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    World-renowned teams like Liverpool are responsible for inspiring several people and even influencing certain industries. This includes the casino industry, where football-based casino games such as those on Platin Casino in the UK  have been created to attract the huge football fanbase.
     
    It is clear that football is important to many fans around the world, and therefore teams are constantly trying to improve themselves, gain a bigger fan base and ultimately win games and trophies. One major way teams improve season after season is by making the right call during transfer windows.
     
    Liverpool are currently trying to complete what would be a historic quadruple. The Reds have a long history of success, including winning the English league title 19 times and the Champions League 6 times. The 1970’s and 80s’s were particularly dominant times for Liverpool and the club is hoping to replicate that success in the 2020’s.
     
    To do that, they must continue to add quality to the squad, and we assess some of the players they should look to sign in the 2022 summer transfer window. 
     
    Jude Bellingham
     
    Jude Bellingham is one of the brightest English prospects in world football. The central midfielder currently plays for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga and is one of the first names on the team sheet for the German club. Bellingham can play anywhere in central midfielder, perfectly capable of operating from box-to-box and that is an immediate tick in the box as far as Jurgen Klopp is concerned. Best playing in a midfield three, with two more defensively minded players, Bellingham receives the ball nicely between the lines, ready to hurt opponents.
     
    Raphinha
     
    Should Liverpool lose one of their wide attacking players this summer, Raphinha would be the perfect replacement. The Brazilian has excelled for Leeds United in the Premier League, even when the team has been struggling. Despite having the pace and shooting ability to create and score goals, Raphinha has proven he is not afraid to work hard for the team when required, a trait that will not have gone unnoticed by Klopp. Raphinha would fit in immediately at Liverpool considering his quality. 
     
    Aurélien Tchouaméni
     
    Aurélien Tchouaméni plays in midfield for Monaco in Ligue 1. The 22-year-old is expected to leave the Stade Louis II this summer and has already made his debut for the France national team. Tchouaméni is an athletic defensive midfield player and could compete with Fabinho for the job of protecting the Liverpool back four. Tchouaméni could give Klopp a new option in the midfield, to not overwork any players. Additionally, Tchouaméni also likes to drive forward with the ball, but is also great at intercepting plays, and tackling.
     
    Darwin Nunez
     
    There have been rumours linking Roberto Firmino with a move away from Anfield this summer and that could leave an opening for Darwin Nunez. The Uruguayan international striker plays for Benfica in Portugal and has had a tremendous 2021/22 campaign. Nunez has scored over 30 goals for Benfica and boasts the exciting combination of strength and pace. At 6 foot 2 inches, Nunez is a presence at the top end of the pitch and would offer Klopp something different to what he already has at his disposal.
     
    Gleison Bremer
     
    Liverpool have been linked with Torino centre back Gleison Bremer for several months. The Brazilian is expected to leave Turin this summer and has risen to stardom in Serie A this season. Gleison is close to the top of the rankings for both interceptions per game and clearances in Italy but is more than comfortable with the ball at his feet. The only issue regarding a potential move to Liverpool would be how Gleison fits into a back four and the options already available to Klopp in central defence.
     
    Conclusion 
     
    Regardless of the number of trophies won by Liverpool at the end of the 2021/22 campaign, there is always room for improvement. The most likely addition will come in midfield, but we could also see a new forward, should one of the existing players move away from Anfield. It is an exciting time to be a Liverpool fan and some of the world’s top talent could arrive in the summer.
  • Thiago Alcantara has put his own personal disappointment on missing one of the showcase events on the domestic calendar in context.
     
    On the verge of kick-off for the Carabao Cup, there was raw emotion kickoff by the Spanish international when he had to pull out of the contest after suffering a hamstring injury.
     
    After a difficult first season for the club, the injuries (and illness) had continued into the new campaign.But after returning from a nagging hip injury in early February, the 31 year-old had finally had put some momentum together with his quality clear for everyone to see.
     
    Alcantara has played on much larger stages that a League Cup final, but while personally shattered in the moment of his injury, what instantly came into the mind of 31 year-old was the hardship that fans had been through during the pandemic which saw them missing out on seeing their team play for over a season.
     

     
    Jurgen Klopp has often touched on the trials and tribulations of everyday life in relation to Football during these times, and Alcantara has the same kind of thought processes as he explained to the Official Site.
     
    “It came to my mind that the last season was very hard for myself to try to be here and not having the fans in the stadium, not having this fun that this sport gives to you.
     
    “Lifting a trophy is a special moment but it was more for the frustrating situation that everybody had the last few years. It was because of what we have been through and was a kind of celebration of overcoming that situation."
     
    The veteran midfielder said one of the main things about missing a final is not to make it all about you despite how naturally disappointing it would be.
     
    “We fought a lot to arrive in that moment, that you can play in a final, and then suddenly because I had a bad thing, a bad neck problem and it caused just like a chain of movement that in the end caused me an injury in the hammy.
     
    “It's a moment where you are just frustrated. You just calm down a bit, you try to be cold enough to face the final. It was as it was. 
     
    "We won it and, for sure, it's bittersweet that you don't play that game, but you're happy for the team.”
     
    Barring any late hitches, tomorrow afternoon will see Thiago walk out for his first Cup final for the club and being a connoisseur of the game, knows what the FA Cup means.
     

     
    “We came from other countries – not just me but other players – and just met this amazing competition, the oldest in the world. We are really excited to play – not just the competition itself but a final. We're ready for it. 
     
    "It doesn't matter if we didn't win [it] before or for a long time. It's just about a trophy that we can win and we add in our backpack this new challenge. We're looking forward to it. Wembley is an amazing stadium. It's special itself but then you know that Wembley is used for special moments. There's different context and we're ready to go to London."
     
    Despite losing touch with the top two in the league and going through a considerable did of form, no one associated with Liverpool will underestimate the size of the challenge against Chelsea, who have not given a inch in their three meetings this season.
     
    “It's a new game and we will prepare it as it must be prepared, nothing else. "[We] understand that we are playing against one of the best teams in the world and we know it will be tight, we know it's always difficult. 
     
    "They want to take something that we want to take as well. It's a continuous fight with this kind of team. The best team will win."
     
