Liverpool FC Premier League Champions 25/26 - Talk /Gossip/Rumours

It's likely, I can't see a win in the last 7 games.

Somebody asked why would anyone be confident Liverpool can improve to challenge next season:

We’ve changed the way we play by spending huge on Wirtz. Massive gamble by the money men. Wirtz overall has been a a bit of a disappointment. Mixed some absolutely sublime moments with hours ( exaggeration) of mediocrity. There’s maybe been only 2 games where it was his magic that broke the deadlock and won us the game. Whereas there have been so many games where we’ve been crying out for something special to dig us out of a hole and we’ve been left waiting

Wirtz is probably the type of player that needs a season to bed in and get to grips with the league. It’s absolutely not a given he’ll become as good or better than, say, Hazard or KdB, but we have to believe that he will. I believe! Just before Isak got injured, there were strong signs that Wirtz-Eki-Isak could be very special. It was certainly brief, but it was very promising. And we’ll see it again. And then that will be the best front 3 in the league.

Jota, and not just what happened but when it happened. The timing of it a few days before pre-season started meant that was disrupted and when you are at the highest level the small things matter. Our players had a delayed pre-season and I think you are seeing that in our performances. Why do you think we are dropping off at the end of matches? We got away with it in the first 5 matches but it finally caught up with us and we have been playing catch-up ever since but bad timing on injuries have meant we have struggled for momentum this season.

Another thing that hasn't happened since that relegation season in the 1950's - more than 5 league games without a win

You're talking about things being likely that aren't

There's being negative and there's this. Completely fine to talk down our chances of winning games and coming 5th but you're going the whole way and saying 9th place with no more wins is the most likely outcome

I hope you're a betting man

W’ll win 3/4

I'm not at all saying it's not plausible, I'm simply saying it's not the most likely outcome.

That's how conspiracy theories work, blurring possible with likely

9am Monday morning….Chiesa has already left the Italy camp with an injury.

I’ve lately gotten the impression that Slot may not have much interest in adjusting to this newer, more physical Premier League style. He often seems to bemoan those tactics, while doing very little to counteract them. He even admitted a few weeks ago that he finds little joy in watching Premier League football these days (he's not alone in that TBF).

We've only done the double over 2 teams all season (Newcastle, West Ham).

We only got all 6 points against 2 teams in 11/12 (Everton, Chelsea) and since then we've done the double over a minimum of 4 teams per season.

From our remaining fixtures there are only 2 teams that we've beaten already this season (Villa, Everton) so at best we can match our decade low of 4.

We've also had the double done over us for the first time since 15/16 thanks to Man City.

We have yet to play our second match against Brentford, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, and Man United, all of whom have a chance to also do the double over us.

In checking these stats I've also discovered that Klopp never gave all 6 points to an opponent. The closest anyone came to doing the double over him was when Man United and West Ham beat us twice in 15/16, but the first game from each of those was vs Rodgers. Really quite remarkable considering even Guardiola across that same period had it happen to him 5 times.

It was the same spiel he trotted out after Frankfurt & Marseille games too.
That he cannot grasp the difference in how PL teams are approaching games, despite playing them week in, week out.
Versus how European teams approach their CL games honestly exposes a serious lack of tactical nous.

The longer Liverpool persist with Slot?
The worse the team becomes, the running stats, the declining PPG, the league position and FFS at this point even the set pieces and xG don't lie.

Being able to wring a performance out of the team in European games?
Whilst repeating awful runs of results in the PL points to a complete failure of coaching.
His idea of "control"?
Is a demonstrated abject failure, the goodwill earned by the league win last season has honestly IMO, blinded too many for too long.
How long can backwards be accepted?
We aren't even treading water, we are in abject and headlong decline that must be arrested rather than accepted.

I wrote off our title defence in this thread in September, not because I foresaw this state of affairs.
I thought we would at least not have to push ourselves to qualify for CL.
What has transpired though?
Is a death spiral that I believe the current coaching setup is incapable of arresting.
Cut the cord, bring in Xabi early or an interim until the summer and hope that a new manager bounce can secure 15 or so of the last 21 points to play for.

The thing is that it is clear that some things have improved since the Autumn, but it was from such a deep trough, that the improvement to where we are today still isn't near good enough. Looking at the biggest criticisms you could say:

Fitness & stamina. No improvement, still being outran by majority of teams, when we should be in perhaps top 3 in the league

Consistency. No improvement, we still can't carry a good performance for longer than 1 game straight.

Mentality. Minimal improvement, still almost no confidence that we can close out a game, and prevent goals in 90+ mins

Rotation/substitution. Little improvement. Usually make late subs, and play the same players even if they are playing poorly.

Playing style. Little improvement, general slow play, hanging around the edge of the box, losing balls, passing backwards

Individual performances & mistakes. Some improvement, but most players are significantly underperforming, and certainly many are still prone to making major errors.

Set pieces. Significant improvement in taking corners and free kicks, and defending against them

there's probably a bunch more, and it all can't be placed on Slot's shoulders, but overall I think this reflects how things have been going.

Just noticed the statement doesn't actually mention an injury, just that he was "assessed" and "deemed unavailable" which makes it sound like he showed up and was promptly sent home for being unfit.

surprising he doesn’t know the data already or is it? Anyway 12 players have played 87% of the PL minutes

Virgl said something the other day about so few players out on the pitch for the Friday session. Mac Allister said something before Christmas and another player just after Christmas.

From the sounds of it our fitness/session work isn't the best this year. Could explain why we drop off so poorly in games following big CL games etc.

I agree with a lot of this although i am actually more in the camp that there hasnt been any real improvement this season apart from set pieces. We're clearly doing slightly better than before christmas….but not by much. The set pieces offensively and defensively are definitely better but everything else is more or less the same and that to me is the real worrying thing.

I think the only major change with the team is how negatively they are playing and its clear they are terrified of conceding possession/goals and so they do not try the risky pass - recycle, recycle, recycle, backwards and sideways. I cant understand how there has been no tinkering of how the team is laid out by Slot. It looks to me as if the same failings are still in the team that were there in October/November its just we're not leaking as many goals and so losing slightly less matches. When all the players seem to be off form at the same time for this length of time there's usually something else going on.

What happens if we lose to PSG (which seems likely) and also finish outside of the top 5 (which seems almost as likely) do people still think Slot should start next season as manager with no Europe and the damage done? I feel like inaction now is a very dear price to pay for a team like Liverpool that isnt funded by a State and isnt going to throw money at the team.