How To Take On The Domestic Cups This Year
Liverpool's first game back after the World Cup is in not the Premier League, but the 4th round EFL tie against Manchester City. This game will represent the ideal tune up to the Reds' Boxing Day visit to Villa Park, and getting Pep Guardiola’s side in the last 16 is the perfect draw for Jurgen Klopp.
Apart from Erling Haaland and a few squad players, most of the Etihad roster is spending this next month at the World Cup. The …
Rangers 1 - 7 Liverpool - CL Player Ratings
Starting XI
Alisson Becker - 7.0
The reds most reliable performer this term. Could do little for the opening goal, with the scorer having a clean shot to take. Was rarely troubled for the remainder of the half. Had even less to do in the second period.
Joe Gomez - 7.0
A more solid fullback could be what was needed in this exact moment. Was defensively dominant from the start, winning his duals and showing his strength time after time. …
Liverpool v Bournemouth - A Changing Of The Guard
Jordan Henderson and James Milner need to be dropped, with clear limitations brought into their roles on the pitch. Neither can compete at the Premier League level anymore, and thus youth should be preferred whenever possible. It is not a targeted attack or misdirected opinion to state fact, and continuing poor performances do not lie. If circumstances dictate one of Milly or Hendo must start, then the other should only ever come into the game to replace the other. To …
A Darwin Evolution
This week Darwin Núñez signed as a Liverpool player, in a deal that could eventually reach £85m. The guaranteed outlay is around the £63m mark (£20m upfront), and if the full fee is to be paid to Benfica, then that would be a mark of extreme success by the player. The cost is of course substantial, but then so is the player.
I’ve never really cared who cost this or that, only that the right tools were afforded to our …
Newcastle 0 - 1 Liverpool - The Player Ratings
Alisson Becker - 7.5
The nervy situations were inevitable, but this man dealt with such moments like the worlds greatest keeper should. The chances for Newcastle were limited, but everything was smothered by the giant Brazilian.
Joe Gomez - 8.5
Effort and tenacity in abundance. He was up and down the line constantly, and looks like the relative freedom is being basked in. The odd cross field ball was on point, and the crossing was pretty good too. The defensive …
Observations: The Reds celebrate Jurgen's new contract with a win
Today Liverpool were the calmest ones in the room. Many fans will have been increasingly nervous as the seconds ticked by and the scoreline stayed at just 1-0, but despite a few misplaced passes, the Reds stayed as calm as you like, defended the space, and gave up nothing to see out the win. Newcastle had a measly 4 shots in the game, all of which were from considerable distance and didn't give Alisson much trouble. Joe Gomez, rotated in …
Observations: A Fun Little Kickaround
Well that was a bit of a lark, wasn't it? Liverpool made through to the semi-finals of the Champions League after an exciting 3-3 draw at Anfield with Benfica to finish 6-4 on aggregate. Jurgen Klopp named a heavily rotated side, and at times it definitely showed. After the match, the gaffer explained that he'd made a last minute decision to change the back line, so this 4, who'd never played a competitive match together, had 20 minutes to figure …
Observations: The Great Rivals don't give each other an inch
Similar to their first clash at Anfield, Liverpool and Man City were the better team for one half each at the Etihad. Man City stifled Liverpool and broke through after waves of pressure, then in the second half, the Reds closed down the paths through and created a number of quick attack opportunities.
The first half display from Liverpool was largely due to City's excellent press. Guardiola tweaked the team shape for the game, using a 4-2-3-1 with Sterling as …
Observations: The Reds, like a boulder rolling down a hill.
Against Arsenal, Liverpool had one of their slowest first halves of the season. It seemed like the Gunners had a real foothold in the game, and although they didn't create much, neither did Liverpool. But we will not be stopped. No matter what you throw at these boys, they'll plant their feet, grit their teeth, and walk on.
It was another superb line-up today, as we are slowly getting used to having week in and week out. Even the sight …
Arsenal 0 - 2 Liverpool - The Player Ratings
Arsenal 0 - 2 Liverpool - The Player Ratings
Alisson Becker - 8.5
A pretty routine first half for the giant Brazilian, with possession of the ball more apparent than anything else. Made a great stop early in the second half as the game opened up. Didn’t have much to do after that, but his moments were once again critical.
Trent Alexander Arnold - 7.0
Martinelli certainly gave him worrying moments in the first half, with his smart movement. A …