Trent's uncomfortable Anfield afternoon
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Use the Damfield. Oh, the scandal, the horror, the terror. We said we wouldn't be talking about Trent again. We were meant to be laughing at Arsenal today. Neither of them worked out. Anyway, we'll give you our thoughts on that and share some of yours on what played out at Damfield on Sunday. Before we get to that, let's have your three words. Say... I'm going to go full tabloid. Trent walks alone.

James. That was brutal. It certainly was. And there's a flavour of what you've been saying. Lee Taylor, embarrassing boon situation. Jared Merrill, Trent Warholone. James Keran, sad for Trent. And John Wollstoneholm, Everton fan behaviour. To join our community of listeners on Facebook, just search Walk On Podcast and join the group.

Well, there's only one place to start. Are we still champions, James? Yes, I can confirm. You wouldn't think so, would you? No, no. It was quite hard to believe, actually, coming away from Anfield on Sunday and how the mood had obviously changed. It was only two weeks earlier that...

that festival of absolute joy against Tottenham. And I think that's why it was sad, because it did feel like the title party went a bit sour. Yeah, definitely, definitely. I mean, did you see it coming? When did you realise it was happening? No, I definitely can't claim that I foresaw that, which is one of the reasons why I think I don't go along with this idea that Arnaud Slot...

made a really bad mistake by bringing him on because I genuinely didn't think, call me naive, but I genuinely did not think that the reaction would be anywhere near as bad as that. There were a few jeers when his name was read out amongst the substitutes before kickoff. And then

yeah I mean I had the conversation with a few other journalists before the game and we kind of agreed with like yeah it won't be you know it will be a little bit uncomfortable but you know it's not going to be kind of you know an all-out kind of assault on the eardrums if you like and of course it wasn't everyone but it was a significant minority and I was shocked yeah I've got to be

Perfectly honest. I was really, really shocked because I thought the way it started with the Stephen Gerrard song, I thought, you know what, that's clever. That's a really, that's the point well made, subtly singing about the guy who's absolutely adored because of the loyalty repeatedly showed in the face of

repeated interest from European heavyweights and then of course the Conor Bradley song and you think again subtle the praise for Liverpool's future at right back but then the boos and the jeers started didn't they and then I thought that might have been it once he'd stepped onto the pitch because you know he's still a Liverpool player and there was a game there to be won but if anything there was more and more boos and jeers each time he touched the ball from then onwards so um

But yeah, certainly in my time going to Anfield, that was unprecedented in terms of the level of it. Yeah, I mean, I can't remember anything anywhere near like that. Si, what did you make of it? I actually thought that the jeering at Leicester a few weeks ago was less understandable than what happened at Anfield on Sunday. Mainly because, you know, Liverpool were going for the title and hadn't won the title at that point. So straight away when you start, I suppose, jeering...

a player who's playing for the club it compromises that position whereas obviously Liverpool have since won the title Trent Alexander-Arnold has since announced that he's going to leave the club and

So the fans didn't have anything to lose, really. I mean, people say, well, obviously it's a game against Arsenal, it's who they're holding the lead, it's important they're on the pitch. But let's be honest, you know, Liverpool played very, very well the first half, but it didn't really matter the outcome of the match at all. So, yeah, I mean, the warning signs were there a couple of weeks ago about how people felt. Winning the league, I don't think is going to necessarily make people feel better about the situation. Actually,

could make people feel even more upset, more worried about what the future might look like. Because the bottom line is Liverpool are losing a top quality player, a local player who everybody thought was going to become the club captain.

and he's going for nothing. So if rival fans, if journalists expect fans who are very passionate about their club to be happy about that, I think they're the ones who are misunderstanding the situation entirely, even being totally honest. Personally, it made me feel uncomfortable, but Anfield isn't a place that makes people feel uncomfortable, feel comfortable, should I say. And the other thing that I think about a lot is,

It's more than likely that he's going to return in a Real Madrid shirt in the next couple of years to Anfield. It'd be very surprising if the teams aren't playing against each other at some point.

