Liverpool chiefs made five transfer mistakes and Iraola is ‘huge risk’ | OneFootball

There’s obviously still plenty of Arsenal reaction but we start with Liverpool and the men who are at fault for the mess.

Hughes and Edwards the real Liverpool villains

The real issue at Liverpool FC is Hughes & Edwards who clearly set Slot up to fail by signing players that completely unbalanced Slot’s squad. Slot was only the coach and did not have final say on player signings and yet Slot gets all the blame.

Just a few examples:

Frimpong is not a full back and Liverpool has never played with wingbacks before. If that was the intention then why just sign one wingback. You need two, one on each side, to make that system work.

Not signing another experienced centre back. They tried to low ball Palace in their failed Guehi bid and he went elsewhere even though he wanted to come to LFC.

Not signing an athletic defensive mid when it was very clear that Mac Allister was either exhausted, had too many niggly injuries or worn out and that Gravenberch was too light weight as a DM.

Letting Diaz go and not replacing him.

Not following club rules by giving a huge contract to a player that was on the wrong side of 30 and showed it for two previous seasons during the business end of the season which was Salah.

The list goes on and it’s a long one. Hughes and Edwards are the real issue at LFC. Hiring Iraola is a huge risk as he will be faced with a whole load of challenges he’s never seen before when coaching a mid table club such as 3 games a week with little time to prepare. As long as Hughes & Edwards are calling the shots at LFC I foresee Liverpool struggling to get top 4 consistently and what will probably happen is that Slot will be blamed for every draw, loss, poor performance or player downturn of form.

A long time Liverpool FC supporter since 1966. Wolfgang Hamann

…Now that “Silent” Richard Hughes has terminated the manager he effectively set up to fail after two poor transfer windows, I think it is time he came out to face the press and explain a number of things:

Why sell all the pace and replace it with players who necessitated a complete change of system?

Why give Salah a massive contract, then change the style of play that got the best out of him for eight years?

Would he allow Salah to come back?

Why do so many players leave on free transfers?

Who made the final decision on Slot?

He also needs to explain how he can oversee all football operations while spending most of his time on the South Coast. I manage four teams and 35 people, and allow myself to work from home on a Friday. However, if one of my staff were in charge of a football club that is, according to Forbes, the fourth biggest in the world, and paid accordingly, I would expect them to be on site for the build-up and the game. Surely this cannot be achieved via Teams and Sky Sports.

That said, I would like to thank Slot. As he won the league, he was, by definition, the right choice after Klopp. Some of the vitriol he received was out of order; you can be critical, but not abusive, and those who crossed that line should take a look at themselves.

When things are going well, you can be aloof, standoffish and ultra-calm. However, when results dip, along with awful, boring performances, that same attitude can make you look like you don’t know what you’re doing, or worse, that you don’t care. In my opinion, that’s where Slot lost the crowd.

Liverpool needs a dynastic manager, a figure who understands the city, its culture, and its passion. When a team is winning, that takes care of itself. When it faces adversity, it needs someone everyone can rally around. I’ll say it again: my favourite Liverpool moment was Wembley shaking to “Allez, Allez, Allez” in the 2022 League Cup final, when the kids played. No matter how long Slot stayed, or what he won, I don’t think he could have ever formed that level of connection with the crowd.

Which brings me to his successor. I’d love us to appoint Luis Enrique, though I don’t think it’s possible, not because he wouldn’t come, but for other reasons. My second choice would be Klopp. He looks well-rested after two years away and, judging by social media, slightly bored.

Worryingly, I don’t think Hughes or Edwards would want either of them. Why? Because they are demanding. They challenge. They complain. They expect the highest of standards from everyone. Good. This club deserves exactly that. According to Salah, that dipped this season.

Looking at how Enrique handled Mbappé, how do you think he’d react if he walked to Hughes’ office to discuss an academy player and was told by his PA that he was off-site and they need to set up a Zoom call? I’d pay to see it.

It appears they will choose Iraola. I have some trepidation as he hasn’t won anything, but from what I’ve seen, he plays attacking, high-press football, coaches extremely well, and receives a high level of respect from his players. My worries are: is he a big enough personality to manage this club and get what he needs? Can he become dynastic? Or is he simply too much of a risk?

