Scouser

Jim Boardman and Jay Reid are back and so is the proper footy, as Liverpool get the new season and the new Arne Slot era underway with three points on the road against Ipswich. That first game was brilliant for Reds fans, or at least Reds fans who missed the first half. As discussed by Jay and Jim, it was a game between a side still getting over its summer holidays and one that was playing in game it’s been waiting years for. As rusty as it was to start with, words at half time, along with a substitution, seemed to make all the difference as what used to be Jurgen’s Reds started to get used to a new set of instructions from a new boss. The return to Premier League action doesn’t mean the end of silly season though, unfortunately, with the transfer window running a little while longer yet. Unfortunately for Reds fans hoping for a strengthened squad, Liverpool’s window seems to be made with one way glass. Talk of a new Reds No.6 has died down since the much-publicised breakdown of the last attempt to bring one in and talk of signings seems to have shifted to a new goalkeeper – but one who won’t actually join any of the club’s squads for at least a year. Meanwhile, players are being allowed to leave, in most cases youngsters that maybe weren’t realistically going to be a regular part of Slot’s plans and would sooner or later stop counting as youngsters in the squad lists submitted to the Premier League and Champions League. Joe Gomez is a more senior name reportedly set to depart, leaving the Reds painfully short of centre-back cover. As Jay and Jim discuss, it’s a long campaign and whilst there are still many youngsters at the club who could provide cover in an emergency, nobody wants to get to the point where a certain centre-back has to be called back into the first team. The long campaign includes Champions League football, but not as we know it, with UEFA showing those Super League upstarts how money shouldn’t come first, by adding an extra two games per club before the knockouts start. Jim tries to explain the new format briefly, but it isn’t a format that wants to be explained briefly. Next up for the Reds is Slot’s first real game at Anfield as Liverpool boss. The recent friendly gave him a taste of what it’s like at Anfield, but as Jay points out, it’s a slightly different type of crowd that goes to a friendly than goes to a league match. And as Jim points out, there’ll be away fans at this one. As always, there’s something to chuckle about from across the park, as Jay and Jim wonder what will happen to Everton’s trophy cabinet when they move to their new stadium.

Jim Boardman is once again joined by Jay Reid for a look at the latest from Liverpool on the Reds and as always there’s plenty to talk about. Football’s summer break is almost over, at least in terms of competitive club fixtures, but for a lot of the Reds squad there hasn’t been much time to rest at all. International commitments for many of the players mean new boss Arne Slot has had less time than he would have liked to really get a look at what he’s going to be working with. Pre-season fixtures gave him some insight on some members of his squad, but he might not get to start with what he thinks is his first-choice line-up before the season starts for real with the 500-mile round-trip to Ipswich on August 17th – at 12:30. That trip to the US was successful for the Reds, three wins in three games, opportunities for the manager to really get to know his youngsters, a first chance for a number of the first team to impress and a 3-0 win over one of the main rivals. It’s only pre-season, but a win’s a win against that lot. For Jay and Jim the transfer silly season is best avoided, but sometimes a name will seep through that’s worth a look. Strong links to a certain midfielder, a move that some on social media are happy to make things up about, suggest that the Reds might be making the kind of move they really could have done with making a year ago. Liverpool should have enough room for a couple of decent signings, not just the one in the headlines now. However, the clamour from some to get players signed early seems to be one that doesn’t really suit where the Reds are this summer. As Jim points out, it might have been possible to get some signings done sooner had Liverpool only brought a new Head Coach in this summer, or only a new Sporting Director, but it seems like it was more sensible to wait, assess and then move for new faces. As Jay points out, Slot told us this was the plan back on his first day at the club. Profit and sustainability rules have to be kept in mind of course when it comes to working out who to sign, but Liverpool have enough coming in from commercial deals, TV money, shirt sales, gate receipts and the rest of it to have a decent budget. And that’s before any possible Covid allowance is taken into account… And Liverpool would be able to do that without the need to join a consortium of clubs that were making unusual but convenient last-minute deals with each other as the deadline for PSR kicked in. On this week’s show Jim and Jay discuss all the above and more.

