Trent's horror show amid Real Madrid interest & where's Liverpool's control gone?
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by American Express. The Athletic FC Podcast Network. All right, Reds, Tony Evans here with Walk On, your Liverpool podcast from The Athletic. I'm here with James Pearce and Simon Hughes.

Oh, Trent. Under the microscope and out of sorts. We'll talk about his performance against Manchester United and how Liverpool fared on a wider basis. But we'll start with those three words. Si? My three words today are... It's actually a positive three words off the back of a largely negative experience against Manchester United, but a decent point. Yeah, I mean...

Yeah, because they didn't play well. And there's going to be times, James, in the season when they don't play well. And if you don't lose, you're laughing. Anyway, give us your three words. I'm going to go with, let's calm down. Let's see what the listeners are saying. And David Carriger agrees with you. Stop bedwetting Reds. I like that. Jane Stacey, moving on swiftly.

Gary Simpson, analyse, learn, improve. It's a bit Brendan Rodgers there, isn't it, Gary? Pete Jones, enjoy Madrid, Trent. To join our community of listeners on Facebook, just search WalkOn Podcast and join the group. Nine out of ten people will tell you that it affected him, but I'm one of the ten that tells you that I don't think that affected him. What affected him is that he had to play Bruno Fernandes in Giocodalo.

which are two starters for Portugal. I think that is more difficult for Trent to play against Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalo than it is the rumours that were there during the week. Well, we've got to talk about Trent, haven't we, James? He didn't play well. I did think that he didn't get much help

from those in front of them. And when your whole game is based around risk-reward, then there's got to be someone a bit risk-averse to come in and help them. Yeah, yeah. I thought it was interesting, actually, Slott's comments in the press conference afterwards, because although there was certainly an element of wanting to protect Trent by saying that, you know, no, all the Real Madrid stuff, all that noise hadn't created...

any kind of distraction, which I think we all know it clearly had done. But he also did then go on to talk about how often Trent was left isolated and dealing with that combination of Darlow and Bruno Fernandes. And yeah, I thought Slott almost made Darlow sound like peak Lionel Messi with the way that he was talking. But I think there was an element of that, what you said there, Tony, in terms of

the protection wasn't there and to an element I think we probably missed Zbozlai you know his athleticism in terms of getting around the pitch but you also can't get away from the fact and Trent I think would be the first to admit that he was absolutely miles off it both defensively in terms of the lapses he made but also in terms of his distribution just repeatedly let him down it was just one of those days where he like he

you know, he started badly and just couldn't claw it back. And sometimes when a player, you know, starts badly like that, you know, it can, you can almost have that snowball effect, can't you? So, yeah,

Yeah, I think it's hardly a surprise with everything that's been going on that he was affected by it. I think you just wouldn't be human if you weren't. That's right. Slot keeps going on. Like a lot of managers, you know, win your duels, win your duels, win your duels. But given that he doubled up on Trent, he's dueling with everyone. There's got to be a point where either one of his teammates goes, I need to give him a hand, or...

Is this a failing of slot, not a direct, giving them a little bit of help? Yeah, I think so. I think it goes without saying, Trent had a really poor game. It was as bad as he's played in his Liverpool career, both in a creative sense, both in a defensive sense. But, you know, I do think that the manager should have been quicker to react to what was going on on the pitch. Now,

Over the last four or five months since Slott's been manager, Liverpool haven't had many sort of tricky moments, really. They have had some bad moments where Slott has tended to trust the players to work themselves out of that situation, whether it's on an individual basis or collectively. But it was so obvious that there was a problem there and nothing was really done to rectify it until it was too late. So I think you can say, well, yeah, the manager...

