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    The role of back up keeper is an incredibly tough spot to fill. If you have a quality young keeper you don’t want him sitting on the bench, but goalkeepers who are good enough to play and are still at a good age don’t want to be back ups.
     
    So generally you either end up with an old fella at the end of his career or just someone who isn’t really good enough to start for most top flight clubs. As far as back ups go, it looked for a while like we’d struck gold with Adrian.
     

     
    He was thrown in at the deep end when Alisson was injured on opening day and to his great credit he held down the fort until the Brazilian was ready to return. The loss of Alisson could have derailed our title charge before it had even got going but it didn’t because Adrian filled in well.
     
    There was a horrible mistake at Southampton but we won the game so it didn’t cost us. Other than that he was pretty good, and played a significant role in us winning the Super Cup.
     
    So far so good then. Alisson came back and then got sent off against Brighton. Adrian came on and the first thing he had to do was pick the ball out of the net from the free-kick Alisson had conceded. That goal shouldn't have stood as Adrian was still lining up his wall when Lewis Dunk took the free-kick. Snide refereeing that.
     
    When Alisson got injured again later in the season though it was a different story. Adrian was largely responsible for us losing at Chelsea in the FA Cup and then to Atletico Madrid at Anfield a few days later. It’s not overly simplistic to say that were knocked out of two competitions in a week because Alisson was injured.
     
    Adrian fully deserved his title winner’s medal and he deserves it for the useful contribution he made early in the season. If Alisson had not suffered that second injury then Adrian would certainly be regarded more highly than he is.
     
    Season Rating: 6/10
     
    Would have been a seven based on his first stint in the side, but would have been a five (or lower) based on his second. So I met in the middle.
     
    Best Moment:
     
    He made an absolutely incredible save away at Napoli but his finest hour was the performance against Chelsea in the Super Cup.
     
    Worst Moment:
     
    Letting Atletico Madrid score almost immediately after we'd finally put ourselves in front. 
     
    The Future:
     
    Who knows? There was talk he was planning on going back to Spain but that seems to have gone quiet and he might now be staying. Personally I'd like to see someone else in the role now. Those two games against Chelsea and Atletico really shook my faith in him.
  • The summer transfer window has recently opened and while the recently crowned Premier League champions have a squad chock full of talent, there is still a few holes that need filling.

    One of them is a back up for the tireless workhorse in Andy Robertson. While Jurgen Klopp has called on stopgap measures within the squad whenever Robbo needs a week-earned break, it is always handy to have a specialist in that position.

    A player that has been linked of late is Jamal Lewis from Norwich. The 22 year-old former Luton junior arrived at the Canaries since 2014 and his talent was highlighted when he was selected in the Championship team of the year for the 2018/9 season.
     
    This season Lewis made 28 appearances in the league and another four in the FA Cup.

    Someone who has seen the rise of the Northern Irish international rise through the ranks is Connor Southwell who was the first fan correspondent for the TLW Opposition View series last August.

    Writing in his article for The Pinkun, Southwell gave a in-depth report of the season by Lewis.
     


    “Lewis’ rise in particular has been meteoric. Prior to his arrival at Carrow Road, the left-back wasn’t even convinced that football was the path he wanted to pursue.

    "Fast forward three years and the 22-year-old has 100 games under his belt and is a fully-fledged Northern Irish international.
    .
    "This season has seen City’s stars suffer a series of setbacks - adversity and the Premier League often go hand in hand, Lewis had to cope with injury, losing his position in the side and facing players with similar athletic qualities to him.

    “Rolling with the punches is an intrinsic part of an academy graduate’s education - prior to this season, Lewis’ only first-team experiences had been positive.

    "In the long-term, the lessons learned this season will help to further refine the full-back’s game. 

    "His ball retention and combination play on the left side helped City possess a relative amount of solidity down that flank in the second half of the season.

    “Adaptation to a division that prevented Lewis from gallivanting forward at every opportunity proved testing. A trip to Turf Moor in September saw the crowd pick on the Luton-born left-back, every pass was the subject of ridicule, the scrutiny was something Lewis hadn’t been forced to contend with in his career to date.

    “Lewis has been forced to learn to become more balanced in his approach. From attacking at will and possessing an advanced position, to suddenly having to pick his moments to support attacks and being alert to the risk of being caught on the counter.

    “The high point of the season on a personal basis was undoubtedly his volley in the Canaries’ 1-0 victory over Leicester City - his first ever league goal for City.

    "The second half of the season saw a series of more composed and balanced performances from Lewis. Endeavour is never in short supply - but improvement in the final third will be next on the agenda for the youngster.
     


    Additionally, Connor told TLW that Lewis may not be the right purchase for Jurgen Klopp at this point of time.

    “I don’t think he’s quite ready for the step up yet. He’s 22 and still has plenty of potential to grow into. 

    "I don’t think he’s quite effective enough for an attacking sense, but the way in which Liverpool play their full-backs could benefit him. I couldn’t really comment on his crossing because it’s not something that Norwich do a lot of. 

    “Defensively, he’s better than Max Aarons. In a 1v1, he’s very competent and his athleticism does give him an edge against opponents. I think he could develop further under Klopp, but the key right now is getting a good amount of game time.”

    That is the main issue when finding someone to play the back-up role, especially someone like Lewis who will undoubtedly be excited by the idea of joining the best team in England and learning from one of worlds best left-backs in Robertson, but clearly regular minutes will be at a premium.

    Certainly it is a interesting conundrum for the youngster.
     
    The two teams will no doubt squabble over a fee for a period of time but you sense they will eventually meet somewhere in the middle.
     
