Liverpool banter 7

18 Apr 2026 22:37:03
Diouf was a total s*** of a person but far far from the worst striker!

18 Apr 2026 23:25:59
He was an awful striker and an awful human.

One of the worst forwards I've ever seen.

19 Apr 2026 03:02:06
He has to be the worst signing for us ever. To think we chose him over signing Anelka is beyond belief.

19 Apr 2026 08:08:11
He was really good in Football Manager while Anelka was a prima donna in that game. I reckon that's what they based the move on.

19 Apr 2026 08:27:05
Mad Erik Meijer
Sean Dundee
Ricky Lambert

They were all right down there as our worst forwards in recent memory.

19 Apr 2026 08:29:09
He was absolutely rubbish. Didn't score a single goal in his second season. The bloke averaged something like 0.1 goals per game. One of the worst footballers to ever swindle a pro contract.

19 Apr 2026 11:19:52
Haha Nicolas Anelka on Championship Manager 01/02.

For a laugh, I took over whatever club he was at and transfer listed him, sold him to another PL club where he played for a season.

I then took that club over, transfer listed him, and sold him. Rinse and repeat each season, whatever club he was at - he was at a new club each season (sometimes 2 clubs in a season!).



It got to a point where he refused to sign for another club no matter what (after he had been at about 7 or 8 clubs).

At that point I renamed him 'Premiership Wh*re'.

19 Apr 2026 12:18:21
Anelka was also the best striker in the game, even if he lived on the transfer list - even signing contracts after withdrawing his transfer request and a month before handing in a new transfer request. That month, though, where he was settled - up there with the real Ronaldo. Loved the drama with that man.

18 Apr 2026 19:43:09
Just for light banter on a Saturday evening

Worst Liverpool XI

GK: Loris Karius:

RB: Philipp Degen:

CBs: Torben Piechnik, Mauricio Pellegrino

LB: Paul Konchesky

CM:
Christian Poulsen
Alberto Aquilani

LW: Lazar Markovic
RW: Nabil El Zhar

ST:
El Hadji Diouf
Balottelli.

18 Apr 2026 20:25:53
Keeper : Bogdan
RB : Xavier
Cb : Kyrgiakos
Cb : Kvarme
LB : Konchesky

CM - Spearing
CM - Cheryou or Charlie Adam

Lw - Aspas
Rw - Diouf
ST - Borini, Voronin, Jovanovic, Ngog, too many Caroll, Benteke.

18 Apr 2026 20:32:34
Any worst team has to have Naby Keita in midfield and El Hadji Diouf in the forward position I don't care about anyone else, as long as they're in it.

18 Apr 2026 20:34:40
Sean Dundee as striker.

18 Apr 2026 20:37:46
@grino75, while Keita disappointed given the expectations, he was nowhere near the worst player to play for us. He was genuinely talented as one could see when he played (though that hardly happened).

18 Apr 2026 21:07:24
I'd absolutely have Keita in there. He was terrible, and, when you factor in, he wasn't far off one of our most expensive ever signings at the time. It makes it even worse.

18 Apr 2026 21:20:39
Definitely Karius as the goalie. Klopp got it wrong with him, cost us the Champs League.

18 Apr 2026 21:23:05
Joke Hole has to be in there somewhere.

18 Apr 2026 21:59:04
Worst left back has to be a toss up between Konchesky or Julian Dicks. Diouf has to be in there as well.

Keita doesn't deserve to be in there, had some good moments, shame he just wasn't on the pitch enough to have more.

18 Apr 2026 22:04:11
Aspas was a decent player. Never got a fair shake.

18 Apr 2026 22:24:45
Stephen Caulker could be in central defender and striker positions.

18 Apr 2026 22:25:10
Keita has to be in there, because he is the one player with so much talent, but did not care and just was happy to sign then collect his wages without putting in any effort.
We signed a world class player, and he was a bum and should have been sold within 2 years.

19 Apr 2026 00:23:06
You can't count Julian Dicks - he wasn't actually a footballer.

Still say Jimmy Carter was the least talented player to play in the first team.

