How Ragnar Klavan has become Liverpool’s new cult hero
Who else thinks Ragnar Klavan’s last-minute winner at Burnley has made it into their favourite 10 Reds goals of all time?
That may be both short-termist and an overreaction, but there was something special about it.
It was a goal that leaves you on top of the world for hours afterwards, feeling invincible. I could have knocked out Mike Tyson between approximately 4:50pm and 10pm, or cruised to victory over Mo Farah in the 10,000 metres.
There were probably a …
Have we underestimated Liverpool's squad depth?
Over the last month or so we have seen Jurgen Klopp increasingly trust his squad which has seen him rotate a number of his first choice eleven in and out of the side. With the added demands of European football, it was clear Klopp was going to have to utilise his squad players a lot more this season but it should also highlight to us all how the German is building a team which is capable of challenging on all …
Key Stats from Liverpool 2-1 Burnley
Liverpool pulled out a hard-fought, incredibly sticky 2-1 win over Burnley following Ragnar Klavan’s last minute header. But what were the key stats from the Reds’ massive win?
Creative Juices Clogging?
On paper Liverpool’s xG of 1.63 looks solid enough, especially for a big away game against defensively strong Burnley. But 0.93 of that came from Ragnar Klavan’s header at the death, which in turn came from a set piece and resulted in the winning goal. Or in other words, …
Observations as Liverpool Edge Past Burnley in a Last Minute Thriller
Liverpool and Burnley woke up from their first-half slumber to produce a thrilling second half, and it was The Reds who walked away with all of the points scoring as late a goal as any thrillseeking supporter could hope for.
The key observations from the game below:
That First Half
Watching Paint Dry. Reading yesterday's newspaper. Washing an already ironed shirt. The first half. List the most pointless things one can recollect. Liverpool made seven changes, with a new look …
Injury-time winner sees Reds secure first win of 2018 - Burnley 1-2 LFC
Burnley: Pope, Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Gudmundsson, Cork, Defour, Arfield, Hendrick, Barnes
Liverpool: Mignolet, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Klavan, Gomez; Can, Wijnaldum, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Lallana, Mané, Solanke
Report
Liverpool got 2018 off to a winning start at Turf Moor, recording a 1-2 victory after a moment of the highest order from Sadio Mané and some late, late drama from Ragnar Klavan.
With both sides playing for the second time in three days, the first-half lacked the usual intensity of a Premier League clash. …
Liverpool Must Learn To Hold Onto The Lead
Since the debacle at Wembley back in October, Liverpool's form has been impressive. (Editors Note: This article was written before Liverpool's 4-0 win over Bournemouth)
Emphatic wins over the likes of Huddersfield Town, West Ham, Southampton, Stoke and Brighton have put the Reds back on course to keep in touch with the top 3 - and Klopp's side do appear to have banished their previous struggles against deep-sitting sides lower down the table. This ultimately led to dropped points against …
Five Defenders to Fix Liverpool - #3 Issa Diop
If there are any football fans out there who haven’t yet become aware of Liverpool’s need for an improvement in the heart of the defence, then they are likely living in a willful ignorance of the kind that Liverpool fans can only dream of. Instead, for those clad in Red, a recurring “head in hands” moment becomes more and more grating with repetition – a knack to concede silly goals pervades a side that’s finally clicking into gear and attacking …
Salah Showing Why We Can't Settle for Second Best
Another game another Salah masterclass, the Egyptian has been the signing of the season by far and his two goals against the Saints puts him at the top of the Premier League goal scoring charts ahead of the likes of Aguero, Morata and Kane. There was a wave of apprehension surrounding the £35 million deal; his form in Italy was eye catching but he had failed to set the Premier League alight the first time around. Klopp was clearly a …
Dejan Lovren: The Buck Doesn't Stop There
Sometime after 4.15pm yesterday, a collection of mumbles, conversations and downright vitriol ran around the away section at Wembley.
‘He’s got to take him off.’
‘We’re going to get battered here. Fuck’s sake, Jurgen.’
‘Get that useless twat off now!’
Later on some people speculated that Dejan Lovren’s was the worst performance ever given by a Liverpool player. That got me thinking. My mind flew to a John Arne Riise display at Craven Cottage years ago when I seriously wondered …
An Imperfect Marriage Between The System & The Players At Liverpool FC
Klopp’s Liverpool are currently experiencing a turbulent time in terms of results, and fans are understandably becoming frustrated with the same defensive issues reoccurring regularly to deny Liverpool deserved wins. However, even though these issues appear to occur so repetitively, it still seems difficult for many to pinpoint the precise problem and identify exactly who’s to blame in each situation, and this is largely due to the elaborate nature of the system that Klopp currently has in place.
Liverpool currently …