maybe put too much faith in him to sort of work himself out of the performance. But it was a poor performance from the first, you know, few minutes really. It wasn't just a bad phase of the game, which Liverpool got punished in. He was, unfortunately, I hate saying this, but he was the weak link in the Liverpool team in a bad performance generally by the team. And I think that slot could have taken him off earlier. Or as you alluded to there,

got more players around them. It's not about protecting them as such. It's just about giving them some help when it's two-on-one. When it's two-on-one, it's very difficult. And as you said, it was sometimes three-on-one. There's very little a player can do regardless of their ability, whether they're playing well or when that is right in front of them. Also, Trent's got a bit of...

a bit of responsibility for this because while I was watching it, James, I was thinking about a conversation I had with Alan Kennedy and he was talking about the Champions League. It was the European Cup final. It was 1984. The Champions League hadn't even been thought of in those days. But anyway, he was saying that Roma...

made a concerted effort to attack him and all of a sudden he was getting overrun and he said to Steve Nichol who was the youngest player in the team he said Stevie do us a favour drop in and help me and that's players taking responsibility and asking for help should Trent have been doing that I mean there's an element of that isn't there but I mean I think more and more in the modern game it's more about the tactical plan that the manager has put in place

put down beforehand and I think players tend to stick to that more and more, don't they, rather than the old adage of go out there and work it out for yourself. I think the other thing that didn't help Trent was I think you could sense the mood in the stadium. The one moment that really stands out for me was when he played one of those Hollywood passes that when they come off, everyone eulogises about how he's one of the greatest passers in world football, but it goes wrong.

you can look silly. There was that one that he was trying to release Salah and he plays it straight to Harry Maguire and the kind of reaction... To be honest, you've got as much chance of scoring against United by getting the ball to Maguire as you have with Salah. Yeah.

Maybe that was part of the ploy. But there were kind of howls of derision around by me. And you could sense, I think, everything that was in the melting pot, wasn't it? In terms of, I think a lot of people turned up expecting Liverpool to just demolish United. I mean, we were talking on the pod last week. No, we were warned and we were saying be cautious. Yeah, my prediction was 2-2. So...

So I think there was an element of that. And then obviously when, you know, and Liverpool were poor and Trent was by far and away the only player, you know, he certainly wasn't the only player who was way off his usual levels. But of course, because of the narrative going into the game, he was going to be the centre of attention. So, and I think, you know, the frustration of seeing Liverpool lose

not do what everyone expected them to do. And also one of their biggest creative forces produced one of his worst performances in a Liverpool shirt. That kind of added to the negativity in the stands. And of course,

That doesn't help a player either. You know, and then you've got, unlike Van Dijk and Salah, who have spoken publicly about it, Trent hasn't, has he? His stance has been staying silent. And what happens with silence is that people fill the void with their own beliefs about what's going on. You know, people make decisions

decide for themselves whether he must be asking for too much money. His heart must already be in Madrid. He clearly invited that Madrid

Madrid approach on New Year's Eve. And it's like, we don't know these things, but of course, when you stay quiet, there's that void there that people will try and fill for themselves. Yes, I've just got a feeling that he's got to be very good from now on in, if he keeps this stance, either until he signs or the end of the season, because I just get the feeling from people I'm talking to, they're ready to turn on him. He is playing a very

dangerous game really he might he might see it as quite a cautious sensible thing to do and I can understand that logic but certainly for the last couple of months it's been going very well for Liverpool it's been said you know Liverpool are going to win the league at a canter Liverpool go to an autumn forest and don't win against a team or lose to a team that they've already lost to this season suddenly the gap at the top of the table is very narrow and

It doesn't take much to think that in a couple of weeks' time, Liverpool might not be top of the league and then they're suddenly not winning the league anymore. Suddenly, Trent is the one who is almost being blamed for becoming a distraction. So the unfortunate reality for him is, despite him being a brilliant player for Liverpool, despite him playing as well as he has, delivering and being a part of some amazing moments in the club's history,

History, generally, whether it's football or elsewhere, politics, only tends to remember a person's either worst moments or the way they leave the stage. So he has to really ensure that Liverpool win the league and he plays a big, important starring role in that if he is planning on moving on.

because the sad reality is, you know, it's very difficult to rewrite history when you're not in a position to. Things can change very quickly between now and the end of the season. Let's not forget, you know, I've been sort of warning against this. I know it feels like Liverpool are having a great season so far, but there's a long way to go.