19 Apr 2026 03:04:46
Alberto Aquilani was a good player. It was not his fault that he was bought when he was already injured. When he played, he played really well. The issue for him was that Rafa got the sack, and then Hodgson was brought in, who had never seen a creative player ever in his life and did not know what to do with such players.

Hence he was shipped off back to Italy. Under any other manager (even Brenda), he could have been a good player for us.

19 Apr 2026 08:34:19
Poulsen, Leonhardsen, Cheyrou, Jean Michel Ferri, Kvarme, Antonio Nunez, Ozan Kabak, Marko Grujic.

These guys have to be in the reckoning.

19 Apr 2026 08:47:13
Naby certainly didn't live up to the fee, but he managed to play 129 games and got 18 goals and assists. We've signed players who probably didn't play 15 games, they were that bad.

Similar to Carroll, he managed 58 games.

Lots of big name players would get into the worst value for money signings, and you could probably have Isak in there at this point with Darwin & Carroll, but if it's based on playing ability, players like Dundee who made 5 appearances with zero goals and assists are front runners.

19 Apr 2026 12:32:23
Arthur Melo over Aquilani, I think Melo was bought in to cover injuries, only to be injured play like 4 minutes all season. 😅

18 Apr 2026 17:34:14
It would appear that Gordon wants out of Newcastle and i'm not surprised. I'm not his biggest fan but he might flourish in a better team. Premier League experience, home grown and approaching his prime years are obvious plus points. Temperament, price(long contract + English tax) and for me a bit underwhelming and inconsistent are negatives.

18 Apr 2026 18:47:55
No 8 -, I might be one of the few on here that would take him.
I think he's more than capable of doing a job for us, is pretty versatile & like Diaz used to do, can get the ball up the pitch pretty consistently?
Get him back firing with Isak for next season?

18 Apr 2026 19:04:08
I'm on the fence, Bristol, there is certainly a lot to like but also a nagging doubt, the history with Isak is another plus point though.

18 Apr 2026 19:07:28
He's not suited for the slop we serve up.

18 Apr 2026 19:12:26
We managed to sign the best striker the Premier League of last season, and one of the best young talents in the entire world.

And we've made them look total gash

It doesn't matter who we sign until we sack this manager, his staff, and the 2 idiots that have kept him here 6 months too long

18 Apr 2026 19:44:24
Underwhelming, inconsistent and expensive?! What's not to like?

18 Apr 2026 20:58:40
I'm looking forward to seeing him in the best football club Liverpool.

18 Apr 2026 21:18:56
Apparently Newcastle want 80m for him, which is crazy. I'd be hard-pressed to pay a penny over 50m.

18 Apr 2026 21:26:47
£80m for the Scouse Stewart Downing. What a time to be alive.

19 Apr 2026 06:44:32
No thank you. Dodgy temperament and seems to be someone who is always wanting to be somewhere else.

19 Apr 2026 08:49:47
I'd take him for the right price. I think he'd do well for us, but we won't get the right price, Newcastle will demand a fortune for him or Guimaraes.

19 Apr 2026 11:21:14
Really? Gordon for 80m? Like I said, Newcastle can go fleece someone else for that amount for that fraud.

18 Apr 2026 16:35:50
Hi ED001 I read an earlier post about slot being a poor man manager, which isn't surprising considering my ears start to bleed at every one of his press conferences. But it got me thinking about Rafa, a lot of ex Liverpool players talk about how his man management being poor, but he was still able to motivate players to play exceptional matches.

I loved the man but is it fair to say he wasn't good enough to take us to titles or was he truly let down by investment?

{Ed001's Note - I think he was too negative to win the Prem. He had the team but wouldn't let them attack.}

18 Apr 2026 16:58:43
There was a period in 09 when we were playing scintillating football under Rafa. I think we had the right balance between attack and defence then.

I think Rafa's biggest issue was the quality of the squad players. It was a revolving door every season. He discovered some gems but, my word, there was a lot of dross bought under Rafa, players who were way below the required level.

He would have been better if he had been more selective as opposed to the scattergun approach every year. Torres was frequently injured and his backup was David Ngog.

