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    It takes a gargantuan effort to win the Premier League, but it takes a lot more to retain it.
     
    While Jurgen Klopp and his men are bathing in their victorious sunshine, a few tiny cracks in the team have become apparent. Will these weak areas be exposed next season, or will the problems be addressed before the new campaign kicks off?
     
    The Issues.
     
    No team is perfect and the team that covers their weakness best usually takes the silverware home. While Liverpool might have a perceived weakness or two, they did run way with the Premier League last season. 
     
    Despite this, most football betting sites have Manchester City as favourites for the title. That seems crazy considering Pep Guardiola's men lost nine times in the league last year are creaking like a rusty barn door. 
     
    Liverpool's starting eleven is as good as anything out there, so presumably it's the lack of depth in certain areas that has the bookmakers favouring City?
     
    Here are some of the issues Klopp needs to address this summer to ensure his team has the best chance possible to retain the title.
     
    Reduce the drop off with replacements
     
    The Reds have had injuries in recent season but they have generally been in positions where there is adequate cover. The most important players have stayed injury free.
     
    What would happen if Sadio Mané or - God forbid - Virgil Van Dijk were to be missing for an extended period of time? There are issues that need addressing.
     
    The exit from Europe at the hands of Atletico Madrid was largely due to Alisson Becker being unavailable. With the big Brazilian between the sticks, that result would never have happened. Adrian held down the fort well earlier in the season but the more he was asked to play the more his limitations were exposed. 
     
    The front three play most games but when one or more of them is missing the level of replacement is not up to the job. Take Salah or Mané out and there is no natural replacement and Klopp often tries to fit a square peg into a round hole. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain isn't a suitable replacement for Mané and Takumi Minamino is no Mo Salah. 
    .
    Van Dijk seems pretty indestructible but both Joe Gomez and (especially) Joel Matip have been hit by injuries, while Dejan Lovren has moved on. Fabinho is an option, but is there enough depth at the position?
     
    Increase midfield flair
     
    It's something that has often been said about the Reds midfield. Not enough creativity, too workmanlike, inferior to Manchester City. It's unfair and lazy. Liverpool's midfield has functioned exactly how Klopp has wanted it too.
     
    That might change though. Klopp has evolved the way the team plays each season and we might see another stage in the evolution this summer, perhaps involving the midfield. The links to Thiago suggest this might be the case, but even if that doesn't pan out expect to see the Reds midfield being more progressive this season.
     
    Much will depend on the progress of Naby Keita, who ended the last season in exciting form following two years of inconsistency. It's fair to say that Keita is yet to show his true potential but the signs are promising at last.  
     
    Faith in Youth Needs to be Rewarded
     
    Liverpool aren't going to be splashing the cash this summer. For one thing, they don't have it, but even if they did Klopp has already shown that he is a manager who will only spend when it's necessary. He paid big money for Alisson, Van Dijk and Fabinho, but all three filled a glaring need in the team.
     
    Klopp won't spend big on squad players, preferring instead to promote talented youngsters into the squad and looking for the next Trent Alexander-Arnold.
     
    Neco Williams, Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones are all regular members of the matchday squad but this year they will be looking to take the next step to becoming semi regular starters. None will become first choice any time soon, but it's vital that they are able to come in and play at the required level when opportunities arrive.
     
    The policy of promoting youth rather than spending big on players to sit on the bench is an admirable one, but it is only viable if the kids perform well enough to justify their place. 
     
    The Bottom Line?
     
    The Reds have every chance of retaining the title even without any further transfer activity. They won the league by a whopping 18 points from City, while third placed Manchester United were 33 points back! That's a huge gap to claw back for the chasing clubs, even if Liverpool were to take a significant step back this year for whatever reason.
     
