also expected him to be sufficiently backed. So a rather awkward position. Same issues persist, and I can not go through another season like the last, especially considering the mentality of the players we have.

04 Nov 2026 20:56:51
Couldn't agree more Mango

Our purchases are like a kid in a candy shop, with no apparent plan of how the individual pieces of the jigsaw would knit together.

We have seriously missed the boat on strengthening post Klopp's title winning side but have spent a lot of money to get our current squad.

04 Nov 2026 21:13:56
Our play has improved a great deal under Andoni, and he can only work with what he has.

I believe he'll take us back to something closer to what we were under Jurgen, although there will be some big-name casualties along the way. By and large, this team is too soft-centred.

04 Nov 2026 21:25:26
Can we give the sporting director time?

Arteta is now lauded but every year Arsenals fans were calling for his head
We need fullbacks and another midfielder
Replace Chiesa endo elliott (maybe Frimpong)
Look how many spaces that frees up

We need some windows an some time yes the money paid means it should be way faster but money doesn't mean guaranteed results
We were never going to win the league or champions league this season so relax let the man build this team.

04 Nov 2026 20:43:01
There's a distinct lack of mentality there Mango. Unfortunately.

05 Nov 2026 01:45:44
Extend VVD but have him as cover. sign a LCB. Let Ali go. Best keeper we ever had but he's been poor for quite some time now. Mamardashvilli isn't the answer maybe the Belgian kid is.

05 Nov 2026 08:01:01
Jaros.

05 Nov 2026 08:38:52
Mango, you talk about mentality and then say you can't go through another season like the last one!
You have to; it's football. Arsenal had years of it and look at what City might have to go through.
Look at United. Everton have one centre forward and that's Thierno Barry.

Spurs have been in a relegation battle for the past couple of seasons.
If your team has a big impact on your mood you have to accept disappointment.
I'm was disappointed last night but today's another day and we've another game on Sunday.

05 Nov 2026 12:58:29
Indeed, Postklopp re: Arteta. Man's in year 7 yet people want Iraola to do miracles in month 4 just because we spent a bunch last season with a manager who's no longer even here.

04 Nov 2026 20:15:49
It's time for the club to be ruthless in it's decision making. For me Ali and Virg need a huge send off in may along with Gomez. No new contracts. Big decisions need making at fullback and in that midfield.

04 Nov 2026 20:31:14
The most worrying thing is I don't think Andoni has got the bottle in him to make the above decisions, he's at the crossroads now it's on him to decide if we take the high road or the low road.

With Bonfire night being tomorrow, there's more than enough deadwood for a thousand Bonfires.

04 Nov 2026 20:42:10
Don't know where you get that from 007.

Iraola has got plenty of bottle.

04 Nov 2026 20:55:12
Is it realistic to get rid of the 3 of them next summer along with a LB, RB, possibly 2 midfielders and a striker needed? I'd keep Van Dijk and Allison because if we get the right personnel in the other positions both of those have experience and are driven to win trophies.
The only other option is to buy 2/3 players in January so they have time to settle and become regular starters before next season.


Otherwise it's going to be another summer of disappointment as 6/7 decent players won't be signed.
Please god they don't spend the summer chasing Olise and wasting all the transfer budget on him.

04 Nov 2026 22:18:48
Hello RK,

Then why did Becker play tonight after another howler on Sunday that's player loyalty and rewarding failure/mistakes. Sloboszlai first game back since injury played the full game went to RB (square pegs, round holes, slotball) why was Araujo kept on the bench all game, he should of come on for Dom when Isak got the lead, a fresh and experienced defender, and a better header of a ball. LFC had their backs to the wall, ideal time to take a brave decision with Ronald

There were no big expectations at Bournemouth, the expectations at LFC are huge. I want him to be totally successful, but he has to make the right decisions, not just hope on a wing and a prayer.

04 Nov 2026 22:28:45
I don't know why Becker played, maybe the manager doesn't judge him on one mistake in a game and instead judges him in training and compares him to the alternatives?

I do know it's a nonsense to challenge the manager's bottle.

Can't you stick to abusing the midfielders instead of the manager?

