Playing devils advocate but obviously signing Araujo is a no brainer. The guy was world-class before hes confidence was shot by flick suicidal football. However, say we keep him would you renew Virgil scouse? Hes still excellent but watching Jacquet (best cb in the league on form for me) and Araujo you can tell he has lost a step. He's wages are also a major sticking point because if we are going to manage his minutes then it could be an issue. Personally, for me keep the captain because he's still one of the best around but it's food for thought. Still got young Leoni too remember.
The Liverpool Thread
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Scouseinthehouse
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Ballon d’Or results leaked …..
Scouseinthehouse
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Another excellent night out with Andoni’s Reds. Not the prettiest performance in the World. But one full of character and real hard graft for each other and the shirt. That was made even better as it put THEM out of the cup. And ourselves through to a big quarter-final before Chrimbo to look forward to! 
Yesterday’s admin-
Current total game unbeaten run:
P 13 W 8 D 5 F 28 A 15 CS: 4
Current unbeaten home total games run:
P 10 W 5 D 5 F 19 A 11 CS: 2
Into the hat for the QF’s of the LC.
First time Andoni Iraola has been in the LC QF.
I’m gonna’ start this missive with the Chelsea captain. Being as I’ve just read some absolute nonsense BBC piece questioning the booing of him? Patently answered by people who neither go the game. Or understand football support ….. Heck YES we were right to boo Jordan!!!!!
Excluding the recent issues with the cheats, and Everton and Utd aside, there’s maybe only Forest that comes close to the depth of ill feeling we bear toward Chelsea. To be blunt, it’s outright hatred! Both ways! It ALWAYS means more when we play them. As an example, the RB song was back twice last night. And from a sizeable majority the Kop. Something Jurgen had worked hard to eradicate. Not right at all in 2026. But the depth of feeling between ourselves and Chelsea ….. And Jordan, a man steeped in that rivalry from OUR side, has spent the past month banging the Chelsea badge on his shirt like they mean something really special. So he’d agitated that feeling already in advance of his return. Which he then doubled down on not only trying to officiate last night’s game for the referee. But in leading the absolutely mad, disgraceful Chelsea delay before their penalty to all go time waste with a water break! Which boiled the blood and really raised the atmosphere in outright fume and fury! 
He now represents the very antipathy of ourselves. And is living up to what bleeps they are at that football club. So that’s the natural football supporter reaction to him right there.
And, lest we forget, what hit pieces like the aforementioned BBC piece neglect to mention, is we’ve already fully welcomed him back to Anfield. We did that in tremendous style against Brentford the last game of last season when he MORE than got his flowers. With his name sung every bit as much as the departing Mo and AndyRobbo. So we’ve already given him a more than fitting and deserved Anfield return. And, 9 times out of 10, a returning player only gets that grace once. Upon their first return. After that, ALL bets are off. That’s just football support. Always has been. Always will be. He now plays for a team we detest as much as anyone. And is acting like they are THE team. So, politely, F him!!!!!
I thought the atmosphere again, for a such a changed crowd as you oft get the LC (been tripping over spares offered the past few days. And didn’t recognise any face from the usuals around our seasie seat), was great all game. The unwavering belief, and connection, between manager, team and support, Shanks ‘Holy Trinity’, is growing once more by the passing game.
Not the best game in the World like. But straight-knockout, cup-tie football never has been about that. It’s ALL about being in the hat for the next round when it’s over. And L’pool grafted there collective backsides off for each other, again, and proper dug in to earn their place in the quarters. Against pretty much the strongest side Chelsea could put out. With 3, maybe 4 of our players that played who will start the Arsenal game. And it’s exceptionally rare for ANY game between ourselves and Chelsea to be pretty. It’s often a dog of a game and a real scrap. For L’pool to win, and in so doing extend both Andoni’s unbeaten start, and take him into the quarter-finals for the first time in his managerial career, was another massive in the progress of this fast growing group. An excellent win in context and another exceptionally pleasing one, not just down to the opposition, but to see the hard graft all game once more and their growing comradeship to fight till the last whistle for each other. We are becoming a REAL team again under the Basque.
