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Daily Liverpool - A Tough 7 days for the Reds.
25 Plays10 days ago
Jesse Sarwar is joined by Karl Coppack and Adarsh Ramchurn to reflect on a tough week for the Reds with CL elimination followed by that League Cup Final defeat at the hands of Newcastle United.
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Transcript
Liverpool's Tough Week
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
you
00:00:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome to the Daily Liverpool podcast brought to you by the Global Sports Podcast Network. Well, what a week of football it's been for Liverpool Football Club, not the greatest. Tuesday, we're knocked out of the Champions League by PSG and then Sunday, we lose to Newcastle in the League Cup final. We didn't really even show up really, did we?
00:01:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
so we, I guess we're going to have a little whinge today or a little post-mortem, of recent events.
Analyzing Liverpool's Form
00:01:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm in the company of Adarsh Ramchurn.
00:01:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Adarsh, how are you doing?
00:01:24
Adarsh
I think this post-mortem is very much needed. I know it's been a few days since the final, but still finding it very hard to to get my mind off it. And especially what happened midweek as well against PSG. So kind of looking forward to dissecting everything and trying to get all these bad thoughts off my brain.
00:01:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, luckily, we've got Karl Kopach with us as well, and Karl will undoubtedly cheer us up.
00:01:47
Karl
Wow. Wow. That's a statement. I'm all about the lols. You know me.
00:01:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly. Right. So let's, where where do we start? Well, let's start with Sunday's non-event, really. Adash, it was just such a non-performance from Liverpool, and Newcastle,
00:02:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Obviously, they thoroughly deserved, you know, their League Cup win, but we didn't really offer much in in terms of any kind of resistance to them.
00:02:24
Adarsh
Yeah, I think I could, I don't know how, over the last 10 years, I could probably say it's one of those games where in terms of a big game, I could say Liverpool haven't turned up. And that's very rare that you say that regardless of who the manager is. But I think, especially for the occasion, I think I was looking at Sunday's game as a great way to bounce back following what happened against PSG. I was thinking this, this is the best pick me up you can have after getting knocked the Champions League. You've got a chance to win a trophy, put things right.
00:02:54
Adarsh
And I think that was the mentality going into the game. i'm sure i'm not I'm sure the players weren't thinking that they weren't going to play bad, but I just don't know what happened on the pitch. We'll probably get into Slott's line-up and his decision-making, but got it wrong, completely wrong.
00:03:09
Adarsh
The players look knackered. Midfield looks so tired, looks outworked. And you can see in the changes he made, what, 15 minutes into the second half, he that the midfield just wasn't right and the rest of the team wasn't right. We'll get on to the attack as well, I'm sure.
Lackluster Performance Against Newcastle
00:03:24
Adarsh
But yeah, it just was, it was, i don't want to say it was just one of those days because it rarely, rarely happens with Liverpool, but we just, Newcastle definitely wanted it more than us. And I, that, that pains me to say it.
00:03:36
Adarsh
It's just, yeah, to be honest, Newcastle, like you said, Jesse, they deserved exactly what they got on Sunday. They deserved to win, but Liverpool just didn't turn up.
00:03:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that last 15 minutes reminded me of back in the day when we used play Pro Evolution Soccer. And then, like, you know, you're like two two goals down and then you just go full crazy attack. You just... And players are just all over the place. Carl...
Arne Slot's Tactical Decisions
00:04:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
call Arnest Slott has missed out on his first piece of silverware as Liverpool manager. Obviously, he's lying to pick up the Premier League title. A few days to digest that defeat.
00:04:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, is is there is there a more nuanced view emerging or was it just rubbish?
00:04:20
Karl
Oh, i was that it was absolutely horrific. it was It was a horrific game of football played by some very, very tired men with absolutely no tactical nous behind them whatsoever. And I'm fine saying that. I will say that if someone said to me now, I said to all of us now, I've got crystal ball, I'm looking 12 months in 12 months' time, you're going to lose the next League Cup final and you're going to play worse, but I'll give you the Premier League, then I think we're all pretty happy with that.
