Yeah I hope this clears the path to them resigning Salah and VVD. I just do not understand how they can't sign them both to three year deals, make them two of the highest paid players in the EPL, and call it a day. Because if they let both of them walk, you are punting on next year and the year after that, because there's no one we can buy that is going to be able to replace what they do for this team. They do not exist right now. And for what? To save money? They'll be hurting a lot worse if they don't make the champions league.

I'm not anti-FSG, as I think they are incredibly well run, efficient, smart etc. (outside of trading Mookie Betts, that's unforgivable), and they do spend money unlike a lot of people believe, but they seem like they want to zag when the easiest, smartest solution is to zig and it's right there in front of them.

I'll also add that I think Trent getting injured sped this up and he isn't playing another game for us. He's done here imo.

How injured is he? It would be a real shame if he didn't get to play in at least one more home game for a proper send off. I'd say he deserves as much.

After reading a few more articles and hearing from David Ornstein and Paul Joyce, I now understand that TAA is being offered something in the region of 250,000 GBP per week (sources vary with some saying 240k, but, for argument's sake, let's just call it 250k). In addition, he will receive a signing bonus "equivalent to a reasonable transfer fee." Liverpool, on the other hand, seem to have been rumored at offering him 300k-325k per week. So regardless of what the exact numbers are, Liverpool appear to have been offering more salary-wise, but Madrid with their commercial pull, probably have some clauses and bonuses that will pay TAA even more. It blows my mind that a local Scouser who has bled Red since he was a small schoolboy would just leave the way he is. Say what you want about Coutinho, Suarez, Torres, etc who willingly left Liverpool (even Hazard who signed an extension at Chelsea so CFC could get a transfer fee), they did not leave the way TAA is. Further proof that when it comes down to it, it really is all just a business. (I know it's easy for me to be cynical sitting behind a screen and will likely never be offered the kind of money some of these footballers receive. I have no idea how I would act if offered some of these rumored numbers. Maybe I would act the same?).

But if rumors are true, then that frees up 300k in salary. Time to sign Salah and VvD. Quit messing around and get the deals done. If we are being honest, TAA was the least important of the three. Letting Salah and VvD walk as well would set us back for the next few seasons. Push the CB signing to next summer and sign a RB (Frimpong), a LB (Kerkez), a CM (Baleba), and a CF (Isak). Then next summer, sign a CB (Huijsen if he hasn't gone to Real), a LW, and a RW. Kvaratskhelia would have been absolutely fantastic here but he isn't leaving PSG. Leao, Xavi Simons, Nico Williams might all be too expensive. Maybe even sell Diaz? Bakayoko and Semenyo might be more in our price range.

The American vs. the British perspective is what is so interesting for me. Us Yanks are used to this stuff happening all of the time. It's common, if not expected. The best players want to play on the best teams. Madrid is the best. Liverpool is a massive club, but there isn't another team that has the pull of Real Madrid. Barca is up there too.

It really sucks that he's leaving, but he's 3 of 3 on who we all want to resign this summer. He's arguably changed the way the RB position is played. He's an incredible player, but I don't fault him for leaving. Sure, he could've signed an extension so as the enable LFC to get a transfer fee, but that transfer fee may have been prohibitive to his move to Madrid or his contract there. He doesn't "owe" Liverpool any of that. If he's getting advice that running out your contract is the best option it is what it is. He's going to get huge wages and a sign on fee of tens of millions of euros....that he wouldn't have gotten if he signed an LFC extension. These guys have a tiny window to make as much as they can and set themselves up for generations...it's a business and players should be allowed to treat it as such, just like the clubs do. FSG is on the clock here. They've got to show some ambition this summer and get the other two deals done and strengthen the squad. Letting it get to this point is becoming a recurring problem.

I'm also throwing it out there that I'm still not 100% positive that he's in a Madrid uniform next year.

I thought the statements he made earlier in the season about wanting to win the Ballon d'Or as a RB were pretty telling. He has the confidence and aspirations of one of the top two or three players in the world and the biggest club in the world is keeping a spot warm for him.

Now it's an asinine goal, because if he is playing at that kind of level then Vini and Mbappe will score a billion goals and run away with the award, but he is going to win a lot of team trophies and grow his own profile.

Good for Trent I guess. His attitude and posture this season have not exactly endeared him to me. His foot has been out the door for a while and he will always be the guy who thought he was too good for his boyhood club. Moving on.

Listening to last week's Stick to Football this morning and Neville was going on that Trent (and Michael Owen) isn't as beloved as Stevie, Carra, and Robbie Fowler. I took it that he was insinuating that it was because he's black. It was typical Neville/Carra bluster off.

Has anyone ever heard anything that seemed like Trent getting stick/racist abuse? Or was I reading too much into it and projecting on Neville being a wanker?

Nothing outside of the usual BS to my knowledge, which in and of itself is ridiculous and unacceptable.

