Indispensable but under-rotated - Liverpool's flying full-backs
If ever there was a goal to highlight how influential Liverpool's full-backs are on the team, the Reds' second goal against RB Salzburg was exactly that. From Andy Robertson stepping into midfield to the ball being transferred to the opposite side of the pitch for Trent Alexander-Arnold to find his on-running full-back partner with a delightful low cross. It was an exceptional goal from two unbelievably talented full-backs. The levels both of them have been performing at for more than …
Time for Liverpool's Old Trafford hoodoo to end
So, here we go again. Man United away. A fixture that has provided more misery than any other for Liverpool supporters over the past 25 years.
The Reds return from the international break facing one of their biggest matches in any season, but this one has a different feel to it than many that have taken place before it.
Jurgen Klopp's men will rock up to Old Trafford not only favourites to pick up all three points at the home …
Four Years of Jürgen Klopp - Part 3: The Klopp Game
As we celebrate the four-year anniversary of Jürgen Klopp’s arrival at Anfield this month, I’ll be reminiscing about some of the crucial games and moments that have stood out over that period. You can read the first two parts of this series here and here Now it’s time for Part 3:
Liverpool 4-3 Borussia Dortmund - 14 April 2016
Liverpool XI: Mignolet, Clyne, Lovren, Sakho, Moreno, Milner, Can, Lallana, Firmino, Coutinho, Origi
Subs: Sturridge, Leiva, Allen, Skrtel, Smith, Ward, Ojo
…
A game-by-game mentality: How Liverpool can win the Premier League
To lay everything out on the table from the start, here, any talk of Liverpool having won the Premier League title already this season is absolutely absurd. You can certainly lose the title in the first eight games. But with only 21% of the season completed, there’s no chance you can win it in that time.
Last season, the Reds led Manchester City by seven points at the turn of the year, lost just one game all season, accumulated the …
Four wonderful years of Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool
People often say that you remember exactly where you were when huge moments in history occurred.
I'll never forget hearing about the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on the bus home from school, for example, or seeing a kids TV show interrupted in order to inform me of the death of Princess Diana.
I must immediately stress that I don't put the arrival of a Liverpool manager on a par with those events mentioned above, in terms of …
How Trent Alexander-Arnold Has Become Klopp's de Bruyne
No, for the love of God, Trent Alexander-Arnold is not as good as Kevin de Bruyne. Just examine the radar below, courtesy of understat.com, for evidence of that. Kevin de Bruyne, under Pep Guardiola, is a phenomenon, involved in everything Manchester City do on a football pitch. Without him, as evidenced by the performance against Wolves, they lose their incisors, they lack the ferocity, and they are without one of the best footballers on the planet right now.
Good, now …
Four Years of Jurgen Klopp Part II - The Future is Bobby
As we celebrate the four year anniversary of Jürgen Klopp’s arrival at Anfield this week, I’ll be reminiscing about some of the crucial games and moments that have stood out over that period. You can read the first part of this series here. Now it’s time for Part II:
Manchester City 1-4 Liverpool 21 November - 2015
Liverpool XI: Mignolet, Clyne, Skrtel, Lovren, Moreno, Lucas, Can, Milner, Coutinho, Lallana, Firmino
Subs: Toure, Benteke, Sturridge, Allen, Ibe, Bogdan, Randall
Goal Scorers: …
Why can't you play like that every week, Dejan?
I'm sure I wasn't the only one who grimaced, groaned, groaned and flailed when I heard that Dejan Lovren was starting on Saturday.
Not only because... Well, he's Dejan Lovren, but because he was to come up against a striker in Jamie Vardy that has a brilliant goal scoring record against the Reds and has also given Lovren many torrid times over recent years.
"Why not Joe Gomez?", I cried at the radio as I made my way towards Anfield.
…
Liverpool's Full Backs Add New Attacking Dimension
A prominent and recurring feature of Pep Guardiola's trophy-laden spell as manager of Manchester City has been the Catalan's utilisation of his expensively assembled full backs as ostensible centre midfielders.
The positioning of his full backs has provided his City side with numerous advantages.
Firstly, it allows for effective triangle shapes to be created between the full back, winger and attacking midfielders. This adds layers to the Etihad sides' attack and allows the likes of De Bruyne and the Silva's, …
Salzburg rollercoaster provides timely reality check for Liverpool
I must admit, I feel a bit daft.
It was only recently that I wrote something, somewhere about how Liverpool's players are the epitome of the mentality monsters that Jürgen Klopp christened them as only last season.
While that's still not so far from the truth, the Reds certainly have reason to believe that they are still susceptible to moments of incapability and mental weakness.
The second group stage fixture of the Champions League will always be remembered as a …