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05 Sep 2026 04:27:08
Virgil Van Dijk continues to be the best centre back in the world - for me (1996) he is the best I've ever seen play the game. I can't get over the guy's quality - he's 35 years old! We will miss him when he's gone like no other of the Klopp players.
If this is his final season in red, it'll be a privilege to watch it, and to watch how opinions on him age like a fine wine. My captain.
04 Sep 2026 21:58:12
A decent performance & a first win of the season. Isak showed why we brought him - snapped up the 2 (3) chances he had. Just need to get the ball to him in the box.
Once Barcola is up to fitness I’d not be averse to putting Gakpo in the 10. He’s stronger than Wirtz, seems to have an understanding with Isak & can get up & down the pitch.
12
04 Sep 2026 22:11:44
Up to fitness? Barcola isn't a player that likes to press for most of a game or track back. This is well known. It will be interesting watching him going forward.
2
04 Sep 2026 22:14:07
The team is making progress, the performance was better overall.
It’s Ipswich, but it’s also an away win with a clean sheet.
The signs are there. The manager and his coaches will keep them progressing. It’s early days, a lot of room for improvement, but I believe it will come.
22
{Ed666's Note - Agreed mate
10
04 Sep 2026 22:25:52 Good performance. Happy with that. The new players are settling in very well. Araujo, Munoz and Jacquet all played well tonight.
11
04 Sep 2026 22:30:26 The Duality of Ron.
12
04 Sep 2026 22:30:49 Isak's first half is what I badly needed. Chased the ball down. He'll never be a pressing monster but if he chases to that level in the first half, he'll be alright in this system.
Man, he tired a bit second half, but that was an excellent first half. More fitness, and who knows. I've given him a lot of crap. Please stay fit now and keep it going and for longer.
8
04 Sep 2026 22:35:15 Liked Araujo. Not sure about Jacquet yet. Played some really good passing against Newcastle, but has been caught a few times in last 2 games. Not sure what we were doing last 20 mins. Looked like a back 5 to hold on to win.
3
04 Sep 2026 22:38:09 Much better performance and I liked Araujo giving us a bit more solidity in defence, and I felt Szoboslai sat a bit deeper and played very well too. Isak and Gakpo were on fire tonight.
If we can keep the team balanced, we have the quality to compete.
6
04 Sep 2026 22:46:35 Araujo was brilliant, I thought. Alright. Gave us a bit more sturdiness and an old school defender who loves defending, blocking crosses, winning headers. That'll do for me, lad. Tougher tests to come, of course, but hard to argue with a clean sheet and away win.
Delighted for Isak. Confidence is huge for strikers and that'll do him the world of good. Let's hope we can keep him fit and he'll score plenty!
6
04 Sep 2026 23:01:41
Nice confidence booster for a few of the lads, particularly Isak; just what he needs right now. Couldn't have come at a better time. Linking up well with Coady too. Good football in the first half, unlucky not to put 4 away.
Still, the second half left much to be desired at times, although that's to be expected at the moment, against a better team we would have conceded. Plenty of positives to take away and something to build on.
4
{Ed666's Note - Isaks play looked clean and sharp. His passes were crisp, bodes well for the future.
10
04 Sep 2026 23:52:07
Gakpo played well, he'll have to compete with Barcola and Isak. Don't see the value of him playing 10 other than he popped into a deeper position to play those passes, which he can do coming from a wide starting spot.
Let's not pigeon hole players because of a couple moments in a match.
5
05 Sep 2026 00:01:08
Made up with Ron tonight, solid performance that probably went a bit under the radar as Isak & Gakpo probably stole the headlines. I think he should stay at RB.
Good to see Victor using his pace again as well as Bradley. Those two are going to give defenders some sleepless nights.
I've been guilty of losing my s*** a bit over transfers and imbalance of the squad, but feel happier after that. Lots of other positives to take away. A great start to the weekend!
3
{Ed666's Note - I think ‘solid’ is appropriate mate. Certainly a performance to build upon
2
05 Sep 2026 00:39:16
We started off brilliantly; they just couldn’t cope with our press and Isak’s movement and the defence pushed right up and pinned them in for long periods.
Then we reverted back to Slot ball in the second half with Virgil sitting in his own half, so leaving too much space for them to play through us. When we do that we can only win the ball back in our defensive third, which makes it much harder to work up the pitch quickly and get the ball to Isak and Wirtz in space.
I’ve noticed too that when Virgil sits deep we pass it across the back and maybe into midfield or out wide, but it stops there. They look up and rather than try the forward, more risky pass, they see Virgil on his own and just pass it backwards and start all over again.
I’ve been banging this drum for most of last season; Virgil needs to get higher up the pitch so we can squeeze them in. We did it ok in the first half an hour but then he slowly retreated backwards and it made it so much harder to get control of the game and create chances.
This system needs front footed, aggressive defending. Otherwise we just can’t get a proper press on because we’re not close enough. The open spaces in midfield are not down to the midfielders not being good enough, they are down to the defence sitting too deep and leaving the midfielders with too much space to cover.