Jim Boardman and Jay Reid are back after a bit of a break and ready to get their pre-season underway. A new era is underway at Anfield, but it’s all kind of low key and behind closed doors as the international Reds slowly return from their exploits in Germany and the US. As much of England reels from the latest tournament exit of their ‘brave’ heroes, this time without pens, many in Merseyside are smiling. Liverpool’s relationship with England – the club’s fans or the city’s people – has been strained for as long as most of us can remember, and not just for football reasons. But when we are talking football, it’s the same as it ever was, as Jay and Jim try to explain. For those Reds stars playing for countries who do respect them it’s been a busy spell, although only Alexis Mac Allister will be arriving back at the Axa with a winner’s medal. Diaz and Nunez both had good tournaments, as did Euros joint top scorer Cody Gakpo, at least on a personal level. Cody’s club and country skipper Virgil Van Dijk was interviewed in the aftermath of going out of the Euros to that struggling England side and asked about his future. His response, along the lines of needing to get some rest after an emotional season – and it was definitely emotional – has been twisted in some quarters. As you’d expect. However, as Jim and Jay point out, he does have some thinking to do, but it’s unlikely any of the options he has in mind including Anfield early. We’ll see. It's been a quiet transfer window so far, but with the Reds starting their pre-season fixtures a couple of weeks later than usual, with no trips to the likes of Tranmere, Chester, Wigan or Wrexham, maybe it’s not worth panicking too much about it just yet. A new manager working for a boss who’s new to the club, not to mention the other changes to the structure, aren’t exactly conditions for having half a dozen signatures done before any of the players are back off holiday. As seems to be the case far too often, Jay and Jim find themselves talking about a topic that relates to football but has little to do with what’s going on the pitch. The scenes in the Copa America, first of all with players worrying about the safety of their families, and then fans worrying about their own safety ahead of the final. Football absolutely has to fix this, as a matter of urgency, before football fans and their families once again have to pay a price nobody should pay to see a game of football. You’ve had 35 years to get this right, 35 years where you’ve found every possible way to squeeze every last cent out of the supporters, whilst doing little to look after their safety. FIFA, UEFA, CONMEBOL and each country’s FA should be putting measures in place to ensure events of this nature are handled properly. Jim and Jay have a few simple ideas that could reduce the risks we see. And stop blaming it on fans. With news also breaking that FSG have binned their efforts to buy a French club, Jay and Jim discuss whether it’s right for clubs to be run by organisations with multi-club ownership models. There are pros and cons to it, of course, and done right it could be a boost to the sport, although as Jay points out, in one part of Merseyside any talk of club ownership is a touchy subject.

Jim Boardman and Jay Reid are back with the latest on LFC from Liverpool, and it’s not just the heavy rain pounding down on the city to remind them it’s summer. Jurgen Klopp is now the former Liverpool manager, Arne Slot is officially set to become the new Head Coach and the sports pages will soon be more interested in cricket and tennis than football. Klopp’s departure was preceded by a 2-0 win at home to Wolves, with a goal apiece from contenders for the club’s player of the year and young player of the year awards. The stats told a story of how good the performance was, even if the Kop end wasn’t to get a goal to see the manager off, but it was the send-off that followed the match that might live on longest in the memory. Not that the Kop were waiting for the end of the game to start the leaving do, with some of the most sustained singing you’ll hear as almost every page of the Anfield songbook got an outing. As Jay says, there was plenty of recognition for players past and present, especially those who were key to the success Liverpool had under Klopp. The post-match celebrations saw recognition for numerous members of the departing backroom staff, something Klopp had insisted on, but as Jim says, once Klopp got on the stage you could sense he wanted to dispense with any formalities. The way he effectively announced Arne Slot as his replacement was one of the ways he did it, although as Jay points out, fans on the Kop didn’t realise it was Arne he was singing about! In this week’s show Jay and Jim recall some of the key moments from Klopp’s era, and at just how well the man himself fitted in here in Liverpool. An honorary scouser, he fitted in from day one and leaves with the freedom of Anfield, at least in the eyes of the fans. Did Klopp turn us from doubters into believers, or just remind us how good we can be when we allow ourselves to believe? As Jim and Jay discuss, the contrast to a couple of his predecessors was striking, as were the similarities to some of his more illustrious predecessors. Klopp’s announcement of Arne Slot as his successor was followed by the official announcement from the club, hardly a shock to anyone, he’ll officially join the club on June 1st. A new era awaits, and Klopp’s words on how to prepare for it resonated with Jay and Jim: “Go full throttle into it,” Klopp said, “You welcome the new manager like you welcomed me, you go from the first day. Keep believing, push the team.” This week: • Klopp’s last game • The songs • The speech • The goals • The memories • The difference – between him and a couple of his recent predecessors • The similarities – between him and a certain illustrious predecessor • “I’m one of you now. I love you to bits.” – he always was, and same here • The next man – Arne Slot • The pronunciation • The squad he inherits • The new job title • Will he stick to the same system he’s known for? • What’s the future for some of the squad • International call-ups • Avoiding the general election