In a night of mixed performances, both Trey and Rio were the absolute business once more. Both are continuing to show how they’ll end up in the pantheon of great, long-term L’pool legends the more experience they get. And the more their confidence grows against any opposition. Kudos to everyone at Kirkby as the Academy has delivered twice over there with two absolute gems.
And, even though it was a shoot-out winner, you couldn’t get much better an ending, and make everyone in the ground much happier, than a winner from our longest-standing player. You never had ANY doubt when Joe stepped up to take that. As you never have ANY doubt on Joe when he’s on the football pitch. One of the single best English players and defenders of the past 10 years. Who’s just been as unlucky as unlucky gets with injury. If this is to be his swan song season, it could turn out to be one of the best since he’s been at the club the way this momentum is going and how ahead of schedule this group are coming together as a top team once more.
Perfect end to an excellent night’s work. With now the biggie of Sunday looming large. There’s a really realistic probability that the two games between L’pool and Arsenal will decide this league being as the cheats’ results won’t count.
Lets make sure we on the right side of laying down a marker and continuing Iraola’s outstanding start. Win Sunday and it’s game ON!!!!!
Up the mighty, still unbeaten and fighting for everything, Reds!
Yesterday’s admin-
Current total game unbeaten run:
P 13 W 8 D 5 F 28 A 15 CS: 4
Current unbeaten home total games run:
P 10 W 5 D 5 F 19 A 11 CS: 2
Into the hat for the QF’s of the LC.
First time Andoni Iraola has been in the LC QF.
I’m gonna’ start this missive with the Chelsea captain. Being as I’ve just read some absolute nonsense BBC piece questioning the booing of him? Patently answered by people who neither go the game. Or understand football support ….. Heck YES we were right to boo Jordan!!!!!
Excluding the recent issues with the cheats, and Everton and Utd aside, there’s maybe only Forest that comes close to the depth of ill feeling we bear toward Chelsea. To be blunt, it’s outright hatred! Both ways! It ALWAYS means more when we play them. As an example, the RB song was back twice last night. And from a sizeable majority the Kop. Something Jurgen had worked hard to eradicate. Not right at all in 2026. But the depth of feeling between ourselves and Chelsea ….. And Jordan, a man steeped in that rivalry from OUR side, has spent the past month banging the Chelsea badge on his shirt like they mean something really special. So he’d agitated that feeling already in advance of his return. Which he then doubled down on not only trying to officiate last night’s game for the referee. But in leading the absolutely mad, disgraceful Chelsea delay before their penalty to all go time waste with a water break! Which boiled the blood and really raised the atmosphere in outright fume and fury! He now represents the very antipathy of ourselves. And is living up to what bleeps they are at that football club. So that’s the natural football supporter reaction to him right there. And, lest we forget, what hit pieces like the aforementioned BBC piece neglect to mention, is we’ve already fully welcomed him back to Anfield. We did that in tremendous style against Brentford the last game of last season when he MORE than got his flowers. With his name sung every bit as much as the departing Mo and AndyRobbo. So we’ve already given him a more than fitting and deserved Anfield return. And, 9 times out of 10, a returning player only gets that grace once. Upon their first return. After that, ALL bets are off. That’s just football support. Always has been. Always will be. He now plays for a team we detest as much as anyone. And is acting like they are THE team. So, politely, F him!!!!!
I thought the atmosphere again, for a such a changed crowd as you oft get the LC (been tripping over spares offered the past few days. And didn’t recognise any face from the usuals around our seasie seat), was great all game. The unwavering belief, and connection, between manager, team and support, Shanks ‘Holy Trinity’, is growing once more by the passing game.
