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Maybe it’s just me, and this might be an unpopular view, but I never felt like Bobby fully got going this season. He was good, but he only reached the heights of the 17/18 season in fits and starts. You know his attitude and commitment is always going to be there, but I felt like he suffered early in the season, initially from not having much of a break over the summer, and then from Klopp changing the system to 4-2-3-1. Bobby as a number nine in the front three is brilliant. I wouldn’t swap him for any centre forward in the world. Genuinely, there’s no-one I’d rather have. He’s perfect for how we play and is vitally important in so many aspects of our game. Bobby in any other role though just isn’t as effective. With Klopp using Salah up top and Firmino behind, it just never looked right to me. It never looks right when Bobby goes out wide either, although his phenomenal work ethic does make us stronger defensively than when Mo is out there. I quite liked the tactic of switching them over late in games when we had a lead, but I’m not keen on us starting that way. To me, Bobby is just not the same when he isn’t the number nine and the fulcrum of our attack. He sets the tone and everyone plays off him. When he wasn’t in that role we still got results because we’re a great team, but it wasn’t as free flowing as last season. Firmino still had his moments, with a late winner against PSG and a hat-trick at home to Arsenal the obvious highlights, but in general this year’s Bobby wasn’t as dynamite as last year’s Bobby. He got off to a slow start and prior to that hat-trick against Arsenal on Dec 29 he had only scored six goals. While his contribution to the team can’t simply be measured in goals *cough* Harry Kane *cough*, six goals in 26 games isn’t what you’d expect, especially after how many he scored the season before. As I said, the system change didn’t really help him and there were times when it looked like he just couldn’t get into the game and looked frustrated. The thing with Bobby is he’s a workaholic and he has to be involved. He’s not going to stand around and wait for the ball to come to him, he goes and gets it. When he’s the nine, the ball comes his way naturally and he can work across the line and come short and do whatever it takes to be involved in the game. When he played as the ten it was different. He ended up coming deeper and deeper to get the ball and there were times when he was picking it up off the centre backs like Hendo or Fabinho. His work ethic was admirable but that change in set up often left him looking like a spare one at a wedding. He’s the ultimate team guy though so you’d never hear him complaining or see him showing any signs of frustration. He just does what’s needed, even when it means others get the glory for his hard work. It’s not even that he was out of form or playing poorly, he just didn’t seem able to make his usual kind of impact, and I do put a lot of that down to 4-2-3-1. The notable exception to that was the Arsenal game when he banged in a hat-trick. One was a tap in and another was a penalty, but the second one was glorious. Generally though, based on everything I’ve seen, Bobby is twice the player when he’s the nine than he is when he plays anywhere else. The second half of his season was better than the first, but an injury picked up in training ahead of the Huddersfield game basically ended his season early. He returned for the final but he had no sharpness or rhythm and it showed. As I say, it felt like he never got into his stride at any point. It was fits and starts. Of course the great thing about Bobby is even if he’s not dazzling he’s still contributing a lot with what he does off the ball. He’s one of our most important players but the closing weeks off the season showed that we can cope without him much better than I thought we would. We’re a better team when he plays, but at least we know we can win without him if necessary. We might need to do that again in the opening weeks of next season as his involvement in Copa America may see him get an extended rest. The problem is that Sadio and Mo are also away on tournament duty and we can’t leave all three of them out to start the season. Generally Bobby is pretty indestructible but given the injury problems he had at the end of the season it is a bit of a concern that the lack of rest might catch up with him. Like Mo and Sadio, he’s played solidly for two whole years with only a few weeks off. Next year is massive for us with all the games we’re going to have, so we could have done without all three of our forwards playing through the entire summer like this. The start of the season might be quite tricky for us. Rating 7.5 / 10 I accept this might be a little harsh. Maybe an 8 would have been fairer, but *shrugs* it is what it is. He’s still boss, he just wasn’t as boss as he was the year before. Best Moment: The goal against Arsenal when he slalomed past three defenders and left them all on the seat of their shorts was a thing of beauty, but coming off the bench to score a last minute winner against PSG (and then doing the one eye celebration) was the best moment. Worst Moment: Rushing back from injury to face Barca and then re-aggravating it, causing him to miss the second leg and be a shadow of his normal self in the final. The future? I worry he might get off to a slow start but I still expect him to be great next year, especially if we sign another forward who can come in and allow us to freshen things up rather than have to keep picking ‘the big three’ and running them into the ground.

