After their team won the first ever Merseyside derby contested at the Hill Dickinson Stadium to take a major step towards Champions League qualification, Liverpool fans probably could not have imagined their Sunday getting much better.

But then Ibrahima Konate elected to make a rare stop in the mixed zone after the game in order to deliver a long-awaited update on his precarious contract situation.

Speaking to reporters, the Frenchman said: “There are many things people have said but for a long time we have spoken with the club and we are close to an agreement. I think everyone wished for that for as long as possible.

“For sure there is a big chance I’m here next season. This is what I always wanted. I’m waiting to sort the contract but when everything is sorted you will have to ask Richard (Hughes) what I said to him in September, November and he’s going to say something to make everyone quiet.”

After it was reported on these pages less than three weeks ago, this was official confirmation that a positive conclusion is finally in sight.

Of course there may, in fact, be some differing opinions on whether that is good news and, in being something of a microcosm of Konate’s season as a whole, Sunday’s game served to show why.

To steal an Arne Slot description of the defender, he was once again at the ‘scene of the crime’ for Everton’s equaliser; too slow and casual in closing down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, allowing the midfielder time to cross for Beto to poke home.

As a centre-half, it is tricky to shake off the fact that you were involved in the concession of a goal.

But, while there was a lively debate among local reporters at full-time regarding how Konate had fared against Everton, should that one moment completely colour how his performance was viewed?

The fact is, with the Toffees targeting his side of the pitch, the 26-year-old made the second most defensive contributions (14) of any player - only trailing Curtis Jones’ frankly ridiculous 28.

And how many times did his front-footedness turn the hosts’ attempts to play off Beto or Thierno Barry into Liverpool possession?

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Virgil van Dijk's last-gasp goal earned Liverpool a crucial 2-1 win over Everton on Sunday.

In the first Merseyside derby contested at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, a 100th-minute header proved the difference.

And this latest post-match podcast posits that goal and a battling performance were huge not only for the club's Champion…

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The difficulty of unpicking the reasons behind Liverpool’s struggles this season was underlined by a point made by Arne Slot in his post-match press conference following defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.

Lamenting his side’s failure to score a goal that could have ignited the tie, the Dutchman said: “Again, we were so underperforming in terms of xG and that is just an ongoing thing with us throughout the whole season.”

Slot had a point given that, on the night, the Reds generated 1.97xG and yet still could not breach Matvey Safonov’s goal even once.

He was also perhaps right to say this applied to the campaign as a whole because, in the Champions League this term, only Atalanta have a bigger xG underperformance than Liverpool’s 5.77 goals.

However, as with everything relating to this team this season, the problems run a little deeper than what, on the surface, seems like sheer bad luck.

And as much was evident even during this seemingly competent attacking performance against the reigning European champions.

Yes, Liverpool generated 1.97xG, but it is worth noting that they did so from 21 shots - an unimpressive xG per shot of 0.09.

That suggests PSG were, on the whole, doing a good job of ensuring that the vast majority of their opponents’ efforts on goal came from less dangerous positions.

And this has been something that plenty of the teams the Reds have faced this season have enjoyed success with.

In the Premier League this year, Liverpool are second only to Manchester United in terms of generating shots with 505.

Yet 12 sides have a better xG per shot than their 0.1, and they are sixth for carving out Opta-defined big chances.

Slot’s men have also scored 52 goals from 52.65xG in the league, which suggests that variance in finishing is not the reason for their issues, despite the manager’s claims.

Of course, that is not to say there is no mitigation for their struggles in attack this season, with the absence of one of the world’s best centre-forwards in Alexander Isak far from helpful.

The decline of Mohamed Salah after almost a decade of brilliance has also clearly taken a huge toll.

However, it is fair to ask - as many have - whether Slot should have been better able to make accommodations for the Egyptian’s diminished pace.

The head coach’s inability to consistently get the best out of Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo, among others, has also been a worrying storyline this season.

Liverpool at least plan to make things easier for that pair by bringing in fresh blood this summer, with sources confirming it is possible that two players capable of featuring out wide will be added.

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Liverpool crashed out of the Champions League as they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

But this was a much-improved performance from Arne Slot's side, who looked set to turn things around before being hit by a suckerpunch late on.

As such, this post-match podcast focuses on asking why we haven’t seen more of this t…

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Liverpool took control of the race for Champions League qualification with a much-needed 2-0 win over Fulham at Anfield.

Goals from Mohamed Salah and Rio Ngumoha helped Arne Slot's side end a three-game losing streak and offer some hope after abysmal recent performances.

