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Well, here we are once again.
A new season awaits in 25/26 and we are fortunate enough to enter it as the defending Champions. Having won 20 League titles, some have spoken of the fact that we are back on our perch - but as good as it is to have equaled the record held by the Mancs, we all know that getting the 21st title over the line is where the real magic is, to create that little bit of daylight. There is a wonderful opportunity to go from being "twice in 30-odd years" to "three times in six" - which would really show that we have relevant, current-day clout.
Is this a League-winning side though?
Many rival fans will feel we are "nailed on" to win the League. I certainly feel we can and should challenge, but there are some potential spanners in the works to compliment the excellence we'll expect in the season going forward. Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo, Ekitike makes for a good attacking quartet and if Isak is added to that (?!?!), we are laughing as there is variety there. Young prospects like Nyoni and the outrageously gifted Ngumoha will help to aid the blend of World-class talent with high quality talent and Slot's fluidity when it comes to making adaptations should all help the squad's prospects.
Resolve a few issues (time left in the window, but it will elapse quickly) and we are onto something special. With that said, I think it's worth remembering that this isn't necessarily a side being assembled for the 25/26 season in and of itself, but a future-proofing project to try and give us a stab at something close to dominance for a 3-5 year spell. How successful that will be nobody yet knows - but I probably favour us more in 26/27 and 27/28 than in the season to come, depending on our remaining transfer business, how quickly our players gel and whether or not we hit the ground running when dealing with the threats of Arsenal, Man City and dark horses Chelsea.
How might our first XI line up this season?
Needless to say that with business unfinished, we don't know - but IF Isak were to join us and Wirtz is utilised as a no. 10 then you'd imagine it's something like the following -
..........................Alisson
Frimpong....Konate.......Van Dijk......Kerkez
.........Gravenberch.......Mac Allister
...Salah...............Wirtz..........Gakpo
..........................Isak
That's certainly a line-up that poses some questions, some of which are nicer to have than others -
- Is Ekitike mainly depth at no. 9?
- With Diaz gone, has Slot seen enough of Ngumoha to make him the main back-up?
- What about Salah and AFCON? Does Chiesa stay and cover? Does Fofana join? Do Frimpong and Szoboszlai have minutes out wide?
- Will Szoboszlai's energetic minutes in midfield be missed?
Minor tweaks to that "forward six" if we like make for interesting reading. Given Wirtz's love of the left half-space (much like Coutinho) he could be deployed wide at times, opening the door for our favourite-functioning midfield trio, so we can do something more like the following (even without Isak) such as -
.........Gravenberch.......Mac Allister
...Salah............Szoboszlai..........Wirtz
.........................Ekitike
There are nice problems to have, provided there is cover.
Is the attack deep enough?
It's been fascinating to watch our new-look attack taking shape. Individual purchases and targets have largely made sense - Wirtz is potentially a generational talent at 22, Ekitike is 23, Isak (if he arrives) turns 26 in October so may be entering his prime 3-to-4 years whilst we have moved on a 28-year old Diaz and Núñez (26) looks set to depart. Jota's tragic loss (more on that later) means we are down on two centre-forwards, though we'll potentially bring two in - I am reluctant to use the word "replace" for obvious reasons, it just feels so wrong.
Things get interesting with sales though. Gakpo and Diaz was excellent depth on the left and Diaz is now gone. Chiesa is a player that I like on the right (two-footed, quick enough, dribbles well, seems to work hard, good command of English, Champion's League experience) but Slot doesn't see remotely keen. So now - again, IF Isak comes, our depth may be as follows -
Salah/Chiesa (AFCON remember!)
Isak/Ekitike
Gakpo/Ngumoha
Ngumoha raises the most questions. If Gakpo were to get a knock and miss a run of games, would we want to rely on him? I'd think not - we don't want to rush the lad surely - but then again would I want to block his pathway to the first team by bringing someone else in? Trent came in when Clyne got injured and he didn't really look back - is the lad simply ready right now and Arne sees it?
