Second-Season Masterclass From Magic Mane?
Some players take a while to adjust at a club of Liverpool’s stature, with the enormous pressure on them every minute of every day something they cannot cope with.
For Sadio Mane, however, his Reds career could barely have got off to a better start.
Having arrived in relatively low-key circumstances last summer, with the 25-year-old labelled as “just another Southampton player”, some exciting pre-season performances gradually saw him gain admirers.
Then, on his official Liverpool debut, Mane decided to …
Liverpool Shouldn't Give Up On Van Dijk This Summer
Liverpool have made no secret of their attempts to sign Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk this summer, with the Dutchman earmarked as Jurgen Klopp’s primary defensive target.
It seemed like it was all heading for a happy ending, too, when reports emerged of him choosing Liverpool over Manchester City and Chelsea. Finally, the club were about to beat their rivals and land their man. Fans rejoiced. FSG were even praised. What a time to be alive, right…?
Wrong.
With Southampton …
Alternatives to Virgil van Dijk - Part 1
Introduction:
From a recruitment point-of-view, a sporting director must always have a deeply scouted list of alternative transfer targets, to not only maintain the club’s footballing philosophy, but to ensure that high quality talent is secured at an excellent value for whatever roles and weaknesses the coaching staff want to improve. With the controversy over Liverpool’s pursuit for Virgil van Dijk, I have selected three alternative centre-backs for Liverpool’s recruitment team to consider, of which my primary target will be …
Liverpool's Transfer Saga: A Sign of Things To Come
Liverpool’s bungled signing of Southampton centre-back Virgil Van Dijk and subsequent apology might seem to be something only the Reds could pull off. Any fan might think Liverpool alone are capable of allowing a transfer saga to crash and burn this spectacularly.
While the Reds are surely culpable, this type of transfer related drama is likely to become commonplace in the weeks, months and years to come. The confluence of relaxed Financial Fair Play rules, and an avalanche of new …
Will Salah Join The Improving Reds?
Watching the latest, entirely hapless, efforts of Theresa May to seem like a normal human person by attempting to participate in that most regrettable of group activities, a Mexican wave, your columnist was struck by how apt a metaphor it was for the ineptitude shown by Liverpool FC in their transfer strategy so far this summer. Like the embattled Tory leader, they took an ill-advised chance, went heedlessly out on a limb, and ended up entirely humiliated in front of …
5 Players That Can Transform Liverpool This Summer
Ah, the summer transfer season. It's that time of the year when football fans dream about just who could be lining up in their clubs colours next season.
Liverpool secured a top-four finish with a convincing 3-0 win against Middlesbrough on the last day of the 2016/17 Premier League season. Having brought Champions League football back to Anfield, Jürgen Klopp will face tremendous pressure to secure some top names ahead of a fresh campaign.
Lots of names have already been spouted …
The Boston VVD Party
A few weeks ago I wrote a piece for Anfield Index, urging the club to be step up the quality of its transfer targets. No more, I claimed, should we shop at the local grocers when we can afford to stroll the aisles at Harrods. After all, we’ve entered the porches of the elite now and are allowed to move away from the discount section.
Because the title involved the acronym ‘FSG’ the comments were crammed with people either defending …
Why Liverpool can't afford to be reactive in the summer window
Ignoring the Virgil Van Dijk fume, ignoring Jordan Henderson's ever lasting bruise and ignoring the civil war over FSG's stewardship of the club, Liverpool fans can agree one one thing.
The last couple of league games were pretty damn good.
A 4-0 win in London, a 3-0 win in Anfield. Everyone was happy, even more so as the full-time blew on the season with Liverpool in the top four and back in the big time, the Champions League.
Journalists, fans …
No Van Dijk: What Next?
Only a few days ago I, like many Liverpool fans, was both happy and assured knowing that next season Virgil Van Dijk would be lining up alongside Joel Matip for Liverpool in the Champions League. How wrong we were.
The approach was too good to believe. Liverpool had stumped up £50 million, for a centre-back? Utter madness. But pleasing madness nonetheless. A little haranguing over the contract had concerns bubbling, but that tension was soon eased when reports came in that …
Profiling Liverpool's Squad Depth Ahead of Next Season
After Liverpool secured qualification into the Champions league for next season, attention turned to the summer transfer window and who the Reds would be signing to both improve and bolster their squad heading into next season. One of Liverpool’s main weaknesses this season has been their lack of squad depth, which has been highlighted following injuries to key players such as Coutinho, Mane and Lallana. When the Reds have everyone fit they are as good as any team in the …