It is easy to forget that, you know, even in the season where they just about scraped into the Champions League in 2020-21, pretty certain New Year's Day, they were top of the league. You know, things can unravel pretty quickly. So he's got to try and get his head straight. When people say, is he affected by the sideshow of his future? Only he can really answer that. I don't know him personally, but...

It's fair to assume that he may have been affected by the atmosphere and the way people were turning against him inside Anfield. Now, I do have sympathy with him on that front, but then I can also understand why some fans would be frustrated with the situation that he's in, where it seems like he's putting himself before the club, even though he might think that he's putting the club before himself by saying nothing. So as James says, really, the uncertainty and the lack of dialogue about really what's going on or where it's at

isn't really helping at the moment. He might have concluded, well, if I come clean on deciding to leave, you know, it could get even worse, couldn't it? I had lots of people message me on Sunday night saying, you know, he's got to go, got to sell him now, you know, get what you can for him. His heart's clearly not in it. And to me, that's a massive, massive overreaction to one bad performance.

you know, that's just pure knee-jerk stuff. Yes, emotions were running high because it was Manchester United and Liverpool had just failed to beat them. But, like, come off it. No one was saying that, you know, a week earlier, were they? He scored and played that pass for Salah in that demolition of West Ham. You know, in general, his form has been very good and he has had games like that previously. Maybe not in such a high-profile game. But,

But sometimes when things go badly for him, games, he has been accused of that before and was like being a bit lethargic at times and being, you know, not being alert enough to get him back and get him back in position. It wasn't like we'd never, ever seen that before. The encouraging thing is, above all this, is that despite Slott keeping him on, my interpretation of that was, well, if Slott's keeping him on, surely he's still a player. Surely he wants to...

keep this player engaged and not that he'd, I can never imagine that Trent would just, you know, decide, well, you know, I'm down in tools or anything like that. But surely it says that slot thinks that he's a player of value for the long term. Otherwise it'd be very easy for him just to say, well, I'm taking you off, you know, and I'm going to run with Connor Bradley, you know, you know, no matter what you think about the overall picture, the idea that a homegrown player who's won everything with the club been

been unbelievably good, committed 20 years of his life to Liverpool. He hasn't just suddenly decided to like

you know throw in the towel and yeah you know got a foot in Madrid I don't I just don't I don't believe that I think just a much more plausible explanation and as Simon said only Trent can answer himself how much it has affected him but I just think all of that noise all of that scrutiny is bound to I'm led to believe he hasn't made a definitive decision yet and if that's the case it's

he's got a hell of a lot of stuff going on in his head, you know, in terms of what this means, if he was to move, what it means for his Liverpool legacy. He's been, I think, very genuine and honest about how much he's enjoying playing for slot. Does he want to stay put and continue that relationship? Or does he want to experience something completely new, a different lifestyle, a different way of life, the glamour of Madrid, playing with his mate, Jude Bellingham? I think there's an awful lot there to weigh up. So,

I think there's a big difference between someone having a lot on their mind and someone not caring. Well, I mean, the bottom line is for any player, no matter what the situation is, even if they've decided to leave, they'd rather leave with a medal than without one. Bottom line. I agree. I agree with James there. I mean, the idea that you just decide, well, that's me done. I mean, you can, you can, it seems to me a confused performance by Trent and I,

in this situation, you know, if his mind was a bit cluttered, but then a critic could say, well, he's to some degree put himself in that position as well. So he's got to find a way to get himself out of that position, whether that is good performances on the pitch or make a decision about what exactly what he's going to do and let everybody know about it. Of course, if that is the situation, we still don't know where Liverpool are at with it. We don't know what they've offered him and what they're,

what they're trying to do. I just think the uncertainty at the moment, as James says, where there's uncertainty and there's a lack of clarity, people will make their own minds up. And in this very cynical world that we live in, I think most people are going to, particularly in a situation where you're drawing or you're losing a game to Manchester United that you expected to win at home,

he is probably going to end up bearing the brunt of the frustrations. Yeah, I think also I've had lots of people say to me, just got to play Conor Bradley now every game. And it's like Liverpool might have, what, 30-odd, 30-plus more games to play this season, still competing on the forefront. And why would you cut your nose off to spite your face when you've got one of the best players in the world? I know, it's the nonsense. I love Conor Bradley. He's such an exciting talent.

