Liverpool champions of England

[netzerkaiser]

I'm an old poster here, & I've had zero internet for past 6 months, all the better for it. But I'm up in the city for the weekend, & I thought I'd post on an old favourite forum of mine, how great I feel this achievement is, for a new manager of an old team. I never supported anyone, but I know especially some of you UK guys do. So while I'm here, well done Liverpool. I enclose below footage of my favourite ever Liverpool player. Well done Liverpool!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9FzrfxjTfw

[xxxVIPERxxx]

2nd Premier League title in the last 5 years, and also the 2nd top tier league title in 35 years!

Many congrats to Liverpool this year. Well deserved. No one else came close. Arsenal collapsed and bottled it as usual.
I am hoping next year will be a lot more competitive with Man City being stronger, Man Utd being MUCH stronger, Chelsea maintaining their improvements, Arsenal will compete for top 4, but would be lucky to finish in top 2 again, and hopefully some other surprise challengers.

[netzerkaiser]

2nd Premier League title in the last 5 years, and also the 2nd top tier league title in 35 years!

Many congrats to Liverpool this year. Well deserved. No one else came close. Arsenal collapsed and bottled it as usual.
I am hoping next year will be a lot more competitive with Man City being stronger, Man Utd being MUCH stronger, Chelsea maintaining their improvements, Arsenal will compete for top 4, but would be lucky to finish in top 2 again, and hopefully some other surprise challengers.

you're comoletely right, bro, words of wisdom...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egCy1KoE1Ss

[netzerkaiser]

2nd Premier League title in the last 5 years, and also the 2nd top tier league title in 35 years!

Many congrats to Liverpool this year. Well deserved. No one else came close. Arsenal collapsed and bottled it as usual.
I am hoping next year will be a lot more competitive with Man City being stronger, Man Utd being MUCH stronger, Chelsea maintaining their improvements, Arsenal will compete for top 4, but would be lucky to finish in top 2 again, and hopefully some other surprise challengers.

BTW I hope your gunners win it next year;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTFFERwuo2Y

proper football.

[xxxVIPERxxx]

I doubt the Gunners will win it next year, they have bottled it for many years running.

As for Liverpool, I think with Trent Alexander Arnold leaving for Real Madrid, it leaves a hole in the team.
Also, for VV DIjk, and Mo Salah...I really feel that next season they will be past their prime.
In addition, I think Darwin Nunez is not the top quality striker/goalscorer that he was bought in to be.
Alisson Becker is also 33 this year, and still has a few years at the top ahead for him, but they need to think longer term and get in an up and coming, young goalkeeper to get him ready for the day Alisson gets injured/suspended/retires/leaves.
Kelleher is a great no.2 and back-up goalkeeper, is he content he continue sitting on the bench???

However, relative to a lot of other teams' squads, Liverpool are still in a strong position.
I think a top quality, clinical attacker.
A strong full-back, preferably one who can play both sides.
Blooding in some decent centre-backs from the youth sides.
A young GK for the future.

That's all Liverpool really need to be competitive again.

[xxxVIPERxxx]

Kelleher is a great no.2 and back-up goalkeeper, is he content he continue sitting on the bench???

However, relative to a lot of other teams' squads, Liverpool are still in a strong position.
I think a top quality, clinical attacker.
A strong full-back, preferably one who can play both sides.
Blooding in some decent centre-backs from the youth sides.
A young GK for the future.

That's all Liverpool really need to be competitive again.

Just as I had said that about Kelleher, he has been sold today by Liverpool for 18 million GBP/24.4 million USD/21.3 euros whatever major currency works for you.
A strong full-back in the name of Frimpong has been brought in.
A younger GK for the future had previously been purchased, and will be joining shortly Giorgi M.

Liverpool should be competitive, but I think it is harder to retain the Premier League, and they will be challenged and pushed hard next season.
I still think Mo Salah, and VV Dijk will be past their prime, but they will be hard to replace in this market.
Darwin Nunez is not the type of striker that can compete at elite level clubs. I remember the days where there were 5 class, top strikers competing for 2 or 3 attacking berths.

[xxxVIPERxxx]

It is almost like I was predicting the future. Liverpool are indeed finding it difficult to dominate, and do not currently look like they will be Premier League champions in May 2026 (however, it is still early and things can easily change).

Just as I was saying that Mo Salah and Virgil Van Dijk were past their prime, that is exactly what a lot of football experts/pundits are saying now.
As Liverpool were chasing their equaliser against Man Utd, they took Mo Salah off! It would have been unspoken of last year.
Age and time has also caught up with Van Dijk...it is hard to do with Legends of a club, but moving Mo and Virgil off the Liverpool wage bill would actually serve the football club much better.
I do not know the exact figures, but I am guessing just for those two...they probably get well in excess of 550,000 GBP a week combined from Liverpool FC.

[ajqqaj]

Will be interesting to see if Trent comes on for Madrid tonight!

[xxxVIPERxxx]

Liverpool won't be champions of England in the Premier League again this year if Mo Salah does not do more defensive work, and track back.
Or if Slot does not change his tactics.

On paper, they have a solid squad...just some ageing stars who are very hard to replace.

