The Kopite View

Liverpool could have an opportunity to revisit their interest in Alex Scott in January, with Bournemouth reportedly prepared to listen if a significant offer arrives.

According to Nizaar Kinsella, the Cherries could sanction a sale during the winter window, although it would take a substantial bid to convince them to let one of their key midfielders leave.

Scott has been linked with several Premier League clubs, and Liverpool are among those keeping an eye on his situation.

There is also an obvious connection with Andoni Iraola. Liverpool’s head coach worked with Scott at Bournemouth and knows the player well, while retaining relationships with people at the south coast club.

That could help Liverpool if they decide to make a move, although it certainly doesn’t guarantee they will get a deal over the line.

Could Iraola hold the key?

Liverpool’s midfield is an area worth watching ahead of the next transfer window, and Scott would be an interesting option.

The England international has impressed with Bournemouth and has attracted plenty of attention. Chelsea tried to sign him in the summer, but Bournemouth rejected a reported £64 million bid.

More recent reports suggest Bournemouth could demand more than £100 million to let him go in January. That is a huge price, and Liverpool would have to decide whether Scott is worth that sort of investment.

Iraola’s previous relationship with the midfielder could be an advantage. He knows what Scott can bring to a team and wouldn’t be signing a player based solely on reputation.

But Liverpool would still have to agree a fee with Bournemouth and convince Scott that Anfield is the right next step in his career.

Would Alex Scott be a good signing for Liverpool?

For me, Scott is certainly a player worth keeping an eye on.

He has experience in the Premier League, is still only 23 and has the potential to improve further. Liverpool need to keep looking at midfield options who can contribute now while still having their best years ahead of them.

The big question is the price.

A January move is never straightforward, particularly when a club is reluctant to lose an important player halfway through the season. Bournemouth will want to protect their own interests, and Liverpool have to be careful not to overpay.

There is also competition to consider, with Chelsea among the clubs linked with Scott.

The connection with Iraola makes Liverpool an interesting possibility, but it will take more than that to get a deal done.

January could be one to watch

Liverpool supporters should keep this one on their radar, but there is a long way to go before anyone can talk about Scott arriving at Anfield.

Bournemouth’s reported willingness to consider a significant offer gives interested clubs something to think about. Whether Liverpool are prepared to meet the asking price remains to be seen.

Scott is an exciting midfielder, and Iraola’s knowledge of him could be useful if the Reds decide to push ahead.

For now, this is one to watch rather than a transfer to get carried away with.

Would you like to see Alex Scott at Liverpool, or is a potential fee of more than £100 million simply too much?

Jamie (The Kopite View)

I think Andoni Iraola has made an important point about Liverpool, and it might explain why our attacking play still hasn’t quite clicked.

We’ve all seen the frustration at times this season. Players making runs that aren’t spotted, passes going astray and promising attacking moves breaking down before Liverpool can really hurt the opposition.

But how much time has Iraola actually had to work on those relationships?

Not nearly enough, by the sound of it.

Speaking about Liverpool’s preparations and the need to build understanding between players, Iraola explained:

> “You don’t have a lot of time to train. You try to prepare the games now. Little bit outside but you have to understand the freshness of the players. We are playing four games in 10 days. The more Bradley Barcola plays the better his connections will become.”

And I think that last part is particularly important.

The more Barcola plays, the better his connections with his teammates should become.

That sounds obvious, but it’s something Liverpool supporters need to keep in mind.

You can’t build understanding overnight

Liverpool have made significant changes, and it takes time for a team to develop the sort of understanding that makes attacking football look effortless.

A forward needs to know when his teammate will play the ball into space. A midfielder needs to recognise when a winger is about to make a run. Players need to understand each other’s movement without having to look up every time.

That’s what separates a team that looks dangerous from one that constantly seems to be on a different wavelength.

And it’s not something you can fix with one training session.

The problem for Iraola is that the schedule doesn’t give him much time to work on it.

When you’re playing four games in 10 days, recovery becomes just as important as tactical preparation. Players need to be fresh enough to perform, and the manager has to balance training with the physical demands of competing so frequently.

It’s a difficult balance.

I want Liverpool playing attacking football, but I also want the players to have enough energy to execute it properly.

Barcola is a good example

I’m particularly interested in what Iraola said about Bradley Barcola.

The Frenchman arrived at Liverpool with a huge reputation, and we’ve already seen flashes of his pace and ability to take defenders on.

But he’s still adapting to a new club, new teammates and a different league.

Barcola needs to learn how Liverpool’s forwards move around him. His teammates need to understand when he wants the ball played into space and when he prefers it to feet.

Those relationships will improve with minutes on the pitch.

Iraola has already made it clear that he sees Barcola as a versatile attacking option who can play across the front three. That flexibility could become valuable during Liverpool’s busy run of fixtures.

Of course, Barcola still needs to produce the end product. Nobody is suggesting that patience means ignoring missed chances or poor decisions.

But I don’t think we should expect everything to fall into place immediately either.

Give him time to build those connections, and we might see a much more effective player.

Liverpool need to find their rhythm

For me, this is one of the biggest challenges facing Iraola.

He’s trying to establish an attacking identity while managing a demanding schedule and working out which combinations suit his players best.

Liverpool have enough individual quality. The question is whether that quality can come together consistently as a team.

We’ve seen encouraging moments, but we’ve also seen games where the attack looks disjointed.

I don’t think there’s one simple explanation for that. New players need time, established players are adjusting to different demands, and injuries can disrupt combinations just when they begin to develop.

That’s why consistency in selection can be important when the schedule allows it.

The more often the same players share the pitch, the more familiar they should become with each other’s movement. Eventually, those promising moves that currently break down could start producing goals.

That’s the progress I’m hoping to see.

But Iraola has to manage the players as well

There’s another part of his comments that shouldn’t be overlooked: freshness.

Liverpool can’t simply train harder and harder in the hope that everything improves. If players are tired, their decision-making and movement can suffer.

And with four games in 10 days, Iraola has to make difficult choices about rotation, recovery and how much work he can realistically do on the training ground.

That is where squad depth becomes important.

