Liverpool Banter 3

20 Apr 2026 13:44:02
Hello everyone. Hope everyone is fit and healthy, including your families! Anyway, a good win against the Old Enemy but not a great performance. A win is a win and we are 3pts closer to a guaranteed 5th spot.

Take care all. YNWA. 😁

20 Apr 2026 13:56:16
All good, Bazza. Great 3 points, alright. We'll make CL now, I fully believe. Thankfully. And The Town won again last Friday too!!!!. 🥳

20 Apr 2026 14:10:19
Are we all on board that we want Spurs to get relegated or what?. 😂

20 Apr 2026 14:15:23
I think 3rd place is up for grabs. We are only 3pts off the 2 above, and we play them both.

20 Apr 2026 14:17:17
Definitely lfc8. 🤞

20 Apr 2026 14:58:24
A great win, SG. I was in the Shead with the Town Ultras. 😂

20 Apr 2026 15:02:24
I am, LFC08. I want some of their fans to be taught a life-changing lesson. To be taught for good that they aren't what they think and gassing up themselves to be.

20 Apr 2026 15:43:42
It is funny that Arsenal and Spurs are trying to outdo each other on who is the Spursiest side in London. Spurs getting relegated is a strong contender for the title, but surely, Arsenal going on to bottle 4 competitions would top that? Going from the quadruple to the quattle is some achievement.

20 Apr 2026 16:27:43
We need a versatile forward, and Bowen would make a great Jota replacement as he can play across the front three positions, for this reason alone, I would like West Ham to go down so we can nab him on the cheap.

20 Apr 2026 17:04:51
Bowen turning 30 at the end of the year. LFC wouldn't be interested & he has a preposterous buy clause.

20 Apr 2026 19:54:31
Bowen's time is well-passed.

20 Apr 2026 13:12:56
Not to bring up the ITK argument again, but Szoboszlai saying he's not close to a new contract, although we were told he has signed one.

20 Apr 2026 13:51:45
Then don't bring up the ITK argument again. There is absolutely no need to bring it up again. Just start a thread with "Szoboszlai has been quoted saying that he is not close to signing a new contract" and get on with your life rather than trying to stir the pot.

20 Apr 2026 13:55:41
Who knows, he might have been close and pretty much signed, but now decided to get better terms due to his influence on the team this year, or Real Madrid are sniffing, telling him not to sign a new deal and let his current one expire as they seem to do.

20 Apr 2026 14:18:45
Wasn't trying to stir any pot. It was brought up a couple of days ago about ITKs and I haven't got a problem with anyone sharing anything. Chill out.

20 Apr 2026 14:32:46
Not surprised, I never believed the claims he had already signed and suggested a while back that he would likely wait until the summer to assess his situation and that, in keeping Slot, we risked losing the likes of Dom. He's been so good and the team's been so poor that from his personal standpoint he'd be crazy not to wait and see what offers came in.

You can bet your house that's exactly what his agent is telling him too. And you can times all that by 10 if he's under the impression Slot is staying.

20 Apr 2026 14:34:33
"Of course I see myself here in the long term but, as I say, it is not really in my hands any more.

This is the key bit, there are no doubt a few bits to iron out.

20 Apr 2026 15:04:42
Indeed, No.8. This is typical talk during contract negotiations.

No new ground had been broken here, imo. Let the process play out.

20 Apr 2026 15:32:31
To be honest, I think we can improve on him. While he is talented, I don't think he does enough on the ball. He should be the passing, athletic profile in our midfield. But too often he plays the safe pass, or shirks tackles. Yes he runs a lot, but he could definitely be doing much more. With Gravenberch already signing his contract, and Wirtz a near certainty to be in our XI over the coming years, if we want a balanced midfield unit, Dom is the position we could replace with a passing+combative profile.

To be honest, Dom is exactly the player who should be filling that role with aplomb, but he just doesn't do enough for me, apart from a few worldlies. While in no way do I want him gone (as maybe a new manager can unlock this on a regular basis from him), if we get the right replacement it could actually be much more beneficial to our structure long term.

20 Apr 2026 15:33:41
Did anybody actually claim that he had signed? There was definitely talk of an agreement being reached, but that may just be verbal agreement which is still a little way off a new contract being drawn up and signed.

20 Apr 2026 16:34:22
Shipley Kopite, the poster can write what he wants on here, no one tells you what to write, do they?

21 Apr 2026 00:51:04
My goodness, if we're going to replace anyone in the midfield with a passing+combative profile, it should be Grav.

I can't actually believe what I just read.

