Steven Gerrard

Reviewing A Banquet Without Wine – A History of the Reds in the PL Era

When offered the opportunity to read an advance copy of A Banquet Without Wine, I eagerly accepted; it was a welcome break from the academic historical literature which my studies demand, and, given my experience with previous works from The Tomkins Times, my qualitative expectations were high. Beyond that, I remained open to hearing an...

Will This Be Liverpool’s Best Attack Since The 1980s?

The opening 45 minutes of Saturday’s Premier League Asia Trophy final win over Leicester City were unbelievable. There was a frightening pace to the game, especially compared to the usual slow speed of a pre-season friendly, and Liverpool looked irrepressible for the most part. Jurgen Klopp’s attack-minded lineup saw the quintet of Adam Lallana, Philippe Coutinho,...

The Rise and Fall of Rafa Benitez

With Lucas Leiva set to leave Liverpool FC for Lazio there will no longer by any players left at the club, who were managed by Rafa Benitez. The Spaniard is a beloved figure at Anfield but the state in which he left the club, even though not entirely his fault, has left a bitter...

Naby Keïta: A Statistical Analysis

In my first profile of Naby Keïta, I looked at his personal qualities, attributes, and statistics, and then compared him to Gini Wijnaldum, the player who Keita would likely replace in the starting XI, should Liverpool persist with the staggered 4-3-3 system that was broadly successful during the 16-17 season. In this piece, however, I'll be...

Diouf and Gerrard: The Spat That Kept Spitting

"'Stevie G' was a very good player, people like him in Liverpool but he never did anything for his country. I am Mr. El Hadji Diouf, Mr. Senegal, but he is Mr. Liverpool and Senegal is bigger than Liverpool and he has to know that." Well, somebody let Diouf near a microphone again and he just...

A Case For Selling Jordan Henderson

I am a Jordan Henderson fan. I do not dislike him as a player or person in any way. My argument for selling him here is purely business, and I believe would be in the best interest of both the player and club. Jordan Henderson has been a fine player for LFC since Kenny Dalglish...

Just How Attractive Is Jürgen Klopp?

It's been an odd couple of days for those of us obsessed with the state of affairs at Liverpool Football Club. For one cohort, the aftermath of Manchester United's Europa League victory was the perfect opportunity for the kind of moaning and masochistic self-flagellation that seems to be de rigeur amongst them. They truly seem...

The Shadow of Steven Gerrard

Two seasons on from Steven Gerrard's last competitive game for Liverpool, and the iconic number 8 shirt remains unoccupied. For Liverpool fans, the number 8 shirt retains an almost religious significance. Steven Gerrard was not just the captain of Liverpool: for years he was a symbol of hope. He embodied, represented, and understood the club...

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...

How To Survive The Liverpool FC Transfer Season

Jürgen Klopp Looking To Get Business Done Early screamed one newspaper headline. Klopp Strikes Pessimistic Note On Early Signings, squawked another. Welcome, officially, to Silly Season at it's most histrionic, idiotic and clueless. Between now and the close of the summer transfer window, you will be exposed to such a barrage of contradictory, attention-seeking...