Young players and alternatives off the bench need to be ready when opportunities arise. At the same time, the manager must give his key attacking players enough minutes together to build the understanding he wants.

Those two demands can pull in opposite directions.

Iraola needs to rotate without constantly disrupting the combinations he’s trying to establish.

It’s not easy, but it’s part of the job.

I’m prepared to give this attack time

I’ll be honest: I want to see more from Liverpool going forward.

I want Barcola taking defenders on and creating danger. I want the midfielders finding him earlier. I want the forwards anticipating each other’s runs rather than everything having to be worked out in the moment.

But I also understand Iraola’s point.

You can’t demand a perfectly synchronised attack while ignoring how little time the players have spent working together, particularly when the fixture list leaves so little room for proper training.

The improvement has to come on the pitch, though. At some point, the understanding needs to translate into better chances, more goals and more convincing performances.

That’s the next step.

For now, I’m not writing Barcola off, and I’m certainly not writing off Iraola’s attacking ideas.

The connections need time to develop. The results and performances need to show that progress is happening.

If Barcola gets more minutes alongside the players around him, I believe we could see a much more dangerous Liverpool attack.

And if Iraola can find the right balance between training, recovery and rotation, Liverpool have the quality to make that happen.

I’m not expecting everything to click overnight.

But I do want to see it clicking soon.

Jamie (The Kopite View)

I think Ryan Gravenberch pretty much has to start against LASK on Wednesday.

After what happened against Manchester City, Liverpool need a response in Austria, and Gravenberch is one of the midfielders I still want to see in this team.

There is just one problem.

Who on earth should play alongside him?

Alexis Mac Allister? Trey Nyoni? James McConnell?

There are options, but none of them feels like an absolutely obvious choice.

And that is what makes this selection decision so interesting for Andoni Iraola.

Gravenberch needs to play

First of all, I don’t think there is much point in leaving Gravenberch out.

He was one of Liverpool’s better players against Manchester City before his controversial second yellow card brought his afternoon to an early end.

I don’t want to turn this into another argument about the referee, but the sending-off changed the game. Liverpool were still in the contest before going down to ten men, and City took full advantage afterwards.

Now Liverpool need to put that disappointment behind them.

There is another reason to play him, too.

Gravenberch is suspended for the Premier League trip to Brentford at the weekend, so Wednesday gives Iraola an opportunity to use him before he misses the next league game.

For me, that makes the decision fairly straightforward.

Gravenberch should start.

The harder question is who plays next to him.

Mac Allister is the safe option

If Iraola wants experience, he could simply bring Mac Allister alongside Gravenberch.

We know what the Argentine offers. He’s comfortable on the ball, intelligent in possession and capable of helping Liverpool control the tempo.

On paper, that looks like the most straightforward pairing.

But I do wonder whether Mac Allister could benefit from a rest.

Liverpool have a busy run of fixtures, and the manager needs to think beyond just Wednesday night. He also has to consider Saturday’s game against Brentford and how he keeps the midfield functioning with Szoboszlai carrying a hamstring concern.

Mac Allister is an important player, and I don’t want to see him run into the ground simply because Liverpool are short of options.

If Iraola believes he needs his experience to get the job done in Austria, I wouldn’t complain about seeing him start.

But I would understand if the manager decided to give him a breather.

Why not give Trey Nyoni another chance?

This is where things get interesting.

Nyoni has already shown that he is capable of handling senior football, and I would like to see him get more opportunities.

He’s young, but I don’t think that should automatically count against him.

Sometimes you have to trust these players and find out what they can do when the stakes are a little higher.

A Champions League away game is a big occasion, of course. It isn’t a match where Liverpool can afford to treat the opposition lightly.

But Nyoni wouldn’t be going into it without support. Gravenberch would be alongside him, and Liverpool would still have experienced players around the pitch.

I like the idea of giving Nyoni minutes, particularly when Gravenberch’s suspension means the Dutchman won’t be available at the weekend.

The question is whether Iraola wants to start him or introduce him later if the match is going Liverpool’s way.

Personally, I wouldn’t be against Nyoni starting.

He could bring energy and enthusiasm to a midfield that needs to show more authority after the City defeat.

And then there’s James McConnell

McConnell is another option, although I suspect this might be a bigger decision for Iraola.

He’s shown that he can operate in different midfield roles, including further forward, and his versatility could be useful in a rotated side.

Liverpool have several young players travelling to Austria, and the manager has to decide which ones are ready for meaningful minutes rather than simply being included in the squad.

I don’t think McConnell should be dismissed from the conversation.

But if we’re talking specifically about a midfield partnership that can help Liverpool control the game, I’d probably put Nyoni ahead of him for this particular starting role.

That doesn’t mean McConnell has nothing to offer. It simply comes down to what Iraola wants from the position.

Does he want somebody to help Gravenberch build play from deep? Does he want energy and pressing? Or does he want a more advanced midfielder who can connect the midfield to the attack?

Those are different jobs, and the answer could determine who starts.

Endo? Unfortunately, not this time

I know some Liverpool supporters would like to see Wataru Endo given a chance.

And I understand why.

He’s experienced, committed and capable of providing a more defensive presence in midfield.

But Endo is ineligible for this Champions League fixture, so he isn’t a realistic option against LASK.

That leaves Iraola choosing between experience in Mac Allister and the younger options in Nyoni and McConnell.

There isn’t an endless list of alternatives.

And with Szoboszlai a doubt, that makes the decision even more important.

What would I do?

If it were my decision, I’d start Gravenberch alongside Nyoni.

Mac Allister would be a perfectly sensible choice, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Iraola went that way. But I would like to see Nyoni given the opportunity to show what he can do.

Liverpool need a reaction after Manchester City, but they also need to manage the squad sensibly during a demanding run of games.

This is a chance to do both.

Gravenberch gets valuable minutes before his suspension, Nyoni gets an opportunity to develop, and Mac Allister has the chance to recover before the weekend.

Of course, it comes with a risk. A young midfielder starting away in Europe is not guaranteed to work out.

But if Nyoni is going to become a genuine first-team option, these are the opportunities he needs to take.

