In the Bleak Midwinter: Hopes and Dreams for a Winter Break

As we enter the final few weeks of the season before the World Cup break, there’s a lot for Liverpool to evaluate during this period. The highest points total of an English side in the Champions League combined with a record low in their domestic completion under Jurgen Klopp has left many Reds tearing...

Tottenham 1 – 2 Liverpool – Premier League Man Of The Match

Tottenham 1 - 2 Liverpool - Premier League Man Of The Match Mohamed Salah A sensationally gifted and important player. His killer instincts killed off Spurs in the first half, and the point of the spear was as sharp as you could ever want. With Nunez acting as the jagged edge, and Bobby the assured...

Tottenham 1 – 2 Liverpool – Premier League Player Ratings

Starting XI Alisson Becker - 7.0 Looked a little shaky on 15 mins as Spurs exploded with two chances, but did enough to keep the ball out. Was steady enough barring that. Had to make some good saves to keep the Reds in the game, and could do little about the Kane goal. Trent Alexander Arnold -...

Champions League Knockouts: All the Possibilities

Well, the Premier League certainly hasn't been going well for Liverpool, but we've gotten the Champions League somewhat right. The Reds took 15 points from 6 games, and only finished second in the group by 3 goals. However, those 3 goals could potentially mean the world, as they mean we are forced to draw...

Tottenham v Liverpool – The Premier League Preview

This Premier League encounter represents one of the bigger games of the season, and both will be desperate to walk away victorious. Jurgen Klopp has had a very difficult start to the season, and Antonio Conte hasn’t had everything go his way either. With Liverpool traveling to the capital this Sunday, a win for...

The Ibrahima Konate Effect

The summer before last saw Liverpool pay £34m for Ibrahima Konate, securing his services from German outfit RB Leipzig. The season prior had seen Liverpool‘s central defence end the season with Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams in the first team, as they scrambled for Champions League qualification. That season had seen Virgil van Dijk,...

Tony Evans: Stop Cryarsing! Football Has Changed

Here’s what you can expect as a Liverpool fan in the 2020s: life will be a roller-coaster. Here’s what you can’t expect: to win the title more than once in a – and I use the phrase consciously – blue moon. It’s no use cryarsing about every defeat and every missed transfer target. The words ‘the...

The Long Term Fabinho Replacement

Since Fabinho arrived at Anfield in 2018, he’s been able to cement himself as one of the top 5 defensive midfielders in world football. Even if you were to look at him just a few months back, you wouldn’t doubt his long term ability to anchor a midfield to an elite level, until perhaps...

Tier 2 Shopping: The Smart Money

When you look at the transfers that Liverpool have made under Jurgen Klopp, the key factor over that body of work stands out a mile. The ability to consistently take players to the next level isn’t a skill too many coaches have been able to evidence. Certain managers can improve a player no doubt,...

Succession

Effective succession planning is the key to sustained growth and success for organisations of all types - and football clubs are no different. For Liverpool, I feel a disjointed approach to succession planning has led to the club's recent on-field woes.  The model FSG had developed and put in place at Liverpool was inspired by...

The Liverpool Crisis: We’ve Been Here Before

It's no secret that the Reds have been on a bit of a dreary start to the 2022-23 campaign. The Premier League season started with 2 points from 3 games, and it hasn't really been much better since than. Liverpool currently sits 9th in the Premier League, with 16 points from 12 games, and...

Firmino Contract: Sense not Sentiment

There’s something that the kop wants you to know…Certain myths and tales can outgrow the reality as potentially the hardest personal decision of Jurgen Klopp’s reign approaches. Roberto Firmino will rightly leave Anfield as a legend whenever that time arrives. With January approaching, a player Klopp described as ‘an incredibly important player to me...

Who Are Liverpool’s Premier League Competitors This Year

For the last few years, Manchester City would be the early season team compared to Liverpool in the Premier League title race. This early season looks like a one horse race (Arsenal will inevitably fall away), and the Reds currently languish within mid table mediocrity, though thankfully not as lowly as their blue neighbours,...

Liverpool 2 – 0 Napoli – The Champions League Post-Mortem

With the group stages of this year’s Champions League drawing to a close, the Reds managed to ignore recent form and put together a very solid performance. Napoli arrived with a very strong side, and a clear intention to be the first Italian club to win all 6 group games in the European Cup....

Who Could Be A Right Wing Target In The 4-4-2

It seems after the last few weeks, that we are starting to settle on a formation (or two). It also seems that the most recent pre-season blue print (Mo wide etc) has been scrapped, and we are now in full adaptation mode. What wasn’t working needed rectifying, and the next two months have to...

Is it time for Trent Alexander-Arnold to play in midfield for Liverpool?

