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Palace said he was available for 40mil the entire summer. They didn't sell in the end for 35 because Glasner didn't have time to replace him. Not getting him in is a huge f*** up. He's at least as versatile as Gomez, if not more so, and better than him. We've clearly moved away from the classic 4 3 3; what to is probably dependent on who the next manager is, but whether it's a back 3 or 4 Guehi can play any position across the defence. Hughes made two massive screw ups in the summer - one was not paying the extra 5m to bring Guehi here and the other was signing Isak (not because he's not good enough, but because he's so injury prone). I could see Hughes being replaced in the summer.

I don't have a problem with their long time fanbase (apart from the entitled kids on t'interweb) it's their manager and their cheating on the pitch, which is obv an Arteta installed strategy because they pretty much all do it. They're the worst time wasting, divers in the Prem and that's saying something. Soon as you get a head of steam up you know one of them is going down holding his head. Martinelli was judging Bradders on his own actions and what he'd do. Loved it when we beat them this term and they couldn't just roll around on the floor, time wasting. Am I being racist or is this a Spanish thing that's pervaded the Prem ? The Italians used to be as bad, don't know if they still are. All said, I'd hate to see them win it under Arteta, but I'll be happy for their fans to see them win it once they have a manager that isn't part of Guardiolas cabal.

Form is out of the window. Let's beat these and knobble Zubimendi while we're at it.

They're not our players so I'm not interested in them. It's obvious we've got a team full of world class players that Slot isn't getting anywhere near the best out of.

That's based on what Slot is getting out of them and how they are being deployed. Whatever went wrong with recruitment Slot is making a team full of world class players look mediocre and like they don't know each other.

I'll probably stick up for Hughes more than most but not signing him much sooner for the 40m they said the price was all summer was a massive f*** up by Hughes - the kind that costs you a season of progress. Do it a month earlier they'd have had time to sign a replacement and their manager couldn't have thrown a strop.

Xabi, Enrique or Ancelotti for me. Ancelotti is the best manager tactically we've played against, PSG last season were the best team I've seen us play and Xabi makes me swoon.

Edwards left in 2022 as did Mike Gordon of FSG. There was just Jürgen and Billy Hogan as CEO ( based in the US) 2022 - 2024.

I think there's two separate things contributing to the turgid state of the team. The state of the squad and the ability of the coaching staff. I suspect a lot of responsibility for the state of the squad is down to Jürgen. He got what he wanted to stay an extra few years - all of the say on signings and contracts. Edwards was out and the FSG big shots left Liverpool and moved back to the States. I'm not critical of Jürgen because he was burned out, but he left a series of contracts running down and the senior players largely edging towards the end of their careers. That means Edwards and Hughes came in to a team that needed largely rebuilding top to bottom. We're only half way through that process. I don't want to hear Hughes talk about that because it would imply criticism of Jürgen. The other issue, regardless of the above, is Slots tactical nouse and the coaching staffs ability to get our players implementing it. We have a very talented first 11 looking like the Keystone Cops. Consequently : 1) It's far too early to judge Edwards or Hughes and I don't want to hear them publicly airing the clubs shortcomings. 2) Either Slot or his coaches - or both - aren't up to the job and need replacing. I don't see that happening mid season.

To be fair mate the poor tactics, play and subs didn't start this term. We've been turgid since we got the Prem in the bag and Slot took the entire squad on the piss in Spain in the middle of last season.

No red shirt within 10 yards of him. Abysmal.

Our best chance of scoring is keep launching it into the box and hope for an OG.

For all last night was poor, I thought we had a good 30 minutes in the first half. Curtis, Wirtz and Ekitike were starting to click on the left and Frimpong was causing them problems from the right. Then for some stupid reason Slot switched Wirtz to the middle so he hardly saw the ball and then subbed him off for Gakpo in the second half. Slots in game management is like a reverse Midas touch at the moment.

Slot managed well last season by not rotating. and there's a big question over how much that has contributed to our injuries. I can't remember if his subs worked out last term but they've been dreadful this term. As has his in game management.