How would you expect the crowd to react to him then? Cheer him on in a Real Madrid shirt? Say nothing to him? Or... But do you not think that's different though? I think it is... I think the rules of engagement are completely different, aren't they, when you come back with another team? I don't think anyone could argue against booing him if he came back with Real Madrid next season. But do you not think it's different when he's still wearing a Liverpool shirt? I think it's going to happen anyway, isn't it? It's going to happen anyway. I think, as you say, it is about the rules of engagement. He's decided to go and play for another club and...

when he returns to Anfield, if he returns to Anfield, people are going to quite rightly want to put him off his game because he's a player that could hurt Liverpool. The point is, this is probably going to happen anyway at some point. And the same questions by the same people will be, oh, look what he did for Liverpool. This is a disgrace. It's going to be the same thing. So to some extent, the situation has just been brought forward a little bit further. If it was in a game when Liverpool had something riding on it,

I would very much say, well, this is self-defeating, like 100%. But he's decided to go. That's how the future looks like. People are upset. I can understand why people are upset. Personally, I wouldn't have booed, but I can understand why other people might feel slightly differently and more...

want to be more audible with their frustrations than I do? I think there's a couple of things here. Many of the pundits are ex-players who understand that, you know, when you're professional, you've got to park your phantom and all that, and they can see themselves in the same situation. And so they're obviously going to be appalled with it. But fans of other clubs who are desperate to...

have a stick to beat Liverpool with, you know, oh, Trent's walking alone, you know, all that sort of stuff. Oh, behave yourself. We know that you'll never walk alone's no deeper than a cliche, really. You know, the fact is, you choose to leave any club...

and you're dead to the fan base. That's the way it should be. That's the way football works. That's the way fandom works. So stop with, you know, the sanctimony people, obviously non-Liverpool fans people, and they're not going to be listening to this, so they won't care anyway. But, you know, I found that really pathetic. But, James, you wrote me a match piece about the last Liverpool player to be booed, citing Lucas Leiva at home to Fulham in 2008. Even Roy never got booed.

Yeah, Lucas has talked about it quite a lot of being like the lowest. I think he described it as the kind of lowest moment in football at the time. Because if you remember rightly, he was really struggling for form. I think it was partly influenced by the fact that I think Xabi Alonso had been left on the bench that day. And it was a pretty dour game. And yeah, he got booed. But it was not on the... I was just racking my brain trying to think.

of when have I been at Anfield and heard anything vaguely similar. And that was the, that was the only thing I could think, you know, you're right. Even, even Hodgson who, I know a completely different situation because it was, it's emotional, isn't it? Part of that, the reason I know why it was different, but obviously Hodgson, you know, dragged Liverpool to the brink of a relegation battle. And he basically just had ironic shouts of Hodgson for England. It was, um,

before he was booted out the door. But, you know, of course it's different because Trent is a local boy and that it works both ways, doesn't it? When he's been living his dream, Anfield has been the greatest place on earth for him because it's where all his dreams have been realised and he's fed off that adoration from the stands. But, of course, when he's made the decision that he has done, it's provoked a huge amount of anger, hasn't it? And I think, you know, for some people...

they decided they weren't prepared to park that anger. I thought that it would maybe be kind of apathy towards him rather than just...

just how kind of brutal that it was. But yeah, I think I am struggling to think of anything vaguely similar. When you think of Coutinho, and again, I think it's different because I think there's an acceptance more with people like Coutinho that he was only passing through. But Coutinho had a mysterious back injury, didn't he, that suddenly ruled him out

in pre-season and stuck in a transfer request on the eve of the season and tried to force his way out and effectively got welcomed back into the fold even though there was pretty much an agreement in place he could leave

you know, the following January. So, yeah, I must admit, I do struggle to get my head around. I think Simon's right. I think it's an important point that if that had been the title on the line, I don't think it had been anything like that because I think people would have realised that...