If we forget that the 2017/18 season ever happened, we’d probably be a lot more excited about what Mo did this year. Last year was always going to be difficult to live up to, but I’d kidded myself into thinking there was no reason he couldn’t break the 40 goal barrier again. What he actually did was impressive enough in it’s own right, but viewed through the prism of the year before it seemed… well it seemed almost disappointing. That’s unfair (and ridiculous) when you think about it. I mean, he ended the season with a second successive Golden Boot! I was a bit disappointed with him though, there's no point pretending I wasn't as I mentioned it in enough match reports throughout the season. I think what has happened is that last year he overachieved and this year is closer to what we can expect in future. Don't get me wrong, I expect him to score more goals next year than he did this year, but he probably won’t ever be hitting 44 again as that is the lofty air usually only occupied by Messi and Ronaldo. In his first year with us virtually everything Mo hit ended up in the back of the net. He couldn’t miss, but this year he squandered loads of chances. More worryingly for me, there were times when he just didn’t look like himself. His body language wasn’t right, he wasn’t smiling and he generally just seemed like he had the hump over something. He hit a hat-trick at Bournemouth but didn’t celebrate, he just gave the stink eye to someone on the bench. I have no idea what that was about but it was weird. There was definitely something going on with him at that point. We may never know what, but that wasn't normal behaviour. There was a spell during the season when the question everyone seemed to be asking was “what’s wrong with Mo Salah?”. In fairness to Mo that wouldn’t have even entered anyone’s head if he hadn’t scored 44 goals the previous year. We’d all be saying what a good season he was having. He couldn't reach the ridiculous high bar he set the previous year, that's all. He was still jumping as high as anyone else though. It’s a cliché but he really was a victim of his own success, not only in terms of the increased expectations last year brought, but also in the way opponents would focus on stopping him. He definitely gets extra attention from opposition coaches now, but perhaps next year it might get easier again? Maybe Sadio will draw a bit more attention? His role was often different this year too. He's played centre forward on a handful of occasions during the 44 goal season, but he was almost exclusively used on the right in a 4-3-3. Sometimes he'd be switched to a central role in the closing stages of games in which we had a lead, as it allowed him to use his speed on the break and Bobby was able to help out defensively on the flanks. This year it changed. At least in the first half of the season it did. He spent a lot of time playing as the central striker in a 4-2-3-1. The results were mixed. He actually did alright there, but the team didn't look as fluent. The results were fine because we were keeping clean sheets and winning games, but the spectacular football of the previous season wasn't as frequent. My hunch is that the formation change was as much about making Fabinho and Shaqiri comfortable until they were completely up to speed, as in the second half of the season it was usually back to the tried and trusted 4-3-3 with Mo on the right. He started the season slowly, with just three goals in his first eleven games. He missed a lot of chances during that time so there was no reason to think this was a big deal. If he'd taken two or three of those nobody would have thought anything about it, but because he didn't, the general perception was he was struggling. Then he caught fire. Five goals in his next four games, and overall seven in a nine game spell brought him up to double figures by the end of November. His form was streaky but his goal record was fine at that point. Then he went through a spell when he just couldn't score. Eight games without a goal, which felt like an