20 Apr 2026 12:44:10
I have sent the Arsenal players a load little blue tablets because they can't get past a semi.

20 Apr 2026 13:51:58
A couple of our own players could do with them, I think. 😒

20 Apr 2026 15:05:09
Start with the manager, ArAy1969.

20 Apr 2026 12:14:41
Pickford is the goalkeeping equivalent of Konate. Every now and again he will pull off a worldy, but other times he is a liabilty. Any half-decent keeper would have got to the ball before Salah for the first goal. For the second goal, the corner came straight into the heart of his six-yard box and he stood rooted to his line while VVD had an easy header.

On the subject of Konate, what are Hughes and Edwards doing trying to get him to sign a new contract? He is awful, and is now guaranteed at least one major mistake a game. His defending for Beto's goal was so poor. Even early on in the game, he allowed Beto to get across him for the header that Mamadashvili saved. He has no balance and is easily nudged over. For his size, he loses too many headers, and the fact that Pep Guardiola told his players to leave Konate free to receive the ball from the keeper tells you all you need to know about his ability on the ball. If Liverpool go into next season with Konate as first choice centre back, we may as well write next season off as well.

20 Apr 2026 12:38:43
I don't know, I feel like he could arguably have done better for the first goal, but other than that I thought he played very well. You say he is poor with the ball, but against PSG and last night there were actually a few instances where he played a pass forward with zip and pace to a midfielder's feet.

He isn't Virgil with an imperious passing range, but in the right system with players closer to him to pass to he is far from a liability on the ball.

20 Apr 2026 12:50:02
PB, he was shocking for that Everton goal yesterday. He never once got back goal side, and it would've been a very simple piece of defending if he hadn't had a complete lapse in concentration. Robbo also could've defended 1v1 against Beto much better as well, as it looked like he tried to use his body to shield the ball across goal, but got outmuscled. A stark reminder that he's not what he once was, as I'd have backed Kerkez to stop that.

Virgil was marking a man on the edge of the box, but the pull back wasn't really on, so I feel like he should've bust a gut to get across the front post. Between the 3 of them, it was just weak. For their troubles, Mama is now out with a major wound to his leg, which is doubly frustrating.

20 Apr 2026 13:06:01
The first goal Salah received the ball in the 18yd area.

Pickford wasn't "rooted to his line" for the second goal. He came off his line. There was a defender behind him, Garner was on the line.

20 Apr 2026 13:11:09
The Everton goal yesterday was Robertson's fault.

20 Apr 2026 13:59:10
Everton's goal was 100% Konate's fault. Robertson was trying to get across to cover Beto, who Virg had wandered away from and left completely unmarked, whilst watching Konate completely fail at basic defending.

Also, in fairness to Pickford he was having his shirt pulled for our winner so couldn't come off the line too far.

The thing that confused me was that it was an Everton defender pulling his shirt (presumably thinking it was a Liverpool shirt?).

20 Apr 2026 15:12:05
I agree with you, MKS, on VVD and the first goal, but in another aspect. As a result, this is where I also disagree with @Shipley. From the beginning of the play, when the ball is passed in behind, VVD is playing everyone onside.

That is his first mistake, cos had he not done that and stepped up to meet where Konate was, the two Everton players making the run to overload Konate (cos Dewsberry-Hall was the spare guy who got the ball and crossed it), would have been offside, and nothing happens.



So, if you are expecting one player to handle an overload like that with 2 v 1, then you are being a bit harsh and unfair here. Just my opinion.

20 Apr 2026 15:42:54
@Oli, VVD sets the defensive line. If Konate is not level with him, and has been sucked in too high up the pitch, that is on him, and it can't be considered as Virg playing them onside. Even if it had been caused by somebody else's mistake, Konate has to be better in those situations.



Don't get me wrong, you could pick 3 or 4 players who could do much better for the Everton goal, but for me, Konate made several mistakes in the lead up to the goal and was more to blame than the others.

20 Apr 2026 16:31:49
Konate saves us another signing... I think extending him makes sense, but we need to use next season to bleed through Jacquet and Leoni... I would like us to start the season with VVD and Jacquet as CB pairing and hopefully end it with Leoni and Jacquet.



That would be my plan, but if Slot is the manager, it doesn't matter who plays as he has shown that he is incapable of improving players or even just getting them to perform on a consistent basis.

20 Apr 2026 18:19:52
Everton's goal was the fault of Jones, Konate, VVD and Robbo. How is that?

20 Apr 2026 10:36:08
Morning all.

Hope everyone is doing okay.

I missed the match yesterday and have only managed to watch the “highlights”.

