Milner

Has Klopp built a stronger back-up squad to the XI he inherited?

This summer's been a bit of a whirlwind, hasn't it? We've had the highs and lows of England's World Cup campaign, with ironic jeers of 'it's coming home' appearing more and more realistic as the Three Lions reached the semi-final. The dramatic use of VAR to keep pulses racing as modern technology enlarges its...

Jürgen Klopp’s Midfield Minefield: Getting the Balance Right

Jürgen Klopp has a bit of a dilemma on his hands. And for once, it's not a bad one (well, at least not where his midfield is concerned). The arrivals of Keita, Fabinho, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Wijnaldum in the central midfield area, along with the stalwarts of Henderson and Milner have given the Reds boss a...

How James Milner Became an Unlikely Liverpool Hero

Monday saw Liverpool’s non-World Cup players return to Melwood, with much of the pre-season focus on Naby Keita and Fabinho’s first day with their new teammates. Various photos and videos were released to give an idea of what the day entailed - Keita meeting Jurgen Klopp on the stairs and receiving a giant hug was...

How Naby Keita could follow in Steven Gerrard’s footsteps at Liverpool

After 10 months and three days, Liverpool fans finally get the chance to see more and more of Naby Keita as he officially starts life as a Red. The combative Guinean international is today taking part in his first full day at Liverpool’s Melwood training facility along with the rest of the squad who are...

Jordan Henderson’s Progress And How It Might Be Halted

After a commanding performance for his country, Jordan Henderson is finally beginning to get the level of recognition he deserves. Lining up as the midfield linchpin for his country, Henderson has been presented with an excellent opportunity to impress a significantly broader audience and dispel lasting, and indeed frustrating, misconceptions about his game. For many who...

Liverpool and the World Cup – Pros and Cons

The World Cup is one of the biggest tournaments in the sporting calendar. It’s the most popular sporting event in the world and is watched by hundreds of millions, if not billions worldwide. For many football fans, it’s the pinnacle of the sport and the pinnacle of sport in general. But for a lot...

LFC 2017/2018 Player Ratings – Part 2

After rating the defence, now it's time for midfield and attack. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - Average Post-match Rating 6.63, Writers' Season Rating 7.5 The Ox had a slow start to his Liverpool career, appearing mainly as a substitute in the begging of the season. He grew to be our best midfielder as the season progressed before being...

Liverpool’s Premier League Lineups – a Stats Analysis: Part 2

In part 1 of the lineup analysis, I had a look at our goalkeepers and defense. Part 2 will focus on midfield and attack. The midfield Even after Karius' nightmare performance in Kiev, the midfield is still Liverpool's weakest line going into 2018/2019. Emre Can is likely leaving, James Milner will be 33, Jordan Henderson is...

Liverpool’s Premier League Lineups – A Stats Analysis: Part 1

The Premier League season is over. Man City dominated the season like no club has done in recent (and not so recent) times. For Liverpool, the campaign was relatively successful with the team managing to qualify for the Champions League for the second straight time - something that hasn't happened since a certain Spaniard...

Nearly (First) Mission Accomplished for Jurgen Klopp

Jurgen Klopp’s self-ascribed objective of transforming Liverpool’s fan-base from “doubters to believers” has proven one of the most oft-repeated quotes in a regime marked by memorable soundbites. It was never going to be an easy task, and even as he led his side to consecutive top-four finishes (no mean feat given the unprecedented strength of...