We don't want to rob Peter to pay Paul - if someone said "Núñez and Jota out, Isak and Ekitike in" you can make sense of it, but with Federico continually linked with a move away, I'd really question someone saying "Diaz and Chiesa out, Ngumoha in" - it wouldn't sit well with many fans and rightly so.
Oh and where does someone like Danns feature in Slot's plans? Fascinating answers to come in the next lot of weeks.
Centre-back
It wouldn't be us if there wasn't a potentially big problem brewing just as we feel we're "almost there" now, would it? This is certainly the most glaring issue in our side right now. Van Dijk may be a beautiful big Oak of a man, but he is now 34 years old and there will be some leaves to fall as time goes on. Konaté's future needs to be sorted sooner (later won't wait) at a time when Gomez is our depth, essentially leaving us with "two and a half" centre-backs if we're being generous, rather than four. Links with Guehi persist, but I think many Reds would feel much more comfortable if we can get someone over the line and fast. I have no issue with Gravenberch, Endo or Robertson playing the occasional match at centre-back, but I think we would all want that to be about 5 times in a potentially 63-game season rather than 10+ matches, or else things could unravel a bit.
FSG Out....
......standing!
Or should I say Edwards and Hughes? Or both? Or have I planted a target on my back? No matter, it's very much said tongue-in-cheek in fairness and the jury will remain out in force for years to come - but it must be said that whoever it was that ensured that Slot's first season was one of assessment and that now we got to pull the proverbial trigger on big targets after careful management was onto a winner. Whether you are for, against or indifferent, it has certainly been an excellent window so far and the future-proofing ideology is there for all to see. So far, all of our acquisitions are of an age where there is a lot left in the tank and either have Premier League experience or a good command of the English language. Will we strike the perfect balance of plug-and-play lads that can do a job now and later? Time will tell. I like strategy - I really do. I hope it works. It's really nice to have a window where the ownership haven't dominated conversations. 
The time to strike does seem to be now - Arsenal's apparent inability to get over the line, Man City perhaps in transition - it seems we have spotted a chance to put our foot on the throat of English football. Can we pull it off? Can we consistently challenge, multiple seasons on the spin?
Future-proofing
Just look at the age profile of our incomings. A thing of beauty.
- Mamardashvili (24)
- Pecsi (20)
- Kerkez (21)
- Frimpong (24)
- Wirtz (22)
- Ekitike (23)
Bloody exciting, isn't it? Some of those lads have 6-10 years in the tank. Seeing the future of our side take shape is something else and it will compliment what is still a young midfield (Endo aside) that we already assembled during Klopp's tenure.
The £150m pound question
Is this going to bloody happen? Or is this Mbappe, Bellingham, Caicedo, Lavia all over again.....we need clarity. If he doesn't come we need to plan appropriately and if he does, there will be a lot of lads above a certain age who won't need Viagra anymore. The thought of us breaking a British transfer record twice in one window is mind-boggling and if it happens, it must be one of the best windows ever.
The best would have to be......what, Real Madrid in 2009 when they got Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Kaká, Xabi Alonso, Raúl Albiol and Álvaro Arbeloa - that's a tough window to top, but ours doesn't look half bloody bad so far!
The loss of Jota
Absolute travesty. There is so much that has been said about our (forever) number 20. It hit us all like a train and certainly put some stuff in perspective. Shankly is oft-quoted for saying that football is more important than life or death, which we all know isn't the case. It is however the most important of the non-important things. If we can take anything from it, it is that life is fleeting and that we - each and all of us - are blessed to be here.
Perhaps that alone is a moment to reflect and to be better. I know that this season I will be making a conscious effort not to let any debate I am involved in bubble into argument or row and to try to hold my head above scathing comments and walk away. Last year in the transfer window this place became a bit of a shit-show for a few weeks and I wouldn't have missed the place if I'd left. I'm keen to endeavour not to rise to bait and make snarky comments of my own in response if a jibe comes my way and intend not to jab at others in anger, which (I'd like to think) was a relatively rare occurence anyway, but I still want it to be even rarer. Perhaps we can all take the chance to do so and make the forum as comfortable a place as humanly possible. Jobs, relationships, health - all provide their challenges and we are all subject to them. We're all Red, we all bleed Red, we all need escape. Can we make this place exactly that? Nearly 16 years for me on here with others here for longer. We are so privileged to follow what we follow, love what we love and to have a quiet corner of the internet to share stories, passion and our disdain for common enemies (mainly based in Manchester....) as opposed to being at each other's throats. Life's too short.
