Eddie Gibbs
@eddiegibbs.co.uk
Host of King & AI podcast with Sir Kenny Dalglish. Director Liberty Shield VPN, Anfield Index, EPL Index, Scothosts etc. Tweet mainly on Sport & Tech.
If it does, Liverpool shouldn't hesitate. Lutsharel Geertruida may not stir the soul, but right now, he solves some of the problems.
February 1, 2026 at 9:04 AM
If it does, Liverpool shouldn't hesitate. Lutsharel Geertruida may not stir the soul, but right now, he solves some of the problems.
There are risks. His injury record is a concern, and no one is pretending he sits at the top of Liverpool's wish list. But this is deadline day logic, not fantasy. Why Sunderland would agree remains unclear, unless something in his Leipzig contract makes it workable.
February 1, 2026 at 9:04 AM
There are risks. His injury record is a concern, and no one is pretending he sits at the top of Liverpool's wish list. But this is deadline day logic, not fantasy. Why Sunderland would agree remains unclear, unless something in his Leipzig contract makes it workable.
Versatility is his real value. Right back, centre back, holding midfielder, all areas where Liverpool are stretched thin. Add in Liverpool's injuries, the calendar, and the appeal becomes obvious. This is not about building for five years. It is about surviving the next five months.
February 1, 2026 at 9:04 AM
Versatility is his real value. Right back, centre back, holding midfielder, all areas where Liverpool are stretched thin. Add in Liverpool's injuries, the calendar, and the appeal becomes obvious. This is not about building for five years. It is about surviving the next five months.
He is not a track sprinter in the Frimpong mould, but he is fast where it matters, fast enough to match Premier League forwards stride for stride, fast enough to cover others’ mistakes.
February 1, 2026 at 9:04 AM
He is not a track sprinter in the Frimpong mould, but he is fast where it matters, fast enough to match Premier League forwards stride for stride, fast enough to cover others’ mistakes.
These are often the moments when moves become possible.
Physically, he brings what Liverpool are crying out for. Six foot, quick over short distances, powerful, and blessed with recovery speed that allows him to repair damage when the line is broken.
Physically, he brings what Liverpool are crying out for. Six foot, quick over short distances, powerful, and blessed with recovery speed that allows him to repair damage when the line is broken.
February 1, 2026 at 9:04 AM
These are often the moments when moves become possible.
Physically, he brings what Liverpool are crying out for. Six foot, quick over short distances, powerful, and blessed with recovery speed that allows him to repair damage when the line is broken.
Physically, he brings what Liverpool are crying out for. Six foot, quick over short distances, powerful, and blessed with recovery speed that allows him to repair damage when the line is broken.
Geertruida has been used largely as a centre back during his loan at Sunderland, with spells at right-back and, lately, in defensive midfield. He has not started their last two matches, and that detail sharpens the picture. Trusted to start with, now parked, useful but no longer central.
February 1, 2026 at 9:04 AM
Geertruida has been used largely as a centre back during his loan at Sunderland, with spells at right-back and, lately, in defensive midfield. He has not started their last two matches, and that detail sharpens the picture. Trusted to start with, now parked, useful but no longer central.
When Arne Slot arrived, there was an expectation that Lutsharel Geertruida might follow. It felt natural, almost inevitable. Instead, he joined RB Leipzig, and the idea was shelved. Now it has returned, not dressed up as a grand plan but as a clear, urgent solution.
February 1, 2026 at 9:04 AM
When Arne Slot arrived, there was an expectation that Lutsharel Geertruida might follow. It felt natural, almost inevitable. Instead, he joined RB Leipzig, and the idea was shelved. Now it has returned, not dressed up as a grand plan but as a clear, urgent solution.
There is a Champions League race again. Messy, nervy, crowded. Liverpool may still fall short, but they might not, and that's what we'll live and breathe over the next 5 months. Like that song on the radio, you do not plan the moment that it lands, but you know exactly what it reminds you of.
February 1, 2026 at 8:42 AM
There is a Champions League race again. Messy, nervy, crowded. Liverpool may still fall short, but they might not, and that's what we'll live and breathe over the next 5 months. Like that song on the radio, you do not plan the moment that it lands, but you know exactly what it reminds you of.
The moment that cut deepest came at the end. Ibrahima Konate scoring, then dissolving. No performance analysis needed. These are young men, far from home, many encountering grief for the first time with the loss of Diogo Jota, now Konate, losing his father. Football can pause. Humanity cannot.
February 1, 2026 at 8:42 AM
The moment that cut deepest came at the end. Ibrahima Konate scoring, then dissolving. No performance analysis needed. These are young men, far from home, many encountering grief for the first time with the loss of Diogo Jota, now Konate, losing his father. Football can pause. Humanity cannot.
Mohamed Salah was below his own standards, still delivered the assist that mattered. That's the level. Since his return, Liverpool have scored 15 goals in four games. Before that, 14 in nine. Numbers do not lie; they underline momentum.
February 1, 2026 at 8:42 AM
Mohamed Salah was below his own standards, still delivered the assist that mattered. That's the level. Since his return, Liverpool have scored 15 goals in four games. Before that, 14 in nine. Numbers do not lie; they underline momentum.
It's only seven days since the Bournemouth debacle, but this looked like a side that recognises itself again.
