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  • TLW
    Two unsung heroes from last season could be heading in different directions in the January transfer window according to reports.
     
    Nat Phillips remains a player of considerable interest to teams in the second half of the Premier League table.
     
    The central defender has has only made three appearances for the Reds in this campaign as Virgil Van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez have returned to senior action after lengthy injuries.
     
    Currently Phillips is out of action with a fractured cheekbone suffered during his last appearance for the club at the San Siro against AC Milan last month.
     

     
    The Echo reports that the club have rejected two bids during this window, one is believed to be from Watford and more interest is expected to come in the next few days.
     
    Fellow perennial strugglers in Burnley and Newcastle have also had interest in Phillips while a move by West Ham was also mooted due to their own injury issues at centre back.
     
    So while Phillips maybe slowly heading to the exit door, there is set to be a familiar face return with the club cutting short the loan spell of Rhys Williams at Swansea.
     

     
    The 20 year-old who signed a long-term deal in the summer was loaned out to the Welsh club in August as the club wanted him to continue his learning curve and get more first team experience under his belt.
     
    But to this stage of the season, Williams has only made seven appearances (five in the league) with Swans manager Russell Martin outlining the difficult position.
     
    “We’ve been really honest with Liverpool about the opportunities Rhys has had and the potential opportunities he has moving forward, so the ball is in their court.
     
    “We can’t send him back…That’s the danger of doing loans. The parent club is always in control, to an extent. I think Rhys is in contact with them constantly about what’s happening."
     
    Despite his lack of first team opportunities, Martin was full of praise of his professionalism and general attitude.
     
    “I think the frustrating thing for Rhys is that he’s really happy here, he’s enjoying training, he feels he’s improved, but the one disappointing thing for him is that he’s had limited opportunities.”
     
     
     
  • In recent years, the online gaming experience has improved significantly, with the online casino sector now worth more than $92.9 billion dollars. While casino fans used to have to visit a brick and mortar venue to be able to access their favourite games, today’s ever evolving technologies have meant that it's never been easier to access popular casino games.
     
    One issue players experience with online casinos is the huge variety of providers, making it difficult to know which games are the best and how to get a good online casino experience. Below, we’ll take a look at some simple steps you can take to improve your online casino experience. 
     
    1. Incorporate VR Technology
     
    While virtual reality was a fairly new concept a couple of years ago, today there are a number of VR headsets on the market that are accessible to everyday consumers. VR technology enables gamers to fully immerse themselves in the online casino experience by removing environmental distractions and enhancing the gaming world.
     
    VR headsets are particularly great in online poker rooms, allowing the user to bridge the divide between the physical and virtual worlds. They’re also popular with online slot games which are now designed as more of a video gaming experience than just a game of chance.
     
     
    2. Live dealers
     
    When looking for an online gaming provider, try to look for a site that offers live dealers. A live dealer is a real life person who is televised to players and is able to interact with them in real time. This makes the online casino experience more engaging and authentic, while maintaining the same gaming standards as established with an automated dealer. 
     
     
    3. Mobile gaming
     

     
    Love playing online casino games? With mobile gaming options, you can access your favourite online casino games from any place and at any time, without the typical restrictions of a brick and mortar venue. Many online casino providers now offer a seamless and integrated app experience, allowing users to access their favourite games quickly while on their phone or tablet.
     
    What’s more, many online casino apps offer exclusive sign up bonuses and promotions for app users, from free spins to in-game bonus features. 
     
    4. Try on-demand gaming
     
    Used to having to download a gaming platform to play your favourite games? Most online casinos now enable you to stream games online for the easiest and most convenient gaming experience. All you need is a good Wi-Fi connection to be able to play from anywhere, without needing to purchase or download a game.
     
    On-demand gaming also offers the opportunity to play with other players in real time and even compete against them. Take advantage of online poker chat rooms or live poker sessions. 
     
    5. Try a crypto casino
     

     
    If you’ve ever felt uneasy about entering your payment details at an online casino, there’s a simple solution. Crypto casinos operate on blockchain technology, which is a decentralised banking system. This means that payments never go through a central banking authority and do not need to be authorised by your bank, making deposits and withdrawals much faster and easier.
     
    In addition, crypto casinos offer an increased layer of security as you do not need to enter your card details but instead, simply access your online crypto wallet. As crypto payments are much more difficult to track, it adds an additional layer of anonymity for players, which can put them at ease. 
     
    6. Use a VPN
     
    A virtual private network is a great way to add an extra layer of security when playing at online casinos. A VPN blocks internet providers and malicious users from being able to track your activity, meaning your payment details, personal information and gaming history are kept completely private.
     
    There are a range of personal VPN providers, with popular ones including Hola, NordVPN and ExpressVPN. 
     
    7. Explore the latest themed slots
     
    Online slots have gained a lot of attention recently, with themed slots becoming a popular option for online casino players. Themed slots are like a normal slot game but feature a theme from a popular TV show, movie, or even a retro game.
     
    As technology has improved, many themed slot games are now designed to be more like a video gaming experience, immersing the player in a full gaming experience. Many games feature favourite characters, popular items as symbols and even in-game bonus features. 
     
    Some of today’s most popular themed slot games include Indiana Jones, the Pink Panther, Pirates of the Caribbean and more traditional themes like Cleopatra and Zeus. 
     
