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  • TLW
    Dietmar Hamann has significant doubt whether Timo Werner would be a good fit for Liverpool.

    The RB Leipzig striker is on the top of the transfer Wishlist of many clubs after producing an outstanding body of work over the last couple of years at RB Leipzig.

    This season the 24 year-old has scored 27 goals in 36 appearances across all competitions for his club.
     
    Liverpool have been constantly been linked, and there appears to be mutual respect and interest between both parties.

    However the former Liverpool midfielder and German international feels that Werner would not fit into the Reds system  at this moment of time and perhaps he was too keen in signalling his interest.

    Football 365 via The Athletic reported Hamann as saying:
     


    “I don’t think he’s a player for [Bayern] Munich or Liverpool [with] the way they play at the moment. 

    “I read quotes from journalists or people close to the club in Liverpool when he always said Liverpool is a great club [and that] Klopp is the greatest trainer, that he was a bit too forward in showing interest in going to Liverpool.

    "Where’s he going to play?
     
    "Even if Mane or Salah go, [then] out wide is not his position and the centre-forward position, the way they do play, is probably the most crucial one.

    Hamann feels that the work of Roberto Firmino is greatly underrated and needs to come into the equation in regards to if any deal for Werner is viable. 

    “Firmino is probably a bit underrated in some people’s eyes.
     
    "He’s a ball-playing centre-forward, he probably doesn’t get the goals that other players get.

    “But he brings other players into position and that’s certainly not Werner’s game, so [it’s] a no from me.”





     
  • Easter is often seen as a time of reflection and former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch has done just that.

    The former English international was a crowd favourite in his three year spell for the club.

    When in form, the beanpole forward was a absolute nightmare for opposition defenders and contrary to the impression that target men are one-dimensional, Crouch had a terrific technical ability and scored many memorable goals with his feet.

    In looking back at his career, Crouch spoke of one regret in his long and distinguished career.

    The Mirror (via The Mail) reported Crouch as saying:

    “Things happen for a reason and I accepted many things in my career, such as losing the Champions League final in 2007.

    “The one thing that niggles away at me is leaving Liverpool in 2008. Rafa Benitez was happy to let me go and I was only ever going to be a Plan B.

    “One of the reasons I went to Portsmouth was because Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres were such a dynamic partnership.

    “But, 18 months later, when I saw Andriy Voronin and David Ngog getting opportunities, it made me wish I had stayed.

    “You don't leave a club like Liverpool easily."
     


    After leaving Pompey, Crouch went on to play for Tottenham and Stoke before ending his professional career with a very brief spell at Burnley last season.

    In all, Crouch scored 42 goals in 134 appearances for Liverpool while for England, he had an outstanding ratio of 22 goals in just 42 appearances.

    Crouch narrowed down what his favourite three goals in his career were:

    “The first would be the goal that completed my hat-trick for Liverpool against Arsenal in March 2007; the technique, the move that led to it and putting it away in front of The Kop was special.

    "For emotion and an adrenaline rush, scoring against Manchester City to put Tottenham into the Champions League was incredible. If I think about it now, I can still see the away end going mental.

    “Last but not least, I'll pick my first goal for England, at Anfield, against Uruguay in March 2006."


     
  • Charlie Nicholas has offered a somewhat critical view regarding the form of Virgil Van Dijk this season.

    The Sky Sports pundit believes the Dutchman has not been at the same level as he was last year.

    Football 365 via Sky Sports reported the former Arsenal striker as saying:

    "Has he been as good as last year? No. 

    “He looks cumbersome and sluggish at times, but his pace can rescue him.

    “He has pace and purpose on the ball, while having a great awareness of danger He never jumps in and rarely dives in.

    “If someone is really quick, they may have a chance, or if a player is tricky, they could send him the wrong way, but he stands up and asks them to do something, meaning the player would normally lay it off.
     
    "He has an authority within the game."

    While thinking that Van Dijk has not been up to his elite standards this campaign, Nicholas does not doubt his ability and still believes he should be in the Premier League team of the season.
     


    “Is he as good as what people think?
     
    "Yes, he is that good. People are scared to test him. Little balls in behind can make him vulnerable, but who isn’t? 

    “He is a leader and has such a response of being on the ball, whether it be 10 yards or 60.
     
    "He is good in the air both in attack and defence, he has to be in the team of the season.”




     
  • With general life grinding to a halt in the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, you may have seen a fair share of “best of” lists being published all over the World Wide Web. 

    Football is certainly no different in that regard. There have been all manner of 'Best XI's' and 'Combined XI's' and one of the most discussed was when Jamie Carragher and Roy Keane debated Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool Or Ferguson's United?
     
    The latest premier league outright odds has the Reds at the shortest price any team has been at this stage of the season and that prompted some discussion as to how they compared with United's 1999 treble winners.
     