And if Iraola decides the game is getting away from Liverpool, he can always turn to Mac Allister for experience.

The important thing is getting the balance right.

Liverpool cannot afford another flat performance, and they need to make sure the midfield gives the attackers a platform to play.

Gravenberch should be part of that.

Now Iraola has to decide who joins him.

For me, Nyoni deserves serious consideration.

But I’ll be honest: it’s a difficult call, and I can see the argument for all three options.

Let’s just hope Liverpool’s midfield gives us something to be positive about on Wednesday night.

Jamie (The Kopite View)

Liverpool have named their 23-man squad for Wednesday’s Champions League trip to LASK, and there are three notable absences.

Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai have all been left out, as expected, leaving Andoni Iraola with some important decisions to make ahead of a game Liverpool really need to win.

The Reds are looking to respond after the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City at Anfield, and European football offers an opportunity to put that disappointment behind them.

But the injury situation means Iraola will have to manage his options carefully.

The three absences Liverpool were expecting

Isak and Gakpo were already unavailable against Manchester City after picking up injuries on international duty. Szoboszlai then missed that game after reporting tightness in his hamstring following the international break.

Iraola had admitted it would be difficult to get any of the injured players back in time for the trip to Austria, so their absence from the squad is hardly a surprise.

Still, losing three important players is far from ideal.

Isak had started to find his scoring touch, Gakpo has been one of Liverpool’s more dangerous attacking options, and Szoboszlai brings energy and quality to midfield.

Liverpool will hope all three can return as soon as possible, but there is no point taking unnecessary risks this early in the season.

Liverpool’s 23-man squad for LASK

The travelling squad includes plenty of experience, but also several youngsters who could be given an opportunity.

Goalkeepers: Alisson, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman.

Defenders: Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Jérémy Jacquet, Milos Kerkez, Kostas Tsimikas, Jeremie Frimpong, Ronald Araújo, Luke Chambers.

Midfielders: Florian Wirtz, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Trey Nyoni, James McConnell.

Forwards: Víctor Muñoz, Bradley Barcola, Lewis Koumas, Rio Ngumoha, Jayden Danns, Josh Sonni-Lambie, Wellity Lucky.

That is the group Liverpool will take to Austria, with the absence of the three senior players potentially opening the door for others to make an impression.

This could be an opportunity for the youngsters

One name I’ll be keeping an eye on is Trey Nyoni.

The young midfielder has already shown that he isn’t afraid to receive the ball under pressure, and European football would be another useful test of his development.

Lewis Koumas is another player who could benefit from the situation. He has just had a busy international period with Wales, collecting valuable minutes, and will be hoping to turn that experience into more opportunities at Liverpool.

Then there is Rio Ngumoha.

Liverpool supporters are naturally excited about his potential, but there is no need to rush him. If he gets minutes, the important thing is that he uses them to keep learning and showing what he can offer.

The same applies to the other academy players travelling with the squad. These are opportunities to learn from senior teammates and show the manager they can be trusted when called upon.

Liverpool need a response

The defeat to Manchester City was a disappointment, and Iraola will want to see a reaction in Austria.

Liverpool won their opening Champions League fixture against Atlético Madrid, so another positive result would help them build momentum in the competition.

LASK should not be underestimated, though. Liverpool cannot simply turn up expecting to win, particularly with several key players missing.

The midfield will need to control the game, the defence must be switched on, and whoever leads the attack has to make the most of the opportunities that come their way.

For me, this is about more than getting three points. It is also a chance for Liverpool to show that one difficult afternoon against City does not define them.

No excuses, but Liverpool must be sensible

I would love to see Liverpool get the job done comfortably, but I also want Iraola to manage his squad sensibly.

There is a demanding schedule ahead, and Liverpool cannot afford to make their injury problems worse by taking unnecessary risks.

Isak, Gakpo and Szoboszlai will be missed, but this squad still contains plenty of quality.

Wirtz, Mac Allister, Barcola, Van Dijk and Alisson give Liverpool a strong core, while the younger players have a chance to show that they belong at this level.

Liverpool need a reaction in Austria — and the players who travel now have a chance to help deliver it.

After the disappointment of Sunday, I’m looking for a professional performance, a win and, hopefully, some encouraging signs from the youngsters.

That would make this trip a worthwhile one.

Jamie (The Kopite View)

I think Paul Joyce has summed up one of Liverpool’s biggest problems rather neatly.

Liverpool decided their title-winning midfield wasn’t creating enough chances or scoring enough goals. Winning games by the odd goal was considered unsustainable, so the club went out and spent heavily on attacking talent to take the team to another level.

Florian Wirtz arrived. Alexander Isak followed. Bradley Barcola was added to give Liverpool even more pace and attacking quality.

The idea was understandable.

Liverpool wanted to score more goals, create more chances and stop relying on narrow victories.

But here we are, watching Liverpool struggle to win games, never mind score the goals that were supposed to transform the team.

Something has gone badly wrong with that plan.

Was Liverpool’s title-winning midfield really the problem?

This is the question I keep coming back to.

Liverpool won the Premier League in 2024–25, but the club clearly believed the team needed more creativity and goals if it was going to remain competitive at the highest level.

There was logic behind that thinking. Football moves quickly, and you cannot simply assume that a successful team will keep winning by the same methods forever.

But I do wonder whether Liverpool underestimated what that midfield actually gave them.

A midfield isn’t judged purely by goals and assists. It also has to control matches, win second balls, protect the defence, recover possession and give the attacking players a platform to do their jobs.

Sometimes the best thing a midfielder can do is make sure the opposition never gets the chance to attack.

That work rarely makes the headlines, but supporters notice when it disappears.

Liverpool wanted to add more attacking quality. I understand that completely. What worries me is whether the club lost too much of the balance that made the team successful in the first place.

The new signings were supposed to change everything

Let’s be fair to Liverpool’s thinking.

Wirtz had been outstanding at Bayer Leverkusen. Isak had established himself as one of the most dangerous strikers in the Premier League. Barcola offered pace, dribbling and the ability to stretch defences.

These were exciting signings.