but he's young and he's still learning his trade and what has he played 40 senior games I think for Liverpool all in if you include substitute appearances so so yeah and and you know what maybe Bradley would have come on a bit earlier on the weekend but he if he'd been

been fit earlier because he only returned to training after six weeks out with a hamstring injury on Friday so that was probably a part of it as much as probably in Slott's head he was thinking if he makes a substitution earlier it just makes it an even bigger story but I think Bradley's fitness would have played a part in that decision. Without a doubt. Without a doubt.

Well, looking at the bigger picture, it's just two clean sheets in the last eight games since the win over Manchester City.

And in four of those games, they've conceded two or more goals. Sorry, why? Is it the chopping and changing? It can't help, can it? It can't. I mean, the one remarkable thing about Virgil van Dijk during his Liverpool career is, I mean, how many defensive partners has he had now? So he's had Dejan Lovren. 418. Well, I don't need to name them all. But the point remains that, you know, Virgil van Dijk is used to the chopping and changing alongside him. Hmm.

Which is, it says an awful lot about him and like sort of his ability that he makes everybody by and large look good. And he shares his perfume with them in the dressing room and he makes everyone smell good as well. Oh yeah. Yeah. But I think that, you know, there's been a change, changes in the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper is obviously trying to get up to speed again. You've got the transition,

The Trent situation rumbling on which we've spoken about. You've got Andy Robertson who's not been playing very well, I think.

And then you've got the changes alongside him as well. Meanwhile, as well, I mean, I do think this is relevant, even though it's worked for Slott. You know, there's been changes in midfield, which he's had to rotate. He can't just keep playing the same midfield all the time. But when you change the midfield, it means that... I think it just disrupts potentially a bit of defensive rhythm as well. Maybe that's come into it a little bit. I think it came to it at the weekend. You know, I think Ryan Gravenbeck had...

not his best game for Liverpool and was slow as you said. Well, not slow, but he didn't get Trent the support I think that he has given him in some games as well. So I think all those things contribute towards the other team.

Having a chance as well, you know, we're four or five months into the slot here now. So other teams have had a chance to have a better look at how Liverpool play. I think there's that coming into it a little bit, you know. I thought that Newcastle were quite similar to Man United in the way they played against Liverpool. Liverpool played better against Newcastle. But it was a similar type performance, I would say, in terms of the areas where they tried to hit Liverpool. Let's not...

I do think the responsibility changes depending on the identity of the player, but by and large, the full-backs are asked to do the same thing under slot. And that seems to be an area where Liverpool are having a few problems.

Yeah, a couple of things there which I want to pick up on, James. I mean, it happens with players, it happens with managers. You come in from abroad, first half of the season, no one's seen you before and they don't know how to deal with you. The second half, you've played everyone and it's like, yeah, we know what this fella does. The other side to it is what Slot does is very different to what Klopp did. The best Klopp teams...

the midfield wasn't really an attacking well wasn't really a midfield it was a auxiliary defensive unit who pressed who covered for the back four and let the full backs go it's a very different situation now and you've got two full backs this is bringing me to Andy Robertson who we used to play in in a very

a very free way. And now it's changed considerably, the role, and he seems to be finding it very, very hard to...