    And in this Covid impacted market, it could be a smart bit of business for all concerned.
     
  • Is this too low a grade? It feels a little bit harsh but I don’t actually think I could have justified going any higher based on the ratings I've given him the past couple of years and how his form in those years compared to this one. 
     
    The team has had an incredible season and all of the regular starters are responsible for that, including Bobby. It doesn’t mean they’ve all shone individually though and Firmino is a good example of that. He might actually be the best example in fact. He played his part but he can play it better.
     
    There is no doubting the importance of Firmino to this team. He’s the glue that holds everything together at the top end of the pitch and when he doesn’t play we don’t look the same. In the games when he’s been rested and started on the bench, we’ve usually had to bring him on and we’ve invariably looked better for it.
     

     
    That being said, he has not had a great season from an individual point of view. He’s had great moments, some great games and he’s contributed massively to us winning the title. But he was more consistent last season and he was more prolific the season before that.
     
    His performance level has clearly dropped off and I’m not basing that just on the reduced amount of goals he’s managed. That’s part of it, of course it is, but the lack of goals isn’t really much of an issue when he’s playing at his best.
     
    He hasn’t been playing at his best though. It feels as though he’s been substituted an awful lot this season. Previously you’d want him on the pitch all the time as he was so involved in everything and is such an integral part of what we do.
     
    This season though he’s had loads of games where he just hasn’t been at it. His attitude is always exemplary and even when it’s not happening for him he never hides and always works his socks off. I love that about him. Too often though his best work has been winning the ball back after he himself has lost it. That’s great and all, but how about not lose it so much in the first place?
     

     
    The lack of goals only really becomes noticed when he isn't playing at his best. But then, when he's at his best he scores more goals anyway so it's two sides of the same coin I suppose. He did score one of the most important goals of the season though and he will always be able to say he was the man who scored the goal that made LFC World Champions for the first time. Not a bad thing to have on the CV that.
     
    It took him until the final home game of the season to eventually score a league goal at Anfield, which is an incredible situation really. Much was made of that but to me it’s just a statistical anomaly and doesn’t mean too much. Most of his performances at Anfield have been ok, some of them were outstanding, and he was unlucky more than anything else. He’s hit the woodwork several times and he had a perfectly good goal ruled out against United.
     
    So the Anfield thing never really concerned me. What does concern me is I think he’s suffering from playing so many games over the last three years. Certain players aren’t really affected by that (Van Dijk and Salah immediately come to mind) but Firmino has looked leggy and jaded at times.
     
    I love Bobby. He’s a brilliant footballer and one of the most unselfish players I’ve ever seen. I don’t want him replaced but I want him to be given more help and more competition. The two go hand in hand really. A top class fourth forward player massively helps the three we have because it allows them to stay fresh and it also forces them to elevate their game to stay in the team.
     
    Bobby would benefit greatly from that as it feels like we’ve ran him into the ground over the past three seasons.
     
    Previous Season Ratings:
     
    2016/17:  7.5
    2017/18:  9
    2018/19:  7.5
     
    This Season's Rating: 7/10
     
    As I say, feels a little low but all things considered, I stand by it.
     
    Best Moment:
     
    It would have been the Atletico Madrid goal in the second leg, but then Adrian happened and no-one will remember that goal because it ultimately meant nothing. The drag back, back heel assist for Mo's goal against Newcastle was a highlight and showed Firmino at his absolute creative best. The header away at Chelsea was a good moment too, but scoring the goal against Flamengo that made us World Champs has to be top of the list.
     
    Worst Moment:
     
    There isn't one thing that immediately springs to mind, but the sight of him making way for Origi so many times with the game still in the balance was quite depressing.
     
    The Future:
     
    It would be great to see 2018 Bobby make a comeback but I'm not sure we'll ever see him scoring 26 goals in a season again. That's fine, we don't necessarily need that. I'd just like to see a bit more consistency from him next season, that's all. Not too much to ask as he's more than capable of it. 
  • Tuesday Jul 28:
     
    Done my back in so spent a couple of hours lying in bed watching interviews on LFCTV. Some great content on there, most of it relating to the title win. Here’s a few observations.
     
    Ox - He’s always a great interview as he’s such a positive, likeable lad. He seems to be close to everyone as you always see him messing about and having a laugh with different lads, regardless of nationality. You can tell that all of the lads get on well and there’s a good atmosphere in the group, but Ox seems to be one that relates well to everybody.
     
    Lovren - Top fella, his interview was great. He doesn’t shy away from the fact he had his bad moments here and doesn’t seem in the slightest bit resentful of some of the shit he got for fans during those bad times (and during the good times too, for that matter!). He never complained about not being in the side and seemed quite philosophical about much of it being down to being fit at the right time. 
     
    He didn’t play much these last couple of seasons (some will say that’s why we’ve been so successful) but like everyone else he feels like he played his part. This is something that shines through with all of the players and it clearly comes from Klopp drumming it into everyone that they are important regardless of whether they are on the pitch or not.
     
    Lallana - Similar to Lovren in that you can tell he feels like he earned his medal even though he hardly played. We’ve heard a lot recently about how the key to our consistency is the high level of training and that Lallana has been as important to that as anyone. Perhaps even more so considering he wasn’t playing yet he still trained as hard as anyone and set a great example to the rest of the squad.
     
    I’ve seen people scoffing at that suggestion and dismissing the part played by those who didn’t play much, and maybe in the past I’d have felt the same way. It’s almost like a sympathy vote, just a little pat on the head to those who didn’t play. Just being nice by saying “Yeah of course you played your part too”.
     