it was so detrimental to the team because it definitely influenced the outcome of that game on Sunday. And I think the fact that it was effectively a dead game meant that people felt a sense of almost like sod it. I'm going to tell him how I feel about it, but it just didn't really sit right with me. You know, people will say it's an emotional reaction. I mean, in some respects it is, but, you know, speaking to...

some Liverpool supporters. I also think there's a sense among some fans that they almost need to protect the club a little bit here, you know, and show players that when they make a decision that involves leaving their club or leaving the club, you know, you do potentially stand to lose something. What people find quite hard is for the last 10 years, really, everything at Liverpool has been pretty smooth. You know, there hasn't been...

Too many moments where the club has looked like anything but a destination. But having your local player who was meant to be the club captain, who articulated that he really wanted to be, that it was his career ambition to leave the

There's a danger that suddenly, well, other players think, well, I quite fancy going to Real Madrid. I'm sure pretty much every player in the Liverpool dressing room already thought that already. But I think it's very useful, actually, for these players to know you do actually stand to lose something if you leave Liverpool. You know, you can't just walk away of your own accord without there being some sort of consequence for that decision.

And, you know, I think now it'll be interesting to see, you know, how the players talk about this over the next couple of weeks. I saw James's quote with Virgil van Dijk and I thought he was very measured, you know, a bit like Arne Slot, that the fans do have the right to express their opinions. You know, this is the Liverpool fan base, of course, which a lot of the same people are now criticising them.

constantly like say oh well you know on the most famous nights the atmosphere at Anfield is better than anywhere else it's like well that's because people think a little bit differently about the club yeah and I always say it's not the singing that makes those nights sizzle it's the snarliness so you know you've got some snarliness exactly exactly Trent this is how we snarl I think for me watching this sort of unfold last week

You know, you see his exit video, which we spoke about this talk about personal journey, the piano. And I'm like, well, players now like to be able to choreograph their own stories, basically. And like to...

want to tell the story on their own terms but this is such a big decision for him and such a big decision for the football club and people are going to feel strongly about it that I don't think he has the right to dictate really how that story ends now and sadly for Trent Alexander-Arnold he's been an absolutely brilliant player for Liverpool still for me goes down as one of the great modern players but I've written about this before and

You know, I think he loses a lot by leaving. I think it's going to be hard, almost impossible for him to sort of regain that status of warmth amongst the fan base. And it's a sad story, but it's inevitable as well. There's a lot of people who are saying this is all a consequence of, you know, social media infiltrating the stands. But as I said, Tony, Anfield has always been a place that isn't reasonable when it feels that,

people aren't doing right by the club, particularly a person who was born very close to the ground. So I can understand why people feel upset about the decision and want to be able to show how they feel. Yeah, I mean, fans should be allowed to be fans and no one should police how they react.

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Now here's Alexander-Arnold.

James, why impact do you think that on the rest of the game? Yeah, I mean, Liverpool were dreadful second half before it was 2-1, wasn't it, when he made the triple substitution that Trent was part of. I think it certainly gave Arsenal encouragement because I think they fed off the negativity. And I also think...

I think another interesting part of all this is the huge difference between how something like this is viewed in the dressing room and how it's viewed among the fan base. Because especially after the game, when Alexander-Arnold went around and applauded all four sides and there were more jeers, more cackles, that I looked at Gagpo and Zbozlai.