Anfield Hospitality Package

This was my experience when I went back in March 2023.

Report back afterwards! I will be attending the West Ham game on 13 April and would love to hear how your travels went!

Gerrard and Dalglish are in a tier all their own, in terms of Liverpool greats. Gerrard is the local lad and the best product to come out of the Liverpool Academy who remained loyal to the club throughout his career. While Dalglish led Liverpool through arguably their best period winning 6 League titles and 3 European Cups to go along with 4 League Cups and an FA Cup.

Owen and McManaman were amazing players to come through the Liverpool academy. Owen could have been a Liverpool great and held in the same regard as Gerrard (He is still the only Liverpool player to win the Ballon D'Or). But Owen claims he wasn't rated by Benitez and forced an exit. Both players leaving in their primes (McManaman on a free, one of the first Bosman transfers) has left an overall bitter taste in the mouths of Liverpool fans.

Fowler, another Liverpool academy product, has a semi-complicated relationship with fans. He was very popular when he first burst onto the scene, with the Kop nicknaming him "God". After leaving for Leeds and then Man City, he did eventually return to Liverpool on a free and was famously in the crowd as a fan in Istanbul in 2005. I think, overall, fans like him.

Carragher, though, I don't think is very well liked. He was an above average defender who relied heavily on whoever his CB partner was (Henchoz, Hyypia, and Agger). His career as a pundit I think has soured people's opinion of him. Not to mention the spitting incident. I think he is tolerated because he is a local lad who spent his entire career at Liverpool. But I also don't think a single club ever came asking for him either. (Disclaimer: this part may be biased because I personally do not like Carragher. I think he acts self-entitled and thinks he was a better player than he was).

Back to your question on TAA though. I think Liverpool fans would be bitter towards him bc he is leaving like Owen and McManaman did. Him leaving on a free, I think, makes the situation worse. He could have very easily have signed a slightly longer contract and told Liverpool he wanted a move so that the best academy player since Gerrard would leave something in the transfer kitty for Liverpool to replace him. I think if he does indeed leave, he will have tarnished his reputation some. Now, from a business perspective, I actually do not fault TAA. He made a business decision when signing that 4 year contract, knowing he would be in the prime of his career when it ended, and he bet on himself. Shame on Liverpool for letting this contract (and that of Salah and VvD) get to this point. But fans think with their heart not with their head. So I do not think race is playing any part in this.

Carragher is definitely one of Liverpool's favorite sons. He is controversial because of his punditry, but don't let social media nonsense cloud your opinion. He was also one of the best players in EPL history. He is consistently rated in the top 100 players to have played in the league. He was overshadowed by other England players as a CB during his career, which is why he doesn't have an international profile. He is also the first to admit he wasn't one of England's 3 best CBs at the time.

It's glorious! That's really awesome!!!

Wow, very jealous. Are you staying near Anfield or city center?

I texted this to my LFC buddies earlier. Little research project.

Just some fun spreadsheet fun for a Tuesday. Arsenal are on pace to finish on 77 points and Forest 72. For the "the league is garbage this year!" advocates, yes 77 pts is the 8th worst total for a second place EPL team (in 33 seasons) but Forest's 72 points is only the 14th worst.

But of those 7 seasons where 2nd place finished with less than 77 points, United won the league in 5 of those seasons with point totals of 84, 91, 80, 80 and 75 points.

Liverpool is on pace to finish on 92 points (and 97 if they win out). I think they end up with 94.

Liverpool need a really solid, convincing win tomorrow. They need to quell any positive momentum that Arsenal now has because Saka is back, and get back on their own horse of positivity.

In the Albert Docks area… close to city center area.

Win is a win, I don't care how it happens (within reason). Once the league is wrapped up I don't think anyone would care how messy it was!

The freaking B team today…woof

Tksymm7 said:

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The freaking B team today…woof

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?

Other than Alisson and Trent this is 11 of our top 13 players.

Wonder who's going to play RB or if he'll play 3 at the back.

Counts as the B team for me. Those are two huge pieces. We're also not playing a RB. I would also consider Gakpo and A teamer, but he's not in there either.

Is Curtis possibly being deployed as tonight's RB?

I have feeling they are going to deploy a version of a 4-2-4 or even a 3-5-3 type of look.

Yes Jones at RB. Will likely function as a wide midfielder and then drop in defense.

That is a NASTY NASTY NASTY tackle.

Everton once again getting the benefit of the doubt referee wise. They are reckless with minimal punishment.

🎯🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/sg1yIN6CK1

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 2, 2025

It's egregious what Everton gets away with

Haven't watched yet but how was macallister after that tackle? Did Pickford clatter Nunez as well?

Yes and yes lol. Maca took it like a champ imo. Legitimately a leg breaking tackle. I'm baffled that VAR didn't have the referee even go to the monitor to look.