YNWA.2013 said:

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I have never been on the "Fire Slot" train. Even during that terrible run of form we had in October/November. Some of y'all were not fans of Liverpool before 2015 and it shows. In the early 2000s we were a decent side that competed in all fronts. Won a weird treble in 2001, picked up a couple of FA Cups, a couple EFL cups, and the infamous CL in 2005. We were in and around the top 4 consistently. Then we fell off a cliff in 2008. Rafa left in 2010. Roy Hodgson was arguably the worst manager we've ever had. King Kenny did us a favor in taking over the team and somehow won us an EFL Cup. Brendan Rodgers was out of his depth, but Luis Suarez almost single handedly won us an EPL title in 13-14. And then the greatest Liverpool manager (and human being) of my lifetime walked through the Anfield gates and revitalized this club. Slot tweaked the system a bit and got us No. 20. Then we had this huge summer overhaul where if everyone is fit, likely 5-6 of those guys start. So HALF THE STARTERS are new. I think the higher ups knew we need to flip the roster and have been prepared for a season of transition. Keep in mind Frimpong has been injured most of the season, Isak has never been fully fit, Eilitile has picked up a knock, and Wirtz has need time to settle (but looks to be figuring it out the last few weeks). Salah has need to tweak his game since TAA is no longer behind him and hasn't quite figured that all out yet. Plus AFCON. Plus Jota. This is a club still in mourning and a team in transition.

I think as long as Slot keeps us top 4, plus makes a deep cup run in either CL or FA Cup, he is safe. Not the season in transition we envisioned but here we are. Slot delivered a title in May, he has earned the right to right this ship. We've been hit with an injury bug forcing us to play FIVE CMs today with Gakpo up top. We will get healthy, we will get better. This isn't 2011.

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Thank you! Totally agree

I got on this train in 2009-11 (I'm old, times a blur) when my best friend (ManU fan) took me to a pub in LA at 4am to watch MU vs Liverpool and the place was packed! We had, surprisingly, an English breakfast and Torres did his thing!

This club is a ride! This year has been a surprise, but YNWA is our heart - so ride the ebbs and flows. It's delightful in its totality

I've said "Slot out" before, but I'm not really a fan of sacking a coach mid season. That should be saved for only the absolute worst situations such as relegation. Our situation wasn't and currently isn't really that bad. Rather, I think his position should be strongly evaluated at the end of the year.

I've watched Liverpool for a bit and there were some rough years. The Dalglish/Hodgson era was brutal at times. When Brendan Rodgers showed up, he was a huge breath of fresh air and we finished 2nd. Unfortunately, his tenure slowly unraveled as his teams settled into a consistent pattern of useless possession. We basically had no idea how to break a low block and would give up cheap goals. Jurgen showed up and changed everything. We didn't care about possession, we cared about creating scoring opportunities. We were organized, predatory and hungry. Best of all, it was must see theater from start to finish.

When I watch the current Liverpool, it looks exactly like those latter Rodgers teams. Useless possession, soft and worst of all.... boring.

No matter what happens, I think Slot should get the entire year. That said, he is clearly undoing Jurgens work and we may have to restart the project with fresh energy. Arne is clearly a very bright coach (as is Brendan Rodgers), but their possession based strategies are too slow and uninspiring to actually capitalize on the true power of LFC...Anfield and the Kop.

Amorim out after 14 months. Man this league is relentless, insane and increasingly unpredictable. For what it's worth I don't think it helped that he basically expressed that he really didn't want to be there anymore.

AG@RICE said:

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No matter what happens, I think Slot should get the entire year. That said, he is clearly undoing Jurgens work and we may have to restart the project with fresh energy. Arne is clearly a very bright coach (as is Brendan Rodgers), but their possession based strategies are too slow and uninspiring to actually capitalize on the true power of LFC...Anfield and the Kop.

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This is where I am at. The side is just lifeless most matches. Jurgen's early teams were all flawed and lost games in silly ways, but they always played with energy and were enjoyable to watch. I have stopped regularly tuning in to this season. I can find better things to do with my time than watch boring and frustrating football.

Tksymm7 said:

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Amorim out after 14 months. Man this league is relentless, insane and increasingly unpredictable. For what it's worth I don't think it helped that he basically expressed that he really didn't want to be there anymore.

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Unless something behind the scenes become untenable, I dont understand not seeing the entire season out. Amorim had them 3 points out of the top 4.

I was curious the last time United actually waited until the end of the season to sack a manager, and it was van Gaal in 2016!

I would like to clarify that I was not singling out a specific person or this thread or anything like that, but rather the general discourse around LFC that I have seen on my side of the internet. I am fully aware that the algorithm will feed me more negative content as that is what always gets the clicks.