    Now though I actually believe that 100%. I absolutely feel that Andy Lonergan deserves a medal for example. What we’ve seen these last couple of years is unprecedented and too many people now (whether it’s Klopp, Ljinders or the players) are putting this success and consistency down to how we train. How can anyone disagree with that? It’s obvious that what we see on the pitch is only possible because of what they do at Melwood.
     
    And everyone talks glowingly about the tone set by Lallana and how much of a help he’s been to the rest of the squad. So yeah, he deserves his medal because he earned it. Klopp’s description of him as “100% a Liverpool Legend” is not a view that will be shared by many as I think maybe his definition of the word ‘legend’ is somewhat different to how most of us see it, but I completely understand where he’s coming from.
     
    The interview with Lallana was brilliant really moving. You’d need to have a heart of stone to not be touched by that *coughs* Mum *coughs*. Of all the players we’ve had in my lifetime, Lallana is one I have enjoyed watching the most. In fact I loved watching him even before we bought him. That’s not me saying he’s one of the best players I’ve seen, so put your pitch forks away (especially you, Mum). What I mean is I’ve always loved watching him as technically he is absolutely brilliant. 
     
    Whereas people always mocked the Cruyff turns (or “stupid twirly whirly things” as my Mum always described them), I just saw the balance and grace and how easily he could manipulate the ball with either foot. I’m not trying to tell you he’s been a great player for us and overall his career here ended up being disappointing (mainly because of injuries). But I loved watching him play. 
     
    It was the same with Mike Marsh back in the day. He was another player I loved to watch even if he would never be seen as a great player. Marshy was technically brilliant and I remember Souness once saying that if you watched the lads in training you’d think Marsh was by far the best player we had. It doesn’t always translate into games but I’ve always liked players like that. I’m like Brendan I guess, got a keen eye for the “wonderful technicians”. In fact, even my childhood hero Paul Walsh probably comes into that category. I always admired the way he played, with the skill, the balance, the grace. Plus Walshy obviously had boss hair as well, which is always important.
     
    It’s just a real shame the way things turned out for Lallana with the injuries, because from the moment Klopp came in and made him part of a midfield three he looked like a perfect fit. That season when we got back into the top four he was one of our most important players. Then the injuries came and by the time he eventually got over them he’d fallen way down the pecking order.
     
    Something to bear in mind though is the success we’ve had this season is not just a result of this season’s work. It’s part of a journey that started when Klopp arrived and set us on the right path. Lallana played an important role in the early part of that journey and that’s why Klopp has such a lot of respect and affection for him and it’s why his medal is well deserved.
     
    Meanwhile, more details emerge from City’s CAS hearing. They had nine lawyers working the case and the panel of three judges consisted of one handpicked by them, one handpicked by UEFA and a third who was recommended by City and - astonishingly - UEFA went along with it. 
     
    It’s so easy to rig things like this. Sammy the Bull Gravano got John Gotti off charges three times by bribery and intimidation of witnesses and jurors etc, so if Sammy can do it then Abu Dhabi with all their wealth, power and influence can do this shit in their sleep. City seem like they’re untouchable, but so did Gotti until he rubbed Gravano up the wrong way.
     
    Wednesday Jul 29:
     
    Fucking hell. Dejan has only been gone a day or two and already Mo is having some kind of crisis. Have you seen his new haircut? This wouldn’t have happened if Lovren was still here. What’s next, an ear-ring? A fucking sleeve tattoo? I’m worried, not gonna lie.
     
    Meanwhile, Brewster scored again but Swansea’s season is over after they lost at Brentford. He’s averaged a goal every two games there and his form has been especially good since the restart. No idea what will happen with him next season and I think it all hinges on whether Origi stays or is sold. 
     
    Villa are reportedly interested in Big Div and he’d be a great get for them as they’re terrible up front. If he stays then Rhian needs to go out on loan again. The new subs rule might change how clubs think about loans though. Being able to use five from nine really helps in terms of bringing kids through. Jones, Elliott and Williams were on the bench in almost every game since the restart.
     
    Long term you’ll see the likes of City and Chelsea abuse that change to more subs and just make more high profile signings, but for us and other sides that want to promote youth it’s definitely a good thing. 
     
    What that means for Brewster remains to be seen but if he stays then the only role he should ever be used in is understudy to Bobby, because he’s not a wide player. We’ve got enough square pegs being tried in those round holes. And seeing as how we’ve got Minamino apparently being groomed for that  spot as Bobby’s deputy, I’m not sure there’s a place for Brewster at the moment.
     
    Thursday Jul 30:
     
    Der Spiegel have more emails that incriminate City and show they lied at the CAS hearing. I haven’t read through them all as, well, what’s the point? I read loads of it when they first published all this a couple of years ago and got myself all worked up about it. It was so blatant what they were doing and it seemed like there was no way they could escape punishment. I knew UEFA would act on those emails and they did, for all the good that came from it.
     
    They were bang to rights but they got away with it. So nothing will happen over this shit and I’m not going to get myself worked up by reading all what they’ve been up to because there’s nothing I can do about it other get angry at the injustice of it all. Still, it’s hard to avoid it completely and I did stumble across one email on Twitter which showed that one of the City execs lied through his teeth. 
     
    When asked at CAS “Have you ever arranged any payments to be made to Etihad in relation to its sponsorship obligations of MCFC?”, Simon Pearce answered: “Absolutely, categorically not". 
     