eternity because of how prolific he'd been up until that point. Two games without a goal seemed like a drought for Mo, and now he was going eight? His form wasn't necessarily bad in that spell, but it was inconsistent. He was awful at Old Trafford and Goodison but in between he absolutely destroyed Watford at Anfield. He didn't score that night but what he did to the Watford left back was absolutely savage. He had some really good games and some bad ones, but he just couldn't score. It was never going to last and he ended the goalless streak with a massively important goal at Southampton. One of the more under-rated big moments of the season that, as it felt like it could have massive title implications, and indeed it would have done if City hadn't reeled off 35 wins on the spin or whatever it was. Statistically Mo apparently had a very good season. All that stuff about XG, chances created and the rest of it, he came out looking good from what I hear. Better than Mané some will tell you. My eyes tell me something different though. There were a handful of games when Mo looked great. Like the Salah of the season before. Then there were a lot of games when he was fine. Not brilliant, but he contributed and was a threat. The thing that influenced my overall view though was just how many bad games he had. It was too many. It didn't matter usually because the defence was so good we tended to get the result anyway, but in some of those costly draws we had he was terrible. He was absolute garbage away at United for the second season running, and he missed two sitters at Goodison. Don't misunderstand me here, I'm not blaming Salah for us not winning the title. That would be unfair and it would also be stupid. What I would say though is if we had 2017/18 Mo and Bobby playing for us this season then we would have turned at least three of those draws into wins and ran away with the league. As I said in the opening though, that was a tough act to follow. Sadio improved on 17/18 but he didn't hit the heights that Salah and Firmino had so it was easier for him. For Mo and Bobby, matching what they'd done the year before was always going to be difficult. Mo gave us some great moments again. Not as many as the previous year, but he still provided some genuine highlights. The hat-trick at Bournemouth, the brilliant goal against Napoli, the assist for Mané in Munich, the length of the field run and goal away at Southampton, the list goes on. He converted a penalty in the Champions League final to lay to rest the ghost of the previous year and he's currently banging them in for Egypt in the African Nations Cup. He didn't make the shortlist for Player of the Year this season and he was also left out of the Team of the Year. That will have stung him, and knowing his competitive attitude I wouldn't bet against him ripping it up next year and running away with the Golden Boot again. Rating 8.5 / 10 My gut tells me that rating might be too generous, but then I also can't shake the feeling that I'm judging him too harshly based on the ridiculously high standards he set last year. I'm all over the place on this one to be honest. Best Moment: Seeing the (poor) penalty hit the back of the net in the final will probably have been his personal highlight, but for me it's a toss up between the Chelsea goal and the winner against Napoli at Anfield. I'll go with the Napoli goal simply because it proved to be more important. Without it we don't get number six. Worst Moment: Had we not turned things around against Barca I might have said the absolute sitter he missed in Camp Nou, which would have given us a vital away goal. Divock came to the rescue though, so I'll say missing two one v ones at Goodison was his lowest point of the season. The Future? Next season should be a big one for him. Not as prolific as 17/18 but more prolific than 18/19. 35 goals maybe? Hopefully he spends most of his time on the right and not through the centre. He's fine in either role, but the team generally looks much more balanced when he's on the right.

