Liverpool

Liverpool 2018/19: A Tactical Preview

How do Liverpool play? It's a simple question, but with the arrival of both Naby Keïta, Fabinho and Alisson, as well as the progression of Liverpool's tactics under Jürgen Klopp since he joined in 2016, the answer requires a more detailed response than the question initially indicates. There are three main tactical phases in football:...

Why Liverpool Must Find Their Coutinho Replacement

Liverpool’s pursuit of Nabil Fekir looks to be over (for the time being), and with it has come another question: do Liverpool currently have their optimal squad? Or should they return to the market once more, with the intent of finally replacing the man who formerly practised his magic at Anfield? Well, quite simply, yes....

Leon Bailey and that “Concrete Interest”

With the breaking news this morning that Bailey himself confirmed Liverpool have a “concrete interest” in him, I decided to follow on from my pieces on Fekir & Pulisic with a look at the Leverkusen star, Leon Bailey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfzKDAPd9VY Above: Reliable Bundesliga journalist, Old Gregg, hinting at a move to Liverpool. My mind wandered this morning to that...

Should Liverpool Persist with Injury-prone Players?

It's a debate that rumbles on every summer surrounding Daniel Sturridge and whether his injury record can see him as a reliable squad member - and the question has once again reared its ugly head this week. Injuries to both Adam Lallana and Joel Matip saw them head home to miss Liverpool's final part of...

Observations from Liverpool 3-1 Torino: A great ghost and an old problem

Liverpool wrapped up their preseason slate in a match marking the Anfield debut for Alisson, Fabinho, Keita and Shaqiri. Alisson allowed his first goal while Fabinho made a surprise appearance at centre-back. Keita had a largely unremarkable evening, while Shaqiri came on at the break and helped put the punctuation mark on the night with...

Why We’re Thinking About Injuries All Wrong

The season is yet to kick off, but the bodies are already piling up in Liverpool's treatment room. Joel Matip, having just returned from an injury which required surgery, is back on the sidelines, whilst Adam Lallana, who started a single league fixture in 2017/18, is also injured, after making his way through the first...

Team Management and Squad Depth All Point to Success

In my last piece, which you can read here I discussed the potential for Liverpool to be genuine league title contenders. I still stand by that. The current squad, as it stands, is good enough. No Excuses The encouraging thing is that Jurgen Klopp has continued to defy the critics throughout his tenure at Anfield. He doesn't always...

Liverpool FC Summers: Four Meaningful Trips

Being a Liverpool FC supporter living in America is a different kind of commitment. You have to be an early riser to catch matches on weekend morning, you have to block out your work calendars for Champions League afternoons, and most of all you must seize any opportunity offered to you to see the...

Can Pulisic Break the Curse?

All major signings come with an element of risk. Will they settle in a new country? Adapt well to the pace of the game here? Or to their new clubs tactical framework? For some players, the risk is an even greater one. Their name is Christian. Liverpool's problem with the name 'Christian' began back in...

Div or Dom, it’s time to move on

Pre-season is a time for players to either pick up where they left off the previous campaign or gain a fresh start, putting a turbulent season behind them and trying to stake a claim in the first-team. Dominic Solanke and Divock Origi fall into that category, facing a crucial summer in their Liverpool careers...