    Now there’s an email been published showing him doing exactly that. This extract was particularly damning:
     

     
    For those of you who aren’t sure what any of this means and who (understandably) haven’t followed it closely, basically what they do to funnel the Abu Dhabi cash into the club is they have a company (usually from Abu Dhabi) sponsor them for a hugely inflated fee, which as the above showed was £99m that particular year. However, the company (in this case Etihad) is only on the hook for a small part of that - £8m. 
     
    So while the company will pay City the full £99m and that will show up on City’s books, City’s owners will then reimburse them for the other £91m, meaning the company is only paying £8m and Sheikh Mansour is therefore pumping his own money into the club, which isn’t allowed. 
     
    It’s blatant cheating, everyone knows they’re doing it and there were emails where they were admitting the whole thing (including the one released today), but UEFA weren’t able to make it stick.
     
    Still, on  the bright side at least we won’t have the Saudis pulling the same shit at Newcastle. They’ve pulled out after it dragged on too long for their liking. That Amanda Staveley is one horrible opportunist cunt. She’s always involved in all of these shitty deals and they never happen. Remember her being a part of that jarg Kenny Huang consortium that tried to blag their way into buying the Reds back in the day? 
     
    She’s fucking poison her. The cheeky twat put a statement out today saying “I’m absolutely heartbroken for the club, the fans and the community”. As if this fucking witch gives a shit about anything other than her own bank balance. Fuck her, fuck the Saudis and fuck any Newcastle fan who is whining about it.
     
    Of course she had to throw our name into it just to ignite a bit more fume. “Liverpool and Spurs among others” were against it. Damn fucking right we were. As should every other club in the league, including Man City. Why would any club be in favour of this? Turkey’s voting for Christmas.
     
    Also today, Curtis Jones is named Premier League 2 Player of the Year. Quite right too. I didn’t see every game he played but I saw enough. I’ve written a few times in here about how he was levels above everyone else in those games. The best way to describe it is you know how when you watch Messi and everything goes through him and he completely sets the entire tempo of the game? That’s Jones in u23 games now. The game is played at his pace and no-one can get near him. 
     
    It wasn’t like this a year ago. He was always talented but since he’s been full time with the first team he’s just taken off. It makes sense when you think about it. He’s training against all these world class players every day, and training sessions are played with the same intensity as games. So he’s got that every day and then he goes out to play against a load of kids. It’s a doddle for him. 
     
    Friday Jul 31:
     
    Still struggling with my back so still spending a lot of time lying down watching videos on LFCTV. Today I watched some interviews with the coaching staff as well as Mo, Alisson and Gomez. What was interesting is that Ljinders and Krawietz were asked when they knew we’d won it and both answered that it was when Chelsea scored the penalty against City. The focus was always on the next game and at no point did they or any of the players get ahead of themselves. 
     
    They asked the same question to Mo and tried to put words in his mouth about whether his goal against United at Anfield was the moment he knew. He too was having none of it though. He said the moment he knew was….. erm, when we beat City in November! Fucking brilliant that. Everyone else is toeing the Hendo party line of not getting ahead of themselves and Mo is like “nah we won this months ago lads”.
     
    We’ve been linked with a few different defenders since Lovren left. There’s a lad in German who’s paying for Klopp’s mate Wagner. There’s another fella playing in Spain (for Villarreal I think, although I can’t remember) and, exhaustingly, we’re STILL being touted with a move for Koulibaly.
     
    In an ideal world yeah we’d replace Lovren and we’d sign a young left back to understudy Robbo. This isn’t an ideal world though. Money seems to be an issue for us this summer and that puts us at a disadvantage when Chelsea, City and United don’t seem to be affected at all by what’s happened. 
     
    So we need to prioritise. That doesn’t mean Thiago (I’m still not having that link at all, even if the German media keep peddling it) and it doesn’t mean a Lovren replacement. I keep saying it, but whatever funds we have available needs to go on a fourth forward.
     
    Saturday Aug 1:
     
    Sancho reportedly wants to come here but it looks like United are the only ones in for him. Am I the only one thinking that he’d be a dickhead to go there? Why not stay at Dortmund for at least another year, see how the market shakes out post Covid? 
     
    He’s only a kid and has plenty of time on his side. Plus Dortmund have a boss young team and it must be fun for him playing there. If he joins United then he’s an idiot, and the fact he left City to get first team football in Germany tells me he isn’t an idiot.
     
    A player like him (creative, talented wide attacker) is exactly what we need and if he does end up at United it’s going to be one of those situations similar to Pulisic, where you see him tearing it up and can’t help think “he should be playing for us”.
     
    Speaking of Pulisic, he was on fire today until he had to go off with an injury. That FA Cup Final was exactly what I’d have expected. Two slapheads fighting over a pot of hairgel. Such a shambles. Aubamayeng even dropped the fucking trophy as he prepared to lift it. 
     
    I didn’t care who won as I was always going to focus more on laughing at whoever lost. As it turns out I didn’t get too much enjoyment out of Chelsea losing because I was more annoyed with Anthony Taylor than anything else. He’s fucking shit him yet he keeps getting these big games. I don’t get it. I know there’s a shortage of quality refs but I just refuse to accept that this clown is one of the top ones.
     
    I’m not arsed about Chelsea’s suffering but that doesn’t change the fact that something stinks here. No referee has ever been allowed to take charge of a second FA Cup Final until now. So why Taylor? What makes it even worse is the last one he refereed was between the same two clubs and Chelsea were pissed off with him then too. 
     
    If the rules are to be changed for a referee, then why wasn’t it Michael Oliver? I don’t get this at all. I didn’t like the rule to begin with as there aren’t too many good refs these days and by only letting them do one final you’re ensuring that one of the crap ones is eventually going to get one. Or in this case two. I’d be livid about this if I were a Chelsea fan. I’m pissed off about it anyway purely because next time it might not be Chelsea getting screwed, it could be us.
     