05 Nov 2026 06:55:02
Keep Virgil. But actually give him some rest instead of starting him what seems like every game. For club and country. Let Gomez and Alli go. Gomez should have been gone years ago and the only difference between Alli and other keepers now are the massive wages he's on.

{Ed025's Note - maybe you need a £100m+ keeper FM?..

05 Nov 2026 10:06:46
I'd give the lad Brughmans the shirt straight away Ed. Young Pecsi is also doing well in Austria.

{Ed025's Note - i think we have seen the best years of Alisson FM and im afraid time moves on, to be honest i think there is a dearth of good keepers now mate and i dont know why, maybe its because they all think they are footballers now playing intricate passes and having the odd dribble, they have to realize that they are in goal for a reason...they are crap at football and were usually last pick in the school team so got the gloves..

05 Nov 2026 13:01:45
Ron, stick to abusing midfielders? For some on here, abusing our players is their reason for being.

04 Nov 2026 19:46:51
No Araujo = No energy, No physicality, No passion and No desire.
Van Dijk is sleep walking through games and at times doesn't look interested.
The kids put the established internationals to shame.
I am afraid to say that Iraola's tactics are not going to work with some of these players.

04 Nov 2026 20:08:02
This is Edwards' team, with a few Klopp leftovers. I doubt Andoni would have chosen many of Edwards' signings.

I suspect Edwards was so opposed to Andoni because he knew his tactics wouldn't suit the players he'd assembled.

Alonso went from first choice to nowhere, rather unexpectedly, because he wasn't prepared to play within Edwards' vision for the team.

Behind the scenes, it's been a real mess, with constant changes and power struggles. I suspect FSG are selling partly because of this, but also because they realise that taking the club to the next level requires a number of factors to align.

Klopp, Ian and Edwards worked well together, but as many here have pointed out, Edwards' reputation was built on the shoulders of giants.

How and why he became so revered is partly down to publications like The Athletic, which often seemed little more than an FSG mouthpiece.

Jurgen and Ian were far more important to our success than Eddie.

04 Nov 2026 20:15:34
A coach should adapt their tactics to suit the players and to win matches, until they get the squad they need to suit their preferred tactics.

It's not even that clear what tactics we're deploying other than trying to be front foot and high energy. Defensively we're not great in European games and typically we don't score enough in the prem so it seems we can be the worst of both in the space of a few days, which is a recipe for failure.

04 Nov 2026 20:19:35
Agree totally. Massive couple of transfer windows coming up.
I really hope they back Iraola!

04 Nov 2026 20:20:44
But didn't Ai know the Liverpool squad when he agreed to come in as manager.

We were told he would improve everyone. Only players who have improved on last season is Isak who posters seem to hate and Macca, but apparently that has nothing to do with Ai and everything to do with him wanting a new contract.

04 Nov 2026 20:29:27
Macca was brilliant under Klopp and during the title-winning season. He was also brilliant for Argentina at times.

This level of performance is nothing new. The issue is that his form seems to oscillate between good seasons and bad ones.

The added motivation of playing for a big, dream move brings another dimension into the equation. Everyone knows how important the psychological side of things is in elite sport.

04 Nov 2026 20:53:53
Everything will be OK once Slot's gone.

04 Nov 2026 21:41:55
That dead horse is being flogged and flogged and flogged again.

04 Nov 2026 21:51:23
You can't reiterate a good point too much, Mcgov.

04 Nov 2026 22:29:40
Could be true Rome, give it a go ?.

05 Nov 2026 08:13:06
I suppose I'll keep churning out the same stuff for as long as I banged on last season, saying it wasn't all down to Slot. I think that was about 8 months. So I reckon I've about another 5 months to continue to be an agitating git!

05 Nov 2026 08:54:32
Wasn't Edwards team also Klopp's team?
I don't get trying to distance your team from certain individuals that were a part of it or to put its success down to other individuals.
It's Iraola's team and he needs to work with it.
He's the Liverpool coach and he coaches Liverpool players not Edwards, Slot or Klopp players.


He needs time and I'm sure he will replace more Liverpool players with what he thinks are more suited but we can't keep doing it and resorting to the blame game when we lose.