both of those players almost looked in like bemusement at what they were they were seeing and I think you only had to see the kind of you know the kind of reactions from the players on social media to Trent last week to see the you know as Simon touched on before you know that you know for them it is so different isn't it because all of these players have left clubs to come to Liverpool so yes they're disappointed to lose someone like Trent but

you know they accept that that's that's part of the world they they operate in and I think you know I'm sure we'll come on to talk about whether slot did did the right thing bringing him on or not but you know another thing for the players which they'll all tell you is the reason why they are still so close with Trent is because they know that at no point during this saga is he as he's

attitude or his commitment wavered in terms of what he's been delivering on a weekly basis, whether that's on the training pitch or in games and all the rest of it. So yeah, in terms of the game itself, I think it certainly contributed to Liverpool not winning the game. I thought they were absolutely all over the shop amidst those boos that within, what was it, four minutes of Trent coming on, Mourinho was equalised to make it 2-2. The only way Liverpool actually

got themselves back in a position where they looked like they might win was after Mourinho's horrendous challenge on Zabozlai, which, which led to his sending off. And then, you know, with the numerical advantage, Liverpool probably looked the more likely winners late on, you know, ironically, you know, Alexander-Arnold looked the one most likely, you know, there's a ball in to Nunes where not for the first time Nunes' control was abysmal. There was the free kick that

Alexander-Arnold curled just wide and it would have been interesting to see what kind of reaction there would have been to that if that had ended up nestling in the goal at the Kop end and then you know that ball late on where he whipped in I think it was both Jota and Nunes just missed it so if you're a defender you just dread balls like that yeah yeah yeah and you know it's another reminder of what

what Liverpool will have to do without going forward. I think that just underlines why people feel, some people feel the way they do because he's a great player. People don't want to see great players leave the club, no matter the circumstance, no matter where they're from, really. And that again, his performance, I thought he was very good.

when he came on and another reminder. He didn't hide, did he? I think in that... That's a point I was going to make at the end, going to the crowd. I mean, that's a fair amount of cojones. As I said, all along, Liverpool are losing a fantastic player here for nothing. Now, we've had the debate around the money before. I don't think...

Trent Alexander-Arnold owes Liverpool a penny. I sort of fall on that side of the argument. I just disagree fundamentally with the decision as a local player walking away when you're potentially going to be the captain of the club in a few years' time. I just think when you're from Liverpool and you've played for Liverpool all your life, it's a civic duty.

you know and it is whichever way you look you might say well it's not but i think it is that's my my interpretation of your role as a little liverpool player and to to walk away and put the team and the club in a worse arguably a potentially worse position it's just something i find quite hard to accept but you know i'm not a footballer as well i'm just a journalist so and obviously i'm a fan of the club so i i will always see it differently i guess but do

Do you think that had he made this decision and announced it publicly earlier? So, you know, I remember us discussing maybe around November time about, you know, he's got to make this announcement a bit sooner because the longer he leaves it, the harder it is. And the reaction will be more severe. I don't know whether he, he thought, well, have I announced it sooner? Obviously we've reported that he's not, he's made the decision later, but,

But had he made, say, the decision and then Liverpool win the league, have people got time to get over it? I do think that these weeks with Liverpool winning the league title, the reaction would have been different at this point and it wouldn't be the memorable story from his point of exit, if that makes sense. I agree with you there. I think...

and I believe the decision was made much earlier than it was made public and I think he sort of missed the trick in January when he was able to sign a contract with foreign clubs in not saying that now I understand the risk was that if Liverpool didn't win the league then he'd take the blame but to be honest I

By that point, it had become apparent that the title was coming to Anfield. And I think if I was advised, I might as well have said, get it out then. And by the end of the season, everyone will be so used to it, there won't be a reaction for the final game. My issue with that is I don't think we can say definitively that...

his mind was made up at that point because talks were still happening with Liverpool in February. Now, I know, obviously, you know, we're not stupid, are we? You know, we know that, you know, Real Madrid don't come in at the back end of December unless they believe that, you know, that they've had some encouragement from the other side. That's, we know that's how things work. But,

My information is that he hadn't made his mind up. And Slott has said that himself, that as far as he was from the conversations he's had, that Trent was wrestling with this decision. And it was only in March that he actually articulated that. And then, of course, he then thought, well, I can't get it out there now because, as you guys just said, there's that feeling of imagine if now the title challenge...

hits the rails, you know, it'll be on me. So I'm not, I actually think rather than it should have got it out sooner, I almost wonder whether it had been better off having left it this long, just left it until the day after the parade and announced it then. I know the accusations then would have been, well, it was almost cowardly, if you like, to not front up before then. But

There's no doubt that it's created a sideshow during the celebrations. I just think it's sad. I think people are entitled to voice whatever they want to voice, however they feel, not here to tell other people how to do it. But I just think it's sad that a Liverpool career that's over 350-odd games, won absolutely everything, that it should end like this. Agree, agree.

