Adam Lallana – Renaissance man

Adam Lallana is a player that has divided opinion since his £25m move from Southampton to Liverpool in 2014. His technical ability and work rate have never been in question, but his effectiveness within the team and end product were always seen as an issue. I described Lallana as a 'nearly' player - nearly scored,...

Defenders for Liverpool to Target in January

Virgil van Dijk Perhaps the most obvious choice; given Liverpool’s affinity with buying Southampton players as of late; but Virgil van Dijk may well be the one key Southampton player Liverpool actually spend money wisely on. Of course, Sadio Mane and Nathanial Clyne were shrewd, if not slightly over-priced; but van Dijk has the potential...

Klopp’s tough decisions

Klopp doesn’t plan to change the whole team but realizes that a few transfers can make the team stronger. All efforts should be dedicated to creating and building a team for next year. Earlier this year he added five players: Marko Grujic, Joel Matip, Loris Karius, Gini Wijnaldum and Sadio Mane. Today, according to the latest...

A Left-Back, Wide Forward and Value for Money the Priority In January

Liverpool head into the January transfer window safe in the knowledge that their start to the 2016/17 Premier League season has reached, and possibly surpassed, the expectations of the majority. Coming out of the Merseyside derby on Monday night, Liverpool find themselves 12 points better off than after the same amount of fixtures last season -...

Everton 0 Liverpool 1 – Player Ratings

Liverpool left it late to snatch all three points in the Merseyside Derby, with Sadio Mane capping his first appearance in the fixture with a decisive goal. Daniel Sturridge was the orchestrator, letting fly from outside the Everton box only for the ball to come off the post, where Mane was on hand for...

Observations from Liverpool’s late win against Everton

Imagine in the summer, before the fixture schedule was released, someone told you we would go to Goodison Park just six days before Christmas and win 1-0 thanks to a scrappy goal in added-time. Obvious response would have been "Oh yeah, if Carlsberg did football matches"  sort of one, followed swiftly by a "but imagine the...

Roberto Firmino: A New Breed of Striker

While not a natural striker, Roberto Firmino has been at the heart of everything good from Liverpool this season, grabbing the plaudits on a continual basis. Jurgen Klopp’s description of the Brazilian as nothing short of a bargain is therefore hardly surprising. Slow Start Arriving for a fee of £29million, Firmino initially seemed to struggle at...

Everton v Liverpool – A Statistical Preview

Liverpool head into the Merseyside derby on the back of a highly impressive 3-0 win in midweek. Admittedly Middlesbrough weren’t the toughest opposition Jurgen Klopp and his men will face this season, but the ruthless and stylish manner of their win will not have gone unnoticed amongst their title rivals. Everton have made a habit...

Everton vs Liverpool Preview: Can the Reds end Toffees’ home record?

Liverpool play their final fixture before Christmas on Monday, and it's only the small matter of an away trip to Everton. Indeed, the first Merseyside Derby of the season again falls away from Anfield, whilst there's also the intriguing tactical battle sure to come from Ronald Koeman and Jürgen Klopp's first face off in this...

Why Liverpool looking at Yunus Malli makes sense

Ever since Jurgen Klopp was appointed as manager, Liverpool have been tentatively linked to about 90% of the players plying their trade in the Bundesliga. No doubt he arrived at Anfield with a list of players he wanted the recruitment team to cast an eye over. So far the Reds have signed Joel Matip, Loris Karius...

Everton v Liverpool Preview – Key Battles

It doesn't get much bigger than this. Well maybe it does, for Liverpool, but definitely not for Everton. Derby day is among the most special of the season and this time, both sides head into the big day in good spirits. The Blues arrested an awful run of form with a big win against Arsenal...

Tactical Analysis – Liverpool’s Overloads too Much for Middlesbrough to Handle

Liverpool fans represent both the best and worst of the club. In terms of backing and loving their club there is no better in World football, in terms of overreacting to a loss or setback there can be no worse. Losing a commanding lead at Bournemouth and coming away with a 4-3 loss was of...

The Other Side of Liverpool’s Win at Middlesbrough

At the Riverside Stadium, I was able to enjoy what is sadly a rare pleasure for me: getting to attend a Liverpool match in person. It was a good match and a very positive performance, so I could write about how Liverpool comprehensively outclassed Middlesbrough and were, in no way, flattered by the 3-0 score...

Adam Lallana: The Poster Boy for Doubters to Believers

Believe it or not, Adam Lallana's turnaround in form hasn't gone down well with some people. Scan social media and you'll see squabbles between people with Lallana being the antagonist. The crux of it all comes down to Lallana's miraculous upturn in terms of output. So far this season the Liverpool number 20 has 7...

Loris Karius: Doomed to fail, or just a rough start?

It's not talked about enough, but changing football clubs is hard. Moving to a club like Liverpool as a 23 year old and immediately taking a place in the spotlight as the starting goalkeeper is a lot more intimidating than most like to acknowledge. The most common retort to statements like this usually is...