    If, however, Klopp is able to address the areas in which there are question marks, then it's difficult to see anyone being able to stop Liverpool once again.
  • Simply terrific. He’s had another great season and he’s a joy to watch. Trent just makes it look so easy and effortless. He and Robbo are polar opposites in style but they both get the job done in their own unique way.   It’s sometimes easy to forget that Trent is still a kid as he’s achieved so much already. In terms of achievements and appearances it’s not inconceivable to think that Trent may eventually go on to surpass Stevie Gerrard. Look at what he’s done already at just 21 years of age. World, European and English Champion, Young Player of the Year, two appearances in Champions League finals, his own weekly highlight reel on Match of the Day (maybe not weekly, but they do seem to be drooling about him regularly).     His form was consistently strong all season. There were some games when he wasn't at his best but it would only be the occasional game here and there rather than any bad spell of form. And mostly, he was top drawer. Him and Robbo are such a vital part of what we do that teams are actually now setting up specifically to stop our full backs. That's almost unheard of really.   Full backs are used to being the spare man, the outlet ball, because no-one has ever been worried about them before. It was always a case of you double up on the winger and let the full back have it, as he's not going to hurt you, right? Yet this Liverpool team defies conventional logic. If you allow the full backs space then you're in big trouble.    Trent's delivery from out wide is sensational but his cross field passing is arguably even better. Those quick switches of play when he pings one over to Robertson is such an important part of our game and makes us really difficult to defend against.    The best example of it came in the home win over Man City when Trent picked out Robbo and he crossed for Salah to head in. Shades of the famous Terry McDermott goal against Spurs from back in the seventies. Just glorious.   We saw it all season though. That switch of play to spring Robbo or occasionally Sadio free into space makes us really difficult to handle. It must be exhausting playing against that and having to shuffle across from side to side. You see Robbo try to do it occasionally too but he's not as adept as Trent. Very few are.   Trent's highlight reel for the season could last for hours. The passing, the crossing, the set-pieces, the random bits of skill and deft control. He's fucking brilliant.     There is still the occasional ropey moment defensively (usually against Dwight McNeill for some odd reason) but I feel that Trent’s defending is much better than he’s given credit for. Just because he’s great going forward doesn’t mean he can’t defend. It’s something that attacking full backs are often labelled with and it’s annoying.   Similarly, those who are crap going forward are presumed to be excellent defenders, as why else would they be in the team, right? *cough* Wan Bissaka *cough*   If Trent was a weak link defensively then we’d concede far more goals than we do. He’s not as good defensively as Robbo is on the opposite flank but he’s still better than the vast majority of full backs in the Premier League. And he’s light years ahead of all of them when it comes to attacking.   And guess what? He's still just a kid and will only get better. We're talking about a possible all time great here.    Previous Season Ratings   2017/18:  9
    2018/19:  9
      This Season's Rating:  9   Don't really think anyone can argue with this, surely? Three straight nine out of ten seasons is remarkable though.   Best Moment:   The Leicester goal was a big moment as that was such an emphatic, statement type win. The free-kick against Palace was great too, but it's a toss up between the two Chelsea goals I think.   The first one, at the Bridge, was just a simply worked, devastatingly good free-kick, but I think I'll go with the one in the return fixture at Anfield because it came right in the middle of a bust up between Lampard and our bench. The timing of that goal was beautiful as it allowed Ljinders to run on the field and rub it in Lampard's face. So I'll go with that one.   Worst Moment:   Struggling to think of anything really. Maybe his performance at Goodison. He was shite that day, but then so were most of his team-mates too.      The Future?   The debate as to whether he should be moved into midfield had seemed to have gone away by the end of last season but the emergence of Neco Williams has seen it brought back again.   Could Trent play in midfield? Yeah, of course he could. Would he be the best midfielder in the world if he did? Highly doubtful. You can make a strong argument that he already is the world’s best right back though, so why move him?   He’s second only to Kevin De Bruyne when it comes to assists and he’s doing that from right back. Just how much more production would we get from him in midfield than we already get now? Probably not much, in fact there’s a good chance he’d be less effective.   So leave him where he is but give Neco some opportunities to keep Trent fresh. It might be worth having the occasional look at him in midfield just with a possible eye on the future, but I just think if you've got someone who is arguably the best in the world in a particular spot, why would you move him?
  • Xherdan Shaqiri has described  his personal frustration that he was not able to contribute more during Liverpool’s march to the Premier League title.

    The popular member of the squad with teammates and fans alike, the Swiss international was somewhat of a forgotten man making just 11 appearances in all competitions throughout the last campaign due to a number of niggling injuries which led to him slipping down the playing ranks when he returned to full fitness.

    Often linked to with a move away to clubs in the continent, the 28 year-old gave a strong indication to the Official site at the team camp in Austria that he is is willing to stay at the Reds and fight for his place.

    "Always if you are injured or if you are not playing, you're frustrated. 

    “But I'm looking forward to this season and trying to help the team all the time, so I have the chance to play like the first season.
     


    The versatile attacking option also signaled the intention of the team to keep up the hunger and strive for more honours.

    “Everybody is excited to play again and to defend the season we had last season.

    “It's very difficult but we try to achieve again a lot of things and we want to win a lot of games. 

    "We have the capacity, we have the team who is still hungry and wants to win many titles.”

    Shaqiri who has experienced title success in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich and in Switzerland admitted that this league success with the Reds felt different.

    "Of course it's different in the Premier League than others, and I had the pleasure and I'm very proud of what I achieved in Germany with these two [titles] and I know many countries now. 

    "But with Liverpool, to win the title last season was unbelievable, something different after 30 years for the fans and for us too. 

    "We are really excited and we always want to win every game but we know it's going to also be difficult. The other teams also want to win, so I think it's going to be an exciting season."

    "I'm trying to give my best too and to help the team to win games, titles – that's the most important thing for me."