    So while I’m not arsed about Chelsea suffering, I’m not happy about Arteta winning something and I’m not happy that I can’t watch Arsenal Fan TV tonight. I am happy for Ian Wright and for Ray Parlour. Top fellas them. 
     
    Still, what a great job Fwank has done at Chelsea, eh? Took them from 3rd to 4th, got six less points than Sarri, conceded 54 goals in the league and got beat in a cup final by the worst Arsenal side I can ever remember. So good to see promising young English managers being given a chance at a top club and doing so well.
     
    Meanwhile, the new kit was launched today. I don’t particularly care much about these things anymore as I’m not 12. It’s funny seeing grown men getting all pissed off about it though. Of course if I was designing the kit it would look like something from the mid 80s, but here’s the thing: It doesn’t matter what I think, or what anyone of my generation thinks. We like to think it does, but really it doesn’t. Our time has passed. 
     
    We aren’t the ones likely to buy the shirt of the training gear. The younger generation are the ones spending their money (and our money) on this stuff now. This is something that I think is lost on a lot of Reds of my age or older. Nike or LFC don’t give a fuck whether we like it or not as we’re not the target market.
     
    For what it’s worth I don’t mind this kit. It’s not the best we’ve had but it’s alright. It’ll sell massively because the Reds are boss and Nike will have this in every shop all around the globe. I liked the launch video for it and after watching it I’m convinced that Ox is a future host of MOTD if he wants it. Most players are pundits at best and would be well out of their league when it comes to hosting (see John Barnes back in the day), but Ox is a natural. 
     
    The promo was good fun. Robbo was hilarious as usual, I enjoyed the little bits we got from Jones and Milner was obviously great. Not gonna lie though, I’m having serious doubts as to whether Virg is as cool as I thought he was. Him constantly shouting that the new shirt was “FIRE!” perturbed me more than a little. In fact, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, I found him to be…. don’t hate me for this… a little annoying. I know, I know, I wish I hadn’t said it now, but I’m just being honest. It was irritating. No doubt it’s cool as fuck and it’s what all the kids are saying, but I didn’t like it. Defo an age thing. 
     
    Sunday Aug 2:
     
    Had the radio on in the car this morning and the fella from Reverand and the Makers was on. I’ve seen him on twitter and he seems sound and I’ve actually seen them play live in town back in the day, so I thought I’d give it a listen to see what he had to say. He was picking his greatest ever England XI. I almost turned off at that point as I have zero interest in that, but for whatever reason I left it on for a bit.
     
    No surprises early doors. Seaman in goal, Neville and Cole the full backs, Campbell and Ferdinand in the middle. Then he gets to midfield and the cunt starts going on about Paul fucking Scholes. Now I had a rant about this in the last round up of the season so I’m not going to repeat myself too much here about why this gets me all riled up, but this was exactly what I was talking about.
     
    He picked Scholes not because of what he’d seen with his own eyes. If it was based on that then I’m sure the little ginger bollocks wouldn’t even make the bench. No, he was going on about Scholes because he’d spoken to some ex pros who trotted out the old “no-one could get near him in training” and “he was two or three moves ahead of everyone else”. The other one I forgot to mention in the round up was “he had a mental picture of where everyone on the pitch was”. 
     
    So despite the fact that he probably saw him play hundreds of times he ignores all of that and instead forms his opinion based on what he’s read from people who he assumes know more than he does because they played the game. All these tired old clichés used to describe Scholes make me sick. Funny that no-one ever said any of this until that little Xavi gobshite said he was the best player he played against. Since then every cunt seems to be lining up to say “hey look at me, look how knowledgeable I am about footy” by going completely over the top about Scholes.
     
    I could feel myself getting all riled up about it but I eventually reached for the ‘off’ button when he talked down Gerrard in comparison to Scholes because “you always think of him, sleeves rolled up and having to be the hero because the Liverpool teams he played in weren’t very good”. Outrageous. No idea what he said after that as I couldn’t sit through any more of it. I had steam coming out of my ears as I drove home and the second I got back I fired up the laptop so I get all of this off my chest.
     
    This Scholes thing is brainwashing. There’s no other way to describe it. People ignore what they see with their own eyes because they keep hearing something completely different. The same fuckers who’ve done this tried it with Michael Carrick too. Another very good (but not world class) player who seemed to get better and better with each year that passed following his retirement. 
     
    So anyway, later on I’m browsing through youtube and I see in their footy recommendations an interview with Ben Foster. I said in the round up the other day I wouldn’t be against bringing Foster in as our number two if Adrian gets off, but scratch that now. Don’t want the cunt anywhere near us. 
     
    Why? The title of the video was “Ben Foster reveals why Paul Scholes is the BEST PLAYER he’s played with”. So he’s just another goon trying to make himself look all insightful and knowledgeable because - unlike the rest of us uneducated oiks - he can see why Scholes is so great that only a discerning football sage can see it.
     
    If you think Scholes is even in the same stratosphere as Gerrard then I don’t want to hear from you as your opinion is utterly worthless. Of course he was a really good player but why can’t these knobs just leave it at that? Why do they have to exaggerate so much just to make out they’re so much smarter than all of those who ‘can’t see it’. Paul Scholes is the biggest myth in the history of English football.
     
    Monday Aug 3:
     
    PSG want Matip. Sound, we’ll package him up and send him over and you can do the same with Mbappe. Or you can just fuck off. That works for me too. Keep your eyes off Big Bird as he’s going nowhere.
     
