Borussia Dortmund

Scouting LFC Target Lucas Alario – Who Is He & What’s He Like at Football?

Liverpool need an Argentine, but no one was expecting this one. Last week it emerged that the club were in serious talks with River Plate to bring striker Lucas Alario to Anfield in time for next season. The fact (according to Transfermarkt) he holds an Italian passport, which would help bypass any work permit issues, may...

Liverpool v Dortmund: A Dream Draw

It was written in the stars, with an almost certain inevitability to it, that Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund would be drawn together in the Europa League quarter-finals. For Jürgen Klopp and everyone associated with Dortmund it is a very emotional tie; you only have to look back at his final game at the Westfalenstadion...

John Henry – Resurrecting the Rebel Alliances

The closing minutes of Liverpool's last game with West Brom Albion last weekend bore witness to an already emerging bond. It was as apparent as the shape of an X-Wing in Empire Strikes Back, there was an intensity from the Anfield crowd that further soldered this bond with their new Commander in charge, as...

Liverpool FC: The Force Must Be Strong

When the late, great Bill Shankly first rocked up to Anfield in October 1959, it could be argued that the ground resembled Dagobah. The iconic Scotsman immediately set about transforming the club and captured the imagination of everyone involved. His charismatic persona inspired and transcended beyond those on the pitch and into the stands...

Southampton 1 Liverpool 6: A Glimpse Into Next Season’s Tactical Concepts

There was a misconception when Jurgen Klopp took charge of Liverpool that he would immediately transform the club into Borussia Dortmund mark II. This misconception was propagated mainly by the mainstream media but also by fans and amateur bloggers. The first few weeks of Klopp's reign however have given us a glimpse of what...

Joe Gomez and Danny Ings – The Curse of the ACL

Ever since Jurgen Klopp’s arrival at Liverpool, everyone at the club has been giddy with the effects of Klopptomania. There was the long build-up to his inevitable appointment, the endless vines of his goal celebrations and then, eventually, the press conference. Far from making excuses about not having the right tools, Klopp went to great...

Klopp, Zlatan and the Transfer Market

As many of you of a similar age to me will know there was an 1980s TV series (and also more recently a film version) called The Equalizer  in which the basic premise was that Robert McCall (played by Edward Woodward who was great in the role), an ex CIA operative, who on seeing the...

Auf geht’s Liverpool!

For those of you who are unaware, I spent many of my formative years in Germany, growing up with the British Army, where I was lovingly known as a ‘Pad Brat’. It was during my time there that I formed a soft spot for two Bundesliga clubs: Hamburger SV and Borussia Dortmund. The interest with...

Can Jurgen Klopp’s Teams Play the Diamond?

When many think of Jurgen Klopp they think of counter attacking football. They think of a team in yellow buzzing around the final third of the pitch in the hunt for the ball. They think of a 4231 formation. It's what he was famed for as he took a mid-table Dortmund side and transformed...

Liverpool FC v Borussia Dortmund – Opposition Scouting

Liverpool play their last pre-season game of the summer this weekend, when they face Borussia Dortmund at Anfield. The two sides have much in common, with both making great strides after encountering various problems off the pitch during the past decade. Here’s a look at what fans can expect from this friendly spectacle, and...