00:04:46
Karl
I think Newcastle does get forgotten. But I don't think it'll be forgotten by him. And I think that that's the positive. And I think he'll be looking at himself there. Because I have no idea what what he speech put grab he's doing. He's doing a three with Ryan on the right-hand side of defence.
00:05:03
Karl
And instead of playing handful of unfit forwards, we're playing all of them. Okay, in a just sort of, if you just shake it, something might happen. And it did. You know, it did work. But...
00:05:14
Karl
I just laughed when Peter Dreary said, oh look, we've got eight minutes injury time and you customers have to navigate this eight minutes of injury time.
00:05:24
Karl
He said, what game are you watching?
00:05:25
Adarsh
Yeah.
00:05:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
i yeah
00:05:26
Karl
I wrote about it yesterday. He said, you can literally go and get a pint and just come back for the trophy left. There is no drama in this game because there hasn't been any. We haven't gone close. We didn't work the keeper. The keeper had the day off. He might as well have been sat next to me on the couch watching it.
00:05:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank
00:05:42
Karl
And it's um've I've seen bad, bad Liverpool games. And I was so pleased when someone said that it's Aston Villa 2015, which is the lowest point I think I've felt in a football perspective watching Liverpool. i was at that game, so and I just walked home and I just thought, I've just seen Brendan Rodgers play seven central midfielders and we played 4-3-3. He played three midfielders up front and the striker he had, he didn't bring on.
00:06:12
Karl
And we've just lost to a team who were going to get relegated. And they deserved it. And on Sunday, I watched a very, very good side, but eminently gettable.
00:06:23
Karl
And we knew what their tactics were going to be. They were going to go man for man. They were going to press on the keeper and hope he go goes long and they can win the ball back from there. and We knew exactly what was going to happen and we didn't do a bloody thing about it.
00:06:38
Karl
And it's interesting, Adash, you said you know you know the midfield wasn't right. I think this stems from the forwards more than anything else. The forwards were terrible, just absolutely terrible. I thought i thought of the three of them, Diaz was the better player because he did occasionally get on the ball and go after his full-back. He did go after Trippier, but the other two sat on the couch with me and the Newcastle fans Honestly, i don't know what the other two but we're were in the game. And you can say, yes, he cut off the lines to Salah because Kwanzaa couldn't get out because he's not a right-back.
00:07:10
Karl
And that's probably because he's not a right-back. But just the the attitude was just flat. It was like it was... The attitude's bit too much of a stronger term because that implies that they didn't want to win. They did, but they just sort of didn't have any plan to put that together.
00:07:28
Karl
other than let's just beat them because we're Liverpool, which is what it looked like to me. There wasn't any any lucid plan that I could see at all. And then he doesn't change anything.
00:07:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Does the plan count, though? Does the plan count, Carl, if players are so tired that they they they can't even put a plan, you know, they can't even implement what the manager wants them to do if if they are absolutely shattered?
Squad Rotation Concerns
00:07:52
Karl
If you're tired, you give it short all the time when you build up the picture that way. So you're not doing and any you know big chases down or anything like that. Instead, he plays the worst forward we've got at the moment.
00:08:06
Karl
He gets a start. I've literally no idea how. And then he brings on, heard another podcast, they summed brilliant, said, you know you know that that lad who could barely walk against, when we put him on, against Paris?
00:08:19
Karl
Let's see if he's improved three days later. Do you know what? No, he's still absolutely exhausted and he's clearly unfit. So he's going to rescue this game against these lads who are jumping all over the place. I mean, there's some mitigation, obviously. i mean, obviously the the tiredness thing is a factor, but then that's one of the things that but happens to Liverpool because we always go deep in all competitions and we haven't quite got the manpower.
00:08:40
Karl
And that goes back to your early Jurgen days as well. That happened all the time. And as I said to Louis the other day about this is where you'd see Ben Woodburn starting for Liverpool at Webley.