18 Apr 2026 18:18:00
But that season, Babbity, there were times when points were lost through his negativity. Points that ended up vital. Think we drew over 10 games that season.

18 Apr 2026 18:18:52
Investment was definitely an issue, no doubt about it. We loved selling off our best players at the time, and our quality off the bench was woeful. Rafa was a great tactician for cup ties, but when it came to getting the best out of a team over 38 games he fell a little short.

I think his tendency to be overcautious restricted players. He overcommitted to rotation when we didn't have the quality of depth for it. I remember the zonal marking being a big issue at times. He was stubborn as a mule and, of course, his complete lack of man management.

18 Apr 2026 18:46:26
We had a great team in 2008-2009 with a first team to envy but didn't have squad depth. If Rafa had the £400m Slot has had, then I'm sure we'd have taken the next step to win the league.

That team imploded due to Rafa burning his bridges with Alonso, Mascherano, then Torres all left, all world class players, leaving an ageing Gerrard to try to galvanise the team again.

18 Apr 2026 19:00:26
Rafa was a bit too negative minded with the Premier League in hindsight, however, I do agree that the drop off in quality in the squad was one of the main reasons. We always seemed short, especially in the wide areas when compared with Chelsea or United at the time.


However, I do remember the Valencia team he created with Aimar and Baraja... they played some great football. He never could get us doing that enough.... Perhaps because of rotations, quality or just a lack of positivity.

18 Apr 2026 19:18:23
Florian, too many draws that should have been wins in the January/February time. I think that period coincided with Torres' injury if I remember correctly. Like I said, we were relying on David Ngog after we sold Robbie Keane (a ridiculous decision).



Even still, we got 86 points that season, which beats Slot's season last year. There were some memorable performances too, like the double against Real Madrid and 4-1 at Old Trafford.

18 Apr 2026 19:22:34
Hessle, apparently in 2008 or 2009 a double-deal of David Silva and David Villa had been agreed with Valencia for £40 million because they were cash-strapped but the board pulled the plug.

18 Apr 2026 19:40:46
Rafa had to work under the Chuckle Brothers (Moores and Parry) then under Stadler and Waldorf (Hicks and Gillett). Unbelievable bad luck.

And, blimey, we have had some terrible owners and awful Director appointments.

18 Apr 2026 20:34:34
I vaguely remember a game. I think we were drawing and Rafa subbed Torres. I can remember Torres shrugging to Gerrard, and Gerrard just standing there with his hands on his hips looking bewildered.

18 Apr 2026 21:07:50
Raffa's hands were tied. He tried to sign David Silver, Danny Alves and Sergio Aguero but was let down by the yanks. YNWA
.

18 Apr 2026 21:39:28
Rafa's tenure under H&G was far shorter than his tenure under M&P.

The Yanks are not to blame here (for once).

19 Apr 2026 11:25:36
Yeah, Ed01. I thought so to re: Rafa. The way we played under him seemed he was more interested in not losing than actually going for games. Also, his obsession with rotation esp. in that potential title winning season in 08/09 used to do my head in.

People forget this but in that season, LFC lost just 2 games however, we drew 11 times and we lose the titlel by 4 points? Had we gone for those 11 games we drew, we get 10/12 extra points and win the title handily.

18 Apr 2026 13:58:50
Ed may I ask what you think about Calvin Bassey of Fulham? Do you think he will be good enough for us?

{Ed001's Note - I do like him, I think he is a better left sided centre back than Senesi. Not sure if he is quite good enough to make the step up as he does lack a bit concentration wise, in particular.}

18 Apr 2026 16:31:13
I'm surprised you think that actually Ed, I thought we focused our press towards his side when we played them. And every time I've seen him I've found him to be quite clumsy on the ball. You've took me to school again

{Ed001's Note - he can look clumsy due to losing focus. He then gets caught on the wrong foot etc.}

19 Apr 2026 11:26:21
He has concentration issues, imo.

18 Apr 2026 13:15:51
Perfect football weekend will be a draw for United v Chelsea, Sunderland win v Villa, Citeh beating the bottle jobs, n us hammering the bitters.