Not the best game in the World like. But straight-knockout, cup-tie football never has been about that. It’s ALL about being in the hat for the next round when it’s over. And L’pool grafted there collective backsides off for each other, again, and proper dug in to earn their place in the quarters. Against pretty much the strongest side Chelsea could put out. With 3, maybe 4 of our players that played who will start the Arsenal game. And it’s exceptionally rare for ANY game between ourselves and Chelsea to be pretty. It’s often a dog of a game and a real scrap. For L’pool to win, and in so doing extend both Andoni’s unbeaten start, and take him into the quarter-finals for the first time in his managerial career, was another massive
in the progress of this fast growing group. An excellent win in context and another exceptionally pleasing one, not just down to the opposition, but to see the hard graft all game once more and their growing comradeship to fight till the last whistle for each other. We are becoming a REAL team again under the Basque. In a night of mixed performances, both Trey and Rio were the absolute business once more. Both are continuing to show how they’ll end up in the pantheon of great, long-term L’pool legends the more experience they get. And the more their confidence grows against any opposition. Kudos to everyone at Kirkby as the Academy has delivered twice over there with two absolute gems.
And, even though it was a shoot-out winner, you couldn’t get much better an ending, and make everyone in the ground much happier, than a winner from our longest-standing player. You never had ANY doubt when Joe stepped up to take that. As you never have ANY doubt on Joe when he’s on the football pitch. One of the single best English players and defenders of the past 10 years. Who’s just been as unlucky as unlucky gets with injury. If this is to be his swan song season, it could turn out to be one of the best since he’s been at the club the way this momentum is going and how ahead of schedule this group are coming together as a top team once more.
Perfect end to an excellent night’s work. With now the biggie of Sunday looming large. There’s a really realistic probability that the two games between L’pool and Arsenal will decide this league being as the cheats’ results won’t count.
Lets make sure we on the right side of laying down a marker and continuing Iraola’s outstanding start. Win Sunday and it’s game ON!!!!!
Up the mighty, still unbeaten and fighting for everything, Reds!
Scouseinthehouse
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AndyRobbo.
He’s the exception to the ‘first game back’ rule. He’ll get his name belted out EVERY time we play Tottenham.
The man of ZERO principles Henderson can do one now he’s gone there!
He’s the exception to the ‘first game back’ rule. He’ll get his name belted out EVERY time we play Tottenham.
The man of ZERO principles Henderson can do one now he’s gone there!
Scouseinthehouse
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Are Arsenal bringing the title up today to save the hassle of handing it over next May?
Straight into these soft Southern bleeps Redmen!
Straight into these soft Southern bleeps Redmen!
Scouseinthehouse
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First frustratingly annoying game of the season. That ended Andoni’s wonderful unbeaten start. And his stupendous 25 match PL unbeaten run.
Yesterday’s admin-
Title Countdown:
4 wins down/ 23 to go.
15 points down/ 73 to go.
Football can be a cruel, humbling game where you often don’t get what you deserve. Yesterday was no exception. Through small part self-inflicted damage. To large part a referee who ha absolutely zero control of the game. And who, along with an even more inept VAR, made massively costly decisions. ALL in Arsenal’s favour. L’pool somehow find themselves 9 points behind Arsenal. When, if truth be told, here’s NO way Arsenal are a 9-point better side than Liverpool. An Arsenal side that was, in my humble opinion, the single worst Champions I’ve ever seen in my lifetime last year. Completely anti-football. Who have carried that on this season, and, if anything, have got even worse with their blatant cheating this season under new laws supposedly meant to stop it!
I really don’t like this iteration of Arsenal and I shouldn't. But I grudgingly have to respect them. They have their thing and they have all utterly bought in, and are superbly drilled, to doing what they do expertly. As horrid as it is to watch. It’s like watching an old school, catenaccio Italian side. Not only superbly organised at the back. ( L’pool have no ‘official’ shots on target down to Arsenal getting bodies and limbs in the way of everything. The way they work defensively is an art in itself.). But by being absolute masters of the dark arts of the game and taking gamesmanship, or out right cheating, to the max. Horrible to watch. That would NEVER fly at Anfield. And to the detriment of the rest of the PL that such a basic, anti-football side is its current best. But you have to grudgingly respect that they are so committed to doing what, for them, is acceptable and works.
