Gini & Emre – The Need to Replace System Players

The summer window is now gone, and the next two windows will require some short and long term thought, with many areas now requiring you attention. Where the defence was strengthened (in the form of giant Ibrahima Konate), we are now witnessing a midfield dilemma, one that should have been avoided. The process of...

Robbie Fowler – God Only Knows

Robbie Fowler - God Only Knows I recall Robbie Fowler’s first appearance and subsequent first goal for Liverpool in a 3-1 win (he scored in the league cup first leg, away to Fulham), but it was his second leg performance that truly introduced me to the man now known simply, as God. In 1993 there...

Increasing Competition in the PL: Where Does Liverpool Go from Here?

Liverpool FC has had a rollicking start to the 2021-22 Premier League season. With spectators back in the Anfield galleries, the team looks rejuvenated, also bolstered by the returning Virgil Van Djik. But, the Premier League has been highly unpredictable in recent years. With the recent Newcastle takeover, and with pretty much all the...

The Effects of Newcastle’s Takeover

History points to certain English teams as bonafide football royalty. Over the last three decades (of the Premier League), Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool have been the major players, later been joined on the top table by Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City in recent years. New money started to infiltrate English football shortly after...

Bring Me Ivan Toney

Now and again an opposing side can cause such a stir it has the manager (on the receiving end) look deeply into said team, and more importantly their players. I wrote about the RB Salzburg tie from a few years back and how the intelligence, elegance and work rate of a certain Takumi Minamino,...

Following in Klopp’s Footsteps

I wrote some words a few weeks back about how Liverpool could replace Jürgen Klopp, and I mentioned the likes of Marco Rose, Julian Nagelsmann and even Mauricio Pochettino as possible appointments. There was one name that I considered, but dismissed due to his current employment status. However upon brief reflection (and due to...

Alisson Becker – The World’s Greatest

Since Pepe Reina best days as Liverpool’s stopper, the goalkeeping situation at Anfield has been inconsistent at best. The signing of Simon Mignolet (as Reina’s replacement), wasn’t entirely dissimilar to Arsenal’s recent acquisition of Aaron Ramsdale. Very busy keepers will always have highlight moments due to the pressure their team is put under, and...

Daniel Agger – Another Great Dane

This past week or so, I’ve seen the form of Joël Matip both questioned and praised. His performances this season have been largely tremendous, with the singular poor outing against Brentford (and an inspired, future red, Ivan Toney). The whole Liverpool side were somewhat shell shocked that day, and every player will occasionally have...

What is Takumi Minamino’s best role for Liverpool?

Takumi Minamino, like so many Liverpool players, is a bit of an enigma.  He caught the eye for Red Bull Salzburg in their 4-3 loss at Anfield, with even some players reportedly singling him out for praise afterwards. When it was revealed he had a £7.25million release clause, a move for the Japan international felt...

Is this the best version of Mohamed Salah?

Mohamed Salah might be playing the best football of his career right now.  The 29-year-old has eight goals and two assists in eight outings this term. There’s an air of inevitability about him in general. It doesn’t feel as though if he’s going to score, it is more of a matter of when he’s going...

How To Approach Manchester City

This Champions League week is now at an end, and the approaching weekend games offer huge excitement for one of its match day 7 fixtures. Manchester City pay a visit to Anfield this week, in what will be a titanic match-up between the top two sides in England of recent times. How Liverpool will cope...

Roger Hunt – Forever Remembered

I’ve chosen to write articles here and there about Liverpool legends from my own youth. It’s often a light hearted look at past brilliance, with a nostalgic and enjoyable tale of a player, once cheered on by the ever changing face of the Kop. As the years roll by, certain heroes that explode from...

The Liverpool Players In Their Final Days

The final few embers of the Brendan Rodgers regime still remain, with Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Joe Gomez and Divock Origi now rotation pieces of varying quality, within Jürgen Klopp’s squad. As part of any management era, there is always incoming failures that have a shelf life. Under the Brendan stewardship, the hits were...

Liverpool’s Unsung Heroes

Liverpool legend and club ambassador Robbie Fowler recently went on record to speak up for some of the less celebrated members of the current squad. Singling out names like Matip and Fabinho, Fowler praised the less high-profile players for their invaluable contribution that often gets overlooked. These are the players who do the hard...

The Liverpool Captaincy

As Sami Hyypiä entered the latter stages of his Liverpool career, his brilliant play and guaranteed starting position in the side became slightly less assured. His role for the team had been phenomenal, and he had helped massively in building a defence, deserving of such a club. He took over from Jamie Redknapp as...

