Don’t Bet on a Premier League Dark Horse. This Season Bet Red!

Liverpool failed to take advantage of the Premier League Giants last year and had a poor season start themselves. It was a perfect storm that resulted in Leicester winning the trophy, but Klopp managed to turn the ship around. The German didn’t have enough time to undo all the harm done before he arrived,...

Observations from the Thriller at The Emirates as Liverpool win!

The Premier League is back with a bang and in typical Liverpool fashion the Reds made their fans sweat on a result when it could've been much more comfortable. You could look at the negatives if you're that way inclined but, for me at least, it was a performance filled with positives and they're...

Player Ratings from a brilliant opening day win for Liverpool

What a start! What a start! An absolutely rousing display from the Reds at the Emirates Stadium left Arsenal shell-shocked and saw Jürgen Klopp's men complete a brilliant comeback after falling behind to a Theo Walcott goal and generally being shoddy in all aspects in the first half. Here is how I thought each of...

Liverpool 2016/17 – Season Preview and Predictions

Going from “we’re going to win the league” after beating Barcelona 4-0, to the outlook being doom and gloom within just 24 hours after losing to Mainz by the same scoreline is precisely why I try not to read too much into pre-season friendlies. They are essentially just for fitness, integrating new players and...

Sadio Manè – Catch Me, If You Can

One ingredient missing from Liverpool's attack in recent years is raw unadulterated pace. With the £30 million signing of Sadio Manè, from Southampton, he brings this essential, game changing ability to this side. It was clear Jürgen Klopp was looking for an attacker who provided pace, with Ousmane Dembele and Leroy Sane strongly scouted,...

Arsenal vs Liverpool Preview: London Calling As The Reds Kick-off 16/17

Liverpool travel to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal on Sunday, as their 2016/17 Premier League season finally gets underway, 88 days after last season ended with the Europa League final defeat to Sevilla. Pre-season form Much has changed since then, not least in terms of transfers, with Jürgen Klopp seeing a huge overhaul in terms...

The Dismantling of Barcelona shows Liverpool should be Feared

I know I said not to read into pre-season results much but I’m a liar. Words did no justice to the performance Liverpool put in on Saturday against Barcelona and I resorted to just making the odd animalistic noise to show my approval. I’m not ashamed by it. Shame implies I was embarrassed by...

Are Liverpool Dark Horses for the Title?

It's a new dawn in the Premier League. Not just in terms of more money than ever being pumped into the league effectively evening the playing field somewhat, but more importantly, never before have people been able to find a collection of the most influential managers in world football today within the same league at...

Key Battles to Watch Out For Against Arsenal

The drama of pre-season is done. It's now time for serious business. And what better (!?) way to start than a trip to the Emirates to play Arsenal. Over the weekend, the highs and the euphoria of the 4-0 thrashing of Barcelona were negated by the loss by the same scoreline to Mainz. That is...

Anfield Index Fantasy Football Draft – Review

It’s that time of year again, the season’s curtain raiser has been played and the Premier League is less than a week away! It’s also the time where fantasy football leagues all over the globe begin to take shape, whether it’s for office bragging rights, money from your mates or an online community league,...

Liverpool’s Recent History With The Opening Weekend

This weekend, Liverpool get back into the swing of competitive action with their ‘opening day’ fixture against Arsenal. Of course, it’s not the opening day, as the Reds meet the Gunners on Sunday afternoon, making it more of an ‘opening weekend’ game. Still, the excitement and buzz will be there to see as Premier...

Tactical Analysis – Is Kev Stewart Playing His Way Into the First Team Squad?

It was a Jekyll and Hyde weekend for Liverpool fans as the Reds rounded off their pre-season in bizarre fashion. An emphatic 4-0 victory at Wembley against Barcelona was followed up with a 4-0 loss against Mainz in Germany. Defeat against Klopp's old club pissed on our bonfire. Yes it's only pre-season and results...

Alberto Moreno: Under a Microscope of Scrutiny

The Spaniard has been under severe criticism since he’s joined the football club, and the honeymoon period between Moreno and fans have long been over. The times where his recovery tackles and ability to burst forward was an asset that left fans raving about have long gone, and no longer will you hear positivity...

Jurgen Klopp – Master of Psychology

"Lying is a common communication strategy" (Zuckerman) All managers are liars. They have to be if they want to be a successful manager in the modern game. These days they're expected to keep the fans on side, win the game of chess against the media and keep their players happy.  It's a juggling act that some...

New Bundesliga signings could make the difference at Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp looked close to home when adding to his Liverpool squad this summer and three new arrivals that have joined from the German league could make a big difference this season. Ragnar Klavan, Joel Matip and Loris Karius all joined the Reds after spells in the Bundesliga and Klopp’s German influence could be...

