Jurgen Klopp

Naby Keïta: A Risk Worth Taking?

In my previous two analyses of Naby Keïta I looked at where he would fit in Liverpool's midfield, his personal qualities, and how he compares statistically to some of the top midfielders in the Premier League. Having gone through his numbers, it would appear he is a perfect fit for Liverpool and Klopp. However, there...

Why Liverpool’s Young Talent Are Unlikely To Succeed

A lot of discussion in pre-season has been made of Liverpool’s young talents, and how much they are likely to feature for the club next season. But the sad truth is that the majority of them simply have no future at Liverpool Football Club, and it’s okay to admit that. Looking at the current clutch...

Lucas Leiva: Retire The 21 Shirt

“People just don’t know just how good Lucas is” – Rafa Benitez, 2009. Well, I think this is it. He’s finally gone. On Sunday, Lazio tweeted a photo of Lucas Leiva holding one of their scarves and unless he bought it at the airport and just happened to have been spotted by the Roman club’s photographer,...

The Rise and Fall of Rafa Benitez

With Lucas Leiva set to leave Liverpool FC for Lazio there will no longer by any players left at the club, who were managed by Rafa Benitez. The Spaniard is a beloved figure at Anfield but the state in which he left the club, even though not entirely his fault, has left a bitter...

Will Klopp Trust Liverpool’s Youngsters to Deliver Next Season?

Having watched Klopp very closely over the past year and a half, it has become clear that there is one trait that he values above anything else and that's trust. A player can have all the ability in the world but if the German doesn't trust him to fit into his system and to...

Liverpool’s Ambition Must Match The Elite

I’ll say this at the outset. I’m in two minds about writing this. Back in April, fresh from the derby win at Anfield, I wrote about Ronald Koeman’s comments of satisfaction at the Blues’ performance and how they deserved better from their 3-1 defeat. I did all I could to follow his reasoning and wondered what...

Klopp’s Young Giants Pave Reds “Route-1”

Impact off the bench. Not since Ryan Babel nearly a decade ago have Liverpool had a reliable impact sub. For Jurgen Klopp it hasn’t been for a lack of trying.  During his first few months with Liverpool he made use of Benteke, Steven Caulker and even goalkeeper Shamal George as an auxiliary striker off the...

Naby Keïta: A Statistical Analysis

In my first profile of Naby Keïta, I looked at his personal qualities, attributes, and statistics, and then compared him to Gini Wijnaldum, the player who Keita would likely replace in the starting XI, should Liverpool persist with the staggered 4-3-3 system that was broadly successful during the 16-17 season. In this piece, however, I'll be...

Statistical Analysis: Is Liverpool’s Defence Really That Bad?

*The stats in this article are gathered manually from Squawka. Minutes include stoppage time. Offensive, Defensive and Net rating are the totals per 100 minutes.  It's silly season yet again. A lot has been made of Liverpool's transfer dealings and the Virgil van Dijk saga in particular. And while without a doubt the Dutchman will...

Are Klopp’s January Decisions Costing the Reds Millions in July?

If you want to make a Liverpool supporter sick to their stomach, ask them to think back to January.  It was not a fun month.  What was looking like a juggernaut of a team lost Mané to AFCON, Coutinho and Matip to injury and suddenly we were struggling against lower league competition. Klopp did what...