All in all though we have to be happy with that. Isak’s first brace with 2 good finishes even if the keeper should’ve done better with both. A clean sheet and our first 3 points of the season.
The first 30 minutes were a good blueprint of how we need to be for 90 minutes. I’ve been saying this team will get better and better as the season goes on and a title push is not out of the question. This game just solidified my belief.
5
05 Sep 2026 01:53:12
Nice one @Chewy - brought a smile to my face... When was the last time anybody called Gakpo by his first name? 🙂🙂
1
04 Sep 2026 23:37:41
Not only that Ed, but he looks happy, which is dangerous for the league
2
{Ed666's Note - he owes us mate..let’s hope this is the start of something special
04 Sep 2026 20:15:51
Maybe a rumour, not sure about the recent chat, but, Kerkez is the worst 'footballer' I have ever seen.
5
04 Sep 2026 20:38:50
OK mate... Not seen much football then, have ya?
25
04 Sep 2026 20:39:23
You haven't watched Zirkzee at Utd then?
13
04 Sep 2026 20:59:42
Agree with OP. useless him
0
04 Sep 2026 21:38:39
Why do people bother with this?
15
04 Sep 2026 21:54:48
Trent gone. Frimpong dispatched to the bench. Tsimikas not getting a game. Guess the cry arse supporters need another fullback whipping boy to wet their beds about.
We have a lot of imperfect players in the squad. But we should focus more on their abilities and less on their limitations. I'm sure that's what the manager is doing.
Unity and togetherness are essential to Liverpool Football Club. We should never lose sight of this.
18
04 Sep 2026 22:00:57
Pls, you guys calling yourself fans are pathetic. He is 22 and Will come good, he was 100% not terrible today. He will only improve with time
17
04 Sep 2026 22:08:01
Isn’t it past bedtime for kiddies to be playing on the interweb?
15
04 Sep 2026 22:08:08
I like where your heart is at Richie Red. Struggling to find what case I can make for Kerkez at the moment. Quite liked him at Bournemouth is all I've got.
1
04 Sep 2026 22:06:50
So basically, OP, you've seen nothing.
6
04 Sep 2026 22:14:13
Kerkez has this season to show if he's good enough. There's no getting 3 seasons to show if you can do it. He's extremely lucky his competition is Tsimikas. As is Tsimikas to be in his position.
2
04 Sep 2026 22:15:17
You'll Never Walk Alone, Milos.
11
04 Sep 2026 22:23:42 He was 100% terrible today. Awful player.
1
04 Sep 2026 22:29:09 He's had a difficult start with us, 03beef, no doubt. But given that he's now working with the manager he thrived under at Bournemouth, I'm hopeful he can return to form.
He's only a young lad still, and look at the mess he walked into last season. Club was an absolute shambles. And the way Slot humiliated him against Burnley was shocking. No wonder the boy lost all his confidence.
It's down to him now to put in the work and raise his level. And no one is above criticism. But the way he's talked about and scapegoated is ridiculous.
3
05 Sep 2026 00:18:35
The OP should change his username to Mr Magoo.
3
05 Sep 2026 00:44:52
Kirkez, the worst? Paul Konchesky literally exists.
3
05 Sep 2026 00:55:13
He can be a bit of a headless chicken, but I expect him to improve now under Iraola.
0
05 Sep 2026 01:55:40
@Ron F, Is there anything you actually like about the team or club that, I think, you support?
04 Sep 2026 13:56:19
Hi eds1
Do we have a set peace coach at the club. And if we do is he any good.?
0
{Ed001's Note - when Iraola came in, he said the first team coaches as a whole were responsible for the set pieces. Time will tell on the second question.}
9
04 Sep 2026 16:51:53
When you say “Set Peace”, longthing, are you referring to like a Buddha figure who just brings proper chilled vibes with a massive belly and bald napper?
Coz if Liverpool are looking, I’m the man for the “Set Peace” role.
16
04 Sep 2026 17:01:47
If Dom is your RB then Flo needs to take all the corners on the left-hand side of the field. You can't expect Dom to make 80-yard dashes just to take a corner, it's not only tiresome but you're not in position for a breakaway. Dom is also a bigger danger in the penalty area than Florian; you need his height and sheer physical presence. Obviously if a free kick is in range of the goal then a DOMahawk missile must take that free kick.
Gives Florian an even bigger involvement in the game for assists.
Kerkez must start taking the corners on the right-hand side (like Robbo), as he can play an inswinging corner. Dom can't do that as he's a right-footed player so the trajectory of the ball is away from the goal. Kerkez has not taken a corner this season/last season so Florian/Dom must carry on taking all the corners. My preference would be Florian, and for captain when VVD goes?
2
04 Sep 2026 17:25:10
I enjoy the graffiti around the M25 (IIRC) - "Give Peas a Chance".
Makes me think of kids who refuse their veggies being schooled.