And this latest post-match podcast opines that the head c…

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After each of Liverpool’s 17 defeats this season, fierce debate has raged among supporters regarding the causes.

Many fans have a favourite issue to pin every failing on, often tending to be entrenched in that singular view.

And fortunately for those involved, whether you prefer to blame the manager, the sporting director, or the players, this wretched campaign has provided plenty of evidence to support your view.

However, it should be acknowledged that Liverpool cannot afford for one of these positions to be proven right if they are to turn things around any time soon.

That is the idea that this collection of players simply isn’t capable of offering more than they currently are.

There certainly looked to be a kernel of truth in that claim as the Reds fell to defeat in Paris on Wednesday, with several summer signings making little impact.

For example, Hugo Ekitike lost two thirds of his duels and completed just 59% of his passes as he was swallowed up by the PSG defence.

The Frenchman is still only 23 years of age and has enjoyed a fine debut season on the whole, but he is also clearly not the finished article at this level and needs to show more.

Alongside him, Florian Wirtz was similarly ineffective, putting in another quiet performance that supported the view that his influence has somewhat tailed off in recent weeks.

It was hoped that his arrival in a £116m deal would close the gap in games like this, but he could only provide glimpses of quality - as has been the story of his campaign as a whole.

Meanwhile, Alexander Isak’s return to action represented a boost, but his injury history was a worry even before he effectively sat out his first season at Anfield.

The problems were not just restricted to summer additions, either, with previously reliable stars such as Ryan Gravenberch and Ibrahima Konate struggling.

One of those players recently signed a new long-term deal, and it is understood that discussions over the other doing the same are now advancing towards a conclusion after an initial impasse.

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Liverpool's Champions League hopes were dealt a serious blow as they suffered a deserved 2-0 defeat to PSG in Paris.

Goals from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ensured the holders took a big step towards the semi-finals.

And this latest post-match podcast discusses whether the performance showed that the gap between the…

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Liverpool's FA Cup journey ended in a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City on Saturday.

An Erling Haaland hat-trick and goal from Antoine Semenyo condemned Arne Slot's men to a 15th defeat of the season.

And this latest post-match podcast argues that the nature of the result and performance have piled even more pressur…

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When Liverpool completed a British record deal to sign Alexander Isak last summer, it was hard to shake the feeling that senior figures were doing all they could to play down its significance.

For starters, the club’s media team were notably restrained in the content they offered up given this was a £125m addition, while it was also unusually difficult for reporters to get anyone at the AXA Training Centre to offer much detail regarding the move.

Of course, this discreet approach owed everything to the contentious nature of the Swede’s departure from Newcastle, who had begun the summer believing they would hold onto a player with three years remaining on his contract.

As far as Liverpool were concerned, there was little desire to rub salt in the wounds after coming out on top in what proved to be a fractious battle, or indeed set themselves up for a fall should the signing fail.

And it is that latter concern which looks particularly prescient now, with Isak having managed 16 appearances, 781 minutes, and just three goals across a debut campaign that has two months remaining.

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Whether right or wrong, Liverpool’s reluctance to hand down a verdict on Arne Slot while the season is ongoing means the debate over his future will continue to rage over the coming weeks.

But that does not mean that the club need embrace uncertainty at all levels ahead of what has begun to look like another pivotal summer.

Do not forget, it is not just the head coach who will have just one year remaining on his contract come the end of the campaign, but also those above him tasked with deciding his fate.

And unlike Slot, surely the futures of Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of football Michael Edwards and Reds sporting director Richard Hughes should not be so tightly tied to on-pitch outcomes as to necessitate any wait on whether they will continue in their roles.

In Edwards’ case, that does not seem set in stone given the recent news that FSG have abandoned plans to expand their football portfolio and operate a multi-club model.

There is sense in that call given that UEFA have shown a desire to strictly enforce integrity rules prohibiting any entity or individual from having “decisive influence” over two clubs in the same competition.

Ultimately, it seems that FSG are struggling to see the value in owning a second club if they will be forced to sacrifice full control of it in such a situation.

But the obvious downside is that Edwards declared the multi-club plans to be “one of the biggest factors” in his decision to return to the fold almost two years ago.

As such, with that now off the table, it would not be a surprise to hear soon that the 46-year-old is seeking a new challenge.

Still, any departure would have a less immediate impact on day-to-day matters at Anfield than that of Hughes, who is understood to a target for Saudi club Al Hilal.

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Liverpool's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League were dealt another blow as they were deservedly beaten 2-1 by Brighton.

