Player Ratings as Liverpool stick five past the Ev
There are holes to pick that performance and a nagging concern that Liverpool's defensive lapses will eventually lead to some dropped league points, but the day we stop beating our rivals 5-2 is the day we pack it all in.
Divock Origi loves a big game, Sadio Mane is a magician and Everton are really bad are my main takeaways, and here are my ratings.
Snide, silly errors and more from the defence
Adrian (6): Not giving him too much blame …
Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal: A Tactical Breakdown
After a series of underwhelming performances, Liverpool's victory against Arsenal was a significant step in the right direction. Whereas in previous games, Liverpool had conceded a number of chances, and defended poorly, through not pressing effectively or making positional errors, the fixture on Saturday evening was far more akin to the efficient, composed and effective performances which came to define Liverpool's ruthless machine-like intensity over the course of last season.
Liverpool set up in their typical 4-3-3 formation, but whereas …
Tactical Analysis: How Liverpool Improved Mo Salah
When Liverpool signed Mohammad Salah for £37 million from AS Roma in 2017, most people didn’t expect him to have scored 72 goals in 106 games. But, under the watchful eye of Jurgen Klopp, his reputation as a fast winger has rapidly developed into becoming one of the most prolific forwards in the Premier League.
Looking back now, and at today’s current market, £37 million is an absolute steal for one of Liverpool’s most potent goal scorers of all time. …
Liverpool Player Ratings: End of Season Edition - Part Two
Here we go again, back for part two as I conclude my player ratings for Liverpool's season. You can find part one here, whilst Anfield Index Pro subscribers can find Adam, Tom and I guided by the lovely Kay as we join together for a Rate, Don't Hate, end of season special two-parter.
Virgil van Dijk was, unsurprisingly, the high scorer in part one of these ratings, but will anyone else achieve a perfect ten as we delve into the …
Liverpool Player Ratings: End of Season Edition - Part One
It's that time of year again, a time for reflection. A memorable domestic campaign drew to a disappointing end for Liverpool as a ninth straight league win wasn't enough to prevent Manchester City from a successive title, but there were a string of positives - one of which being qualification for another Champions League final.
Whilst we're still a couple of weeks from finding out if the Liverpool squad can make themselves heroes by bringing home number six from Madrid, …
Liverpool's Fullback Creativity and Recruitment Targets – Part 1
Liverpool’s Fullback Creativity and Recruitment Targets – Part 1
An analytical deep dive to profile Liverpool's fullback creativity and answer the question - is it sustainable?
This season, Liverpool consistently lacked a midfield set-up that tasked a player to be a high performing creator and goal threat. That meant the absence of a midfielder to carry the ball past defensive lines, complete creative passes into the box and take dangerous shots from inside the box, all at a high level. …
Do Liverpool need a Christmas Caulker?
To a casual observer, Steven Caulker's six-month loan move to Liverpool in January 2016 represented the most bizarre of transfers.
It's very rare that top-six Premier League teams actually bring players in on loan, rather than sending them away, especially from a team - Queens Park Rangers in this case - floundering in the Championship.
However, the deal made some sort of sense when the context was added.
Caulker, a phoenix from the ashes
With Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren …
Dejan Lovren, sprouts and the art of debate
"All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated and well supported in logic and argument than others." - Douglas Adams.
"Never be so cliché as to start a piece of writing with a quote." - My father.
Sorry, Dad.
The definition of a 'good' football player varies based on what level you want them playing at. Dejan Lovren would be a phenomenal player for a team in the National League, Conference or whatever we're …
Mane takes the money: Reaction to Sadio's new deal
Just as we were all drifting off into a Thursday night daze, social media started buzzing with the news of Sadio Mane bringing an end to all the chatter about his contract situation by signing a new one.
The Reds' wing wizard has put pen to paper on a brand spanking new deal that takes him up to 2023, joining fellow attacking starlets Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino in renewing this year.
A pay rise for Mane, a player, locked …
Regression or Repression - What's going on with Ben Woodburn?
Ben Woodburn's career so far has been defined by moments.
A goal against Leeds United lit the touch paper, sparking huge interest in Woodburn as he became Liverpool's youngest ever scorer.
Following that there was the goal against Austria that secured a hugely important win for Wales, Woodburn striking poetically from the edge of the area to the backdrop of a heartfelt national anthem.
Unfortunately, that's been about it so far. To look up the M62 at Liverpool's rivals for …