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 …
Sturridge, Firmino and Coutinho - Opponents Should Fear Us
"Where are the goals going to come from?" was probably amongst the top five questions Liverpool fans have asked in 2015. It's not like there wasn't cause for concern either, saying the Reds looked blunt up front would've been polite. The toothless attack is a mixture of Daniel Sturridge having shares in the injury table market, Brendan Rodgers playing systems that isolated strikers and latterly the misfortune of having injuries to Christian Benteke and Danny Ings.
Liverpool have scored a …
Coutinho: Why Confidence and Pressing Matters
The struggles of Philippe Coutinho in recent weeks have been well documented on this website. The diminutive Brazilian hasn't had the best of times since his beautiful long-range winner at Stoke City on the opening day of the season.
So what has been the issue for Coutinho? Lack of options in front of him? Lack of players he trusts around him? External factors causing a loss of confidence? Or all of the above?
Let's look at the lack of options to …
The Two Dannys - Sturridge and Ings: Ready Made Strikeforce
Liverpool have had a few prolific partnerships in their history, a few spring to mind instantly with very little thought. John Toshack and Kevin Keegan, Ian Rush and Kenny Dalglish, Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen, Emile Heskey and Michael Owen, Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard and of course Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge. Some were integral in title winning sides, others important in winning European trophies whilst others played a dominant role in Liverpool finishing second and giving us one …
Philippe Coutinho: Tactical, Flexible, Magical (Part 1)
PFA Player of the Month for February 2015, LFC Players’ and Fans’ Player of the Season, and PFA Team of the Year. Four individual awards in a year is a remarkable feat, to say the least. With the cherry on top that is to finally cement a place in the Seleção – it’s been a year to remember for Philippe Coutinho indeed.
It’s not hard to appreciate what Philippe Coutinho can do. Your attention gets caught by his fancy, but …
Raheem Sterling: The Best Player in the Premier League?
Every season you’re bombarded with tweets and articles about a world beating 18 or 19 year old playing here or there around Europe. Gotze, Hazard and Lamela all spring to mind from the last few campaigns. However, this year the player on everyone’s timeline is Raheem Sterling. He is easily working his way into as many column inches as the likes of Draxler and Deolufeu. High praise indeed but definitely deserved.
There are really only two players who have outshone …
Losing Luis Suarez - is it a Big Problem?
The thought of writing this article was a no brainier. Throughout the last two and half months, most football pundits have predicted Liverpool will fall down the pecking order this season - just because they lost their talisman Luis Suarez.
Nevertheless, in the words of fellow AnfieldIndex writer Ryan McTernan, "it would be reckless in the highest regard to dismiss the impact Luis Suarez had in his time at Anfield." This is not what I am doing. Without question Luis …
Suso - Should He Stay or Should He Go?
Jesús Joaquín Fernández Sáez de la Torre. You might know him as Suso. A prime example of another young talent in an all too familiar situation. Is there room for him in the squad for the up-coming season or should he be loaned out again? Where would he go?
After showing plenty of promise in 2012/13 he was slowly phased out by Rodgers due to the transitional situation of the club not particularly allowing for youth development. Suso has continued …
Sterling is Money
"This does not f***ing slip now.
"Listen. Listen. This is gone. We go to Norwich. Exactly the same. We go again. Come on!"
Steven Gerrard delivered the aforementioned words following the most dramatic ninety minutes of Premier League football this season. His side had let slip a two goal lead versus league chasers Manchester City, but a 78th minute striker from Philippe Coutinho edged the Reds further up the hill with the final score reading Liverpool 3-2 Manchester City.
As …
Philippe Coutinho's Touch of Class Dominated the Derby
There’s nothing like an intense derby match to separate the wheat from the chaff. An evening kick-off which stirred memories of those famous Anfield occasions under the lights, and a battle for bragging rights on the pitch, on the streets, in the pub, and most importantly, in the league table. The clichés rolled off the tongues of the BT Sport presenters, perched on their posh scaffolding around the ground – not for the faint hearted – and the journalists in …