My point, though, is look at Chelsea and Man United at the moment.
Since Abramovich's takeover, Chelsea are no longer a football club. They put out a team every season but have zero regard for culture or sustainably building anything. It is a win at all costs and win now mentality. And Todd Boehly and co. have continued this sentiment and embarked on a trend to sign any promising young talent and hope that a group somehow sticks. The fact that Raheem Sterling, still only 30, is exiled from the team and is making some 325,000 GBP / week is insane. To their credit though, they win ; winning some 20-odd trophies since 2004.
And then there's Man United who have been lost since Fergie retired. They've won like 5 trophies, one of which Mourinho basically willed a Europa League win. Ironically, I think their best manager since SAF has been Solskjaer who actually delivered 0 trophies but the players responded to him, he had a general positive attitude around him. Now they've just fired Amorim who felt he was promised one thing but has been given (read: interfered with) something else.
Getting rid of Maresca was Chelsea's 21st managerial change since 2004, using 15 different permanent managers (3 of which returned for a second stint) and a few interim guys. Meanwhile United will be looking for their 8th manager in 12 years. It's hard to build anything and foster a culture when the only culture you have is that of turnover.

Liverpool have traditionally, or at least since FSG took over, (if you really want to see how good we have it, read about Tom Hicks and George Gillett and their ownership of LFC) not spent huge in any single transfer window. What we spend, we have usually made. That was FSG's promise when they took over: to build a sustainable club that is not ridden with huge debts. And they have largely been successful in this endeavor, spending mostly only what they have made. Now this is a very simplified and elementary way of looking at it, but it is why LFC is consistently in the bottom of net spend. A turnover like we saw in Summer 2025 doesn't really happen at Liverpool. I don't know if Hughes and Edwards wanted to make their stamp on this team or if Slot requested it. Like others have said, a roster turnover usually happens over several transfer windows. I think some outside forces were also at play too. PSR rules looked like they were going to change and with that uncertainty of how it would look, I think Liverpool said to themselves "We know the current rules and how to be compliant so let's do the entire turnover this Summer and just ride a period of transition." Now I don't think they intentionally tanked the season or though it would go as bad as it did. The Isak saga dragged on too long and the previous iteration of Edwards would have just walked away. And the Guehi deal falling apart at the 11th hour also hurt us.

All I am trying to say is that, by and large, this is a football club that we can be proud of. It is run the right way where decisions don't seem to be made rashly or emotionally. This team has generally been a reflection of the blue-collar nature of the city which is why it's fans have such a strong and passionate connection to the club. We are in a weird and tumultuous period of transition with impossible outside circumstances playing a role too. I think Slot has what it takes to steer this ship again. If I'm wrong, I am confident FSG will put the right people in place to do so. (For the record, I do not think De Zerbi, Iraola, or Fabregas are the right answers at LFC).

I don't like the way we are playing from a visual standpoint either, or the draws. I miss the hire wire act that was 2017-2023 Liverpool, but I also think that if you took the team we have right and tried to play like 2017 Liverpool we'd get run through like lava. Or, as Nick Saban said "they ran through our ass like **** through a tin horn and we could not stoppem." It's just not who we're built to be anymore when Cody Gakpo is your best, most productive, experienced winger at this point.

If you've got a few minutes and are bored at work, this article by Andy Jones at The Athletic is about as good a breakdown of Liverpool right now as can be, and he's got data to back it up.

https://apple.news/AS09xZaOISdaxyuwJOo_w-w

With City's draw with Brighton today, if we don't beat Arsenal tomorrow, they will open up an 8 point lead at the top of the table. They are inching towards a title and it sickens me a bit.

YNWA.2013 said:

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With City's draw with Brighton today, if we don't beat Arsenal tomorrow, they will open up an 8 point lead at the top of the table. They are inching towards a title and it sickens me a bit.

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As an Arsenal supporter, why the animosity to them vs City for the millionth time winning?

gougler08 said:

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YNWA.2013 said:

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With City's draw with Brighton today, if we don't beat Arsenal tomorrow, they will open up an 8 point lead at the top of the table. They are inching towards a title and it sickens me a bit.

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As an Arsenal supporter, why the animosity to them vs City for the millionth time winning?

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I had the same question.

It's the fans. Not you in particular, but I feel like a majority of the fans are absolutely as delusional as they come. That's pretty much it.

Tksymm7 said:

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It's the fans. Not you in particular, but I feel like a majority of the fans are absolutely as delusional as they come. That's pretty much it.

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Interesting at least all the gunner fans I know are like Aggie football fans and expecting us flop at the end.

