24–30 September 2026
Right. We had this one two days before anyone else. On the 24th we said Ward was coming back as sporting director. On the 26th the club confirmed it. Rumour to fact, and you read it here first — that’s exactly what the meter on our headlines is there for.
Good luck to him, mind, because what he’s walked into is a state. Van Dijk and Alisson out of contract in the summer. Tsimikas an’ all. Still no right-winger since Salah went. Nobody behind Araujo when that loan’s done. Hughes spent seven hundred million quid on sixteen players and then hopped off to Al-Hilal. Cheers, Richard.
And then there’s Wirtz
Every man and his dog’s had a pop this week, Dyche calling him boyish, no goals and one assist in six. Klopp’s out there defending him in the Germany job. But Carragher’s the only one talking sense: he’s not replacing Salah, he’s replacing Trent. Our best creator was a right-back. You can’t go down the shops and buy one of them.
The physio room
That’s what worries me. Isak’s back early from Sweden with a thigh, four in six starts and the one lad we can’t lose. Gakpo’s ankle went against Serbia. Ekitike’s still out. It’s thin up there.
One bit of good news, though — Leoni’s nearly back. Thirteen months since he did his knee on debut, poor kid. No need to rush him with Jacquet playing like that. Carragher says he’s already better than Konate.
City at Anfield
Then it’s the 11th. Ian Doyle of Blood Red makes it the marker: seven unbeaten, same as Fagan and Paisley managed, but half of Iraola’s last twenty-four have been draws. Half four at Anfield. Let’s see how we get on.
Where it stands
Some of that’s nailed on, some’s decent reporting, some’s just talk going round. We’ll tell you next week which was which.
AI-assisted, edited by Warren Kirk.