Do Liverpool Have Another

Do Liverpool Have Another "Best in the World"?

This is the best Liverpool side of the Premier League era. There seems such little controversy in that, yet five years ago, the Reds were in a mire, in freefall after another debilitating second place finish that saw their star striker depart. It was debilitating because there was no recovery, no tactical acumen, no leading light to catch them as they fell. It was during that time, in that season – 14/15 – where the discussion of Liverpool’s midfield woes …
Fabinho: O Shithouse! My Shithouse!

Fabinho: O Shithouse! My Shithouse!

It’s been a long, long time. Too long in fact. Javier Mascherano was the last of the Liverpool midfielders that really liked to put the boot in, that engaged in the dark arts of utter sh*thousery, doing the dirty work to make his more electrifying counterparts sparkle. Now, that mantle has been well and truly taken. Finally, a steely, hardened midfielder sits at the base of Liverpool’s midfield, his arms spread wide, commanding “Ye shall not pass.” In actuality, it’s …
A Plan of Adaptation: Fabinho Edition

A Plan of Adaptation: Fabinho Edition

Having spent £40m on Fabinho this summer, some fans would’ve expected him to come straight into the starting eleven and offer a blanket to the back-four we’ve not seen since the days of Javier Mascherano. Crunching into tackles and feeding the ball to his teammates higher up the pitch, his inclusion would bring Liverpool to new heights amid hopes of a title challenge. However, the Brazilian hasn’t featured in the opening three games and didn’t even make the bench against …
Fabinho Done - Faster Than A Speeding Edwards

Fabinho Done - Faster Than A Speeding Edwards

It’s two days after the Champions League final and the dissection of the game has barely even ended. The discussion, as these discussions are wont to do, turns to the state of Liverpool’s squad after what has been a very exciting but ultimately unsuccessful season – at least in terms of silverware. As heated debates between like-minded but disagreeing individuals tend to do, the discussion zeroed in on the issue of defensive midfield. On and on and on we discussed. …
Jordan Henderson - Defensive Midfielder?

Jordan Henderson - Defensive Midfielder?

With the season just around the corner many fans have started naming their 'Dream XI' for the season ahead. Sometimes you'll see these though and think yeah that'd be boss on Football Manager or Fifa. This is real life though and you have to consider the tactics and the shape. In the last week or so I've started to see people mentioning Henderson as our defensive midfielder. At first I thought they wanted to deploy Henderson as a deep lying …
The 'DM' Conundrum – How Could They Add Goals?

The 'DM' Conundrum – How Could They Add Goals?

Shouts for a defensive-midfielder (or more commonly termed as ‘DM’) has never been louder than it has in the summer of 2015. Gone were the days of having a defensive stalwart in midfield – the days of Graeme Souness, Dietmar Hamann, and Javier Mascherano. Varieties of midfielders have since occupied the deepest spot in midfield. These range from sub-par midfielders like Charlie Adam and Jay Spearing, to players who did not return to their best form (Lucas Leiva), and even …
Brendan Rodgers: On Thin Ice

Brendan Rodgers: On Thin Ice

The weekend saw Liverpool's run of abject form continue, as they slumped to a fourth consecutive defeat, further extending their winless run in the Premier League. Not since an injury time own goal spared the Reds' blushes at Loftus Road on 19th October, have Liverpool recorded three points. In fact, a last gasp home win over Swansea, in the Capital One Cup, continues to be the Anfield side's only victory in the last seven - a run which has witnessed …