00:08:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:08:51
Karl
You know, that sort of thing. We've got no one left. They're all injured. And so that that's something that happens to the clubs. But... but The contingency plan, well, there was no contingency plan other than they're tired.
00:09:05
Karl
Let's try and get out the way. We're better than Newcastle. And I really do believe we are. But they just thought, we'll just have two weeks planning everything. But apparently he took two weeks in a in a camp and said, this is how you beat Liverpool.
00:09:18
Karl
And was the same plan he had at Anfield, which didn't work. but But this time, if if the head's not right, then you you can't win.
00:09:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, Adash, I would say that these results have been coming, right? I think even before the PSG game, if you look at the previous weekend against Southampton, was probably a taster of things to come. You know, obviously we win that game. It looks quite comfortable at the end.
00:09:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know But where we go a goal down and we've we've got to bring out bring on our best players to get the job done. And that leads into Tuesday where those same players are asked to play 120 minutes against a really top quality PSG team.
00:10:04
Karl
who did have a plan.
00:10:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
who did have a plan. I mean, he's insistent on playing pretty much the same starting 11 week in week out. It is coming to, I mean, Carl made a good point that look, you know, we do go deep in most competitions, most seasons, but,
00:10:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that that is an inevitable consequence. But I just think that this season has been almost like an extreme version of that, where he really has shown a reluctance to to go outside of that, you know, preferred starting 11.
00:10:37
Adarsh
Yeah, and I think the game for me that really really worried me it was actually the Southampton game because it reminded me of last season when we played Sheffield United. think we won 3-1 as well that day.
00:10:49
Adarsh
Sheffield United equalised. They're probably of the worst teams to come up in the Premier League.
00:10:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
you
00:10:53
Adarsh
You can look at Southampton this season being very similar. And the intensity wasn't there. there was He pretty much went with a full-strength team against Southampton. And I just think... that's one of those games where you can rotate and you can play players like Harvey Elliott, Wataru Endo, Chiesa, and he just didn't do it.
00:11:12
Adarsh
And i think I think I heard someone say as well that Slott's biggest strength is that he's kept his squad fit, which is definitely one of his big strengths.
00:11:14
Karl
Thank you.
00:11:20
Adarsh
We've had hardly any injuries so far this season. and But But at the same time, that doesn't mean he can't rotate the squad.
FSG's Management and Squad Strategy
00:11:27
Adarsh
And I think that's one thing he's got to learn quickly. And luckily this season, you've only got nine games left. We can go for the league now. But I think moving forward, it's going to be something that we judge slot on in seasons to come. Because, yeah, when it comes to those cup competitions, you need to rely on squad players like Harvey Elliott coming off the bench against PSG scoring.
00:11:49
Adarsh
if he gets If he gets more game time, then he's going to have more of an impact across season. even came off the bench against Newcastle on court and assists. So, yeah, I'm quite frustrated at the lack of change, especially when you see that some players are just not informed.
00:12:03
Adarsh
Jota's not been informed for a good two months now.
00:12:06
Karl
Over.
00:12:07
Adarsh
Yeah, since since he's been injured, i don't think... This Jota, I've not seen him ever before. It's a complete difference, Jota. He looks unfit, lack of confidence. Diaz as well just frustrates me so much in terms of how much he loses the ball.
00:12:22
Adarsh
And I just...
00:12:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Diaz has gone back to last season, Diaz, which is still a great dribbler, you know, he'll and and he'll run himself into the ground, but that end product is not there.
00:12:25
Adarsh
Yeah.
00:12:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he started the season so well and everyone thought, oh, right, this is the Luis Diaz that we can, you know, that the that we that we can really buy into, that he does all those dribbles. He does it goes past his man, but then he'll get an assist or he'll get a goal.
00:12:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I agree with you, Adash, that... Southampton game, I thought, come on, Harvey Elliott, Chiesa, these guys are good enough to play against Southampton and us get a result. You don't have to play your yeah your your best, best players.
00:13:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
But Carl, look, we we know that Slott, he likes to play with a a smaller squad. And I'm just, you know, I don't know if I'm reading too much into this.