It's mostly the hard core, London Arsenal fans. I know some Arsenal fans here in the United States and they're all great.

Tksymm7 said:

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It's mostly the hard core, London Arsenal fans. I know some Arsenal fans here in the United States and they're all great.

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Yeah I feel like BAS applies to both teams that I support

Tksymm7 said:

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It's mostly the hard core, London Arsenal fans. I know some Arsenal fans here in the United States and they're all great.

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To be fair when you say hard core fans being delusional that applies to most of the big clubs not named City at the moment. Though City fans have their own form of delusion.

gougler08 said:

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Tksymm7 said:

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It's mostly the hard core, London Arsenal fans. I know some Arsenal fans here in the United States and they're all great.

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Yeah I feel like BAS applies to both teams that I support

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Right there with you.

Valid. Most of us US based fans are probably 100 times more rational than our English brethren.

My only problem with Arsenal winning is that Mikel Arteta is a b****. When City wins, it's easy to dismiss because their entire team is built on a foundation of cheating. When somebody like Arsenal wins, it's disappointing because you feel like your own team failed. Which we currently are, big time.

The only team I could get behind winning the title that isn't Liverpool is somebody like Aston Villa this year or one of the other mid-level to minnow teams (like Spurs!).

Can only read the title about the loss if Diaz and agree on that alone. Been saying that forever. Huge, huge loss. Rio was the replacement I guess, but he just rots on the bench.

It's an article that more or lays out who Liverpool are right now, this year, compared to past years and why losing guys like Diaz, but also Darwin and Jota and not replacing them with senior players of a similar type is a major reason why we're where we are. Below are a couple of graphics that really lay it out.

No Ekitike like we thought, but Frimpong is going to play on the right with Bradley. No idea though if they use Wirtz as a false 9 and have Gakpo on the left or what, though.

Sorry, I haven't been on this side of TexAgs in a couple of days and missed the response to the Arsenal fans. Someone else mentioned Arteta and he is the main reason. He comes off to me like a whiner (I'm sure opposing fans thought and said the same thing of Klopp, but he was ours so...). But also some of the fans, primarily those on AFTV. For some reason my algorithm always shows me clips of them. That one guy, Robbie, is the most unbearable of the bunch, thinking Arsenal is God's gift to mankind.

Anyways, it's Game Day! *insert Ben Affleck smoking through pain meme* I don't have much hope today, but as a fan of Liverpool this season and as a fan of Aggie Football in general, I must enjoy being miserable.

I think this is what is at stake tonight: If we lose or draw, it's more of the same for us and whatever. But if Arsenal win, I think the fans and, more importantly, the players will start to believe and have the confidence that this title could be theirs. And, again, that makes my guts churn lol

Umm aside from Arteta being a wanker, their brand of football is awful to watch. Set Piece FC. With that squad to play negative and sit as deep as they do is criminal to football eyeballs.

That being said, they'll probably pound us today.

Looks like Szoboszlai is the false 9? Frimpong out right, Gakpo out left. And the midfield looks to be a diamond in possession (Szobo at the top) and a box in defense?

Wirtz false 9 at the moment with Gakpo and Frimpong on the side. Also, this game looks absolutely MISERABLE.

Welp there goes our RB for 6 months. Nvm looks like this is an ACL. Make that 9+. He's done done. Add RB to the list of players needed now.

What a disaster of a season.

Looked more like an MCL, his knee went medially. Doesn't rule out ACL but looked more like an MCL mechanism type of injury.

Also, Arsenal's set piece coach's reaction (don't even want to dignify that guy by looking up his name) at the end there acting like he just lost a World Cup final is another reason I am not of a fan of the Arsenal coaching staff.

The telling stat of the game for me, Arsenal only had 3 corners. They have no idea how to generate an offense from open play and rely on set pieces so much. But they at least tried to play football, unlike most teams we play every week who just sit back and hope a speedy forward can catch us on a counter. I still think they're going to win the league.

Great performance by the lads given that we had very little fire power. Rarely do you see a 4240 formation from Liverpool, but they played a hell of a match. We really grew into that game and eventually neutralized Arsenal. Credit to Arne, he did a fantastic job tactically today. His halftime adjustments were perfect. He used Szobo and Wirtz in a tandem press and they eventually wore down Arsenal. It was a well earned point.

Tough injury for Connor. Poor guy is just cursed with injuries. Side note, but Martenelli is a massive piece of **** and deserves a proper ass kicking.

I'm so gutted for Bradley. He really is a tremendous RB and footballer and it's just been a brick wall around every single corner. I hope like hell he's not out for the rest of the year but it's sounding like his season is probably done. F.