Jim Boardman and Jay Reid are back with the latest on LFC from Liverpool, and with the realisation that the next time they do a Scouser Tommies, Jurgen Klopp will have had his last game as Reds boss and every bit of output about LFC will be entitled “Auf Wiedersehen”. Last time out Liverpool beat Spurs 4-2, a convincing win – if you ignore the last twenty minutes or so – and a maybe the last ‘normal’ game at Anfield for the ‘normal one’. It’s all pretty academic now, but Jay and Jim were glad to see a return to using the full width of the pitch as the boss went for a nostalgic approach, making the most of the two full backs who played such a huge role In the Reds success under Klopp. Whether Trent should start in midfield, nip there during games or stick out wide as a full-back is a worry for another manager now. With Klopp’s penultimate home game out of the way he’s now got his penultimate game overall to come next week against Villa. Technically Villa can still lose their place in the Champions League, but Liverpool can also technically still win the league so let’s be realistic – it’s not exactly going to be the hardest fought game of the season at Villa Park. In the press conference ahead of that game, Klopp spoke about his regrets over not playing Harvey Elliott more, praising him for his performances over the season, whether on the wing or right midfield, maybe sensing that the youngster is finally at that point now where he’s no longer to be thought of as a youngster. Something for the next boss to think about, and if LFC get Arne Slot as expected maybe young players will be given even more of a look in. The boss was also asked about the speculation about Darwin Nunez’s future, speculation he knew nothing about, a reminder once again not to believe everything you read, especially when other agendas might be at play. Klopp admitted he’s no longer involved in what happens to Reds players, but you know he’d know if something was planned. If Darwin was unhappy, it wouldn’t be helped by the blerts on social media who decided they could send him abuse in the comments, leaving him to delete all his recent posts relating to Liverpool FC. Abuse on social media is one thing, but you’d expect ex-players, working as pundits, to show a bit more respect to current players, rather than hurling abuse of a different kind, from the safety of retirement, acting like they believe players deliberately miss chances or misplace passes. After the Villa game the inevitable fixture will be here, Klopp’s very last match stood on the touchline as Liverpool manager, against Wolves at Anfield. Well, that’s if he doesn’t get a yellow card against Villa, because then he’d get a touchline ban. As Jim and Jay point out, the PGMOL have lined up a selection of their finest for that game, so maybe Klopp will have to watch from the Kop. Also coming up is a night with Klopp at the Echo Arena, or whatever it’s called these days. Upwards of £37 a ticket, with a 9,000 capacity, not to mention the sales of beer and merchandise, there’ll be a few quid coming out of the pockets of LFC fans that night, and as Jay and Jim discuss, it doesn’t really feel like it’s the right thing to do. Not yet. As always, there’s something from the neighbours to raise a smile.

Jim Boardman and Jay Reid are back as Liverpool’s Premier League season draws to a close and we get one game nearer to the end of the Jurgen Klopp era. Jurgen himself is clearly sensing the end is in sight, if his press conference ahead of the visit of Spurs was anything to go by. He’s not exactly kept his thoughts to himself these past few years about TNT/BT’s 12:30 Saturday kick-offs, but knowing he’s not got any more of them to face he was happy to really go to town on the broadcaster. As Jay and Jim point out, he’s saying the kind of things that anyone who really loves the game should be saying about those running it and should be saying once Klopp goes. The boss also had a great line for anyone who says TV should be able to mess teams about, because it’s TV’s money that allows them to have such great players. They’ve got it the wrong way round, said Klopp. If the assembled journalists at the press conferences were hoping for Klopp to say something about Mo Salah that their editors could turn into sensational headlines, they were to be disappointed. Klopp was never going to be as quick to criticise Mo as he was to criticise TNT, even if he had good reason to. Some Reds fans allowed themselves to be dragged into a battle that wasn’t there between Klopp and Mo but, as Jim and Jay say, what kind of manager and player would LFC have if there was no tension at that stage of a season that had promised so much? The Reds next game is against the team that benefitted from some of the worst refereeing in living memory in the reverse fixture, Spurs, so bad that PGMOL actually admitted to the errors. PGMOL wouldn’t want anyone to think they were abusing their monopoly by putting out officials unsuited for a fixture, especially not after what happened in the previous meeting, so they have sent a ref from Greater Manchester. As Jay and Jim say, maybe this game will be the one where Klopp gives the PGMOL a special send-off. This week: • Look back at West Ham away • Look ahead to Spurs at home • Klopp’s press conference • Huge point being made about TNT’s money • Full of fun, real sense he’s already packed his desk • Laughing about his latest meeting with the ref from that Spurs game • Doesn’t fancy the FIFA president job • Got an award from the PFA • Do people realise what he’s done for the English game? • Opportunity for people to build on what he’s started? • New home kit • Inspired by Rome ’84 – yet somehow not inspiring • If you’re going to do pinstripes… • New kit deal already rumoured • Nike making way for Adidas? • Could they use the other logo? • Ground move for LFC Women • Back in front of Red seats • Everton’s party over? • Klopp v Salah nothing like it was billed • Champions League football next season again!