    8. Use it as a form of stress release
     

     
    Just like watching the reds move up the league table, online casino games can also be a great stress reliever. Online gaming enables you to be in the moment and give your mind a break from everyday activities which can cause chronic stress.
     
    With online casino games being so easy to access, players can grab a quick game while on the commute to work, or even from the sofa after a long day.
     
    Overall, online casino games have significantly improved in recent times. In order to get the full online casino experience, it’s vital that players embrace the latest technologies and try out different online casino providers to find the best options. 
     
  • So, just over halfway there now, but it’s not Bon Jovi but Metallica which comes to mind this time, ‘so close no matter how far’ being a reference that springs to mind.
     
    There’s a sense of doom and gloom around the place, almost a ‘what’s the point?’ sentiment, given the way the League has panned out. I get that, given City’s dominance (36 points out of 36, 11 points clear, etc.) but I honestly think that there are loads of reasons to be positive not just about this season but the seasons ahead.
     
    Since the last time I wrote, after THAT Leicester defeat, we’ve picked up four points out of six in the League, which still puts us on course for 81-82 points (based on our average points haul per game so far, 2.14 points). That could go either way, of course, but based on previous Klopp seasons, you would expect us to be strong in the second half, so we could conceivably get 85 points or more. Will that be enough to win the Title? Probably not, given City’s rhythm at the moment, but there are reasons to think that it’s not over yet.
     
    Yes, City have got 36 points from their last 36; but they only got 20 from their first 30, an average of two points a game. They’ve lost two, the same as us. They’ve won EIGHT games by the odd goal. Sign of champions, certainly, but also a sign they are not all-powerful. We still have to go there in April, and when we do, we need to be within touching distance.
    Say we win our game in hand, that puts us eight points behind them. And if you look at both clubs’ last five games, you’ll see WWWWW for City, a total of 15 points and WDLDW for the Reds, a total of 8 points, in other words a seven-point difference.
     
    So we have literally gone toe-to-toe with this multi-billion petrodollar outfit, who have cheated to get where they are (this isn’t an allegation, it’s been proven to be so in the courts). That run, over the Christmas and new year period has cost us. But even then, the Spurs draw hinged on two scandalous refereeing decisions, notably the push on Diogo and Kane’s yellow; if Mo converts his penalty against Leicester, it’s probably a different game; we were blitzed by Chelsea for ten minutes and threw away a two-goal lead. It’s those draws which have really cost us, as City have moved the goalposts to a stage where you now need to win 30 games a season. Six draws in your first 21 doesn’t leave any margin for error.
     
    We’ve the best attack in the League (55 goals), the fourth-best defence, we’ve taken 24 points out of 30 at home (seven wins and three draws which by most metrics is excellent, except that in this Title race it’s as if we have dropped six points, rather than gained three), we haven’t played the same electric stuff that we did from 2017 to 2020 but there are times we’ve been fantastic, we’ve brought through lots of youth in the Cups which augurs well for the future, we’re still in four competitions and could be looking at Wembley in February, to add to a huge European night and with a favourable FA Cup draw, we could go far in that competition too. We’ve not suffered too much, so far, from the absence of Sadio and Mo and with Elliott due back soon, that creative spark we’ve been missing in the middle of the park could be present.
     
    51 points to play for – which would get us to 96, and given Klopp’s reaction after Brentford, you feel he still thinks it’s possible to have a say in things come April or May.
     
    John Brennan
  • For the second time this season the Reds put three past Brentford but thankfully on this occasion there was no defensive collapse as Jurgen Klopp's side recorded their first league win since mid-December.
     
    TLW Editor Dave Usher, Julian Richards and Ian Brown look back on an important, albeit fairly uninspiring, victory for the Reds. The lads also preview the upcoming League Cup semi final second leg at the Emirates.
     
     
  • That was just what we needed. Nothing special, took us a while to get going but ultimately we picked up three points and looked much better than we had the other night against Arsenal. We were never going to suddenly rediscover our best form and blow Brentford away. It’ll be a steady climb.
     
    This was more or less what I expected. I said the other night that we just need games and that we’d be better on Sunday than we had been on Thursday. I also said it wouldn’t be easy but it would be comfortable and that we’d win by two or three. That’s exactly how it played out so let’s hope I’m also right that we’ll smash Arsenal everywhere in the second leg. That’s if they bother showing up.
     
    It’s not that this performance was anything to get excited about. Far from it, but the longer it went the more we improved and that’s a good sign. More important to me was that some of our big players looked like they’d blown the cobwebs off from the other night and looked like themselves again. Specifically Trent and Hendo, who were both excellent. Fabinho as well.
     
    That’s important. Everyone focuses on Sadio and Mo not being here but if the rest of the team play as they should then we can cope easily enough without them. I wouldn’t want to be facing City or Chelsea without them but Arsenal, Brentford and Palace are games we should win even with no Sadio and Mo. As long as everyone else plays to their usual standard.
     
    It’s not like we’re bringing in bums to replace them either. Firmino, Jota and Minamino are all international footballers. The balance and understanding might not be there, but they are all really good players. Taki didn’t start this one of course, but he finished it and looked great when he came on. He’ll start at Arsenal. He’ll probably score too. I’m calling that one now. He’ll score and we’ll win.
     
