Simon Mignolet

Brendan Rodgers: “What are you doing?”

Stood in the middle of a bar in Huddersfield. United fans surrounding me, but my Liverbird proudly making it’s presence felt, or more putting on a brave face as I begin to believe a comeback was on the cards for a split second. Christian Benteke’s over head kick momentarily stunned the Mancs, maybe they...

Liverpool vs Manchester United – The Key Battles

Liverpool travel to Manchester United after the international break with an almost identical record after four games played. Both teams have seven points from their opening quartet of fixtures, having won two, drawn one and lost one apiece. Both teams also go into the game on the back of their solitary defeats so far. Liverpool’s...

Are Liverpool in a Perpetual State of Transition?

Evolution is inevitable. In football and in everyday life you change to adapt. So what's the difference between transition as a club and evolving? Why are some teams praised for adapting whilst others use being in transition as an excuse? Since Brendan Rodgers took the helm of Liverpool FC it feels like 'Liverpool are in...

Finding Positives for Liverpool From The 2014/15 Season

2014/15 was an absolute stinker for Liverpool FC, no two ways about it. I went through a full range of emotions with Brendan Rodgers; in October I had hope he could turn it around, in November and December I had sympathy that this once strutting peacock was now a broken shell of a man...

Goalkeepers: Mignolet, Mixes, and the Future (Part 2)

Read Part 1: ‘What Makes a Goalkeeper a Keeper?” here. The One Who Currently Rules with Velvet Gloves – Simon Mignolet If there ever was a player who exhibited traits of Jekyll and Hyde so clearly over a season, it has to be Liverpool’s goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. It’s fair to say that Mignolet would be the...

What Makes a Goalkeeper a Keeper? (Part 1)

What Makes a Goalkeeper a Keeper? First to be blamed; last to be credited – that’s the life of a goalkeeper. It's often said that a striker can laze around, shoot blanks and run like a headless chicken for the entire game, but his stoppage (Fergie) time goal makes him the hero. A goalkeeper on the other...

Sharpening the Flat 3-4-3 into a Diamond | Liverpool FC

“All good things must come to an end.” That’s in reference to Liverpool’s 13-game unbeaten streak in 2015 of course, which began with a loss to fierce rivals Manchester United and also ended in a similar fashion against the same opposition within the space of a little over 3 months. The feat started after Brendan...

Liverpool FC: Achievement Unlocked

We have all gone through games where we struggle at Level 47, or some other game where we are stuck at Level 82 and are awaiting a cheat code to crack the game. The pre-game emotions yesterday felt something like that. Chelsea at home against Burnley drop 2 points. Matic out for 3 games - FOR...

Simon Mignolet: Thou Shall Not Pass

On a popular football management game - the one inventively titled Football Manager - the attribute for a goalkeeper’s distribution with feet is called “kicking”, not “passing”. This crude definition of one of the footballing aspects of a goalkeepers' game, indicates that there’s still some way to go before they’re considered the eleventh outfield...

A Curious Case of Deja Vu for Liverpool FC

I'm sure many of you have been in a similar situation. You've been planning this moment for a while, you've ran through the situation in your head a vast amount of times and you're bordering on arrogance at how sure you are it'll be a success. You don't plan for a mishap, why would...