     
  • Rhian Brewster has made his intentions known that he sees his long term future as a Liverpool player.

    While some of their rivals are completing their European commitments from the 2019/20 season, the Reds are looking ahead as they started their pre-season camp in Austria.

    With minutes at an absolute premium at the Reds, the club made a wise call to send the talented striker on loan to Swansea for the second half of the season and the youngster made the most of consistent playing time scoring 11 goals in 22 appearances at the Swans under his England youth international coach Steve Cooper.

    There had been speculation whether the move would be extended into this season or even made permanent, but speaking at the camp Brewster stated what his main goal is per The Echo.

    “Of course I want to be at Liverpool next season, be fighting for a spot to play. Who is not going to want to play at the home of the champions?
     


    “Of course you're not really wanting to go on loan but if that's the best thing for me to do in that situation, so I'm going to get more gametime then that's what I'm going to do.

    "But realistically, I want to play at Liverpool, I want to be 'the striker'."

    With the inconsistent form of Divock Origi during the past season which has led to rumours linking him with an move away from the club, Brewster knows he has an ideal opportunity to stake his claim.

    “I'm just going to go to Evian and work hard and do what I can. And whatever the boss says I need to do, I'm going to accept - whether I stay, whether I go back on loan."

    If the loan option does arise again, Cooper says Swansea will be at the head of the queue for his services.

    “If a loan is in Liverpool’s plans for Rhian again we want to be right in there for him.

    "I know he’s loved already by the supporters and that’s mutual. He’s very well liked around the football club.

    "He’s not just a good player – he’s a really good lad.



     
  • Several studies have already proven that CBD truly has a lot of great effects on the human body, and ever since it’s popularity keeps growing. But, what about sports?
     
    While the sports community is no stranger to supplements in order to keep the body in the top shape possible, only recently has the talk about CBD and athletic performance started taking place. In this article, we will talk about the benefits that could be gained by using CBD regarding athletic performance.
     
    It Helps With Stress and Anxiety
     
    As all of the professional athletes surely know, competition can be truly stressful, and can even sometimes reach the point of not only affecting your skills while you are competing but also get you to the point where you can’t even sleep the night before an important competition, hence making you even risk injury since your body isn’t getting enough rest.
     
    CBD can help a lot with stress and anxiety reduction, so if you are suffering from any of these, there are a lot of useful CBD oils which can, for instance, be seen in a comprehensive guide by Dwight Blake recently. The way that CBD helps is by stimulating the right areas in your brains that regulate the hormones related to stress and anxiety.
     
    It Relieves Pain
     
    Whether it’s due to muscle tension or let’s say a sprained joint, CBD is very effective in eliminating pain. It should be mentioned that even though Cannabionoids truly aren’t effective as opioids, so if you have acute, extremely high pain, opioids will result in relief of it, but that being said - opioids come with a risk of addiction and even overdose, while there are no such risks when talking about CBD.
     
    And in the long run, if you are treating chronic pain, CBD is a far better option.
     
    It Will Improve Your Sleep Quality
     
    As we have mentioned before, not getting enough sleep can not only affect your optimal performance, but it can also affect your health. Studies have shown that athletes who do consume CBD have reported having a lot more ease when going to sleep, as well as feeling more rested when they wake up. It is speculated that the reason why does CBD affects sleep quality us because it inhibits the reuptake of adenosine.
     
    Why adenosine? Well, when adenosine is bind to the neurons, it inhibits the release of neurotransmitters, which further results in lower brain activity, hence the feeling of greater calm.
     
    It Prevents and Reduces Inflammation
     
    Well, everyone knows that a bit of inflammation is fine, as it even helps the athletes by stimulating positive training adaptation, like for instance if they have overstimulated the certain muscle group, making it stronger and less prone to inflammation the next time they overdo it.
     

     
    On the other hand, if the inflammation is too severe, it can only hurt your overall performance. The way that CBD helps with inflammation is by binding to the CB2 receptors, that are majorly concentrated in the tissues connected heavily to the regulation of the immune system.
     
    The proposed mechanism of action is that when they are bound to these receptors, they are reducing cytokine production. Cytokines are basically cell messengers, so, when simplified, CBD binding to the CB2 receptors dial down the “alarm” that your immune system produces after a hard workout.
     
    While there is a lot of research and studies that can and will be done on this topic, it is certain that CBD does have all of the effects mentioned above. So on that note, if you are an athlete, and are experiencing any of the mentioned issues, or just want to better your health overall without the use of a dozen other supplements, you can try CBD.
  • Liverpool have made their first entry into the transfer market this summer with the signing of Greek international Kostas Tsimikas from Olympiakos.

    The left-back fills a major hole in the squad, that being a back-up for the tireless Andy Robertson.

