The Case for Xherdan Shaqiri
Following an impressive start to their summer with the signing of Fabinho and the impending arrival of Naby Keita, Liverpool have looked to bolster what was their most glaring weakness of the season, shining brightly in the eyes of every fan who watched their side go down to Real Madrid in Kiev.
A lack of depth.
Xherdan Shaqiri, having been relegated with Stoke this season, has emerged as the cut-price option to bolster the Reds’ attacking unit. Should they bring …
Alternative Fekirs: Where should Liverpool turn to next?
It was definitely going to be Thursday, then absolutely Friday, then without question Saturday… but at 8pm Saturday night, the Nabil Fekir saga came to an abrupt halt. Depending on which party you believe, Liverpool had reservations once they had the opportunity to review the details of Fekir’s knee reconstructions from two years prior or Liverpool were simply using the knee as an excuse to try and renegotiate a lower fee at the last minute.
Regardless of who you believe, …
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 sidelined by an injury sustained against Roma. His banger against Man City will be on the highlight reel for years. The injury also casts …
Trust Michael Edwards - He's Smarter Than Us
It’s been a very strange and very fraught weekend for Liverpool fans. The timeline is sketchy, details are even sketchier but on Thursday night, it was announced that Liverpool had wrapped up a deal with Nabil Fekir. On Friday morning, Lyon denounced that, and rumours flooded that Fekir had failed his medical. Those rumours were largely debunked, and speculation ran rampant but the announcement of Fekir never came, until finally on Saturday night, Lyon announced that the deal was dead.
…
How Klopp Could Unleash the Big Guns in the 4-2-2-2
A manager requires perpetual change if he’s to succeed in the savage land that is the Premier League.
That’s the narrative that gets swung about on the regular, amidst pundits and fans alike. In Pep Guardiola’s first season, his tactical ministrations were seen as too imposing, not giving English Football’s top tier its due. Jose Mourinho has been accused of remaining “stuck in his ways” on multiple occasions; accusations which surprisingly were most stark in the Champions League against Sevilla. …
Priceless Sadio Mane Must Not Go Unloved at Liverpool
Football moves at a relentless pace.
It only takes a string of good or bad performances to completely alter an opinion on a team or a player, with the modern game as knee-jerk as it has ever been.
When it comes to Sadio Mane, this definitely applies, even though any sane Liverpool supporter knows full well how brilliant he is.
He has been a revelation since joining from Southampton, becoming a key component of Europe’s most fluent, devastating attacking unit, …
Fabinho and Fekir Perfect For Klopp's Versatile Reds
I hate starting any article about Liverpool with a comparison to Man United. But sometimes an opportunity presents itself for such a stark comparison and it gets stuck in your head to the point where it’s impossible to avoid. So indulge me for a moment.
When talking to a United fan recently (I know), he mentioned that they desperately needed a right-winger and Bale would be perfect. I pointed out that they have Sanchez, Martial, Rashford et al, and he …
Liverpool FC - No Longer Standing Still
As the dust settles on an emotional week for Liverpool supporters, it's almost hard to believe that it began with the heartbreak of seeing our Champions League Final hopes washed away in a flood of tears. Those of Mohamed Salah, cruelly robbed of his chance to shine on the biggest stage in club football, with his World Cup hopes hanging in the balance. Those of Loris Karius, as he begged for forgiveness amid the realisation of the significance of his …
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 injury prone and not consistent, the Ox is injured, Gini Wijnaldum has a tendency to disappear at times and Adam Lallana had the worst …
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 was at the helm of the club. The Reds conceded fewer than 40 goals for the first since 2010. And Mo Salah won every possible award …