Well, James, as Simon alluded to before, you caught up with Virgil van Dijk in the mix zone. Apparently, he told you it was just plain wrong to go to a steakhouse and order salad. Did he say anything else? No.

No, no, no. It was just purely steak talk. No, it was a sirloin salad. It wasn't just like a random side salad. It had a massive 12-ounce sirloin on the top. Right, does it have the word salad in it? Yeah, but like... No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Sorry, that's a salad, isn't it? If it says on the menu, salad, it's a salad. He's very defensive about this, that's all I know. It's just the way he said, it was a sirloin salad.

Can we just go back? Can you put a little bit of meat in me salad, please, so it don't look bad on the podcast? Can we have some explanation of exactly what was in this bloody salad, please? It was heavily lettuce-based and a lovely dressing on it. The words I never thought of there from James Pearce, heavily lettuce-based. LAUGHTER

I'm disappointed in you. I'm disappointed in you. I'm not angry. I'm not angry. I wouldn't boo you. I wouldn't boo you. But I am disappointed. Would you just sing the Simon Hughes song at me instead? Without a doubt. Sorry, Virgil van Dijk, yes. Do you know what? Fair play to him. I did because he has fronted up to the media after every single game this season. And I did wonder whether after yesterday that he might...

decide like do I really want to do it today you know of all days having to pick his work pick the words so carefully but there he was again and I thought he kind of handled everything that came his way pretty expertly I think it was it was quite clear that you know he said very similar to what Andy Robertson said to Sky and what Arna Slott had said in terms of you know we're not here to

to tell anyone how they should feel about this decision because everyone's entitled to their own reaction. You know, he also talked about, you know, them as a team having to deal with it. He said that he thought, you know, Trent maybe expected some kind of backlash from,

to the decision. He also said that, you know, they're absolutely gutted that this is coming to the end of Trent's time at Liverpool because he said, you know, he's been such an unbelievable teammate and he said, we're going to miss him. And he also said, you know, we can't allow this to overshadow the title celebrations. He said, you know, he's at peace with it. We've got to move on. We've got two more games left.

he will want to play a part in it. And he said, you know, he should be a part of those celebrations before he goes off to Real Madrid. I think there were also a few other probably pointed comments in terms of, you know, Virgil saying that as far as he's concerned, this is an amazingly exciting time to be at Liverpool. That, you know,

He is very optimistic about the future and again repeating what he said a while back about it being a big summer and trusting people in positions of authority at the club to make the right decisions to help Liverpool go to the next level in terms of trying to retain the title and put up a stronger fight in the Champions League. And he said there were loads of options available.

other options, he said, for me when I was thinking about my own future, he said, but I ultimately decided that Liverpool was the place for me. You know, Trent decided, you know, differently and we have to respect that. You know, he said we're at different stages, different phases of our careers. Sorry, I don't know if we have to respect it. We can accept it, but not respect it. But anyway, did Slot give it wrong?

No, I don't think so. He's not there to manage the PR situation around it. He's there to manage the team. At the time, I thought Conor Bradley probably did need to come off. I think, again, reiterate, I think he did okay yesterday, Conor Bradley, but Arsenal did start getting at him quite a bit. I know, obviously, we've discussed many times Trent Alexander-Arnold's problems defensively.

