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

jesuisjuste · 23-03-2026 06:50PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124335346#Comment_124335346

Yeah, that's a fair point and one thing that does underly it all also is that the rest of the league has improved significantly, and in particular their mentality. Players now know when playing for a team like Bournemouth, that much more money will be available in the future, and better teammates are on the horizon, as well as European football, and bigger wages. There is a confidence that these teams now have, that they believe they can beat anyone, and will fight all the way to the end.

noodler · 23-03-2026 09:23PM

Slot moving away from his previous glib comments on 12:30 kickoffs and recognizing the issue wasn't time of day but rest in between

giveitholly · 23-03-2026 09:47PM

PSG trying to get their league game between the two ties postponed so they will have a weeks rest between games

LuckyLloyd · 23-03-2026 10:15PM

I would have sacked Slot weeks ago, tbh. Bringing in Xabi and allowing some new manager bounce and tactical change before the PSG game would be a very interesting idea, imo.

As it is, I expect we will have quick and decisive exits from the two quarter finals and find it very difficult to secure 5th place. The trend in performances is pretty clear cut.

awec · 23-03-2026 10:23PM

PSG will put manners on us in the CL. The standard of that competition is low outside of a few teams, and PSG are one of those teams.

BorneTobyWilde · 23-03-2026 10:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124335830#Comment_124335830

They only won one of last 5 games in league phase, it's why they ended up in KO round,scraping past Monaco 5-4, and not sure beating Chelsea adds to their prowess . They leak a lot of goals, if we have a competent front 3 fit, we should cause them problems.

Libertine07 · 23-03-2026 10:58PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124335891#Comment_124335891

They were crap in the league phase last year and we know how that ended.

giveitholly · 23-03-2026 10:59PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124335815#Comment_124335815

How do we know that Alonso wants the job and that he wants it now?

brevity · 23-03-2026 11:12PM

Barring a CL win or final he’s done. I think the board and Slot himself thought he would have had time like Klopp but according to the Liverpool based podcasters he hasn’t endeared himself to the crowd in a way that they need.

Slot wanted his results to talk rather than theatrics but he has neither now and he’s out of time.

The squad isn’t strong enough and that’s not all Slots fault but he doesn’t seem to know how to get them riled up for battle. Is he a war time coach? It doesn’t seem that way.

A shame for sure. I do like him and would love for it to get sorted but he needs another transfer window, he might get that from the board but not from the fans

505_ · 23-03-2026 11:28PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124323088#Comment_124323088

Brighton result was unfortunately predictable. Galatasary were beyond useless, despite what people were hoping things hadn't just clicked.

I know it's unpopular and i'm banging the same drum but Wirtz has been so poor. He has to be judged against his price tag unfortunately and for an astronomical amount of money i'm still not seeing it. Despite friends and fans assuring me he's a baller, a cert to come good etc i'm getting more and more concerned. 4 league goals and 3 assists coming against Sunderland, Spurs, Fulham, Wolves, Burnley and Newcastle. Only Fulham of those are top half, 9th. I know the team is bad this season but he's not doing it in big games, not making us tick either. Has some nice touches but doesn't seem to be putting everything together. Comparing his performances to Diaz last season, night and day.

ratracer · 23-03-2026 11:48PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124335928#Comment_124335928

As a Liverpool fan all my life ( well since the early 80’s) I, as always really , really want every manager and player to succeed at LFC. This season is really what I expected from the JK translation last season. Slot really defied the odds last year to win #20 against all expectations, and in fairness, it’s what’s damming him now.

I wanted him to succeed, more for JK’s sake than anything, but this season is more Roy Hodgson than any other manager I recall, except he’s had a huge transfer window war chest. I just don’t see how he gets the best out of the players available to him, so whether he’s chosen the players or not, if he can’t adapt them to his style, or his style to suit them , then something has to give. And in all cases, it’s the manager who falls on his sword!