Desperate times call for desperate measures, so is it time for Liverpool to give Trent Alexander-Arnold the midfield role he once shone in? Another week, another bleak feeling of emptiness as a Reds supporter. Last Saturday's 2-1 defeat at home to Leeds was arguably the nadir of the season to date, as the grim results keep...

Liverpool 2 – 0 Napoli – Champions League Man Of The Match

Man Of The Match Ibrahima Konate This was a giant return for the formidable defender. He took on the challenge posed by the brilliant Osimhen, and matched him stride for stride. He was dominant, aggressive, fast paced, and effective in carrying out the ball. The team needs this player, and his towering presence allowed the perfect Virgil...

Liverpool 2 – 0 Napoli – Champions League Player Ratings

Starting XI Alisson Becker - 7.0 Was maybe a consideration to come out, but his importance in keeping his team in games is clear. Very little to do, except for the odd pot shot in the opening half. Trent Alexander-Arnold - 7.0 Was surprisingly taken off against Leeds. Was tested by a pacy attack, and was pretty reserved...

Liverpool v Napoli – The Champions League Preview

Both teams are qualified, so the team sheets could be much changed from the norm. The Italian visitors are flying high in Serie A right now, so will probably take this game to fully rotate their traveling squad of table toppers. Napoli will finish top of the group regardless, so hopefully (for the reds)...

Does Jurgen Need To Switch To A 3-4-3 Formation

With the Liverpool team's on-going issues, there’s also going to be endless antidotes to solve the problems at hand. To start from the top (then all the way down), below probably represents all the pieces that need change, apparently: The Ownership - FSG The Sporting Director - Julian Ward The Chairman - Tom Werner (FSG) The CEO -...

Liverpool Stars to Look Out for at the World Cup

This year’s World Cup in Qatar is going to be a unique tournament, as it is taking place midway through the Premier League season. Liverpool’s final game before the league pauses for the World Cup will come on the 12th of November. Here is a look at which Liverpool players will be featuring at the 2022...

Liverpool F.C Loan Watch: October 29th and 30th

Billy Koumetio (Austria Wien) Koumetio was not selected in the team for Austria Wien's 2-1 win over Altach. Koumetio instead played the full 90 for Austria Wien II in Austria's 2. Liga. Austria Wien II lost 5-0 to SKN St. Poelten, which puts them 1 point away from the relegation zone. Meanwhile, Austria Wien's win...

Liverpool vs Napoli: Full XI or Kids?

Liverpool's 3-0 win over Ajax on Wednesday night clinched their spot in the knockout round of the UCL. This puts Liverpool in a familiar position: one game left to play, with nothing on the line. In the extremely rare event that Liverpool beat Napoli by 4, Liverpool would finish first in Group A. However,...

Liverpool 1 – 2 Leeds – The Postmortem

Decline can be gradual, and decline can usually be hard for supporters to take, but any sporting decline requires reaction from those tasked with running said sporting entities. On Saturday night we saw Liverpool FC run 11km less than their opponents (Leeds United), as reported by Anfield Index’s own Simon Brundish. I’m not a...

Liverpool 1 – 2 Leeds – Premier League Player Ratings

Alisson Becker - 5.0 Had to once again produced wonders, especially at 1-1. Was badly let down for Leeds' goal, and showed great character to keep his side in the first half. Was again busy with hands and feet in a rather frenetic second period. Maybe could have done better for the winning goal. Trent Alexander-Arnold...

Darwin Núñez & His Importance To This Team

I once visited the Amsterdam Arena many many years ago on a youth football trip. We were due to play some games, take advantage of the low drinking age (16 years old back in 1996), and generally have a fun filled trip abroad. The Johan Cruyff Arena is a wonderful venue to visit, and...

Ajax 0 – 3 Liverpool – The Post-mortem

The end result was spectacular, some moments were brilliant, the score line (especially away to Ajax) emphatic, and Liverpool qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League. The reds opening game saw them humbled by a terrifying Napoli outfit, so to meet them next week (with both sides now qualified) is nothing short...

Just how many shots is Darwin Núñez taking?

Darwin Núñez is currently taking 7.37 shots per 90 in the Premier League. That seems good, right? But just how good is it? Is it sustainable? If it is, what does that mean about his potential goal scoring for Liverpool? And how drunk would you get if you took a shot every time he...

Curtis Jones: Hard to picture a last-chance saloon

Certain Liverpool players will always polarise fans. That’s been true for decades and even those with great CV’s like Ronnie Whelan have felt the sting at some points. In the current side there are many candidates but based on Saturday's defeat to Forest, Curtis Jones’ surprising start shot him straight to the forefront. Many...

Liverpool v Leeds – The Premier League Preview

Saturday night will see two historical English sides collide, in what is certain to be an entertaining evening of football. I’ve just had a look at the TV listings (I don’t really watch TV), and if you’re looking to avoid the horrid choice of The Voice or Strictly Come Dancing, then a night under...