    I assume he was left out of the starting line up for this one because he’s only just back from injury and they’re being careful. Milner was out too, which was an obvious call to make. He’s more useful off the bench these days. Jones and Ox came in but surprisingly it was Ox in the front three and Jones in midfield. I’d have done it the other way, mainly because I hate seeing Ox in the front three.
     
    He had some good moments, some bad moments and a whole lot of meh in between. But I don’t hold that against him at all as he can’t play that role. It’s as simple as that. He gave it everything he had though and his application was great, as it always is. I’m made up for him that he scored and just hope the injury isn’t serious.
     
    I wish he believed in himself a bit more though because there were a couple of moments in the first half where I felt he should have driven at the last defender and gone past him, but he didn’t have the confidence to try it. On one of those he tried to play it wide to Trent and badly overhit it. It was terrible, he should be backing himself there.
     
    The first half as a whole just wasn’t good though. We didn’t threaten enough but aside from a weird little few minute spell when we suddenly started passing the ball to Brentford players in our half we never looked in any danger either. 
     
    There wasn’t too much wrong with how we played but we just weren’t quite there at the decisive moments. The final ball, the decision making, basically the attacking players just not getting it done. We were moving the ball around the way we usually do but there just wasn’t that magic in the final third. That’s the difference really. Sometimes you can play like this and be 3-0 up by half time because Salah and Mané have done something brilliant.
     
    We didn’t have those maverick type players though. Jota’s great but he isn’t that kind of player; he’s a different type of forward. Then there’s Ox, who isn’t even a forward. So we needed to do it another way. And we did.
     
    It was clear in the first half that set-pieces were going to be important because other than one bad one from Robbo that hit the first man, it seemed like every corner we had caused them trouble. We didn’t create many openings but every time the ball went in the box in the air Brentford didn’t look like they could deal with it.
     
    So it was no surprise that the opening goal came from a corner. Nice finish by Fabinho and big relief around a previously quiet Anfield. Things had started to get a bit edgy in the lead up to half time as we gave the ball away cheaply a few times and Brentford had a few sights at goal.
     
    Before that the crowd was just really quiet but that got the Kop riled up and for a few minutes at least the atmosphere improved. The second half was back to being shite but at least the players upped their game. The loudest chant of the day was for a manager just sacked by Everton though, which to me really isn’t a good look. Singing it at half time when the news broke was fine, but doing it again during the second half? With gusto? I thought it was embarrassing, but whatever.
     
    The Brentford fans did the predictable “library” and “where’s your famous atmosphere?” chants and for once it was pretty justified. The performance of the team was better in the second half but the crowd were still really subdued.
     
    It was still a struggle for a while because until you get the second goal not much changes. We went close when Jota hit the post and also when he was denied by the keeper when he went clear one v one. He was much livelier in the second half and I definitely like him better on the left than on the right. 
     
    In fairness, Brentford didn’t come here to just defend but it definitely was their priority and even at 1-0 they weren’t going to change their approach. Why would they? They’re not good enough to take the game to us so this was their best chance. Keep it 1-0 until 80 minutes and then throw everything at us when we naturally get nervy because we’ve dominated and not put the game to bed. It’s a standard ploy, so you have to get the second goal.
     
    And we did, thanks to a beautiful cross by Robbo and a bullet diving header by Ox at the back post. I’m made up for him as I was expecting him to be subbed any minute and if that had happened he’d have been really down on himself as usual. He’d lashed a volley into the Kop not long before that and it felt like the writing was on the wall for him with Taki warming up.
     
    The goal was a great moment for him but the joy didn’t last long as soon after he went over on his ankle and made way for Taki. Apparently it was Bobby who was in line to be subbed and Ox would have stayed on so this was a blow for him. Hopefully it doesn’t keep him out long.
     
    Taki scored almost immediately but it owed everything to the unselfishness of Bobby. He won the ball in the Brentford box, collected a return pass from Taki and instead of going himself, gave it back to Minamino to score. He then motioned for him to jump on his back so he could carry him to the Kop. “Happy birthday Taki”. What a team-mate Bobby is.
     
    We could have scored more but I wasn’t particularly bothered about that. I just wanted the win to get us back on track and set us up for Thursday night. However, when Kaide Gordon came on and was sent clear through the middle by Taki I was desperate for him to finish that off. What a moment that would have been, but the keeper denied him unfortunately. That keeper had a really good game actually.
     
    So in summary, there were far more positives than negatives and it’s another game under the belt to help us get back to our best rhythm and form. It’s been so stop - start lately and the team has been really unsettled for various reasons, so the more we play the better we’ll get. Fuck all these breaks, they do us no good whatsoever so let the games come thick and fast now.
     
    Trent looked back to something approaching his best and that’s really important, especially with Sadio and Mo away. We need our best players performing so seeing him and Robbo like this bodes well for the upcoming games. I was worried about Trent after some of his recent displays but this was reassuring.
     
    Jota was much better than he was against Arsenal too. Not that he was particularly great, but he was alright and that’s a massive improvement on last Thursday when he was wretched. Bobby was decent enough too. Curtis was good as well. Nothing special and he can certainly play better, but he gives us something unpredictable in there and I’d definitely give him a run of games in the absence of Thiago.
     