    It has been a hole that many fans have been hoping to see filled for quite a while as while Robbo is one of the best in the world in his position, just like any player, he needs a competitor in the squad to keep pushing him to greater heights.

    For a while it seemed like Norwich youngster Jamal Lewis would be that player with the Reds closing in on the deal, however the two teams could not agree on a fee and Liverpool acted very swiftly to get Tsimikas over the line with Leicester reportedly very keen.
     
    TLW spoke to @bobbeans83 from the ThrylosWorld website who has tracked the progress of Tsimikas over the years.

    He confirmed that Liverpool have a real bargain on their hands.

    “You've got yourself an absolute gem of a player in Tsimikas. At £11m a real snip. Klopp will love him and I think he can get Tsimikas playing his "heavy metal football"! 

    “He will not only arrive at Anfield to provide cover for Robertson he will be providing competition for him!

    “Kostas has become a shining light in our team these past two seasons.
     
    "We also had Leonardo Koutris (another top Greek prospect, who himself was linked with big Serie A moves) at left-back - but once Tsimikas broke into the first team there was no taking that shirt from him.
     


    The Olympiakos expert said that Tsimikas is purely a LB but he has got all-round qualities in a defensive and attacking sense.

    “He plays only as a left-back at this stage of his career and maybe that is the one shortfall in his game is his lack of versatility as can only play one position.

    "But on the other side of the coin, he does a very good job in that position. He's an attacking LB, that makes over-lapping runs and his delivery into the box is excellent. 

    “He can be exciting to watch with his runs down the left to the byline and cutting it in to find a team mate. He'll often come inside, to be found attacking the box and isn't afraid to have a shot from the edge of the area. 

    “He isn't a greedy player, however, and will always look for another player if they are in a better position. For someone that looks so slight, he can defend as well. He is a comfortable defender and often pulls off well timed last ditch tackles to bail out his team mates. 

    Like many young players, Tsimikas has had to travel around Europe to get his break, but it has done him the world of good.

    “Earlier in his career he's spent half a season on loan in Denmark & Holland, so he will bring with him a maturity & experience of having to adapt to living abroad and knowledge of more than just Greek football. 

    “He has also been a mainstay of our European team the last two seasons, featuring 25 times. Eight of those 25 games have been against PL opposition: Burnley, Spurs, Arsenal & Wolves. So he will be well placed to adapt to the English game quickly. “

    Tsimikas is viewed as someone who is very low maintenance and someone who has the team ethos that Klopp loves in a player.

    "I can't really see any weaknesses to his game. Which is surprising really, as there is usually something. But as mentioned, he's equally adept to going forward and defending.
     
    "He's never caused controversy off the pitch and in the media. He has a good temperament on the pitch. He's a team player and produces 100% effort for the full 90 minutes. 
     
    “He is that good going forward, if he can add goals to his game I could see him following the Gareth Bale route and advance up the pitch into a midfield & wing role.”

    From this in-depth analysis, the Greek defender seems like the perfect fit.

    Welcome aboard Kostas.
     
  • Tuesday Aug 4:
     
    Looks like we’re about to pick from the relegation carcass again. Jamal Lewis for £10m would make sense, although I thought there was more chance we’d go for the lad Kelly at Bournemouth having been in for him a year ago. It seems the Reds weren’t thrilled at the way his agent handled negotiations though and he’s therefore not under consideration, which leaves the door open for Lewis.
     
    Assuming of course that Norwich are realistic about the fee. There’s some talk that they don’t need to sell and are demanding £20m for him. Larouci is being spoken of as a possible makeweight in the deal and this is eerily similar to the Robbo for Kev Stewart swap a few years back. With that in mind, I’m all in.
     
    Norwich demanding £20m is funny though as all that will do it raise Larouci’s price by £10m to cover the difference. By the time Edwards has finished turning the screw on them they’ll probably end up paying us £20m.
     
    No-one is pulling our pants down on transfers anymore.
     
    Wednesday Aug 5:
     
    Meanwhile, United’s move for Sancho seems to have hit a complication. That complication being United don’t think they should have to meet Dortmund’s asking price because they feel the German club isn’t taking into account the impact Covid has had on teams. Jesus.
     
    If this tactic works then I might try it myself. I need a new putter but I don’t want to pay £300 or whatever it is for a top of the line one, so maybe if I go into American Golf and tell them they’re being unreasonable and that Covid has left me a little skint, they’ll see my point of view and sell to me at half price?
     
    We’re in a similar position with Norwich, who reportedly now “won’t even pick up the phone” unless we offer £20m and don’t seem to be that keen on Larouci anymore. That’s fine, he’s their player and he’s under contract. They can demand what they like, but there’s no way we’re paying £20m if our opening gambit was only £10m.
     