    Comparing players from different eras is tricky, however, whereas a team of the season is more straight forward as it's easier to compare players.
     
    With that in mind, Paul Merson has revealed his team of the Premier League season and it includes a extremely high number of Liverpool players.

    The exact number is eight, which is an illustration of the dominance that the Reds have displayed over the rest of the league.

    That figure is one more than his fellow Sky Sports analyst Jamie Carragher who included seven Liverpool players.

    In goal, Carragher included the impressive Sheffield United Dean Henderson while Merson went with Alisson.

    In terms of the back four, Carra went with all Liverpool players,, while Merson selected Crystal Palace central defender Gary Cahill over Joe Gomez.

    The Mirror reported Merson explained his reasoning for going with the former Chelsea man.

    "He's been outstanding for Crystal Palace.

    "He came in last summer and you've got to remember he didn't play much football at all last season for Chelsea.

    "He was completely frozen out at Stamford Bridge and he really shouldn't have been considering what he did for the club and what a good player he was.

    "To then go to Palace where you are playing in a team that only gets 35 to 40 per cent possession, compared to Chelsea's 60 per cent, and to defend as well as he has, he deserves credit. 

    “He has marshalled that defence and he's a key reason Palace aren't deep in a relegation battle."

    Both pundits went for the same three In midfield in Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum and Kevin De Bruyne.

    Merson explained his admiration for the Dutchman.
     


    "He's got to go in for me - Another outstanding performer for Liverpool.

    "I put him down as a big-game player.

    "He gets big goals in big games. 

    “There are a lot of players around who score a lot of goals, but if you weigh their goals up, they'll get the third or fourth in a 4-0 win, or they'll get the consolation goal in a 5-1 defeat.
     
    "Another really top player, who goes under the radar."

    While Sadio Mane and Mo Salah were no brainers in the front three for both Carragher and Merson, there was one difference in their choice for the final forward spot.

    Carragher went with the talismanic Man City frontman Sergio Aguero but Merson went for Jamie Vardy, a player whose importance to the fortunes of his team is indisputable.

    “It's freakish what he's done for Leicester this season. He took a big gamble by saying he wouldn't play for England again to look after himself and extend his career.

    "After doing that, though, he has produced at the highest level.

    "He's recaptured his form and is back to the Vardy we all knew, and that Vardy is an absolute nightmare to play against.”

    These lists are always a bit of fun and certainly bound to start discussion and debate.

    But when it comes to Liverpool this season, no discussion is needed.




     
  • The Premier League season for 2019-20 hasn’t yet reached its final stages, but the break due to the Coronavirus means that we can start to begin to look towards the future. It is expected that Liverpool will be the outright favourites in the betting to win at least one more trophy next season, but could back-to-back honours be their preferred piece of silverware?
     
    Liverpool began the 2019-20 season as the second-favourites for the Premier League title behind Manchester City, but they have blown the reigning champions away. Most of the sportsbooks have now settled bets as winners for wagers on Liverpool to win the title, which means eSports betting, free bets and more at freebets.co.uk are the only way for those gamblers to get returns between now and next season.
     
    It is incredibly hard to see Liverpool going into next season as anything other than favourites for the league title, but could the summer hold the key for the Reds? A title next season would be a landmark occasion as they would tie with Manchester United for the most league championships in England. We believe this type of bet will be an interesting one to try, with good odds from bookies when they are published. Therefore when the time comes keep this in mind if you are a thriving punter. 
     
    Summer Business
     
    The transfer market has been a constant source of positivity for the Reds over recent seasons. The signings of Virgil van Dijk from Southampton and Alisson from AS Roma has helped shift the tide in their direction. However, the secret to reclaiming a title is by strengthening when you are at the summit. Jurgen Klopp will be aware of that, and he will already be identifying potential players to bring in over the summer months, with Raheem Sterling also teasing a return to Anfield in the future.
     
    Philippe Coutinho is looking like a player that will attract a lot of attention from around Europe, as Barcelona want to get the Brazilian off their wage bill and it is unlikely that Bayern Munich will make his loan permanent. A return to Anfield would be a huge signing for the Reds, and would add a new layer into their attack, but whether Klopp will make a move looks uncertain. The most likely signing appears to be Timo Werner from RB Leipzig.
     
    The German has enjoyed a stellar season this campaign as he has scored 21 goals in 25 games. He is a completely different striker to Roberto Firmino and can also operate on the flanks. He would be a landmark signing that would indicate that the Red will be the favourites in the betting for the league title.
     
    Possible Contenders
     
    As is the case with every transfer window, the summer gives the chasing pack a chance to catch up on the Premier League winners. Manchester City will be looking to strengthen their defence, while the departure of David Silva will leave a question mark. Phil Foden looks the most likely option to fill the Spaniard’s position, but keeping hold of their players will be essential following their ban from UEFA competitions.
     