A Danny Welbeck brace condemned Arne Slot's men to their 10th defeat of the campaign, despite Milos Kerkez getting on the scoresheet.

And this latest post-match podcast argues this was another result …

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Clearly, it would be a gross oversimplification to suggest that Liverpool’s 4-0 win over Galatasaray provided a blueprint for the remainder of the season.

It goes without saying that if managers could guarantee four goals scored, five expected goals generated, and 32 shots with 16 on target every game, then they would do so.

Unfortunately, replicating those numbers against less generous opposition is going to be impossible.

However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t aspects of the Reds’ performance that they can take forward in order to ensure this season ends in a manner that is not in keeping with this slog of a season.

The first of those is workrate, a marked improvement in which was heartily welcomed by the Anfield crowd on Wednesday evening.

Arne Slot’s press conference claims that outrunning the opposition is difficult when you dominate the ball were never going to wash with supporters who had seen that happen so regularly under Jurgen Klopp.

The Dutchman himself seemed to contradict them anyway in one pre-match TV interview that hinted at what was to come, saying: “Winning more duels and running more than other team does. All these things help probably more than team tactics.”

The end result was the Reds boasting 62% of the ball yet still running 117km to Galatasaray’s 114 - an approach that got the fans onside even before the goals started going in.

And while nobody wants Slot to turn into a Klopp tribute act, it was notable that his unusually animated touchline performance set the tone.

The head coach’s personal tendency may be towards calm control, but it would be a waste of Anfield’s superpower not to embrace the chaos from time to time, particularly given he is at a point where regaining fan buy-in will be crucial to saving his job.

Slot would also surely be best served by sticking with the 4-4-2 formation seen against Galatasaray that has long seemed like the best use of the options at his disposal.

It is almost amusing to reel off the lengthy list of ways in which that is true, but all of them were evident during Wednesday’s game.

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Liverpool secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a thumping 4-0 win over Galatasaray at Anfield.

Goals from Dominik Szoboszlai, Hugo Ekitike, Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah served to slightly ease the pressure on Arne Slot.

But this post-match podcast makes that the point that it is the inten…

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Liverpool’s woeful season took another turn for the worse as they were held to a 1-1 draw by struggling Tottenham at Anfield.

And so inevitably, the focus of this latest post-match podcast is the future of head coach Arne Slot.

The Dutchman’s chances of extending his stay at the club after a new low point of the campaign are di…

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It has often - and entirely fairly - been pointed out during this disappointing Liverpool campaign that even the great Jurgen Klopp was not immune to a poor season.

Let us not forget that the Reds’ Premier League title defence of 2020-21 was just as disastrous as this one, ending with a 17-point gap to winners Manchester City and no other silverware claimed.

Meanwhile, 2022-23’s high point was victory in the Community Shield in August, with another trophyless slog plus a failure to qualify for the Champions League following.

Things aren’t quite that desperate for Arne Slot yet, with his team still in both the Champions League and FA Cup, and locked in a battle for a top-five finish.

But success on any of those fronts feels like a long shot given the depth of Liverpool’s issues, and so it would be unwise to tie attempts to salvage the season to those outcomes.

Instead, the Dutchman could learn something from the fact that the saving grace of Klopp’s poorest campaigns was that, even if their ultimate aims weren’t always achieved, his teams always finished strongly.

In 2020-21, the Reds somehow managed to sneak into third place in the Premier League by finishing up with a 10-match unbeaten run that included eight wins.

That late-season bounce provided the platform for a largely similar squad to pick up two trophies all while going agonisingly close to winning a quadruple the following season.

And two years later, an 11-match unbeaten run featuring seven wins saw the Reds still narrowly miss out on a top-four finish but, most crucially, lay the foundations for improvement next time around.

Key among them was a tweak to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s positioning that helped Liverpool challenge for the title and win the League Cup in Klopp’s final season.

In both cases, the clear squad issues the German faced made it easy to accept a fallow year, but it was absolutely vital to end well in order to show both that lessons were being learned and that better days lay ahead.

And so if Slot hopes to persuade fans, players, and his superiors to buy into idea that a similar improvement is coming next term, then he could surely do with overseeing a similarly strong finish to this forgettable campaign.

The fact is, the current boss does not have comparable mitigation to Klopp’s worst years, such as losing all of his centre-halves to long-term injury, or the entire midfield going over the hill simultaneously.

The Reds have had some injuries, yes, but hardly a crisis, while signings who arrived needing to adapt to a new environment should be showing their best form and the fruits of the on-pitch relationships they have built by now.