But I think yesterday was a reminder that Conor Bradley is still not quite there yet, you know, in terms of the very, very highest level maybe. And Arnolos has got to manage the game, the team. He's not managing Trent Alexander-Arnold's legacy. He should be thinking about that himself. So he must have felt that he was ready to come on and play a part in that game. So I don't have a...

a problem with that at all. I agree completely with you. You know, on social media, some people say, no, Slough got it wrong, he shouldn't have done it. And I'm like, listen, the fella's come in, won the league unexpectedly in his first year. He can do what he likes and pick who he likes. I mean, who knows? I'm a...

I'm sure Arnolot didn't anticipate it was going to be as loud as that, but he must have sensed something was going to come. He surely doesn't want players leaving Liverpool, wanting to leave Liverpool. It's a bad sign that one of your best players, a local player, wants to leave the club for Real Madrid. I don't care about Real Madrid's history of winning stuff.

When you start losing players as a club, particularly your best players for nothing, it's not a good start. It's not a good cycle to get into. And we've seen where that's led for Liverpool in the past. So they need to readdress that balance. And I think that's why, you know, in the end, they were so keen to keep hold of Salah and Van Dijk.

Because if you lose those two players as well, Liverpool suddenly isn't a very attractive place to come and play or as attractive place as it should be. So Arnott Slott can make whatever it is. If he felt Trent Alexander-Arnold was right to come on and that needs his presence on the pitch at that time, he can make that decision. It's not up to him to manage the crowd or manage Trent Alexander-Arnold's PR for him. It's absolute nonsense. Yeah, I agree. I agree.

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Remember, to get in touch with the show, just email us at warhanatheathletic.com.

And plenty you have since Sunday, including Richard Bartholomew, who says...

I'm not fortunate enough to go to matches, but tune in on every available occasion to follow, where's been a lifelong love, and, from memory, I cannot remember anything so negative or damaging to club apart, of course, from Heysel and the lies about Hillsborough. Yes, his departure is disappointing and hurtful, but,

After all, he's entitled to move on if he feels he needs a new challenge and, of course, supporters are equally entitled to their opinions on it. However, I strongly believe that booing him as he did was not the right way to go about things. There are other ways to show disapproval. For example, not applauding him onto the field or chanting Conor Bradley's name even after he went off. There are many people both within and outside football who dislike Liverpool and this action has given them easy fodder to continue their prejudice.

I've heard it mentioned that Trent Alexander-Arnold should not be allowed to lift the league trophy on the final day and three of his supporters booing again. If this happens, it'll cast the club and supporters in an incredibly bad light around the world at a time when we want to attract players. But ignoring this purely mercenary take on it, it leaves a very bad taste in my mouth to hear fans booing their own. For me, yesterday certainly soured the overwhelming joy of a fortnight ago and I can only pray that the joy in a fortnight's time is not equally soured.

I, yeah, yeah, James. Yeah, I get it. Yeah, I think he makes some excellent points. I agree with the stuff about there's different ways of getting your message across. As I said at the start, you know, I thought it was pointed and very subtle, the Gerard song and then the Conor Bradley song that I didn't think what followed was

was necessary after that. Although, you know, again, we're not here to tell other people how they should react to what is an emotional decision, you know, of a player leaving that means a lot to a lot of people because, you know, A, he's so gifted and B, because he's a local boy that everyone thought would

probably emulate Steven Gerrard in terms of being essentially a one club man. So, yeah, and I think the stuff about the trophy lift and the parade is interesting because I think Slott is going to have to think carefully in terms of, you know, I think for me, it's laughable, this idea that, you know, he shouldn't be participating

part of that because he's played 43 times this season I think there's a way that you can you have to somehow park that upset about his decision to leave and accept the fact that he has been such an important part of this title winning team Well you can't push him out of the history But yeah it's ridiculous because I've had people say to me he shouldn't be anywhere near Anfield for the last day against Palace shouldn't be involved in the trophy shouldn't be part of the parade

which for me, I just, I genuinely do not understand that logic. I think where Slot does have a big decision to make is whether he's involved in the last two games. I know he indicated in his press conference on Sunday that he would continue to involve him. The thing I consider is I want to win a game of football. And if I think we think we can win this one with Trent, I owe it to his teammates personally.

to the fans because they hired me to win as much games of football as possible. And if I think there's a better chance of winning it with Trent, I will. If I think, which I don't think, it's a distraction or whatever can happen for us not to play a good game of football, then I might, might, might make another decision. But I think Trent showed today why I brought him in, because he was very close with a few fantastic crosses for us to win the game.

