Liverpool FC Team Talk, Gossip, Rumours 2024/25

Listening to a few preview pods during the day, and lads, our title challenge was good while it lasted, bhe tone of all the shows was very much that the title decider is taking place on Sunday between Arsenal and City, but even if there is a winner the loser is very much still on the title race. Very much fvck all about Liverpool, all about city and in particular Arsenal, hwo the guardian and in particular the Athletic are tripping over themselves to big up and are ready to crown them champions at 6pm pm on Sunday.

Makes little difference, if anything it might put a little pressure on Arsenal, but it's comical at the same time.

I wouldn't let any of that **** bother me tbh.

Arsenal are the media darlings of late, still think we're second favourites behind city, but you'd swear we're 7 points back the way we are being dismissed.

I think Xabi essentially rejecting Bayern and Liverpool means his players will stay with him.

I wouldn't want him but I think Gary O'Neil's tactical acumen is much underrated. Learned it all with our U23s of course.

It's really hard to take much from those, given how nebulous they are - what do those numbers actually mean, what are they saying? What do they correspond to? By their stated definitions they appear to only value making changes to match the opposition (one in game, and one week to week), but seemingly don't give any value to having a set of tactics you use week in week out, even when they're very effective (as was obviously the case with De Zerbi's Brighton, particularly last season). They didn't adapt to opposition - they forced opposition teams to adapt to them.

Which is my point. A lot of the managers in the bracket of smaller clubs overachieving, do so in ways that are not transferrable to bigger teams because they have a natural ceiling. You can only get so far with a low block and quick counter for instance. He's one of the very few in that tier who get results with tactics he innovated himself that play the game on their terms, which is what you need at a bigger club. It's why Klopp's big step up was to switch from the chaotic 'heavy metal' high press to the more controlled midfield press that let us grind teams down week in week out. So with his proven tactical innovation, i could see him being in a good position to do more with better players (much like Pep).

It's also worth noting that in the time periods specified, that he's been at by miles the smallest clubs in their respective leagues, so it's not a fair comparison regardless.

(I'm generally not a fan of that article they've been rehashing anyway, their previous iteration of it made a bunch of cases for why Alonso was way below others, while putting Amorim top. But most of the arguments they made against Alonso were actually just as relevent to Amorim, but they simply chose to ignore them - like playing with 3 at the back. They had a whole section talking about Alonso's system not working with the Liverpool players, ignoring that Amorim plays the same same system with 3 at the back.)

The Iraola switch was a big call alright… and even with as well as O'Neil has been doing with Wolves, I kinda think it might still have been a good decision though, particularly in the context of when he made it. Ultimately, it looks like both guys are good managers so it's a little much of a muchness perhaps, but Iraola's Bournemouth are now only 4 points off O'Neil's total last season, with 10 more games to play. Iraola's team have also improved as the season has gone on and the players understood his tactics, so there's very much an upward trend, whereas last season finished pretty badly under O'Neil.

Analysis on spending is flawed at best, either way it seems like a discussion for general discussion as you say " obviously not a candidate for the Liverpool Job"?

Absolutely. And people write Silva off because he’s failed at some previous jobs, but every good manager learns lessons. The way Fulham, a mediocre enough team, have played against the big 6 teams has been superb. Haven’t always got the results (although they have got some), but always play proper (and tactically impressively) football.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but to say de Zerbi is tactically innovative and O’Neill and Silva aren’t is, in my opinion, hype filled nonsense. Any of the three could potentially succeed at Liverpool with the talent we have, and there’s a probably a slightly higher chance than each of them would fail. None of them would by my choice, but based on how they have done in their current jobs, and where each club was when they were appointed, very difficult to choose who’s the best of them. (I’d probably go O’Neill if I was forced to pick one)

Emery is at the top of his level IMHO, running around the tip 4/5,but not really gonna drive on to win a league anywhere. Reminds me of Rafa a bit, a good coach, but not a lad to build a team to incessantly win like what's required nowadays. He'll go on unbeaten runs rather than going in long winning runs, and will drop points by settling for draws rather than pushing for the win.

Brighton have been really good at Anfield the last few seasons.

What do people think for tomorrow?

Gomez or Tsimikas?

Some comeback from them, crazy amount of injuries though.

Draw tomorrow between City and Arsenal and we're very much in the title race (assuming we beat brighton of course). Normally i'd think City would win this but if stones and walker are missing along with a few others this is the best chance Arsenal have of getting something. I'm convinced it'll be a draw.

We’re already in the title race, have been for most of the season and not badly placed in it either.

Can we stop pretending that this isn’t the case? Is it some sort of self-preservation tactic in case we don’t see it through again? We’re a massive club with a world class squad and will only be getting stronger with Trent, Ali, Jota and Jones coming back over the next few weeks.

Arsenal are the club that I don’t consider to be in the race, and that’ll only change if they win tomorrow. Then it’s a proper three horse race.

We’re not favourites of course, but if we manage to pull four clear of City at any point, then I’d change my mind on that.

Arsenal win tomorrow is what I want to see, I’m genuinely not worried about finishing below them. If they actually do manage to win the league, fair dues to them, they’ll have done it the right way. I just don’t see it happening this year tbh.

Arsenal are very much in this title race this year. If anything it's City who look fallible. Tomorrow will tell a tale, sure, but even if Arsenal lose I don't think they're out of it. Our match is massive given that it's happening before those two take the pitch. Brighton worry me because you never know what you'll get with them and they generally give a very good account of themselves against us.

Looking too fat ahead, but Atalanta won 0-3 in Naples today.

Some result

Brentford all over United, hit the post and had good chances, expect United to lead 2-0 at the half due to a dodgy shot and a nice break.

As for tomorrow, I do find it interesting that we have seemingly been overlooked by many for the title. Most pundits that I have seen has Arsenal s almost certainties if they win tomorrow and if not then City will easily win the title. Hopefully we bring ourselves to the attention of everyone and remind them that it is not a 2 horse race to the title this year.

Its a 3- horse race. It has been since Arsenal beat us in January/February time.

You could actually make an argument for all 3 results tomorrow in Man City-Arsenal bring a good result but tbh none of them matter unless Liverpool win. Liverpool win first and thats the most important thing. Failure to win and that could be lights out as it will hand the initiative to the 2 others. Whatever about the away games but there is 5 home games remaining and we have to win all 5 of those for a start. Then we can start hoping for a draw!

Arsenal win please.

They're not winning out until the end of the season. Not a hope.

City could.

Konate was on the bench against Germany at the weekend and played the full game against Chile on Tuesday.

Even if Arsenal did win all their games it'd still be in our own hands. We'd need to win all of ours too whilst out scoring them, but at least we wouldn't be relying on others. I'd hate to drop points and be depending on results elsewhere.

That's what I want too, one point each would be ideal but I won't give two fecks unless Liverpool win.