Emre Can Must Start Over Jordan Henderson In The Merseyside Derby

Let me get this out of the way immediately: I think Jordan Henderson is a better player than Emre Can. He is a more consistent, intelligent, mature footballer, and in most situations, if push came to shove, I would always pick Liverpool’s captain over the talented young German. The thing is, Saturday’s Merseyside derby...

Ronnie Moran and the End of the Boot Room Era

With the passing of Ronnie Moran last week another guy rope was cut from the current Liverpool set up and the Boot Room age. The death of ‘Bugsy’ was felt keenly by those fortunate enough to witness the glory days of LFC. For many of us he simply was LFC and the sight of him...

Take That – Wijnaldum Is The Anfield Jedi Master

Today, this columnist awoke to the revelation that tax avoidance guru and all-around blandness salesman, Gary Barlow, is set to feature in the next Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi. That's Gary Barlow, out of Take That. In Star Wars. As an actor. After repeated failed attempts at gouging out my own eyes with a spoon,...

Liverpool’s Biggest Games Are Yet to Come

The match against Everton this weekend is a big match, the Merseyside derby always is. This one will be particularly poignant, following the passing of Ronnie Moran. It's almost fitting that Liverpool's next Premier League match, following the sad news that broke last week, should be against Everton. Moran, a legendary figure and integral...

Is Momentum Building Again Under Klopp?

International breaks are a bit of a curate's egg. Now, that is supposed to mean that there are both good and bad aspects to them and yet the origin of the expression yields a meaning far closer to this columnist's opinion of the all-too-frequent Premier League interruptions. Apparently, the turn of phrase comes from...

Seven Sensible Summer Signings for Liverpool

The season isn’t quite over, but following another roller coaster year of highs and lows — from competing for the title and chasing another cup final, to a loss of form and a dreadful run of results, back to chasing the top four — the club needs to press on with their summer transfer...

Liverpool in 2016/17: Has Progress Been Made?

With an international break ensuring that there’s no Premier League football this weekend, and with nine games to go in a finely poised season, this is the perfect time to assess Liverpool’s season, where it’s at and what we need to do in our final few games, as well as our general development under...

Which Strikers should Klopp be targeting this August?

Eddie Jones, England Rugby’s head coach, has tried to change the way replacements are perceived to some degree of success by renaming them ‘finishers.’ Applying that to Liverpool players though – whether they start or on the bench - might take longer to stick given their problems in front of goal. For all the pretty...

Liverpool must focus on a top three finish… just to be certain

It was only a second-half meltdown in Basel in the Europa League final against Sevilla that deprived Liverpool of a place in this season’s Champions’ League and there remains a remote possibility that the two competitions could combine to cause us more sorrow this term. All the media focus is on the race for Champions’...

Stats Analysis: Liverpool’s Defensive Inconsistency

Three quarters of another season have passed and it looks like Liverpool FC has the same old defensive problems. The team is on course to concede over 40 goals for the 7th straight season. That means that the last time LFC conceded less than a goal per match - you guessed it, Rafa Benitez...

Klopp’s Tactics: Pragmatism vs Idealism

Jürgen Klopp has a footballing style and philosophy that he sticks to very rigidly. His high-pressing, high defensive line, fluid forward line 4-3-3 has been the default for him this season. However, there have been times when the style, the formation, and most importantly the tactics, simply haven’t worked for Klopp, and his tactical...

New Deal For Can? It’s A No Brainer

Starting 46 games last season, Emre Can was tipped to have an extensive and successful career at Anfield. He was Klopp’s go-to man, running games in the number 6 role by injecting drive and energy to help push Liverpool towards a Capital One Cup and Europa League final. This campaign, however, has seen Can’s career stall alarmingly,...

Predicting The Final Top Six: Where Will Liverpool Finish?

Chelsea may be cruising towards the Premier League title in a frustratingly ruthless fashion, but there is still a huge amount to fight for at the top of the table. Granted, securing a top-four finish should never be seen as a giant achievement for a club of Liverpool’s stature, but being in next season’s Champions...

Tasty Tenerife Tales

We had all hoped, friends, that the dark days were behind us, at least until the increasingly inevitable zombie apocalypse strikes our beleaguered spinning sphere. Alas, it would appear that troubled times have visited us again on Planet Liverpool. Three years after parting company with the beloved but problematic flesh nibbler that was Luis...

Booing and Fan Hypocrisy

Football fans are hypocrites. Downright hypocrites. Yes, you! I’m talking about you. Specifically you. You more than most. Not me though. I’m pure as the driven snow. What has driven me to this tirade? It’s this. On Sunday afternoon, in the hammering rain of the Etihad, Liverpool’s left-back was booed. People actually contorted their faces and made a...