us placing slot side. Yeah, I think Robertson is enduring a really difficult period. I think we spoke about it a few weeks back, didn't we? I think the feeling internally was that what had hampered him was completely missing out on pre-season because he had an injury that he essentially managed through the Euros and of course he doesn't really get much downtime because of his responsibilities as Scotland captain whenever the international breaks, constantly

come along and there's just been a lot more I think a lot more mistakes but also mistakes that have led to either you know mistakes led to penalties or to goals or to to big chances and I actually think it has been slightly unfortunate at times I think I think it was the game against Leicester on Boxing Day where he should do a lot better for the goal and then not long after that he plays a great ball to Gagpo that should have been an assist Gagpo made a bit of a hash of it and then he has that header that comes back off the post and you think I

That would have shifted the narrative that night. People went away going, oh, Robertson's struggling. Yeah, if he'd got a goal and an assist, we'd have been like, what resilience he showed to come back from that difficult start and stuff. But I thought, yeah, I think because of all the heat on Trent on Sunday, it took the focus away from Robertson's struggles on the day. Yeah, I mean...

again people say to me they've got to go and sign a left back in January and I don't I just don't see that happening with Robertson I think I think the summer is the time to take stock I mean Robertson again I don't like this kind of modern thing of just writing someone off especially someone who was given such incredible service to Liverpool as Robertson has I think I think the time to make that assessment is in the summer he'll be 31 by then and

It'd be down to the last year of his contract. Simakas quite clearly is not the successor. He's not the answer. I think he's 28 himself, and I don't think he's good enough to be Liverpool's first choice left-back.

But I really hope that he has a strong end to the season for, you know, not just for Liverpool's hopes of silverware, but for himself, because it would be for a Liverpool career that's been absolutely incredible when you think how important he was to everything achieved during the Klopp era. You know, it would be, it would be a huge shame if it did kind of fizzle out. It would be. And he's exceeded all expectations. Yeah.

You know, we remember he was signed from Hull City and the other team in for him were Burnley and a very senior figure in football messaged me and said, it's Grazer, isn't it? In for the same players as Burnley. And I remind him of that every time we speak. Si, for a long time we talked about how slot teams control games. You know, they go in front and they declared, you know, and...

I lavish praise on them for that. I love that. You know, I don't want to be entertained. You know me. Entertainment for, I don't know, West Ham fans. As soon as I heard, oh, what a game for the neutrals, I was like, oh. Yeah. Yeah. That means it's rubbish. But we've seen the return of chaos a little bit, haven't we? I mean...

The thing is, Tony, there is some mitigation. Not that they've had... The schedule over Christmas this year, there's been a... I think, I might be wrong, somebody might correct me with this, but it feels like it hasn't been quite as intensive. But it is always a period that detests a manager, I think, just because, not only because of the number of games, but the days the games are played, that always feels like the games are played on odd days. It's a slightly different feel to the Christmas period, I think.

And it's December and January, I think, for all sorts of good reasons, are the most two difficult months to navigate. Particularly for foreign managers, news of the game. They all say that to you, don't they? There's always a little... News of the game in the Premier League, I mean. Certainly, it was a period that Jürgen Klopp not struggled in, but it took him a few years to get to grip with at Liverpool. Yeah.

and it is a difficult period and sometimes you get surprise results and not as well organized performances so it could just be a bit of that as well coupled with you know the the defensive sort of shuffling that the pool have had

They certainly need to find a way to get back to that because that is, you know, the sort of the 1-0, 2-0, see you later. They're the sort of performances and victories that end up winning titles. Let's not forget that. That's what Liverpool did under Klopp when they won the league. You know, that's what got them into that position. They were solid, unspectacular and were grinding out. And Liverpool were like that under Klopp for the first three months, really, largely. So they need to try and find...

A way to A, keep all the players available, which gives them an increased chance of allowing that to happen. And as well, some difficult decisions coming up, Tony, isn't it, with the cup matches, the domestic cup matches, what they do around those games and who they play and who they leave out and what priority they give them. Personally, I just think

I think the league, there's obviously a really good chance that they can win the league this year. I don't think that the Champions League is beyond them as well. But I think the probability of those two winning

coming to Anfield at the end of the season decrease if they show the same attention to the League Cup which they're now in the quarter-finals of obviously starting... Semi-finals. Sorry, semi-finals. That was just a slip that they are in the semis obviously tomorrow against Spurs. They seem to be beaten handsomely recently.