18 Apr 2026 14:47:34
78/1 Strom. 👍😜

18 Apr 2026 15:17:17
Irish Rover, ....worth at £10 at them odds, then it is a perfect weekend. 👌

18 Apr 2026 16:31:45
Perfect result this weekend is Slot gone.

18 Apr 2026 18:47:29
He's not going until at least the end of the season so get used to it.

19 Apr 2026 01:55:15
Do you all think Slot out would end the wars in the Middle East? Seems to be the answer for everything.

18 Apr 2026 11:10:06
I think what saddens me most and what differentiates this year's struggles to those under Klopp is the lack of intensity.
Our football was defined by hardworking, ruthless players. Even when losing I could get behind them.
I appreciate it's a fairly new team, but I am trust not connected to this team.


The year Ali scored the header there was such desire and energy to get into the Champions League. When we had injuries, players helped step up and we carried on.
This year just isn't the same.
Thought!

18 Apr 2026 13:32:01
They were all mostly world class. That gets forgotten. We'd one of the greatest teams put together in Premier League history. 115 prevented us in getting a few more titles. The City side was a great side buy they'd gotten there through alleged corruption.
Robbo and Trent were world class. Virg was the best CB in the world by a distance. Matip was special alongside Virg. Then Allison we've had one of an all time greats.

The back 5 were at the peak of their game and it was a special special backline and keeper.
Then midfield, Fabinho was world class. Henderson was consistently top class for years and Thiago, Wigaldum were excellent when available. Thiago for the one season was unreal.
Then up front we'd the best 3 in world football for a few years. The team carried no one.

18 Apr 2026 13:34:56
Biggest lie was Slot's football is similar to Jurgans.

It couldn't be further away, in fact it's total polar opposite.

18 Apr 2026 14:31:56
Not one player at the club now, taking into account Alli, Virg and Mo are nearing the end, would get into that 11 of the 2019,2020 era. Maybe a 100% Isak.

18 Apr 2026 15:00:09
It's clear Slot's focus is on controlling the ball and constantly calculating the risk, knowing your technically superior footballers will win out. Whereas Klopp's was about controlling the space and being brave and opportunistic.

Unfortunately, we are not able to do either of the above.

18 Apr 2026 15:01:21
100% Florian, although I would say not even a fit Isak. It would just upset the chemistry. Bench player for me.

18 Apr 2026 16:35:29
Origi's backup on the bench.

18 Apr 2026 16:44:25
Ron you're implying our current best 11 is sub par. Under a top manager these would be firing on all cylinders and we'd be up there. People making excuses for that fraud is astounding. Even when we had that bad run under Klopp I had belief he'd turn it around. I have zero belief we ever will under this egotistical fraud.

18 Apr 2026 17:12:57
I just thought of some recent posts saying that Slot was going to stay until the end of his contract. It literally sent shivers up my spine. I can't take another year of this.

18 Apr 2026 18:21:09
You're probably right, Irish. Was just the only non-certainty for me. Love Bobby too, but I also think a fully fit Isak is golden.

18 Apr 2026 19:42:45
Firmino was twice the player Isak will ever be. Firmino was playing for the team every single time he stepped on the pitch. He was the player who made the pressing work as it did, and he was the one who made the offense flow.

19 Apr 2026 06:49:01
It's a shame that Bobby and Florian Wirtz aren't in the same age group, I'd have loved to see them play in the same team for us.

19 Apr 2026 11:28:51
ArAy1969, I'm telling you, that scares the shirt outta me re: Slot staying.

Wdw, Wirtz with Bobby? The oppo. need to run for the hills, man.

18 Apr 2026
New image uploaded to the
Liverpool Player Sightings page entitled,

Click picture for larger image

18 Apr 2026 09:19:24
LFC clearly need a new no.9 for next season, with Ekitike's regrettable injury, and Gakpo proving (again) he's no centre forward, we definitely need another option other than Isak. Personally I think Anthony Gordon is a no-brainer* - have the Eds heard anything recent?

*Once Ekitike is up and running again, Gordon's flexibility across the frontline would mean he's still a valuable member of the group. His 17 goals in 46 games (near identical to Ekitike, and far better than our other strikers) are seeing him linked to Bayern Munich. Plus we could desperately do with some real pace in our front line again.