8
04 Sep 2026 23:25:06
007, you say Szob (RB) shouldn't take corners on the left but Kerkez (LB) should take corners on the right?
What's the difference?
1
05 Sep 2026 00:02:08
I don't like the body language of some players when there's a missed pass. Still finger pointing, arm stretched, etc. We could do with a bit of peace.
0
{Ed666's Note - I’d be gesticulating if simple balls were going astray also. Doesn’t mean I’m being out of order.
1
05 Sep 2026 01:57:13
@Rigsby 👏👏👏😀😀😀 Funniest post on here for a while.
04 Sep 2026 13:08:54
Can’t wait to watch the red men later expecting a tough game again but I expect us to win.
Hope for a good performance all round. A clean sheet would be nice, and hope Kerkez and Frimpong put in a good performance. Hopefully have people encouraging them rather than berating them at the game tonight.
14
04 Sep 2026 14:46:45
I agree with you, DH. It's gonna be a tough game esp. with the way Ipswich ran thru Utd. last, at the Toilet in that first half or first 35 minutes.
Just hope we get the win.
1
04 Sep 2026 16:28:32
I agree. It's going to be a tough game... for them!!
5
04 Sep 2026 18:36:44
3-1 to the ramen I’m saying.
Isak, Wirtz and Virg.
0
04 Sep 2026 19:19:29
Noodles!
1
04 Sep 2026 21:15:17
I'm going to say 0-2 to us at halftime with Gakpo assisting Isak both times.
I just have this feeling....
4
04 Sep 2026 22:10:20
Zed, funny guy, you posted this after the game was over.
04 Sep 2026 13:47:59
Thanks for the review Ed. Much appreciated especially with how busy this entire site has been with the closing of the transfer window. I can't understand why people keep saying that it's still the same as Slotball when it's almost as different as night and day. We're much more enjoyable to watch now
5
{Ed001's Note - very welcome mate. I fully agree, it is much better, it is enjoyable and they keep going for 90 minutes+, rather than being out on their feet after 30 min!}
7
04 Sep 2026 15:00:53
Great write up, Ed. Frimpong got stick from me and many others but on the first goal, he occupied the space Salah used to ocuppy when we defend setpieces and he went to press the GK when the ball got cleared. Sadly, Gakpo did not copy that and left Ndoye open. For me, it is just a comms. issue that can be ironed out. The positives are there so we just need to keep plugging away.
As for the offside goal on Wirtz, I need your perspective on this, pls. So if you watch, Frimpong loses the ball and is offside when Forrest have it. Then, Forrest start to pass out the back and then, Wirtz intercepts and the ball goes back and then goes off of MacAtee's head/chest.
Now this part is critical, imo. At the time this (ball going off MacAtee) happens and the ball arrives back to Frimpong, he is actually back onside with Aina covering him. So is that not the start of a new phase of play?
And if it is then, the goal should have stood, no?
Thanks in advance, man.
2
{Ed001's Note - I feel sorry for Frimpong, there is a lot he needs to improve on, but he is getting crucified for things that were not him!}
6
04 Sep 2026 16:47:50
I am with you dracered, we are so much better already. It is individual errors costing us at the moment rather than a lack of tactics or trying. I have enjoyed the first two games far more than any game of last season. I haven’t fallen asleep during either game yet, so it must be better. 😅
3
04 Sep 2026 16:40:26
Ed, you said Nyoni could be a solution in midfield. Do you think his age could actually be an advantage for him? Some older players might find it difficult to change the way they play.
Dom, Macca and Grav, for example, all have a habit of wanting to go forward whenever we have the ball, so it's hard for them to just stay back whenever we're attacking.
0
{Ed001's Note - very much so.
0
04 Sep 2026 16:52:15
Agreed in full, Ed001.
0
{Ed001's Note - thank you MkS.
0
04 Sep 2026 18:57:52
Top read Ed1 thank you so much for these 👏
0
{Ed001's Note - thank you Tim.
1
04 Sep 2026 21:11:26
Thanks for your response Ed01. However, could you please comment on the Wirtz offside goal I spoke about in my post.
Would really love your take on it. Cheers, man.
1
{Ed001's Note - they have made the laws so complicated that they can just interpret them as they wish. One official will see it as you said, the next one will not. It is stupid, but that is the way it has gone.}
04 Sep 2026 12:27:36
Good review that MK enjoyed it, Eds has there been a review of Forest game or have i missed it.
3
{Ed001's Note - I am trying to finish it now. It takes a long time as the second watch takes hours with me writing notes and having to pause it while I write them. It has been so hectic with the transfer window across all the sites that I have only just finished the second watch and am just typing it up now mate. Should be up today before the game.}
15
04 Sep 2026 12:59:28
Hi Ed, I hope the matches are not excruciating painful to watch anymore haha
2
{Ed001's Note - very enjoyable mate. Half the problem is that I am so busy watching I forget to take notes and have to rewind when I realise!}