How did we play? Only asking as the edited package looked like it was one-way traffic and we committed an absolute “smash and grab”.

I am interested as the closer we get to the end of the season, the more I think that Arne and his coaching team will be here next season.



And that bothers me. For all the talk of which players come in, and which may go, if we have the same set up off the pitch then we could bring in prime R7 and prime R9 and we wouldn’t see an improvement.

20 Apr 2026 11:23:29
Neither side played particularly great.
Everton looked the far more likely to score up until they did, then it was disallowed, and Liverpool went up the other end right away and scored, which took the bite out of Everton until half time.
After half time it was fairly quiet for about ten minutes, then Everton got their equaliser.
I was then expecting an onslaught, which never materialised.

There were a couple of hairy moments, caused mainly by indecisiveness at the back, and the game sort of petered out until injury time, 11 minutes of injury time, and that's probably when Liverpool looked the most dangerous they had for the whole game, eventually scoring through Van Dijk's header.
Not a classic but a good 3 points considering Chelsea's recent results.

20 Apr 2026 12:04:00
It was a poor match really, a scrappy game but lacked the grit of a derby at the same time, neither team played well, Everton were careless and didn't take their chances, we were lucky not to go 3-0 down in the first 30 mins, the back line was pressing high and getting caught out with the long ball. Jones at RB did very well at times, but held on the ball too long at others, inviting trouble, very mixed reviews from the fan base. Giorgi did well but went off with a flesh wound and was replaced by Woodman, who, despite some hesitancy, put on a good display. Gakpo was a little more active than usual but unconvincing for the most part, threaded a lovely ball in for Mo's goal and had a weak header cleared off the line that he probably should have sent back across the box to Isak, who did sfa for most of the game, I'm surprised he made it on to the pitch for the 2nd half let alone the 70th minute. Robbo did ok but didn't see much from him going forward and was outpaced/muscled by Beto for the goal.

Wirtz struggled to impact but showed flashes of his quality, at one point, he did nuts Dewsbury-Hall twice in 2 seconds. Gravenberch was going through the motions, and Konate was his usual self. Rio wasn't as impactful as you might expect and skyed a good opportunity from his preferred position over the bar. Dom fell short in the final 3rd but did well defensively, good work rate as always and provided the corner for the winner. Virg struggled with the high line early on, as did everyone else, but I wouldn't necessarily be blaming him as it was clearly a tactical decision, he got better as the game progressed and of course stole the win in the last minute.

We will struggle to get a result playing like that against Palace or Utd but hopefully the win will boost the confidence enough to up our game for next week.

20 Apr 2026 12:19:35
For me this derby was surprisingly open.
We had the more clear cut chances and probably edged the game just.
In terms of style of play, we pressed better than we have in many games this season.
Jones did better than I thought he would at right back.


Konate performed his usual wandering out of position, which didn't help with the Everton goal.
Isak looks like he needs many games to get anywhere near being fully match fit.
Szobo everywhere as usual and probably motm.

20 Apr 2026 12:25:19
Van Dijk was partly at for Everton's equalizer. He stood watching.

20 Apr 2026 13:09:15
Something it seems a lot of people have missed cos he scored, @felmil GH. On that second goal, Konate has two Everton players on him (on the overload), and it was the one on his blindside (Dewsberry-Hall) who got the better of him and crossed the ball while he was marshalling the Everton player directly in front of him. Anyone thinking Konate can win a 2 v 1 in that situation is just being lazy.



The main issue there for me is that before the pass in behind, Konate was a yard up the pitch with VVD behind him, hence playing both Everton players onside. That was VVD's mistake and it all goes to crap from there, imo.

As for the game itself, both teams were poor and for us, it was not the same ol' crap. That being said, loved that we baptized their new stadium with a win. Gotta love that, tho.

{Ed001's Note - or was it Konate's fault for being too far up the pitch? VVD sets the line, the rest should work off him. Konate constantly gets dragged too far forward because he has no patience and throws himself at everything, only to miss it because he is so weak.}

20 Apr 2026 13:16:25
There was so much space on the pitch for a derby.

Hopefully, "the Dick" will be a happy hunting ground for the Reds for many years to come.

20 Apr 2026 13:49:10
We were very poor, imo, Sirbob. We bossed the first half in terms of possession and looked alright at times going forward, but soooooo many simple loose passes to give the ball away. We looked weakest when defending aerial balls, as we always seem to want to let the ball bounce, which invites pressure.

Our defending for their goal was abysmal, as I'm sure you've seen, but our defending long balls was like that throughout, to be honest.
The second half we tried to play out constantly and got picked off as it was so slow. Gakpo did well throughout, I thought, but the win was lucky, imo. A draw would have been fair.