Now I know he's not everyone's cup of tea, due to *reasons*, but we need to be pragmatic and surely I'm not alone in this assessment? (Taking cover)

18 Apr 2026 09:41:44
Think we could do a lot worse than Gordon.

18 Apr 2026 09:45:38
I would normally agree, as Isak and Gakpo up front do not fill me with much confidence. However, striker for me is a lower priority than other positions we need to target.

We desperately need a starting RB, CM, RW, and that will cost a lot of money. Then, we need a LB, CM (if Jones leaves). I would even include the LW role, as I am not sure Gakpo is good enough to be our starter LW, and is more suited to a rotational player. However, what happens to Rio then, a loan? I think he would be better served at the club, but we can't block his path with 2 players ahead of him.

These are the positions we need to target before the striker role, and I highly doubt we will cover them this window.

Sales will be tricky as Slot has admitted we are a trading club, yet have allowed Salah to walk away a year ahead of his contract. Not to mention Konate and Robbo leaving at the end of their contracts.

Jones and Macca are the only players I can see us getting a big fee for. The rest, Chiesa, Endo, etc, will be paltry and involve a reduced fee that manages to get them off the wage bill.

Gonna be an interesting season. However, if one man is still at the helm, it is a moot point. Doesn't matter who we bring in, if who is steering the ship remains.

18 Apr 2026 10:06:14
Gordon is mediocre at best and that's being generous. He has no discernible skill, his end product is woeful, hasn't two braincells to rub together and spends most of his time throwing himself to the floor desperately looking for the ref to give a foul because he can't beat his man.

If it wasn't for the geographical location of his birth he'd not be mentioned. He's essentially Stewart Downing with floppy hair.

18 Apr 2026 10:18:39
I'd definitely try for Gordon, if not mad expensive. He is an LFC fan, point to prove after being released as a youth, and has that wee bit of 'nastiness' that we are lacking in the team.


I would disagree as regards Gakpo up top, I think the last 2 games we played when Gakpo was up top, we played well. He presses better, and with more intent than anybody else we have.

18 Apr 2026 10:32:51
Gordon or Gakpo, it would be Gakpo all day long. As I've said to friends many times, Gordon is a sprinter and has had to be taught how to play football. Whereas Gakpo has more in his locker. Yes, he can be frustrating, but not as frustrating as Gordon can be.

Look at tackles he's done against us, the one on VVD was outrageous; it could have been a broken leg or VVD AC going again. No, would not want him anywhere near the club. YNWA.

18 Apr 2026 10:33:28
I would have hoped that Jayden Danns would be considered.

18 Apr 2026 10:37:02
I'd say our priority is midfield, that's our weakest position by far. We need 2 strong mobile, not afraid to tackle types, Macallister Jones Endo might be leaving and let's face it none of them would be missed, n then we have Grav, who has regressed a lot this season, hopefully he will be sitting back in front of the CBs next season n stay there, the rest of the team is okish, we got new CBs, covered on the FB position, up front we have a £125 million fully fit Isak.

18 Apr 2026 10:39:21
We need so much. Can't wait to hear the old "it's difficult to get players being a World Cup year." 😂

18 Apr 2026 10:40:28
Gordon over Gakpo for me. Can't see Cody been moved on though. Think we'll only get one starting winger in.

18 Apr 2026 11:07:32
Julian Alvarez would be the dream signing for up top. We do have a long standing interest in him, but it would cost a fortune.

I don't think we need defenders, so best summer window would be:

Elliot Anderson.


Julian Alvarez.
Yan Diomande.

Plus a second midfielder and wideman. Wharton and Fofana?

A lot will depend on what we get for outgoings. The McAllister fee will likely be the highest.

18 Apr 2026 11:42:39
Gordon only works in teams that play counter attacking football. He only has pace, and not the skill or intelligence to get through a right defence.
He's an OK CF, but there are better, specialists out there. He'd also slow down Rio's progress, so it's a hard no from me.
Only thing he has going for him is that he's an LFC fan.