I was excited about them too.

The thought of Wirtz creating chances for Isak, with Barcola attacking defenders from wide positions, was mouth-watering. Liverpool appeared to be assembling an attack capable of frightening anybody.

But football isn’t a collection of expensive individual players.

They have to fit together. The midfield must get them the ball in dangerous areas, the forwards must understand one another’s movements, and the team needs a structure that allows everyone to play to their strengths.

Right now, that cohesion simply isn’t there consistently enough.

Wirtz has struggled to produce the decisive moments expected of him. Barcola is still adapting to English football, while Isak has had fitness problems that have interrupted his attempts to settle.

Those circumstances matter, and it would be unfair to write off any of them after a difficult start.

But Liverpool cannot ignore the bigger picture either.

The club spent heavily to improve its attack, and the attack still isn’t functioning as intended.

The Manchester City defeat brought the problem into focus

Sunday’s 3–0 defeat at Anfield was another painful reminder of how much work remains.

Liverpool had periods when they looked capable of competing, but they failed to make enough of their opportunities. The match changed significantly when Ryan Gravenberch was sent off, allowing Manchester City to take advantage of their numerical superiority and pull away.

That context is important. I wouldn’t pretend Liverpool simply played badly for 90 minutes.

But the dismissal doesn’t explain every problem with the team’s attacking play.

Liverpool still need to create clearer chances, make better decisions in the final third and get more from the players brought in to improve those areas.

And that brings us back to the original recruitment strategy.

If the old midfield was considered insufficiently creative, where is the consistent improvement now?

If Liverpool changed the attack because narrow victories were supposedly unsustainable, why does scoring still look so difficult?

These are fair questions, not an attempt to write off the new signings.

I’m not giving up on Wirtz, Isak or Barcola

I want to make that clear because I still believe there is enormous talent in this group.

I’ve defended Wirtz before, and I’m not suddenly changing my mind because of one disappointing result. He needs time to adapt, but Liverpool also need to find the right way to use him.

Isak has already shown what he can do in the Premier League. His fitness and ability to build a run of games are crucial, but nobody should be surprised that Liverpool look different when their main striker is unavailable.

Barcola is another player I want to see succeed. His pace and ability to beat defenders could give Liverpool something they have lacked, although he needs time to adjust to the demands of the league.

The problem is that potential only takes you so far.

At some point, these players need to start producing consistently. Liverpool cannot keep waiting for the whole attack to click while results suffer.

And the manager has to find a way of getting them involved without sacrificing the team’s balance.

Perhaps Liverpool didn’t need to change quite so much

This is the part that concerns me most.

Maybe Liverpool were right to seek more creativity. Maybe the title-winning midfield did need refreshing. But perhaps the club should have been more careful about what it removed while trying to improve what it had.

You can add attacking talent without making the rest of the team less effective.

You can bring in a creative midfielder while keeping enough defensive discipline and physicality around him.

You can improve your goalscoring without turning every match into a test of whether your forwards can rescue the team.

That balance is what Liverpool need to find now.

I don’t want to see the club abandon its plans or start treating every expensive signing as a mistake. That would be another overreaction.

But I do want to see some honesty about the results of the strategy so far.

Liverpool wanted more goals. They wanted to win more comfortably. They wanted to move beyond narrow victories.

Instead, we’re still waiting for the attacking improvement to arrive, and the team is no longer winning enough games.

That is the real issue.

Iraola has to find the answer

Andoni Iraola now has a difficult job.

He inherited a squad that has undergone significant change, with new players still adapting and injuries making it harder to establish a settled attack.

He deserves time to work on that. I don’t believe changing managers or abandoning the recruitment plan is the answer after a difficult spell.

But the midfield needs to provide a platform, Wirtz needs to influence matches more consistently, and Liverpool must find a way of getting the best out of Isak and Barcola when they are available.

There also has to be room for players who offer control and defensive security, even if they don’t produce spectacular attacking numbers.

Winning football isn’t always about adding another forward or another creative player.

Sometimes it’s about making the eleven players on the pitch work better together.

Liverpool already know how to win a Premier League title. The challenge now is to build a team that can keep winning while developing a more dangerous attack.

I still believe the quality is there.

But Paul Joyce’s point raises an uncomfortable question: if Liverpool dismantled a title-winning midfield to score more goals, why are we still struggling to do either consistently?

That’s what Iraola and Liverpool’s recruitment team need to answer.

Because the plan sounded brilliant on paper.

Now we need to see it working on the pitch.

By Jamie (The Kopite View)

I have to say, Steven Gerrard’s latest comments about Manchester City have really caught my attention.

Because while plenty of Liverpool supporters have wondered whether the 2013/14 Premier League title could eventually be awarded to the Reds, Gerrard has made one thing very clear.

He doesn’t want a winners’ medal. He wants Manchester City to face serious consequences.

And I think there is a big difference between those two things.

Gerrard knows better than most Liverpool supporters how painful that title race was. Brendan Rodgers’ side came so close to winning the Premier League, only to finish two points behind Manchester City after a remarkable campaign.

For years, that has been one of the biggest regrets of Gerrard’s career.

But speaking on The Overlap, the former Liverpool captain made it clear that being handed a medal years later would not change how he feels about it.

“I’m not someone who’s going to sit here and say I would accept a Premier League medal or I want one that they’ve got,” he explained.

That tells you quite a lot about where his head is.

“Make them suffer like they have made everyone else suffer”

Gerrard was much more forceful when discussing what Manchester City’s punishment should look like.

He believes the club should face sanctions serious enough to set an example across football.

His proposed measures include a transfer ban and points deductions over multiple seasons, alongside stripping titles or marking historic achievements with an asterisk.

His message was blunt:

“Make them suffer like they have made everyone else suffer.”

He also insisted that the Premier League needs to be strong when deciding the punishment.

And this is where I think Liverpool supporters will understand his frustration.

It isn’t simply about what happened to Liverpool in one particular season.

It is about the wider consequences of financial rule-breaking and whether the competition is prepared to impose meaningful sanctions when a club is found to have breached its regulations.