     
  • What a shit week. Virtually nothing good has come out of it at all. We dropped points and City not only didn’t but they piled up their goal difference by such an extent that they can even afford to lose a game now and it won’t matter. 
     
    That isn’t even the worst of it though, as it was kind of expected. The worst thing that has happened is that Everton are virtually safe now after picking up four points as Leeds vomited all over themselves. I’m proper gutted about that as a couple of weeks ago Everton were virtually down. I mostly blame Chelsea, but Brendan can fuck off too.
     
    Leicester have been dogshit this season, which makes it all the more galling that we let them fuck up our title hopes back in December. Having been knocked out of Europe by Mourinho last week there was no way on earth they were going to lift themselves for a game with Everton.
     
    It’s sickening, everything has fallen nicely into place for Lampard in recent weeks. Playing teams at just the right time while Leeds are losing players left right and centre to injuries and red cards. 
     
    Everton will stay up now and as I said, I’m proper gutted about. Way more gutted than I thought I’d be. It’s on Chelsea, Leicester (who let’s not forget the other week choked and conceded a stoppage time goal at Goodison), United and Arsenal. Those are the cunts who have allowed this to happen, the Lampard enabling wankers. Fuck each and every one of them. This is a grudge I won’t forget any time soon.
     
    Let's begin with a positive though. The continuing clownshow that is Manchester United. United are now at a level where I don’t even know how to describe them. It’s beyond shit. Beyond embarrassing. There’s just no way they should be THIS bad. I know it’s all relative and when we call these players shit it’s fair comment. But they’re all international footballers. They shouldn’t be as inept as this.
     
    Something is rotten there though. The whole culture is fucked. There’s an entitlement about them that they haven’t earned. Just because you play for Manchester United doesn’t make you a Manchester United player. The attitude of some (most?) of them fucking reeks.
     
    Ronaldo doesn’t exactly help the situation but he’s one of the few (De Gea would be another) who can say he couldn’t really have done any more than he has. He’s done his job on the pitch and you know he’s also done all he can to set an example with how he approaches training and looks after himself. He’s surrounded by fucking clowns though.
     
    Look at his face when the third goal went in. He just started laughing. Not because he doesn’t care, but it’s one of those “if you don’t laugh you’ll cry” type things. He’s not used to this, he’s been a winner his entire career and now he’s having to be a part of this fucking shambles.
     
    Mind you, he’s not really in position to talk too much when he keeps launching free-kicks into orbit. Is there a more pointless exercise in football than his pre-shot routine on free-kicks? It'd be like me taking 5 minutes to line up a six foot putt. I'm missing it regardless, may as well do it quickly.
     
    We all know Ronaldo is not going to score those free-kicks, the preening tit. That being said, he's quite literally the only thing United fans have had to feel good about this season. He's been their best player by a mile, because all the others are shit.
     
    Going to Anfield and losing 4-0 was bad enough but it’s understandable to some extent as we’re boss. Going to Brighton and losing by the same score though, I just don’t know you justify that except to say that the players have clearly just given up. You could say they aren’t listening to the manager anymore, but there’s been nothing to suggest they ever have done. He’s the godfather of the genenpress but at no point have those players shown anything like that. Lazy fucking chancers.
     
    Caicedo fired Brighton ahead from 25 yards. Usually I’d be looking at the keeper on those but I don’t think De Gea can do anything about that. It’s low and right in the corner and I think he saw it late. That was just the start of it.
     
    Maguire has been dropped recently and he must have been smug as fuck sat on the bench watching this shit. He’s taken the brunt of the blame for how bad they are at the back but they can’t pin this on him. He’ll have been sat there looking like the Di Caprio meme watching Varane clowning his way around. The one time “world’s best defender” put one on a plate for Danny Welcrap, but obviously it went over the bar. 
     
    Welbeck averages about four goals a season yet still has a career in the top flight. That offends the fuck out of me if I’m being honest. He’s so fucking shit that his mere presence in that squad makes me doubt my high estimation of Graham Potter. I think he’s a really good manager, but he keeps picking that bum so can he really be that good?
     
    Brighton were well on top though and they ran riot after the break. My boy Cucurella added the second goal with a brilliant finish after a great move. He then cried afterwards. Settle down lad, it's only Man United. Everyone is scoring past them these days. Their goal difference is +1, which surely has to be some kind of record low for them. The way they're going it might be negative after their final game.
     
    Not sure I’ve given Cucurella 'my boy' status prior to this week but I know I have been singing his praises regularly throughout the season so it's been coming. I’m making it official now anyway, he can join his fellow full back Lamptey in the ‘my boy’ honours list.
     
    Gross made it 3-0 when he just waltzed through the middle of their defence and rolled it past De Gea, and the fourth arrived via young Farage who saw a rebound hit him on the chest and ricochet in. 
     
    One of my mates fancies him you know. I’ll spare his blushes by not naming him here, but I know he’s reading this and he’ll be irked at me once again slagging off his crush. Tough shit, Roger. If you want to fantasise about someone who looks like a 1980s Nigel Farage then this is on you. Own it.
     
    Why is it that gays seem to just have weird taste in fellas. The ones who I would think are obviously handsome bastards tend to not do it for them, but odd looking fuckers like Trossard do. Mind you, women are just as bad. My missus genuinely doesn’t think Paddy Berger in his pomp was anything special. Can you believe that shit?
     
    I’ve just read that back and I’m impressed with the arrogance of me there dictating to women and gays about what is a handsome man and what isn’t. Some next level shit that. Like a rugby coach trying to educate Klopp about football. Or Harry Maguire telling Van Dijk how to defend.
     
    Anyway, moving on. This game offered more evidence of just how far away United are. Forget the scoreline. If you remove the goals and just watch this game you’d see one team that knows exactly what they’re trying to do and that plays as a unit with and without the ball. The patterns of play are obvious, as is the movement off the ball from players who are so obviously well drilled.
     
    Then there’s United, who literally have none of the above. They look like a pub team with a few ringers in who are clearly way more talented than everyone else. If I took them over on footy manager I’d keep Sancho and sell everyone else. I’d let De Gea stay if there was no-one out there who would take his wages off the books, and I’d keep Fred and McTominay as at least they give a shit and will put some effort in. You can use them until you reach a level when you can do better, but the rest of that squad are either proper fucking wasters. Great isn’t it?
     