20 Apr 2026 14:18:35
At least Konate was trying to make an effort. VVD was just standing there watching.

20 Apr 2026 15:16:31
"Ed001's Note - or was it Konate's fault for being too far up the pitch? VVD sets the line, the rest should work off him.".

This part I agree with and I saw it clearly on the replay. My interpretation of that was that VVD should have been watching across the line, see it and then meet up with Konate even though I agree, VVD sets the line. Bad comms. btw both there, IMO.

Now I also do agree that Konate is easy to bait, drag out of position and all that because we have seen that happen too many times. I just think VVD should have done more because it looked like VVD hung Konate out to dry, something he has done many times this season.

Cheers, mate.

{Ed001's Note - I just think Konate lacks concentration and it is impossible for Virgil to keep reacting to him, he would spend all day running up and down and never have time to defend. That is why Virgil sets the line. You just sit watching Konate and he is all over the place, he is like a small toddler let loose to brainlessly run amok.}

20 Apr 2026 19:49:41
I don't disagree on the Konate point Ed but once Konate is past, Virgil has to close off the near post. He makes no recovery run whatsoever and when Everton score he is facing his own goal

There was simply no reaction from him to D-H going past Konate
And that's not the first time he's done it this season

20 Apr 2026 09:19:30
Let's be honest with ourselves a derby win is brilliant. Great for confidence going in to the last 5 games BUT that said we were poor and if Everton had been able to finish their dinner things would have been a lot different. A better team would have killed us off. I hate being pessimistic but I just hate this brand of football.

It's like PTSD from the Hodgson days where I gave up watching us. I hate not wanting to watch my team but Slot still needs to go he really does, and take his fitness and conditioning coach too. Roll on summer and the possibility of Alonso if the ITKs are correct. Love reading their insight. Keep up the good work Eds and ITKs. Brilliant

20 Apr 2026 10:16:45
Agree with everything, the worst thing, imo, is my worst fears that Salah is leaving because Slot is staying is getting more likely, which will make next season unbearable from the start!

20 Apr 2026 10:46:46
Same thing I said after the game, jimblelfc2005. I take the win in a derby and stick a good one to the bitters hard on their patch, mate, esp. in that new stadium of theirs. That being said, it was par for the course re: the performance. Same ol' stench, different day.

Everton are absolutely awful.

We were crap and still managed to outplay them in a few spells in the second half, esp. going forward. At the back, both teams were a calamity, imo.

Now, if this is what the board think is gonna change next season with the main culprit in charge, look out cos we're gonna be in some severe dire straits, imo.

20 Apr 2026 12:01:31
Salah going because Slot is staying is something I hadn't really considered, but it makes a lot of sense, sadly.

20 Apr 2026 12:10:09
We were poor, they were worse, a better team would have seen us 3-0 down inside 30, but a wins a win. I hope the confidence boost will spur the lads on to produce better performances in the coming games because Palace have our number, Utd will be extremely difficult and we really don't want to be within touching distance of Chelsea going into that game.

20 Apr 2026 12:28:59
There is no connection between Salah going and Slot staying. It was time for Salah to go, just like it's time for Slot. As it stands, only one is going.

20 Apr 2026 13:06:58
I am sure that Slot's tactics are a factor.
But my eyes also tell me that there is a player on the right wing who has lost a yard, whose agility is shot and has limited ability to impact a match.


I am looking forward to him rolling back the years and providing a few highlights on the way out tho.
But it is time for Mo to go, it's been time.

20 Apr 2026 13:38:16
Maybe I am just being optimistic, but Salah leaving doesn't necessarily have to be due to Slot staying.

Salah could be going, as he was told he could not be guaranteed first team football, due to looking at new players for that position.

Maybe with a new manager coming in, they want wingers who go on the outside, get to the byline, not cutting in.

Or this could just as easily be due to Alonso coming in, especially if looking at 3-5-2.

I'm trying to be hopeful here. 😁

20 Apr 2026 15:17:33
I admire your effort, SA.

21 Apr 2026 03:43:41
Maybe the ITKs are right about Alonso coming in, and that is why Mo is leaving.

20 Apr 2026 07:37:33
Ed001 not a great performance but a great result but I would take that 5 more times this season. Derbies are not normal great games any way so points and bragging rights are all that ever matters.
I wonder how many days off he gives the players this week.

{Ed001's Note - if they keep winning I don't mind!}

20 Apr 2026 08:51:00
I think our performances have improved a little bit the last few matches. Not great, or even very good, by any means, but a level of performance that gives you a chance against teams like Everton, Fulham, etc. Even against PSG, we were a bit better.