If punishments are too weak to act as a deterrent, what message does that send to everybody else?

That is the question Gerrard wants answered.

Gerrard has accepted he never won the Premier League

There is something quite sad about hearing Gerrard speak so calmly about never winning the title.

For Liverpool supporters, the 2013/14 season remains a painful memory.

Liverpool scored 101 league goals, played some fantastic football and looked capable of ending their long wait for the championship.

Then came the final weeks of the season, when the title slipped away.

City eventually finished on 86 points, with Liverpool on 84.

Gerrard has spent years living with that disappointment. He has now said that he has come to terms with never winning the Premier League and does not want a retrospective medal to change that.

I respect that.

Of course, Liverpool fans would love to see the club’s achievements recognised properly if the final outcome of the case leads to titles being removed.

But I can understand why Gerrard would feel that receiving a medal now would not recreate what he and his teammates experienced on the pitch.

You cannot go back to 2014.

You cannot recreate the celebrations that never happened.

And you cannot replace the feeling of winning the title at the time.

A medal years later would never be the same.

This is bigger than Liverpool

One of the most important parts of Gerrard’s argument is that he does not believe this is only about Liverpool.

He pointed to the possible impact on other clubs, including Tottenham, Manchester United and Everton, as well as teams fighting at the bottom of the table or competing in cup competitions.

His argument is that if financial breaches affected the competitive landscape, the consequences could have been felt throughout English football.

That is why he believes the punishment needs to reflect the seriousness of the findings.

He also made a point of separating the players from the club’s leadership, saying Manchester City’s players were outstanding footballers who had lived those moments and deserved credit for their performances.

His criticism was not simply an attack on the individuals who played for City.

Instead, he questioned the responsibility of those running the club and the memories that rival teams and their supporters may have lost.

That is a more complicated argument than simply demanding that City be relegated or stripped of trophies.

And Gerrard himself acknowledged that the exact punishment was ultimately a matter for the authorities.

The Premier League has to get this right

For me, the biggest issue is what happens next.

Manchester City have denied wrongdoing and have appealed the commission’s findings. The final outcome and any sanctions remain to be determined.

That process needs to be completed properly, with the evidence and appeal considered fairly.

But if serious breaches are ultimately upheld, the Premier League has a responsibility to ensure the consequences are meaningful.

Gerrard believes a multi-year punishment would send a stronger message than relegation alone, arguing that City could simply return to the top flight quickly.

Whether the authorities agree with his proposed sanctions remains to be seen.

What matters is that the eventual decision is clear, proportionate and capable of protecting the integrity of the competition.

That is what supporters across English football deserve.

Gerrard doesn’t need a medal to make his point

I suspect many Liverpool supporters will always look back at 2013/14 and wonder what might have been.

I certainly understand why.

But Gerrard’s comments show that he is not chasing personal recognition or trying to rewrite his own career.

He has accepted that he never won the Premier League.

What he wants is accountability if the findings against Manchester City stand after the appeal process.

And his message is that any punishment must be strong enough to matter.

“An example needs to be set.”

That is the part I keep coming back to.

This should not be about giving Steven Gerrard a medal to make Liverpool supporters feel better about the past.

It should be about ensuring that football’s financial rules mean something.

If the rules have been broken, there must be consequences that reflect the seriousness of those breaches.

Gerrard doesn’t want a medal to erase his disappointment.

He wants the Premier League to show that nobody is above its rules.

And I think that is a message worth listening to.

Jamie (The Kopite View)

From making a mistake that put his team behind to scoring a 100th-minute equaliser. What a night for Liverpool youngster Ifeanyi Ndukwe.

You couldn’t make this one up.

Liverpool’s young defender experienced just about every emotion imaginable as Levante rescued a dramatic 3-3 draw against Sevilla in La Liga on Monday night.

And the best part for Liverpool supporters?

Ndukwe had the final say.

The 18-year-old, who joined Liverpool from Austria Vienna during the summer before heading straight back to Spain on loan, scored deep into stoppage time to rescue a point for Levante in one of the most chaotic finishes you’ll see this season.

But the goal was only half the story.

From nightmare to unforgettable finish

Ndukwe’s evening actually began in the worst possible way.

Sevilla pressed aggressively and forced Levante into mistakes. Just 13 minutes into the game, the young centre-back played a backpass that was too weak, allowing Robbie Ure to intercept and score for the visitors.

It was a costly error, particularly for a young defender making his first start for Levante.

Sevilla then doubled their advantage after the break through Félix Correia, leaving Levante with a mountain to climb.

But the home side refused to give up.

Iván Romero pulled one back shortly afterwards, and suddenly Levante had a route back into the match.

Then came the madness.

Adrián de la Fuente equalised in the 92nd minute, only for Isaac Romero to put Sevilla back in front a few minutes later with a spectacular strike.

Sevilla looked to have snatched all three points.

Except the game wasn’t finished.

Levante kept pushing, and Ndukwe found himself in the right place at the right time after a chaotic set-piece sequence. The ball broke loose inside the box, and the Liverpool loanee finished to make it 3-3 in the 100th minute.

The stadium erupted.

He had gone from making the mistake behind Sevilla’s opener to scoring the goal that rescued Levante.

That’s quite a story for a teenager making his first start.

This is why Liverpool sent him to Spain

Liverpool supporters might not know an enormous amount about Ndukwe yet, but this is precisely the sort of experience that can help a young defender develop.

The Austrian youngster joined Liverpool from Austria Vienna after attracting attention for his potential. Rather than immediately placing him into Liverpool’s first-team squad, the club arranged a season-long loan at Levante, giving him the opportunity to experience senior football in Spain’s top flight.

That is a significant step.

Playing regularly against experienced La Liga attackers is a different challenge from youth football. Defenders have to make decisions under pressure, recover quickly from mistakes and learn to deal with difficult moments during matches.

Ndukwe experienced all of that in one evening.

Of course, Liverpool won’t be celebrating the error that led to Sevilla’s first goal. He will need to learn from it, particularly when playing out from the back under pressure.

But the response matters too.

Young defenders will make mistakes. What matters is how they react, whether they lose confidence and whether they can put things right.