    Burnley’s revival under Mike Jackson ground to a shuddering halt as they got tonked at home by Villa. That was a game I thought they might win but they got off to a bad start and never recovered.
     
    Ings put Villa ahead against his old club, but Burnley were playing alright and had a couple of chances to level before Buendia made it 2-0 on the half hour mark.
     
    Even then, Dwight McNeil then had a great chance to pull one back but hit a tame shot straight at the keeper. I used to call him Dwight Downing but that’s genuinely unfair on ol’ Stewy that is. McNeil is useless, he just never scores which is unforgivable in an era when most teams rely on their wide attackers for goals. 
     
    Remember when wingers played in a 4-4-2, with left footers on the left and right footers on the right, and some of them would go entire seasons without a single goal? That’s McNeil that. He looks like he’s been transported from 80s football. Mind you, so does everything else about Burnley, including the town itself.
     
    Watkins added a third after the break before Cornet came off the bench to grab a late consolation. Burnley have lost Tarkowski to injury now, which combined with the loss of Ben Bee means they’re basically fucked. Lucky for them that Leeds are even more fucked.
     
    Interesting that Coutinho was left on the bench for this one. He’s been shite away from home and the early flourish he had when he first went there has well and truly fizzled out. He did fuck all against us in midweek too before they subbed him. They’re making that deal permanent, which is good for them but really fucking sad if you’re Coutinho. He should be entering his prime years as a footballer now, but he’s going to do it at Aston fucking Villa. I know he brought it all on himself but it does make me a bit sad.
     
    Palace beat Watford as Roy Hodgson returned. Zaha’s penalty was the only goal of the game but Palace should have had six as they battered Watford. At the end Hodgson went to the Palace crowd instead of the Watford fans. Could be his age, could just be him being a twat. Some of the shit he came out with afterwards about what a good state he’s leaving Watford in was amazing even by his standards. Fucking hell.
     
    Ben Foster on the other hand, absolutely ripped his team-mates afterwards, saying they’re going down because too many players only perform for 70 minutes and then can’t be arsed playing the rest of the game. It was pretty scathing stuff but I bet he’s dead right about it. I’ve been watching that Sunderland documentary on Netflix and it’s a similar thing there. Too many bad apples and the senior pros really struggle to accept it.
     
    Will Hughes was making a rare start for Watford, which made me a bit emotional. Why? Because of my mum. One of the last footy related conversations I remember having with her was when I was in hers and SkySportsNews was on. Out of nowhere she just casually remarked “oh there he is, Catweasel. Can’t stand him”. I looked at the screen and there’s Will Hughes with his white hair and beard. 
     
    I have no idea what her beef with him was but the Catweasel reference absolutely creased me up. Some of you won’t have a clue what that is, but Catweasel was a wrestler in the 80s. This is him….
     

     
    Anyway, *emotional sigh*, moving on.
     
    Lukaku is back in the Chelsea side and he’s scoring goals, which is a little ominous ahead of the cup final. He bagged twice against Wolves, the first from an iffy penalty. I’m  not saying it wasn’t a pen but you probably aren’t getting that more than half the time. He put the spot kick away well and then quickly added a second with a fine finish.
     
    Chelsea were sloppy in the second half though, missing chances and looking vulnerable at the back. Trincao scored a belter on the counter attack and then seven minutes into stoppage time Coady snatched a point when he went forward in open play and got his head on the end of a cross from Chiquino, who looks like he might give them the pace and thrust they’ve been lacking since Adama Traore left.
     
    Chelsea were wide open to counter attacks though and if we can get ourselves ahead at Wembley we could pick them off to our hearts content if they play like this. They won’t though because they always play well against us, the Everton enabling cunts.
     
    Remember not so long ago when Brentford looked like they were in trouble? Look at them now, safe as houses. They’ve won six of their last nine games. Who saw that coming? Goals from Jansson and Wissa in quick succession gave them an early lead over Southampton and they ran out comfortable winners as Ajer added a third late on.
     
    They’ve had a great first season in the top flight and hopefully they can go and win at Goodison this weekend just to keep the Blues sweating a bit longer.
     
    How weird are Southampton though? You just have no idea what you’re going to get from them. They drew twice with City but if they were to lose 10-0 at the weekend no-one would even bat an eyelid. Completely mad team that is.
     
    Have you seen the chin on that Broja? Jesus Christ. I can’t believe I’ve gone a whole season without noticing it because that thing is fucking huge. He looks like the love child of Jimmy Hill and Ming the Merciless. That chin should have its own post code.
     
    Sunday saw the inevitable City bounce back game. Anyone thinking there was any chance that Newcastle were getting anything other than a massive hiding at the Etihad hasn’t been paying attention. There are some games where there is at least some potential that City might be caught out, but there are others where the only question is how many will they win by. This was one of those.
     
    They won by five. I didn’t watch any of it and don’t even know who scored. Fuck City and fuck Newcastle.  As mentioned above, Everton won at Leicester. Again, fuck Everton and fuck Leicester. Fuck Brendan too and his inability to set up a team to defend corners.
     
    Unlike Leicester, West Ham bounced back from their European disappointment by thumping Norwich at Carrow Road. Benrahma scored twice and Antonio added another to give the Hammers a big half time lead. They eased off after the break and had to settle for just the one more goal, a pen from Lanzini.
     
    Moyes spoke afterwards about how desperate they are to qualify for Europe again and I actually found that quite refreshing. His players have obviously bought into it too as this was a good professional display from them. Moyes is probably going to finish above the Mancs this season, which is fucking great.
     
    Arsenal solidified their grip on fourth spot with an edgy 2-1 win over 10 man Leeds. They were gifted the opener by that shit Leeds keeper who took an age to clear and was closed down by Nketiah who gleefully accepted the gift. That keeper is a fucking liability. Seems to make howlers every other week. He makes loads of boss saves too but what’s the point when you’re throwing them in as regularly as he is? 
     
    Nketiah didn’t celebrate because he had a loan spell at Leeds. Soon after he scored again and this time he did celebrate. Make your fucking mind up. 
     