I'm not saying we've turned a corner, but since that abysmal run of drawing with Tottenham at home, losing at Brighton and getting schooled by City and PSG, we do seem to have picked up just about enough - combined with Chelsea's form - to get ourselves into a good position for the last of the Champions League places.

With the way the season has unraveled, that's the only realistic target we've ended up with. Nothing really to celebrate or get excited about, but the minimum we needed.

20 Apr 2026 09:02:56
Should be aiming to finish as high as possible. At the moment that looks like 3rd spot.

20 Apr 2026 09:14:46
Palace got their Conference Semi next week, so they might even go weakened on Saturday.

Utd got a tricky game against Brentford, and Villa have their own Semi and trip to Fulham.

Us finishing 3rd would show how far the league has fallen. There again, it would still show that with this Utd side finishing 3rd.

20 Apr 2026 09:23:17
Ed001 If we can get Isak fully fit think he will make a big difference. I feel Salah is starting to look a bit better too Ed I wonder if the training intensity has stepped up last couple of weeks if so and it has been fitness issues effecting him am gutted because if so he could have seen out his contract because he deserved to end his career with us better than this season has been.

{Ed001's Note - I think it is more the players are playing at a higher intensity as the opposition have forced us to do so. They are no longer being given time to roll the ball across the backline slowly, simply because no one fears us enough to play the low block any more.}

20 Apr 2026 09:35:06
And yet there could be an English team in each of the European finals JK, It's still the best league overall in the world. Finishing 3rd would not be what we wanted, but a lot better than where we were a few months back.

20 Apr 2026 09:53:58
Florian, that's your opinion, mate, and you're more than entitled to it.

The English league is by far the richest league in the world, and the fact we might have teams in the second and third tier European competitions doesn't really put it on a pedestal, especially as these teams get more TV money than 90% of the CL clubs.

The PL 100% used to be the most entertaining and competitive league in the world, but now it's only the most competitive because teams play low block set piece football.



For the love of the game, this Arsenal team cannot win the league this season, because if they do teams will continue to follow suit and think it's the pathway to success.

20 Apr 2026 10:29:10
And 1st tier.

20 Apr 2026 10:44:17
Florain, Arsenal need to get there first, mate, and if they do, then there will be a German or French team there who can have the same argument that their league is the best.

I suppose it all depends on how someone would define 'best'.

20 Apr 2026 11:01:43
You have a good point there, Ed.

Flo, that is not the flex you think it is. And no, the PL is not the best league in the world. Not for this season, anyway. And as for entertaining? Wait, when did that happen for this season? Yeah, exactly. That would be never.

Most importantly, you cannot big up the fact that we have a PL team potentially making the CL final while ignoring the absolute embarrassing hammerings the other PL representatives have received in this same CL comp. you are referring to. You simply cannot acknowledge one fact and ignore the other.

Also, i'm not sure you realize how much of a shambles we have been this season. Don't let the table fool you. This season for us has been an unmitigated disaster. Us finishing potentially 3rd in this season of all seasons is nothing to write home about. even VVD said fighting for a CL spot is not "Liverpool-worthy" after the game.

So an English team making an a CL final don't mean jack this season esp. if that English team is as relentlessly dreadful as this Arsenal team is. In fact, it is a scathing indictment on this current PL season. Just my opinion.

20 Apr 2026 12:33:44
The PL is the best league in the world. No other league offers the same challenges week on week over a season. Not even close. Why do I have to acknowledge the English teams that were beaten? Everybody knows that already.

I didn't mention our season, Oli, I agree with Virgil. Arsenal are not dreadful, may not be as good as some of the teams of yesteryear, but in today's game worldwide they are right at the top in terms of the best sides.

20 Apr 2026 12:35:51
JK and Oli are spot on. Florian, talking waffle as usual. Everyone knows cup games are a poor measure of true quality. You do that over 38 games. We've won many a cup game we had no right winning whilst we struggled in the league, and so have countless other teams.

20 Apr 2026 12:57:26
If you took any other league in the world and added those teams to the PL and had a massive season, then it would only be the top 3 teams in each league that wouldn't end up relegated. There is no doubt at all that the PL is the strongest league in the world, as far as the gap between the top teams and the bottom teams go. It might not be the most entertaining league in the world this year (or, perhaps going back to last year), but it is far and away the strongest league.

I think that's what Florian is getting at, but apologies if I'm putting words in his mouth.