The kit....
It's bloody sexy, isn't it? Perhaps a tad too much white for some, but that piping and in particular the long-sleeve just brings back memories of Torres with Gerrard through-balling him opportunities. That was a very exciting time to be a fan and the 25/26 season is potentially even moreso, especially if we finish our transfer business well. The away is nice too and the third with the trefoil logo.....hoooo baby! I hope we are wearing that plenty in Europe. I really hope we win something in it - the kit in 24/25 with the unfinished and aprony vibe wasn't really fit for a title-winning side, whereas this one is tasty.
Arne Slot, Arne Slot's team
There is so much to see here. Slot has a wonderful habit of giving us instructions for the first half and making big tweaks for the second - usually the correct ones. Some took the shine off his win by saying it was Klopp's side and whilst this is true, Arne still deserves enormous praise. All eyes will be on him now though - other Managers know what he's about and with such insane activity in the window, this is a side that is fast-becoming "his" - indeed he will very soon have coached Grav, Mac and Szob more than Klopp did, not to mention Kerkez, Frimpong, Wirtz and Ekitike. No pressure Arne - you're up to it though, right?
Number 21, number 7.
Can we win one of them? Salah and Van Dijk likely have just two more seasons within which to try. Would bloody love it if we did. Our biggest European threats look like PSG and perhaps Real Madrid if Alonso can sort their tactical balance out. I'd be gobsmacked if we didn't get through the League stage so I already can't wait for those nights from February onwards when the temperature starts to rise and the business end of the season kicks in.
So damned much to look forward to!
A new season awaits in 25/26 and we are fortunate enough to enter it as the defending Champions. Having won 20 League titles, some have spoken of the fact that we are back on our perch - but as good as it is to have equaled the record held by the Mancs, we all know that getting the 21st title over the line is where the real magic is, to create that little bit of daylight. There is a wonderful opportunity to go from being "twice in 30-odd years" to "three times in six" - which would really show that we have relevant, current-day clout.
Is this a League-winning side though?
Many rival fans will feel we are "nailed on" to win the League. I certainly feel we can and should challenge, but there are some potential spanners in the works to compliment the excellence we'll expect in the season going forward. Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo, Ekitike makes for a good attacking quartet and if Isak is added to that (?!?!), we are laughing as there is variety there. Young prospects like Nyoni and the outrageously gifted Ngumoha will help to aid the blend of World-class talent with high quality talent and Slot's fluidity when it comes to making adaptations should all help the squad's prospects.
Resolve a few issues (time left in the window, but it will elapse quickly) and we are onto something special. With that said, I think it's worth remembering that this isn't necessarily a side being assembled for the 25/26 season in and of itself, but a future-proofing project to try and give us a stab at something close to dominance for a 3-5 year spell. How successful that will be nobody yet knows - but I probably favour us more in 26/27 and 27/28 than in the season to come, depending on our remaining transfer business, how quickly our players gel and whether or not we hit the ground running when dealing with the threats of Arsenal, Man City and dark horses Chelsea.
How might our first XI line up this season?
Needless to say that with business unfinished, we don't know - but IF Isak were to join us and Wirtz is utilised as a no. 10 then you'd imagine it's something like the following -
..........................Alisson
Frimpong....Konate.......Van Dijk......Kerkez
.........Gravenberch.......Mac Allister
...Salah...............Wirtz..........Gakpo
..........................Isak
That's certainly a line-up that poses some questions, some of which are nicer to have than others -
- Is Ekitike mainly depth at no. 9?
