Recent performances are not enough for Simon Mignolet
Simon Mignolet found himself taking the plaudits for the second week running as Liverpool ground out a 1-0 win over West Brom, in which Mignolet made a tremendous save with ten minutes to go to keep Liverpool in front. This comes directly off the back of a match-winning performance last weekend, in which Mignolet denied Saido Berahino and Charlie Adam from close range to seal the points for his team. So the question is, do these performances change Mignolet’s standing …
The Dejan Lovren Conundrum
Whenever a club signs Dejan Lovren a free instruction manual should be provided on what to do and what not to do to get the best out of him. Similar, in many ways, to the guidelines set out if you were to have a Gremlin, I suppose.
Instead of the "don't feed them after midnight" spiel it's been replaced by a few simple rules:
- Don't partner him beside the reckless, poorly disciplined Alberto Moreno because he shouldn't have to sweep up after …
Calmness Personified in Joel Matip
It was the game we had all been waiting for since the start of the season.
After a full weekend of build up that had the feel of a WWE Wrestlemania main event, we finally made it out of work buzzing with anticipation and dreaming of not just beating our greatest rival Manchester United, but destroying them.
The whole country was ready for an entertaining game. We just forgot that Jose Mourinho was the opposition manager.
The Anti-Christ of football …
Klopp's Squad Changes Analysed - What a Difference a Year Makes
It's flown by hasn't it? Klopp's appointment as Liverpool manager doesn't seem like it was a year ago. Everything about him at the club still feels fresh and new but at the same time it feels like he's part of the furniture. It's testament to the man that he's managed to come in and change so much in such a short space of time. It's genuinely scary to think that if history repeats itself Klopp will only be here, at Anfield, …
How do Liverpool compare to previous 2nd place finishes?
Liverpool’s form has picked up, the team seem to be gelling, and there’s a lot of belief among the Anfield faithful that something very special could be upon us and our beloved Reds.
This I expect.
What I didn’t expect, however, was for neutrals and bookies to be quite so on board as well. Last I checked, we ranked at 5/1 for the title, second only to Manchester City and at around half the odds of Arsenal and Man Utd. …
Why Ball-Playing Centre-Backs are Needed in a Klopp System
There was a lot of talk over the summer surrounding the value, the importance and the need of ball-playing centre-backs in the modern game. It was the fear of the unknown and like anything, the British media appeared to quash the idea labelling it too risky, unnecessary and just asking for trouble while asking the question - why don't they just clear their lines like Stuart Pearce and Tony Adams did back in the day, it did those guys no …
Attack, Liverpool's best form of defence
Three games into the new Premier League campaign, Liverpool have conceded six goals, whilst scoring just five. Experiments with players operating in new positions, no clear preferred back five, or defined midfield protection, result understandably in questions being asked, even at this early stage. The mistakes and uncertainty will fail to alleviate fans fears, that the defensive frailties of seasons past, have once more not been addressed this summer.
When Jürgen Klopp arrived, the area I thought he'd address first …
Liverpool 2016/17 - Season Preview and Predictions
Going from “we’re going to win the league” after beating Barcelona 4-0, to the outlook being doom and gloom within just 24 hours after losing to Mainz by the same scoreline is precisely why I try not to read too much into pre-season friendlies. They are essentially just for fitness, integrating new players and coaches trying out things from the training pitch in a match situation. Some things can be taken from pre-season, good and bad, but the opening Premier …
Are Liverpool Dark Horses for the Title?
It's a new dawn in the Premier League.
Not just in terms of more money than ever being pumped into the league effectively evening the playing field somewhat, but more importantly, never before have people been able to find a collection of the most influential managers in world football today within the same league at the same time. It's a who's who of managers as Antonio Conte and Pep Guardiola join Jurgen Klopp, Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger, Mauricio Pochettino, Slaven …
Liverpool FC Squad Analysis: The Depth Chart
During his first summer transfer window Jurgen Klopp is slowly shaping the Liverpool squad to fit his tactics, his style of play and the personalities he wants in the dressing room.
We’ve seen stalwarts such as Skrtel moved on and Mignolet marginalised, with more departures expected in the coming weeks and maybe one or two new faces coming in.
With less than one week to go before the Premier League season kicks off, how is the newly shaped team looking?
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