We All Disagree Where Liverpool Finish | Season Predictions + Newcastle Preview

The episode had one job — call the season — and we couldn’t even agree on the champion, let alone where Liverpool land. But before the arguments, there were the kids.

The kids are alright: Jacquet, Araújo, Frimpong

Jérémy Jacquet ran away with the summer. Fifteen minutes into a preseason friendly the crowd was already singing his name, and the image that stuck with us was Van Dijk watching him from the back — the look of a man seeing a younger version of himself. Araújo’s follow-up was quieter but maybe more important: a calmness that settles a whole back line, and enough of it that we spent a good while debating whether it’s him, not Jacquet, who starts at Newcastle. Then there’s Frimpong, who looks genuinely reborn — a summer off, plus, and this is the interesting part, some actual defensive coaching from Iraola. For once the full-back might defend. The upshot is a genuine selection headache at Newcastle: do you throw the in-form kid straight in at St James’ Park, or trust Araújo’s experience for a hostile opener? We didn’t agree on that one either.

Midfield: does Iraola even want a #6?

This is where it got spiky. The old instinct is to sign a Fabinho — a pure holding midfielder to sit in front of the back four. But does Iraola’s system even ask for one? We went round in circles and never fully landed it. The related worry is Szoboszlai and Gravenberch: brilliant on their own, but two players of nearly the same profile, and a double pivot that can double up rather than balance out. The bright spot is Trey Nyoni, who in Chicago was carrying himself like a young Xabi Alonso — the exact profile the midfield is crying out for.

Season predictions: four hosts, four answers

Then the main event, and the episode title earned itself. Where does Liverpool finish? Vivek says first. JD says second. Sheikh says third. Jins says fifth — outside the four entirely. Four hosts, four different answers to the only question that brought us to the table: that’s the show in one line.

Nobody agreed on the champion either. Sheikh made the sober case — 22 wins, 72 points, “comfortable top four” — with Arsenal first, Chelsea second, Liverpool third, City fourth and United dropping out. Vivek went full heart-over-head, riding three superstitions (a USA preseason, a Uruguayan in the squad, a new manager) all the way to Liverpool winning the league, ahead of Arsenal, United and Spurs. Jins was brutal: Arsenal wrap it up by Gameweek 36 and Liverpool finish fifth. And JD played contrarian — Chelsea win it under Xabi Alonso, Liverpool a close second. Every one of those calls now lives on the Predictions page, waiting to be graded.

The Xabi Alonso question

Which fed the argument nobody quite wanted to have: did FSG get the manager call wrong? If Xabi Alonso walks into Chelsea and wins the league, do we regret not chasing him — and would we sack Iraola over it? JD had the line of the night: “It’s not the coach who wins one year, it’s the coach who builds five.” We also detoured into the off-pitch news — Amazon Prime taking a reported 40% stake, so Liverpool FC now runs, in the small print, in association with Jeff Bezos. Modern football.

Newcastle, and your call

And then the small matter of an actual game. For all the doom from some corners of the table, the opener call landed optimistic: 2-1 to the Reds at St James’ Park. A statement start if it comes off — or the first “told you so” of the season if it doesn’t.

Watch the full episode above for the arguments behind every number, then do the honest thing: drop your Newcastle scoreline — and where you really think Liverpool finish — on YouTube or Instagram below. We read every one, and they’ll sit right next to ours on the Predictions page. Call it better than the four of us and we’ll say so, on air, on the next pod.