- With Diaz gone, has Slot seen enough of Ngumoha to make him the main back-up?
- What about Salah and AFCON? Does Chiesa stay and cover? Does Fofana join? Do Frimpong and Szoboszlai have minutes out wide?
- Will Szoboszlai's energetic minutes in midfield be missed?
Minor tweaks to that "forward six" if we like make for interesting reading. Given Wirtz's love of the left half-space (much like Coutinho) he could be deployed wide at times, opening the door for our favourite-functioning midfield trio, so we can do something more like the following (even without Isak) such as -
.........Gravenberch.......Mac Allister
...Salah............Szoboszlai..........Wirtz
.........................Ekitike
There are nice problems to have, provided there is cover.
Is the attack deep enough?
It's been fascinating to watch our new-look attack taking shape. Individual purchases and targets have largely made sense - Wirtz is potentially a generational talent at 22, Ekitike is 23, Isak (if he arrives) turns 26 in October so may be entering his prime 3-to-4 years whilst we have moved on a 28-year old Diaz and Núñez (26) looks set to depart. Jota's tragic loss (more on that later) means we are down on two centre-forwards, though we'll potentially bring two in - I am reluctant to use the word "replace" for obvious reasons, it just feels so wrong.
Things get interesting with sales though. Gakpo and Diaz was excellent depth on the left and Diaz is now gone. Chiesa is a player that I like on the right (two-footed, quick enough, dribbles well, seems to work hard, good command of English, Champion's League experience) but Slot doesn't see remotely keen. So now - again, IF Isak comes, our depth may be as follows -
Salah/Chiesa (AFCON remember!)
Isak/Ekitike
Gakpo/Ngumoha
Ngumoha raises the most questions. If Gakpo were to get a knock and miss a run of games, would we want to rely on him? I'd think not - we don't want to rush the lad surely - but then again would I want to block his pathway to the first team by bringing someone else in? Trent came in when Clyne got injured and he didn't really look back - is the lad simply ready right now and Arne sees it?
We don't want to rob Peter to pay Paul - if someone said "Núñez and Jota out, Isak and Ekitike in" you can make sense of it, but with Federico continually linked with a move away, I'd really question someone saying "Diaz and Chiesa out, Ngumoha in" - it wouldn't sit well with many fans and rightly so.
Oh and where does someone like Danns feature in Slot's plans? Fascinating answers to come in the next lot of weeks.
Centre-back
It wouldn't be us if there wasn't a potentially big problem brewing just as we feel we're "almost there" now, would it? This is certainly the most glaring issue in our side right now. Van Dijk may be a beautiful big Oak of a man, but he is now 34 years old and there will be some leaves to fall as time goes on. Konaté's future needs to be sorted sooner (later won't wait) at a time when Gomez is our depth, essentially leaving us with "two and a half" centre-backs if we're being generous, rather than four. Links with Guehi persist, but I think many Reds would feel much more comfortable if we can get someone over the line and fast. I have no issue with Gravenberch, Endo or Robertson playing the occasional match at centre-back, but I think we would all want that to be about 5 times in a potentially 63-game season rather than 10+ matches, or else things could unravel a bit.
FSG Out....
......standing!
Or should I say Edwards and Hughes? Or both? Or have I planted a target on my back? No matter, it's very much said tongue-in-cheek in fairness and the jury will remain out in force for years to come - but it must be said that whoever it was that ensured that Slot's first season was one of assessment and that now we got to pull the proverbial trigger on big targets after careful management was onto a winner. Whether you are for, against or indifferent, it has certainly been an excellent window so far and the future-proofing ideology is there for all to see. So far, all of our acquisitions are of an age where there is a lot left in the tank and either have Premier League experience or a good command of the English language. Will we strike the perfect balance of plug-and-play lads that can do a job now and later? Time will tell. I like strategy - I really do. I hope it works. It's really nice to have a window where the ownership haven't dominated conversations. The time to strike does seem to be now - Arsenal's apparent inability to get over the line, Man City perhaps in transition - it seems we have spotted a chance to put our foot on the throat of English football. Can we pull it off? Can we consistently challenge, multiple seasons on the spin? Future-proofing
Just look at the age profile of our incomings. A thing of beauty.
