Player Ratings as Liverpool stutter at Newcastle
Liverpool endured another frustrating afternoon against Newcastle this time around. The Reds entered the game in poor form, having suffered a September slump that saw them thrashed 5-0 by Manchester City, draw at home to Burnley, lose 2-0 to Leicester in the Carabao Cup and only grab a point against a far inferior Spartak Moscow in the Champions League.
Things looked to be heading up when Philippe Coutinho rifled in a stunning long-range strike to put the away side ahead …
Observations from Newcastle vs Liverpool Stalemate
Liverpool continued to struggle against well setup teams as they dropped yet another two points on the road against Rafa's Reds Magpies. Liverpool struggled to create anything against a solid, drilled defence and drifted away from the top four.
Here are the key takeaways from today.
End of the road for Sturridge?
Bobby Firmino had struggled in the past couple of games, and hence it was not surprising that he got a breather with Sturridge re-instated into the starting lineup. …
Newcastle United 1 - 1 Liverpool: Rafa rumbles Reds
The Details
Date: 1/10/2017
Venue: St James' Park, Newcastle
Background
Finally, Liverpool had the opportunity to put September behind them. One win in all competitions during the last month made for deflating viewing for Liverpool fans. However, the performances were there. The Reds were controlling most games but just struggling to make that dominance count. Would October see a change in that trend? Let's hope so.
Today, we saw the final game before the international break. Liverpool travelled northeast for …
Newcastle United v Liverpool Preview - Another Reds & Rafa Reunion
The Details
Venue - St. James’ Park, Newcastle
Referee - Craig Pawson
Date & Time - Sunday, October 1st 2017 @ 16:30 BST
Current Odds - Newcastle 4/1, Draw 14/5, Liverpool 4/6
Form
Newcastle are in a very respectable ninth position after six games. The defeat at Brighton last Sunday brought a halt to their three-game winning streak. They've scored six and conceded a miserly five goals in those six games.
Liverpool, on the other hand, have scored twelve and …
Why LFC need Naby Keïta more than Van Dijk
Liverpool FC, since the departure of Rafael Benitez, has struggled defensively. Indeed, the last time the team conceded less than 40 goals in a league season was in the 2009/10 season, in which Liverpool conceded 35 goals. Since then, Liverpool have conceded 44 (2010/11), 40 (2011/12), 43 (2012/13), 50 (2013/14), 48 (2014/15), 50 (2015/16) and 42 (2016/17).
In that period, Liverpool has had Carragher, Agger, Skrtel, Kelly, Coates, Toure, Lovren, Matip, Klavan and others who have all played at centre-back. …
Reviewing A Banquet Without Wine - A History of the Reds in the PL Era
When offered the opportunity to read an advance copy of A Banquet Without Wine, I eagerly accepted; it was a welcome break from the academic historical literature which my studies demand, and, given my experience with previous works from The Tomkins Times, my qualitative expectations were high. Beyond that, I remained open to hearing an interpretation of Liverpool's recent history, that I, like many fans, have lived through, and is well versed in.
For Liverpool fans, the story detailed within A Banquet …
10 Years Since Torres
July 4th will always have a place in Liverpool fan’s hearts. Back in 2007, Rafael Benitez smashed the club’s record transfer fee to bring Fernando Torres to Anfield for £20.2 million.
During his three-and-a-half-year spell, Torres established himself as one of the best No.9’s the club had ever seen. Much like Bonny and Clyde, Batman and Robin or Harvey and Mike from TV series Suits (yes, I’m a huge fan), El Nino and Liverpool were perfect partners in crime.
A …
The Rise and Fall of Rafa Benitez
With Lucas Leiva set to leave Liverpool FC for Lazio there will no longer by any players left at the club, who were managed by Rafa Benitez. The Spaniard is a beloved figure at Anfield but the state in which he left the club, even though not entirely his fault, has left a bitter taste in some supporters. The fans saw Benitez build a finely tuned football machine over 4 years only to see it fail to win any silverware and …
Cut Price Left Backs to Improve Liverpool
With the highly-publicized courtship of both Naby Keita and Virgil van Dijk taking precedence after wrapping up the signing of Mohamed Salah, Liverpool’s efforts to sign a left back appear to have been put on the backburner.
After intermittent links to the seemingly Manchester City bound Benjamin Mendy dissipated, the Reds haven’t had their interest in any left back, high profile or otherwise, appear in the media. Without a bottomless pit of cash to work with, Liverpool- assuming they pay …
The Seven Year Itch | FSG - A Review
In October of 2010, Fenway Sports Group purchased Liverpool FC for £300 million. In his first statement as owner, John Henry claimed,
'We're here to win and we'll do whatever is necessary.'Fast-forward almost seven years later, and fans are still divided as to whether FSG have been good owners for the club, and whether the club has progressed, regressed, or simply remained stationary for this period. Under FSG, Liverpool FC have had four managers: Roy Hodgson (sacked January 2011), Kenny …