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Well nobody can say we haven’t addressed the future of the CH group this window:

🇫🇷Jeremy Jacquet (20)
🇦🇹 Ifeanyi Ndukwe (17)
🇸🇳 Mor Talla Ndiaye (18)
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Noah Adekoya (19)

Throw in the best young defender from the country that specialises in top defenders like NO other, 🇮🇹 Leoni (19), and there’s a great chance you are set with 3 or 4 of those for a decade or so.

Proper shame Sunderland scuppered the 🇳🇱 deal. But kudos Hughes and Edwards. Real strong end to the window that with Jacquet.

That makes the summer and a tip drawer DM/ winger that much easier.
 
I bet most of them won’t even have a career at Liverpool
Its the nature of the beast of pro football at a higher level. All you can do is hedge your bets and one of them comes good. This all shouldve been done window by window, as we knew father time will eventually come for Virgil and Salah rather than scrambling. We still need two senior CBs in the summer as Konate is most likely off and like I said Virgil needs replacing. It would be unfair on this young french lad and Leoni as talented as he looked coming back from ACL to be the next pairing. This aint FM. Schlotterback or Bastoni would be my choice as they are the standouts who can perhaps be prised away, especially the former.
 
You don’t need two at all. Big Virg is good for another year. If Konate stays sound. If not, you could add one.

After you’ve added say a Wharton and Diomande, the outlay on a Bastoni or the like would be, as you alluded to, FM overkill.
 
You don’t need two at all. Big Virg is good for another year. If Konate stays sound. If not, you could add one.

After you’ve added say a Wharton and Diomande, the outlay on a Bastoni or the like would be, as you alluded to, FM overkill.
I think Virg downfall this season has been overstated. Hes been poor dont get me wrong but the whole team has an we desperately need a reset come summer regardless of who is manager that will heavily help. The comments making it out like he is a geriatric on the pitch are just noise. If it were up to me id give him an extension to lead the next young group of CBs we have alongside him. Konate has to go, lovely lad and will be missed, but you were right, and he just hasn't stepped up without Virgil holding his hand.

The reason I say we need a senior CB is you cant rely on Leoni, Gomez and this young french lad to partner Virgil. Get someone like Schlotterback in who can take over the leadership role after playing alongside Virgil and hopefully one of the young lads steps up to partner him.

Wharton, I would avoid not because he is a bad player, far from that but he is just another slow midfielder in the Macca vibe that we dont need. We need someone physical in that midfielder role as we get overrun so easily and are incrediby easy to bully. It's one of the main weaknesses of Slot since hes arrived here that he doesn't realise that. If Dominik doesn't play in there, we are so easy to cut through. Macca has gone the way of Fab hes legs are gone this season. I dont know what it is, but apart from one or two games genieunly looks finished.

Lastly, what's your opinion on Ali this season? He has gone from god-like to looking like a human for once. Even then im not kidding, he is so far ahead of the rest of his peers that he is the one im scared the club will look at his injury history and let him run out his contract. You know who im not convinced by? The big Georgian im sorry, this might sound harsh but I think hes absolute pony. You know who he reminds me of? A worse version of De Gea, except he was one of the best shot stoppers, but rubbish at every thing else, and the big Georgian is a decent shot stopper but just as rubbish at everything else. I had to Google and see how tall he was because he cant claim anything, and he just cant pass, so it makes no sense to build up with him. Until there's a young keeper out there with potential to take over Id say beg Ali to stay and keep renewing. Even if he inevitably falls off, he is so far ahead of the rest of the pack that he will be world-class.
 






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We have reached an agreement for the transfer of Jeremy Jacquet from Stade Rennais, with the defender set to join the club ahead of the 2026-27 season, subject to a work permit and international clearance
🙌
🔴
 
Settling down to, if he’s starting, getting my first view of big JJ against Marseille the French Cup.

Exciting times.

*Edit*

He is starting in the middle of the back three. Perfect evenings viewing.
 
Settling down to, if he’s starting, getting my first view of big JJ against Marseille the French Cup.

Exciting times.

*Edit*

He is starting in the middle of the back three. Perfect evenings viewing.

Marseille won 3-0.

On first view, he has a lot of very good traits-

Played the middle of the back three in their 3-5-2. Which became a flat back 5 out of position. When in possession, he steps forward into midfield, ahead of the other two most times to aid the attacking play. He was the deepest out of possession with the WB’s dropped back in a 5. Not a sweeper per se. But the last man.

✅
Comfortable on the ball/ good passing range.
Very physical. Loves a ‘tattle and getting tight to his man.
Anticipates superbly/ very good positional/ covering sense.
Throws body in way of things. Noticeably vocal for a youngster.
Very quick.

❌
Dives in a lot when better staying on his feet.
Rennes weren’t overly tested the air. But the couple of times he was challenged airily, he lost out.
Over played bringing it out once and lost possession when he could have released it forward.
Got caught out for one of the goals. But that came from a Rennes mistake trying to play out and the whole defensive line was pushed up as Marseille cut through.

Just one watch like, but you can see he has all the traits. Physically and technically what we look for in a CH who you’ll be able to play high and leave on an Island. Naturally raw but that’s just inexperience.

You can see why he’s so highly rated in France and why so many top clubs wanted him for the long term.

Rennes next play Sat’day 4PM for anyone interested. Found a Fox American stream in English last night that was a nice bonus.
 
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Marseille won 3-0.

On first view, he has a lot of very good traits-

Played the middle of the back three in their 3-5-2. Which became a flat back 5 out of position. When in possession, he steps forward into midfield, ahead of the other two most times to aid the attacking play. He was the deepest out of possession with the WB’s dropped back in a 5. Not a sweeper per se. But the last man.