Liverpool FC Squad Analysis: The Depth Chart

During his first summer transfer window Jurgen Klopp is slowly shaping the Liverpool squad to fit his tactics, his style of play and the personalities he wants in the dressing room. We’ve seen stalwarts such as Skrtel moved on and Mignolet marginalised, with more departures expected in the coming weeks and maybe one or two...

Liverpool’s Attack: Two’s A Party Three’s A Crowd?

As the season draws closer, there is a certain situation not many are talking about... With the signing of Mane and early captures of Grujic and Matip, Klopp has most of his team settled down with places earmarked for all personnel. But the one position where Liverpool truly have a conundrum is the spot for the solitary...

Why I would pay the £20m for Jonas Hector

Jonas Hector is one of the latest players to be linked to Liverpool, with 1.FC Köln reportedly wanting £20m for the left-back. The sale of Brad Smith leaves Jürgen Klopp with no other specialist in the squad for that position to rival Alberto Moreno, whose injury has prompted the links with Hector to resurface....

Lucas Leiva and the Anfield Cull

We all knew when Klopp arrived at Liverpool Football Club, we had unanimous agreement that a massive clearout of players was in order. There was the likes of Jose Enrique and Martin Skrtel that needed to be moved on from the club. Today, even without any European competition this season, the manager has found...

Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona – Now We Can Get Excited!

Liverpool trounced Barcelona, yes... the actual Barcelona, by four goals to nil at Wembley on Saturday evening, and it puzzles me as to why we're not all feeling giddy. Yes, it's just pre-season, but come on? Four goals against Barcelona. Four goals past a defence protected by the best defensive midfielder in the world. No...

The Suarez Legacy

It seems both an age but also a short fleeting period since Suarez last donned the red of Liverpool. Yet almost three seasons after his departure, Liverpool look no better in their league position despite the reinvestment of the £63m they received for him. With Liverpool facing off against Suarez, and his fellow Barcelona...

Why a Winter Break Is Good for Liverpool & Its Supporters

Neil Poole discusses why he believes a winter break would be good for Liverpool and its supporters. A terrible thing happened last week. Sam Allardyce spoke and I actually agreed with Sir Alex’s self-styled gimp. His muffled words struggled to breach the zipped mouth of his black leather mask but to me, maybe only me,...

Barcelona’s Orchestra vs Liverpool’s Heavy Metal

When the Anfield boss said he wants his players to be the fittest in the country, he wasn’t joking about.  The Liverpool squad started their preparations for the upcoming season the earliest and participated in the most pre-season games out of any Premier League club, maybe even any European club this season.  Jurgen Klopp...

Liverpool and the Business Not Done This Summer

I’ve already written here on Anfield Index about the business that Liverpool have done in the transfer market this summer, but what seems to have become a real bode of contention with a large number of fans is the business not done by the club this summer. The obvious thing that comes to mind on...

Karius’ Injury Gives Mignolet a Stay of Execution

Since Jurgen Klopp was appointed as Liverpool manager he's been up against it. Before he even got chance to take charge of his first match he lost both Joe Gomez and Danny Ings to ACL injuries, he then had to navigate his way through the remainder of the season without Mamadou Sakho, Dejan Lovren,...

Is Sturridge Not Being a Guaranteed Starter a Positive?

We're less than two weeks away from the start of the new Premier League season and Liverpool fans have no clue who will be leading the line for their opening match against Arsenal. To some this is a downright offensive, there's only one clear candidate and he celebrates his goals by doing a wriggly...

The Administration of Fenway Sports Group

Fenway Sports Group has been constantly lambasted since the start of their regime as owners of Liverpool Football Club, and while most of those have been rightly justified, some of the pillory has been unwarranted. Six years ago, FSG bought Liverpool Football Club for give or take £200M, and by some, it was considered a...

Good or bad business by Liverpool this summer?

It’s been a busy summer of ins and outs at Anfield so far this summer, with more to come it seems. But, has this been a good window for Liverpool with the business that has been done? Players In Joel Matip and Marko Grujic arrived this summer, but both deals were agreed back in January, with...

Jordan Henderson Reaches Critical Point in Divisive Liverpool Career

For most footballers, there is a stage at which they come to a potentially career-defining crossroads. Some kick on and reach the level people always expected of them, while others will slowly disappear from the very top level, and finish up plying their trade somewhere mediocre. For Jordan Henderson, 2016/17 is exactly that pivotal moment. With numerous...

Liverpool’s Scatty Transfer Window?

Despite the general consensus being Liverpool have had a fairly solid transfer window there have been questions raised regarding the clubs' strategy and why, to those on the outside, it seems rather disjointed. The confusion seems to surround the signings of Sadio Mane and Gini Wijnaldum. The pair arrived for a combined £55 Million after...