    Ayling was then red carded for a wild two footed challenge on Martinelli. Raphinha was booked for arguing about it and needed to be dragged away from the ref twice more to prevent him getting a second yellow. I wouldn’t mind if he had a point, but fucking hell that’s a red card all day.
     
    Llorente pulled a goal back to set up a tense finale where Leeds went close to drawing level. Arsenal blowing that would have been beyond funny and would have at least added a little something for us to enjoy on what has been a shitty week.
     
    Onto midweek now. Leicester won when it no longer matters and they were only playing Norwich anyway. Even they couldn’t fuck that one up. Pricks.
     
    Vardy’s deflected strike set them on their way and he added another not long after. Maddison wrapped it up with a goal against his old club. Initially he put the hands up to say he wasn’t celebrating, then he just couldn’t help himself. I’d have been more shocked if he hadn’t to be honest.
     
    Wednesday night was depressing as fuck. City beat Wolves easily. I watched most of it but have nothing to say. Watford’s reserves held Everton to a goalless draw which is probably the best we could have hoped for there. At least the Blues didn’t get a win, but they still extended their advantage over Leeds by another point because Leeds got spanked by Chelsea after once again going down to ten men. 
     
    Jesse Marsch had told his players prior to kick off to draw inspiration from Ghandi and Mother Theresa. Somehow that message of love must have got lost in translation as Dan James was sent off for trying to chop Kovacic in half (Kovacic is now out of the final, which is good news as he’s fucking ace). 
     
    That tit cost them £30m. Daylight robbery that. Usually it's the mancs being robbed, not doing the robbing. I’m not saying he’s shit because he isn’t, but he looks like a Championship player and they’ve massively overpaid for him.
     
    Chelsea ran out comfortable winners and Lukaku got himself in the goals again. For all his struggles this season he worries me more than any other Chelsea forward this weekend.
     
    Leeds are fucked now because James is suspended, Raphinha and Harrison both went off injured and my boy Bamford is only just back in training. How are they even going to pick up another point, let alone enough to save themselves? Sad times. Not because Leeds are going down, but because Everton will stay up because of it.
     
    Thursday night at ;east brought me some cheer as Arsenal went the full Arsenal in the North London derby. They’re shit and nothing will change my mind on that. Playmobil Pep had a right titty lip on afterwards and went down the "I prefer not to speak" Mourinho route. He had no case whatsoever to be pissed off at the decisions that went against them. The ref was right.
     
    Kane scored twice and Son got one to draw within striking distance of Mo fo the Golden Boot. He proper saw his arse when Conte subbed him though. Smiley happy Sonny let the mask slip there. Cunt.
     
    If it's annoying to me that Spurs are behind them when they’re so clearly a better side, then Spurs fans must be fucking infuriated by it. I can relate. It’s like a few years ago when we were behind Mourinho’s United even though they were nowhere near our level. I kept looking at the table and wondering "how??". Spurs fans must be like that right now.
     
    Spurs are clearly better than Arsenal but they took too long to get going and now they need a favour from someone else as the top four isn’t in their own hands. Those teams they're relying on? Newcastle and Everton. Yeah good luck with that.
     
    It's Arsenal though so they'll probably fuck it up.
     
    But then it's Spurs, so they'll probably fuck it up. 
  • There is nothing like going to Anfield to watch Liverpool on the pitch in real life. The excitement of game day cannot be beat, but it is unfortunately not always an option. In between our busy schedules, and away games, we need other ways to continue to enjoy and support our beloved team even when we cannot do so in person. 
     
    Luckily the internet gives us an increasing number of ways that we can continue to be the best fans for Liverpool, either by participating and enjoying the actions, or showing our support in more concrete ways. Here are some of the sometimes surprising ways we can continue to fly our colours proud. 
     
    Soccer’s Growing Presence in Web3
     
    We should start with the newest possibility on this whole list. For many of you, this is probably a completely new thing to do on the internet. Web3 is the decentralized version of the internet enabled by the technology behind Bitcoin. This includes everything from the metaverse, to non-fungible tokens and cryptocurrencies. 
     
    Soccer has been entering the metaverse in a big way. Some teams have been building their stadiums in the metaverse. Some teams have their official fan tokens, and some are even launching official governance tokens. This is to say that they are creating new ways for their fans to enjoy their team. 
     
    Liverpool has been less active than Manchester United or Manchester City football clubs. This is not to say they are not making moves! Their main sponsor, Nike, acquired a virtual shoe and clothing company called RTFKT. This is a great opportunity for Liverpool’s potential expansion into the metaverse and NFT markets. 
     
    Liverpool’s five-year deal with Nike comes to a close in 2025, so there is still plenty of time for this partnership to produce a clothing line or some other sort of collection of tokens. 
     
    Showing Concrete Support for Our Team
     
    Enjoying walking around a virtual stadium is a great way to enjoy being a Liverpool fan, but it is also nice to show some concrete support. The same way fans in the real Anfield Field lend their voice and lift Liverpool to victory, there are concrete ways on the internet we can lend our support. 
     
    Betting on the team is one way to show real support. SBO will help connect you to the best online sportsbooks. They have spent hours creating nearly 300 reviews of these online sports betting sites. You can select your country, and they will make a list of great options for you. Plus, they will show you how to get your account setup, as well as give you some strategies to make the best sports bets. 
     
    Another way to show concrete support for Liverpool is to show them some love on social media. If you follow them on Instagram and Twitter, it is a way to show them and your community who you support. Plus, you can retweet and like their posts, helping pump them up before their big games. 
     
    When You Miss the Game on the Telly
     
    We are used to watching the games of our favourite team on the television. Of course, we do not always go to the stadium for every game we watch. But the TV is also not always available.
     
    Perhaps we are on vacation or we no longer have cable in our homes because we are more used to watching movies on the internet. This is where our trusty internet connection comes in. You can stream Liverpool games from a number of sites.
     
    There will be few to no options for streaming these games free of charge. However, you can check out many pay per view sites that will let you stream the games right into your living room. 
     
