Liverpool's Team of 2016
It's cliche I know but a year in football is a long time. If you compared December 2015 and December 2016 they're almost unrecognisable.
After the Boxing Day fixtures in 2015 Liverpool were in 8th position with 27 points and a -1 goal difference. Watford and Crystal Palace where both ahead of the Reds and Everton were just a single point behind. Going into the game against Stoke City on the 27th December Liverpool are 2nd in the league with 37 …
Celebrating the Quiet People: Wijnaldum & Klavan
The recent victories against Middlesbrough and Everton have thrust the usual names into the spotlight. Adam Lallana took the headlines in the North East and, a few days later, fans of both colours were all about Sadio Mane, either with a deep, nourishing love in their hearts or with a ‘jammy redshite bastard’ tone.
I'd like to drag these stars from the stage for a minute and focus on those in the background. It’s Christmas after all. Share the wealth.
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12 Days of Kloppmas
On the first day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me,
Jurgen Klopp’s appointment at LFC
On the second day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me,
Two Derby wins,
And Jurgen Klopp’s appointment at LFC
On the third day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me,
Three defensive errors,
Two Derby wins,
And Jurgen Klopp’s appointment at LFC
On the fourth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me,
Four goals at City,
Three defensive …
Liverpool have Squad Depth to Cover for Injuries
Injury is a word I thoroughly hate, especially if it concerns a Liverpool player. We’ve been down this road before, particularly last season where we could field quite a strong lineup with the number of injuries the Liverpool squad had absorbed. We missed key players who were unavailable for very important fixtures, Mamadou Sakho walking off the pitch at Wembley during the Capital One Cup Final against Manchester City last season as an example.
Once again, two months down the …
Could Klopp use Emre Can in a Centre-Back Role?
Jurgen Klopp has shown just how ruthless he can be this season with squad selection when he dropped Belgian 'keeper Simon Mignolet in favour of Loris Karius for the match against Hull City. While the general consensus seemed to be Mignolet was on borrowed time after a series of errors last season and he was only starting this season because of the injury Karius picked up in pre-season it was still a bit of a 'wow' moment when the team …
Giorginio Wijnaldum: Liverpool's Gini in a Lamp
In recent seasons, I think Liverpool’s transfer dealings – signings mostly – have been pretty poo. From Balotelli and Benteke to Carroll and Markovic, there have been a number of expensive signings bought for their individual quality rather than as crucial cogs in a cohesive machine.
I think the aforementioned are all talented players, but Markovic spent some of his time under Brendan Rodgers at right wing-back, and I’ve never really known Liverpool to succeed on the route one, cross-pumping …
Leandro Paredes - The Midfielder Liverpool Lack?
Jurgen Klopp has refused to rule out any incomings between now and the end of the transfer window. There's still hope within the fan base that the Reds will bring in a left-back to displace/challenge Alberto Moreno as well as a controlling/tempo setting midfielder to turn a 7/10 window into a potential 9/10 window. The latter seems less likely given Liverpool are pretty stocked when it comes to midfielders.
Depending on what formation Klopp decides to go with will see …
The Dismantling of Barcelona shows Liverpool should be Feared
I know I said not to read into pre-season results much but I’m a liar. Words did no justice to the performance Liverpool put in on Saturday against Barcelona and I resorted to just making the odd animalistic noise to show my approval. I’m not ashamed by it. Shame implies I was embarrassed by my hypocritical ways. I wasn’t.
The 4-0 humbling of the La Liga champions was the culmination of a successful pre-season for Jurgen Klopp’s handsome Reds. For …
Premier League Proven isn't always a negative
The Transfer Window has been officially open for nearly a month now and Liverpool's two biggest signings have been players from within the Premier League. Both Sadio Mane and Gini Wijnaldum arrived at Anfield for a combined £55 Million. Most Reds fans must have a strong feeling of deja-vu about such deals. Since Fenway Sports Group bought the club Liverpool have spent over £200 Million on Premier League proven players with varied success. Despite the questionable success of this tactic …