    Chelsea have already brought in Hakim Ziyech, while the Blues will also go head-to-head with Manchester United for the signing of Jadon Sancho. Whichever club manages to bring the winger in will have a better chance of competing for the league title, but there are still questions in other positions for both sides. Tottenham will be hoping for a better season with Jose Mourinho at the helm, but the future of Harry Kane will impact their chances.
     
    At present, it’s difficult seeing any of the chasing pack closing the gap on the Reds, which means they will begin the 2020-21 season as the outright favourites for the league title.
  • Liverpool have earmarked a couple of exciting talents from the Bundesliga as Jürgen Klopp looks to boost his all-round squad depth.

    The Daily Express (via German publication Express) says that Denis Zakaria and Marcus Thurum are two players that have come to prominence this season with the duo being key figures in the fine season of Borussia Monchengladbach as they currently sit in fourth position.

    Zakaria is a Swiss international who plays in the Defensive Midfield role.

    Standing at 190cm and coming in at around 80kg, Zakaria is a physical specimen and his strengths lie in his physicality and ability to shield his opponent away from the ball.

    He also has elite endurance and is comfortable in possession.

    The 23 year-old recently spoke about his future with Man United and Bayern Munich also been linked to his services.

    “It spurs me on and gives me strength to improve further. The fact that other clubs are dealing with me shows that I perform well. 

    “But I only concentrate on Borussia. We can still achieve great things this season." 

    While it is true that Liverpool have Fabinho in the holding midfield role he has had a inconsistent campaign to date, and some competition could push the Brazilian to the level he produced in the second half of the 2018/9 campaign.

    The other name mentioned in the report is Thuram.

    The 22 year-old is the son of French legendary defender Lilian who played for Monaco, Parma, Juventus and Barcelona and is the most capped player for the French national team.
     


    In direct contrast to his father, Marcus is a forward who signed for the German club last summer after previously playing for Guingamp and Sochaux in Ligue 1.

    On his arrival, Gladbach sporting director Max Eberl said : “He's a fast, robust and dangerous assailant who fits very well in our squad and we are sure he will make his way in the Bundesliga.”

    So far he has scored 10 goals in all competitions for his club this season.

    The scouting report on Thuram says that he is quick, direct and with the upper body strength to clear defenders out the way and his game has been likened to Man United forward Anthony Martial.

    He has represented France in all the under-age levels and it is believed he is close to getting his first senior call-up.

    With the burden of the current front three at an already high level, it could be increased to unprecedented levels in what could be a cramped calendar due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

    So having a player like Thuram with significant senior experience while still being of a young age could be a smart bit of business for the Reds. 




     
  • Sunday Mar 15:
     
    There’s been a lot of talk of how we might or might not be crowned Champions and that even if we do it will be an anti climx. Big Virg is having none of it though: “Will it be an anti-climax? What do you think? No! We should enjoy it even more because of the wait.

    “To win the league here is something that we can all be remembered for and will be remembered for. We should just go for it and we are very close now. Just enjoy it. We don’t play for records, we play for trophies.
     
    "I have been here now almost two-and-a-half years and been very blessed and happy to have experienced two Champions League finals. We won one of them and I was very close to the Premier League title last year and now very close to the Premier League this year.

    "Obviously you want to deliver the Premier League to this club. It has been so long I wasn’t even born and is something the club is definitely hungry for. So let’s just go for it and see what happens in the next weeks and months and be positive.”
     
    Nice sentiments but it will be an anti-climax. We were on course to not only win it, but to break every record in the books and be viewed as the greatest team of all time. Now that’s not going to happen. Not this season anyway. So yeah, if and when we eventually get it there is going to be a sense of disappointment mixed in with the joy. 
     
    Right now though there are more important things to worry about, because by the time the footy does come back people’s lives are going to have been turned upside down. Scary times.
     
    Monday Mar 16:
     
    Steve Nicol describes Mo as the ‘most frustrating player in the Premier League’. Predictably it didn’t go down well. Nicol does talk a lot of shite but I don’t have it in me to let that bother me. He was known for being a loveable dope as a player so it’s hardly surprising that he talks a lot of bollocks now. 
     
    I’m biased towards him though as he had my back on ESPN last year when some slapdick pundit they had on was ridiculing my player ratings because I gave Robbo a 9 after we lost 3-0 in the Nou Camp. He was being a right smug prick about it but Stevie put him straight, so I’ve got his back now.
     
    “Winning is the deodorant of the game, but it covers all bad smells. Winning covers a lot of bad things. You can say it with Salah.  Salah’s form this season, is there a guy that frustrates you more in the Premier League or anyone else with the things he does in a game? Then all of a sudden he will produce something. But again, he plays every game and why? Because they win.”
     
