How to Replace Emre Can: Leicester's Wilfried Ndidi
That crushing inevitability is the worst feeling.
Perhaps Liverpool fans are simply making their way through the stages of grief, and are trying to bargain with themselves the potential loss of Emre Can will be less grievous than reality will dictate. But fear not, for here in the land of perpetual posturing and theoretical deals, Anfield Index will be sorting out Liverpool’s need for control in midfield – alongside a shiny new Naby Keita, who’ll be entering the club right …
Observations from Liverpool's Etihad embarrassment
Liverpool were torn from pillar to post for around an hour after Sadio Mane's red card, losing 5-0 to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
A goal from Sergio Aguero had broken the deadlock in a game that looked as if it could swing either way until Mane's right boot swung into the jaw of Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson.
From then on, it was one-way traffic. Say what you want about how Klopp set his tactics up, whether Liverpool worked …
Manchester City 5 - 0 Liverpool: Player Ratings
A game whose result was decided by one reckless challenge and the Reds' heads just dropped. The Reds were royally whipped by an all star City team, leading to Klopp's heaviest defeat in his reign as Liverpool manager.
(Considering how Liverpool and Klopp had given up on the game in the second half, we need to take these ratings with a pinch of salt)
Simon Mignolet (6): Restored to the lineup, the keeper had a very busy first half, pulling …
Manchester City v Liverpool Preview - Key Battles
The transfer window is over, the international break is over. It is now time for some real football. And what a way to kick the Premier League back off, as Liverpool travel to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City. Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp will face off for the third time in English football, with Liverpool winning 1-0 at Anfield last season before a 1-1 draw at the Etihad.
For Liverpool, the team news will be interesting. It is …
Philippe Coutinho Failing In Quest To Be World-Class
What defines world-class? Every football supporter has a different way of seeing it.
To some, it is only those truly elite players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez and Neymar, while others could name 100 who fit into that bracket.
For me, it is someone in and around the top 10 players in the world in their respective position - someone who produces the goods almost every week and rarely hits a genuinely poor spell in form.
Manuel Neuer, …
Sadio Mane or Raheem Sterling? Statistical Observations
Just this past Monday, Dominic King of the Mail Online, produced an article stating how Manchester United nullified the effectiveness of Liverpool’s Sadio Mane, during the recent stalemate at Anfield. Where he might have been correct in this statement, it was clear to see that Jose Mourinho’s significant attention towards the Senegalese forward, in itself harboured the biggest compliment for Mane.
‘Half spaces’ is what Jurgen Klopp defines as space on a pitch, where defenders do not know whether to …
No Value for money? The January transfer myth
Unicorns. Myth.
Loch Ness Monster. Myth.
Bigfoot. Myth.
My girlfriend saying she'll only go in one shop. Myth.
No value in the January transfer window. Myth.
All are spoken about as though they're fact when in reality they're no more than myths.
Of course you can find the odd bit of evidence to support these claims, "Sam remember that time over Christmas 2012 when I went into the first shop and bought that coat", "Remember when we signed Andy Carroll …
Sturridge, Coutinho and Firmino - It can't come soon enough
It's been a bit of a rollercoaster season for Liverpool fans already and we're only just in January. From the lows of seeing a Brendan Rodgers Liverpool side humbled at home to West Ham to the highs of Jurgen Klopp's Redmen thumping Manchester City 4-1 at the Etihad we're now finding some middle grounding. Excitement about taking a 1-0 lead in a semi-final back to Anfield but despair at the contagious hamstringitis bug that's currently struck down about 76 of …
Top 4 or Not? How does it change Liverpool's Summer plans?
The loss to United dented our chances of finishing in the top 4, but just how detrimental would not finishing in the top 4 be to our summer plans?
Yes, we all want Champions League football, but given the first half of the season it was always going to be a big ask and I'd like to think we'd started planning for the summer in January. Surely we've identified players who will improve our side right now, but not only …
Kevin De Bruyne - Ideal For Liverpool FC and Brendan Rodgers?
"Don't try to compare us to another bad little fad I'm the Mac and I'm bad. Give you something that you never had. I'll make ya jump (jump) wiggle and shake your rump 'Cos I'll be kicking the flavour that makes you wanna jump"
So said the 'hip hop' duo Kriss Kross way back in 1992, only a few months after a certain Kevin De Bruyne was born, and in the same year our very own Phillipe Coutinho was born. …