Jim Boardman and Jay Reid are back and feeling a little bit bruised after an event that hasn’t happened since Paul Konchesky was the star of Roy Hodgson’s version of LFC. Meanwhile, as what has been an amazing ride under Jurgen Klopp stutters towards the end, it sounds like Liverpool have lined up his successor. There are mixed feelings from fans about Arne Slot as the next boss of Liverpool but as Jay and Jim discuss, all they have been hearing – from people who know Dutch football and know Liverpool – points to him being exactly who the Reds need. It certainly feels like there’s something to look forward to after a few weeks no Reds want to look back at. A rare derby defeat at Goodison Park has left the blue quarter of Liverpool parading around like they’ve won a trophy and the rest of us feeling like we’ve lost three. Everton invited their neighbours to their now traditional just-avoided-relegation party this year, and Liverpool brought gifts. The neighbours will say they ended the Reds’ title hopes, but Liverpool were already done. All good things must come to an end and in football they often end before they are mathematically impossible, so whilst at the time of recording there was still a theoretical chance of the title, the miracles required were way too far-fetched. Especially when one of them was for Liverpool to find their form again. So Klopp wasn’t to get his fairy-tale ending, but maybe now the pressure is off and the players he puts out could try and entertain us instead of everyone else. Next up is a trip to West Ham, and our old mate David Moyes, so the potential is definitely there for the nightmare to continue. Especially if we dwell too much on the fact that there is still a mathematical chance that Liverpool don’t qualify for the Champions League. It’s not the best of endings to the last season under the German, but it does still end with a trophy, and there is still time to settle some scores on the pitch.

It’s Derby week and In this week’s episode Jim Boardman and Jay Reid are getting ready for the fixture everyone in the city looks forward to with a mix of excitement and nerves. These games always mean far more than any other in a season, regardless of anything they might do to a league table, but this one has an added edge it’s not had in a while. For one thing, it’s going to be Jurgen Klopp’s last trip across the park before he leaves at the end of the season, and although it doesn’t look like being the last Merseyside Derby for everyone for a while, Everton will be desperate for a point just in case any outstanding Premier League points deduction decisions go against them. For Liverpool it’s essential they come away with three points to keep their outside hopes of the title alive, and as Jay and Jim discuss, they’re going to need the right players on the pitch to make that happen. Whether those players will still be able to stand on the pitch at the end is another matter altogether given some of the previous season’s Derby casualties. Also this week there was a chance to catch up on the games since the last Scouser Tommies, because while we were away from the airwaves the Reds had a blip to say the least. Defeats against Atalanta and Palace followed what felt like a defeat against the Mancs and it started to feel like the wheels had fallen off. A win against Fulham away at the weekend got Klopp’s men back on the right tracks though, and, as Jim and Jay discuss, all Liverpool can do now is win their own games and see where that’s got them to at the end of the season. Time is running out on Jurgen’s era and Jay and Jim want to enjoy every last bit of what’s left, because before we know it, that train will have stopped and we’ll have a new driver waiting to take over. As for who that next driver is, there has been some more speculation, Jim and Jay share their thoughts.

