Milner's role has changed at Liverpool - for the better

Milner's role has changed at Liverpool - for the better

When James Milner’s arrival was announced almost half a year ago, there was a general acceptance that both Liverpool and Milner had struck an excellent deal, at the expense of Manchester City who had lost both an excellent player who was immensely loved by the fans, but crucially a player who both made up the home-grown quota and was of sufficient quality to play with City’s array of international stars. Milner had spoken at Manchester City about how he wanted …
Here's to You Jordan Henderson - Return of Captain Fantastic

Here's to You Jordan Henderson - Return of Captain Fantastic

The good news keeps on coming for Liverpool FC, Jordan Henderson has returned to training and should be available to play after the international break! The Liverpool captain, who still divides opinion amongst fans and pundits, has been absent since August after he broke a bone in his foot during training. Before the bone break, Henderson had been in and out of the side due to a heel injury and had therefore only played two games for Liverpool this season. …
Joe Gomez and Danny Ings – The Curse of the ACL

Joe Gomez and Danny Ings – The Curse of the ACL

Ever since Jurgen Klopp’s arrival at Liverpool, everyone at the club has been giddy with the effects of Klopptomania. There was the long build-up to his inevitable appointment, the endless vines of his goal celebrations and then, eventually, the press conference. Far from making excuses about not having the right tools, Klopp went to great lengths to extoll the virtues of the players at his disposal. Then came the shockwaves. Not one, but two, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL to you …
Ready to Rumble: How Do Liverpool Line Up In Klopp's First Game?

Ready to Rumble: How Do Liverpool Line Up In Klopp's First Game?

With the international break slowly drawing to a close, minds are beginning to revert back to domestic action, namely that of the Premier League. For Liverpool fans, that means just one thing... it's almost Jürgen time. Yes, the new manager will take charge of his first game in just a matter of days, away to Tottenham Hotspur. But who will he select, and in what system will they line up? It's always an uncertain period for squad members when a …
Liverpool’s forgotten man in the middle - Joe Allen

Liverpool’s forgotten man in the middle - Joe Allen

Joe Allen was always going to face an uphill battle ever since Brendan Rodgers labelled him “the Welsh Xavi” on the now infamous ‘Being Liverpool’ mockumentary documentary. Motor-mouth Rodgers clearly didn’t help Allen with such fanciful comparisons, but it’s another quote from his international manager, Chris Coleman, which underlines his qualities. “Joe is a great player. He's so important to the way we want to play – stopping attacks, linking our defensive play, linking to forwards. "He's so intelligent, incredibly …
The Importance of Jordan Henderson to Liverpool

The Importance of Jordan Henderson to Liverpool

It’s often said that you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. That statement will certainly ring true with Brendan Rodgers, who is likely to be without his captain Jordan Henderson for a while after the midfielder travelled stateside to seek assistance with a heel injury. Liverpool’s captain has already missed three games and following recent results his stock has arguably never been higher. Liverpool took maximum points from the two games that Henderson started this season. In his …
The Case for the Liverpool Defence Part 2: ‘Midfield and Beyond’

The Case for the Liverpool Defence Part 2: ‘Midfield and Beyond’

In Part I, I looked at the individual members of the back ‘5’ (including the GK), and the most likely rotational or still to return individuals, each with their own pluses and minuses. In Part II, I want to look at the midfield options and striker responsibilities relative to defence, the overall strategy and tactics employed (the two are not the same) and how the gears of overall defence do – and often don’t – mesh. Liverpool essentially have six …