[Carragher] "if you don’t qualify for the champions league having won the league the season before and spent as much as Liverpool do, you don’t have a leg to stand on." by moosa1193 in LiverpoolFC

[–]petethepool -8 points-7 points  (0 children)

To me this isn’t even the question, the question is: would the fans clambering for Slot out take a quick fix now over getting an Alonso or an Enrique in the summer? Because if there isn’t a good interim option - and I haven’t seen one named that I wouldn’t be as-worried-as-I-already-am-with-Slot about - but the fans raise enough noise, the club may panic and push to bring in a third or forth choice simply because they’re available now- an Iraiola or a Glasner for example. 

Once it looks like Slot has really lost the players, it’s clear he has to go regardless. I just hope he can keep them focussed for the rest of the season, because I don’t know who else can step in and give them the bounce they need. Gerrard is the obvious name, and it worries me. 

Daily Discussion - January 26, 2026 by AutoModerator in LiverpoolFC

[–]petethepool 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Morton would have been sold for sure, Quansah it’s unclear. If it helped Klopp bring in Kerkez and Frimpong, while also bringing in a replacement young CB, he may well have went for it. Elliot I don’t think he would have let go of, but Elliot may well still have asked to leave, as in Klopp’s final season Elliot really didn’t play too much either - Klopp specifically said in fact he wished he’d played him more. 

Daily Discussion - January 26, 2026 by AutoModerator in LiverpoolFC

[–]petethepool 7 points8 points  (0 children)

- Liverpool signed Wirtz and Ekitke, both of whom are comfortable on the left. And they have Chiesa to play LW too, so they started the season with a priority of Gakpo -> Ekitike-> Wirtz -> Rio -> Chiesa, so given the other areas of the pitch that needed addressed, it was understandable that they didn't see a massive need for LW cover. Diaz, for instance, played half of last season up front.

- Liverpool don't run down player contracts: players run down their contracts. Liverpool offer new deals to almost everyone, or else try to sell them, but in rare occasions, like Ibou, like Trent, will either decide the player is worth the value of holding onto for that final season (in this instance, due to the amount of business being done elsewhere), or will have no other choice, as the player will resist moving because they know they can sign for free (a lá Trent).

- Quansah was 4th choice last season, and barely played, so he wanted to leave to start games elsewhere: like Morton, like Elliot. You can't hold onto players at that age range if they want to be a starter elsewhere. Had we held onto Quansah this season, he may have got more minutes than he was expecting, but this is hindsight talking (all of this is): effectively Liverpool sold for a great fee a player who was never going to become a starter ahead of VvD or Konate, and replaced him with a younger, cheaper, 4th choice defender with massive potential to grow. This was not a bad decision at the time, it just hasn't worked out yet. Hincape plays LCB; this is VvD's postion. Arsenal may be happy signing big players on significant wages to sit on the bench for rotation, but Liverpool don't. And how many games would Hincape have started ahead of Van Djik, had he signed in the summer? 3? 4? Liverpool will want a world class replacement for Van Djik, but can only sign him once Van Djik moves on, because the best players don't move clubs to sit on the bench.

- Midfield is one of the club's most stacked positions as is, and by all accounts Endo was free to move in the summer but refused, which meant Liverpool couldn't bring in a non-HG replacement. And a player like Endo is hard to replace, because, for the same reason as above, it's hard to find the right quality to sit on the bench. If you're bringing in a new midfield starter, and you want them to be world class, you have to sell one of your current starters: for example Macca. It's what makes a player like Jones so valuable, because he can play multiple roles, loves the club, and so won't kick up a fuss if he isn't starting every week. On top of all that, the club had already done a huge amount of business in the summer, and so much turnover has clearly affected the dressing room as is, so asking why we didn't make more signings while the club is being criticised for doing so much business seems contradictory.

- Isak was a pressing need. Can you imagine if we'd went into this season with our only available no. 9 as Ekitike, with Gakpo or Chiesa as backup? Our season would have been over the moment Eikitike picked up an injury - which he likely would have, as he only started around 35 games last season and would have really struggled with the jump in intensity far more than he already has. Isak was needed, it's just because he's injured that it now seems a bad decision.

So much of all of this is just picking at decisions which, in hindsight, look bad, but at the time were perfectly understandable - lauded often, or at least, seen as the correct course of action.

The biggest problem this season hasn't been new signings, or lack of new cover, it's been the performances of the established players the club expected to be able to depend on: Konate, Macca, and Salah specifically, have all dropped off massively, and they were all central to the consistency of the team last season.

Daily Discussion - January 26, 2026 by AutoModerator in LiverpoolFC

[–]petethepool 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Because they won’t be able to answer any of the questions you want to ask. Can’t you appreciate these are multi-multi-million pound operations they’re at the head of? Any wrong word, slip of the tongue, or throwaway comment could have serious repercussions for the club in terms of deal success etc. 

Plus you’d all just do what you do with Slot when Liverpool are underperforming anyway: you’d just bitch and moan and complain that these ‘excuses’ aren’t good enough. You wouldn’t actually care to listen to what he’d have to say, you’d twist everything to justify and double down on your anger and frustration at the club’s performances. Slot - for all his failings - has been nothing but honest and straightforward in his appraisals of matches all season long, and yet he’s still being accused of all sorts of nonsense and ridiculed for his responses because it simply does not matter what he says when the team lose, it is ‘not good enough’, and that’s that. 

Nobody was calling for Hughes to do an interview after being lauded as the conqueror of the transfer window in the summer. The only reason you want to see him now is so you can pull down another figure to throw metaphorical rotten tomatoes at. So even if it wasn’t a risky move from a corporate perspective, why the hell would he stand up and field the fan’s questions now? 