With another couple of Liverpool wins on the board since the last episode, Jim Boardman and Jay Reid have plenty to discuss about the top of the table Reds, also including news that ticket prices are going up, signing of the season Alexis Mac Allister and the upcoming trip to Old Trafford. The Argentine midfielder had a huge influence including an assist in the win over his old club Brighton, before shaking the Kop with arguably the goal of the season to put the Reds back in front against Sheffield United. But as Jay and Jim discuss, the assist and the goal were obviously standout moments, but he brings so much more than that – those early season worries about him being played out of position are long since forgotten, he excels wherever he plays. Up next is a trip to play one of the main enemies, and with Klopp being asked for his thoughts on the tragedy chanting that shamed Manchester United fans last time we went there – he had some advice on what all fans can do to stop this stain on the game – it remains to be seen if the broadcaster covering it will call it out if it happens again. They didn’t last time. With so much riding on it for Liverpool, and pride at stake for the other lot, it’s clear the hype for this trip to Old Trafford will be huge. Not that it needs to be, this game hypes itself, but as Jim and Jay point out, the Reds need to handle the occasion the right way, a way they know how. Just like they know how to react the right way if the ref decides to support his local team. This week: • LFC 2 Brighton 1 • LFC 3 Sheff Utd 1 • Top of the league • Alexis Mac Allister • Big number to wear • Big name to wear too! • So many players who’ve played a part in this frenetic campaign • Kelleher played as many games as Ali? • Coming back after conceding again • And again • Ticket price increases • Pros and cons • Understandable in some ways? • Is it down to LFC alone to fix the astronomical cost of being a fan? • Every time the prices go up more fans get pushed away • Talking of expensive, Everton still being Everton • Paying the price – literally - for always blaming the wrong people • Finances sound even worse than some experts predicted • Next up: a trip to Old Trafford • Will there be more tragedy chanting or will they show the class Klopp suggested they should? • Always a massive game regardless of the league table • Often a game that bears no resemblance to current form • How Liverpool should approach it – not complicated

The international break might have taken proper football away, but it’s not stopped Jim Boardman and Jay Reid from finding stuff to talk about for this week’s Scouser Tommies. Plenty to look forward to, as the League season gets back going again this Easter weekend after being so rudely interrupted, and for Liverpool it starts with the visit of Brighton. A huge game for the Reds, especially when you look at the fixture taking place after full-time at Anfield. Since the last episode there has been one game to forget, the FA Cup game down the East Lancs, but, as Jay and Jim say, as gutting as it felt at the time, that disappointment was more about who it was against than what the result really meant. For once the break might have done us a favour. With a certain sports ‘news’ channel seemingly putting something slightly less impressive than Coventry did the day before on a par with solving world hunger, it was best to avoid the papers and all national sports outlets for the week. Stick to the safety of your favourite LFC fan media. Especially when realising that those national outlets would soon be shelving their Manc love-in to fawn over everything Ingerland. Sadly, the evil Nike corporation did something so evil that, no matter how hard you tried to avoid it, sooner or later you were bound to hear about the UK’s national team (or so it always seems, fans of the other UK national sides must think). The outcry over the colour of a cross on the back of an overpriced shirt was quite bemusing to watch from the sides for anyone who cares like Jim, Jay and pretty much all of Liverpool do. Of course it’s all Nike’s fault, it’s not like England’s FA get any say in the shirts they make so much money from. Talking of money and blaming the wrong people, more progress was reported on the Everton takeover, although nothing exactly official which makes you wonder if anything is actually going to happen. The Premier League have (reportedly) said they are “minded to allow” the deal to go through, based on a number of conditions that effectively add up to demanding 777 put their money where their mouth is. Jay and Jim are kind of astounded at how long it’s all taken, at why 777 haven’t just got the deal done and taken Everton out of limbo if they’re good for the cash, at how much debt Everton are now in, at how that compares to what FSG paid to buy LFC not that long ago, and at how it’s all the Premier League’s fault. Only kind of astounded though, of course, this is Everton. This week: • Look ahead to LFC v Brighton • One game at a time but the start of an important run of games • Dangerous opponents, but surely we’ve learned that by now? • International break – how have Reds players fared? • How many will be coming back with new injuries? • Robbo is one, we await news of a scan, but are we as worried about him missing as we used to be? • Plenty of goals from Reds on their travels • Brief look back at the FA Cup exit • We’re over it now, but what can we learn from it? • Maybe get better at turning control and possession into goals? • The reaction to that game laughable, do they know it wasn’t the final? • The reaction to England’s shirt laughable, do they know it’s only a shirt that will soon be replaced by another? • Do the leaders of the main political parties have nothing more important to try and get fixed? • Everton’s takeover – what will happen if it doesn’t go through, and soon? • Would we miss them? • LFC Legends game – great to see Sven given such a memorable moment. • Could Liverpool do one more thing for him? • Premier League Hall of Fame – two ex-Reds nominated. • One an obvious pick for Reds fans, we’re not sure we could vote for the other • Maybe a mural means more anyway