And then obviously they got a favourable draw in the FA Cup as well. I thought you were going to say they've got a bite in terms of the final. Well, that's it. I mean, I always, I tend to think that the League Cup is a good one to win because it just gives you that bit of confidence. That being said, Liverpool won the League Cup in improbable circumstances with a group of unfamiliar players last season and it didn't, it didn't kick them on really. I think it,

Well, I don't think it contributed towards them not winning the league that season because the way they finished the League Cup, it was like the dying end of a season with the number of players they had missing for that final. But yeah, I just think that there's a real chance this year, first season in, if Schlock can deliver even one of those two major trophies, it's a massive, massive success for him and for the club. James, I mean...

I think, and you know much better than me, I think there's a big chance that he will play...

teams that will have top-class players in them, but will not be too close to the strongest XI against Tottenham and against Accrington Stanley. Yeah, yeah, because I think the priority when you look at what's ahead over the next 10 days or whatever, it is that Forest game, isn't it? You know, that trip to the city ground next week. I'm having bad flashbacks to, like, the late 70s. Yeah.

It does feel like a real throwback, doesn't it? Looking at that Premier League table. So yeah, I think there'll be some changes down at Tottenham. I think for a start, I'd be absolutely amazed if Canate is pushed through another start. I was surprised that he was on the team sheet on Sunday, to be honest, having only just returned to full training after, what, six or seven weeks out.

You know, you'd imagine that he would turn to Kwanzaa for this one. I think just the injury situation has really eased, doesn't it? Especially with getting Canate and Bradley back fit again. Joe Gomez, Slott said today, is out for a few weeks with that hamstring problem. Touch and go, whether Zbozlai recovers from the illness that forced him to miss the United game. But I think he'll freshen it up a bit. It wouldn't surprise me if we saw some fresh legs in midfield, maybe Harvey Elliott.

he could even turn to Endo who I don't think has let Liverpool down on the rare occasions he has played this season and then you know top end of the pitch you'd have thought perfect chance to give you know Jota a start maybe Nunes as well and I

I think it's just, it's that balancing act, isn't it? Because you're probably going to leave even more out against Accrington. So do you really want, you probably don't want your star men not playing against Tottenham or Accrington because then you run the danger of them losing that rhythm going into the Forest game. So I think it will certainly be a much stronger team at Tottenham than against Accrington. And then Accrington on the weekend, you know,

You know, you'd have thought it might even be a chance for, you know, the likes Jaden Dan's and McConnell and not Nalo at the back.

Because, yeah, I think it would be crazy to risk certainly any of his key personnel so close to that Forest game. As James says, it's an interesting sort of challenge for Slot in terms of his team selections over the next few days. There's no doubt in my mind that the biggest game is now Forest away in a week's time. That is a huge game for Liverpool on a ground where they've struggled to get results over the last few seasons since they've come up into the Premier League. It's been a real grind in each game.

I can't wait for it. I think it's going to be a proper game of football. Dark night in January between two teams who have every reason to go for it. It's the sort of game that people should be excited about. Oh, yeah. Freezing and hostile in the East Midlands. Yeah, yeah. I'm well up for that. I heard one of the strangest chants I've ever heard at a football ground was when we went to Forest

It was either last season or the year before where they were singing, the Forest fans were singing in the city ground, where's your famous atmosphere at the away end? I don't want to be cruel, but they've never been known for their intellect, have they? In these games where there's lots of different options available to slots, does anyone think...

we'll see Chiesa. He's got to play against Ackerton, Stanley, Hasney, James. Surely, surely. I mean, if he doesn't get the nod for that one, then, I mean, that would be a body blow, wouldn't it? You could see that being his one game.