Matip, Wijnaldum & Mane Proving Klopp Should Be Trusted This Summer

Many past Liverpool managers have experienced utterly disastrous summer transfer windows. Gerard Houllier, Rafa Benitez and Brendan Rodgers all spectacularly failed to build on near title-winning seasons in 2001/02, 2008/09 and 2013/14, respectively, with dross such as El Hadji Diouf, Salif Diao, Philipp Degen and Alberto Aquilani bought in. Even Kenny Dalglish, for all his...

A Liverpool Schooling

No writing on Liverpool Football Club today should begin without a tribute to the club legend that was Ronnie Moran, who passed away peacefully this morning. As part of Liverpool's coaching staff in the truly glorious days of the club, Moran won 11 league titles, 4 European Cups, 4 FA Cups, 5 League Cups,...

Mr Liverpool – Ronnie Moran

It’s never easy writing a tribute when someone’s no longer around. You think of all the things you want to say or should have said such that should the person you’re writing about read it, they’d do so with a smile on their face until the very last word. Writing when the person's gone...

Liverpool’s Champions League Fate Is In Their Own Hands

Liverpool continued their unbeaten record against the top six sides on Sunday in a thrilling and frantic 1-1 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad. James Milner opened the scoring from the spot to give the perfect response to the surprisingly hostile reception he received at his former club, before Sergio Aguero equalised from a...

No Communication Breakdown At Anfield

Late to the party, as ever, it was only last night that this columnist had the joy of seeing Denis Villeneuve's Arrival. Obviously, the beauty of the cinematography and profundity of the film's themes were the things that continued to resonate on this morning's drive to work, but yesterday, as I watched Amy Adams' linguist try...

3 Players That Jurgen Klopp Can Bring To Anfield With Club’s 150m Transfer Budget

After failing to qualify for Europe top-tier last season, Liverpool were not able to sign star players in the summer transfer window at the start of the season but they are in a decent to quality for the Champions League next season and this might see the Reds spend big at the end of...

Liverpool and Manchester City: Similarities and Momentum

This is the story of two sides. One is full of quality throughout their starting XI. It’s brimming with pace and verve on the occasions when everything works, yet with a soft underbelly and a stuttering approach to the game when things run the other way. They’re more than capable of going on a run...

With Klopp, Guardiola And Mourinho, Who Needs Footballers?

Predictably, there's been quite the response to Liverpool's away point at the Etihad on Sunday evening. As ever, one needed to be circumspect in one's choice of outlet for news/opinion, as so much of what is uttered about the Redmen can be discounted as either one-eyed agenda-driven guff or bland anodyne piffle. Equally predictably,...

A Big Summer Ahead for Klopp

Since the turn of the year, Liverpool have been inconsistent at best; the Reds have played well in getting results against the big teams (beating Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, and taking points off Chelsea and Manchester United), but have struggled against the lower-ranked sides (losing to Swansea City and Hull, failing to beat Sunderland,...

Observations from Liverpool’s 1-1 draw at the Etihad

Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad is one of those results which divides fans. If you’re a glass half-full type of person then it’s a point gained away to a rival and a positive performance to go alongside it. If you’re a little more cynical then it’s two points dropped in the...

Manchester City 1 Liverpool 1 – Player Ratings

A mentally exhausting game ended with honours even, with both teams spurning big chances to settle the result. What looked to be a slow burner, exploded into life in a very watchable second half. This is how the Reds fared Simon Mignolet (6) - In spite of the attacking play from City, Mignolet had pretty little...

Does Coutinho Belong in the Midfield?

Since the turn of the New Year, Liverpool’s form has dipped – there can be no doubting that. Teams seemed to have picked up on Jürgen Klopp’s kryptonite: a low block, without any ambition to attack, frustrating and uncompromising in defensive stature. Palace, Hull, Swansea, Leicester; the reminders don’t need to be stated. What does,...

Nathaniel Clyne: A Competent Defender Who Lacks A Cutting Edge

With Liverpool's season riddled with inconsistencies, it's only normal for some of the personnel to come under fire. Nathaniel Clyne is the latest in a long line of players who have had their futures questioned of late, but is it justified? Joining from Southampton for a fee of £12.5million, the England international has become a...

Manchester City vs Liverpool Preview: Top Four Battle Turns to Manchester

Liverpool face a shaken Manchester City side on Sunday in a huge clash that could play a big role in deciding which teams finish in the Premier League's top four come May. THE DETAILS Match: Manchester City vs Liverpool Venue: Etihad Stadium Date: Sunday 19th March Referee: Michael Oliver Time: 16:40 BST FORM After failing to win a Premier League game this...

Manchester City v Liverpool Preview – Key Battles

Liverpool have back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time in 2017. If ever the Reds needed a boost in confidence ahead of a daunting trip to the Etihad Stadium, the games against Arsenal and Burnley have provided just that. Pep Guardiola's side will be still nursing their wounds from Wednesday's humbling Champions League exit in...