LuckyLloyd · 24-03-2026 08:46AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124335904#Comment_124335904

Honestly, that side of these conversations gets far too much oxygen. I don’t know Xabi Alonso wants to manage Liverpool but I’d bet he does. Irrespective, when your current manager isn’t up to it you move on. Holding a failing manager never works, unless you have a super rare example like Klopp where you already walked to the top of the mountain via his methods and players.

Dutch league managers are a well known quantity at this point. It generally doesn’t translate to the very elite echelons of the game for long.

We are going to end the season poorly with Slot. We might have a different outcome with a different presence in the dressing room. It’s all been rearranging deckchairs on the titanic last few months, tbh. All a bit boring.

This season was a hugely difficult context that would have sunk most managers, but Liverpool will always require a manager who isn’t in the “most” category. Slot will go, we have some good young talents to build around. We move on.

Widdensushi · 24-03-2026 08:51AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124336266#Comment_124336266

It would be bad club management to sack the manager without a replacement lined up so it's very relevant to the discussion.

LuckyLloyd · 24-03-2026 08:52AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124335967#Comment_124335967

Wirtz has been rubbish. It’s okay, you can say it. Hopefully the next manager can unlock him. Isak, Wirtz and Ekitike need to be the show next year with a fresh approach.

LuckyLloyd · 24-03-2026 08:55AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124336277#Comment_124336277

I don’t agree. Sack him, bring in a caretaker through the end of the season. This isn’t working, it’s over. Throwing a Hail Mary before the PSG tie is worth a shot. Under Slot defeat is more or less inevitable. And we aren’t falling over the line into 5th place either.

Continuing this nonsense each week when it can set your club back years is the bad club management, imo.

Electric Nitwit · 24-03-2026 08:56AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124335761#Comment_124335761

Just seen it's away to Lens, who are one point behind them in the league (albeit having playing one game extra)

Lens have rejected the request but apparently Ligue 1 make the final call regardless

Osmosis Jones · 24-03-2026 09:24AM

PSG already have the luxury of playing completely different players in different comps, and they're clearly better than us, surely they don't need more of an advantage 😆

Their captain Marquinhos has played more minutes in the Champions League than in Ligue 1 this season! They've been able to just leave him on the bench resting for the past 5 league games in a row!

Of the 3,510 minutes PSG have played across both competitions this season Marquinhos has featured for 1,634 of them. (He's not been injured either, just being rested)

Meanwhile of the 3,690 minutes Liverpool have played across the CL and PL this season Van Dijk has played……3,690 minutes.

giveitholly · 24-03-2026 10:42AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124336266#Comment_124336266

Why do they get too much oxygen? Of course Slot should get the road at this stage but that doesn't mean that Alonso is ready waiting in the wings to take off. You are only guessing that he wants it.

SodiumCooled · 24-03-2026 10:53AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124336283#Comment_124336283

We have been very good in the champions league so far overall, it would be nothing short of insanity to sack the manager now. With the team still in champions league places in the league, still in the champions league and still in the fa cup. Honestly I’d be disgusted with the club if they sacked him, not the type of club I want Liverpool to be. As I said earlier bar United (who couldn’t have got much worse) every other club who sacked a manager are worse now than before they sacked them.

Missing out on champs league is the only way I see a conversation happing over the summer at the club management level about moving him on and then only if someone they truely believe is the answer can be recruited.

CONSI · 24-03-2026 11:41AM

I think no matter what happens Slot will be there next year. They will say that injuries forced so many changes, we never got to play Wirtz, Eki, Isak together, and two of those players were new to the premier league, right back injuries meant we had to put Dom out of midfield and Salahs form dropped off a cliff…all those excuses alone will buy Slot another half season at least, but if we dont see serious changes at the start of the season it might come sooner…Salah will leave so that internal issue will disappear, and the club wont have the Jota issue hanging over the squad as much as it has this year.

dogbert27 · 24-03-2026 11:56AM

There's only 7 league games left. It's as much down to the players putting the effort in as much as it is the manager. Where is the accountability and responsibility of the PL winners and CL winners in this team. To many times this season you see Virg throwing his hands up when he's was equally responsible for goals being conceded.