    Star man for me though was Matip. What a man. I thought he was superb again. I know we weren’t exactly overworked at the back but we rarely are. We dominate games and often leave the two lads at the back one v one against their opponent. Joel was left isolated against Toney and Mbuemo a few times but he’s virtually impossible to beat isn’t he? He was brilliant defensively and great on the ball again. He’s getting closer and closer to a Maradona 86 solo goal as well. It’s coming, I can smell it.
     
    So Arsenal next. We have to win that game. There’s a Wembley place at stake but more importantly there’s a record that needs to be set straight. You can’t play that badly against them, have them celebrating a draw like they’d won the cup and then not have a big response. Our players should be steaming about the other night and how they didn’t perform and I reckon they are. 
     
    Bigger picture, we’ve won one of the two league games we have to play without Sadio and Mo so if we can beat Arsenal and then find a way to get the points at Palace next week, we’ll have come through AFCON unscathed. Even bigger picture, the title race is still probably a forlorn hope but the only thing we can do is fight and then hope for the best. 
     
    Klopp was bullish about that afterwards and the triple fist pump at full time felt like a significant gesture. I wasn’t really expecting that but it felt like he was sending out a message. That’s all well and good, but the team need to send out that message over the few weeks or so and then we’ll see where we are. 
     
     
    Team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Jones; Oxlade-Chamberlain (Minamino), Firmino (Milner), Jota (Gordon):
  • Jurgen Klopp says that it is time for Curtis Jones shed the potential tag and become a fine player in his own right.
     
    There has been high hopes that the academy graduate to start to make big inroads and become a consistent member of the starting midfield rotation this season.
     
    But unfortunately the 20 year-old who has made 59 appearances for his boyhood club has not been able to get any momentum into his campaign, suffering a serious eye injury from a freak incident at training along with a bout of COVID which saw him on the sidelines for the best part of two months in total.
     
    The midfield set up has been one of much conjecture. James Milner is likely in the last few months of a illustrious 20 year professional career, while the future of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita are often talking points.
     
    Both players have skillsets that are beneficial to the team when they are on top form, but the fact of the matter is that their consistency is often lacking and you can’t afford to have that when fighting for honours.
     
    And then there is the Thiago dilemma, a wonderfully technical Footballer in full flow, but he just cannot seem to get his body right on a consistent basis.
     
    Klopp is someone that doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to assessing players or a looming issue within the squad. 
     
    And that’s why these comments are quite telling when it comes to Jones as you sense he wants the incumbents to feel the pressure from those below as the Mail reported.
     

     
    “I love the boy and the potential he has but we have to come to the next steps now and make sure he fulfils the potential he has on the pitch very often. 
     
    “You have these kind of conversations when you are not 100 per cent happy with the moment.
     
    "He is very young but his potential is incredible and we both together have to find a way to show much more of him.
     
    "It's an ongoing process with Curtis and me but I know he he had a tricky time a long time out with the eye and then after that Covid which was not helpful.
     
    "But now we try to make sure he gets rhythm and can show how good he can actually be."
     
    With the news that Harvey Elliott will be returning to full training this week, hopefully we can see the next generation of young Reds midfielders start to really make a name for themselves in the second half of this season and beyond.
     
     
     
  • Monday Jan 10:
     
    Brighton become the first club to join LFC in backing the Hillsborough law. Have to say I’m shocked it wasn’t Everton. Bill Kenwright has always been great when it comes to standing with us over Hillsborough. His influence there is on the wane though and Moshiri seems like a fucking knob. I expect he’ll eventually get on board when he sees which way the wind is blowing, but it would have been nice to have them throw their support behind it from the get go.
     
    Staying with Everton, and Digne is joining Villa. This is too funny. Forget all the noise around it about the player not being happy and Rafa saying he isn’t committed. The nuts and bolts of this are that Rafa Benitez took over at Everton and sold their best player to Steven Gerrard. That’s it, nothing else is relevant here. Rafa sold their best player to Stevie. Imagine an alternate reality where Klopp left us in the summer of 2020, Mourinho replaced him and then sold Van Dijk to Lampard at Chelsea. Because that’s the equivalent of this.
     
    Meanwhile, Achterberg does a piece with the Athletic and one of the things he spoke about was Karius and his current situation. “It’s down to him, his agent & the club to try to find a solution, Hopefully there will be one this month. It doesn’t help anyone to sit for another six months without the feeling you are really fighting for something.”
     
    This is presumably in reference to reports last week of a German club wanting to take him but being put off by his wages, and Karius refusing to leave without a payoff from LFC. The easy thing here is to rip into for being a greedy twat who values money over wanting to play, but this is more nuanced than that.
     
    Karius is on a good contract here. Not huge money, but it’s more than he’ll get anywhere else because his stock has fallen so much since he signed the deal with us. So this is probably the biggest contract he’s ever going to have in his career. He’s got six months of it left, and having not played all season, what’s another six months of doing fuck all? 
     
    Besides, if he waits until the summer he’ll have more options than he has right now, so quite frankly, he’d be absolutely mad to walk away from this contract to go and sign for the first team that comes in for him this month. If I was him I’d sit tight too, and it wouldn’t JUST be about the money, it would be about options too.
     
    Meanwhile, the EFL have said they won’t be charging LFC for postponing the Arsenal game. What the fuck kind of news is that? It should never have even been a discussion point, but by putting this out it’s implying that maybe there was a case to answer. May as well put out a statement saying we won’t be charged with Mendy’s rapes or 
     
    Sadio scores a late, late penalty to give Senegal a 1-0 win in their opening game. Good for him, but not so much for us as ideally we want him back here asap. Same with Mo. I don’t mind either with Naby. If he comes back then sound, but if Guinea go all the way then good for him. I want Senegal and Egypt out quickly though. Sorry lads.
     