- Mamardashvili (24)
- Pecsi (20)
- Kerkez (21)
- Frimpong (24)
- Wirtz (22)
- Ekitike (23)
Bloody exciting, isn't it? Some of those lads have 6-10 years in the tank. Seeing the future of our side take shape is something else and it will compliment what is still a young midfield (Endo aside) that we already assembled during Klopp's tenure.
The £150m pound question
Is this going to bloody happen? Or is this Mbappe, Bellingham, Caicedo, Lavia all over again.....we need clarity. If he doesn't come we need to plan appropriately and if he does, there will be a lot of lads above a certain age who won't need Viagra anymore. The thought of us breaking a British transfer record twice in one window is mind-boggling and if it happens, it must be one of the best windows ever.
The best would have to be......what, Real Madrid in 2009 when they got Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Kaká, Xabi Alonso, Raúl Albiol and Álvaro Arbeloa - that's a tough window to top, but ours doesn't look half bloody bad so far!
The loss of Jota
Absolute travesty. There is so much that has been said about our (forever) number 20. It hit us all like a train and certainly put some stuff in perspective. Shankly is oft-quoted for saying that football is more important than life or death, which we all know isn't the case. It is however the most important of the non-important things. If we can take anything from it, it is that life is fleeting and that we - each and all of us - are blessed to be here.
Perhaps that alone is a moment to reflect and to be better. I know that this season I will be making a conscious effort not to let any debate I am involved in bubble into argument or row and to try to hold my head above scathing comments and walk away. Last year in the transfer window this place became a bit of a shit-show for a few weeks and I wouldn't have missed the place if I'd left. I'm keen to endeavour not to rise to bait and make snarky comments of my own in response if a jibe comes my way and intend not to jab at others in anger, which (I'd like to think) was a relatively rare occurence anyway, but I still want it to be even rarer. Perhaps we can all take the chance to do so and make the forum as comfortable a place as humanly possible. Jobs, relationships, health - all provide their challenges and we are all subject to them. We're all Red, we all bleed Red, we all need escape. Can we make this place exactly that? Nearly 16 years for me on here with others here for longer. We are so privileged to follow what we follow, love what we love and to have a quiet corner of the internet to share stories, passion and our disdain for common enemies (mainly based in Manchester....) as opposed to being at each other's throats. Life's too short.
The kit....
It's bloody sexy, isn't it? Perhaps a tad too much white for some, but that piping and in particular the long-sleeve just brings back memories of Torres with Gerrard through-balling him opportunities. That was a very exciting time to be a fan and the 25/26 season is potentially even moreso, especially if we finish our transfer business well. The away is nice too and the third with the trefoil logo.....hoooo baby! I hope we are wearing that plenty in Europe. I really hope we win something in it - the kit in 24/25 with the unfinished and aprony vibe wasn't really fit for a title-winning side, whereas this one is tasty.
Arne Slot, Arne Slot's team
There is so much to see here. Slot has a wonderful habit of giving us instructions for the first half and making big tweaks for the second - usually the correct ones. Some took the shine off his win by saying it was Klopp's side and whilst this is true, Arne still deserves enormous praise. All eyes will be on him now though - other Managers know what he's about and with such insane activity in the window, this is a side that is fast-becoming "his" - indeed he will very soon have coached Grav, Mac and Szob more than Klopp did, not to mention Kerkez, Frimpong, Wirtz and Ekitike. No pressure Arne - you're up to it though, right?
Number 21, number 7.
Can we win one of them? Salah and Van Dijk likely have just two more seasons within which to try. Would bloody love it if we did. Our biggest European threats look like PSG and perhaps Real Madrid if Alonso can sort their tactical balance out. I'd be gobsmacked if we didn't get through the League stage so I already can't wait for those nights from February onwards when the temperature starts to rise and the business end of the season kicks in.
So damned much to look forward to!
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