Joel Matip - From Schalke, With Love
So, Who Have We Got?
Joel Matip’s profile makes positive reading for Liverpool fans. His demeanour reminds me of Lucas Leiva, a smile never too far from the surface. But we should not let that fool us. Matip is by no means a soft touch on the pitch. He puts his body on the line when necessary, displaying bravery and commitment in droves.
Matip’s long, slender, 6’4” frame seems to glide across the field at times. The 24 year old …
Divock Origi Needed One Thing Fans Don't Allow - Time
Divock Origi was one of those players that Liverpool bought but didn't really know what we were getting. Brendan Rodgers and the committee saw a player that certainly had potential and was flourishing in the 2014 World Cup. So they splashed the cash and loaned him back to Lille to continue his development. By the time he arrived in the summer of 2015 he had been named in the “worst team of the season” by L'Equipe and was clearly lacking confidence. …
Kevin Stewart: Keep as a Squad Player or Jettison?
Kevin Stewart finally made his return to the Liverpool first team this weekend after suffering ankle ligament damage in February just as it looked like he was becoming a decent squad player.
Stewart is one of a number of players that have seen their opportunities broadened by the arrival of Jürgen Klopp. Youngsters such as Cameron Brannagan, Sheyi Ojo and Divock Origi have all found first team football a more frequent friend in recent months and each is showing great …
How Should We Judge the New Lovren?
Dejan Lovren...
He’s improved quite a bit under Klopp, but he’s still a player who divides opinion. There’s even been talk, both on Twitter and from mainstream journalists, that he’s the centre-back Klopp trusts most, and that he’s the one who will partner Matip next season. Not everyone holds this view, however – a competing narrative is that we only think he looks good because he was so, so bad last year. So how bad was he then, how good …
Firmino: The Bobby Dazzler
The story is familiar. Poor kid from South America, family makes sacrifices to help him on his way, makes breakthrough in his home-country before transferring to a middle-of-the-road European club, performs highly in Europe, earns big-money deal to Premier League.
Most of us are familiar with the tale of Luis Suarez’s career journey and ambition, however, this time it is Roberto Firmino’s story we are narrating.
After failing to impress in a trial with first division Sao Paulo he made …
Mario Götze, a Perfect Reunion?
As soon as Jürgen Klopp arrived at Liverpool FC, various newspapers posed the question, 'Which former players from Klopp's Dortmund team would he attempt to sign?', Liverpool have been linked with Ílkay Gündogan, Marco Reus and Neven Subotić, but most recently there have been reports of a summer move for Mario Götze on the cards; fuelled by comments during an interview from Götze himself, saying,
"I have not heard anything. You should ask Klopp if he wants me at Liverpool. If …
It's a Bird... It's a Plane... No! It's Super Can
Emre Can put in a man of the match performance under the lights of Old Trafford on Thursday night and in doing so cemented his place in the hearts and minds of the Liverpool faithful. Our very own Turkish delight dominated the midfield with a brilliant performance entrenched with power, pace and technical quality that had the Anfield faithful gushing with praise.
At 22 years of age, the German International is a regular starter at one of the biggest clubs …
Liverpool Squad Analysis, Part Three: The Forwards
Public perception over Liverpool's forward line has changed drastically from the start of the season; Danny Ings and Christian Benteke started fairly well, whilst Divock Origi and Roberto Firmino struggled, as Daniel Sturridge looked on from the sidelines. Fast forward to late October, where Ings had been ruled out for the season, Benteke was misfiring, Origi and Firmino still struggled and Sturridge was still unfit. All the attention was on Klopp bringing in a new striker in the January transfer …
A Disservice To Henderson
At the risk of sounding too negative here, but am I the only one that feels that since Jordan Henderson has returned from injury in January Jürgen Klopp has done him a great disservice by playing him as often as he has? (I am not having a go at Klopp, he is the Liverpool manager and he knows what he is doing but the over reliance on Henderson is something I am very concerned about.)
I mentioned in an earlier …
Is Emre Can Overplayed and Unappreciated?
Emre Can has the potential to become a quality Premier League midfielder. He has the attributes that many, if not all, Premier League sides look for when they're signing a modern day midfielder; he's got great vision, can pick a pass, he's mastered the slide tackle without giving away a free-kick, he's got a good engine on him and for someone so young he's good with his defensive responsibilities. He's not adverse to filling in when Alberto Moreno and Jordon …