Liverpool FC - Talk /Gossip/Rumours 25/25

Agree, I think overall the misery is overindulged. It is frustrating to watch, purgatory type stuff, but some fans seem to want Slot and the team to fail, to get back to the true Liverpool with a new mystery manager. The manager layout hasn't changed too much since last time FSG were on the hunt, and their top two candidates then were Slot, and Amorin. Klopp was a generational manager, it is very hard to identify and attract that type of candidate. Perhaps Xabi Alonso will get ousted at Real by the end of the season, who are the other options?

Agreed.

Your previous point about whether we are better next season or not is relevant.

That damn well better be the case but there was no reason we should have gone from title winners to being out of the race by Halloween this season.

Some will point to the levels of change for sure but typically we'd be a fanbase being critical of not consolidating success with investment.

Hope Elliott actually gets a chance from Slot for the reminder of the season.

There was a poster here the other day saying that we would challenge for the title next season and probably win it, now possibly they were trying to get a rise out of people, but, they pretty much doubled down on that opinion in later posts plus basically said this season didn't matter. There have also been many other posters posting with great certainty that we will be challenging again next season. While I think we will improve - its hard to be much worse than we are currently- I'm realistic enough to know we're unlikely to be serious challengers next season without substantial investment again next summer, but, it's not certain we will do that.

That's a great post. I don't disagree with any of it. Sums up the extreme see-saw levels of discussion perfectly.

I would agree, it's likely we will get 4th, but, how we get it is more important, there needs to be clear progress and improvement so that we can hit the ground running next season, if we continue playing as we have been so far this season, then something will have to change in the summer.

While of course, it would be nice to add a couple of players in key positions, in my view, the reason we are only 4th this year is very little to do with lack of players and almost entirely to do with players not playing well. These lads, with the manager, won the league last year but are almost to a man performing less well this year.

Ignoring for a sec that we lost some players and gained some players, the reason for the downturn is blatantly obvious (and also ignoring the few inexcusable Konate brainfarts that cost us points):

1. They won the league last year. Apart from serial winners that tend to be a good bit ahead of their rivals, it’s pretty much inevitable that performances levels drop after winning a title. as you lose that tiny bit of edge/hunger. As i’ve mentioned previously, brilliant managers like Clough and Wenger couldnt find the answer to that, and while there are exceptions, it’s similar across many codes
2. These are young men, and they lost a close friend/colleague in horrific circumstances in the summer. Absolutely horrific circumstances. They get reminded of this in every single game on 20 minutes (rightly so) and with other events. This has to have, and i think clearly has had, a negative impact on individual performances

Then we have the new players. Ekitike clearly a gem and imo will only get better. Isak’s two league goals show the class he has, and i fully believe it’s inevitable he’ll be excellent next season if fit. There are clearly doubts over Wirtz and Kerkez. Both have shown signs of promise but fair to say havent fully settled into the team yet. As new signings, i choose to be positive and still have belief they will become key players, particularly Wirtz.

So, yes, i am very confident that our existing players will largely be back to their 24/25 levels come 26/27 and that our new players will all settle and improve them and the team, so i am very confident that we will challenge for the league in 26/27 and very hopeful that we can win it. If people want to label that as idiotic, that seems pretty harsh to me. Albeit, given the circumstances i laid out above, i do find it idiotic that people want to sack our manager who has won the league. Not sure the last time LFC sacked a manager who had won us a league title, but i’m extremely confident FSG are not idiots and will stick with Slot

Absolutely classless behavior from villa on this one. Scout a player, agree a deal, then after 5 games welsh on the deal and leave the lad in limbo…really poor behavior, from both the club and Emery for being part of it. Either use him or release him.

I hope new, young players approached to join them see this and have second thoughts.... You can't buy class.

Don't think there is a clause for him to come back, he is there for the year and if he plays 10 matches they have to buy him. They do not want to spend that on him so now he is training with them and he knows he will not play for them for the rest of the season.

You have to wonder though, you now have 2 managers that do not see him as an option in their squads. What are the chances both of them are wrong? I mean I know Slot's opinion may not be valued by all on here, but Emery has been doing magic to have Villa where they are.

This is it, these types of deals are structured in a way that is effectively a postponed purchase. The teams agree to it for book-keeping and risk reasons, and it essentially provides the buying club a risk free period where if a player has a catastrophic injury in their first few games, then then they don't suffer from it. It's like a guarantee/warranty of a low likelihood occurrence.

The problem in this case though is that Villa are choosing not to play the player to essentially scupper the deal. This is obviously not the intention of this type of clause as inherently the selling club already don't want the player in their team, and therefore the player is guaranteed to be stuck in limbo indefinitely. It is brutal for a player in this scenario, as essentially they have done nothing wrong and are being punished for it.

I firmly believe that the era of player power is necessary, and players like Elliot, Isak, and even Trent imo are right to look after themselves because they can and do get thrown under the bus in a heartbeat when the power/leverage is in the hands of the club.