So yeah, I think it is tricky. I think whether you have him in the squad and then maybe just don't bring him on. But I was thinking even...

you know, obviously there's going to be a moment, isn't there, in the celebrations after the trophy lift where each of the players has got the trophy and is going to the cup with it. Well, what happens then? Do you just not, do you just not have that moment because of the kind of fear of what's going to happen? Or, which I hope, and I think this is the case, you know, I'd be interested to see what you two think. I wonder whether people will have almost like

felt as if they've said their piece after Sunday and we won't see those same scenes on Sunday repeated again against Palace. I would like to think that the point has been made now. I don't think it needs to be augmented any further, if I'm being honest.

but it's not the way fans and work it's not the way I just know instinctively that people might not feel the same way but I mean ultimately listening to you know the comment that was just made there Tony it's like there was quite a reflection on what other people think of Liverpool and it's like

I think Liverpool winning the league has annoyed enough people already. I mean, I don't think Liverpool people and Liverpool fans can try and second guess and try and tailor their behaviour around what other people prefer to see, if I'm being totally honest, because we've shown...

even by trying to fit in and be more agreeable, that it never works. So I'm not sure I agree with that side of it. I mean, I think that one of the big reasons why this is caused such a stir is there aren't really any comparable reasons

moments in Liverpool's history certainly obviously in the players history even in Premier League history even in European football there aren't many moments where a very very good player has left his boyhood club even for Real Madrid and I was looking at this you know over the last 24 hours I think the last comparable player was maybe Tony Cruz who left Bayern Munich

at a time when the club was quite happy to cut him adrift anyway. Went for quite a lot of money 10 years ago, obviously became a legendary player at Real Madrid, but even he was not a Bavarian, you know, and these things do matter to people. And then when you look back into Premier League history, you know, Manchester United at their best. They did lose some players, but...

You know, they lost David Beckham, but he didn't lose the local Mancunian players or players from the greater Manchester area. Certainly didn't leave the club at a point where the club maybe had the chance to go on and kick on. What we're talking about here is, I think people forget, fans don't just want to see Liverpool win the league. They want to see them win the league again and again and again and again. And when you lose one of your best players to nothing, to a team that they've lost twice to in a Champions League final,

in the last seven years. I don't care whichever way you look at it, it's going to have a detrimental effect on the team's chances. So I think why it's caused such a big outpouring of expression is we're in a moment which is actually highly unusual, arguably hasn't really happened before. Certainly not in Liverpool's history. Yes, Kevin Keegan left. Was he a local player? No. I mean, you tell me, who is left of their own accord when you're a local player destined to become the club captain?

for a team that is a European rival. I know that's like a restyling of what we accept as rivals, but Real Madrid are rivals for Liverpool. At the start of every season of every Champions League, you would expect probably Real Madrid to have a good chance, if not Liverpool, to win. Well, they've beat us in two Champions League finals, you know, in the last decade. So, I mean, you know, I think that's a pretty strong indication of a club that we don't...

don't have a lot of sort of uh loving feelings for let's say but si made a point in a group chat we do have a group chat people you know we um we didn't we didn't consider living together like the beatles you know sort of like three doors and we all come in and out and we're all in the same room but no we we just stuck to a group chat but he said have we done trent a favor because he's bound to get booed in the

and all those white handkerchiefs will come out. Boo! I mean, I said that in jest, obviously. But yeah, I mean, it's a very different environment. And...