00:13:19
Karl
Of 12. but
00:13:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
he's Look, he's he's a known admirer of Guardiola, right? Who also likes a smaller squad. And I'm just thinking, I wonder if this is one of the reasons that, just one of the reasons, not the main reason, but one of the reasons that FSG opted for slot.
00:13:26
Karl
yeah
00:13:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, there there were a few boxes that he ticked, right? So he's a similar-ish playing style to Klopp. So in terms of the transition, it wasn't going to be too radical a departure from Klopp.
00:13:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
His player availability record at Feyenoord was very, very good. It was above 90%.
00:13:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he likes playing with a smaller squad. And I'm just thinking, I don't want to make this into an FSG thing, but... if If he likes playing with a smaller squad, does that mean that FSG can continue to kind of streamline the squad and, you know, maybe slot can get a tune out of a smaller, a smaller squad with a smaller wage bill?
00:14:21
Karl
I mean, possibly. i mean, i I'm no admirer of the owners for for for many things, hardly any of which are about transfers, to be honest, because, I mean, let's face it, they've they did they've done all right and on the Jürgen, certainly.
00:14:31
Karl
But, I don't know. I think think if you look at that through the fact that it's his first season, he's not doing a gym rag club. He's not going in and said, right, I'm going to tear everything up.
00:14:46
Karl
You're useless. Off you go, Trent. I don't need you. He's basically saying, i'm going to keep all of this. I'm going look at who I like and who I like gets to play. And that isn't Chiesa. And that's not that's not Harvey Elliott.
00:14:58
Karl
That's not always Curtis Jones. I think It will change in the summer significantly. there's all Today was the first time I saw the words war chest on a gossip page.
00:15:10
Karl
hey We've got one of those war chests.
00:15:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
but
00:15:12
Karl
Yeah, that's because you're losing billions of pounds on contracts because you know you don't have to pay Trent's wages anymore. but so I don't know. I think year two is going different from year one. I i also don't think...
00:15:26
Karl
as with with let's be honest, to all of us, FSG saw title a winning side. you know when When they did his appraisal, I did i said at the end of last season, I'm going to go after something big. I want him to do what Jürgen did last season, which was a trophy in top four.
00:15:42
Karl
And there's a fair chance he can do that in one tournament, which what we're after. I don't think that the FSG saw that as an option. They thought, you know, get top four and then real will then then become Jürgen, please, which is ultimately what they're trying to do.
00:15:58
Karl
So I don't know about whether it's just because he he works with fewer people. He's going to work with more people, though, because I'd be very, very surprised if he's happy with everyone.
00:16:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:06
Karl
I mean, he's absolutely burned people out straight away and said no, including, like, you know, Gerald Quinter in his first 40 minutes of the game. No, we're not having you get out.
00:16:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:16:16
Karl
So I think this is going to big summer for him. I don't think he's going on holiday.
00:16:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Adarsh, you look at this team now and this squad and you say, look, we've done really well, as Carla said. we you know We're 12 points clear at the top of the Premier League.
00:16:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
But these seven to 10 days have you know they've it maybe shown us that if we want to build on what should be a title-winning season, there's some pretty major work to be done on this squad.
00:16:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
And... Again, without, we yeah I don't want him this to be an FSC thing, but at the end of the day they are the owners, they control the purse strings.
00:16:56
Karl
Got to be a sexy thing.
00:16:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do we have the owners to do what is required to make this squad ready for the Premier League next season that's going to probably have a rejuvenated Man City, you know, an Arsenal that's going to spend money again. And, you know, all the other teams that have improved over the last few years, the likes of Villa, Bournemouth, Newcastle now, it's a very, very competitive
Transfer Window Expectations
00:17:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
league. And we we haven't even mentioned the Champions League that we want to be...
00:17:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
competitive if want we want to win it. You know, are FSG going to help Slott build a dynasty? Or are they happy that we've won another Premier League title? You know, let's take the foot off the gas.
00:17:38
Adarsh
I don't necessarily think it's FSG. I think it's definitely Marco Edwards and Richard Hughes. I think it's a big summer.
