Post match: Brentford v Liverpool (EPL 25/10/25 8pm)

[Nobluff]

Easy 3 step solution.

Drop Konate till Joe gets injured (unfortunately likely)
Drop Salah (Not for 1 game).
Don’t play Wirtz in midfield.

2 games to fix this or else we are going to get FUBAR’d by City and Real in a very unromantic manner.

[dalglish]

First time I’ve ever said anything negative about Arne but:

1. What the fuck was he doing starting Mo Salah.

2. What the fuck was he doing leaving Mo on for 90 minutes when he stunk the game up completely until the last 10mins - 1 decent cross and 1 snatch at a shot when the game was effectively gone - was all he produced. He was (again) like playing with 10 men.

3. There are several other concerns - we have been really fucked at CB and obviously Arne isn’t happy with our FB options - but a functioning forward on the right for Wirtz, Cody, Dom and Hugo to play alongside could have changed that game into a comfortable win.

4. Mo has to be benched. I’d almost hope he gets an injury (I can’t go that far) because we need to allow another player and better combinations on the right. Chiesa could play there, even Rio could (although clearly want to limit his minutes at this age).

5. If Arne stubbornly continues to play Mo for 90minutes he could even end up sacked.

[mattyhurst]

Yeah it seems very obvious cheers for the information (I do housing advice mind ).

[Notasuperfan]

@Mascot

He is obviously an important voice in those discussions, but Hughes and Edwards run the football strategy. Nobody is saying that Slot doesn’t have a say, but he is not in a position where he is the one in charge of recruitment (I doubt many ‘managers’ are these days).

Yes, I understand what you mean here and agree with your position. However, what some posters are saying that Slot has zero say in the makeup of the squad which is not true.

[Notasuperfan]

@jabu

what @Mascot just said. adding to it. top clubs are now run by philosophies and not by managers. A club decides on a way of playing and recruits according to that way. That is one of the reasons why slot stood out, because his playing style was very close to Klopp’s (Slot even says this), and why Amorim was not an option because LFC did not want to change an entirely successful playing philosophy. This is also documented

isak, ekitike and wirtz are fast flowing football type of players. I am not sure if a slow control style of football works for them

Yeah, I agree with you. However, what I am disagreeing with some other posters is that Slot does not have a say which is not true.

[Vangart]

Unless Arne pulls something of a masterstroke tactical plan soon, I doubt he will last the season.

Although, I do feel he has been handicapped a bit by the recruitment. The rot starts at the top where our recruitment strategy shifted from hardworking and counter pressing players to a bunch of players who are silky on the ball,who need time and space to perform. Completely opposite to the style of this league.
The people at the top, will always save their arse first and Slot will end up being the casualty.But…this rot is on Hughes/Edwards as much.
Carabao cup final last season was an alarm we may look like softies, if we try to play like we are playing this season.

Now, Slot with the hand that has been given to him is still trying to implement a style , which is not suited by these recruited players.So, either he changes us to a counter attacking team or the writing is on the wall trying to be a counter pressing team…which we are not anymore.

No point debating about the players being let go in the summer. In hindsight, Elliot, Quansah and Diaz should have been kept and even (Nunez as a sub) not only to make less changes, but to keep players who are well drilled , integrated to your ethos, values and system of hardwork and giving it all for your shirt.

Title is done. Let’s hope we can make it to top 4. If this run goes on for another 2-3 games , which is a possibility given our fixtures…Slot may be gone by December. And, Hughes will get another of his fav toy in Iraola.

Something is deffo not right behind the scenes…with all the rumoured players meeting without the manager…Just can’t think of something like this with Klopps in charge.

[legalalien]

@WooltonRed

@RedArmada

As a team, we lost almost every 50-50 challenge and every second ball.

That’s so true. We were weak going into most challenges. Brentford were well up for it, right from the kick off. We were slow and the attitude seemed to be that we only had to turn up, to win the game.

I can’t comment on the game itself due to the very inconvenient kick off time, but the part I highlighted has been a problem for a while now, going back to last season. Does that come from Slot and his coaches, or from the players themselves? Either way, it’s clear that a massive kick up the arse is needed.

As for Slot having credit in the bank, that can run out and if this slump continues then it might run out sooner than anyone thinks.

[Notasuperfan]

@JibJab

I refuse to believe that Slot didn’t have a say in the signings which were made this summer. Perhaps Hughes had certain targets in mind, but this isn’t the old days of the “transfer committee’s signings and Rodgers’s signings.” Hughes and Slot certainly consulted about what kinds of players were needed for Slot’s planned evolution of the squad going forward. And bar Guehi, I don’t think we were seriously linked with anyone this summer that we didn’t end up signing.

This isn’t a situation where a cook had no say in the ingredients. He helped choose the ingredients and he’s turning out a shit meal.

Precisely!

[Steve_LFC]

Usually when a team replaces players leaving. You look for players who fit your system. And hopefully the incoming players are better than the outgoing ones. But if you spend the money we did. They better be upgrades.

But the issue is we dont have a system or identity under Slot. So we just signed the best players available regardless of cost. And are now trying to make it work.

That process of making it work has now cost us the PL title. So we just copied Man U… buying players but don’t have any plan.