This is the thing. That's the point in the inarticulate way I was making, is that he's going from somewhere where everyone accepted what Klopp said, that there was risk-reward in his game, and the rewards were great, and when the risks defensively happened, then everyone would let it go. That ain't going to happen in the Bernabeu. No, it certainly won't, and I think...

You know, it comes back to this whole idea, you know, this whole, I've had this rammed down my throat the last 24 hours, you'll never walk alone. It's a woeful misunderstanding of certainly what it means to Liverpool, because if you do right by Liverpool, people will do right by you. Is this decision doing right by Trent Alexander-Arnold or Liverpool? It's doing right by him, not Liverpool. So that's why people are cutting him adrift, basically, and feel that it's a perfectly rational response to a big,

transfer story arguably you know the biggest transfer story since Coutinho left in terms of outgoings arguably the biggest transfer story you know of any kind since Alison Becker joined the club

Yeah, yeah. Or as Bill Shankly would say, in the history of time. Before we go, Phil Kane's also been in touch. Much like Lee Taylor's three words at the top of the show says, can we stop with the trend talk, negative and positive? It's boring, it's taken away from what should be a glorious few weeks. We're the champions, drink it in and enjoy yourself.

Well, Phil, I agree with you, but it's a topic we do need to discuss. But James, he has a point and one probably I feel very strongly in agreement with. So how did he manage the rest of the season and where do we go from here? Well, the players have gone to Dubai.

So they're having some time off over there this week. A bit of an end of season bonding trip. And they jumped on a plane over to Dubai Sunday night. I think they're not back at the AXA, I don't think, till the back end of the week.

So, yeah, I think a bit of time away should probably do everyone some good because, yeah, you don't just want it to fizzle out, do you? Does that mean you're going on another holiday? Yeah. No, no, no, no. I am staying in the Costa del Egberth all week. I am not going anywhere. And, yeah, obviously, you know, Brighton away on Monday night and then...

what will be an eagerly anticipated day against Palace at Anfield. Yeah, I hope, I think he's right. That's why it really annoyed me Sunday because it should have been a continuation of the party, shouldn't it? You know, I was down at Stamford Bridge the week before and it was, I just loved the fact that there was 3,000 Liverpool fans who really could not have been less arsed about the fact that Liverpool were losing 3-1 because Liverpool are Premier League champions and that sense of... Because we can. Yeah.

Elation, yeah. So I think that's frustrating for me, the fact that it has provided some people with a stick to beat Liverpool with because of what happened at Amphan on Sunday. And I just thought it was sad more than anything else that it happened. But I really hope now that those who felt like they needed to say their bit, and I understand why, that we can all move on and

get back to celebrating what has been an unbelievable season because I just think it shouldn't get lost should it you know we need to it's we've talked about it before haven't we you know we waited so long to have that

moment. You know, some people had waited their entire lives for that moment against Tottenham a couple of weeks ago. You know, Liverpool are 15 points clear at the top of the league with two games to go. It should be party time. And I hope that is the mood that is prevalent

at Brighton on the south coast next Monday night and then at Anfield the following Sunday because I think now we've got to move on and look to the future and you want a feeling of positivity radiating into the summer. Definitely, definitely and you know

when even James is not going away, say you must be here to do your duty for the next few weeks. I don't say that. I do actually have to go abroad again for a trip unrelated to Liverpool. So I'm sure. Unbelievable. Unbelievable. Yeah.

I'll be working very hard don't you worry James so yeah next two weeks you'll have to find somebody else to have them on Crosby's answer to Judith Chalmers international man of mystery well you'll be reading about it on the page of the Athletic in the next month or so what work trip is it it is a work trip yeah James you know I are they introducing a new travel section I don't just hop over to New York for the weekends and not call it a holiday yeah

And wherever you go, if you go to a steakhouse, you order steak. So that's it from Walk On, your Liverpool podcast brought to you by The Athletic. Thanks to James and Simon and you too for listening. We'll be back later in the week, except for Simon. And we'll catch you then. The Athletic FC Podcast Network.

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