    Tuesday Jan 11:
     
    Egypt lost 1-0 to Nigeria, with that cunt Iheanacho getting the goal. I suppose I should be happy, but I’m not. Mostly because of who scored but partly because I have to admit that it would be cool for Mo if he was able to win this for Egypt. It would be cooler if he was able to play at Palace next week though so *shrugs*, sorry Egypt.
     
    There were more quotes from him today on his future and again he’s saying how much he wants to stay but it’s up to the club. He also said his demands are nothing crazy, which I guess he would say, but I believe him. I take that to mean he isn’t asking for Messi / Neymar / Bale money and he’s more in line with what the top PL earners are on. The likes of De Bruyne, Lukaku and half the United and City squads.
     
    The club need to just fucking sort this now because if they allow him to leave because of penny pinching then we should just fucking riot. I’m not generally one for saying “just pay him whatever he wants” and I’m not even doing that now. If Mo was asking for 500k a week I’d understand the reluctance to do it. But he’s not. You can’t claim to be one of the world’s leading clubs when you can’t hold onto your best player. 
     
    For years we’ve lost our best players (Gerrard apart, and he only stayed because he’s a scouser) because we were shit. You can accept that because it’s kind of unavoidable. When you have a player who has no interest in leaving and he’s the best in the world, if you let him go then you can't class yourself as a big club. FSG need to stop being so small time, the pricks.
     
    Wednesday Jan 12:
     
    Newcastle are signing Chris Wood for £25m, which is his buy out clause. Absolute fucking cunts. They don’t actually want Chris Wood and if he was playing for, let’s say Villa or Leicester, they wouldn’t look twice at him. They’ve done this purely to nobble Burnley, because it’s going to be three from four who go down and Newcastle have obviously targeted Burnley as the one they need to finish above. This is proper dirty pool and I hope it backfires and Burnley survive. I feel like I want us to let them have Div on loan for the rest of the season to make sure they stay up and fuck Newcastle over. That’s if he ever gets over this ‘sore knee’.
     
    Not a dig at Divock that by the way, I’m not questioning his toughness or suggesting he isn’t injured. But ’sore knee’ is what we were told it was when he first missed a game over a month ago now. And he’s still back in training. Thiago is also out with another ‘mystery’ injury that they can’t diagnose too. 
     
    Still, Klopp says there’s nothing to worry about with Mo’s contract situation though. He also said to the reporter who asked that “the fans aren’t worrying like you are. They know the club and the people responsible for these things”. Erm, yeah we do and that’s why we’re worried. I mean fucking hell, we’ve been down this road with Can and Wijnaldum, two players Klopp wanted to keep, so why on earth would we have any confidence in the club resolving this issue? I like to think that Klopp’s relaxed approach means that it’s closer than any of us think, but we have every right to feel concerned about it.
     
    In other news, Arsenal have reportedly had a COVID outbreak ahead of tomorrow. Imagine if that’s true and they aren’t allowed to postpone. It would be fucking hilarious, purely because of how their fans have acted. If they have had an outbreak then it should be postponed and it would be unfair if it isn’t. But yeah, their fans were such fucking knobs about it that it would be hilarious.
     
    Not as hilarious as AFCON. Fuck me, could that have been any more AFCON today? As if the actual refereeing decisions weren’t strange enough, he blows for full time on 85 minutes and then when pulled up on it says it was for a drinks break. Except they’d not long had a drinks break. So he restarts the game and then blows up on 89 minutes 47 seconds, even though at least 5 minutes were meant to be added on for said drinks break, plus whatever normal added time there would have been.
     
    There’s murder, and then half an hour after the game when the angry Tunisia coach is doing his presser, they decide to tell the players to get back out and finish the game. Mali are 1-0 up but a man short and go out to continue the game but Tunisia say “nah fuck this shit” and don’t bother. The ref, by the way, has previously been investigated for corruption.  
     
    And some Africans had the nerve to get all arsey after some cunt twisted Klopp’s words to make it look like he was calling it a “little tournament”. Little tournament? No, but it is a fucking joke and this it’s exactly why people don’t take it seriously. This, and the fact the games are like watching paint dry and goals are as rare as a law abiding Tory.
     
    Thursday Jan 13:
     
    L 0 Arsenal 0. Pathetic that. Just a wretched display all over the park and we got what we deserved. We’ll have to listen to a load of shite about how Arsenal are becoming more resilient, but it will be a cold day in hell before I concede that point. Just because they didn’t fold like a pack of cards let’s not go overboard. If Taki puts away that late chance everyone is laughing at Arsenal for blowing it late on again. They made big mistakes but we were too shit to punish them. Next week we won’t be, and that’s all I have to say about this as everything else is in the match report.
     
    Also today, Digne completed his move to Villa and the Everton twitter account basically said just that and nothing else. Nothing about wishing him well or “thanks for the memories” etc. Does Rafa control the social media output now? I bet he does you know. This is what he does. He goes in, starts fires everywhere and then convinces people that he’s the only one who can put those fires out but he needs full autonomy to be able to do it. He’s probably got the little mute boy who sits next to him handling the club twitter.
     