    The good thing from our point of view is we don’t need him. We don’t actually need another left back at all. It would be nice to have one, but it’s not a pressing requirement so I’m sure Klopp and Edwards are fairly relaxed about this whole thing.
     
    Thursday Aug 6:
     
    Arsenal are laying off 55 members of staff and blaming Covid. They’re also preparing to offer Willian a deal that even Chelsea won’t match. Arsenal’s players are pissed off (rightly so) because they took a payout to ensure nobody lost their job. 
     
    A number of people being let go are in the recruitment department. Now all jokes aside about them having signed Luiz and Mustafi, there’s a bigger picture here. Arsenal are saying that recruitment is going to be led by agents now, and the talk is that Kia Joorabchian is going to be supplying them with players. And no doubt he’ll be making tens of millions for his ‘services’. 
     
    Nothing says 2020 more than the rich looking after the rich at the expense of the little guy. What utter cunts. These are more Tory than West Ham. Fuck Arsenal.
     
    It’ll be interesting to see how much of a stink their fans kick up over it. Imagine if that was us? The owners would be backtracking within 24 hours of announcing it.
     
    I’m guessing Arsenal’s fans will do fuck all.
     
    Friday Aug 7: 
     
    City beat Real Madrid to reach the quarters. Have to be honest, I didn’t even know they were playing until I heard the score on the late night news. Maybe it’s just because we’re not in it, but the Champions League now just feels pointless and cheapened. I don’t think anyone really cares other than the teams left in it. I doubt I’ll even watch a single game, not even the final.
     
    This competition more than any other needs fans, but then that plays into City’s hands I suppose as their fans don’t show up to these games even when they’re allowed in. It’s funny when you think of how much those cunts were crying about scrapping the Premier League and then all that ‘tainted title’ and ‘asterisk champions’ nonsense. Because the one competition that has been tainted and does require an asterisk is this one. 
     
    Why? Because they’ve changed the rules from the start of the competition. It’s not two legs from this point on, which goes against the entire history and tradition of the European Cup. I don’t want City winning it under any circumstances, but if they win this then yeah, it’s tainted as fuck.
     
    There’s only really Bayern who I’d be confident in beating City though. I suppose you could say Atletico too, but I’m still struggling to figure out exactly how they beat us as they’re just not that good. So yeah, come on Bayern.
     
    Also, congratulations to Channel Four on somehow managing to make a show about Jurgen Klopp dull as fuck. Some achievement that.
     
    Saturday Aug 8:
     
    Joleon Lescott reckons my boy Adama could play for any team in the world now because he’s that good. Not sure Wolves fans will want him saying that, but I thought his assessment of Traore was interesting.
     
    "Traore could easily play for a Manchester City or Liverpool. I have never seen such speed and strength on a football pitch before. Before this season, there were question marks over his game management and his final product, but he has really improved over the last 12 months. Traore has simplified his game and has taken his foot off the pedal.
     
    "He used to sprint at his absolute fastest to beat defenders which meant he had no time to deliver a telling cross or shot. He now beats defenders only running at 80% which has given him that extra bit of time he needs to make the position count with a goal or assist. He was a star in the Premier League this season."
     
    I agree with that as he also plays with his head up a lot more now too, which is also probably a result of him running at 80%.
     
    The one nagging doubt I have about him is that he gets subbed a lot and he’s left on the bench a lot more than team’s usually leave out their best player.
     
    It’s a non-starter because we won’t pay what Wolves would want for him, but hypothetically… if we sold Wilson, Origi and Shaqiri and brought in £75m, and Wolves said they’d accept that amount for Traore, would you do it? I would, in a heartbeat.
     
    Sunday Aug 9:
     
    Well that escalated quickly. It seems Michael Edwards has no interest in haggling with Norwich and just like that he’s done a deal for another left back, leaving poor Jamal Lewis in the lurch. I feel sorry for Lewis but the days of us getting pushed around in the transfer market are long gone and this was just ruthlessly fucking efficient.
     
    I have no idea who this Greek lad is but I’d be willing to bet that he’ll be fucking boss. It might take a few months for him to adapt but when he does I expect we’ll have someone who we can plug in seamlessly when Robbo needs a rest. 
     
    I saw something from an Olympiakos fan saying this lad is so good he’ll make Robbo sweat for his place. Nah, Robbo is the best left back in the world. Neither he nor Trent will be sweating  for their place, but in Williams and this lad then at worst we’ll have more than capable stand ins and at best they’ll be so good that Trent and Robbo will kick on to an even higher level.
     
    Monday Aug 10:
     
    Dortmund call a press conference to say Sancho is staying. Makes sense all around, especially for Sancho and Dortmund. Ok, so not 'all around' then as it’s not good for United.  Not that they need him. Doesn’t really matter who they have playing up front just as long as they’ve got Gyfli Fernandez there to take all the penalties they keep getting given.
     
