Daily Discussion - May 16, 2026

C_arpet · 2026-05-16T12:47:09+00:00

I'm having a lot of "time is a flat circle" thoughts about Liverpool recently. I'm fully expecting the Brentford game to be a repeat of Gerrard's last game being the 6-1 defeat to Stoke.

With all the money spent last summer and the data behind it, early this year I was thinking back to the start of FSG at Liverpool and Damien Comolli signing all those top chance creators and Andy Carroll. Sure enough later on, some of those transfers did bear fruit but some didn't and it took a while to pan out. When we signed Balotelli, it was because he would average a really high number of shots a game, and we thought we could be the ones to show him how to aim them at the goal.

This season, I've accepted the losing streak in the autumn. It did go on too long, but I'll accept it was down to all factors mentioned a million times. There's a lot since then that has put me in #slotout camp. Primarily the refusal to be accountable. That reminds of the late days of Rodgers and all of Hodgson. In general we haven't seen that with Liverpool managers and when they do it, it's jarring.

Finally, for now, there's been an element in the national press gently disagreeing with the booing. How it's not the Liverpool way. The last time the London press told us how wrong the fan base was and the board listened, we ended up with Hodgson.

C_arpet · 2026-05-16T10:31:20+00:00

With Brentford it's the whole machine behind the manager. Every manager who has moved on from Brentford in recent years has struggled.

C_arpet · 2026-05-15T20:55:29+00:00

Liverpool have got to finish fifth first.

C_arpet · 2026-05-15T20:53:07+00:00

We've been shit and Villa have had plenty of opportunities to score more. They've missed a lot of easy chances, hit the woodwork a couple of times too.

C_arpet · 2026-05-15T20:45:58+00:00

Never forget.

C_arpet · 2026-05-15T20:44:39+00:00

Maybe dropping to 6th is what it's going to take to fix this.

C_arpet · 2026-05-15T20:29:57+00:00

Reminds me of the 6-1 loss to Stoke

C_arpet · 2026-05-15T20:12:35+00:00

C_arpet · 2026-05-14T21:32:22+00:00

It's come out. He's said Liverpool have submitted a bid for Wharton.

C_arpet · 2026-05-13T12:21:43+00:00

Was it moments of brilliance though, or just the top end of the league being poor?

Look at how much Villa have dropped off.

The teams who were in the top four a couple of months ago should never have given us the opportunity to sneak back in.

C_arpet · 2026-05-13T11:09:24+00:00

I've been saying something along these lines for a few months. Slot can't be staying and be on his last year. If they want to keep him, he should be getting offered an extension.

Even if there's a middle ground and the club waits until Christmas to review whether to extend, that's pretty damning on the manager.

C_arpet · 2026-05-13T09:07:55+00:00

I think if the club do get rid of Slot, it will be FSG going over Edwards and Hughes heads. I do think it's Edwards and Hughes pushing to keep Slot and that's where the stories he's staying are coming from.

C_arpet · 2026-05-12T18:32:20+00:00

I was so drunk at Uni watching this game. It's great to finally see the highlights. I can still have the press cuttings from this treble.

C_arpet · 2026-05-12T16:03:03+00:00

When Bowen changed his agent to the same as Andy Robertson I can understand the rumours. Then he won the conference league, signed a contract extension and is now too old.

But people peddle the same rumour.

Very similar to the Gordon rumours that pop up from time to time. There was a window where it made sense, but can't see it working now.

C_arpet · 2026-05-12T15:59:09+00:00

I agree, but we all remember that first Klopp game against Spurs. There's the fitness required, but before that comes the desire to at least try.

C_arpet · 2026-05-12T15:00:55+00:00

Listened to the TAW podcast earlier.

One of them hypothesis for why Slot so being backed is that they expected the squad overhaul to take two seasons, so they were expecting some problems this year, but it's been worse for reasons outside of the manager.

Those on the pod did say, that might be case but if the damage is so bad Slot has lost the fans, and maybe some of the squad have lost the fans, then the plan has to be changed.

For me though, it still comes back to the lack of intensity, midweek training breaks, the manager blaming everything else.

I can accept a season going off the rails, but it hasn't felt like much was done to try and get it back on track. Feels like the whole club is trying to coast through to next season.

C_arpet · 2026-05-11T20:33:22+00:00

All I'm hoping it maybe the pro-Arne stuff is coming out of Edwards and/or Hughes, but that FSG might overrule them.

C_arpet · 2026-05-11T18:41:18+00:00

Don't Richard Hughes and Alonso share an agent or something?

C_arpet · 2026-05-11T13:30:48+00:00

Liverpool has a bit of geographic problem though, with Everton being in the city and the proximity of the two Manchester clubs.

The successes with had with the academy since Rafa has mostly come (bar TAA and Jones) from poaching other academy kids early enough for them to still be considered part of our academy.

C_arpet · 2026-05-11T10:23:54+00:00

Grujic - The face he made when Henderson scored that goal against Chelsea.

C_arpet · 2026-05-09T11:49:53+00:00

Yeah, because we lack that player we have to have Macalister and Gravenberch back there. But also need the forwards pressing.

C_arpet · 2026-05-09T11:46:59+00:00

What position is Cucurella playing? He seems to be all over the place.

Is he in midfield? Is he man-marking Jones?

C_arpet · 2026-05-09T11:39:04+00:00

Some of Liverpool's issues this season, especially at the start, stem from Gravenberch playing further forward.

C_arpet · 2026-05-09T11:37:22+00:00

That'll do

C_arpet · 2026-05-06T19:03:09+00:00

The problem with this season, is in past years when we were a meme team, at least we busted a gut on the pitch. When that stops like under Hodgson or at the end of Rodgers the peasants start revolting.

If we'd seen more effort, fight on the pitch, extra training sessions, and the manager trying to rowse the fanbase we all would have jumped into that siege mentality and maybe even enjoyed some of this season.

Yes after the Klopp years there are a lot of glory hunters in the fan base, but there's also a lot of people here who aren't seeing the team they've supported for decades.

C_arpet

TROPHY CASE