Time For Klopp to Make Some Tactical Changes?

Players dictate formations, and a system that is effective needs the components to fit as required. We saw last term (to the detriment of the side) players shoehorned into positions in order to maintain many an adapted team sheet. The patterns of play that are based upon the system suffered, and the team fell...

The Tsimikas & Robertson Rivalry

Competition is a good thing, and a comfortable player can be a potential risk in critical situations. To have two players vying for the same position can add intensity, urgency and quality to either players' performance. The ability to rotate also allows a few vital components, aside from fears of being dropped raising a...

Curtis Jones, his development and his future for Liverpool

Curtis Jones has been a bit of an afterthought this season.  Injured in pre-season, he missed the start of the campaign and then had to settle for a watching brief as Harvey Elliott claimed a midfield position for his own.  He’s made just one start this term and that arrived in the Carabao Cup. For the...

Curtis Jones – An Unfortunate Opportunity

Opportunity can be a key instance in any elite form of sport. To be able to take advantage of certain scenarios (in order to achieve personal gain), can make a career in top level football. Patience, readiness, desire and a single-minded determination to succeed can carry one through to greatness, and within this moment,...

Is Kelleher too good to be a back-up goalkeeper?

Liverpool might soon have a problem with Caoimhin Kelleher. If he keeps on developing at the rate he currently is, he’s going to be too good to be a back-up.  He’ll want a season as a starter and who can blame him?  Kelleher needs it if he’s to make that step up and fulfil his potential.  After...

The Brilliance of Steve McManaman

When listening to Champions League matches on BT Sport, there’s perhaps younger viewers unsure of the ex footballer on co-commentary. For the past few seasons a certain Scouse voice has echoed through the midweek coverage, and everyone should be made aware of what this man was, as a player himself. When thinking of the former...

The Rearguard Solution

Centre-back partnerships can offer sublime foundations and turn teams into serial winners. Alessandro Costacurta and Franco Baresi jump to the front of that formidable list, as a partnership that allowed the rest of the side to dominate literally everyone. In the modern game (especially within the Premier League), the ferocity of play and sheer culmination...

Klopp’s Campaign Management

Stubbornness, single mindedness, arrogance and an absolute inability to adjust one's methods, can be the downfall of even the best managers in modern football. In recent years we have seen the likes of Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho, unable to adapt to the modern needs of Premier League football, with both departing the division at...

Premier League and Champions League: where can Liverpool go?

The champions’ league finals and premier are current talks in the sports world, and many people want to know which teams qualify for this. While there is no confirmed news of it yet, there are great hopes for teams like Chelsea and Liverpool have been talked about when it comes to the leagues. One...

Who is Liverpool transfer target Karim Adeyemi?

It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the noise around Karim Adeyemi.  The 19-year-old was named as a Liverpool target by Transfermarkt recently and it is believed Red Bull Salzburg are willing to cash in on the recently capped Germany international if they receive a bid of €30million.  At first glance, that price tag seems to...

Daniel Sturridge – Truly Elite

There’s so many brilliant strikers that have worn the Liverpool shirt in the modern era. Young fans could be imagined replicating their goal scoring heroes of the past: Ian Rush, John Aldridge Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen, Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez topping the list of spectacular names. All of the above varied from elite to...

The World Class Upgrade

Under the Roy Evans regime, Neil Ruddock, John Scales, Phil Babb & Mark Wright were the options in defence. They were the central defenders in the mid nineties that saw a period of great attacking football from the reds. The likes of Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman were part of an exciting line up...

The Harvey Elliott injury

Why is it the people who regularly criticise referees for poor decisions are now using the fact Craig Pawson didn’t blow for a foul as a way to back up their beliefs that Pascal Strujik should not have been sent off?  Likewise, those who regularly mock the likes of Danny Murphy, Gabriel Agbonlahor and most...

How Liverpool FC have Fared Throughout the Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic hit the world hard, and in certain sectors it was even more pronounced than others. Football and other close contact sports struggled, and it is only really now – nearing the end of 2021 – that things are starting to get back to normal. There is no doubt that Liverpool have...

Liverpool 3-2 Milan: Player ratings as Reds wrestle back three points

When Liverpool win their opening Champions League group game 3-2 at Anfield, it tends to be good omen. This was a game that got the juices flowing in a similar vein to that victory over Paris Saint-Germain three years ago, except this time the scoreline gave it the illusion of a contest. Thanks to a Jordan...