    They were struggling tonight. Goalless and playing extra time against Copenhagen, when shock horror, the ref points to the spot and rescues them. If we weren’t so far ahead of them this would bother me far more than it is.
     
    Meanwhile, Kostas (gonna take me a while to remember his second name) has completed his move here and says he supported us when he was a kid and that his brother is a massive Red still and is obviously over the moon.
     
    Easy to scoff at that but most kids who are into footy growing up will have a favourite Premier League team, and despite all the talk about United being the world’s biggest club I don’t buy that and haven’t done for a while. 
     
    I reckon we’ve got more followers around the world than any other English club and now thanks to what Klopp is doing there’ll be a whole new generation of budding young stars desperate to one day play for us.
     
    Which makes that Lloyd Kelly look like even more of a tool. It’s emerged over the last few days that we didn’t go back in for him because of the way his agency handled things last summer. Apparently we had him booked in for a medical and they didn’t even have the courtesy to let us know he had signed for Bournemouth instead.
     
    And now, a year later, it could have been him joining the Reds rather than arl Kostas. When it comes to bad decisions and screwing over their client, this lad’s agent is giving Bobby Duncan’s a run for his money.
     
    Not only did he miss out on a league winner’s medal to join a club that went down, but he didn’t even play that much there anyway. And to top it off, his agent acted in such a way that he didn’t get a second chance to come here.
     
    Still, any sympathy I have isn’t going to be wasted on him. I’ll save it for poor Jamal Lewis who was desperate to come here but didn’t have the decision in his own hands. 
     
    Norwich are entitled to ask for however much they want, but we’re just as entitled to say ‘no thanks’ and move for a cheaper alternative.
     
    What else is happening today… ok yeah, we’ve been linked to Rudiger. Usually I’d just completely dismiss something like this as clickbait bollocks, but this one is so out of left field it makes me think there might be some substance to it. 
     
    After all, if you wanted to make up a bullshit transfer rumour, how on earth would you end up picking Rudiger as the subject of it? Like in the movies when someone comes up with a mad plan and someone else goes “it’s so crazy it just might work”.
     
    It probably is bollocks, but I do quite like Rudiger. I wouldn’t sign him, but he’s a good player. He’s also Chelsea’s only decent defender so you’d imagine they’d want to keep him, but then Lampard clearly doesn’t have a clue on the defensive side of the game. Probably because he always had Makalele doing the dirty work for him at Chelsea and they made Stevie do it for him for England.
     
    What else? Thiago is apparently really wanting to come here. Yeah, I’d really like to play golf at Augusta this weekend. I’ve probably got as much chance of that as Thiago has of signing for us.
     
     
    …..and that was the week that was
  • The only one of the front three who has gotten steadily better year on year. Sadio has been on an upward curve since he arrived, whereas Salah and Firmino have been more up and down.
     
    He’s as good as any forward in Europe and has developed into the complete footballer. Right foot goals, left foot goals, great in the air, smart, quick, skilful, strong, tenacious, graceful, athletic, Sadio has it all. 
     

     
    The one thing he lacked initially was consistency (as great as he was in his first couple of years, he would have quiet spells in a season) but that’s there now. He’s had a great season. He rarely has a bad game and you can make a strong case for him being our Player of the Year.
     
    If we had to sell one of the front three I honestly couldn’t choose which one would have to go but I know it wouldn’t be Mané. 
     
    This season he's just been relentless. I don't remember any kind of a dip in form from him at all, he's been machine-like in his consistency. That's remarkable considering he basically had no time off last summer.
     
    He returned from a two week break and was named on the bench for the opening game against Norwich. After that it felt like he played every game. And at no point did he ever look jaded or leggy.
     

     
    Bobby had started well and then just went on a roller coaster ride for the rest of the season, whereas Mo would go from looking like Lionel Messi one week to Stuart Barlow the next. Sadio was just on much more of an even keel all the way through.
     
    Some forwards will score their goals in bunches, hitting four or five past some hapless bums and then not scoring for a month *cough* Sterling *cough*. Sadio on the other hand only really seems to score single goals but he does it every other week, and often they prove to be game winners.
     
    Some of his goals this season were just glorious. Southampton away, Bournemouth at home, the chest down and finish at Norwich, a vital goal at home to Newcastle after we'd fallen behind, a crucial winner at home to Wolves, the header against Man City. I've missed out loads too.
     
    He isn't my LFC Player of the Year but he easily could have been and I wouldn't argue with anyone who does him as the top man. He's brilliant, he's a top fella and I don't even think he's peaked yet. 
     
     
    Previous Season Ratings:
     
    2016/17:  8.5
    2017/18:  8
    2018/19:  9
     
    This Season's Rating:  9.5
     
    Exactly as I wrote last season - Probably half a dozen goals short of a perfect ten, but one hell of an effort.
     