Ndukwe didn’t hide after his early error. He continued playing and ultimately produced the moment that earned Levante a point.

That shows character, even if there are still lessons to learn.

Liverpool have another young defender to keep an eye on

Liverpool’s decision to sign Ndukwe suggests they see potential in him, but one dramatic match shouldn’t lead to unrealistic expectations.

He’s only 18, and this is his first season experiencing regular senior football away from his previous club.

There will be difficult afternoons as well as nights like this.

The important thing is that Levante are giving him opportunities to learn in a competitive environment. If he can build on this performance, improve his decision-making and become more consistent, the experience could prove valuable when he returns to Liverpool.

And with Liverpool continuing to develop their defensive options, having a young centre-back gain experience in a major European league is certainly worth following.

For now, the priority should be simple: keep playing, keep learning and don’t let one mistake define him.

What a night for Ndukwe

There is something particularly satisfying about seeing a young player respond to adversity like this.

Ndukwe could easily have spent the rest of the evening thinking about the backpass that gifted Sevilla their opening goal.

Instead, he ended it celebrating a dramatic equaliser in front of the Levante supporters.

It won’t erase the mistake, and he’ll know he needs to improve. But football gives players opportunities to respond, and he certainly took his.

Liverpool will be pleased to see him getting minutes, learning from difficult moments and making an impact at senior level.

A mistake, a comeback and a 100th-minute goal.

Ndukwe certainly won’t forget his first start for Levante in a hurry.

And neither will Liverpool supporters who have just discovered his name.

By Jamie (The Kopite View)

I’ll be honest, after watching Liverpool lose 3-0 to Manchester City, I’m much more interested in seeing how Andoni Iraola responds than worrying about which players start against LASK.

Liverpool have two important away games coming up, and the manager has to get the balance right.

First, there’s LASK in the Champions League on Wednesday. Then comes Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday.

So which game matters more, and should Iraola rest players in Austria?

For me, Brentford is the more important game in terms of Liverpool’s domestic season. But that doesn’t mean we should throw away an opportunity to get our Champions League campaign back on track.

And after Sunday’s performance, there are some players who need to show a reaction.

Brentford away is the bigger priority for me

Liverpool cannot afford to let that defeat to Manchester City turn into a difficult run of league results.

The 3-0 loss at Anfield was painful. The performance left plenty of questions, particularly about Liverpool’s attacking threat and their ability to compete with the best sides.

The response needs to come quickly.

Brentford away is a difficult fixture in its own right, and Liverpool will need energy, intensity and players who are ready for a physical battle.

There’s another complication, too. Ryan Gravenberch is suspended for the Premier League game, while Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai have been dealing with injury problems. Iraola has already indicated that the injured players are unlikely to return for LASK.

That makes squad management even more important.

If Liverpool arrive at Brentford with more injuries or players struggling for fitness, it could make an already challenging game even harder.

I want Liverpool to win both matches, but the Premier League points are particularly important right now.

Should Iraola rest players against LASK?

Yes, I think he should rotate — but sensibly.

I’m not suggesting he should send out an entirely inexperienced team and hope for the best.

Liverpool still need to take the Champions League seriously. Winning away from home would help their campaign, and a positive result could provide a much-needed confidence boost after the City defeat.

But Iraola has to look at the bigger picture.

Some players have already carried heavy workloads, while others are coming back from injuries or dealing with knocks.

Virgil van Dijk, for example, revealed that he suffered a painful calf knock against City. He wants to play against LASK if he is fit, but the final decision belongs to Iraola.

I love that attitude from the captain, but wanting to play and being physically ready are two different things.

If Van Dijk needs a rest, give him one. Liverpool cannot risk turning a minor problem into a longer absence simply because they want him available for every match.

The same principle applies to anybody carrying a knock or looking exhausted.

This is where Liverpool’s squad needs to step up

Iraola has talked about developing an attacking Liverpool team, but he also needs to prove he can manage a busy schedule.

That means trusting the squad rather than relying on the same starting eleven every few days.

LASK could be an opportunity to give some players minutes, bring in fresh legs and see who is ready to take responsibility.

Liverpool have young players who would benefit from the experience, while established squad members need opportunities to show they can contribute when called upon.

I would like to see rotation in selected positions, particularly where Liverpool have suitable alternatives.

But I wouldn’t change the entire spine of the team. A settled defensive structure and enough experience on the pitch should give Liverpool a chance to control the game.

The key is to rotate with a plan, not simply make changes for the sake of it.

The danger of getting the balance wrong

There are two mistakes Iraola needs to avoid.

The first is playing his strongest available team against LASK, ignoring the physical demands of the schedule and arriving at Brentford with tired players.

The second is making too many changes, losing control of the Champions League match and allowing the disappointment from City to continue.

Neither outcome would be ideal.

Liverpool need a response, and winning in Austria could help provide it. But the manager must also recognise that Saturday’s game is waiting just around the corner.

With Gravenberch unavailable for Brentford and several attacking players carrying injury concerns, Liverpool have little room for further problems.

This is exactly why having a squad matters.

My verdict: rotate against LASK, then go strong at Brentford

If it were my decision, I’d make several changes against LASK while keeping enough experience in the side to compete properly.

I’d protect players who are carrying knocks, avoid taking unnecessary risks with Van Dijk and give deserving squad players a chance to impress.

Then I’d pick the strongest team available for Brentford.

Liverpool need to show that Sunday’s defeat was a setback rather than the beginning of a worrying spell. A good result in Austria would help, but the league game offers an immediate opportunity to respond domestically.

I’m not writing off the Champions League. Far from it.

I simply think Iraola needs to be smart about how he uses his players over these two away trips.

LASK matters. Brentford matters. But Liverpool’s manager has to think beyond the next 90 minutes.

Get the rotation right, come through Wednesday without any more injuries and arrive at Brentford ready to compete.

That’s what I want to see from Iraola now.

Jamie (The Kopite View)

I’m not going to pretend the sending-off didn’t change Sunday’s game against Manchester City. Of course it did.