    While our laptop screens are technically good enough, it is a good idea to also have a connection to a larger external monitor. This is especially true if you are watching the game with some buddies. You will not all be able to crowd your little monitor so make sure you are investing in your friends and Liverpool, as they will make sure you never walk alone.
  • Liverpool FC is about to contest another FA Cup, playing against Chelsea FC this Saturday, and things are looking up for the Reds. After Chelsea reported several injuries, Liverpool is looking in a particularly strong position to press on and take the title, as they have done many times before.
     
    The FA Cup final is much like roulette with high limits where the rules are fixed and while there is a chance factor, being smart in your gameplay would usually yield better results. But, what makes Liverpool’s bid for the FA Cup finals so strong in the first place?
     
    Consistently Good Performance
     
    Look at it any which way you will, and you will reach the same conclusion – Liverpool FC is incredibly capable of delivering on some of the most worthwhile experiences and performances out there. The club has been going through Premier League as the #2 Seed and while Manchester City still holds a slight advantage Liverpool has a very good chance to contest the Premier League title as well as the FA Cup finals on Saturday.
     
    But why is this the case? Liverpool has been thriving under the management of Jurgen Klopp who has no doubt been given a generous purse to tinker around with and buy some of the best and most talented soccer players in the UK and beyond. This has not been all of the club’s success, as the team has learned to work well together and play around with its weak links. This has enabled it to lose fewer games in the 2021/2022 season and has made the overall pace of play dynamic, but not at the expense of exposing the team’s defences too much.
     
    Liverpool has been simply consistent in the way it delivers on wins or fends off a tougher team. And yet, there are a few “tougher” teams. The upcoming bout with Chelsea will indeed prove to be one of the most exciting things to watch on your TV sets this weekend, especially if you are a huge soccer fan. 
     
    But Liverpool is not very likely to stop there. For the club, it will be equally important to use its good track record and secure more than just the short-term success of the FA Cup. The Premier League is really where the prize is at as Manchester City is a team that has been hard to dethrone from the premier spot. However, Liverpool has a lot of hard work to do before it can get there.
     
    Can Liverpool Grab 2021/2022 Premier League?
     
    This will partly depend on how the team does this Saturday. On the one hand, Liverpool FC has all the reasons to be gunning for both the FA Cup and Premier League titles, but there are other factors to consider as well. For example, Manchester City may have more losses than Liverpool, but the bottom line is that City has played five wins in their past five games. 
     
    Liverpool drew a single game, which is not much to go on but still an important factor to consider. Plus, facing Chelsea with the stakes that high will surely have its toll on Liverpool which will need to play toe-to-toe with the Blues for the FA cup and then face Southampton next Tuesday with barely enough time to recover. The good news is that Liverpool will have somewhat easier games ahead of schedule so if it pulls through successful on Saturday, this should give it all the fighting spirit it needs to contest the Premier League.
     
    Of course, part of Liverpool’s success will depend on how far Manchester City makes it. If they continue to maintain their healthy lead, then the title may just slip between Liverpool’s fingers like it has done so many times in the past. However, fans and analysts are optimistic about the club’s real chances of securing several trophies this year and we will be tuning in to see if this would indeed be the case. 
  • Online casinos are a fun pastime, so it’s no surprise that the global market is thriving. In fact, in the past 10 years, online casinos have had up to $290 billion US dollars in profit!
     
    Everyone wanting to get into this market has probably considered opening up their own online casino. And most of them actually do. It’s as easy as setting up a website, buying a license, and a few games.
     
    With that in mind, players have never had a bigger choice when it comes to the online casino they’ll be playing in. However, not all of them have done the necessary steps to become reputable and trusted online casinos. This leads to an abundance of scams.
     
    How can players protect themselves from fraudulent online casinos? We’ve outlined a few tips below!
    Check the terms and conditions
    Most online casinos try to scam people through terms and conditions that ask more than the player can handle. That’s why it’s always important to read more about the bonuses, how they work, and of course, look into the fine print. 
     
    Overall, it’s not too hard to spot when online casinos are shady. However, the terms and conditions when registering for a casino are also a dead giveaway. 
     
    We know that not many people will bother to actually read them, but they really can be a lifesaver!
    Read reviews
    Checking out the user experience with a certain online casino can reveal a lot about its trustworthiness. Customers won’t miss a chance to call out a casino for their scammy behaviour, and this is only an advantage for you.
     
    Reading reviews is helpful even if you aren’t looking at the reliability of a casino. From customer support to game choice, you can find out all there is to know about a casino through reviews.
     
    However, you should always take these with a grain of salt. An experience one customer has had may not be the one you have and vice versa. They are simply there to give you a general idea of what to expect.
    Check the payment options
    If a casino has shady payment options that don’t get much use on other websites, it could be a part of a scam.
     
    More notably, if an online casino offers PayPal as a payment method, that’s a big green flag. Even if the casino turns out to be a scam, you can always contact PayPal to solve the issue for you. PayPal and other similar websites that offer Buyer Protection take this very seriously!
  • This was never going to be easy and the only thing that mattered was the points. Yeah, we might need to claw back that goal difference at some point but this wasn’t the night for that. A rabid home crowd and an energised opponent all wanting to have their ‘Crystal Palace moment’, coupled with a lot of changes in our side guaranteed this was going to be a grind. And it was.
     
    Villa have been shite for months. They’ve won a few games recently but only against bums. Maybe if they’d been as up for all of those games as they were for this one they’d be pushing for a European spot. It’s embarrassing seeing how fired up some of these fans are when they play us. But everyone wants us to win the title. 
     
    Villa started the game really well and we didn’t. Even before the goal it was clear they were at it and we would need time to settle. Then they scored after just a few minutes. The goal should never have stood of course, but it was also alarming how ragged we looked. 
     
    Watkins was offside and should have been flagged, but the ease with which he beat Virgil to get a shot away was surprising. Alisson saved it and the ball went out wide. No flag from the lino, which was surprising as they don’t usually miss ones that obvious. The cross comes in and isn’t cleared. It ends up on the other flank, another cross comes in and they score.
     
    Now here’s the thing. We never got the ball back after that initial attack, so how is that a different phase of play? The entire thing only happens because an offside player runs through and has a shot. Did the lino not see it or did he just think VAR would sort it out?
     