    Best Moment:
     
    Villa away, sticking his head in where it hurts, getting a boot in the face but scoring the winner in stoppage time. Several of the players as well as Klopp have spoken about that being a pivotal moment in the season. He also provided the cross for Robbo's header in that game too, which I'd forgotten.
     
    Worst Moment:
     
    Maybe the temper tantrum at Burnley, although I thought it was hilarious and I expect most of his team-mates did too. He had every right to be pissed off that day though, so I'm going with United away. He, along with most of the others, was shite. It's inexplicable really, it's the same every year for some unfathomable reason. 
     
    The Future?
     
    More of the same only next year I predict he'll score at least half a dozen more goals.
  • I don’t think there’s anyone else at the club who has to sacrifice themselves in the way Wijnaldum does. He could easily score 15 goals a season and be seen as one of the most deadly midfielders in Europe if he wanted to (just look at how he plays for Holland), but instead he does the dirty jobs that help others shine and much of the work he does goes unnoticed.   Occasionally there’ll be a game when it looks like he’s been let off the leash and he’ll cause absolute havoc for the opposition, and you think ‘why doesn’t he do that all the time?’. Now I’ve come to realise that he doesn’t do it all the time because that’s not what Klopp wants from him.    Often Gini will take the safe pass and go backwards or sideways and for a while that frustrated me about him. Over time I’ve realised that everything he does is with the benefit of the team in mind. If he’s playing an overly safe pass it’s probably because some team-mates are high up the pitch and if he lost the ball we’d be in trouble.      If he’s not making much of an impact with the ball it’s usually because he’s filling in spaces to ensure we don’t get caught on the counter attack. If he’s not getting in the box it’s because Klopp has instructed him to prioritise something else.    I doubt there’s a player in the squad more tactically in tune with how we play than Wijnaldum. That doesn’t always translate to eye catching performances and I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve complained about “invisible Gini” especially away from home. I’ve since realised that much of it is down to him sacrificing himself to follow the manager’s instructions. If it wasn’t doing what he was supposed to, he wouldn’t play as much as he does, right?   Of course sometimes it can just be that he’s had a crap game, which happens to everyone, but more often than not his quiet games are because he’s sacrificing himself to let others (usually the full backs) do the damage. There’s a reason why he plays virtually every game and he’s a vital cog in the machine.   I’ll be honest, it annoys me how some fans and pundits diminish our current midfield. “Liverpool have a world class front three, keeper, full backs and centre half but if they can improve anywhere it’s in midfield”. How many times have you heard that? Hell, I’ve probably said it myself in the past. It’s nonsense though. It’s fantasy football talk.     Look at the reaction recently when the Thiago Alcantara rumours started. LFC Twitter was over the moon about it and couldn’t wait to slot him into the side (predictably, most of these FIFA virgins had him alongside Fabinho and Keita). Thiago is a great player and he might improve our midfield. Chances are he wouldn’t though, not unless Klopp overhauled the tactical approach.   Over the last few seasons this team has a record that’s second to none. It’s been a completely historic run in terms of games won. That doesn’t happen without a midfield doing a world class job. They might not be as eye catching or creative as the two full backs and they might not score goals like the front three, but what they do allows all of that to happen.   I’m getting fed up of how the midfield is continually disrespected and compared unfavourably with the likes of Man City for example. Yeah, they’ve got Kevin De Bruyne (the best midfielder in the world) and they’ve had David Silva. We don’t have anyone like that (not since Coutinho left anyway) and at times I’ve wished we did, but the truth is it doesn’t matter. We’ve done alright without them!  We play a completely different way than City do. That midfield of theirs wouldn’t work in our set up just as ours wouldn’t work in theirs.    Wijnaldum, Henderson and Milner might not be as ‘sexy’ as some of City’s midfielders and so we’re constantly hearing about how “midfield is the obvious area in which Liverpool can improve”. Improve on what though? Reaching two Champions League finals in a row and winning one of them? Winning the league by a landslide? Averaging close to 100 points over a two year period?   Sorry, we wouldn’t be doing any of that without a brilliant midfield. So instead of constantly calling for upgrades it’s about time Wijnaldum and Henderson in particular were recognised for the key part they’ve played in that.     Previous Season Ratings:   2016/17:   7 2017/18:   6 2018/19:   8   This Season's Rating: 8.5/10   Maybe a little high, but a lot of his best stuff isn't necessarily what we see. The midfield is a big part of why we've been so successful and he's a virtual ever present.   Best Moment:   The winner at Sheffield United was a big one. It wasn't the cleanest of strikes and it was a howler from the keeper, but in some ways that summed up why we won the title. We just always found a way. That was one hell of a difficult game but we found a way to get the three points.   He scored against the Blues at Anfield too, that was a nice moment, as was him making a mug out of Harry Maguire with a quality nutmeg on the halfway line. His headed goal against Atletico would have been the best moment had Adrian not happened, so I'll have to go with the Bramall Lane winner.     Worst Moment:   No idea. Nothing comes to mind, but I'm open to suggestions.   The Future?   Gini is the only senior player who hasn't been tied down to a new contract. You have to wonder why that is. Is it the club not wanting to commit to a long term deal for a player approaching 30? That seems unlikely given that Henderson and Milner were both given extensions.   So is it Gini maybe fancying a change? I find that hard to believe but who knows. I'd expect him to sign a new deal soon but perhaps there is something we aren't aware of and that's where the Thiago rumours are coming from?
  • The exciting potential of Neco Williams is set to be rewarded with reports stating that the 19 year-old Right-Back is close to signing a new long term deal with the club.