✅
Comfortable on the ball/ good passing range.
Very physical. Loves a ‘tattle and getting tight to his man.
Anticipates superbly/ very good positional/ covering sense.
Throws body in way of things. Noticeably vocal for a youngster.
Very quick.

❌
Dives in a lot when better staying on his feet.
Rennes weren’t overly tested the air. But the couple of times he was challenged airily, he lost out.
Over played bringing it out once and lost possession when he could have released it forward.

Just one watch like, but you can see he has all the traits. Physically and technically what we look for in a CH who you’ll be able to play high and leave on an Island. Naturally raw but that’s just experience.

You can see why he’s so highly rated in France and why so many top clubs wanted him for the long term.

Rennes next play Sat’day 4PM for anyone interested. Found a Fox American stream in English last night that was a nice bonus.
Totelsportek have great streams for every match and every league
 
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/caoimhin-kelleher-interview-brentford-ireland-liverpool-b2915190.html

Good read this that puts, yet again from those involved living it, actual context on the far reaching effect to everything from the tragedy last July.

’Listen, from an individual aspect, for me to leave and play first-team football was obviously right, never mind the tragedy that happened,” Kelleher said of his Liverpool exit.

‘’I find it a bit strange and a bit difficult when I hear people speaking about the players at Liverpool and the performances, because I don’t think this season is even important from a football aspect for them, to be honest.

“It’s more about them personally and mentally.

“Obviously, football is a massive sport and people have an opinion, which is natural. People expect you to move on quite quickly, and I don’t think that’s the case.”
 
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The sad thing is that above from Kelleher should even need saying.

The even sadder thing is the actual, lived, context of grief, that isn't linear, and is wholly different to you or I in our own jobs where we can be suffering long term loss, have bad days, and mail it in to get through. Where as these lads work is played out in front of hundreds of millions and scrutinised to the 8th degree. That it is unbelievably labelled an 'excuse' from those without any human empathy and compassion in their bodies. Mad how you read people equating a footballer's wealth somehow excluding them of being human. With all the human emotions and frailties that the one thing that sets us apart from other species, the human mind, bestows on us all. Expecting them to carry on and perform consistently the job they are highly financially rewarded for regardless. Totally ignoring these lads completely understandable drop off, through loss, is played out in the most public of public spotlights where the criticism you or I wouldn't receive is oft savage from those without the humanity and understanding of others. Who are only interested in their only self interests and feeling good about L'pool winning above and beyond ANYTHING else.

I've said it all season long from the moment the Jota brothers tragedy happened that this season was effectively a 'free pass' for them all. The whole season changed from that point on.

That's a major reason why our patience and support at the match has been, bar natural frustration boiling over in a couple of games, so inherently different to the oft vile abuse aimed at players, and specifically the manager, on-line and across social media. The context of what happened back in Spain in July that totally disrupted and cut short the most important part of ANY teams year, pre-season. And has had far reaching knock-on effects ever since. I couldn't imagine, for one, how it must have been like for the new signings, not least those coming from abroad, walking into a completely broken changies. A changing room devoid of the main thing in football/ team sport, that helps integrate and bond the team ethos. The laughter and banter with their new teammates that just wasn't there. Arne and his staff, who were all equally destroyed by the loss of a close, beloved colleague, having their evolution plans for the team, which could be patently seen in the demographic profile of player we brought in, knocked back as that vital training time and integration just wasn't afforded to us pre-season. Something they've all been playing catch-up with all year which is only now starting to show it's self more and more on the pitch with more progressive, quick, attacking spells, for longer periods, the more comfortable with each other and confident they get in how we want to play. And the natural knock-on of grief not being linear and hitting everyone at different times and no set moments. Leading to what was always going to be up and down performances. With more downs than ups as manager and players naturally haven't been 100% on it and have made understandable mistakes. Again, I drop a few percent in my job, and it's not adversely affecting anything. colleagues pick up the slack and you cover each other But when it comes to a professional football team, doing theirs under the ultimate, World wide spotlight, just a minimal drop off is the difference between winning and losing.

Heck, even now, when we belt out Diogo's name every game on 20, which is our way of continuing to deal and honour one of our own when we've never been placed in a situation like this, you look around and see the heavy anguish on faces in the moment lamenting a man we no longer get to see in the flesh. And as supporters, we never knew him personally. I can't begin to appreciate what it must be like having to deal through all this when he was your best mate and the heart and soul of the most important component of any football team. The heartbeat that is the changing room.

It really is proper sad, to be polite, that the context of the omnipresent tragedy, isn't taken into account by those so quick to attack and abuse as they are, seemingly from their words, so stone hearted to be devoid of all human empathy and understanding to begin with.

But hey, if the the dignified words of the manager and players trying to explain this, and now Kelleher who is no longer here but who has been patently been deeply affected by his mates loss, and who completely understands his fellow teammates struggles this year therein, why would a mere supporters words living it game in, game out in the flesh resonate with anyone who refuse to accept the actual, contextual reality of Liverpool Football Club's 2025/26 season?

For those that do understand, we are coming out of the other side as everyone has slowly healed and dealt TOGETHER. Not fully there yet. But you can see the positive signs of the players getting stronger, physically and mentally, over the past few months. And performances improving, and in longer spells, as we continue to grow together and heal what was a broken football club after the summer.
 
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Well I was enjoying Lens- Rennes until big JJ just went off on 66 with what could be a dislocated shoulder judging by him wincing in pain holding it.

The L’pool injury curse stretches far and wide. 🤦‍♂️

Hopefully not a bad one. 🫰🏻🫰🏻
 
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