To be fair to Slot he wanted to bring his fella from Feyenoord but he was refused a work permit.

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This would be the best possible signing we could make. I said I'd like to see us go for Anderson only because I thought Camavinga was a pipe dream. He's the only player in Europe putting in significantly better numbers across the board than Caicedo in terms of protecting the back four. We absolutely suck at defending and tackling in the defensive third. Here's a graphic I put together last week : edit : stats from FBREF and cover the last year. Percentiles numbers are compared to every player in the same position in Europe. His numbers across the board are impressive. https://fbref.com/en/players/7b9c2d84/scout/365_m1/Eduardo-Camavinga-Scouting-Report#all_scout_full

Dire second half, built on another goal conceded to Konate crumbling.

Reckon we'll bang a few past these. Come ed Chiesa lad.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/dec/23/liverpool-arne-slot-accuses-van-de-ven-reckless-tackle-alexander-isak-fractured-leg Go ed Arne lad. "Arne Slot has criticised Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven for the “reckless” challenge that left Alexander Isak with a fractured leg. Liverpool will be without their record £125m signing “for a couple of months”, Slot confirmed on Tuesday, after he was injured while scoring in the team’s 2-1 win at Tottenham on Saturday. Isak had surgery on Monday to repair an ankle injury that includes a fractured fibula. The operation went well but Slot remains angry over the Van de Ven challenge that trapped Isak’s left leg and caused the fracture. There is also bewilderment at Liverpool that the tackle went unpunished by the referee, John Brooks, and the video assistant referee, Stuart Attwell, in a game in which Spurs had Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero sent off. “It was a reckless challenge,” said the Liverpool head coach. “I’ve said a lot about the tackle of Xavi Simons, which for me was completely unintentional. I don’t think you will ever get an injury out of a tackle like that. But the tackle of Van de Ven, if you make a tackle like that 10 times, 10 times there is a serious chance the player gets a serious injury.” Slot expects Isak to feature before the end of the season but admits the injury is a major setback for a player who has endured a difficult start to his Liverpool career. The 26-year-old’s opener against Spurs was only his third goal for the club and his impact has been hindered by fitness problems. Slot said: “I am confident he can play a part in the season. It has been a really challenging and difficult period for him. He joined a new club, he was very excited and you want to show immediately all the qualities that you have. But that was simply impossible. “Maybe no one understands but if you have not trained for three or four months on a serious level with the team and you are playing in this league you need to be on top of your game to impact a game. That took, as we all knew, months before we could bring him there because there was no pre-season, just games, games, games and no time to train. We always knew it would take him time and that is why he is so unlucky that he is now injured because we all saw with his goal at West Ham, with this goal [against Spurs], that he got closer and closer to the player he was last season at Newcastle.” Conor Bradley was also injured in the win at Spurs and is rated “50-50” by Slot to return against Wolves on Saturday. Cody Gakpo may be involved against the Premier League’s bottom club, having missed the past three games with a muscle problem, but Joe Gomez and Wataru Endo remain on the sidelines."

I'm only going on what I can see in online vids and stat sites (so my opinion may as well be playing Champ Man) but I'm not seeing it with Adam Wharton. Definitely potential but his numbers are mediocre across the board. His numbers last season : https://fbref.com/en/players/4b542852/scout/12524/Adam-Wharton-Scouting-Report Now Elliot Anderson would help shore up at the back and he suits us more. Andersons numbers last term (might have to click on 2024-25 Premier League) : https://fbref.com/en/players/de31038e/scout/12524/Elliot-Anderson-Scouting-Report Intereresting aside, Wirtzs numbers are nuts last year. Let's hope he comes good here. https://fbref.com/en/players/e7fcf289/scout/12552/Florian-Wirtz-Scouting-Report

Yeah that was the filthiest team I've seen in a long time. Isak injury was only two minutes after that other dirty bast went through him and studded his thigh. I don't follow them so I don't know if they are like that every game.

Most of them don't though. We've bought mostly youngsters.

STFU Redknapp. Gobs***e.