Where I do agree with others is that, if we weren't so god awful tactically and fitness-wise this season, we should have gone very deep in every competition, which is why this season has been a huge disappointment.

20 Apr 2026 13:07:00
JK, you could say Bayern and PSG are the best teams in the world that play the most attractive football and you'd almost certainly be right, but take the next step down and you could hardly say Lens, Marseille, Dortmund and Leipzig are anywhere near the same level. I'm not sure that Bayern or PSG winning the CL this year is proof that the Prem is overrated in any way, surely Bayern winning it isn't testament to the strength of the Bundesliga when all the other German teams were basically steamrolled in the CL, with Dortmund thoroughly bludgeoned by Spurs?

Whether you think the Prem is the best league in the world or not is maybe not the point.

I think that the physical demands of playing in the Prem are so much higher than playing in other leagues that it affects the way Prem teams perform in the CL as well. PSG and Bayern can afford to rotate or rest players because the exertion of playing week to week simply isn't as high, whereas the sheer physicality of having to compete in the Prem is uniquely grueling. I think other leagues are perhaps much better to watch because the risks and rewards of winning and losing financially aren't as high.

20 Apr 2026 13:08:25
I had major worries heading into a physical derby.

Maybe the day off helped us, as we didn't exactly shirk the challenge of the derby.

Good on the lads.

20 Apr 2026 13:23:08
Yes, but if you put any European team in the PL, that team then gets the PL tv money, which is about 10 times more than most get now. So they will not have to sell their best players like they.



As I said, people will determine the word 'best' differently.

Me saying the PL isn't the best doesn't mean I am correct in the same way that someone who is saying it is isn't correct.

It's opinions.

20 Apr 2026 13:24:31
Flo, you are using a universally known fact (PL is the strongest league in the world) to explain the shambles the Premier League has been this season.

While at the same time, choosing to ignore the part of the ledger that doesn't suit you (the batterings PL teams have had in the CL this season) to big up the other side of the ledger where a dreadful Arsenal (their fans think they are dreadful, let alone me) may potentially make a CL final.



Sorry, but for this season, the anomaly (Arsenal making a CL final) you are putting out will never overshadow the norm (the PL is dead this season) that you deliberately choose to ignore. That type of disingenuous crap won't fly.

20 Apr 2026 13:28:57
The Premier League team for team is by far the best league in the world. That's not to say, for example, PSG or Bayern aren't a better team than Arsenal, for instance. But in terms of depth and the allround quality of the league, the Premier League is out on its own. I'm surprised anyone thinks differently.

20 Apr 2026 13:41:50
The Premier League is by far and away the strongest league in the world.

The money on offer in the Premier League has really determined that the buying power of the bottom end of the table is as strong as European chasing teams in other European leagues.

I actually think it is to the detriment of European football and even the Premier League.

20 Apr 2026 13:53:10
I'm with FM on this one. The Prem might not be the best in terms of pure footballing quality, but it is certainly the most competitive.

{Ed025's Note - i agree Westwood..

20 Apr 2026 14:04:51
I'm pretty sure I've said that the PL is the most competitive, but it's currently not the most entertaining.

Therefore, in my own (nobody else's) opinion, it doesn't make it the 'best' in the world. For me, it just makes it the most competitive.

20 Apr 2026 14:23:19
I responded to a post that said the league had fallen by saying an English team could (it's not a definite) be in every final. If that happens, I think it shows where the league stands compared to its counterparts.

Teams like Forest, Leeds, and Spurs would be midtable anywhere else. And the likes of Newcastle and Chelsea would qualify for the Champs League at a canter.

20 Apr 2026 15:07:08
Well we'll agree to disagree then, mate.

Otherwise, we'll be toing and throwing all night.

20 Apr 2026 15:08:28
I think we can agree with you there, JK, though you might argue that watching the team that is top of the table struggling to break a team in the relegation places down in the Prem is a better watch than Bayern putting 7 or 8 past the equivalent in the Bundesliga.

Lucho himself has said that he was shocked at how much more time he got on the ball in the attacking third in the Bundesliga.

20 Apr 2026 15:22:54
No one is saying it is not the best nor competitive league in the world. That is stating the freaking obvious.

What I am referring to is Flo's argument that the league is strong this season (specifically) cos we have a team potentially in a CL final and EL final is not the flex many think it is.



If you consider the dead standard of football and hammerings PL teams have received in Europe this season esp. in the CL, that claim cannot be made. That is my only point, and I'm sticking with it.

Cheers.

20 Apr 2026 17:33:13
Pat, watching Arsenal try and break down a low block via set pieces is definitely not more entertaining than watching a team fire in 7 goals.