They got exactly what they came for. A fractious, frustrating game where they take the only chance they have. From a self-inflicted mistake by the opposition. I couldn’t watch them every week but fair F’s to them if Arsenal fans can. The Tapas Pulis’ brand of anti-football tedium, and overt cheating, is exactly why they are Champions.
L’pool are, for the most part, much the better side who deserve, at the very least, a point. If not all three. Lots and lots of positives for them to take from the game. Whilst still having live-action examples of things they have to tweak slightly to become the best in class side once more they are fast developing into. Bar the left full, who is braindead in a football sense, and the similarly football-dense Szoboszlai, when he came on, L’pool are very good to a man. Iraola is brave and front-foot in his selection giving Nyoni his head. And he responds in kind with an assured, controlling display. If anything, this was Andoni’s first in-game mistake taking him off on the hour for Szoboszlai. As the shape then completely went and we played into Arsenals hands the last half-hour. And their double bus defensive wall lapped it up. Prior to that, the midfield axis of Trey, AllyMac and Wirtz had all been excellent in totally dominating their Arsenal compatriots. Wirtz, coming more and more into his own with another really good display, was exceptionally unlucky hitting the bar from a free-kick. AllyMac should burry the header from the only good thing Kerkez did all game. Barcola, although he dropped off second-half, was a constant menace constantly getting in behind and should score. So, So frustrating that a self-inflicted Alisson mistake leads to them being 1 down at the half when they should have been 2 or 3 goals clear.
The second half starts in a similar manner until the substitution of Trey looses all momentum and Arsenal do what Arsenal do to ease home. Overall an excellent L’pool display you can be real proud of. Not only going toe-to-toe, but outplaying the Champions. Whilst still having things to work on. Not least being more clinical in taking the many chances they create.
But regardless of it all, the game is all about big moments. And the big moments here, from base incompetent officiating, change it all. AllyMacs shocking header miss is a massive moment we have to look at ourselves for wasting. But Andy Madley and whoever was on VAR took it to another level and handed Arsenal an undeserved victory. If they send off Timber, and award the clear peno on Alex, the game is completely different. If they send off Madueke, for the same as the Brentford lad rightly got sent off for, the end of the game is completely different. If they’d clamped down on Arsenal’s Oscar winning theatrics, not least for the risible Odegaard and Havertz, early, and brought out the cards, the game is completely different. If they’d have booked Raya early for his scandolous time wasting, and not 2 mins into injury time that made no difference to anything, the game is completely different. All very, very annoying when they are actively working against you.
A proper frustrating, annoying game L’pool at the least deserved a draw out of. One where you could see more progress from Andoni’s fast-developing Reds. And where you can see what still needs to be done. Which isn’t much more than a little refining to be the consistent side that will win these big games. Utd next time out at Anfield, and then Everton, would be a fine start to ticking those boxes off.
Time to start another long unbeaten run in Istanbul this Wednesday and continue what has, in the main, been an excellent start to the Iraola era.
The process is going sound.
Up the unlucky, but standing proud, Reds!
Yesterday’s admin-
Title Countdown:
4 wins down/ 23 to go.
15 points down/ 73 to go.
Football can be a cruel, humbling game where you often don’t get what you deserve. Yesterday was no exception. Through small part self-inflicted damage. To large part a referee who ha absolutely zero control of the game. And who, along with an even more inept VAR, made massively costly decisions. ALL in Arsenal’s favour. L’pool somehow find themselves 9 points behind Arsenal. When, if truth be told, here’s NO way Arsenal are a 9-point better side than Liverpool. An Arsenal side that was, in my humble opinion, the single worst Champions I’ve ever seen in my lifetime last year. Completely anti-football. Who have carried that on this season, and, if anything, have got even worse with their blatant cheating this season under new laws supposedly meant to stop it!