As i said before Slot won with Klopps juggernaut team. This mess is now Slots team to fix.

League is gone. And if LFC bow out early in champions league… Slotty won’t be here next season.

[NZred]

Tell me what you’ve seen since February that leads you to believe Slot has any idea how to fix it? Because we still playing the same dumb football, conceding the same stupid goals and ripped apart through the middle the moment we lose possession.

[NZred]

Think you’re nitpicking what has become a generalized term for the person responsible for the match day team and training. Coach, manager, whatever. You know what and who he is referring to.

[Notasuperfan]

@Steve_LFC

League is gone. And if LFC bow out early in champions league… Slotty won’t be here next season.

The club has spent quite a bit of money…I don’t think they would want to spend too much on sacking the head coach and his management team as Slot’s contract will expire on June 2027. He will be here next season if he somehow wins the UCL this season and/or make it to UCL league finishes for this season. Failure to hit any of the objectives will be very hard to justify his stay for the 26/27 season…

[LondonRich]

So teams have worked us out. Sit back, long ball etc. it happened at the end of last year. Slot saw it and we changed the squad to allow us to morph our game to counter it. All good.

But. After a summer and 9 games we have not morphed into anything. No structure and no plan. We are already on plan B with wirtz on the right. Now heads are dropping as the team see the title going and a long season ahead - no fight. And still the same way of playing us works - maybe even more as we concede more.

So is this transition or crisis? The real problem I see is no progress. Slot talks a good game but is not showing tactically he can fix this. Too early to call for his head but he needs to get a grip.

Oh and it fecking depressing.

[LondonRich]

And I said in the match thread. Jurgen has had a good rest

[Maria]

What an awful result. I don’t know what is going on, why they are playing like this.
I do believe somehow, it will get better later on.

Alot of reflection is needed and maybe go back to playing like we did last year. Surely, Arne is not a ‘one hit’ wonder coach.

We still have to keep supporting the lads and the coach regardless of the result.

[Flobs]

I have found some words.
First half we had lots of possession and looked toothless.
Second half we were pinned back and looked toothless.

All this talk about the opposition using long balls is nonsense. We just can not defend. We have nothing to stop the opposition ripping us apart.

[redalways]

@TheSweetSilverSong

For some reason the trending narrative at the moment is that he won it with Klopp’s team, which is absurd if we consider that in Klopp’s 9 seasons he won it once, and was good enough to win it two more times, but didn’t do so the other 6 seasons, and most of those he had already built his team.

Actually, that’s not the absurd part.

The absurd part is that it’s well-documented that Jürgen didn’t scout the players, narrow them down onto a shortlist, and present it up to someone else to make the decisions.

Fans have been worshipping Michael Edwards for years, for crying out loud. And suddenly it’s “Slot’s team” vs “Klopp’s team”?

Give me a break.

[peterroberts]

The real tragedy is that , even after our ‘commanding’ performance against a crap German team , I doubt anybody is really surprised by the result or the performance. The writing was on the wall as soon as the team sheet came out with Salah and Kirkez back in the first XI. I’m not trying to scapegoat anyone but it’s clear as day that neither of them should be starting games. I’m struggling to remember one good game either of them has had all season.

[Walshy07]

The keeper is abysmal. He cant kick but more importantly he cant save anything.

But… Why havent our players figured out hes left footed?

Ive only seen 1 team worse than us this season and thats West Ham (ive not watched any wolves games).

We are in serious trouble. This isnt a blip a rot has set in.

Titles gone. No one has ever lost 4 in a row and won the league.

[Notasuperfan]

@Vangart

Unless Arne pulls something of a masterstroke tactical plan soon, I doubt he will last the season.

Although, I do feel he has been handicapped a bit by the recruitment. The rot starts at the top where our recruitment strategy shifted from hardworking and counter pressing players to a bunch of players who are silky on the ball,who need time and space to perform. Completely opposite to the style of this league.

Actually, to learn how to press, you need a stable system. Last season, the out of possession formation was a clear 4-2-4 where the front 4 will press and pin the opposition defence and/or outnumber them. This season, Slot was doing the 433 OOP that was not as conducive in pinning the opponent from the front…

@Vangart

Now, Slot with the hand that has been given to him is still trying to implement a style , which is not suited by these recruited players.So, either he changes us to a counter attacking team or the writing is on the wall trying to be a counter pressing team…which we are not anymore.

He did choose his hand though…He was backed in an unprecendented manner. If he didn’t feel a player will work out, he could have done a Glasner.

@Vangart

Title is done. Let’s hope we can make it to top 4. If this run goes on for another 2-3 games , which is a possibility given our fixtures…Slot may be gone by December. And, Hughes will get another of his fav toy in Iraola.

Nah…There is no need to get too hasty. Slot’s contract runs out in June 2027 which is the end of next season. Slot has been trying to get an extension but I will not be surprised if it is withheld until the results turn for the better.

The playing staff may be playing like Ten hag’s United but those in the boardroom will probably not do silly stuff like extending the contract of a struggling head coach.

@Vangart

Something is deffo not right behind the scenes…with all the rumoured players meeting without the manager…Just can’t think of something like this with Klopps in charge.

It sounds like the leaders of the players feels that it is approaching close to a crisis but the coaching management don’t think so which is fucking weird…