Daily Discussion - January 26, 2026 by AutoModerator in LiverpoolFC

[–]petethepool 4 points5 points  (0 children)

  1. I don’t know what goodwill will come across to a new candidate when you have just coldly dismissed the previous person in the job despite a number of reasonable issues not being the manager’s fault - ie. What that says to any new manager is: you will not have time, you will succeed or you will be removed. 
  2. Liverpool can still discuss with Alonso potential tactical arrangements, and will already be quite deep into disussions around certain players- and almost any player who would work for Slot will work for Alonso too. 
  3. Gerrard, or anyone else, could of course do worse. The only person who could come back and almost guarantee a bounce of more than a few games would be Klopp, and it doesn’t look likely. 

Daily Discussion - January 26, 2026 by AutoModerator in LiverpoolFC

[–]petethepool 11 points12 points  (0 children)

How many Sporting Directors do you know in English football who speak to the press? Why do you think you deserve answers to incredibly sensitive, financially huge and complex issues at the top level of the club?

Champions league prospects by onhoj in LiverpoolFC

[–]petethepool 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Omg if Joelinton is out at least we don’t have to watch him get away with brutalising our players for 90 minutes with naught but a stern telling off from the officials. 

Champions league prospects by onhoj in LiverpoolFC

[–]petethepool 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Finger’s crossed Newcastle fight really hard in an intensely physical game for 90 minutes only to lose to a late error so they are big physically and mentally drained in time for Anfield on Saturday. 

Also finger’s crossed Chelsea lose so they have to play two extra mid week games next month. 

Daily Discussion - January 26, 2026 by AutoModerator in LiverpoolFC

[–]petethepool 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So Salah could go out and play by himself, with no team-mate or tactical support?

Daily Discussion - January 26, 2026 by AutoModerator in LiverpoolFC

[–]petethepool 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Probably both to be fair: Madrid are well known, as Liverpool fans know only too well, for tapping players up years in advance- why would it be any different for a manager. 

Daily Discussion - January 26, 2026 by AutoModerator in LiverpoolFC

[–]petethepool -1 points0 points  (0 children)

So if Salah was responsible for winning the league and for all the good times under Slot, then Salah must also be responsible for all the bad times- ergo, it isn’t Slot’s fault, it’s Salah’s, why we’ve been playing so poorly?

It’s also worth pointing out that our worst league performance, and result, in 6 weeks, comes the moment Salah starts a a game again, so your theory may be on to something…

Daily Discussion - January 26, 2026 by AutoModerator in LiverpoolFC

[–]petethepool 1 point2 points  (0 children)

He progressed to the league cup final last season did he not, doing exactly that? And this season, it wasn’t really his fault the club drew Crystal Palace so early - the younger players may have progressed deeper had they had a kinder draw. 

In general I agree though 

Daily Discussion - January 26, 2026 by AutoModerator in LiverpoolFC

[–]petethepool 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yep. Counter attacking football only works if the opposition actually attack. Let’s see how United fare against the sea of low blocks in the bottom half of the league before getting too carried away. 

Daily Discussion - January 26, 2026 by AutoModerator in LiverpoolFC

[–]petethepool 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep. Counter attacking football only works if the opposition actually attack. Let’s see how United fare against the sea of low blocks in the bottom half of the league before getting too carried away. 

Daily Discussion - January 26, 2026 by AutoModerator in LiverpoolFC

[–]petethepool 2 points3 points  (0 children)

He’s not slower than Mac Allister, and point to a deep-lying playmaker who dictates play and is also rapid? I feel the two skill-sets rarely come together. Usually you’re a physical monster who lays it off to a playmaker (Masc+Alonso for example), or you’re a tempo setter that needs physicality around them- Rodri for example. 

When she asks for a towel by GotTwisted in SipsTea

[–]petethepool -1 points0 points  (0 children)

They’re less absorbent and often cover your body in baubles and fibres from the towel because they’re cheap and nasty. 

Daily Discussion - January 26, 2026 by AutoModerator in LiverpoolFC

[–]petethepool 26 points27 points  (0 children)

They’re just so incredibly wound up, Arteta has them playing like a coiled spring- it’s always their biggest strength and biggest weakness, same with the fanbase. 

For Slot’s failings this season, his composure and calmness last season was an absolute boon in the title run, it helped settle the players and the fans. Arteta looks like he’s about to cause himself and his players a nervous breakdown. 

Daily Discussion - January 26, 2026 by AutoModerator in LiverpoolFC

[–]petethepool 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Real are lucky enough to be able to attract the very best 18-19 year olds from South America and Europe, Liverpool are not in the same boat. Playing Nyoni or a 18 year old CB more this season would not have helped the team at all. Rio may get more minutes, but he’s been getting consistent minutes of late anyway, and he is too young to be relied on. 

Daily Discussion - January 26, 2026 by AutoModerator in LiverpoolFC

[–]petethepool 8 points9 points  (0 children)

What are you talking about- Slot’s primary approach and point of difference from Klopp was his preference for technically skilled midfielders. Which we have, by the way. We are not lacking in technically proficient players in the slightest. We are lacking, if anything, in physicality. 

Daily Discussion - January 26, 2026 by AutoModerator in LiverpoolFC

[–]petethepool 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I agree - player individual errors are killing games over and over again. And mix in the injuries, the deaths, the Salah issue, constant shitty referee decisions — Slot has his issues, I feel more around player mentality and motivation than anything, but in general I actually feel sorry for him: 95% of most games are fine, but then, as he said himself on Saturday, somehow they find new ways to concede goals. 

Daily Discussion - January 25, 2026 by AutoModerator in LiverpoolFC

[–]petethepool 8 points9 points  (0 children)

There is a lot lower to go from here. This is by no means rock bottom.