you know, sort of, is one 90 minutes for Liverpool. I mean, he's been linked quite heavily with a loan move in January, but Liverpool are adamant that's not going to happen. There was even, there was reports last week that he was on the brink of going to Napoli for the rest of the season. But, um,

slot's position is that no we you know especially been in four competitions we need six senior attackers for the rest of the season to me it wouldn't make any sense to loan him out because you never know it only takes one or two injuries and

And he would be needed. And yeah, we've hardly seen, hardly seen, you know, much of him at all. I mean, I think everyone got excited about, you know, one cute first touch he did away at Southampton in the last round. And it was like, oh, that's the Chiesa we would come to expect. And it's like, I think we,

entitled to think he's got a little bit more in the locker than just that. Like a new signing, James? So yeah, Liverpool's position is that he's not going anywhere. I mean, another player obviously won't be involved, but he's still a Liverpool player. Interesting, I thought, that clubs are circling around Ben Doke at the minute. Adab!

at the price they're offering. Yeah, yeah, derisory, wasn't it? When you think what some players go for, the idea that Liverpool would even think about letting him go for, I think Palace offered 15 million, Ipswich offered 16 million. I think it would take double that for there to be a serious conversation.

because he's proven himself to be arguably the best young player in the championship this season. Liverpool are quite happy for him to stay at Middlesbrough on loan for the rest of the season and then come back next summer and make an assessment then. So, yeah, unless they get a vastly increased offer, I don't see them offloading Doak, you know,

And, yeah, it's all, you know, apart from that, all pretty cool. Obviously, Marcelo Pitaluga, the Brazilian goalkeeper. It was a shame he never really kicked on at Liverpool like they hoped. You know, when he first arrived from Flaminenzi, they did have genuine expectations he would compete for a place in the first-team squad. But...

I think he was a sub on seven occasions under Klopp, but never made a senior debut. He's had a few disappointing loan spells and gone backwards, really. I think mainly the feeling was he just wasn't good enough with the ball at his feet, which is obviously so important in the modern game, especially. And now gone back to Fluminense on a free transfer with Liverpool negotiating a 40% sell-on clause. It's early in the month, so I don't want to put you too much on the spot, but

But by the end of January, I will be calling you out, James Pearce. I will be calling you out because you are the man who is responsible for Liverpool's transfer policy. But we're early in the month, so we're going to be nice about it. Do you see any movement? At the minute, no, in terms of any... It's not what we wanted to hear. I actually asked Slott at the press conference earlier. Yeah, he said publicly what I'd been told previously privately that...

He is very happy with the depth of talent at his disposal and that he doesn't feel the need to add to it at the minute. But the caveat being that he said, our eyes are always on the market in case something comes up. And that's why I think, you know, no way would I think anyone could say definitively they won't do business. It's just...

I think it would have to be the kind of deal that we saw. Of course, last January, they didn't sign anyone. Previous two Januaries, you had Gagpo and then before that you had Diaz. And both of those deals were examples of players who were on Liverpool's list for the following summer.

suddenly becoming available because in Diaz's case, it was Porto, with Gagpo it was PSV, needed money mid-season and they were available at what Liverpool felt was a really acceptable price. So they moved fast to stop them joining someone else. Now, it's possible that that may well happen this month. But of course, even in terms of trying to predict what Liverpool need to do in the summer in the market is actually quite problematic. Currently,

not knowing, you know, what do you need? With a spine of the team? Who do you need? A new world-class right-sided attacker? Do you need one of the greatest commanding centre-backs that the Premier League's ever seen to try and fill the Van Dijk void? And do you need a new right-back? Because, of course, whether it's you spend big in that position or bring someone in to compete with Bradley, you'd need to do that. So it's,

At the minute, there's a lot of uncertainty, which, again, it wouldn't surprise me if Liverpool keep their powder dry this month. The uncertainty is a little disturbing, Si. I mean, we've talked a lot about it. It would be better going into a hectic January with a clear idea of what your personnel might be like at the end of the season. Because the worst...

