Daniel Sturridge: Talent Plagued By Injury
Jurgen Klopp’s one word answer regarding Daniel Sturridge’s fitness after the disappointing 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace provides the perfect summary of his Liverpool career. Injury stricken, the England international has been side-lined for a staggering 640 days since the 2011/12 season – the 9th worst record in the Premier League. It means he’s missed over 50% of Liverpool’s games since joining 3 and a half years ago.
Making the move over to Merseyside in January 2013, Sturridge represented somewhat …
Lovren and Sakho - A Tale of Two Defenders
Well that wasn’t fun.
There’s a term used in footballing circles known as ‘doing a Spurs.’ This involves playing magnificent football, getting closer to closer to shiny things only to bottle it and fall on their faces when it comes down to it. Take last season. They should be runners-up to Leicester City but lost their way and ended up being pipped by their greatest rivals.
Ah, that reminds me. Arsenal.
There’s also a thing called ‘doing an Arsenal.’ This …
Observations from Liverpool's defeat against Palace
Just as it looked like we were pulling clear in the race for top four, Crystal Palace rear their ugly heads again. It was so inevitable, wasn't it? Well, maybe not if you've got some optimism, something I'm certainly lacking after that performance. Can Sadio Mane have my leg? I didn't observe him, but here's what was on offer at Anfield...
Top four gets that bit trickier
Oh dear. If Manchester United win the derby and their games in hand, …
Liverpool v Crystal Palace Preview - Key Battles
Four wins and two draws from the set six Premier League games have meant that Liverpool have ensured the top 4 place is in their own hands, but that counts for nothing, if the Reds do not take as many points as possible from their remaining games. Among the teams battling for the Champions League places, Liverpool definitely have the most favorable run-in, but the problem is, football is never played on paper.
The challenge for the Reds begins with …
Klopp is the best manager to create attacking teams
“Maybe Klopp is the best manager in the world at creating teams who attack the back four”.
High praise indeed. When you consider it came from Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, that’s a monumentally positive review.
The serially successful Spaniard was a treble winner in his first season with Barcelona. His Catalan side once averaged 3 goals per game in a league season. He oversaw the development of one of football’s all time attacking greats, and, around Lionel Messi, helped …
Liverpool FC - A Review of 2016
With another trip around the sun completed and the festive period behind us (by the time you read this), let’s look at the Red year and see exactly what we have and haven’t learned.
January
A brand new year lay ahead. A time for renewal and rejuvenation. A chance to draw a line under everything and begin again with the fresh wash of a new year across our backs.
It took ten minutes for Liverpool to concede a goal and …
9th to 2nd at Christmas: What a Difference a Year Makes
Twelve months ago, Liverpool were sitting ninth in the Premier League table with just twenty-four points from the first seventeen games. Jurgen Klopp had been in charge for just two months, and hadn't really had the effect that we all hoped. In fact his record was worse than his predecessor Brendan Rodgers, averaging just 1.33 points per game in his first nine league games compared to 1.5 for Rodgers in his last eight.
Going into Christmas, we had scored just …
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 Anfield. Deployed out wide, the Brazilian found it hard to make a consistent impact on games, only showing rare flashes of what we could later …
Bournemouth vs Liverpool Preview | Klopp Hoping For a Bite of the Cherries
Liverpool start a busy December month with an away trip to AFC Bournemouth on Sunday, a game which could present Jürgen Klopp's men with a chance to return to the top of the table.
The Reds are set to play six fixtures over the festive period, culminating with the big game against Manchester City on New Years Eve. But for now, all eyes are on the Vitality Stadium.
THE DETAILS
Match: AFC Bournemouth vs Liverpool
Venue: Dean Court (Vitality Stadium)
Date: Sunday …
Where is the praise for Liverpool's transfer committee?
In English football there has always been an aversion to ‘the continental model’ of football management. The likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Bill Shankley were such enduring individuals at their clubs that the successes of their teams have been attributed to the all powerful men that ruled them. The great managers of English football dominated every facet of their club, and so, unsurprisingly, the attitude in this country has been sympathetic towards managers who want utter control of their clubs, …