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With the greatest of respect Gordon would have approved the contract extension given Edwards was working his notice

101

I suspect over the next 2 windows we have 4-5 transfers. 2 full back (LB & RB) + 2 midfielders. Midfielders is subject to ability to trade 2 players. With hindsight I think part of the pitch to the investors was “we will build you a team to win titles, show you how, take the hits doing so”

000

If a player wants to leave they tend to leave, even if it takes a season. There’s definitely a player in there somewhere, probably better suited to another league

100

Gordon, Spearman, Hunter etc are still there. I appreciate I’m oversimplifying the next bit, the club’s perspective is: coaches are there to get the best out of what they’re given, SD are there to buy and sell according to the club’s strategy.

100

Agree there’s a maturity question. He either comes to terms with the situation or moves - I suspect he’s already thinking about a move.

100

There are still many in the club who were there then are still there. I think we collectively underestimate institutional behaviour. Hughes departure isn’t going to fix things. Unless Grav agitates for a move we price him too high. Suspect there’s a bigger market for Dom and Macca.

200

Melissa Reddy wrote about the club’s admiration for Grav whilst he was Ajax, before he moved to Munich.

100

I’m onboard with that. There’s a lot to like about the coach. I’m old enough to remember a few good and fallow periods. It’s fun to see, teams, players, coaches learning. Candidly we’ve forgotten that. It took time for Klopp’s side to mature.

000

I hear what you are saying but the club had a very high opinion on Grav, before Hughes arrived. We don’t really know what the SD role was or is. So we need to identify patterns before and during. The strategy is hard coded into the club. My guess is Macca was and is the one they want to trade.

200

Definitely. Maybe Macca and Nyoni can rotate through a season whilst Dom and Grav make up the other half of of the pivot. Not the worst combination, that can provide some stability whilst we calibrate the other parts of the system. But it’s still a big ask. A few squad players need to shine tomorrow

100

I’m sure the club were looking at midfielders. However I think the club took the strategic decision to concentrate spending on Barcola. Candidly I just think that’s not down to the SD. “Liverpool standard” is a phase that pre-dates our previous SD. City is/has traded their way through transition.

100

It’s also worth noting it’s a group of midfielders playing in a different system now to Klopp, then Slot. Also on reflection it’s a midfield built on a transfer strategy when we pivoted from concentrating spend of one exceptional talent to spreading it across 3 “lesser players”.

200

I think Macca will go. He’s an intelligent player, his ability to understand and adapt to the new approach illustrates that. I think like Alonso has that footballing intellect and inquisitive nature which means he’s inclined to experience playing football somewhere else.

000

This season yes. Doesn’t mean we cannot be competitive in 1-2 cup competitions. Personally never felt PL this season was a serious possibility to challenge, so CL qualification the min. Back to the stats, it’s a small sample but still a significant improvement, next keep improving.

000

I suspect that was a pragmatic decision on the fact they are saleable assets. Maybe not at the price the public perceive but still saleable. My guess is 2 from Macca, Grav and Dom will be gone by the start of next season. The club probably decided not to fix both fwd and mid last window based.

100

Paddy Green @paddygreen.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Or running past them. He’s such a complex midfielder to unpick. Has all the physical and technical abilities, but ability without the emotional and cognitive abilities is just a waste. Grav, in some respects is similar but just manifested differently.

100

Hopefully it’s a capable, genuine owner with the funds for real investment on and off the pitch. As for the current board, an NDA is no excuse for poor communication. It limits detail, but doesn't remove the scope to talk to fans entirely. It's a basic respect issue.

Paddy Green @paddygreen.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

They have to submit their annual staff costs to Co House by law. Individual breakdown is submitted to to UEFA, and EPL. People with a trained eye are able to join the dots and land on individual salaries with a reasonable degree of accuracy.

Paddy Green @paddygreen.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Interesting we’re closer than I thought. They will probably look for £15m-£25m uplift from the next shirt sponsor. So sales essential and CL qualification. Also shows how we’ve let slip player development and trading over the past 5+ years.

200

Rumour has it he sneaked into the Monaco office and stoll the fax machine that does the transfers.

Suspect Chiesa is dropped from the CL list unless Leoni is still months away from fitness. Then there was talk early in the window of Endo going to a Saudi club.

210

Agree, short term he needs to return to the left. I think he will benefit playing the last 30-10min of games punctuated with occasional start. He’s still learning his trade on the left. As the season progresses then maybe see him on the right.

Rio definitely is a project on the right. Now Barcola is in, Rio’s best development is as a sub on the left. He still has time to learn. The others can be cover the right. But flanks work as a unit. I’m comfortable Kerkez can make the left work, less confident on the right

100

I think Iraola doesn’t really distinguish left and right wingers. Right back seems most exposed but the squad it littered with people who can play there. If I was McConnell I’d be talking to the coaching team about learning how to play RB. Maybe add Danns to the CF list.

100

Do Real get a cut of any add ons and potential sell on % when Brighton flip him?

100

Given his injury, wait to January. He’s probably will not be up to playing 90min until December. There’s a lot of games between now and the 1st Jan.

I think it’s as simple as it’s a revenue stream that we’ve neglected, now we’ve re-established it. I maybe misreading things but since Ward left it’s something that’s lost necessarily continuity.

100

Can whom ever is doing the youth signings in Hughes team step and replace Hughes - they know how to sign a player.

Liverpool’s 2032 squad is shaping up nicely. 🤣

Can he spend the next year covering Isak?

Sadly I think you’re right.

000

Assuming Lucca, can get a work permit, catch a ball, save it, command his box, come of his line, is comfortable with the ball at his feet, then pass it, has the confidence and composure to step in for maybe a 10 game run as cover for Alisson then this looks a good deal.

000

Perception of impartiality is important. If only to help establish trust. Might explain why players price inflated above the normal EPL tax as soon as our interest became known. In turn might explain why everything is taking longer to get done if they ever get done.

000

The shift away from multi-club ownership really feels like the off-pitch watershed moment. It fundamentally changed the structural strategy, and the leadership turnover followed. Time will tell how the pivot pays off

100

👍 I’ll look out for it!

000

Candidly I’d rather just deploy Dom as RB. Can get behind Sarr as Isak cover, as long as we buy someone who will do the hybrid RW/RM we seem to need. Maybe that’s Minteh or Gomes. But that is predicted on getting another person in Midfield who has better defensive instincts and can pass fwd.

100

I’ve not seen him. From what I’ve read he has Muñoz vibes but maybe not as good defensively.

000

Think Gomes has a €80 million release clause…probably why everyone we are linked with is around that price.

100

I like the player. If the plan is now to get Dom to play RB, then use him as your main defensive pivot player and utilise Macca’s passing abilities in the other pivot. Nyoni rotes with Kone, then Grav rotates with Macca (but progresses carrying the ball)

Isn’t he just another mobile ball carrier, but a bit better defensively. Not a bad thing but just not the dynamic shift we need.

100

Our inability to either pass or cross effectively from our full backs is just adding pressure on Wirtz. In turn he has to do more in unnecessarily compressed areas. If we can fix one FB then that has a disproportionate effect in attack.