    Anyone who says they haven’t been frustrated watching Mo is lying. It just seems a bit ungrateful to say it given everything he’s done since he got here.
     
    It’s not just Nicol though. Don Hutchison said this - “You watch Mo Salah and the guy does genius things but he does the most basic things so bad it's untrue. He can’t pass a ball five yards. He does the basic things really, really badly, yet his numbers are frightening and he scores a ridiculous number of goals.”
     
    They both could have worded it better, but Mo IS frustrating as fuck and then yes, all of a sudden he will produce something. He’s a complete paradox. Two years ago everything he did came off and the results were spectacular. Since then he’s been more erratic but he’s a victim of his own success. Take away that 44 goal season and I doubt he’d be judged quite as harshly as he is. 
     
    I mean, take Aubameyeng for example. He’s erratic as fuck too but no-one ever says anything about him other than he’s a great striker. Mo’s numbers compare favourably with his but because he’s not hitting 44 every season some of us view him more harshly than we probably should.
     
    Tuesday Mar 17:
     
    Spurs and Arsenal reportedly want Lovren. I have so many questions, but the biggest one is why the hell is this story coming out now? With all that’s going on, are we seriously expected to believe that the staff of Arsenal and Spurs are sat around planning transfer moves. And for Dejan Lovren of all people? 
     
    No disrespect to the big man but the world is being turned upside down, the idea that there are people out there trying to plot a transfer for Lovren while all this is going on just seems too outlandish for me. Still, it seems to have provided some cheer to a number of our fans during this miserable time, so at least there’s that. 
     
    Meanwhile, Phil Thompson says we still need a player like Coutinho. I disagree. We don’t need it, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like it. Thommo admitted that getting Coutinho himself back is unlikely but says ‘someone like him’, as well as a striker and cover for Robbo is what we should be looking for.
     
    When should we be looking for them though? Not gonna lie, I don’t see footy coming back any time soon and when it does everything will have changed anyway in terms of player contract expiry, transfer windows and the season schedule. How’s any of that going to work out? Are contracts going to have to be redone? Timo’s Werner’s release clause needed to be activated in April, but that seems unlikely now, so how will that affect his value?
     
    If the season resumes in the summer then Lallana will be out of contract. Not a huge problem for us, but what of other teams who have key players out of contract? Can they just leave or will they go on week to week? The whole thing is completely up in the air and because nothing like this has ever happened before we have no point of reference. Fuck knows how any of this is going to play out.
     
    Wednesday Mar 18:
     
    Something came to me today. I was reading an interview with Big Virg and the thought randomly came to me that if he were anyone else his nickname would be ‘Dick’. Thank about it, these are footy players were talking about here. They aren’t exactly creative with their nicknames. Darren Potter was known as ‘Harry’ and James Norris in our u23s is called ‘Chuck’. Yet no-one has made the Dick Van Dyke link. The only explanation for it is respect. Virgil is just too cool and too well respected for that shit.
     
    Yeah this is what I’m being reduced to with no footy. I’m scraping the barrel for content here.
     
    Ok, I found something work commenting on. A really good piece in the Athletic today by Simon Hughes, where he’s interviewing Carra about local grass roots footy. Some of the stories from Carra’s youth when his arl fella managed Merton Villa were absolute gold, but the bit that really jumped out at me was this: “I don’t think my Dad was a cheat, but he liked to bend the rules a bit”.
     
    Why did that jump out? Because literally the sentence before he’d said that Philly once told his number two to “go and bend the crossbar” during a game in which they were 1-0 down so they could get the game abandoned. The assistant duly obliged, went and swung on the crossbar (while the game was still going) and he broke it! Game abandoned.
     
    Sorry Carra, that’s not ‘bending the rules’. It’s not even breaking them. It’s taking the rules, smashing them up with a hammer, setting fore to them and then putting the fire out by pissing all over them!
     
    Philly makes Simeone look like Snow White! Society has definitely lost something though in recent years. The advancements in technology (internet, netflix etc) along with gym’s popping up on every fucking corner means people just don’t play footy like we used to, and it’s pretty sad really.
     
    Thursday Mar 19: 
     
    The PL meets and the outcome is as good as we could have hoped for. Basically, next season won’t start until this one has been played to its conclusion, but there's obviously no way of predicting at this stage when that's going to be.
     
    Meanwhile, all three of us here are in bed sick today. I’ve had mild symptoms since Sunday but they went away with pain killers and I thought nothing of it. Then today it just completely floored me. Might be the virus, might just be a heavy cold. We’ll see.....
     
    ............
     
    Monday Mar 30:
     
    Yeah it was the virus. They say you have it for around five days before you start showing any symptoms and I’ve worked back from the first time I felt anything and that takes me to the Atletico game. Klopp said it was criminal that game was allowed to go ahead and looking back he’s right. Given the choice though I wanted the game to be played and I chose to go knowing there was a risk. 
     