There has also been plenty of time to get to grips with the Premier League’s pivot to greater physicality and set-pieces, even if that caught everyone at the club by surprise.

And, while it would be remiss not to mention the tragic passing of Diogo Jota when mentioning the extenuating circumstances, it also feels unfair and inaccurate to put Liverpool’s multitude of problems all down to that.

Whatever the reasons, this team has so regularly shown its flaws that asking its head coach to guarantee a happy ending in the form of a trophy or even a top-five finish would be folly, not least because not even Klopp managed that in his toughest years.

But, should the season end with Liverpool limping over the line and ensuring this campaign has no redeeming features whatsoever, then it will be trickier for Slot to make the case that he is capable of overseeing the necessary recovery.

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Liverpool suffered a 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray in the first leg of the sides' Champions League last-16 tie.

An early set-piece goal proved the difference as Arne Slot's side were beaten in Istanbul for the second time this season.

And this latest post-match podcast suggests this was another significant setback for Slot, whose t…

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Liverpool booked their place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup as they as they avenged a midweek defeat to Wolves with a 3-1 win at Molineux.

Goals from Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones saw Arne Slot's side through a game they largely dominated from start to finish.

But, according to this latest post-match podc…

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While Arne Slot clearly deserves his share of the blame for Liverpool’s woeful season, you feel for the Dutchman in that he cannot always be honest about its causes.

And never was that more evident than after the Reds’ painful last-gasp defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday evening.

Asked if he agreed with a withering Virgil van Dijk assessment of the performance at Molineux, the club’s head coach replied: “‘Slow’ or ‘predictable’ are words that I can understand [Van Dijk] uses, but if you want to go faster, you have to be able to dominate situations on the sides because then something can happen. We struggled to dominate on the sides today.”

Given it would be unwise in the extreme to criticise players he needs to show their best form in the coming months, that is about as close as Slot is ever going to get to highlighting one of Liverpool’s biggest issues this term.

Yet even in that excruciatingly diplomatic answer it was clear that he, like every watching fan, had identified the worrying role played by his starting wingers in a woeful evening.

Mohamed Salah may have scored the equaliser, but this was a performance that brought zero chances created and two shots from 70 touches of the ball.

Heated debate continues to rage on social media over whether Slot is adequately platforming the Egyptian, but his looseness of touch and inability to find a teammate - most notably during a late counter - despite such heavy involvement suggests this is simply a player inevitably losing his battle with the passing of time.

And even his most ardent defenders can surely acknowledge there is a contradiction to believing Slot is not using his No.11 correctly this term while simultaneously giving him zero credit for last season’s unprecedented numbers.

On the other wing, Cody Gakpo also continued a disappointing campaign in, like Salah, shooting twice and failing to create a chance.

That it did not have to be that way was underlined by Hugo Ekitike briefly taking on wing responsibilities for a moment in the second half, beating his man in the box and pulling the ball back dangerously to highlight exactly what his attacking colleagues should have been doing all along.

That moment was also a useful indicator of what is needed on the wings in this new version of the Premier League, which features some of the most disciplined and athletic low blocks the division has ever seen from top to bottom.

It is not just Salah and Gakpo who have struggled with this change, with their 10 and nine goal contributions respectively this season putting them ahead of big names like Bukayo Saka, Anthony Gordon and Pedro Neto.

Ultimately, a significant jump in defensive organisation, physicality and quality has made it even harder for wingers to find space to run into in behind, making those darting runs to finish off moves less useful than ever.

Instead, the importance of dribbling has been significantly boosted, and it is no coincidence that Liverpool look better when they have one-v-one specialists Jeremie Frimpong and Rio Ngumoha on the pitch, even if fitness issues and age have meant they have not been able to do so as often as would be liked.

In that context, Liverpool’s interest in RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, who has been watched extensively ahead of a summer in which they are expected to bolster their options out wide, makes a lot of sense.

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Liverpool's hopes of Champions League qualification were dealt a blow as they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Wolves.

And this latest post-match podcast focuses on the fact it was a game in which familiar issues reared their heads for Arne Slot's side.

Among the problems discussed are the attacking problems that have plagued the Premi…

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Liverpool moved into the Premier League’s top five as they beat struggling West Ham 5-2 at Anfield.

But it was another confusing performance from Arne Slot’s side, who remain unconvincing at times despite results improving.

As such, this latest post-match podcast makes the case that it is increasingly difficult to predict what …

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