Mario Balotelli
Mario Balotelli, in my mind, has an acute case of Peter Pan syndrome. Why else would he behave like an immature teenager with his somewhat funny antics when not playing football in front of millions? Much has been written about his potential to be a world class player ever since he broke into the Inter […]
Hoffenheim’s Brazilian attacker Roberto Firmino was spared the embarrassment of his country’s World Cup nightmare, as Luiz Felipe Scolari chose to ignore the then 22-year-old’s impressive form for his club. As a result he’s remained relatively under the radar, but not for much longer. Scolari’s successor, Dunga, had no hesitation in calling up the young […]
“Improving Game by Game” As I begin to write my preview on the afternoon of the 4th of December, I reminisce back a year ago, where Norwich visited Anfield to face a vibrant and in-form Liverpool side. Four phenomenal strikes from ex-red Luis Suarez meant the Reds ran out 5-1 winners that day. Whilst we have yet to […]
I like big buts and I also lie. There is no point ignoring it anymore, it has to be said: Brendan Rodgers is putting his own spin on the Sir Mix-A-Lot song. “The ability to attract top players is great. It’s a huge indication of the progress of the club, a really good symbol of […]
As I am writing this piece, I admit there is a surge of anger within me, and that it is not advisable to write under such duress. But I also want to make sure that I do not lose the perspective, so I am going against the grain and penning this down. Liverpool now officially […]
“If it was my choice, I would always go with two strikers. It’s the way I like to play, but Brendan asked me to play as the first striker.” These are the words of Mr. Mario himself, back in October. Balotelli has been heavily criticised in recent months by practically everyone in football. Everyone has […]
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 […]
Is it possible to buy success in the Premier League? TonyBet has collected the data from each transfer window over the past five seasons – only including ever-present clubs – trying to find the team with the best (and worst) value for money, by comparing the average net spend with their average finishing position in the […]
Three games in six days represents a tough week for any team, even Liverpool. A midweek date with Ancelotti’s “Galacticos Mark II” was never going to be plain sailing, and the distraction (albeit a welcome one) of playing the planet’s biggest club, made team selection for Saturday’s league match (against Hull) all the more difficult […]
After the past few weeks… well, for the majority of this season so far, actually, Liverpool’s performances from the 13/14 season seem like a lifetime ago. The qualities going forward that overwhelmed every defence they came up against have dramatically fallen. The defence has obviously been the talking point over the past few weeks. With […]