    That’s why we need to be saved from ourselves really. Decisions like that need to be taken out of our hands. I mean fucking hell, we had a game called off back in the day because Diana died in a car crash, yet they let this go ahead? Mad when I look back now. Letting 3,000 Spaniards come over when their country was about to go into lockdown is massively irresponsible. PSG - Dortmund was played behind closed doors the night before too.
     
    Today is the first day since I was confined to my bed that I could even face opening up the laptop to write anything. I could have just scrapped what I’d written above and started a new week, but I’m not a bad fucking tory like Karen Brady or a selfish twat like Harry Kane, so I’m going to finish what I started.
     
    So yeah, Harry Kane eh, what a cunt. Wanting to void the season because he and Spurs did fuck all. Will he be so willing to hand back all the wages he was paid or have his goals wiped from the record books? Doubt it. Big chinned slobbering fucking moron. I had made a pledge earlier this season that I was really going to try and tone down the Kane abuse, but I think I’ll just void that now. When things start up again I promise to be even more savage towards the selfish ugly cunt. Fuck Harry Kane. There is not a single redeeming feature about the twat.
     
    Ok, one redeeming feature is that at least he isn't Jack Grealish. Just wow. In terms of the stupid things done by footballers, this might be top three. Not the act itself, as drink driving is fairly common place and we’ve seen far worse examples of it than this. But fucking hell, to do that now of all times? Especially when you’ve just been on social media giving it the ‘stay home, protect the NHS’ spiel. This is right up there with the stupidest things ever.
     
    Grealish had won me over this season too. I always thought he was a twat and I’ll admit it was based entirely on the way he looks. Recently I’d changed my mind on him but there’s a lesson to be learned here. Always judge a book by its cover. That’s what I usually do and it’s generally served me well for 46 years. I’m rarely wrong and it turns out I wasn’t wrong on Grealish either, not until I broke my own rule anyway.
     
    Tell you something funny about this. I rang my mum this morning to check in and I mentioned the Grealish thing. She knew nothing about it but when I told her this was her exact response: “Not surprised. You can tell by the way he wears his socks that he thinks he’s above the law”. 
     
    Honestly, that’s exactly what she said. Apparently because he wears his socks rolled down and nobody else does it, that means he has no respect for authority and thinks he can do what he likes. Mad thing is she’s been proved right.
     
    She hated Grealish from day one but unlike me she never wavered. She hated Jack Grealish before he was Jack Grealish. She hated him when he was Lee Hendrie. For the record, she hates James Maddison too because he has a “horribly wispy whiskery face”. And let's not forget she hated Son Heung Min ("sly little thing him") before the rest of us realised that behind the friendly smile was a massive shithouse.
     
    I can't wait for footy to come back just so I can nail some of these fuckers in the round ups.
     
    Tuesday Mar 31:
     
    Spurs and Newcastle furloughing their non playing staff and not paying their 20%? This is hideous. It’s literally a drop in the ocean to them, and the bad PR really isn’t worth the peanuts they’ll save by doing this, so why do it? Because they’re cunts, that’s why. Not all billionaires are absolute fucking scumbags but most of them are.
     
    One week’s wages for Harry Kane would cover the cost of the regular staff for the length of this thing. Now I’m not saying Kane should give up a week’s wage to cove… actually yeah I am. If your club are gonna be cunts about it, then fucking step up Kane you big slobbering goon. 
     
    NBA players have done this. Not all of them, because surprisingly a good number of pro sports teams in the US have not been absolute greedy bastards about it and a lot have done the right thing. Those that haven’t, the players have generally taken care of it to ensure everyone got paid.
     
    Our lads haven’t needed to do it because the club haven’t shit all over their employees. Let’s face it, there’s no way they’d be able to even if that was their intention as Klopp would never accept that in a million years. No staff at Liverpool will have to take less money because Klopp (and the players, to be fair) would ensure they're all looked after.
     
    It genuinely does blow my mind though that clubs that pay millions of pounds per week to players will balk at paying a few thousand to regular non playing staff (loads of them - including LFC - wouldn’t pay the living wage for ages). It’s a fucked up world we live in but hopefully when this is over people will remember who the shithouses were. The likes of Wetherspoons, Branson, Spurs, Mike Ashley etc
     
    Wednesday Apr 1:
     
    Ok I know what date it is, but what’s all this Raheem Sterling wanting to come back here shit? It’s been mentioned a few times prior to today so it’s not an April Fools, although I’ve seen April Fools gags that were more believable.
     
    It seems to have started last week when he was asked if he’d ever come back to Liverpool. The appropriate response would have been “I’m a Man City player and Liverpool are our big rivals so that would be pretty difficult”. Something along those lines anyway. Instead he went on about how he’ll always have a place in his heart for Liverpool and blah blah blah. Don’t forget, this is the same tit who said not so long ago that “nobody wants to see Liverpool win the league”.
     