    I do wonder what the future holds with us and Mbappe though. I know it seems unrealistic but I just have this gut feeling that he’s destined to play for us. This Nike thing could be the key to it. I’m watching all the promo stuff they’re doing for the kit launch and that, and I keep imagining that the Nike execs must be thinking “imagine if we had Mbappe here”.
     
    Most of you won’t have picked up on this (and the only reason I have is because I’ve been doing a bit of freelancing reviewing sports equipment and did something on footy boots) but the only lads in the Nike promos are the ones who wear Nike boots. So that’s Alisson, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robbo, Jones, Milner and Hendo. You just know Nike would love to be able to wheel out one of the front three too, but they can’t as Sadio is New Balance and Bobby and Mo are both Adidas.
     
    Nike had LeBron James do something to push the new kit deal but they’ll defo have been thinking how great it would be if they had a Messi / Ronaldo / Salah / Neymar / Mbappe global superstar to help with this push. 
     
    It’s obvious that we can’t afford to sign Mbappe, not just right now but also in the future unless he’s on a Bosman. His wages would be off the scale but maybe there’s a way around it somehow. Klopp loves him and also seems to be on very friendly terms with Mbappe senior. Mbappe clearly buzzes off the Reds and you know he’d be happy to play here. And Nike would love to have their most marketable player at their most marketable club.
     
    I’m not saying it would be straightforward, but….
     

     
     
     
    …..and that was the week that was
  • Going into the season I had a sneaky feeling Fabinho would be our Player of the Year. If you look at the previous year from the time that he eventually established himself in the side, you could make a case that he was as good as anyone in the second part of the season. If he hadn’t gotten injured this year maybe my sneaky feeling would have been right.
     
    He began the season in brilliant form but then he damaged ankle ligaments in November. The timing of that couldn’t have been worse as he was flying. He’d just scored his first goal for the club with a howitzer in the win over City at Anfield but two games later he damaged ankle ligaments against Napoli.
     
    The injury itself kept him out a while, causing him to miss the Club World Cup, but when he eventually came back it took him a long time to get back to his best. He wasn’t bad by any means and he still contributed when he played, but he wasn’t quite the dominant force he’d been before. 
     
    This is the thing when you have players operating at such an incredibly high level. If they even drop by 5% it’s noticeable because their standards are so unbelievably high. You don’t have an injury like that and immediately come back at 100% peak form though. Maybe Virgil could do it but for mere mortals it’s always going to take a little time.
     

     
    Fabinho admitted himself recently that he was still trying to get his best form back when lockdown happened. You’d think that another enforced lay off wouldn’t have been ideal for him as he was looking to get his rhythm back, but surprisingly it seemed to help as when footy came back he was arguably our best player in the remaining games. In fact I think he was by quite a distance.
     
    Following ‘Operation Restart’ the man with more nicknames than Apollo Creed showed that he had well and truly regained top form. He was genuinely world class when footy came back.
     
    The Palace game was probably his best of the season. He was incredible that night. He scored a belter, had a great assist and generally it was like having 12 players on the pitch because he seemed to be everywhere, picking up loose balls, stopping counter attacks and getting us on the attack again.
     
    He reminds me of Ngolo Kante in that respect. They aren’t the same, obviously, but they have a similar impact on a game in that they just seem to always be around the ball making it difficult for opponents to get out of their own half. It really is like having an extra player.
     

     
    Fabinho is a destructive force who just dominates the middle of the pitch but he’s a much better footballer than some people (specifically non-Liverpool fans) realise. He’s becoming the complete midfield player, as much a playmaker as a destroyer. 
     
    That little diagonal ball he drops over the full back’s head is becoming his trademark and he’s starting to shoot a bit more too. He should do it a lot more as he’s fucking good at it. 
     
    Great player, perhaps the best in the world at what he does.  
     
     
    Previous season ratings:
     
    2018/19 - 9/10
     
    This season’s rating: 8/10
     
    Would have been higher but for the injury and I fully expect him to be right up there with our best performers next season. 
     
    Best moment:
     
    THAT goal against Man City.
     
    Worst Moment:
     
    Getting injured against Napoli.
     
    The future?
     
    He’ll keep getting better and better. He is capable of scoring more goals and I can see him soon being held in the same regard as Van Dijk and Alisson. This time next year, he'll be our Player of the Season.
  • Robert Lewandowski believes that Jurgen Klopp is much more than your everyday Football manager.

    Rarely does a press conference go by without the German speak about his players in glowing terms.

    He treats any public criticism of them as a personal insult, strongly putting any journalist in their place if they dare to do so.

    While many managers see their job as a win at all costs role, it is this sort of care that Jurgen constantly displays which sets him apart from many of his contemporaries.

    The Bayern Munich striker who has been in fine form in all competitions this season says he knows all about how he operates having played under the title winning manager at Borussia Dortmund for four seasons.

    And the Polish international says that he is the favourite manager that he has had as ESPN reported:
     


    “I think...Jurgen Klopp [is my favorite] and after that Pep Guardiola. 100 percent,"

    “Klopp has two faces. 

    “You can see that he is kind of like a father, but the second part is like a coach, a manager. He can tell you everything -- and I'm not speaking about the good things -- about the bad things.

    “Also for [players], he is a huge motivation. He makes this perfect, because he knows where there is this line where he can [push you] more or a little bit less.

    “His performance as a coach is amazing, but not only as a coach but also as a man.

    Lewandowski was not the only individual to give Jurgen his due respect in recent days with club owner John Henry also paying tribute.