Which leads to my final question to Richard Hughes, if he ever descends from “Teflon Towers” to meet us proletarians. “Is Iraola the best choice for the Club, or the best choice for you?

Best regards, Ian Hewison

Why Arne Slot deserved sack

Let’s get it right about Arne Slot, or any other manager/head coach for that matter.

You are only as good as your last season.

In his first season, a lot of bollocks was spoken about it being Klopp’s squad – while there might have been some bit of truth in that, the achievement of winning the PL was entirely his. It was he who got better performances out of Diaz, Gakpo and Gravenberch than Klopp did. It was he who allowed Salah off defending in exchange for a ridiculous level of attacking output. He was brilliant, he was clever tactically and managed the players expertly. Nothing can or should change that.

But 25/26? Unforgivable. People can point at Jota, or at injuries, or bad luck or whatever – again, some truth in all that. But bad luck or player issues doesn’t excuse losing 19 games of football in one season if you’re Liverpool coach, and especially if the team resembles the Joiners Arms Second XI from August to May. Some of his selection decisions were baffling. He criminally underused players like Chiesa and Ramsay and Ngumoha, even at times where they were literally the only option available. His lack of interest in using Academy players was well documented. As was his penchant for dishing out mini breaks like confetti. There was no wonder Liverpool lost so many late goals, the physical condition of the players was suboptimal.

You can just about get away with stinking the place out with your performances, if you keep winning. Or, you can lose a good few matches, if you can point at clear green shoots in the form of a definable identity or style, a discernible pattern of play that will eventually come good.

But you cannot do play crap and keep losing. Not at a Big 6 club. And especially not at one of the biggest two of all.

There is a strong argument that FSG could easily have acted in November, when they lost to City, Forest and PSV (latter two of them at Anfield!) by three goal margins in one awful week. But they gave him the rest of the season, even though the decline in performance levels by then seemed undeniable, and had dated back to the defeat at Plymouth in February 2025.

No, they were fair with him alright. The easiest thing would have been to get shot, get Gerrard in for the feels until the end of the season. Hell, it probably would have worked. In this awful, dismal, low on quality season they probably would have pushed Arsenal hard in the league and nicked one or two cups had they done this. But they chose loyalty, and desperately wanted him to show he could turn it around.

Instead, it just got worse and worse and worse. They limped over the line into 5th and let’s be honest, in any other season that points total would never have been in the conversation for a CL spot.

In the end the conclusion FSG reached was inescapable and one most fans had reached several months ago – that despite 24/25’s wonder, this was just going nowhere in a hurry. Andy H, Swansea

Arsenal an embarrassment to English football

As a Liverpool fan, I spent last week with a sense of deep foreboding. I fully expected Arsenal to win the Champions League, a thoroughly unpleasant prospect.

Why did I think this?

Last season Arsenal went toe-to-to with PSG in Paris, and were by far the better team – yes, on this occasion I agreed with Arteta. Arsenal’s xG from that game was 3.14 to PSG’s 1.74, and Arsenal had 54.1% of the possession.

So what the hell happened on Saturday? It was an embarrassment to Arsenal and to English football. Last year they’d proved they were at least as good as PSG, if not better, and yet they approached the game like a third division team playing City in the FA Cup third round. As I said, embarrassing.

Has they won on penalties it would have been a travesty. Michael Arteta needs to take a good hard look at himself. Rob

…The CL final was like an FA Cup tie between a EPL team and a plucky underdog from the Chapionship. Arsenal are the EPL champions and they lay down and let PSG just have the ball. 25% possession and 1 shot on target tells its own story. I think next season Arteta needs to change how Arsenal play. 1-0 and set piece goals will not win them the league next season and they will never get an easier knock out run in UCL again. The defeat by City in the league was one of their best performances and they went at City and deserved a draw, Havertz should have scored right at the death.