    Then one of ‘his people’ is quoted in a French publication going even further. I don’t get it. There’s zero chance of it ever happening. The bad blood when he left is something that could possibly be overcome, but he’s a knob and Klopp doesn’t sign knobs. That in itself would be enough reason to dismiss this but when you take into account the financial aspect of it is the biggest non-starter ever. 
     
    He’s on 300k a week at City (although only a third of that will go through their books, obviously) and that’s double what Sadio is getting. As if we’re bringing in an inferior player and paying him more money than Sadio.
     
    So what’s all this about then? There’s definitely a reason for it, and it’s probably trying to scare City into giving him a new deal with a nice pay rise. Don’t forget a couple of weeks back he was posing with a Real Madrid scarf.
     
    Thursday Apr 2:
     
    Good interview with Hendo done by Carra today. The skipper was in good spirits but it felt really weird listening to them talking about the ‘season so far’ and going through games that were pivotal to getting us in the position we’re in. It almost felt like they were discussing a season from the distant past, when it’s only actually been a few weeks since it was paused. Who knows how long it will be before it starts again?
     
    There are more important things going on in the world right now but I’ve got to admit that watching this really made me feel bad for Hendo and the lads, not to mention us as fans. They were so close and they were 3/4 through what was on course to be the greatest season in the history of this country. And then just like that it stopped and now none of us have a clue what will happen. It’s beyond cruel. 
     
    It reminded me that a few months ago I was saying to a mate how the title was done but he wasn’t having it. When I accused him of showing a lack of faith in Klopp and the players he said it wasn’t that, he was just worried that something mad would happen to prevent it. He suggested a plane crash or world war 3 (this was before Corona was a thing) and while I scoffed at the time, it is hard to get away from the notion that we are indeed cursed. 
     
    Even if the fixtures are completed it’s not going to be the same is it? There’ll always be an asterisk next to our name even though we will have been the most dominant champions ever. As I say, I’m aware there are more important things going on and I feel uneasy even discussing this, but it fucking sucks.
     
    Friday April 3:
     
    So that Hancock twat emerged from isolation (after six days, not seven, so he’s either disregarding his own instructions or he didn’t have it in the first place) and attempted to deflect the scrutiny on the shitty job he’s doing by calling for Premier League footballers to take a wage cut. Who the fuck does he think he is?
     
    There’s so much wrong with this it’s difficult to know where to start. Why footballers and not bankers, CEO’s, hedge fund cunts or all the other numerous Eton educated millionaires (and billionaires for that matter) he could have called out? Well we know why. Footy players are almost all working class lads who’ve made their money through talent rather than privilege. Can’t have that now, can we?
     
    The sheer stupidity of this idea is what gets me though. If players wages are reduced all that means is they pay less tax, and therefore less money goes to the NHS. Who profits if players don’t get paid? The clubs. That’s who. No-one else. So Mike Ashley and the twat at Spurs for example, those fuckers who are trying to get the taxpayer to pay their staff, will be trousering even more cash because they’re not having to pay their players the full whack either.
     
    I’m all for footy players using their wealth to help out, but I don’t understand how this would help. The more I think about it, the more I don’t think its about them helping at all. It’s about getting everyone to talk about this rather than the criminal negligence of the government in failing provide tests, ventilators and masks. 
     
    The players won’t take it lying down though. Contrary to how they’re often portrayed, for the most part footy players are good lads with a strong social conscience. The other day one of our lads sent 25k to Alder Hey. We don’t know who it was because he didn’t want it made public. My first thought was Trent, but it could be any of them really.
     
    The “do your bit” line from Hancock has got me fucking seething to be honest. Players are doing all sorts, some we know about but loads we don’t. Marcus Rashford - who’s only a young lad himself - is making sure that kids in Manchester don’t go hungry. Robbo sent a load of cash up to Scottish food banks and Wilf Zaha has been doing his bit for his community. There’ll be countless more examples we don’t even know about. 
     
    So to have some fucking Tory call them into question bothers me massively, especially when it was reported today that Hendo has spent this week speaking to all the other top flight captains to organise a big fuck off whip round to raise millions for the NHS. I’d have been more surprised if the players weren’t looking to do something like this, but that Hancock twat better not try to claim it was because he called them out.
     
    The players are having their wages cut though. The clubs met today and it looks like there’s going to be a 30% cut right across the board. The clubs are apparently using the money to help out the lower league clubs who are struggling (great idea and something that should happen more often) and there’s going to be a million quid per club going to the NHS.
     
    So, footballers are doing their part. Now how about getting that Amazon cunt to pay some tax (and give his staff sick pay) and let’s have pay cuts for MPs and all their rich mates. I won’t hold my breath.
     