This year is a lot more competitive than last year. Whilst Arsenal are ahead right now, I still do not rate or think they are the favourites.

[xxxVIPERxxx]

Liverpool won't be champions of England in the Premier League again this year if Mo Salah does not do more defensive work, and track back.
Or if Slot does not change his tactics...

Mo Salah's inability to pick up any opposition man was the sole responsibility for 2 of the 3 goals Liverpool conceded in their most recent PL game.
They have lost 6 of their last 7 games...

I remember a lot of teammates openly saying Mo Salah was very selfish.
There have been others e.g. an ageing Cristiano Ronaldo.

The best thing for the team and club dynamic was actually to ship them off.

[ajqqaj]

Terrible start to the season. Think they’d have to go unbeaten the rest of the season to have a chance of winning it again.

[xxxVIPERxxx]

I doubt the Gunners will win it next year, they have bottled it for many years running.

This was my predictive statement about this season of the Premier League.
Whilst the Gunners (Arsenal) had a +5 points advantage over Man City. Watch them capitulate over the course of the season, and hand over the Premier League to Man City.

[ajqqaj]

Wouldn't surprise me. As it stands I reckon the top four could well finish as Man City, Arsenal, Villa, Chelsea.

[xxxVIPERxxx]

Liverpool won't be champions of England in the Premier League again this year if Mo Salah does not do more defensive work, and track back.

With Mo not doing what he should be doing defensively, it was only right for him to be dropped.
With Mo's attitude and critical outburst, it is only right that he spends time away from the squad. If Saudi compiles a strong offer during Winter, get rid of him.

Another footballing prediction, Celtic's new manager Nancy will be an absolute disaster (undoing all of Martin O'Neil's good work during his interim period).
By the end of this season (or possibly even before it), Nancy will be sacked/dismissed from his Celtic job.

[ajqqaj]

by the end of the year possibly!

[xxxVIPERxxx]

Another footballing prediction, Celtic's new manager Nancy will be an absolute disaster (undoing all of Martin O'Neil's good work during his interim period).
By the end of this season (or possibly even before it), Nancy will be sacked/dismissed from his Celtic job.

Well, my life experiences were completely spot on. Nancy lasted a month, and has been sacked.
Thank goodness, Martin O'Neill (MON) is back at Celtic once more. Hopefully, he can steady the ship again.
Losing 6 out of the last 8 games, including a Cup Final against lesser opposition meant Nancy had to go.

Martin will be 74 during this season, his role is only until the end of the season. Is there any one who can do the job on a permanent basis from August 2026???
If not, just give it to MON on a year by year basis, with him training up his assistants to do the proper job in the near future.

[xxxVIPERxxx]

Good grief, you would have thought they were being nice to Darren Fletcher.
Offering him the role of interim manager at Manchester United, for games against Burnley (absolute bottom club of the Premier League) - he ends up drawing 2-2 with them.
Then an FA cup tie against Brighton (with Man Utd's only realistic chance of winning silverware) - he loses 2-1 and is knocked out.

I think based on this, Darren Fletcher needs a lot more experience, training, and time before he can ever be a top head coach/manager of a reputable football club.
Please, bring on the caretaker manager until the end of the season.

[xxxVIPERxxx]

Wouldn't surprise me. As it stands I reckon the top four could well finish as Man City, Arsenal, Villa, Chelsea.

As I have been saying and predicting, Arsenal will bottle it, and will ultimately collapse...they had opportunities to build a 9 point gap, a 7 point gap, maintain a 6 point gap etc...

But that is now down to a +4 points gap, a +2 goal difference gap. I think the statistic is that they have only won 2 of their past 6 Premier League games. That is hardly the form of champions, what is quite disconcerting is that Arsenal seem to do this most years!

[xxxVIPERxxx]

Make that 2 wins in the past 7 Premier League games for Arsenal...perennial bottlers.

[clevertrevor]

Make that 2 wins in the past 7 Premier League games for Arsenal...perennial bottlers.

It's looking dicey. But I'd still think they'll get it done. (I'm a Liverpool fan, FWIW.)

Arsenal play Spurs away - but they've a new manager - and then Chelsea, at home. That's a tough six points, objectively. We will see what we will see, yeah?

[xxxVIPERxxx]

Arsenal play Spurs away - but they've a new manager?

It is nice to see Arsenal doing better, and not bottling it as much this year. Although that is also done to Man City not being as strong, complete, or as competitive as in previous years.

Speaking of Spurs, I found it quite baffling that the only manager to win a trophy in 17 years and 3 months (Ange) gets sacked. Previous striking legends of the club (Harry Kane) gets sold, and (Son) gets released. Then, with your top-scoring striker from last year, (Brennan Johnson) also getting sold.

There is a term, Spurs being spursy.

[xxxVIPERxxx]

As I have been saying and predicting, Arsenal will bottle it, and will ultimately collapse...

For all this talk of Arsenal potentially doing a quadruple...the facts and reality are:

Beaten by Man City in the English League Cup Final.
Beaten by Southampton in the FA Cup Quarter-Final.
More than likely to get knocked out in the Champions League at some stage.
Leading the Premier League, but ANYTHING can still happen.