shaqiri

Faith and Football: Liverpool’s Muslim Men

What do Mo Salah, Sadio Mané, Xherdan Shaqiri and Naby Keïta have in common? Besides their football club, of course. The answer I'm looking for though is their religion, Islam. It's very rare in my writing that I stray away from tactics, statistics or areas in which I feel well-versed in, indeed, identity and faith...

What to Expect From Xherdan Shaqiri – A Statistical Analysis

The dust is starting to settle again following Liverpool's signing of Shaqiri. The transfer came as somewhat of a surprise for many and thus it is not surprising that many questions still remain unanswered. What position will he play? What does he do? How will that work at Liverpool? What is so magical about...

Jordan Henderson: Starter or Sub?

In the age of hot takes and constant critics, any player or team can divide opinion. So, when a player comes along who is given a central role at a big club but does not fit neatly into preconceived notions of what a star should do, then controversy instantly follows. Enter Jordan Henderson, Liverpool...

Pre-Season – What we’ve learned about Liverpool so far

With Liverpool's early group of pre-season matches drawing to a close, now is a good time to assess what we've seen from Jurgen Klopp's men so far. Although it's still early days, the first couple of weeks can go a long way to setting the tone for the forthcoming season. Uncertainty Remains Regarding the Number...

Faux Forwards and False Expectations

Aside from the strange machinations of Adenor Leonardo Bacchi, otherwise known as Tite, we are all generally aware of the value of Roberto Firmino at this point. Brazil was boring with Jesus, boisterous with Bobby, and ultimately the exclusion of the Reds' frontman would prove to be their undoing. Back on Merseyside, Bobby Firmino has...

Why Liverpool Can Win The League (Redux)

Last summer I wrote a piece on how I thought it was possible Liverpool could win the Premier League title. I felt most of the points that I made in that article were largely valid, although of course things didn’t pan out the way we hoped. Overall, the lack of a centre-back signing, Phil...

Xherdone – Shaqiri is a Red

So Xherdan Shaqiri is a Liverpool player. This has been one that has threatened to run for most of the window, but in the end, LFC wrapped it up with little fuss and little mess, courtesy of a £13m release clause in his contract after Stoke were relegated from the Premier League last season. It’s...

Xherdan Shaqiri: A Multi-Faceted Low Risk, High Reward Buy

With England now out of the World Cup and the impending realisation that football will in fact not be coming home, attentions will return to the summer transfer window with fans desperate for further incomings. Naby Keita and Fabinho drew widespread optimism amongst Liverpool fans, enhancing belief that Klopp can secure his first piece of...

Why Not Shaqiri?

Ever since Liverpool were first linked with Xherdan Shaqiri, I have found myself one of a large portion of Liverpool fans who were at once disappointed with and confused by the prospective signing of the Swiss international. Six years ago this would have been an exciting signing, with Shaqiri the prospect in high demand...

The FSG Spending Myth

With Liverpool in the middle of a critically important transfer window (aren’t they always?), it seems like a perfect time to revisit a recurring myth amongst the Liverpool fanbase: FSG refuse to spend the money to compete for trophies. As an American Liverpool fan, I scoff at the notion that Fenway Sports Group is...