    Saturday Apr 4:
     
    Well that’s just fucking great isn’t it? Liverpool are furloughing non playing staff, but it’s ok apparently because they’re paying the extra 20% to make sure the staff aren’t out of pocket. Fucking hell, this is just so disappointing. They’re really only marginally better (20% better to be exact) than Spurs and Newcastle. 
     
    Just because they are entitled to take the 80% taxpayer contribution to staff salaries doesn’t mean they should. It wasn’t brought in for multi million pound big businesses to protect their profit margins, it was brought in for the smaller businesses to keep them afloat. Legally the clubs can do this (and most probably will) but morally they should be above it, especially as they’re cutting player salaries by 30% which would cover non playing staff salaries for the next fucking decade.
     
    I'm ashamed of them. Disgusted. Yes, there are companies with even more money that are doing the same or worse, but so fucking what? That doesn't make it ok. Be better than them. Act in a way that makes your supporters proud, not embarrassed. 
     
    They had a chance to do the right thing (at little actual cost to themselves) and instead they acted like the hedge fund cunts they are. The other week that Peter Moore tit was saying that before they do anything they ask themselves 'what would Shankly do?". Well he wouldn't have fucking done this.
     
    and that was the week and a bit that was….
  • Peter Crouch has spoken about his memories of the technical brilliance of former teammate Xabi Alonso.

    Xabi was a favourite of many Reds fans during his five year tenure and while Steven Gerrard quite rightly got the headlines for his talismanic performances, quite often it was the Spaniard who was making the team tick in an understated fashion.

    Crouch, who played with Alonso at Liverpool from 2005 until 2008, hailed his former teammate as "class" - and recalled the time Steven Gerrard was about to dish out a rollicking to the Spaniard until he scored a wonder goal.
     


    The Mirror reported the former Red as saying:

    “Everything he did was done with a touch of panache, on and off the pitch. 

    “He came to Liverpool from Real Sociedad but he had no problem settling into the dressing room, he mixed with everyone.

    “In training, he would rap these short balls into your feet and expect you to deal with it. 

    “You would then see him strike these beautiful 50-yard passes that would hit their target like a laser.

    “To see him in shooting practice was also a sight to behold.

    Crouch discussed some of the specific drills that took place during that time.

    “We had this drill where the midfielders – whether it would be Xabi, Steven Gerrard or Didi Hamann – would arrive on the edge of the box after a ball was crossed in from out wide and the quality of their finishing was just immaculate.

    "The sound of the connection illustrated the level of the strike.

    “That’s not to say he didn’t drive us mad at times. He used to take on shots from the halfway line at Melwood, with varying success.

    "The first time he repeated it in a game – at Luton in the FA Cup – Stevie was going to give him the biggest rollicking of all time… until he saw the ball sail into the net from 70 yards."

    Alonso scored that goal in January of 2006 and the Champions League and FA Cup winner with the Reds produced another moment of pure instinctive brilliance just a few months later when he scored another goal from half way against Newcastle with a shot which was hit in a much sweeter fashion.

    While the departure of Alonso to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009 left a bad taste in the mouth and certainly not of his making, his career continued to thrive and the list of honours grew ever more by winning the La Liga three times and Champions League once with Madrid.

    Alonso then topped off a fine career at Bayern Munich where he won a hat trick of league titles as well as a couple of domestic cups.

    When you add a World Cup and two European Championships with Spain, Alonso’s football resume is clearly one of the finest in the modern era.

    In keeping with the modest man that he is, Alonso has gone back to where it all began for him and he is currently the manager of Real Sociedad B.



     
  • Liverpool have put their recruitment plans on hold due to the current uncertainty regarding the Covid-19 pandemic meaning that a deal to sign the RB Leipzig star striker Timo Werner is now in the balance.

    The Reds were seen as the favourites to sign Werner in the summer especially as Jurgen Klopp is a noted fan, but the Mirror reports that this stance has reportedly given Bayern Munich a sense of confidence that they can sneak in and sign the striker.

    The reigning Bundesliga champions are looking for alternatives to Leroy Sane who was their prime attacking target before the Man City star suffered a long term knee injury.

    Werner who has been in outstanding form both domestically and in Europe this season has reportedly a £51million release clause in his Leipzig contract that has to be activated by a certain date in April.
     


    The report also says that Liverpool have also put a halt on contract talks for now - which could affect the futures of midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum and defender Dejan Lovren.

    If their futures are not secured this summer they will both enter the final year of their contracts, which increases the possibility that the Reds could lose them for nothing.

    While there is plenty of uncertainly about when the resumption of leagues across Europe will take place, the status of the summer transfer window is also up in the air.

    It is believed that Liverpool will not resume any recruitment activity or contract talks until there is clarity on when transfers can be completed.
  • John Barnes believes the integrity of the Premier League must be upheld meaning that Liverpool have to complete the season to be classified as winners of the league.