00:17:43
Karl
but They are on holiday.
00:17:45
Adarsh
Yeah, they'll they'll definitely be on holiday. But I think that their decision making is going to probably be more important than however much money we are given in this so-called war chest.
00:17:57
Adarsh
Because I see Diaz leaving. i've I've seen the reports. I see Nunes leaving. I see... Slot clearly he doesn't fancy some players and I think he's going to want to cash in on them. So I think using, in a typical FSG manner, using that money to reinvest back into the squad, I think is what is what's going to be the approach. I think Slot likes to look at some players, in particular we've heard lots of rumours around, probably like Kerkhez,
00:18:20
Adarsh
I mean there's been links to Isak. So he likes, think you can see the sort of player that he likes. Athletic, strong, has a lot of potential. I think this squad is just, it's a combination of players have been here for a long time and have done really well under Klopp and have given this new regime regime on the slot a good go versus some new fresh legs and in the likes of McAllister, Sabozlay, Gravenberg, who have come in in clubs last season and have given some new energy, but feel like we need and another one of those windows that we had last, last summer to really give the squad another bit of impetus.
00:18:55
Adarsh
I think there are specific positions that Liverpool will look to improve on, but I don't see us doing it all in one transfer window. I think it might be one or two attackers and then one or two defenders. and I think three to four players is what is going to brought in.
00:19:09
Karl
I don't think you you're going to get two nines and two full-backs.
00:19:12
Karl
think they're the biggest sport.
00:19:13
Adarsh
yeah i don't know what the Yeah, I don't know what the combination is, but we'll see.
00:19:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
here in luck for me lies the frustration carl because you know i i look at it as a lack of kind of regular small activity you know we we we go like two three transfer windows without doing anything and then suddenly we've got to do a midfield overhaul and so we buy three or four midfielders all in one goal go and then it means that the right back cover that we need or the left back cover that we need or another centre back that we need gets just gets kicked down, that can gets kicked down the road again.
00:19:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I just think that we're, you know, that lack of investment in key defensive areas has been allowed to carry over
00:19:49
Karl
Yeah.
00:19:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah know season after season. And then you know we have these kind of rebuilds, but we do it all in one go in one kind of area with the pitch. And just think that we're we're still paying the price for not investing steadily each season you know to bolster those areas. So just look, just buy a left back because Simicas is not good enough.
00:20:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah ah for For me, he's not a number one. So just buy a left back. If we'd done that few seasons ago, you'd have that competition for for Robertson. But now we could be in a position where we've got an overhaul, the almost the entire forward line,
Defensive Reinforcements Needed?
00:20:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know, because we don't even know whether Mo's going to sign or not.
00:20:34
Karl
yeah
00:20:38
Karl
Now, and there's also a very strange question about the right-back as well, is I'm going to assume Conor Bradleys are starting right-back next year. And I'm fine with that. I think he's good enough.
00:20:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:50
Karl
but So you've got to sign right-back and say to him, come on, come to Liverpool, you're not playing. and Which is an incredibly difficult thing to do. And You're right about the left-back as well. I'm going to say it just because I i know Tom just... I think there's always Tom who's like him off all the time.
00:21:07
Karl
I think Robbo's been brilliant last four games.
00:21:09
Adarsh
He has, yeah, he has.
00:21:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, he has.
00:21:10
Karl
out He really has. He's definitely our best player on Sunday. But
00:21:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:15
Karl
but he's also 32, something 32, I don't know, something like that. So you've got to look at that. And what underpins the whole... ludicrishness of this, but it's not as ludicrous for us as fans not for the club because they know what's going on.
00:21:31
Karl
is and I said this in the thing I wrote the other day is in May Virgil van Dijk could lift the Premier League trophy and not know if he's got a job in four weeks' time.
00:21:44
Karl
That is... It's alright for the club because they know what's going on. But the fact that Virgil doesn't know that i don't know what I don't know why the three lads have just gone, all right, we'll talk to Saudi clubs or we'll talk to Madrid.