    “I could go on and on about Jürgen and how his heart is larger than his frame, how his enthusiasm affects all of us positively every day,”

    “But I think what is important is he is determined every day to do the right thing, whether it’s with regard to what happens on the pitch, whether it’s regard to nutrition for the club. He is just determined every day to do the right thing and that rubs off.”

    It goes without saying , but as fans should count our blessings every day that we have Jurgen as the manager of our great club.
     
  • Kolo Toure believes he has identified the weakness in the game of Virgil Van Dijk.
     
    The big Dutch defender has been without peer over the past few years, making life a nightmare for those who comes up against him while making those around him better players.

    Managers all over Europe would have had many sleepless nights as they try to find ways to bring him undone but have not had much luck in doing so.

    However the former Arsenal, Man City and Reds defender believes he knows what can challenge him the most.

    Toure told Stats Perform News (via the Mirror:) 

    "He's an unbelievable player.

    "He's a top player. He's got speed, height, he can jump. He's got technique. He can switch the game with his long passes. He has got everything.

    “I haven't seen many players challenge him one on one. 

    "In my opinion, that's his weakness!
     
    "He's really tall and if you really attack him with the ball, he can struggle, but he's so clever.

    "He's so clever because he drops well, but if you are really aggressive in attack in a one-on-one, I think you can get something from him.

    Toure who is presently an assistant coach at Leicester believes he also has got quality players who are strong in support.
     


    "He's a really clever player.
     
    "He's got Joe Gomez on his side, good players on his side to help him as well. There are good players around him and I think that makes his game easy, but I think he's got so many qualities."

    As champions, you expect to read more and more analysis of the Liverpool players and the tactics needed in how is the best way to dethrone us.

    But there is no doubt that Jurgen and rest of the squad will be more than prepared for anything that comes their way.


     
  • Apart from the Anfield derby did he actually do anything this season? We’ll always love him for what he did last year but this time around has been something of a damp squib from Divock Origi.
     
    Granted, it’s not easy to show your best form when you don’t play regularly and given the quality of the three ahead of him it’s difficult to be anything more than a back up, but Divock didn’t really do anywhere near enough to justify being selected more often. 
     

     
    He actually started the season the way he left off last time out though, with a goal and a good performance against Norwich. Then, inexplicably, soon after that he got his hair cut and the magic was gone. Other than that Everton game he just never scaled those 2019 heights again. The Samson effect in full force.
     
    He frustrates me because I think he should be much better than he actually is. He’s got everything he should need to be brilliant and you see all of it in flashes. We’ve seen him score great headers, we’ve seen him score poachers goals, he’s got great dribbling ability and quick feet, he’s fast, strong and his finishing is excellent. 
     
    In fact, I could probably make a strong argument that he’s as clinical as anyone at the club. He doesn’t seem to miss many though. How does his conversion rate compare with, say, Salah? Maybe some stat nerd can help me out with that? It feels like he misses far fewer chances than Bobby and Mo, but that could also be because he doesn’t get himself in position to miss them.
     
    Usually he’s been on the periphery of games he’s started this season and were it not for his hero status due to his heroics a year earlier then he'd probably be viewed with a lot less understanding than he is currently, which is actually the way it should be. Anyone who doesn't have affection for Origi and the great memories he's provided us is clearly psychotic and probably tortures kittens.
     

     
    That doesn't mean we shouldn't expect more from him and it doesn't make you a bad person if you want him upgraded either. Divock should be the total package but unfortunately he isn’t. He doesn’t make the most of the vast array of attributes he has and too often he just doesn’t make any kind of impact.
     
    It does my head in because we know he can do it, he just can’t do it consistently and he’s not a kid anymore so it’s becoming clear that he probably never will. I think his problem is he doesn’t have the belief in himself and the single minded desire to be the best that most of our other players have.
     
    Previous Season Ratings:
     
    2016/17 - 4/10
    2018/19 - 7/10
     
    This season's rating: 6/10
     
    It possibly should be a little lower but I don’t think he was always put in the best situation to shine. If he had a run of games at centre forward he’d score goals, even if he wouldn’t give us much else as he's not going to be dropping deep and playing like Bobby.
     
    He can't play like Firmino but he can play centre forward in a different way and can contribute goals when given an opportunity. Even against Newcastle on the last day he showed that. Crap performance but he still found the net.
     
    He’s not suited to playing wide and it seems that the biggest reason for keeping him around is his unselfish acceptance of his role in the squad.
     
    Best Moment 
     
    The two brilliant finishes against Everton. If we had that Origi every time then Bobby would have a real fight on his hands for a shirt.
     
    Worst Moment 
     
    Getting his hair cut. Dreadlocked Divock was by far the best Divock.
     
    The Future?
     
    Under normal circumstances I’d expect him to move on but I can’t see us getting the kind of fee he’s worth so he may well still be here next season. If that’s the case hopefully we get a lot more out of him than we did this year but I won’t hold my breath.
  • With the domestic campaign now in the books, the transfer is open and ready for business.

    It has been regularly stated by Jurgen Klopp that the Reds will not be big players in the window but that has not stopped players being linked to the club.

    With the departure of Déjan Lovren and recent reports linking Joel Matip to PSG, it is clear that a addition in the central defence will have to be signed.

    Just as important is a back-up for the tireless Andy Robertson at left-back.

    Klopp has used stop-gap measures such as James Milner and youngster Neco Williams when the Scottish captain has needed a breather but with the Reds set to embark on another gruelling campaign, it is imperative that a specialised left-back is signed.

    A number of names have been linked to the position including Norwich youngster Jamal Lewis.