I love Jordan Henderson. Not to the extreme where I'll tell you he's the best midfielder in the world. I may love him, but I'm not blinkered to the point of delusion. He's really good though, much better than many give him credit for. Some of our own fans are the worst for that too. Hopefully that might change now he's a European Cup winning captain, but I won't hold my breath on that. I googled Hendo's name just then as I was looking for some stats on appearances and stuff. When you do a search it comes up with a box that says "people also ask". The top one said "What does Jordan Henderson do". What does he do? WHAT DOES HE DO???? He captains the European Champions, that's what he fucking does. To be fair, I couldn't care less what fans of other teams think of him. If Spurs fans want to convince themselves Eric Dier deserves to be ahead of Hendo in the England pecking order, have at it. I'm not arsed. If Everton fans think Andre Gomes is better, good for them. I don't care if the rest of the country can't see what he brings to a team. When our own fans are among the critics though, that's a different matter. The unwarranted sneering about our skipper just makes me feel overly protective of him. I expect it from rival fans and it's fair game. With the amount of piss taking I do about rival players, it would be a little precious of me to get upset about them throwing shade at Hendo. It irks me when I see the lack of respect towards him from our own fans, although it's almost exclusively on social media it should be said. It’s a weird phenomena because barring the occasional moan and groan here and there, he doesn’t get that kind of treatment from the matchday crowd. The 'LFC family' on Twitter though? Different story entirely. Usually the overall perception of a player doesn’t vary too much from stadium to social media but in Hendo’s case the difference is huge. I don't think anyone has ever split opinion more, and I genuinely don't get it. I mean how can you watch Jordan Henderson play and think he's not a good player? Just how good he is comes to down to personal opinion. I probably rate him more highly than most but there will be others who think even more of him than I do. It blows my mind though that there are people who watch Henderson and think he's just an average player who only passes backwards and sideways. I know he's not Souness or Gerrard, but if that's the bar being set for all of our midfielders now then they'll all fall short. Those of you who don't spend too much time on social media probably think I'm exaggerating here, but I'm honestly not. Have a look at the replies to this tweet from This is Anfield. That's typical of any Henderson related tweet. The replies to this official announcement by the club were even worse. When he signed that new deal earlier in the season, I looked at the replies to the above tweet and I wanted to go on a fucking killing spree. People were reacting like he was Christian Poulsen or Salif Diao. I used to think the criticism directed towards him was basically because he isn’t Steven Gerrard. Now I think it’s just that some people are clueless. Jordan Henderson is a damn good player and is a much better leader than he’s generally given credit for. He wouldn’t still be captain if he wasn’t. Unless you think Klopp is an idiot. It's true that he got the armband more or less by default because there was no-one else even remotely qualified at the time, but there are plenty who are qualified now. We’ve got leaders all over the place, but listen to how his team-mates (and manager) talk about him and it’s clear how well respected he is. He’s grown into the captaincy. Many fans would like to see Van Dijk given the captaincy, but Big Virg has been as complimentary about Hendo's leadership as anybody. The players know more than we do. They're in that dressing room every day with him. During the on-pitch celebrations after the final, Van Dijk and Lovren walked Hendo over to the fans and Lovren was screaming "This is your captain, this is the fucking man". It would be nice to think that some of the entitled wankers who were ripping Hendo in the above tweets will have come around now, but it's wishful thinking. As soon as he has a poor game next season they'll all crawl out of the woodwork again. No matter, there are more than enough Henderson fans to drown out that noise now, and he's got a Champions League winners medal to point to any time he wants to silence his critics. He wouldn't do that though, it's not his style. I do feel that he's validated his captaincy now though. Lifting the European Cup and captaining a side that finished with 97 points is surely enough to end that discussion now? The only problem for Hendo moving forward is that he’s not guaranteed to start every game anymore. That’s not even a reflection on him either, it’s more about the competition for places and Klopp’s policy of rotating his midfield more than any other area of the team. The demands on the midfield lads are huge so Klopp will often freshen things up and bring in fresh legs. That means someone is always going to miss out. In the Nou Camp it was Hendo. In the return leg it was Wijnaldum. In the final it was Milner. It’s not a reflection on the players, just a necessity based on how we play. It's going to be even worse for them next season with Ox now back in the fold and Naby hopefully up to speed after a season of transition. Henderson