So, LFC Fam..how are we my fellow Reds? All good or getting there, I hope? Just looking in the LFIJ Discord, and on Youtube etc..I feel we are all rapidly forgetting the pain of the Slot years. We are walking to embrace the game play and strategies of a very smiley Iraola Andoni. Our new Boss..is just Boss!

The Great Andoni has already given us some great games, renewed great attacking plays, introduced trigger based pressing...plus we have had some terrific truly global class goals! So, we are already ahead guys. We are getting back to being ...The Mighty Reds!

BUT, I have two big worries that I would welcome your views on LFIJ'ers. One is about the impact of Andoni's playing style. The other is about LFC fans expectations for the 26/27 season.

Let's look at what Iraola wants to see from our team. A key part of Iraola’s game play is to close down the opposition, to sort of suffocate them. He want to stop them building an attack, he wants to breakdown their attacking potential. I call this forcing "degraded play" on them, they have possession, but we are ( trying our best) to limit their threat.

We are defo seeing the benefits of Iraola's hybrid press, we see blends of zonal and man-to-man marking too. We see very fast play formation transition - well- some of the time! When we go gappy in the midfield its all because we haven't gotten into shape fast enough.

Yes, its a but frustrating ..we still have to see who eventually is best where. But will shake out. We are back to power plays, very fast attacking plays, lots of intensity and energy. All of this requires a very high work rate, that has to be sustained for 90 minutes or more.

I think our new Boss wants Spartans in football boots! He wants Anfield to be just like SPARTA !!

Don't get me wrong I am loving what i see, but I worry...given our current squad, and especially the injury issues we are carrying..do we have the legs to keep this exciting style of play up? Do our lads have the stamina, the mental fortitude to keep up this high intensity play rates for potentially 60+ games?

Remember, Bournemouth never had Champions league runs? The most they played was 44 games in 23/24. So,I worry about our squad strength, and whether the legs will go from the first teamers ( even Kerkez) by the end of April when we meet niggly Leeds again?

Don't go telling me rotation is the answer here! As i feel we have too many injury prone and recovering players in our squad atm. I am not blaming here, just assessing the possibilities. So, that's my big, wake-up-screaming-in-the-night worry bluds.

Which leads me on to big worry number 2. If we get to the end of April - and we have a top 5 PL placing, but we start dropping points? What's going to happen? Screams and shouts, attacks and complaints..some of the fanbase will melt. I am not a blame-gamer - I think we all need to get a grip - and have to have some patience, we must resist THE MELT!

If poor Andoni comes under attack from all sides, and its all .."..we must win the next game, or i am done.."...all that talk..and all the good games, great efforts and development we have so far are forgotten - then shame on us. We are together are LFC - we fans must keep the LFC Shield Wall. We must be SPARTANS too.

Personally, I am really happy with the progress and commitment of our squad, and the efforts of the coaching team. It's still very early days innit? But do have enough young legs? Will our best squad players last the course? And, if we do fade a bit as the season progresses ( as will other teams! ) let's all please give the Boss at least this season to "bed in". Am saying to anyone who will listen...let's stay strong, and give Andoni the time to have his players get fully fit, time to learn the new patterns and tactics - to let thing "gel" and bond together. That's what supporters do...we support If we find our squad needs strengthening this year - then lets not rush at it...lets build it cleverly for 27/28. Cos, that's the Liverpool Way. Not go and try screaming to solve it all in a day.

Winning our 7th Champions League Cup is a long term campaign - not a single season effort.

To close off, here are some wise words from our own Bob Paisley whose record and calm approach give us to biggest clue to more Glory Years . Found in the Liverpool Daily Post 21st of April 1983, at the end of his formidable career.

"..I have always preferred to liken the championship to a marathon. You have to know how to start the race, how to take the strain when problems come along... and to make sure you don't give any potentially dangerous rivals an advantage. My policy is to ideally have five or six men around the age of 26, a couple of youngsters, a couple round the 28 mark and one or two in their 30s. But the nucleus of the team should be experienced and.... not too old..."

Bob Paisley won us:

6 First Division League Championships

3 European Cups

3 League Cups

6 Charity / Community Shields

1 UEFA Cup

1 UEFA Super Cup

Do have things wrong here..? Are we ready to play the long game to win big? Or is it all about points now, and we "must win the next game!" What do you guys think?

Am I worrying too much? Will everyone melt? Will I melt? Let me know your views - they are very very welcome!

YNWA.