I really don’t like this iteration of Arsenal and I shouldn't. But I grudgingly have to respect them. They have their thing and they have all utterly bought in, and are superbly drilled, to doing what they do expertly. As horrid as it is to watch. It’s like watching an old school, catenaccio Italian side. Not only superbly organised at the back. ( L’pool have no ‘official’ shots on target down to Arsenal getting bodies and limbs in the way of everything. The way they work defensively is an art in itself.). But by being absolute masters of the dark arts of the game and taking gamesmanship, or out right cheating, to the max. Horrible to watch. That would NEVER fly at Anfield. And to the detriment of the rest of the PL that such a basic, anti-football side is its current best. But you have to grudgingly respect that they are so committed to doing what, for them, is acceptable and works. They got exactly what they came for. A fractious, frustrating game where they take the only chance they have. From a self-inflicted mistake by the opposition. I couldn’t watch them every week but fair F’s to them if Arsenal fans can. The Tapas Pulis’ brand of anti-football tedium, and overt cheating, is exactly why they are Champions.
L’pool are, for the most part, much the better side who deserve, at the very least, a point. If not all three. Lots and lots of positives for them to take from the game. Whilst still having live-action examples of things they have to tweak slightly to become the best in class side once more they are fast developing into. Bar the left full, who is braindead in a football sense, and the similarly football-dense Szoboszlai, when he came on, L’pool are very good to a man. Iraola is brave and front-foot in his selection giving Nyoni his head. And he responds in kind with an assured, controlling display. If anything, this was Andoni’s first in-game mistake taking him off on the hour for Szoboszlai. As the shape then completely went and we played into Arsenals hands the last half-hour. And their double bus defensive wall lapped it up. Prior to that, the midfield axis of Trey, AllyMac and Wirtz had all been excellent in totally dominating their Arsenal compatriots. Wirtz, coming more and more into his own with another really good display, was exceptionally unlucky hitting the bar from a free-kick. AllyMac should burry the header from the only good thing Kerkez did all game. Barcola, although he dropped off second-half, was a constant menace constantly getting in behind and should score. So, So frustrating that a self-inflicted Alisson mistake leads to them being 1 down at the half when they should have been 2 or 3 goals clear.
The second half starts in a similar manner until the substitution of Trey looses all momentum and Arsenal do what Arsenal do to ease home. Overall an excellent L’pool display you can be real proud of. Not only going toe-to-toe, but outplaying the Champions. Whilst still having things to work on. Not least being more clinical in taking the many chances they create.
But regardless of it all, the game is all about big moments. And the big moments here, from base incompetent officiating, change it all. AllyMacs shocking header miss is a massive moment we have to look at ourselves for wasting. But Andy Madley and whoever was on VAR took it to another level and handed Arsenal an undeserved victory. If they send off Timber, and award the clear peno on Alex, the game is completely different. If they send off Madueke, for the same as the Brentford lad rightly got sent off for, the end of the game is completely different. If they’d clamped down on Arsenal’s Oscar winning theatrics, not least for the risible Odegaard and Havertz, early, and brought out the cards, the game is completely different. If they’d have booked Raya early for his scandolous time wasting, and not 2 mins into injury time that made no difference to anything, the game is completely different. All very, very annoying when they are actively working against you.
A proper frustrating, annoying game L’pool at the least deserved a draw out of. One where you could see more progress from Andoni’s fast-developing Reds. And where you can see what still needs to be done. Which isn’t much more than a little refining to be the consistent side that will win these big games. Utd next time out at Anfield, and then Everton, would be a fine start to ticking those boxes off.
Time to start another long unbeaten run in Istanbul this Wednesday and continue what has, in the main, been an excellent start to the Iraola era.
The process is going sound.
Up the unlucky, but standing proud, Reds!