Liverpool were reduced to ten men when Ryan Gravenberch was sent off in the 62nd minute, and City scored three times in the second half to win 3-0 at Anfield. It was a horrible afternoon for Liverpool supporters.

But I keep coming back to something else.

Look at the players Liverpool had available to bring on. Then look at the options Manchester City had sitting on their bench.

That is where I think Liverpool’s recruitment deserves some serious scrutiny.

Joe Gomez, Federico Chiesa and Jeremie Frimpong were among the players introduced late on Sunday. I’m not having a go at those players personally, but when you compare the options available to the two managers, you can see the difference in depth.

City could bring on Jérémy Doku, who went on to score, and Josko Gvardiol, who helped set up Rayan Cherki’s goal. They had players capable of changing the game coming off the bench.

Liverpool, meanwhile, were trying to find answers with a squad that was already missing several important players.

That isn’t just an Iraola problem. It’s a recruitment problem.

What exactly has Liverpool’s recruitment team been doing?

This is what frustrates me.

Liverpool have spent enormous sums of money assembling this squad. We have some genuinely exciting attacking players, and I still believe there is plenty of potential in this team.

But spending money and building a balanced squad are two completely different things.

You can sign talented footballers and still end up with a squad that doesn’t have the right options in the right positions.

That’s my concern with Liverpool.

We’ve got players who can excite us going forward, but when injuries arrive and the manager needs to change things, where is the depth?

Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak were unavailable against City. Dominik Szoboszlai was also missing, while Conor Bradley remains a long-term absentee. Liverpool were hardly picking from a fully fit squad.

I understand that injuries are part of football. Every club deals with them.

But that is precisely why squad depth matters.

You cannot expect your first-choice players to carry the team through an entire season while hoping the alternatives will be good enough whenever they are needed.

Liverpool should know that better than most.

Iraola has inherited a difficult job

I actually feel sorry for Iraola in some respects.

He has come into Liverpool with expectations of attacking, front-foot football, but he also has to work with the squad he has been given.

He cannot simply invent another top-class defender, a reliable alternative at right-back or an experienced forward when the first choices are unavailable.

He has to make decisions with the players available to him.

And that is where the recruitment team comes into the picture.

Frimpong arrived with a reputation as an explosive attacking wing-back, but adapting to Liverpool’s demands has proved difficult. He has struggled to establish himself as the first-choice right-back, with Ronald Araújo offering greater defensive security in the position.

That leaves Frimpong in an awkward situation. He is a talented player, but Liverpool still need to work out how best to use him.

Then there is Gomez, who can cover several defensive positions but cannot be in two places at once.

Chiesa is another attacking option, yet Liverpool need more than occasional flashes from their substitutes. They need players who can come on and genuinely influence difficult matches.

I’m not saying these players have nothing to offer. That would be unfair.

But a club with Liverpool’s ambitions should not be relying on so many question marks when it comes to its alternatives.

City’s bench tells its own story

The contrast with City was particularly painful.

Even before Gravenberch’s dismissal, Liverpool were finding it difficult to create clear chances. Once they went down to ten men, the challenge became much harder.

City had the quality to take advantage.

Doku came on and scored. Cherki produced a superb individual goal. Gvardiol came into the game and contributed to the move for that third goal.

Liverpool were left chasing a game they could no longer control.

Of course, City have spent years building a squad full of expensive, high-quality players. We cannot simply expect Liverpool to copy everything they do.

But we absolutely should expect Liverpool to compete with them in terms of squad planning.

The question isn’t whether Liverpool can match City’s spending player for player. It’s whether Liverpool have recruited intelligently enough to close the gap.

Sunday gave us plenty of reasons to question that.

The sending-off must not become an excuse for everything

I don’t want Liverpool supporters to lose sight of the red card. It was a major turning point, and the game might have developed very differently had Gravenberch stayed on the pitch.

But it would be equally wrong to use that incident to avoid discussing the wider problems.

Liverpool need better options in certain positions. They need more reliable depth. And they need to ensure that the manager isn’t left trying to solve every problem with the same handful of players.

This is especially important under Iraola, whose style demands energy, intensity and tactical discipline.

That kind of football can be physically demanding. Rotation is essential.

If the squad isn’t deep enough to maintain the standard when changes are made, the whole approach becomes harder to sustain.

And Liverpool have too many competitions to be discovering those limitations every time the fixture list gets busy.

January cannot come quickly enough

I’m not expecting Liverpool to solve everything in one transfer window.

But the club needs to be honest about what went wrong with its squad planning.

Which signings have actually improved the team? Which positions remain weak? And where has the club mistaken having a lot of players for having enough quality?

Those are questions the recruitment department must answer.

Iraola deserves the opportunity to build his team, but he needs the right tools to do it.

If Liverpool want him to challenge Manchester City and the other leading clubs, they cannot leave him short of dependable alternatives.

The manager can coach, organise and improve players. He cannot manufacture squad depth out of thin air.

And that is why I don’t want Sunday’s defeat to be remembered solely for Gravenberch’s red card.

The dismissal changed the match. The squad comparison exposed a problem that existed before it.

Liverpool have talented players. They have young players who could develop into important members of the team. And I still believe Iraola can get much more out of this squad.

But optimism cannot replace proper recruitment.

When I look at the options Liverpool had available against City, I see a club that needs to ask some difficult questions about how it has assembled its squad.

Because if the aim is to compete at the highest level, being able to name a good starting eleven isn’t enough.

You need quality coming off the bench, too.

And right now, I’m not convinced Liverpool have enough of it.

Iraola needs backing. Liverpool’s recruitment team needs to be held accountable.

Jamie (The Kopite View)

Eight games played. Four wins, three draws and one defeat.

Ninth in the Premier League.

If you only look at Liverpool’s league position, you could be forgiven for thinking things aren’t going particularly well at Anfield.

And after Sunday’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, there are certainly questions that need answering.

But I’m going to say something that might not be particularly popular with everyone.

I still think it is far too early to judge Andoni Iraola.

I’m not pretending Liverpool have been brilliant. They haven’t. The attack has looked disjointed at times, there have been frustrating draws and the defeat to City exposed how much work remains to be done.