    The Belgian Pro League became the first in Europe to cancel their season, and in doing so they declared Club Brugge as the winners.

    Brugge are currently 15 points clear of Gent but the main difference is that it is a 16-team league and there was just one game of the season remaining when it was halted.

    In terms of the Premier League, the Reds legend said all fixtures must be honoured no matter how long it takes to overcome this global nightmare that is the Covid-19 pandemic.

    The Mirror (via BonusCodeBets) reported Barnes as saying:

    “A lot of people are looking at it quite binary saying: ‘Liverpool should just be given the league title’ because they’re 25 points ahead. 

    “But for the integrity of football it is important that the season must be finished.

    “You can’t just award Liverpool the league title without promotion or relegation taking place. It’s wrong.

    "You have to honour the league which means that the bottom three have to go down, the top three have to come up from The Championship, bottom three go down from there and then the same with League One.

    “It’s not a binary choice to say give them the championship and we’ll sort everything else; you can’t do that! I don’t see why you cannot finish the season.

    "Even if we play football in three months, six months, 10 months’ time or even a year.
     
    "We have nine games to play and these must be honoured – we then start the next season two or three months later.
     


    The former England international says the football calendar may well have to be turned on its head due to this unique situation.

    "Obviously in an ideal world you’d like to start the season in August and finish in May, but in these unprecedented times we may have to start playing again in August and finish in October, two months off until next season in January or maybe February.

    “Maybe we scrap the FA Cup, League Cup and Champions’ League so we all catch up, that way we can get the way back to August and play from then until May next season.

    "It’s opening up a can of worms to try and start over again, and I don’t see why we are so worried about the following season. 

    “Completing this season is the most important thing to do.

    "For the integrity of football all the way down, it is so important the season is concluded.”




     
  • You are probably a major football fan and that means that you have a great amount of knowledge on this popular sport. However, you’ve probably found yourself only using it to discuss matches with your friends. But did you know that you can make plenty of money with your knowledge of football?
     
    You probably already did know that but you didn’t know how to properly start making that money. This is your year if you want to get some profit and finally use that knowledge for something great. 
     
    Yes, you guessed it, you can use it to bet on matches and get some serious wins. Betting on football has been here a while, but this year and with the availability of stats and betting sites, you can carefully pick yours and make some serious cash. However, before you start, you should get some advice on football betting if you want to be successful. 

    Avoid Rookie Mistakes
     
    When you first start betting you might be unaware of the most common mistake you’re about to make. Most rookies believe that their favourite team is unbeatable and that you should bet on them. It is perfectly fine to use passion when betting, but you have to be realistic and follow your mind over your brain sometimes. There are people who follow their hearts and place bets on their team, but as you do have a significant amount of knowledge on football, you will know that if the other team is doing better, that that’s a safer bet. 
     

    Put Your Efforts in Research
    Even though you possess enough knowledge, you should do some thorough research before placing bets. You probably already follow enough teams that you like or every game played and their stats, but further research won’t hurt you - it will only lead to a safer bet. This is important because the information is power and just when you think you know everything, something could suddenly change. You need to keep up-to-date, analyze the stats, read the news and record everything that might be helpful when betting. 
     
    Make Use of the Football Index
    Football index is a great way to make some extra money using your knowledge of your favourite sport. Football Index is a stock market where you can trade players instead of companies. Plus, it is really easy to use and it is a lot of fun, especially if you are a clever football fan. What is more, with the Football Index you can bet on the success of a player from real-life by simply purchasing shares in them. The more people buy the shares of the same footballer the more their value will go up and thus increase your reward. And you can sell them at any time or simply keep them to build your portfolio. For more information and tips on how to utilise Football Index, you can visit this site and get the best advice.
     
    Learn to Place Bets
    Besides trading players and buying their shares, you can simply bet online and use your knowledge towards winning. Once you’ve done enough research and predicted the right scores, you can place the bet. You can look for trustworthy sites that you know are good and definitely make sure to check their guidelines and FAQs. Also, make sure to understand the odds and types of bets they offer in order to create a profitable combination. 
     



     
    Lastly, you can make use of bookmakers’ offers. Most online bookmakers will create all kinds of promotions and bonuses that you can use. They do this in order to attract new bettors, but with your knowledge, you can really take advantage of them. Most of them will offer you a certain amount of bonus money that you can easily use to play a few games, but there will be some conditions of use or wagering requirements. So, before you accept anything be sure you are able to meet those requirements and take advantage of the bonus. 

     
    The times of only using your football knowledge to discuss games with your friends are over. If you are methodical enough you can easily use it to your advantage to make some serious money through bets and trades. So, do your research to make sure to support your knowledge, be careful and you will manage to gain profit in no time.
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