00:21:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:57
Karl
Because what what are you doing? And I don't see how you can plan for next year when three quarters of your spine may not be there. What do you do? How do you negotiate?
00:22:10
Karl
Well, first thing we've got to do is replace Mo. Do we? Is Mo staying? We don't know yet. Okay, right.
Contract Uncertainties and Financial Risks
00:22:17
Karl
but okay, but we're going to need a Virgil van Dijk. Why we've got Virgil van Dijk? But have we? We don't know.
00:22:23
Karl
What do we do about the best right back in the world? I don't know if he plays for us yet. now build a now Now build a plan around recruitment based on that. You can't, because you can't say the first thing we need to do here is buy a number nine, which is what I think we do we need to do.
00:22:38
Karl
Someone might just say, oh, and replace three three li literal legends, which we're not bothering with, two of which we're going to throw out. and the other one might just go up his own a accord, we don't know.
00:22:50
Karl
But we've been in those two, but we just want to replace them with not much money, and I don't see how you can do it. This this club is insane. This club is absolutely insane. And in
00:23:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
What I don't understand about the contract situation with those three guys, and in particular with with Mo and with Virgil Adash, is that, okay, look, we we know that FSG, you know they they're they're they're a bit hesitant in offering contracts, renewals to players over the age of 30. We get that.
00:23:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do we think that they are going to drop off, you know, completely fall off a cliff? i i don't I don't see that in either Van Dijk. I don't see that in Salah.
00:23:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay. But let's just say for the sake of argument that they do, for whatever reason, they sign a new contract. Mo, Virgil, they both signed three-year contracts. And you know what? they They just start to drop off a bit.
00:23:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
The Saudis will still come in and they will offer pretty decent transfer fees to offload those players. So surely that mitigates any kind of risk that you would normally have had before the Saudi Pro League came onto the scene. Because you would have thought then, OK, we're just going to have to stomach this for the next two, three years and pay these wages.
00:24:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
But knowing that some, particularly with Salah, he would go to a country where he would be the face of the Saudi pro league. And that's what they've wanted for a long time.
00:24:29
Karl
Yeah. Yes.
00:24:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
he would s sulast He would supplant Ronaldo. I'm telling you that right now.
00:24:32
Karl
yeah
00:24:33
Adarsh
Yeah, he would.
00:24:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
He would be the face of the Saudi pro league and they'd pay him what he wants. And they would give Liverpool a livepo transfer fee that would probably cover the the transfer fees for both Salah and for Van Dijk. So what I'm saying is, does that not mitigate any kind of risk for FSG?
00:24:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
And so just give the guys the contracts.
00:24:55
Adarsh
Yeah, I think it does. i think it's... Especially... If you look at Van Dijk as well, his levels this season, he looks like he can play for another three, four years at least at the top... At the very top level.
00:25:06
Adarsh
Every time... that we've played without Van Dijk, we don't look the same. And like you said, how much is a top centre-back going to be? There's talk of Mark Gehie, who's nowhere near Van Dijk's level, being priced at around 70, 75 million.
00:25:19
Adarsh
and And I don't get why you would go for someone like him when you've already got a centre-back who I think will be still playing at the top level in the next three, four years. Salah's situation, I think, he's and this kind of comes back to the attack the attack point we've've we've been making.
00:25:35
Adarsh
Our attack is so poor, without Salah, we are a mid-table team. He has carried this attack. I think I saw a stat around Jota, Diaz and Nunes in their last 41 appearances, only gained three goals.
00:25:46
Karl
yeah
00:25:47
Adarsh
And how can... So if you take Salah away from that, we literally have no attack, if that's the attack that we're going to go into next season with. So I think it's a massive risk not renewing them because of the standards that both of them have set.
00:26:00
Adarsh
And if we had players in the club that were already at those standards, you could say, OK, fair enough, maybe they can go. But we don't. And to replace them, I don't think you can. It's not possible because, one, they're legends of the club. Two, they're world-class players.