But what exactly did people expect Iraola to achieve in a few weeks, especially with the squad Richard Hughes left him?

That is the part of this conversation I think gets overlooked far too often.

The league position doesn’t tell the whole story

Liverpool’s record after eight games reads four wins, three draws and one defeat.

That is hardly disastrous, but it isn’t the sort of start supporters expect from Liverpool either.

The draws have been frustrating because there have been opportunities to collect more points. Liverpool have struggled to turn periods of control into convincing victories, and the attacking football we hoped to see under Iraola has not clicked consistently.

I want to see more goals. I want to see better movement in the final third. And I want Liverpool to look more dangerous against teams that sit deep.

Those are fair criticisms.

However, Liverpool have also won both of their Champions League matches and progressed in the League Cup. There have been encouraging signs, particularly defensively, and some of the younger players have given Iraola genuine options.

This isn’t a team that has suddenly forgotten how to win football matches. It’s a team still trying to find its identity under a new manager.

That distinction matters.

Iraola hasn’t inherited a perfect squad

This is where I think Richard Hughes deserves more scrutiny.

Liverpool spent heavily on attacking players, but the squad still has areas that look short of depth. There are questions over the balance of the team, the available full-back options and how Liverpool can cope when several attacking players are unavailable at once.

And we’ve already seen what happens when injuries arrive.

Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo were ruled out of the Manchester City game after picking up injuries on international duty. Hugo Ekitike was also unavailable, leaving Iraola with limited recognised centre-forward options. The manager turned to the players he had rather than using injuries as an excuse.

That is not an easy situation for any manager.

You can have the best tactical plan in the world, but it becomes much harder to implement when the players you need are missing.

Liverpool have spent a fortune, so nobody is suggesting the squad lacks quality. But spending money and building a properly balanced squad are two different things.

For me, Hughes should be part of the discussion when we talk about Liverpool’s problems.

Iraola can only work with the players available to him.

You cannot expect a new manager to fix everything overnight

Iraola arrived with a clear reputation for front-foot, attacking football.

That was one of the reasons I was excited about his appointment.

I wanted Liverpool to press with purpose, move the ball forward quicker and play with the sort of intensity that makes Anfield a difficult place for opponents to visit.

We have seen glimpses of that, but we haven’t seen it consistently enough.

The temptation is to start questioning whether Iraola is the right man for the job.

I think that is premature.

Changing a team’s style takes time. Players need to understand new instructions, learn their roles and develop relationships with teammates. The manager also needs to discover which combinations work and which players are suited to his system.

Liverpool are still going through that process.

Even the defensive improvement we saw earlier in the season took time to develop. The understanding between Virgil van Dijk, Jérémy Jacquet and Ronald Araújo was beginning to look promising before the City defeat reminded us that there is still plenty to do.

One bad result doesn’t erase every positive that came before it.

Equally, two Champions League wins don’t mean every problem has disappeared.

We need to judge Iraola on the direction Liverpool are travelling, not just the league table after eight games.

The Manchester City defeat was a reality check

I’m not going to defend everything about Sunday’s performance.

Liverpool were beaten 3-0 at Anfield, and there is no getting away from that. City were the better side, and Liverpool struggled to impose themselves on the game.

That should concern us.

But I don’t believe the answer is to start writing off the manager after one particularly disappointing afternoon.

City are an established team with a settled way of playing. Liverpool are trying to build something new, and the gap between the two was obvious.

That doesn’t make the defeat acceptable. It simply puts it into context.

Iraola now has to work out how Liverpool respond. Can they improve their pressing? Can they create more chances? Can they become more competitive against the strongest teams?

Those are the questions that matter.

The upcoming run of fixtures will tell us much more than one result, particularly with Liverpool facing a demanding schedule across the Premier League, Champions League and League Cup.

There are still reasons to be optimistic

One thing I don’t want Liverpool supporters to lose sight of is that there are positives here.

Jacquet has shown why the club invested so heavily in him. Araújo has offered defensive flexibility, and the team has had periods when its defensive structure looked considerably better.

Lewis Koumas has also earned trust from Iraola, who backed the young forward ahead of the City match despite Liverpool’s shortage of attacking options.

That matters to me.

I want to see Liverpool develop young players rather than simply throwing money at every problem. I want to see a recognisable style of football emerge, and I want the manager to have the time to build a team that reflects his ideas.

Of course, that patience has to come with progress.

Liverpool cannot spend an entire season looking disjointed and expect supporters to be happy simply because the manager is new.

But eight games? That’s far too soon to reach that conclusion.

Give Iraola time – and hold the right people accountable

I understand why supporters are frustrated.

Ninth in the league isn’t good enough for Liverpool’s ambitions. The draws have cost points, the attack needs to improve and the defeat to City was a serious disappointment.

I’m frustrated too.

But I don’t want Liverpool to fall into the trap of blaming the manager for every problem without examining the squad he inherited and the recruitment decisions that shaped it.

Hughes has to take responsibility for building a balanced squad. The players have to take responsibility for their performances. And Iraola has to show that he can improve the team.

All three things can be true at once.

For now, I want to see Liverpool become more consistent, get injured players back and give Iraola a proper run of games with a stronger group available to him.

The Champions League and League Cup victories show that this team is capable of producing results. The Premier League performances show that there is plenty to improve.

Both sides of the story deserve to be acknowledged.

I’m not asking Liverpool supporters to be happy with ninth place. I’m asking them not to confuse frustration with a final verdict.

Iraola has a huge job on his hands. He needs to get more from the squad, make the attack click and prove that his football can work at Anfield.

But he deserves the opportunity to do that.

Eight games are not a season. One defeat to Manchester City is not the end of a project.

Let’s see where Liverpool are after the next stretch of matches, rather than deciding now that we already know how this story ends.

Because if Liverpool want to build something lasting under Iraola, they need to give him time to do it.

And if the squad Richard Hughes assembled isn’t strong enough in certain areas, that conversation needs to happen too.

Judge the performances. Demand improvement. But give the manager a fair chance.

Jamie (The Kopite View)