    I’m fine with him making a mistake but why did VAR not go back and correct it? It’s bad enough when it actually is another phase of play but this clearly wasn’t. The only Liverpool player to even touch the ball from when Watkins ran through to when Douglas Luiz scored was Alisson, who made two saves. How the fuck was that allowed to stand? 
     
    Officials can make mistakes and that’s fine. But VAR is meant to be the safety net for that. Shit like this can decide where the title goes. In fact, it probably has already if you look at the staggering decisions City got against Wolves and Everton, not to mention what happened to us at Spurs. It’s not good enough.
     
    Thankfully we weren’t behind long, as that might have been decisive. Drawing level so quickly took the wind out of Villa’s sails and got us back where we’d started. I really wouldn’t have wanted to be trailing for a long period as that’s when the nerves and tension really kick in.
     
    Joel got us back on terms with a close range finish after Villa failed to deal with a set-piece. Jota made himself a nuisance and Virgil was alert to get the ball back into the danger area, and ol’ Big Bird was on the spot to draw himself level in the goalscorers chart with £100m man Jack Grealish.
     
    We never really looked settled though even after the equaliser and we had some proper ropey moments. Alisson passed the ball straight to Watkins and was incredibly lucky to get away with it. Just sloppy. 
     
    And how leggy did Fabinho look? He was second to everything, committing fouls all over the show, losing the ball and eventually he did his hamstring after getting caught in possession. It looked like a twinge rather than a pull but these things are usually a couple of weeks minimum so this is a problem.
     
    Hendo came on and we looked better after that. Probably partly due to his calming presence and also just the speed of the game eventually settling down. We had more control of the game but we weren’t creating much. Sadio had a headed sail just wide but apart from that there wasn’t much.
     
    The second half was similar. We had control, we kept Villa quiet for the most part but we just didn’t really look like scoring. I couldn’t see where a goal was coming from and I’d have brought Salah on for Jota probably on the hour or even before.
     
    Klopp went with Thiago instead, replacing the ineffective Jones. It can’t be easy coming in for one game a month and it’s not a co-incidence that his best form came when he was playing semi-regularly. We’ve seen it with Ox too. When he had a run in the side he started to play well, but we can’t get these lads enough minutes because we need to play our best team.
     
    I didn’t think Curtis was bad but he just didn’t make any impact, and with his skillset he really ought to be doing things in the final third. Mind you, Naby wasn’t much better and he’s been playing regularly. He did some good things and overall I thought he was ok, but we need more from him than this. 
     
    The chance he missed in the first half was pathetic, but his play in the build up to that was quality. He’s just frustrating as we see glimpses of what he can do but glimpses is mostly all it is. We need him to step up now as Fabinho will be out and Keita is likely to start out games. Time to deliver.
     
    Thiago did make a difference, as you’d expect, and he actually started the move that led to the winner when he won the ball on halfway. Jota played a clever first time ball over the top to send Diaz away. He drove at the full back and played an early cross in which Sadio headed home.
     
    It wasn’t a great cross and Sadio did incredibly well to adjust himself to guide the ball into the corner. He made it look easy but that was a difficult chance.
     
    Having got the lead I never had the feeling that we’d lose it. Villa had a couple of dangerous moments, usually through the lively Ings, but if anything I thought we were more likely to kill them off with a third goal. Especially when Mo came on. He nearly scored with his first touch when he ran in behind but wasn’t able to get the ball under control.
     
    That was as good as it got for him though. Basically he lost the ball every time he got it. It’s not a good period for him but the cup final on Saturday is the perfect stage for him to get back on track.
     
    We’ll see what the rest of the Premier League season has in store for us. We may not win it but I desperately want us to win our games even if it turns out to be in vain. I just don’t want sad little wankers like Aston Villa fans having their little moment in the sun where they can say they were the ones to stop us winning the title.
     
    Southampton would love to do it next week as payback for all the players we bought from them. Then there’s Wolves, the banter kings who were cheering Man City goals on the final day of the season a few years ago. I don’t want anyone having the satisfaction or the opportunity to come up with shitty little songs to taunt us with. Imagine if Villa had done it, they'd be fucking unbearable. They already are, giving it the "Sign On" chants when their manager is Steven fucking Gerrard. Wankers.
     
    They all want their own Demba Ba moment, or their ‘Crystanbul’. Let’s not let them have it. Just win and see where it takes us. These lads look like they’ll do exactly that, despite the congested fixture list which means we either have to make loads of changes or play lads who are leggy.
     
    Very few of the team were at their normal level in this game. Sadio fought and battled and took the game to them. Diaz had moments. Hendo made a big difference when he came on, as Thiago later. Trent was decent (free-kicks aside that is. Time to let Virgil have a go) and Kostas improved as the game went on. Joel was fine too, but Virgil didn’t look fully on it.
     
    Alisson made some good saves including one key block when Ings when clean through, but he also had a couple of wobbles. So overall Sadio was probably the star man. He’s been fucking massive for us since he got back from AFCON. Mo has gone one way since then but thankfully Sadio has gone the other.
     
    So next up the cup final. Losing Fabinho is a really big blow but the main thing is getting him back for Real Madrid. Hendo can play the six in the remaining games so we should be ok for those, but you’d desperately want Fabinho available for the big one so fingers crossed on that.
     
    We’re still chasing the title but need help. We might get it too. I’m not sleeping on Wolves or West Ham. My gut feeling is City won’t win both games but that doesn’t mean that’s enough for us. We just have to hope something goes our way and we can take advantage.
     
    In the meantime, let’s go and get another trophy this weekend. Up the still quadruple chasing Reds!
     
     
    Team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Fabinho (Henderson), Keita, Jones (Thiago); Diaz (Salah), Mané Jota:
     
  • Jamie Carragher has paid tribute to the consistency and overall quality of Sadio Mane after the Senegalese superstar proved to be the match winner in Liverpool’s vital 2-1 win over Aston Villa on Tuesday evening.
     
    Despite missing the large majority of January due to taking part and leading his country to their first African Cup of Nations triumph, the 30 year-old has scored 13 goals in this calendar year and for this whole campaign has scored 22 goals including 15 in the league.
     
    In a era where the individual is often feated for their exploits on the pitch, Mane displays a incredible amount of selflessness more than happy to play his role and in turn see the team get the rewards.
     