    I was going to compare it to the “great British public” electing the Tories and then acting all shocked and indignant when they do Tory things, but that’s unfair on the Blues as they didn’t ‘elect’ Rafa. They were dead against him being the given the job so this isn’t a case of them getting what they deserved. In this analogy the Blues are like those of us who didn’t vote for Johnson because we know what he is and wanted no part of it. 
     
    Moshiri on the other hand, is getting exactly what he deserves. He’s the fucking madman that sanctioned this and now he’s like “in for a penny in for a pound” and just letting it play out. Great for us, fucking horrific if you’re a blue though. Still, never mind eh?
     
    And any Blue who swallowed that shit from Digne in his farewell message deserves whatever misery comes their way. “It only takes one outsider to ruin a great love affair” hahahahaha fucking hell mate, I know you’re French but you’re no Eric Cantona. 
     
    Friday Jan 14:
     
    Arsenal have asked for the North London derby to be postponed because they don’t have enough players. Hardly any of them have COVID despite those false reports a couple of days ago and they let two players go out on loan this week. Half of the games that have been postponed recently should have been played, yet it’s one of the most obvious legitimate call offs that got everyone up in arms. Can’t think why.
     
    By rights Arsenal should be told to fuck off but it’s not that straightforward because Leicester were allowed to postpone against Everton with only one (or maximum two) players missing with COVID and everyone else injured or at AFCON. If you allow that, how can you then refuse Arsenal? This season has descended into fucking farce.
     
    Digne says he signed for Villa “because of the manager” which I’m sure will go down well with those he enjoyed such a “great love affair” with. Stevie himself is talking about Coutinho and refers to him as ‘the kid’. Has Stevie become a Scouse boxer? Because the only people I ever hear referring to grown men as ‘the kid’ are the likes of Tony Bellew and Paul Smith Jr. For the record, Coutinho is 29!
     
    Meanwhile, we have Origi news at last. He’s running again and should be back in full training very soon. Harvey is back in full training next week too, but still nothing on Thiago and his undiagnosable hip injury. We might see Ox this weekend as Klopp was talking him up today and saying how he’s “in a really good way”. If that’s true then I’m even more disillusioned at that midfield three he picked last night.
     
    Over at AFCON Naby and Sadio went head to head. It was 0-0, of course. Goals at this tournament are about as rare as Evertonians that back Benitez. Naby was booked for fouling Sadio though. He’d better not try any of that against Egypt as if he so much as harms a hair on Mo’s beautiful little head he needn’t bother coming back.
     
    Egypt play tomorrow night and if they lose they’re out. They probably won’t as they’re only playing Guinea-Bissau and are heavy favourites. If they do lose then Mo would be back for Palace next week.
     
    There are some rumours doing the rounds that we’re in for Dybala, who has pulled out of contract talks with Juve and will be available for free this summer. Don’t think I’ve ever seen him play and I have no idea if he fits our set up, but my gut feeling is that free transfers are going to become more and more common for us as I just don’t see us spending proper money ever again. At least that’s how it feels. Because we’ve all seen the graphics on twitter, since 2018 we’re bottom of the net spend table and have made a £3m profit. We’re defo the world’s poorest rich club. 
     
     
    ….and that was the week that was.
  • Jurgen Klopp has cleared up any doubt over the status of Loris Karius saying that the German goalkeeper is free to find a new club.
     
    The 28 year-old last played for the Reds in a competitive fixture in the Champions Leqgue final against Real Madrid in May 2018 which turned into a well documented personal horror show.
     
    In the subsequent period of time, the keeper has had turbulent loan spells at Besiktas and Union Berlin.
     
    Despite all the inner turmoil he has dealt with during this difficult period of his career, Karius remains on the books of the Reds and by all accounts has dealt with his situation in a very professional manner.
     
    There was even some speculation that Karius would be involved in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi final against Arsenal as Liverpool dealt with a Covid outbreak among their goalkeeping ranks. However we will never know Karius would have got the nod as the fixture was postponed.
     
    Speaking ahead of the home fixture against Brentford, the manager looked to clear up matters per the Official site.
     

     
    “So, there are different things. One is Loris Karius the player, who is doing absolutely nothing wrong, who is in a really good shape, who is training very hard. He is committed, the goalie coaches are fully committed, that’s clear. But before the season we made a decision. Obviously it was in the club’s interest as well that Loris finds a new club, stuff like this.
     
    “That didn’t happen, so fine. We made a decision: he’ll be treated completely normally absolutely but we have the goalies. As long as we don’t have a massive situation here, our No.1 is Ali, our No.2 is Caoimh, No.3 is Adrian, No.4 is Marcelo and then there’s already four goalkeepers.
     
    The way Klopp addressed the subject, it seems he is perfectly happy with the three senior keepers along with 19 year old Brazilian Marcelo Pitaluga who came to the club in late 2020.
     
    While he is yet to make a senior appearance, the youngster made the bench for the Carabao Cup quarter final win against Leicester and has impressed his countryman Alisson with his all-round skill set and willingness to take advice on board.
     
    “We were never in a situation where we had to use the fifth (keeper). It has nothing to do with the quality, we made the decision and the boys do really well obviously. I think everybody is impressed by the development of Caoimhin Kelleher, who is ready for pretty much everything.
     