February 1, 2026 at 8:42 AM
It's only seven days since the Bournemouth debacle, but this looked like a side that recognises itself again.
Dalglish/Rush, McManaman/Fowler, Gerrard/Torres - their connection feels alive already, and it's not something forced by a system. This is how ambitious teams play. Let’s stay sensible, though.
February 1, 2026 at 8:42 AM
Dalglish/Rush, McManaman/Fowler, Gerrard/Torres - their connection feels alive already, and it's not something forced by a system. This is how ambitious teams play. Let’s stay sensible, though.
This was a glimpse of the Liverpool we were meant to be watching this season.
Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike are not a gimmick; they are the direction. One glides into space, the other attacks it, and both demand the ball when the noise is loudest.
Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike are not a gimmick; they are the direction. One glides into space, the other attacks it, and both demand the ball when the noise is loudest.
February 1, 2026 at 8:42 AM
This was a glimpse of the Liverpool we were meant to be watching this season.
Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike are not a gimmick; they are the direction. One glides into space, the other attacks it, and both demand the ball when the noise is loudest.
Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike are not a gimmick; they are the direction. One glides into space, the other attacks it, and both demand the ball when the noise is loudest.
The first half hour was ugly and familiar. Loose, rattled, and pushed around, the crowd was restless. Then the game turned on instinct. The ball moved quicker, players stopped hiding, and Anfield stopped waiting. Not control, not choreography, but intent. That was the point.
February 1, 2026 at 8:42 AM
The first half hour was ugly and familiar. Loose, rattled, and pushed around, the crowd was restless. Then the game turned on instinct. The ball moved quicker, players stopped hiding, and Anfield stopped waiting. Not control, not choreography, but intent. That was the point.
There is a line in that Nickelback song about forgetting who you are. It came on the radio as I walked the dog after the match last night, quiet streets, head still buzzing. Liverpool reminded us last night. Sharply. Loudly. Without asking for permission.
February 1, 2026 at 8:42 AM
There is a line in that Nickelback song about forgetting who you are. It came on the radio as I walked the dog after the match last night, quiet streets, head still buzzing. Liverpool reminded us last night. Sharply. Loudly. Without asking for permission.
If the club have decided that Slot is still the right man, then ambiguity cannot linger. Player power corrodes dressing rooms when it is left unchecked, as history has shown, and no one is immune to that logic. Not Mo Salah in December, and not a Scouser now.
January 31, 2026 at 9:30 AM
If the club have decided that Slot is still the right man, then ambiguity cannot linger. Player power corrodes dressing rooms when it is left unchecked, as history has shown, and no one is immune to that logic. Not Mo Salah in December, and not a Scouser now.
If the club have decided that Slot is still the right man, then ambiguity cannot linger. Player power corrodes dressing rooms when it is left unchecked, as history has shown, and no one is immune to that logic. Not Mo Salah in December, and not a Scouser now.
January 31, 2026 at 9:29 AM
If the club have decided that Slot is still the right man, then ambiguity cannot linger. Player power corrodes dressing rooms when it is left unchecked, as history has shown, and no one is immune to that logic. Not Mo Salah in December, and not a Scouser now.
Liverpool have endured difficult transitions before. What they cannot afford now is to lose their compass from the inside out.
January 31, 2026 at 9:21 AM
Liverpool have endured difficult transitions before. What they cannot afford now is to lose their compass from the inside out.
But this is where the unease deepens. When a local lad, steeped in the club’s culture, might fancy a fresh challenge, it points to something more serious than tactics or minutes. It suggests a fracture in trust.
January 31, 2026 at 9:21 AM
But this is where the unease deepens. When a local lad, steeped in the club’s culture, might fancy a fresh challenge, it points to something more serious than tactics or minutes. It suggests a fracture in trust.
Players like that tend not to suffer quietly.
January 31, 2026 at 9:21 AM
Players like that tend not to suffer quietly.
I cannot say there is a rift with Arne Slot, but this season has offered enough oddities that the idea no longer feels fanciful. Jones has spoken publicly about standards, about what Liverpool should look like, and he has never hidden his frustration when those standards slip.
January 31, 2026 at 9:21 AM
I cannot say there is a rift with Arne Slot, but this season has offered enough oddities that the idea no longer feels fanciful. Jones has spoken publicly about standards, about what Liverpool should look like, and he has never hidden his frustration when those standards slip.
So when talk of a possible move surfaced last night, it didn't land as a shock. Jones has 18 months left on his deal, no visible momentum towards renewal, and his involvement has quietly dipped at a time when Liverpool are short of bodies and clarity.
January 31, 2026 at 9:21 AM
So when talk of a possible move surfaced last night, it didn't land as a shock. Jones has 18 months left on his deal, no visible momentum towards renewal, and his involvement has quietly dipped at a time when Liverpool are short of bodies and clarity.
What followed mattered more. I was told on Tuesday by someone else that he would likely not feature against Qarabag, and that illness would be cited as the reason, whether it stood up to scrutiny or not.
January 31, 2026 at 9:21 AM
What followed mattered more. I was told on Tuesday by someone else that he would likely not feature against Qarabag, and that illness would be cited as the reason, whether it stood up to scrutiny or not.