    As someone who has being around the game for a great period of time first as a player and now a pundit, Carragher puts the career of Mane on a pedestal as he told Sky Sports.
     
    “Sadio Mane is my favourite player, There is just something about Mane. He's sacrificed himself at times and the shift he puts in.
     
    “He, along with Salah, has been doing that for five years - they are never injured! They are there week in, week out for 90 minutes, getting the numbers up there every week. What they have done for this football club is unbelievable.
     

     
    “I love him, absolutely love him to bits. And not just because he's a great player and what he's done for Liverpool.
     
    Carragher also highlighted the adaptability of Mane to play across the front line.
     
    “He initially came in on the right wing then moved to the left when Salah arrived. Diaz comes in on the left and Mane goes to centre-forward.
     
    "He's always moving for someone else but his performances never drop. It doesn't seem to matter where Mane plays, you get exactly the same from him, the same cannot be said for the rest of the Liverpool attack."
     

     
    While the future of Salah is often a discussion point, Mane is also out of contract come the end of next season and despite a link with Bayern Munich coming to light this week, he is not even thinking of what might happen in the future, in his thoughts is purely about the team.
     
    “I think I just try to enjoy every moment and try to score and assist for my teammates. I think it is all about the team or nothing, the boys make it easier for me so I am obviously very happy.”
     
    And you get a sense that Jurgen Klopp will not even contemplate life at Liverpool without one of his main men.
     
    “He's a machine, I told him after the (Villa) game,"[He's a] massive player, his physicality is brutal. The mix of technique, desire and physicality. You can see [he has] a few yards in the legs, we can see it to be honest. He's a fantastic, world-class player.”
     
     
     
  • Sadio sunk Villa with a second half header once again to keep the pressure on City at the top of the table.
     
    The Reds weren't at their best but the 'mentality monsters' found a way to get over the line and responded well after going behind early.
     
    Chris Smith, Julian Richards and TLW Editor Dave Usher look back on a scrappy win for the boys and also preview this weekend's FA Cup final.
     
     
     
  • Jurgen Klopp says the extreme emotions after the game lead managers to say things that perhaps they would not in normal circumstances.
     
    After Man City’s thumping 5-0 victory over Newcastle on Sunday which gave the defending champions a major boost to their title defence after crumbling in the final stages of their Champions League semi final tie against Real Madrid, Pep Guardiola went off on a tangent that can only be described as a bit odd.
     
    “Everyone in this country supports Liverpool, the media and everyone.
     
    ‘Of course because Liverpool has an incredible history behind them, in European competitions. Not in the Premier League, because they’ve won one in 30 years.”
     
    Despite the intense and captivating rivalry of the two clubs in this era, the public dialogue from both Klopp and Guardiola have been nothing but respectful, complementary and very rarely gone off script.
     
    Speaking ahead of the Reds midweek trip to take on Aston Villa (per Metro), Klopp explained what goes through the mind of a manager after a frenetic 90 minutes of action and did not take those comments by Guardiola to heart saying that he too has been at fault in this sense.
     
    “As manager, and I had this experience recently after a game (Tottenham), we are massively influenced by the game, the situation, I said - would I say it again, no - after the game 'they play like they play and are still only fifth'. It was just my feeling in that moment and I couldn't respect Antonio (Conte) more and what he's doing.
     

     
    “But after a game like that… I don’t know exactly what kind of situation Pep was in, but after getting knocked out of the Champions League, that’s already difficult enough to take, but then of course Liverpool made it to the final.”
     
    As for the statement that the “whole country” is behind Liverpool to win the title, Klopp was more than a little sceptical.
     
    "I have no idea if the whole country is supporting us, it's not the feeling I get when we go to places, it's actually the opposite. Maybe he knows more about that than me.
     
    “I live in Liverpool so, yes, here a lot of people want us to win the league, that's true, but even here it's probably only 50 per cent.”
     
    Despite the blow to their title chances on the weekend, in normal Klopp fashion he is maintaining a positive outlook.
     
    “It's clear it is not over because we both have three games to play and my concern is how can we win our games. We have absolutely no hand in how City play their games but before they are played, we should not add on points. 
     
    “We don't do that and I'm pretty sure City is not doing that. [Until] it's not reachable anymore, why should we stop believing?"
     
     
     
     
     
     
  • This doesn’t hurt anywhere near as much as I thought it would. It helps that we’ve got two finals to look forward to of course, but I just can’t get too worked up or disappointed about this particular game or even the implications of it. 
     
    We gave everything we had but came up short because the opponent defended really well. If we don’t win the title it won’t be because of this game and it won’t be because Newcastle put up the most feeble of resistance at the Etihad a day later (did anyone really expect any different?). 
     
    I’m more upset about the other game we had with Spurs than this one. Remember, when a couple of manc officials shafted us with two of the worst decisions seen all season? We deserved to win that game, we didn’t deserve to win this one.
     
    I think we played pretty well though and there was a lot to like about the performance. Against most teams it would have been enough for a comfortable victory, but the problem is that Spurs are really good when they play the better teams. They beat City twice and that wasn’t a fluke. 
     
    This was always going to be the toughest game we had left but because it was a night game at Anfield I thought that would be enough to help us come through it unscathed. It wasn’t, although the crowd played its part and the atmosphere was great. The players responded and the intensity was there but the quality was lacking. Sometimes that happens, even to the best teams. Winning every game just isn’t possible and when it comes to retreats when we look back on the season, this game really shouldn’t even be a consideration.
     
    It was just really fucking tough. Try as we might, we just couldn’t really play through them and when we did they usually had someone making a great block or clearance. Hugo Lloris hardly had a save to make and we didn’t really do enough to test him. We were almost there on a lot of occasions but just didn’t get it right when we got into promising positions.
     
    Klopp went with the team most of us would have picked and I don’t think a lack of energy or freshness was the problem. Trent and Robbo weren’t at their very best and maybe they were a little leggy but I honesty thought the team looked fresh and full of energy. We just came up against a really well organised opponent who know how to pack their box and play on the break.
     