I remember the game against Blackburn where Torres scored a screamer and Sam Allardyce was fuming with Rafa for making some hand gesture. Rafa explained afterwards the hand gesture was due to the players ignoring his instructions and scoring a world class goal regardless. The players took the responsibility on the field to play ball and make something happen.

Then there's the backroom staff. What are they doing with these players that they all seem gassed out after 50 minutes even though they start off the game with low bloody energy.

I've raised it here before but there's also the issue with Slot's family not joining him in Liverpool. I get the whole not uprooting your family but the players have more rest days under Slot. Is this so Slot has time to travel home more?

We now have rumors of Hughes going to Saudi and FSG have announced that they are no longer pursuing purchasing another club after due diligence on 30 clubs. Edwards said this was the main reason he returned to Liverpool so if FSG are not pursuing this any further is Edwards going to leave this summer too.

The set up just appears to be broken from top to bottom now when 12 months ago we were being hailed as one of the best run clubs in world football.

Maybe FSG are just going to let the dice land as they will this season and start a clean slate in the summer. Ideally Slot finished the season in the top 5 but as Chelsea and United have shown it's not the end of the world financially to be out of the CL for 1 season.

With a new manager like Alonso and additions to the 1st team for the summer FSG may accept a season in the EL with a target of winning it and getting back in to top 4.

8-10 · 24-03-2026 12:07PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124336690#Comment_124336690

Yeah we were in the Europa League in 2023/24 season and 12 months after that we spent like crazy on Isak, Wirtz etc so it's definitely not crippling as long as it's 1 season

As Caoimhín Kelleher said, the football isn't the most important thing for the squad this season, what matters is their mental health and getting through everything

It's not like we're in Spurs' position

TheCitizen · 24-03-2026 12:18PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124336339#Comment_124336339

Those are interesting stats. Good player resource management from PSG. They’ll shift into top gear as the season draws to a close in time for the quarter final v Liverpool.

Real Madrid in particular have been doing that for years in the more competitive (than Ligue 1) La Liga. Ticking over for most of the season and then upping the pace around this time of year for the la liga and CL run in.

EPL clubs haven’t really mastered that, a more competitive domestic league obviously but with a decent sized squad maybe they could be managing that pacing a bit better.

emo72 · 24-03-2026 01:32PM

Yeah, with the more relaxed training schedule, and managing fitness through the season, we should be coming into top form now raring to go😂

SodiumCooled · 24-03-2026 02:00PM

I think players are better off playing week in week out rather than being mollycoddled and only playing big games. Overall it’s more beneficial for the team.

dogbert27 · 24-03-2026 02:54PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124336654#Comment_124336654

I can't see him being here next year unless he wins the CL and wants to stay.

If anything winning either the CL or FA Cup would be a good way to end his time here. Winning a trophy 2 seasons in a row and he can say he's leaving to return home to spend more time with the family after 2 tough years being away from them.

If he is still here for the start of the next season I think that would only happen on the guarantee of an extension to his contract at the start of the summer.

If FSG want him to only see out his contract then it could be that they have targeted Enrique who will be leaving PSG in 2027.

I could equally see Arsenal or City trying for Enrique in 2027.

The relationship with Slot and the fans however appears to be too broken at this stage. He has turned the believers back in to doubters and it is very hard to swing this back when he does not have the same personality it needs like a Klopp.

You just don't feel that Slot has that connection or cares to have it. He's trying almost too hard to not be Klopp. Liverpool fans want to cheer their manager and sing for him when times are tough but Slot appears to have a Dutch indifference to this similar to Ten Hag at United.