    Goal (via The Mirror) reports that Jurgen Klopp is keen to reward the academy graduate with a contract which will keep him at the Reds until 2025.

    The Welsh U-19 international made major strides during the last campaign making 11 appearances in all competitions including three league starts.

    The impressive late season form of Williams was rewarded when he qualified to receive a Premier League medal and in doing so became just the fifth Welshman to receive the honour behind Man United trio Ryan Giggs and Mark Hughes and Clayton Blackmore along with Leicester City midfielder Andy King.

    Williams has been often praised by Klopp and despite only lasting 45 minutes in his debut start against Brighton due to receiving a yellow card, he saw plenty of potential.
     


    “Football is like this, if you take a player off at half-time, everyone thinks it’s not good.

    “It was just that he had a yellow card, and the situation on that side was that we didn’t protect him well enough.

    “I liked [it] a lot, he’s confident,”

    “The two situations—yellow card, another foul—he can learn that, that’s absolutely no problem. I like how he played a lot.”

    The hard work of Williams has now won him the role of back-up to one of the best full-backs in world football in Trent Alexander-Arnold.

    The youngster recently discussed how he is closely analysing what makes his fellow academy graduate tick.

    “Definitely - in training now as I’m playing I’m watching him, I’m taking things in and taking stuff that he does into my game,”

    “In training now I’m pushing. 

    “I’m pushing him and he’s pushing me and it’s nice to have a little battle because I’m trying to fight for a place and so are all the other lads, so there’s nothing stopping us from trying to perform and putting in the hard work in training to fight for a place.”

    And just like anyone with ambition, he is not satisfied with where he is currently placed.

    “I just need to keep doing what I’m doing in training: keep improving, keep working hard, believe in myself and keep getting the minutes in.

    “Because if I’m doing that then for sure, the boss will hopefully give me some game time and I’ll show to everyone what I can do and what I’m capable of doing.”

     
  • Liverpool have been tremendous in the past couple of seasons. They were pipped by a point in the 18/19 season by Manchester City but overcame that disappointment by winning the UEFA Champions League a couple of weeks later, The following year saw them list the FIFA Club World Cup, the European Super Cup and then finally achieve their ultimate goal of winning the Premier League title – something they hadn’t done in 30 years.
     
    Winning four trophies in 13 months is a serious feat but Liverpool will want to extend their trophy winning streak further. To do that they need to re-group over the summer and re-invest in the squad to allow them to continue to challenge and stay where they belong. Today we take a look at their potential summer targets now that the summer window is open and how achievable they are. Stay up to date here with all the latest gossips and updates.
     
     
     
     
    All the below targets have fabulous odds and punters have already started getting involved on the different markets, such as the ones here at Casinos not on gamstop. These sites are also enabling players to get around Gamstop in order to still get their bets on. It also enables players to pick up numerous offers and bonuses that become available. It will now be interesting to see whether any of these predictions take place.
     
    The Red’s main target that has been circulating the press seems to be that of Spanish midfield Thiago Alcantara of Bayern Munich. A box-to-box midfielder, known for his pinpoint passing and tricky direst dribbling, Thiago would be an excellent addition to the squad of Jurgen Klopp’s team. 29 years-old so coming to Liverpool in his prime, Thiago would add another element to the middle 3. Thiago’s odds to move to Merseyside have recently been as short as 4/7 and at a measly £30million; I think this is a deal Liverpool shouldn’t pass on.
     
     
     
     
    Liverpool are also looking to strengthen at the back as well; with Norwich City recently relegated from the Premier League, some of their stars have become available at discount prices and Jamal Lewis is catching the eye of Jurgen Klopp. Bringing him in would provide competition for Andy Robertson at left back and with him being represented by the same agency, a deal looked like it could be struck, only for Norwich's £20m valuation to threaten the deal.
     
    Lewis accepts he is happy to have a back-up role at the club but its desperate to sign – and at £15million it certainly would add depth to the already strong Liverpool squad.
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