Liverpool Banter 3

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.

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.

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.

{Ed666's Note - Agreed mate

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.

04 Sep 2026 22:30:26
The Duality of Ron.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

{Ed666's Note - Isaks play looked clean and sharp. His passes were crisp, bodes well for the future.

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.

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!

{Ed666's Note - I think ‘solid’ is appropriate mate. Certainly a performance to build upon

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.

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? 🙂🙂

04 Sep 2026 23:37:41
Not only that Ed, but he looks happy, which is dangerous for the league

{Ed666's Note - he owes us mate..let’s hope this is the start of something special

05 Sep 2026 07:56:12
A lot to like in that game. Few things not to, but nothing of note.

Loved Isak pulling left; their centre halves didn’t know what to do, creating spaces is what this team is all about and you can see we are getting closer to better fitness and used to putting more effort in again.

Munoz mazy run. I just wish the lad scored from that as that was a goal of the season contender if he did. There's enough games for Gakpo and Barcola to play to keep it healthy competition this season.

05 Sep 2026 08:40:39
It was a decent performance against a team that will probably get relegated. There will certainly be harder games, that’s a given.
The positives: our main forward scored 2 goals, we didn’t concede, no injuries and the much needed win that was required. Something to build on for sure. 👍

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.

04 Sep 2026 20:38:50
OK mate... Not seen much football then, have ya?

04 Sep 2026 20:39:23
You haven't watched Zirkzee at Utd then?

04 Sep 2026 20:59:42
Agree with OP. useless him

04 Sep 2026 21:38:39
Why do people bother with this?

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.

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

04 Sep 2026 22:08:01
Isn’t it past bedtime for kiddies to be playing on the interweb?

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.

04 Sep 2026 22:06:50
So basically, OP, you've seen nothing.

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.

04 Sep 2026 22:15:17
You'll Never Walk Alone, Milos.

04 Sep 2026 22:23:42
He was 100% terrible today. Awful player.

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.

05 Sep 2026 00:18:35
The OP should change his username to Mr Magoo.

05 Sep 2026 00:44:52
Kirkez, the worst? Paul Konchesky literally exists.

05 Sep 2026 00:55:13
He can be a bit of a headless chicken, but I expect him to improve now under Iraola.

05 Sep 2026 01:55:40
@Ron F, Is there anything you actually like about the team or club that, I think, you support?

05 Sep 2026 08:12:28
Give him a break. He puts in a shift in every match, fitness is great and he doesn't seem to get injured. Let Iraola coach him back to his Bournemouth Premier League team of the year form.

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.?

{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.}

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.

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?

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.

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?

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.

{Ed666's Note - I’d be gesticulating if simple balls were going astray also. Doesn’t mean I’m being out of order.

05 Sep 2026 01:57:13
@Rigsby 👏👏👏😀😀😀 Funniest post on here for a while.

04 Sep 2026 15:12:06
Good luck to Suso as he announces his retirement.

He's a player that I wish we had kept a bit longer and allowed Klopp to get a look at him (he left in Jan 15 before Klopp joined in Oct 15).

Had a decent career in Europe - Spain and Italy - but I wonder what he could have achieved for us?

That said he is a left footed RW, so if he had stayed, we may never have seen the best of Salah!

04 Sep 2026 15:56:02
Really liked him as a youngster, went on to have a pretty decent career alright, one of the minority along with Luis Alberto.

Still don't think he was quite at the level for us, but tidy player and yes thankfully didn't block the Egyptian! 👑

Very young to be retiring must have had bad injuries?

05 Sep 2026 07:25:35
One of a raft of foreign kids who I thought would have been good for us - Suso, Alberto, Teixeira, Coates etc. Glad he went on to have a good career though.

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.

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.

04 Sep 2026 16:28:32
I agree. It's going to be a tough game... for them!!

04 Sep 2026 18:36:44
3-1 to the ramen I’m saying.
Isak, Wirtz and Virg.

04 Sep 2026 19:19:29
Noodles!

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....

04 Sep 2026 22:10:20
Zed, funny guy, you posted this after the game was over.

04 Sep 2026 22:02:35
You are Crazy Psychic zed 🤣🤣

04 Sep 2026 23:26:58
No, he didn't, ArAy1969 😂.

04 Sep 2026 13:16:46
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Liverpool v Nottingham Forest - A Quick Liverpool Perspective

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

{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!}

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.

{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!}

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. 😅

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.

{Ed001's Note - very much so.

04 Sep 2026 16:52:15
Agreed in full, Ed001.

{Ed001's Note - thank you MkS.

04 Sep 2026 18:57:52
Top read Ed1 thank you so much for these 👏

{Ed001's Note - thank you Tim.

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.

{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.

{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.}

04 Sep 2026 12:59:28
Hi Ed, I hope the matches are not excruciating painful to watch anymore haha

{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!}

04 Sep 2026 11:48:59
Eds
Can we have a vote on who Liverpool should use for RB as it's one position I feel we really should have strengthened in the summer window.
Vote goes something like this:

Nobody new, Connor Bradley is good enough and will be back around Oct/Nov

Use Araujo, he will become our new RB

Buy Kayode from Brentford he should have been our No2 choice in the summer window

Buy Kounde from Barca he should have been our No1 choice in the summer window

Use Chambers, he is good enough to play that position.

