Loris Karius: Forgotten But Not Gone
Amid all the summer madness of transfer talk, as well as the constant praise for goalkeepers Simon Mignolet and Danny Ward, Loris Karius is now a player going completely under the radar.
Having arrived as a devilishly handsome, highly-rated young German, it was no surprise to see him filling column inches and gaining immediate admirers last summer. He felt like the answer to Liverpool's ongoing goalkeeping issues.
Things didn’t pan out the way the 24-year-old would have hoped for, however, …
The 'Keeper Conundrum!
Heading into the summer transfer window, it has been well documented that as a club, we have some areas in which we are particularly sparse in terms of playing staff - left-back and centre forward spring immediately to my mind. But one area in which we definitely aren't short is in between the sticks, but that still doesn't stop the newspapers linking us to more or less every half decent goalkeeper in Europe.
It's not just the senior ranks in …
Tale of Liverpool's Season: Doubters to Believers
Jürgen Klopp had one true ambition this season. Turning doubters into believers.
An impressive pre-season, capped off with a 4-0 demolition of Barcelona at a sold-out Wembley Stadium had expectations running high already. But it was the 4-3 victory over Arsenal in the very first game of the season that really got people talking.
Sadio Mané was the replacement for Raheem Sterling that Liverpool FC had so desperately needed. Roberto Firmino was well and truly into his groove, Gini Wijnaldum's …
Iker Casillas: A New Number 1?
Upon achieving Champions League qualification, fans immediately suspected Liverpool would be linked with higher-profile players than usual. Yet the link to Real Madrid legend, former Spain captain, and current Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas caught everyone by surprise.
Whilst we should always treat transfer reports with scepticism it's an intriguing link nonetheless. However, first we must consider whether this would be a good move at all; in relation to the club and the current goalkeepers themselves.
Iker Casillas is undisputedly one of the …
Analysing Liverpool's Season Player By Player
And breathe...
A confident and composed 3-0 victory at home to Middlesbrough confirmed Liverpool's spot in the top-four. A clear sign of progression for Jurgen Klopp's first full season in charge at the club, and a platform from which summer transfer dealings will likely stem.
With the season now drawn to a close, it's time to take a look at Liverpool's players and assess their campaigns as a whole.
Goalkeepers
Simon Mignolet – 7
Mignolet has gone from strength to …
Candidates for Liverpool's MOTM vs West Ham
Liverpool took one step closer to Champions League qualification for next season with a convincing 4-0 victory away at West Ham.
The Reds went into this game knowing they simply had to win their remaining two games against the Hammers and already relegated Middlesbrough to seal Champions League qualification - but it wasn't to be easy against an in form West Ham side.
They had kept three consecutive home clean sheets for the first time since 2010 - and with …
Keeping with the Times at Liverpool
Over recent weeks, Simon Mignolet has been nothing less than fantastic, making match winning saves in consecutive games, and taking defensive responsibility in Liverpool's pursuit of a Champions League qualification spot. In the recent match at Vicarage Road, Mignolet put in a truly commendable display, claiming crosses with confidence, and relieving pressure on the team at crucial points within the game; he appeared to be playing with confidence and authority, a far cry from the goalkeeper, dropped mere weeks into the season. …
Stand And Deliver: Coutinho Back For Final Push
Following the announcement yesterday that the Centenary Stand will soon bear the exalted name of Kenny Dalglish, it was interesting to note the response from some fans. For many of an older vintage, like your columnist, there was an understandably emotional reaction to the honouring of a man we had worshipped on the field and in the dugout, a man as vital to our identification with Liverpool Football Club as Bill Shankly would have been for the generation before us.
I …
Is Impressive Mignolet Winning Round The Doubters?
Who else remembers that bizarre moment at Burnley in 2014/15, when Simon Mignolet allowed the ball to run out before kicking it? It left you lost for words.
It was one of many strange occurrences during the Belgian’s time at Liverpool - the kind that have ensured he has never earned universal praise from the Reds fanbase.
He got off to a sensational start in August 2013, making a late penalty save to deny Stoke's pesky Jon Walters on his …
Candidates For Liverpool's MOTM Against Watford
Liverpool edged one huge step closer to qualification for the Champions League proper next term with a hard-fought 1-0 away win at Watford.
Emre Can scored the solitary goal that separated the two sides - and I really cannot quite put the strike from the German into comprehensible words. In what was a first half deprived of any clear-cut opportunities (bar Lallana's strike which looped onto the post), Can sent the whole football sphere into stunned silence when his acrobatic scissor-kick …