    But for most of the game we were so good with our counter press that Spurs weren’t able to launch the counter attacks they are so dangerous from. The first half especially we restricted it almost entirely. I think they had one break which ended with them hitting the post, but apart from that we smothered them whenever they tried to break.
     
    The problem was we found it difficult to create anything clear ourselves. There were lots of nearly moments and Van Dijk headed against the bar from a corner, but the only time Lloris was really made to work was when his own player mis-directed a header and he had to scramble across his line to claw the ball off the head of Salah.
     
    The second half was slightly different and Spurs were able to get out more and hurt us. They did it really well when they were able to and their goal was well worked. Shite from us like, but well worked from them. I’m not sure what had happened prior to it but I’m assuming we must have had to defend a corner as Trent and Robbo were on opposite flanks and that usually only happens when we’ve defended a set piece. 
     
    It played a big part in the goal as we were disjointed and never got proper set in our usual shape. Trent didn’t cover himself in glory in not getting tight to Kane and Robbo then compounded the problem by tracking the run of Son instead of letting him go offside. In doing that he played Sessegnon onside and he crossed for Son to score from close range.
     
    Bad from us, good from them. They had another chance soon after too as we were wobbling. At one point they went the length of the pitch, starting with a short goal kick, and played right through our press and ended up creating a chance. That never happens to us, but this was hard.
     
    Klopp rang the changes and sent on Jota and Tsimikas for Hendo and Robbo. I can see why Kostas was brought on as Robbo has played a lot of footy and he wasn’t at his best. Kostas should start at Villa I reckon.
     
    Hendo going off wasn’t a huge surprise either but it wasn’t a reflection on how he’d played. I thought he was fine, but Klopp wanted to go with the 4-2-4 we saw turn the derby game in our favour. The difference here is it was Jota and not Divock. who came on. More on this later.
     
    The crowd were really cranking it up trying to get the lads going and when Diaz drew us level the noise was spine tingling. The goal was a fluke as his shot was headed towards one corner and was deflected into the opposite corner off the boot of a defender, but it was no more than he deserved for his desire and enthusiasm.
     
    The problem was that none of the other forwards were having any joy as there was hardly any space to operate in. Mo was so tightly marked all day as Spurs were effectively playing with two left backs in Sessegnon and Davies. If he escaped one there was always a second one there. Trent was playing inside and the only time we were able to get around the side was when Hendo made an overlapping run. 
     
    When you play a team who defends like Spurs, the space is down the sides and you’ve got to get around the back to get your crosses in. Instead we were putting crosses in from deep and that’s a waste of time when there are so many big players in the box. Spurs had three centre backs, two pretty tall wing backs and both of their centre midfielders are big strong lads too. We played right into their hands too often. 
     
    In his last 16 games Mo has only scored from open play in one of them (the Mancs at Anfield when he bagged a brace). That’s blown my mind. I honestly wouldn’t have thought that was even possible but the maddest thing about it is that I don’t think he’s playing badly. I can’t remember too many games where I’ve thought “Mo’s been shite here”. He hasn’t always been brilliant but it’s not like he’s noticeably struggling. 
     
    Yet his goal record in the last 16 games is proper shit. It hasn’t really mattered because we’ve been winning every game anyway, but this was one game when we really needed that bit of magic from him. Sadly he couldn’t deliver and Spurs dealt with him quite easily really. Sadio fared no better either, and Jota was poor when he came on.
     
    Diaz was the only one that posed any real threat and it’s genuinely staggering that Origi didn’t get on. I was a bit miffed about it afterwards but the more I’ve thought about it, the more irritated I’ve become and as I write this two days later I’m proper pissed off about it. Why would you not bring Divock on? Why? It’s fucking madness. He was put on this earth for exactly this kind of situation and he’s delivered for us so many times. Instead we got an out of form Jota and Naby fucking Keita.
     
    Nothing against Naby, but what the fuck was that change going to do? Utterly pointless change. Divock is the ultimate ‘break glass in case of emergency’ player. This is what he does, but he can’t do it sat on the fucking bench. That’s my only gripe about this game but it’s a pretty fucking big gripe the more I think about it.
     
    I can even make a case that this is a good point because we could have lost this game. After going a goal down I’d have probably taken a draw at that point because we hadn’t really looked like scoring. Then we get the equaliser and there’s plenty of time left so I’m thinking we’ll pull it out of the fire because that’s what we usually do. But it never really looked like happening and Spurs probably carried a bigger threat. They could have won it late on but Hoijberg headed back across goal instead of going for it himself.
     
    So given the way the game went a draw isn’t bad and if City do come a cropper somewhere then the equaliser from Diaz might prove crucial. Probably not, it’s unlikely City will lose a game and even if they do we’ve blown the goal difference advantage we had by not punishing shite like Everton and Newcastle recently.
     
    Imagine if we lost the title on goal difference. Fucking hell. I’ve been going on about that Leicester game for months, but I tell you something, if we miss out on goal difference that won’t be the game I look at. I’ll go back to Old Trafford. 5-0 up, United down to ten men and half an hour still to play. And we just declared. It pissed me off at the time and it will piss me off even more if it turns out that it all comes down to goal difference.
     
    It probably won’t but it is not beyond the realms of possibility that City lose at Wolves or West Ham. Put it this way, if we had those two away fixtures coming up next, would you be thinking “that’s two definite wins for us” or would you be a bit uneasy about it? I wouldn’t be taking those wins as guaranteed, so why are we not thinking that City might just slip up? They probably won’t, but they absolutely could. This isn’t mission impossible.
     
    The problem is for me is that we could fail to beat Villa this week, and if that happens it won’t matter what City do because it will be all but over anyway. At the start of the season the league was the one I most wanted but if we get revenge on Madrid to bring home number seven I doubt I’ll feel even the slightest bit of disappointment if we can’t catch City. 
     
    I just have this gut feeling that either Wolves or West Ham are going to do something though you know. Part of me hopes they don’t because if they were to lose and we missed out because we didn’t win out or - even worse - because we’ve let our goal difference advantage slip, that would be much harder to take than if City just won every game. We’ll see. 
     
    Star man is Diaz. 
     
     
    Team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson (Tsimikas); Fabinho (Keita), Henderson (Jota), Thiago; Salah, Mané, Diaz:
     
     
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