The PL used to be so exciting. Are people honestly telling me that the PL entertainment levels have been the same this season as they have in years gone by?

If so, then we must be watching different games.

Yes, it's competitive because English clubs get the most money to compete. But if Villa, Spurs, Chelsea, Brentford, Palace etc were in the Spanish, German or French league etc they wouldn't have that money so they wouldn't compete.



And if the Dortmunds, Marseille's & Sevilla etc were in the Premier League, they would be 10 times richer to buy players and not sell their best players, so I'd argue that they would compete.

But, as I've said, it's opinion, which is what football is all about. And no matter how many times other posters tell me I'm wrong and they're right, I still won't be changing mine.

20 Apr 2026 07:39:01
{Ed's Note - Greenaway has posted a new article entitled, Chelsea's Bigger Problem Behind the Scenes

20 Apr 2026 08:53:00
The bigger problem is them carrying debt and interest ridden debt - it's not sustainable and when blue-co decide to piss off they will leave Chelsea with nothing left.

20 Apr 2026 09:16:13
Missing out on CL football again will surely force them into a bit of a clearout to raise some money? They have a few club trained players they could cash in on and I wouldn't hate the idea of us signing Colwill.

I read somewhere, though, that he along with Caiceido are on the verge of signing new contracts. If so, it will be interesting to see what length they give them - 10, 15, 20 years?

{Ed001's Note - Colwill has had far too many injuries to be worth buying.}

20 Apr 2026 09:30:39
Caicedo signed a new contract last week. It goes all the way up to 2033. I suspect Enzo is the player they will sell for big money, considering he gave that infamous interview saying he would love to live in Madrid.

20 Apr 2026 10:00:36
Not sure how much profit Chelsea will get off Enzo.

Didn't they sign him for 100 mill over an 8 year contract, so roughly 12.5 mill a year. If they sell in the summer, they still have something like 63 million of him on their books. So even at 100 mill it's only 37 mill in profit for the books.

20 Apr 2026 10:07:39
Hato played well against Utd, I thought. I know we were interested in the past, would cover lcb and lb for us. I've only seen him a couple of times at Chelsea, but when I have seen him, he looks good.

20 Apr 2026 10:25:21
Oh Hato is a generational talent, on Football Manager 26! That's how Chelsea buy all their young players!

20 Apr 2026 11:03:11
ShipleyKopite, those Suge Knight type Deathrow record deals/contracts are a real thing at Chelsea, mate.

20 Apr 2026 13:04:48
JK23, I believe the rules may have changed a couple of years back where the transfer value of a player is amortised over the first 5 years of the contract, regardless of how long it is for. I'm pretty sure it was Chelsea that forced that rule change when they started giving out 8-year contracts as standard.



If that's the case, they're probably about £60m into it by now, so anything over £40m would be profit. Not sure if they'd get their £100m back if they sold him (as it looks like it would be to Real, and we all know how much they love paying out transfer fees), but they'd still make a profit.

20 Apr 2026 14:04:05
Oli, man, don't bring the Crips and Bloods into this. 😂

20 Apr 2026 15:24:05
ArAy1969, I think we're good. They signed a truce years ago, I read somewhere. Real talk.

20 Apr 2026 06:03:54
I am not a fan of Slot at all.

However, I thought he gave us the best chance we had of getting a result yesterday. The side he put out had the tried and tested players in it. Couldn’t really do much about Isak and the lad looks lost, but I was dreading that game, and somehow we came away with it.

Your big players come to the fore in these games, and he started Jones, which was important. MacAllister was dropped.

I think that says a lot. Whether Slot was told all week what it was about, I'm not sure. But I'm not going to berate him about this one. This wasn’t about the performance. It’s about the result.

Everton caused us problems, and I felt when Beto went off, God was shining on us a little bit. They were in the ascendency. But that’s football.

Delighted with the win. We save the rest for another time.

20 Apr 2026 06:49:36
Yep, deffo an important 3 points. It's going to be a difficult run in.

20 Apr 2026 07:03:57
We probably only need two wins to get fifth now, it'll be clearer if Chelsea don't beat Brighton tomorrow.

Given we're likely to get fifth, I expect Arne to stay and see out his contract. He's already hinted there won't be much business done this summer, or at least we won't spend much net. I can't see a new manager coming in and accepting that.



I think we should be doing better with the squad we have, the owners probably think that, and so the cheapest way forward for them, once CL qualification is confirmed, is to stick with what we have in the back room, let them see out their contracts, and spend again in the summer of 27 when a new coach comes in.