And that brings me to Havertz. Great finish for the goal but I feel he is lacking smething to be top class. He had good chance in first half when he found himself free in the PSG box but delayed that split second whch allowed Marquinos to block his shot, and second half after mistake by PSG defender he had great chance to play in Saka but gain dleayed tht split second and chance was gone. Moment like those are when you see the very best take the chance. Ken, Cork, Ireland

…Rewind to the late 00s. Liverpool – while not winning titles – are literally the league’s top scorers. But every smug Arsenal friend is assuring me that my Reds are merely playing something called anti football.

Back to today. Congratulations to Arsenal and I’m genuinely happy for their fans. But please. Don’t ever again utter that phrase to me…you didn’t just park the bus, you brought the entire effing fleet. Aussie Red

A defiant yet reflective opinion

Well, that was stressful but also exhilarating, watching Arsenal frustrate PSG in the first half to me was a thing of beauty. Defence is as much a part of the game as attack.

The frustration on their faces was palpable. A shame the pen got them back in it but recognise the moment of magic from kk. Even then we made them work v hard for it.

Go mano o mano attack wise with them and we are beat, not destroyed but beat. I did think though we needed a second goal and we had our chances so no complaints. It was almost the perfect performance, but almost is not enough to win the Champions League.

Losing on pennos to that PSG team, basically a flip of of coin, respect to our boys.

To say football was the winner is to me just plain stupidity. There are many ways to win in football and don’t ask me, if I was a neutral, to support a Qatar sportswashing project.

Respect to Luis Enrique, a brilliant coach.

Now for the the World Cup, Brazil or England I don’t mind. JimmyB Irish Gooner

PSG are not paragons of purity

As an Arsenal fan, I wish to congratulate PSG on their Champions League success. They played the more progressive football and (just about) deserved to win against the well-organised Gunners. However, I am dismayed by the narrative that Arsenal play anti-football while PSG are the paragons of pure and total football. Enrique’s side are well versed in the art of playing for territory.

Last season, let us not forget that they were the first team to routinely hit to the corner flag from kick-off. They began the trend that has been continued and amended by others this season (I am not a fan of Arsenal’s kick-off routine). It should also be noted that the PSG goalkeeper, Safonov, deliberately hit six goal-kicks into touch on Saturday night to gain territory, just like in rugby (a fact ignored by the commentators and analysts). I have no problem with this strategy as there is no ‘one-way’ to play football, but let’s not pretend that PSG play an awesome carefree brand of total football.

Yours sincerely, Aodh (Cork, Ireland)

What next for Arsenal?

Arsenal Fan here. Overall a pretty good season for us. Premier League Champions for the first time in 22 years, reached 2 finals. Could very well have been a double or a treble but those are the margins.

Regardless of all the bitter tears and accusations from critics (vast majority being bitter fans of rival clubs), the trajectory of this team is clearly on the up and with some ruthless clearing out and smart additions in the summer, next season could be even better. With regards to additions, a new right back, central midfielder, attacking midfielder, left winger and striker are definitely required. Maybe a better number 2 goal keeper as well. Outgoings most probably Martinelli, Nwaneri, Norgaard, White and one or two others. All in all, the future looks bright!! HAK, Pakistan P.S. Spurs fans mocking Arsenal for losing a CL final, maybe try and concentrate on your team finishing higher than 17th before the last day of of the season

Chris, Croydon thinks Arsenal weren’t dominated as people predicted. Arsenal, from the 45-120th minute had an xG of 0.01. If they weren’t dominated then they’re a cuck.

David rages about the blatant sportswashing of PSG and the oppressive regime behind them. I’m sure he was out protesting when Arsenal announced their new partnership with Deel, a very well known sponsor of the IDF, at the start of the season? As oppressive regimes go only one stands accused of murdering 50,000 women and children in the past two years.

I think Arsenal fans and players have put up with this very negative football; full of gamesmanship and outright cheating, because it’s delivered a highly coveted trophy. My only thought is that I wonder how long everyone puts up with it if they’re out of the title race next season early? Lest we forget people were calling for Arteta to go as recently as April. It’s hard to see the players trusting the process and next season every other team will be gunning for them. Either Arteta works out a new way to play or I think it might be a a very difficult season, a bit like Slot this year.