    “We all know about the quality of Adrian and the impact he has on training and the dressing room and stuff like this and would always be ready to go. And Marcelo is an incredible talent, an absolutely incredible talent, the next one in line.
     

     
    “That’s it. But Loris, I wish him only the best and he will find a club whenever – now or in the summer. And then from there he will go on, I’m very sure.
     
    The words of Klopp come just a few days after goalkeeping coach John Achterburg said that just sitting on the bench for the next six months won’t help his career prospects and he needs competitive Football.
     
    There is no doubt some clubs would be ruthless and just cut him adrift, but in keeping with the classy way that Klopp and his staff conduct their business, they are giving Karius all the encouragement he needs to look to greener pastures.
     
     
     
     
  • Worse than the Leicester game. And you know how I felt about the Leicester game. But this was worse. What a wretched performance this was. Thankfully we have a second leg in which we can redeem ourselves, and I’m confident that we will. So what I’m about to write is purely based on this game and this game alone, it doesn’t represent what I think of the team moving forward.
     
    So… *deep breath*… that was fucking awful and it’s too simplistic to put it down to Salah and Mané not being available. It was much more than that. In fact, it was a lot of things, some of which we maybe should have seen coming and some of them we probably did see coming. Let’s start with the team selection, specifically the midfield three. How many of us saw that trio and thought “nah, not for this game”? Loads I reckon.
     
    Milner and Hendo hadn’t played since Chelsea, but even if they had I would still have wanted to see more creativity (Curtis, or even Ox) in there. Then there's Trent and Jota, who hadn’t played since Chelsea either. Both were brutally bad. Bobby and Taki are just back from layoffs and we had a front three that had never played together. The whole squad missed a chunk of training last week and some of them are coming off COVID, which even when asymptomatic may have some side effects and affect performance. Klopp certainly thinks so and on the evidence of this who can argue?
     
    So yeah, this was fucking shite but there are probably reasons for it. Doesn’t really make it any easier to take though does it? This was a golden opportunity to win this tie and not even have to bother about what happens in the second leg. We’d started well and then Xhaka had done the most Xhaka thing ever and left Arsenal a man down and with no recognised midfielder on the pitch. There were 65 minutes left of the game too. And yet we didn’t muster a shot on target until stoppage time.
     
    Fucking hell, it was a shambles. Yet as I said, we started really well. I didn’t see this coming at all, but that sending off really fucked us up and not for the first time this season. Klopp said it was because Arsenal then went to a low block and we couldn’t break them down. Arsenal definitely shut up shop but we face that all the time and should know how to break it down. This is nothing new.
     
    Klopp's right about it changing the game though. Before the red card Arsenal weren’t exactly expansive, but it wasn’t all out defence either. They tried to play but we were swarming all over them and they couldn’t get out. They looked like they were shitting themselves and were ripe for the picking, but the sending off comes and that changes everything because it meant Arsenal now only had to focus on one thing - damage limitation. That took a lot of pressure off them in a way because they didn’t have to play anymore - it was solely about surviving and getting a result to take back to the Emirates. And they did. 
     
    So what went wrong? Lots of things, but Sadio and Mo not being there is way down the list for me. Of course that’s important and any team would miss them but we should have had enough even without them. Put it this way, Sadio and Mo not being there doesn't account for the fucking horrific corners Trent and Robbo were putting in. And did their absence cause Jota to completely lose the ability to control a ball? Or cause Virgil to pass a ball 20 yards behind Matip and straight out of play
     
    The problem wasn't who was missing, it was that we just played badly all over the park. The first half wasn’t actually too bad so I’ll disregard that. The second half was the problem, and it was clear right from the start of it that we’d gone right off the boil.
     
    Passes were going astray, touches were heavy and the decision making was brutal. We kept trying to go through the middle all the time, which is exactly what Arsenal wanted us to do. And for some reason Klopp didn’t change the midfield until the hour mark. Seriously, what the fuck is that about? I didn’t agree with the initial selection but when Arsenal go down to ten and go all out defence, it probably should have been changed there and then. I can understand why you’d leave it until half time, but I don’t understand why Milner was still out there for the start of the second half. We all knew he was going off for Jones sooner or later, but why make it later? 
     
    Anyway, fuck all happened for most of the second half so there’s not much to say. Arsenal had the best chance of the half with pretty much their only attack. Alisson needed to make a great save to deny the lively Saka. Alisson’s inclusion was a little surprising given that this tournament is supposed to be Kelleher’s. I’m not sure I agree with taking that away from Kelleher but that save from Alisson probably justified the decision. 
     
    We had all of the ball but did fuck all with it until very late on. Klopp brought on Ox for Fabinho and Williams for Trent. It made a difference. Especially Neco. Trent had been absolutely woeful. His passing was poor and his crossing was worse. It might be his worst ever game for us, he looked lethargic and really uncomfortable with himself. His whole body language was off. It might be the post-COVID thing but he was struggling even before that. We looked miles better with Neco out there, which gives Klopp a decision to make for Sunday as well as the second leg.
     
    Whereas Trent was playing infield and spent most of the game exchanging sideways passes with Hendo or just giving the ball away, Neco stayed out wide and just attempted to get past his man and get crosses in and it helped us build some pressure on them. Chances were still few and far between but we had them penned in and it was our best spell of the game. We should have won it too but Taki blazed over an open goal late on. We wouldn’t have deserved the win and it wouldn’t have changed how I viewed the performance but it would have been most welcome nonetheless.
     
