Champions League

For the best part of 20 years, Lionel Messi has been the best player in the world. The likes of Luis Suarez, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Robert Lewandowski and even Gareth Bale have all been in contention for the second-best player in the world title at various times, but they’ve never eclipsed the Argentine maestro,...

For the past six seasons Roberto Firmino has been able to make the false nice position his own. His understanding of the position, its intricacies and work rate requirements have made the role very specific, and his off ball work has always been commended. His value has a goal threat has not always been...

History points to certain English teams as bonafide football royalty. Over the last three decades (of the Premier League), Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool have been the major players, later been joined on the top table by Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City in recent years. New money started to infiltrate English football shortly after...

Mohamed Salah might be playing the best football of his career right now.  The 29-year-old has eight goals and two assists in eight outings this term. There’s an air of inevitability about him in general. It doesn’t feel as though if he’s going to score, it is more of a matter of when he’s going...

The final few embers of the Brendan Rodgers regime still remain, with Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Joe Gomez and Divock Origi now rotation pieces of varying quality, within Jürgen Klopp’s squad. As part of any management era, there is always incoming failures that have a shelf life. Under the Brendan stewardship, the hits were...

Competition is a good thing, and a comfortable player can be a potential risk in critical situations. To have two players vying for the same position can add intensity, urgency and quality to either players' performance. The ability to rotate also allows a few vital components, aside from fears of being dropped raising a...

Liverpool might soon have a problem with Caoimhin Kelleher. If he keeps on developing at the rate he currently is, he’s going to be too good to be a back-up.  He’ll want a season as a starter and who can blame him?  Kelleher needs it if he’s to make that step up and fulfil his potential.  After...

Stubbornness, single mindedness, arrogance and an absolute inability to adjust one's methods, can be the downfall of even the best managers in modern football. In recent years we have seen the likes of Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho, unable to adapt to the modern needs of Premier League football, with both departing the division at...

There’s so many brilliant strikers that have worn the Liverpool shirt in the modern era. Young fans could be imagined replicating their goal scoring heroes of the past: Ian Rush, John Aldridge Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen, Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez topping the list of spectacular names. All of the above varied from elite to...

I wanted to distract a little from the joys of the transfer window, so would like to share some thoughts on one of the reds' greatest ever central defenders. Hint: it’s not Dejan Lovren. In 2008 Chelsea and Liverpool met on four separate occasions throughout the calendar year. The first, on February 10th (towards the back...