How well are Liverpool finishing?
One of the most well-known bits of folk wisdom in football is that if you want to win anything, you must take your chances. Being able to finish well is the mark of an elite goalscorer, and fans groan in frustration when an enthusiastic midfielder shanks a panicked volley miles wide. Although the rise of analytics has somewhat dampened the notion that finishing is the most important part of goalscoring, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have value. Let’s examine every …
Champions League Knockouts: All the Possibilities
Well, the Premier League certainly hasn't been going well for Liverpool, but we've gotten the Champions League somewhat right. The Reds took 15 points from 6 games, and only finished second in the group by 3 goals. However, those 3 goals could potentially mean the world, as they mean we are forced to draw against the 1st placed teams from their respective groups, while Napoli draws against weaker teams like Club Brugge, Frankfurt, RB Leipzig, and Dortmund. (Both Milan teams …
The Ibrahima Konate Effect
The summer before last saw Liverpool pay £34m for Ibrahima Konate, securing his services from German outfit RB Leipzig. The season prior had seen Liverpool‘s central defence end the season with Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams in the first team, as they scrambled for Champions League qualification. That season had seen Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, all succumb to long-term injuries. This also came after the sale of Dejan Lovren. Lovren was not replaced that summer, and …
Tony Evans: Stop Cryarsing! Football Has Changed
Here’s what you can expect as a Liverpool fan in the 2020s: life will be a roller-coaster.
Here’s what you can’t expect: to win the title more than once in a – and I use the phrase consciously – blue moon.
It’s no use cryarsing about every defeat and every missed transfer target. The words ‘the game has changed’ are thrown around too flippantly in football. But the truth is the game has changed. The sovereign-wealth fund clubs are skewing …
Succession
Effective succession planning is the key to sustained growth and success for organisations of all types - and football clubs are no different. For Liverpool, I feel a disjointed approach to succession planning has led to the club's recent on-field woes.
The model FSG had developed and put in place at Liverpool was inspired by the 'moneyball' concept - in addition to using data to find value-for-money incomings, using data to know when to move players on and replenish the …
Liverpool 2 - 0 Napoli - The Champions League Post-Mortem
With the group stages of this year’s Champions League drawing to a close, the Reds managed to ignore recent form and put together a very solid performance. Napoli arrived with a very strong side, and a clear intention to be the first Italian club to win all 6 group games in the European Cup. Luciano Spalletti selected a very strong side, despite being guaranteed a spot in the last 16th, and in turn Liverpool themselves went strong.
It’s difficult to …
Is it time for Trent Alexander-Arnold to play in midfield for Liverpool?
Desperate times call for desperate measures, so is it time for Liverpool to give Trent Alexander-Arnold the midfield role he once shone in?
Another week, another bleak feeling of emptiness as a Reds supporter.
Last Saturday's 2-1 defeat at home to Leeds was arguably the nadir of the season to date, as the grim results keep coming at a relentless rate.
Liverpool have had major issues in various areas of the pitch throughout the campaign, from individuals looking out of …
Liverpool 2 - 0 Napoli - Champions League Man Of The Match
Man Of The Match
Ibrahima Konate
This was a giant return for the formidable defender. He took on the challenge posed by the brilliant Osimhen, and matched him stride for stride.
He was dominant, aggressive, fast paced, and effective in carrying out the ball.
The team needs this player, and his towering presence allowed the perfect Virgil partner to excel. He gave great coverage to Trent and was rarely caught out of position.
It must be said, Thiago had a …
Liverpool 2 - 0 Napoli - Champions League Player Ratings
Starting XI
Alisson Becker - 7.0
Was maybe a consideration to come out, but his importance in keeping his team in games is clear. Very little to do, except for the odd pot shot in the opening half.
Trent Alexander-Arnold - 7.0
Was surprisingly taken off against Leeds. Was tested by a pacy attack, and was pretty reserved in his attacking play. Was assured defensively with a clear intent to cover his zone. A solid game.
Subbed - 86 mins
…
Liverpool vs Napoli: Full XI or Kids?
Liverpool's 3-0 win over Ajax on Wednesday night clinched their spot in the knockout round of the UCL. This puts Liverpool in a familiar position: one game left to play, with nothing on the line. In the extremely rare event that Liverpool beat Napoli by 4, Liverpool would finish first in Group A. However, in any other result, the final table standings remain unchanged, with Napoli on top of the group, and the Reds in second. This brings up one …