For me, the worst part of all this is we could be, you could imagine this team winning the league and then immediately breaking up. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I'm sort of torn between, sort of the fan head on me says, well, you know what? It's like tomorrow might never come. Just enjoy it, you know, this moment while they're there, you know, enjoy the rest of the season, which by the way, it seems to be what?

Mohamed Salah has decided upon judging by his comments at the weekend you know sort of decided well maybe I'll keep a little I'll mention occasionally that my contract is up and I'd like to stay but generally speaking I'm not going to start a war because otherwise I'll just end up not enjoying what could be my last months at the football club

But then equally, you know, from a professional stance, I'm just from a logical stance, you know, Liverpool, even if they do win the league, yes, obviously winning the league matters. And a few people have said this to me. It's like, well, I don't really care what happens if they won the league. So who cares? It's like, yeah, but you do know how hard it is to win it again and again and again. You know, both things can be true at once, can't they? I guess. I think, as we discussed, that Liverpool,

There's a compelling reason why all three players should stay. All of them are still top players that most football clubs on any normal week would want to sign them. Obviously, maybe Liverpool are calculating that Mohamed Salah doesn't have a huge market for him because of sort of his age and the wages that he's on and everything else. But you just want it to continue, don't you, Tony? As you say, you don't want to win the league and then everything to be ripped up and the uncertainty to start all over again.

So, yeah, it's a strange, strange period, really, isn't it, Tony? I would say it's a strange period because in the past, Liverpool players have tended to leave

because the team hasn't been doing well. This is the first time, really. You might argue Jorginho won Alderley left, didn't he? But that was a year after they won the league. This sort of thing hasn't happened, would you say, since when? Graeme Souness, really? Yeah, yeah. And Souness was getting on. It hasn't happened, though. People aren't used to it, are they? They're not used to being in this position where actually...

There's a compelling reason to keep the players, but also if you want to keep the team going long term, obviously the players can't go on forever, but these players I think can go on for somewhat longer. It's whether Liverpool, I think, are willing certainly to pay Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah what they think they're worth. I think Trent's a different discussion, isn't it?

Yeah, definitely, definitely. And there is a little bit of uncertainty, James, but I'll tell you what, it's still an uplifting period. There's so much to play for. And 2025...

as early as it is, is offering so much opportunity, isn't it? Oh yeah, 100%. I mean, imagine if before a ball was kicked this season, someone had said to you that Liverpool would be in this position. You wouldn't have believed it, I think, let alone bitten someone's hand off. Yeah, still challenging on all fronts.

the injury situation as i said before really cleared up only gomez missing at the minute you've got arguably the best player in world football at the minute in mo salah absolutely flying and yeah it was an error strewn forgettable performance against united but there was no harm done was it was a weekend when arsenal and chelsea also dropped points six points clear at the top of the premier league with the game in hand

You go into Tottenham, who Liverpool pretty much took to the cleaners a few weeks ago in the Carabao Cup. Fantastic opportunity to get to Wembley. Accrington Stanley at home, you couldn't have asked for much more in the first Hurd or the FA Cup.

And then a mouth-watering game at Forest next week. And the Champions League, of course, Liverpool have effectively already booked their place in the last 16. And slot will have that luxury of being able to make changes in those two remaining group games against Lille and PSV that are coming up before the end of the month. So, yeah, it's an unbelievable position to be in. And it just kind of whets your appetite for what's to come. Yeah, so much to look forward to.

You know what? It's going to be a great year, I suspect. So you better tune in next week.

Because we'll be talking about the Forest game and that is going to be really exciting. Simon is quivering with anticipation. I can see him. You can't. But he's like, he's so up for it, it's untrue. And aren't we all? Physically shaking here, Tony. You are, you are. And that's it from Walk On, your Liverpool podcast brought to you by The Athletic. Thanks to James and Simon for joining me and you for listening. We'll be back next week. You better be here listening.

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