I missed all of it. Just sick for Bradley. One of my favorites and he is just snake bit. We are cursed this year for sure.

Sounds like we played hard and well with all our limitations. All I ask for now and proud of em. Incredible to draw at the Emirates with everything going on.

We were the better team for probably 60 minutes of that game. Just didn't have anyone in the box really to finish things off. Deliveries were also not great in the box, but they were awesome.

Frimpong really showed off his pace tonight. If his service into the box could improve, he'd be elite. His drag backs are superb, he just cannot seem to get the ball in the air past the first defender when that's the pass that is called for. Other than that, I think he was great tonight.

Kerkez grew into the game I thought. Handled Saka quite well. Madueke gave him some problems but he quickly figured out that if you force Madueke back inside instead of showing him the byline, he's largely ineffective.
Side Note: Kerkez did a foul throw in every time he took one tonight. It really bothers me to not have the most basic rule you learn at 6 years old down pat. Most refs let it go but we're going to get one overachiever these days that's going to call it against us. And he'll have every right to do so.

Konate finally had a good game. VvD did well. Alisson is Alisson and I love him so much.

Mac Allister had his best game in a Liverpool shirt in a long time. His intricate touches and ability to keep the ball close to his feet were incredible tonight.

Gravenberch has all the tools to be a world class player. Like the potential to be a top 5 CM in the world. His long distance passing needs to just improve a tad bit more. There's a few times not only in this game but in several this season where a teammate is making a long, dashing run in a pocket of space and Grav just doesn't have it in his toolbox to make the pass. Fabinho was excellent at this, Thiago was a genius. Just give me half of that, Grav, and I'll be happy. But we still, as we've been saying for like 4 years now, still need a No. 6.

Wirtz was phenomenal today. His relationship with a football is extraordinary. It's like there's a string between his boot and the football and it's only 3 inches long bc the ball never seems to out of his possession. He is growing into the Liverpool shirt. Also, definitely a penalty when Trossard brought him down. Didn't even seem like VAR had a look at it. Probably "good process" though.

Szoboszlai did well. The engine of this team. Him and Wirtz rotating around that false 9 and working in tandem on the press really caused Arsenal some problems.

Gakpo is the most frustrating player on this team, for me. Is capable of some really great moments. But he usually just does the same thing: holds onto the ball too long, waits for Kerkez to overlap him, proceeds to ignore Kerkez, cuts into his right foot, and then shoots the same shot he always does. He does it over and over and over.

Bradley's injury doesn't look good. I think we've all seen enough sports to know it's never a good sign when you're hurt like that and no one touched you. It's the one non contact injuries that hurt the worst. Feel bad for the guy bc he had a great game. But that's like his 7th injury for the first team. I fear he may be Joe Gomez 2.0 where we all know there's a great player there but he just can't seem to stay fit and string a consistent run of games together. Oh and Martinelli (who is the quintessential Arteta winger) showed his true colors today. Classless and arrogant move. Probably should have been sent off for two yellows. (One for dropping the ball on him and a second for the shove).

All in all, decent first half performance but a great second half turnaround. Slot made some great tweaks that I don't think Arsenal were expecting. It helped we limited their chances on set pieces. Keep getting points and top 4 should be very achievable.

No torn ACL for Bradley, but he's done for Liverpool this year. If Northern Ireland somehow makes the WC he might be okay to play some for them but not sure. Sounds like an MCL/LCL situation maybe? As those don't require the 9-12 month recoveries ACL/PCLs do.

Quote:

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"I can guarantee you that on Monday you will see all the players you see (against Arsenal). Maybe with some substitutions, but then they will be on the bench, so that is going to be different from last season against Plymouth."

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Slot at his press conference ahead of Barnsley's visit to Anfield.

So I guess we should expect a relatively strong side or, at the very least, a strong bench.

I would expect Mamardashvili to start in goal, Calvin Ramsay at RB given his recent run of appearances on the substitute bench, and Andrew Robertson to captain the side, probably in a CB position too given how light we are there. I would also expect Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha to start tonight. Curtis Jones should also make a start to bring some calm and experience to the center of the park given he did not come on in the scoreless draw with Arsenal. I really want Chiesa to play the full 90 or as close to it as appropriate.

My predicted lineup:
Mamardashvili
Ramsay - Gomez - Robbo - Kerkez (or a youngester)
Nyoni - Jones
Frimpong - Szoboszlai - Rio
Chiesa

Subs:
Alisson
Konate
Wirtz
Mac Allister
Gakpo
Ekitike
Kaide Gordon
Kone-Doherty
Nallo (can he make it 3 straight red cards?)