Why so serious? Confessions of a negative Liverpool fan
Since the 2013/14 run-in specifically, but probably far before that, there has been a sect of Reds supporters who have not felt safe to embrace positivity. There have been peaks and valleys where the legions of the negative have ebbed and flowed. If you’ve been so kind to have listened to me on various Anfield Index podcasts, you’ll know that while I have celebrated “the project” and our progress under Rodgers and then with Klopp, I have been reticent to …
Why We're Thinking About Injuries All Wrong
The season is yet to kick off, but the bodies are already piling up in Liverpool's treatment room.
Joel Matip, having just returned from an injury which required surgery, is back on the sidelines, whilst Adam Lallana, who started a single league fixture in 2017/18, is also injured, after making his way through the first few weeks of pre-season. Ragnar Klavan, with a hamstring issue, joins the injury roster and Oxlade-Chamberlain - a player who struggled with injuries during his …
Observations as Liverpool ease past the Saints
It was a game in which Liverpool never needed to get out of second gear but still came out with a comfortable 2-0 victory. The game was settled by two beautiful first-half goals from Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah who each continued top-class goalscoring seasons.
Here are some talking points from the game:
Karius loves St. Mary's
Loris Karius's best performance in a Liverpool shirt thus far was in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final last season, and …
Why Liverpool Will Always Be Bigger Than Any One Player
It took all of eight minutes to remind Anfield of one very special fact.
Liverpool Football Club is bigger than any player.
Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain’s driving run, emphatic finish and impassioned celebration perfectly emblemised the oft-romanticised ‘Liverpool spirit’ – the idea that you don’t buy a great player, rather a player becomes great in the cauldron that is Anfield. Like a gladiatorial pit in Rome; Anfield’s coliseum atmosphere is what decides the fate of its competitors, not their previous reputation or …
Liverpool 4-3 Man City: A Tactical Breakdown
From start to finish, Liverpool's Premier League tie with Manchester City was electric. Essentially, two very similar schools of tactical thinking came together, and on this occasion, Klopp's relentless pressing from the front, numerical overloads, and astute counter-pressing positioning came out on top.
Instead of breaking down the goals in this analysis, because a majority of them were from individual errors, we'll be looking at Liverpool's and City's shape, positioning and pressing, and how these, in themselves, created chances, and …
Observations as Liverpool and City produce a Classic!
Liverpool and Manchester City went hammer and tongs throughout the 90 minutes as Liverpool edged the 7 goal thriller in a game which was once again one of the best advertisements for the Premier League as a whole. Liverpool thus break City's lossless streak this season. My key observations are below:
Liverpool end the week on a sweet note
Liverpool's week off the field had not gone particularly well, especially post Coutinho's sale to Barcelona. The Reds were linked to …
Liverpool's perfect performance: Tactical masterclass?
Liverpool's demolition of Bournemouth appeared to be one of the complete performances of the season. Utterly dominant and prepotent in the first half, Liverpool romped to victory, with a pressing, passing and offensive performance which defied all expectations.
https://twitter.com/Caley_graphics/status/942502495582113797
To me, Liverpool looked distinctly better with their passing. Indeed, Liverpool had an 88pc passing accuracy, whilst retaining 56pc of the possession. In terms of the number of passes, Liverpool made 655. Considering this, I wondered if there was a way to …
Observations as Liverpool saunter past Bournemouth
Liverpool came into their game hoping to keep their great away scoring form going, and the attack produced an excellent performance to ensure Liverpool walked away with the three points.
Here are the observations from the match.
Importance of the result
Liverpool were coming to Bournemouth on the back of two frustrating home draws and were looking for a favourable result before heading to the Emirates on Friday. The win ensures that Liverpool leapfrog Arsenal into the top 4 as …
How on earth did Liverpool draw with Everton?
40 goals in the previous 11 games for Klopp's Liverpool and 18 years since Everton last won at Anfield: as the game entered the 75th minute, it appeared that wait would have to go on, until the FA Cup 3rd round fixture at least, as Liverpool were absolutely cruising.
The reflected such a reading of the game too: 79.4pc possession, 964 touches (to Everton's 384), 23 shots to 3, 88pc pass accuracy to Everton's 50pc, and 644 complete passes, to Everton's …
Player Ratings As Liverpool Squander Three Points in the Merseyside Derby
Liverpool drew 1-1 in the Merseyside Derby, dominating their local rivals from start to finish but failing to show it via the score-line. Mohamed Salah got himself on the score-sheet again for his 19th goal of the season, equalling his tally for the entire of last season at Roma, with a stunning solo effort prior to the first-half interval.
In truth, Jurgen Klopp's side should really been out of sight by the second-half but a lack of cutting edge saw …