    Arsenal celebrated at full time like they’d won the tie. I could rip them for that but I won’t. They usually get hammered when they come to Anfield and after playing most of the game a man down they are entitled to be pleased with themselves. Kind of reminded me of when Shrewsbury got a draw with us and forced a replay a couple of years back. Same kind of ‘plucky underdog’ thing.
     
    The past few weeks have been so deflating but I’m trying to stay positive. This was so bad, but it’s only half time and I do think that a big part of our recent problems is the stop-start nature of football currently. We’re a team that relies heavily on rhythm and we just don’t have any currently because the fixtures have been so sporadic. I look at it this way; this game will have helped blow off the cobwebs, we’l be better on Sunday against Brentford and then back on track for the second leg.
     
    So I’m not worrying yet. Maybe I’m kidding myself, we’ll see. If we get knocked out by Arsenal though then all bets are off and I’ll have no choice but to call for the whole thing to be burned to the ground. Some things you just can’t ever get over and us being knocked out in a semi by these useless bottle jobs would be the line in the sand for me. “So what if you won a European Cup and our first title in 30 years, you lost in the league cup to fucking Arsenal. I can’t forgive that.”
     
    Their fans lording it over us is not something I’ll be able to take. It was bad enough listening to them giving it the :You’ve only come to see the Arsenal”. Forget everything else that has been chanted at us down the years, that’s the single most offensive thing I’ve heard. The fucking delusions on these cunts. It’s an old Man United song but as arrogant as that was at least they’d earned the right to sing it by winning the league virtually every fucking year. Arsenal putting themselves on that kind of level a few days after losing to a Championship side is the most Arsenal fan thing ever. 
     
    Star man is Joel. He was really good until he was replaced late on by Gomez. Credit to Alisson too for the save, and to Curtis and Neco for the impact they made. As for the rest? Varying degrees of not good enough. Sort your fucking shit out lads, I can’t be handling us not beating Arsenal. Don’t you fucking dare not win next week.
     
     
     
    Team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold (Williams), Matip (Gomez), Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho (Oxlade-Chamberlain), Henderson, Milner (Jones); Jota, Firmino, Minamino:
  • It's all to play for next week in the second leg as the Reds served up a stinking performance in being held to a goalless draw by ten man Arsenal.
     
    Your host Chris Smith is joined by TLW Editor Dave Usher to discuss what went wrong and what needs to change next week. What was with that midfield selection? What's up with Trent? How much of this was down to not having Sadio and Mo?
     
    Plus the lads look ahead to the weekend's clash with Brentford at Anfield.
     
     
  • Jamie Carragher has given club owners a clear indication of what to expect if the Mo Salah contract negotiations break down.
     
    The Egyptian superstar stated in an interview with GQ magazine that ‘he wants to stay but it is in the clubs hands.”
     
    It is the sort of statement that brings unpleasant memories of last season’s saga involving Gini Wijnaldum which seemed to drag on to a seemingly inevitable conclusion when the Dutchman left the club for PSG.
     
    Much as he was during those negotiations, Jurgen Klopp painted a positive picture of the situation saying “ I know Mo wants to stay, we want Mo to stay. These things take time, but I think all of it is in a good place. I'm very positive about it.”
     
    With all the success, great football and general positivity that has been achieved under the tenure of the German, it is very hard not to take those words at face value.
     
    However with the Wijnaldum situation still fresh in the mind and the sceptical nature of how the fans see the club owners in the current climate, it is only natural to be some anxiety around given Salah’s overall worth to the success of the team.
     

     
    Carragher spoke on Sky Sports about the issue after the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi final against Arsenal’
     
    “As a Liverpool supporter you should be wary that this [Salah's contract situation] is dragging on. Other big players at Liverpool have signed contracts in the last three or four months, the goalkeeper [Alisson Becker], Trent [Alexander-Arnold], Virgil van Dijk, huge figures in this team.
     
    “Salah wants to be paid as well as any top player in the Premier League or world football, and why shouldn't he? He deserves that, we're talking about one of the best players in the world.
     
    Often these contract negotiations are a real game of chess with the club owners in particular making sure to cover every scenario as Carragher stated.
     
    “The problem, and the angle Liverpool may be looking at it from, is where Salah would go? The Spanish giants [Real Madrid and Barcelona] are really out of the equation now given the problems they have financially. 
     
    “Would Salah leave and ruin his legacy by going to Manchester City or Manchester United? Probably not, so that's probably Liverpool's bargaining chip.”
     
    While Carragher understands the negotiation process has to be fair for all parties, he gave a word of warning if the unthinkable happened and Salah did depart.
     

     
    “I would love this deal to be done as quickly as possible. You cannot forget the price Liverpool signed Salah for. It wasn't as if they went and spent £100million, they did what they are great at and did a brilliant deal. The money they have invested in him already - transfer fee and wages - has been a snip.
     
    "This is not a case of giving the player exactly what he wants, but Liverpool Football Club and the owners, I don't think they would be forgiven if Salah left this club in the summer or in 18 months' time.
     
    "He's a Liverpool legend, one of the greatest players the club has ever had, and it needs to be sorted sooner rather than later."
     
     
     
     
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