    Now, Olympiakos star Kostantinos Tsimikas is the latest name to be mentioned.
     


    The Echo reports that the 24 year-old Greek international will be available for around £7million.

    That price tag has been greatly reduced in the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic as in April Tsimikas was valued in the range of £22million.

    There was speculation that Tsimikas had signed for French club Nice but that has been rebutted by Olympiakos officials.

    The scouting report on Tsimikas who has been previously linked with Arsenal, Tottenham and Sheffield United says that is a rapid full-back whose overlapping runs are a regular feature throughout games.

    Tsimikas is solid in a technical sense and has recent big game experience playing in Champions League this season against the likes of Bayern Munich and Tottenham and a Man of the match performance against Red Star Belgrade.

    He also was part of the Olympiakos side which knocked out Arsenal in the Europa League and Reds fans will be able to get a glimpse of his credentials this week when the Greek champions they play Wolves in the second leg of their R16 clash on Thursday evening with the tie delicately poised at 1-1.


     
  • Jordan Henderson has discussed at length what it means to be a part of a successful Liverpool team.

    In a open letter at the unveiling of the new Liverpool kit designed by Nike, the Football Writers Player of the year said that while he leads the team into battle, every individual sets the standard.  

    “It was a great honour to have been made captain. My focus has always been to lead by example and do everything I can to support my team-mates and help them perform to the best of their abilities.

    Being the first Liverpool captain to lead them to the European, world and English titles is not something I think about, to be honest.
     
    "We achieved it as a team, I haven’t done anything on my own. Everybody deserves credit, not just individuals.

    “I could go right through the squad and know there will be the desire and hunger to improve, the willingness to fight for each other, the drive to set standards and demands from each other, everything you need in a successful team.

    “The dressing room we have now is different to any other I’ve been in. It’s the closest group of players I’ve ever known.

    Henderson has ridden the ups and downs at Liverpool more than any current squad member, but is incredibly thankful for the support he has been given along the way.

    “There have been ups and downs over the last few years and throughout my career and there are always going to be tough times in your career and your life.

    “It’s about how you deal and react to those setbacks. You can use them as motivation to push yourself forward and want to improve. You need those setbacks in your career to become stronger as a player and a person also.

    “Obviously, it wasn’t always easy at the start of my Liverpool career and although a lot’s been made of it, it was never really an option for me to leave. I knew that wasn’t what I wanted, and it gave me even more motivation to prove people wrong.

    “Brendan Rodgers was very good in that regard – he said he would help me improve and learn the things I needed to learn to get into the team more regularly. Tactically I became more aware and had a better understanding of the game, and going into the finer details really helped.
     


    Henderson gave a glowing tribute to his manager who he says has created the ultimate team environment.

    "The manager deserves a huge amount of credit for what he has done since coming to Liverpool, not only the team but the whole club top to bottom and also the fans as well. He has brought everybody closer together and what he has created is so special.

    “He has a good relationship with all the players. But he has a great balance in terms of the respect he has for them, knowing when to put an arm around them and knowing when they need a kick up the backside. You can see the players respond to him.

    “The manager deserves a huge amount of credit for what he has done since coming to Liverpool, not only the team but the whole club top to bottom and also the fans as well. He has brought everybody closer together and what he has created is so special.

    The 30 year-old touched on an emotional moment with his father who has had his own health battles to overcome once they were officially crowned champions.

    “I spoke to my loved ones straight after Man City had lost to Chelsea to ensure we had won the title. 

    “I spoke to my Dad, I think he had had a few wines, to be honest! He was quite emotional.

    "Not much was being said, but he was over the moon we’d finally won the Premier League and was so happy for all of us.

    Finally, the title winning skipper touched on the relationship between the unique bond between the players and fans and how they are thrilled to repay the love shown to them.

    “I do think the relationship between Liverpool and its supporters is different than at other clubs. It is special. The fans are a huge part of this club and what we have been trying to achieve.

    “You really do feel the connection between the fans and the players. When I came to Liverpool I could feel it straight away – and I know the other lads are the same. That’s why the last few years have been so special, we have been able to give something back to them.”
  • Pep Guardiola has paid a level of respect to this current Liverpool side saying that they are the toughest opponent he has had in his managerial career.

    After City won the last two Premier League titles which included a captivating battle with the Reds last season, many thought there would be a repeat in the 2019/20 season.

    However Liverpool had other ideas leaving every team in their wake as they marched to a first league title in 30 years.

    The Spaniard has tasted success at every managerial post he has held but he admits that he has has been tested like never before by Jurgen Klopp over the past two seasons.
     


    The Mirror (via DAZN) reported Guardiola as saying:

    “The toughest opponent I've ever faced in my career is this Liverpool from last year and this one,"

    “If you let yourself be dominated, they lock you in the area and you can't escape. When you dominate them, they run into space like no one else. They are very fast going backwards.

    "They are very strong strategically.
     
    "Their players have great mental strength. [Klopp] is the rival who has made me think about how to beat him the most."

    Guardiola referenced his famous and fierce battles with Real Madrid saying that they made him the manager he is today.

    However, he is adamant that no challenge has been greater than the one he is currently facing.

    "I have always said that Real Madrid are a very strong team in my career, they helped me to become a better coach with tough matches and competitions with Jose Mourinho, [Manuel] Pellegrini and all the coaches they had.

    "If you ask me which has been the most difficult rival for me to face, it has been Liverpool. The first years when I arrived in England, Liverpool were a bit weaker than now and Real Madrid were stronger. 

    “Now, this Liverpool are the hardest I have come across in my coaching career."


     
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