Observations from Liverpool’s Win against Middlesbrough

The lead up to the Middlesbrough game was odd. On one hand you had people just looking at the Premier League table and expecting Liverpool to just roll over the home side. On the other hand you had those who, because negativity had set into their mindset, were convinced the match would be like...

Middlesbrough 0 Liverpool 3 – Player Ratings

Liverpool returned to winning ways with a first win at the Riverside Stadium since 2002.  A brace from Adam Lallana and a Divock Origi goal brought the Reds a first win in three games. Jurgen Klopp would have wanted a response from his side after far from ideal results against Bournemouth and West Brom and...

Liverpool vs The Pundits: Klopp, Karius, Carragher & the Nevilles!

During the 2012 European Championships, ITV ran a panel which included Jamie Carragher, Roy Keane and, I think, Gareth Southgate. Hosted by Adrian Chiles, the topic under discussion was just how difficult it is to play as a single defensive midfielder in a diamond formation as opposed to a more standard one of a...

Nathaniel Clyne: Do Liverpool Need More From The Reds’ Mr Consistent?

Make no bones about it, Nathaniel Clyne has been one of Liverpool’s best signings of this decade. He may even be one of their best since the turn of the century, when you weigh up how hit-and-miss the Reds have been in the transfer market. Clyne has been hugely dependable ever since joining from Southampton...

Potential Serie A Talent For Liverpool In The January Window

Since Jürgen Klopp took the seat at Anfield as manager last October, Liverpool could not have asked for a better situation to be sitting in as we creep closer to year's end. As it stands, Klopp's resurgent Reds are sitting pretty in the league table (3rd), three points behind Arsenal for second and six from Chelsea in...

Middlesbrough vs Liverpool Preview: Return to form required

Middlesbrough away, a cold and dark trip to the North in midweek isn't perhaps the ideal outing in which to arrest recent form, but that's the one that Liverpool have as the Reds look to pick up what would be just their second league win in five games. THE DETAILS Match: Middlesbrough vs Liverpool Venue: Riverside Stadium Date:...

Middlesbrough vs Liverpool Preview – Key Battles

After getting only one point in the last two games, despite scoring five goals in those games, Liverpool head to the North-East to face Middlesbrough at the Riverside. The Reds last visit to Boro's home was a forgettable one in February 2009, as they lost 2-0 in a loss that cost them ground in the...

Decisive December? – Crucial Month for Liverpool’s Season

Everyone always says that nothing is won in December, and they'd be absolutely right, but things can certainly be lost over the busy Christmas period. Between now and the FA Cup Third Round on the first weekend in the New Year, the Reds will play six matches - including the visit of West Ham...

Observations from Liverpool’s draw against West Ham United

A chance to open up a three-point lead over Manchester City, who sit in fourth place, was what was on offer as 18th place West Ham came to Anfield. A three-point lead in December doesn’t mean much but it would have given us some breathing space going into the festive fixtures knowing a date...

Liverpool 2 West Ham 2 – Player Ratings

Liverpool drop points on back to back weekends as defensive issues cost the home side the spoils! Here are my ratings for today's game. Loris Karius (6): Early punch away from a corner and then solid save from Antonio, but he's got to do better with Payet's free-kick, despite it curling away from him. Fantastic punch...

Is Origi pushing Sturridge out the team?

Is Origi finally pushing Sturridge out the team? Recent goals throw the Belgian up the pecking order. 2013/14 was an exciting season for us Reds, as we all recall. The finest talent to wear the shirt in Suarez, some ruthless, entertaining football from the entire team and a born finisher – Daniel Sturridge – brought...

Liverpool fan reaction versus player reaction

Whilst I understand fans being upset at the nature of Liverpool's capitulation to Bournemouth last weekend (trust me, I was pissed off too), I feel the level of fume by some was somewhat disproportionate. Some people were losing their minds. Yes, it was bad, hence my use of the word capitulation and yes, fans...

Liverpool vs West Ham Preview: Can Reds Bounce Back Against Hapless Hammers?

Liverpool entertain West Ham United on Sunday in a bid to haul themselves back towards the top of the Premier League table, having lost ground on Chelsea last weekend. Having not beaten the Hammers in any of the four previous meetings between the two teams, Liverpool fans will have some understandable nerves heading into the...

Do Liverpool Really Need to Strengthen Their Defence in January?

After the capitulation at Bournemouth, questions marks once again hang over the Liverpool defence. Will that area of the team once again be the reason the Reds can't sustain a title challenge? Is it a personnel problem or just a systematic issue that needs time to be ironed out? Was it simply just one of...

Liverpool v West Ham Preview – Key Battles

After the implosion at Bournemouth, the Reds are back in Premier League action at Anfield. This time, the visitors are West Ham United. The Hammers themselves are in terrible form. They don't have a win in their last six games in all competitions. Since beating Chelsea 2-1 in the 4th round of the EFL Cup,...