20 Apr 2026 07:16:28
Let's be honest, it was a poor performance and we were lucky to get anything from it. Players are lethargic under Slot, most of the time it's backwards and sideways football. Surely he has to go or half the squad will leave and any promising young player would be mad to stay.

20 Apr 2026 07:24:56
I can't believe what I'm reading, people's expectations have dropped so much. Because we might get fifth place, he can keep his job! We were expecting to challenge to the title again, but we have had to endure the worst football since Roy Hodgson and he spent 500 million. If he carries on next season, I won't be watching. It's just not enjoyable anymore.

20 Apr 2026 08:06:56
I'd like him gone, Longthing. I'm just speculating the ownership may see it differently if we qualify for CL. Rather than pay out three contracts that are due to expire in 12 months, anyway, they may just let it roll. They're not bothered about the quality of the football, they have no understanding of it, they just want CL each year and an increasing investment.

20 Apr 2026 08:53:24
Not only expecting another tilt at the title but we were most people's huge favourites.
He has to go.

20 Apr 2026 09:02:28
Overkill, "His contract is due to expire in 12 months anyway, let it roll."

20 Apr 2026 09:11:43
Agree with Overkill on the owners. They'll see Champions League football achieved and be mostly happy with that. We've only achieved that half the seasons they've been here. Not saying it saves the manager's job, but doubt they'll be up in arms about it.

20 Apr 2026 09:16:46
Best thing is the history books will always show that the first ever derby at the Hill Dickinson was won by the Reds.

20 Apr 2026 09:26:08
The team setup is completely wrong. The way it is setup creates zero chances, and provides no service into Isak. The only way we create chances is a moment of individual brilliance (e.g. Gakpo's pass to Salah). We created chances for fun at the start of the season, but were far too open at the back. Rightly so, Slot changed it to make us more solid at the expense of attacking creativity. Unfortunately, now that we look better at the back (still not great), he hasn't tried to change anything to make us better going forward again, and the lack of fitness and confidence in the team is leading to a complete lack of chances being created.

There is little to no movement off the ball, and we don't play the ball quickly enough to create space for players to exploit. We signed 2 world class players in Isak and Wirtz and then systematically stopped doing all of the things that these players thrive on and made them world class.

20 Apr 2026 09:36:56
Good job UEFA are allowing a quarter of the PL to enter the CL in this day and age.

Should be called the Champions and runners up, third, fourth and fifth place league.

{Ed025's Note - im with you JK, a Champions league should be for Champions only mate...its just a money making scheme now..

20 Apr 2026 09:54:58
Should just be called the league, as Champions League is false advertising as it is not just the champions !!!!

{Ed025's Note - absolutely Albey..

20 Apr 2026 10:26:27
imo, when you start a 30% fit Isak, you are most def not giving us the best chance to win. Like vs PSG, he completely wasted the 1st half.

20 Apr 2026 11:15:19
Longthing76, @Shipley et al, like you, I couldn't believe what I was reading, either. Best chance to win? Seriously, Is this what this season has done to our fans who are now accepting the barest of minimums in games now provided we get CL footie? Nah, ain't having it.

In terms of the actual performance in isolation, we were absolutely dire. It was the same ol' stuff, different day with loose passes, slow ball movement/progression, couldn't get the ball to Isak in the first half (improved in the second). Some of the individual/collective errors that did not lead to chances or goals for Everton (cos they were dire, as well) were frightening.

And the subs? Oh my goodness, the subs Slot made.

That requires its own post as I couldn't believe the idea behind them. Takes off Isak and Gakpo and puts Mo (who was cooking all game) at CF and all while playing long balls up to him.

The fact is that this guy simply cannot be here next season cos he won't change, end of. Slot will continue on this path and we will be the worst for it. We've seen this before with Br, but we got Klopp when he was sacked during the season. This time, Klopp ain't coming if this guy gets sacked during next season and it would be another season wasted.

20 Apr 2026 12:39:58
Only had to read the first 2 lines to know you're off your meds. We would have been 3 or 4-0 down inside 30 mins were Everton a little more disciplined. Terrible tactical decisions from Slot, he gets no brownie points for fielding experienced players either, that's a given in a derby.

20 Apr 2026 13:14:10
Do people genuinely think the owners are happy with just scraping into the Champions League spots?

I don't see it that way, but I think what we benefit from with these owners is that they are pragmatic in their response to adversity.

Whether that means Slot stays or not, remains to be seen. But, I for one, am glad we don't have trigger-happy owners.

For every Carrick, there is an Ange, Dyche, Nuno, Rob Edwards, Liam Rosenior, Frank, Tudor....