18 Apr 2026 11:58:12
I would love those 3, Red Jones.

18 Apr 2026 12:19:06
Gakpo over Gordon all day long. As VV and Brommers have said, Gordon ain't that at CF (not his actual position), let alone at LW and thrives in a counter attacking team when there is space to exploit. That is never gonna be a thing at LFC where getting low-blocked into oblivion is our weekly bread in the PL.

imo, Gakpo outplayed Gordon last season (ironically when the manager knew what he was doing) and suddenly now, the guy couldn't function even tho he has been good at CF over the last two games.



We can do better than Gordon at CF and LW, however, like Flo has said, Gakpo is going nowhere and if Rio is given chances, Gakpo can get games at CF and we get a winger.

18 Apr 2026 12:36:01
The winger we should be looking at is Diomande. He's the best available on the market and has an incredibly high ceiling, he's explosively quick, physically very strong, quick footed, and his use of the ball at a young age is very impressive.

18 Apr 2026 12:50:40
Assuming Konate stays, I think we need:
- a RB who can defend and isn't made of crisps (Kayode)
- another CH (Lacroix)
- at least 2 CMs with bite and legs (Camara and Joao Gomes)
- at least 2 forwards with pace and power
- a committed manager who believes in fitness, conditioning and playing with pace and intensity.

18 Apr 2026 13:03:11
We have been scouting Bournemouth's striker Eli Junior Kroupi.

18 Apr 2026 13:21:28
If we sign Gordon, it's a return to the yesteryears of poor scouting and buying players on name alone. Gordon is a poor player on the ball and his best output comes when he has acres of space to run into. He won't get that at Liverpool, and it reminds me of last season when he was linked and people wanted him to replace Lucho.

Diomande is the signing we should make and is more in line with smart scouting than overspending on a bang average PL player just because he is Scouse and supports Liverpool.

18 Apr 2026 13:45:10
Myself knowing what the average football fan knows about finances, spending, budgets, etc, etc, etc. (Nothing). Is there anything in the free transfer market worth exploring? I know you'll pay more in sweeteners, wages, and bonus as nothing is ever free, but what you don't spend on one, gives you more to spend on the other!
And rumour has it Fabinho's a free.

18 Apr 2026 14:14:43
I think we need a strong player up front. Isak and Hugo are like two stick insects, bully a pillow
Thiago of Brentford is the sort of player we need, in my opinion.

Since Bobby left, we have had no one able to hold the ball up front, and can bully center backs. Thiago can do this, plus he scores goals. I would look at him.
YNWA.

18 Apr 2026 14:39:45
Gordon hardly plays in a team parking the bus all game. Newcastle have more possession than most in the league, and press high up the pitch. Something Gordon is excellent at, and our current forwards clearly are not. Has pace, tenacity, workrate and an eye for goal. Supports the club too, and haven't we wanted people who "get us" all season?

18 Apr 2026 15:11:00
Gordon? An eye for goal? He's scored 6 goals in the league this year and 6 last year, that's hardly an eye for goal. Painfully mediocre footballer and I'm being far more generous than I should be. Couldn't care less if he supported the club as a kid. It's not make a wish, Robbie Keane supported the club as a kid and he was dog muck.

18 Apr 2026 15:13:44
If it is both Anthony Gordon and Yann Diomande, I could accept that. However, I wouldn't be paying much more than £50-55m for either one.

I still think we would need one more given Ekitike's injury.

Perhaps Matheus Mane could be a smart versatile option. Would love to see Jayden Danns and Will Wright step up, but it might be too much too soon to bank on them.

18 Apr 2026 17:11:21
I think Gordon would be a decent buy at 40-50 mill. At 80+ mill, which is what Newcastle are looking for him, I would absolutely not consider that to be something the club should explore.

18 Apr 2026 18:25:31
We need a lot, Fly. At the moment, until at least early 2027, we have Chiesa, Isak, Gakpo, and Rio. Some work is gonna have to be done in the attacking areas this summer, because I'm sorry, but that collection of attackers does not get top 5, barely top 10.

18 Apr 2026 18:49:38
How many goals has Gordon scored in the last 12 months? No thanks, not good enough.