Buy someone like Guela Doue and allow them to develop.

04 Sep 2026 12:01:16
Out of curiosity, does anyone else feel Jacquet could be decent there? Can pass, has pace, and I feel it will help him adapt to the league. Let Araujo play in the middle and give us a bit more height at the back too.



Just a thought, but until Jan, it does feel the best option is probably Dom. Although I'm
still hoping Frimpong can prove me wrong.

04 Sep 2026 12:04:41
Bit late now.

04 Sep 2026 12:26:20
Interesting that AI has selected a recognised (albeit relatively unknown) RB in the HG section of the PL squad - Isaac Mabaya. I wonder if AI sees something there?

04 Sep 2026 12:26:44
My top preference would be to move heaven and earth to secure Daniel Banjaqui (Benfica youngster) and then get a cost-effective experienced RB in the interim such as Wilfried Singo, who would offer us the physicality needed.

Depending on how Archie Gray gets on at Spurs, it's worth keeping an eye on whether he establishes himself ahead of Porro at RB or in midfield.



Failing that, revisit the Givairo Read (Feyenoord) or Martim Fernandes (Porto) situations.

Outside shouts - have another look at Ait Boudlal (Rennes) and Ismaelo Ganiou (Lens). These two are more RB/CB profiles.

{Ed025's Note - they dont fit the profile FPF, they have to cost £100m or more to fit into the Liverpool ethos mate.. :)

04 Sep 2026 12:29:44
Doue is now at Leverkusen.

04 Sep 2026 12:47:10
Wouldn't be surprised to see Gomez start there if and when he can get fit... Always liked Gomez at right back, limited offensively but has good pace and is a good, solid defender.

Problem, of course, is how long he will stay fit for, but I'm hoping he can get a run of games now he's back in training.

04 Sep 2026 13:07:08
I'd start Szobo there in today's game. Evaluate further afterwards.

04 Sep 2026 13:12:57
Who should be Liverpool’s right-back?

Conor Bradley — because he’s always right back, just never actually back. 😭

And Joe Gomez? He’s been on “Be Right Back” since 2019.

04 Sep 2026 12:49:08
ha - you are not wrong, Ed025.

04 Sep 2026 15:05:13
@Reyrey1, I don't see that at all. In fact, as Jacquet was a former midfielder (with Paul Pogba) as his role model on the pitch, I've seen people think he can actually play the deeper midfield role.

@Zed, yeah. I found that Mabaya inclusion very interesting indeed. The kid had game time under Klopp in preseason a few years back so one to watch.

04 Sep 2026 16:11:53
“I’d love it” if Mabaya broke into the squad and became the new starter - competition for Connor.

04 Sep 2026 22:14:32
🙂🙂🙂 Bradley, Frimpong, Gomez, Araujo, Mbaya, Dom. I really do think we missed out on a golden opportunity to bring in an RB in the recent window. We look really short of bodies on the right side of the defence.

04 Sep 2026 11:39:37
The operation to bring Michael Olise to Liverpool for the summer of 2027 is already fully underway.

04 Sep 2026 12:26:53
ITK Space

04 Sep 2026 12:30:31
Another 100 million plus player, we have three of them already. Hope it works out.

Heavy lies the head that signs the cheque.

04 Sep 2026 12:31:44
Olise is a wonderful player. But, I think given we have Barcola, Isak, Hugo, it makes a lot more sense for any RW coming in to be a workhorse first. Olise is not that, as was exposed by PSG in the CL semi-final.

04 Sep 2026 12:39:30
& the World Cup final.

04 Sep 2026 12:47:42
If we sign Olise (very big if), we would need one of two things:

1. Revamp our midfield and fullbacks completely to play the 4-2-3-1.
2. Sell Wirtz and play a 4-3-3. These wouldn't require as much of a change in the midfield as option 1.

04 Sep 2026 13:28:02
One of the best players in the world, but he isn't at all the profile we need. We need to sign players that fit the system, not players we need to completely overhaul the system to fit. If Sarr or Minteh were the kinds of players that Iraola thought could give him what he wants on that side of the pitch, then those are the kinds of players we have to bring in.

Olise isn't a pace and hustle kind of player, he is another ball to foot, drift into the center of the pitch playmaker, we want somebody to attack space, to drag defenders away with selfless runs, to track back, to pin defenders back with their pace in behind.

04 Sep 2026 13:49:11
Not really related, but didn't ITK Space start off as a Bayern page? Ever since the Wirtz stuff and Bayern fans deriding him constantly as a troll, he's gone into full blown hyperbolic LFC adoration mode. The Barcola post was especially hilarious with the stuff about the 'mystical banks of the Mersey' etc.

04 Sep 2026 16:09:36
I don’t see it myself. I guess I remember the player for Palace.
Occasionally flashed, didn’t work hard enough.

He’s suited to other leagues. Premier League was too much for him.

04 Sep 2026 16:22:09
Yes this was from Space man on X.

04 Sep 2026 16:53:40
I feel like Theo's not the only one on this site who doesn’t want us to go anywhere near Olise. I really don’t think he is a good fit for an AI team and is overhyped and not worth the money.


I would rather we bought players that fix our problems, ie full back and dm, than waste a fortune on a luxury who is only interested when they have the ball.