00:26:15
Adarsh
So it's a massive risk. And I think I'm more worried about those two and those three, if you include Trent, than any transfer business. Because I think if we're going to have to replace them alongside these players that we've been speaking about, Diaz, Nunes, I don't feel FSC can do that in one transfer window. I don't think it's possible.
00:26:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Carl these results that we've had recently you know the League Cup going out the Champions League do they in any way impact the contract situations of those big three players
00:26:51
Karl
No, because it's the... li because it's the Obviously, you you've gone out to a team who were good enough. And i always go back decades to the time we played Bromby in UEFA Cup, which was the angriest I've ever been at Liverpool going out because they were terrible and we couldn't beat them over three hours. And i'm still I still don't know why.
00:27:08
Karl
why we didn't make that Yeah, PSG, I can understand.
00:27:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm angry about it.
00:27:12
Karl
There's an argument that says Real Madrid don't win the European Cup, then... than PSG because they're good enough because they play as a team but I've got no problem going out of that we if if I've gone out to Lille or Brest or someone like that then fair enough I'd be quite angry about it the League Cup is just something we've won more than and anyone else ever and my dog's about to make some strange noises sorry he's scratching his back running on the carpet and it doesn't matter the best thing about the League Cup final is that we don't play for ages
00:27:46
Karl
So now they can get away. you know They can you know sits sit on the couch or or or do whatever is they do. Compare cars in the car park, that sort of thing. I don't think that impinges the contract situation just because, for a start, they don't know anyway.
00:27:57
Adarsh
So I think that
00:28:03
Karl
it's it's it's I don't think they're going to think, now we're out Europe, now we're not going to stay. They're going to win the Premier League in like three weeks. So it doesn't really matter. Someone said today, I agree, if we win in at two games, Arsenal have to be perfect.
00:28:18
Karl
Arsenal aren't perfect. Yeah. So I don't think that impinges you. Because if you if you said to someone, do you want to stay or not? Well, what am what am I going to win? You've won the Premier League. Then I'm going to stay.
00:28:29
Karl
Because I want to defend the Premier League. And I think particularly Virgil, because he didn't get to defend the Premier League because of he the assault that took place.
00:28:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because of Pickford. Yeah.
00:28:39
Karl
Yeah. And Mo doesn't... This is what I don't understand about the club. I understand if... like so when When Rush went, Rush wanted to go. he wanted We went Europe and he wanted to invest himself.
00:28:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know
00:28:49
Karl
And I completely get two of the Two of the lads want to stay. And we're saying, I don't know, what about Mark Mark Gay's best ever season will be just below Virgil's worst.
00:28:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:29:00
Karl
and And that's not a slight on him, it's just that he's not Virgil van Dijk. And if you're looking to play Virgil van Dijk type stature player, why not play Virgil van Dijk?
00:29:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly. Yeah.
00:29:10
Karl
Because he works for you. He comes in every day, he's got a contract and everything. What the hell are we doing?
00:29:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely. And and ah it for me, it comes back again to that, the lack of investment in that defensive lineup, because if virgin Virgil van Dijk does go, i mean, I'm sorry, that centre-back, the three centre-backs that we've got left, which is Canate, very, very good, and
00:29:39
Karl
But is contracts up as well?
00:29:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
his his contract is coming up as well and he hasn't signed.
00:29:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then, you know, Gomez, good utility player. And then Kwanzaa, that is not good enough to carry us to anything of any note for next season.
00:29:50
Karl
No, sir.
00:29:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
So look, we'll see where this leads, but that is, that's all for today.
Closing Remarks and Future Insights
00:30:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Give us a follow on your preferred podcast platform so that you get the very latest content when it drops.
00:30:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Follow us on social media at GSPN Liverpool. You can email us at gspndailyliverpool at gmail.com. Join us again on Friday. we We'll be assessing Liverpool's forward line and asking where improvements can be made. So that's going to be like a three-hour podcast.
00:30:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
My thanks to Adash Ramchurn and Karl Kopach for joining me today. Thank you, gents. And thank you for listening. Until next time.