at least has his versatility to fall back on. Being able to play more than one role helps, but unfortunately for him he isn't the only flexible option Klopp has. Wijnaldum and Milner are like Swiss army knives. Fabinho will almost certainly start all the big games, so that leaves two other spots up for grabs. Right now, for me at least, it's Henderson plus one more. That could change, but based on the way he's played in the last few months I don't think you can leave him out in the bigger games. I wonder if we have seen the last of him in the holding role though. He has spent most of his time under Klopp playing in that role and generally did a good job there. Most of the time he was excellent but there were occasions when he wasn’t, and on those days when he wasn’t at his best Twitter would be awash with the Hendo bashers calling for him to be moved on. I like him in the holding role, but I like him more when he's got licence to run around and make things happen. Fabinho won't play every game but when he is rested it may not be the skipper asked to fill in for him now. Wijnaldum is great in that role, and using him there allows Hendo to continue doing what he does best. It seems like Jordan has spent his entire career fighting to prove people wrong, and that's why it was so satisfying seeing him lifting the trophy. I was happier for him than I was for anyone else (other than perhaps Klopp). He was probably doubted even back in his Sunderland days but certainly from the moment he walked through the door here he was having to deal with criticism and questions as to whether he was good enough. For a long while those questions were justified, but they haven't been for some time now. It took him a while to win over the fans and in some cases he still hasn’t and probably never will. That's on them, not him. Tell you what else is boss. He's a hero in Sunderland too. Their fans are buzzing for him and apparently he's in line to be awarded the freedom of the city. That's great, brings a warm glow to the soul. Usually when a player leaves a club for bigger and better things he's not too popular, but Hendo is such a top lad they still have a place in their hearts for him up there. Managers love him too, because he’s utterly selfless and it’s ‘team first’ all the time. Rodgers tried to get rid of him when he first took over but by the end of Brendan’s time here Hendo was his captain and very much in the ‘he's a wonderful boy, a beautiful human being’ category. Klopp feels the same. He fucking loves Hendo. You can always tell just how much disdain Klopp has got for Henderson’s critics by his reaction whenever he is questioned about it. “Jurgen, Jordan Henderson has come in for some criticism lately, but…” Cue Jurgen pulling that baffled ‘what the fuck are you on about?’ face. Klopp even apologised (tongue in cheek) a couple of months ago for having played Henderson out of position for so long. For the most part it worked, but any time the midfield unit didn't function as well as it needed to, it was usually Hendo who took the brunt of the blame. For me though the problem was more about the balance of the players selected rather than any individual. Klopp often went with the tried and trusted trio of Hendo, Milner and Gini, and at times it worked brilliantly, usually because the forwards were all on fire. Other occasions, when the forwards weren't on it, the midfield looked one paced and lacking creativity. Draws at Old Trafford and Goodison spring to mind, as well as some woeful Euro aways in the group stages. In games like that, it's easy to point the finger at Henderson for not providing any drive or creativity. It became even easier to do it when we discovered how great Fabinho was. Even Hendo himself saw that, which is why he went to see Klopp and discussed a change of position. He knew Fabinho was better than him as a six, so he asked Klopp to allow him to go back to being what he was before. Klopp agreed and the box to box, chase around like a dog in a park Hendo that played such a big part in the 2014 title challenge was back for the closing months of this season and he just so looked so much happier. There was a real enthusiasm about his play and he was hugely influential. It started when he came off the bench to score and assist in a win at Southampton. We'd been struggling a bit and his arrival changed the game completely. After that he was on fire, and looked so much more energised and refreshed than when he was playing as the six. That was not a natural position for him but he’s the type of lad who just does what is asked of him without complaint. He sacrificed his own game for the good of the team which is part of the reason why I’m often so protective of him. Being a great lad doesn’t mean you can’t be questioned, but it does mean you should be granted a certain level of respect from your own fans. This season has been massive for Henderson's reputation and standing in the game, and it showed the character he possesses. I mean come on, let’s be honest here. When Fabinho and Keita joined last summer, Hendo was as much under threat as anyone. They hadn’t been signed to sit on the bench and if they turned out to be the players we thought they’d be then that only left one midfield spot up for grabs and Hendo, Wijnaldum, Milner and Lallana (Ox too when he returned) fighting for it. Not for the first time, Henderson was being written off. Not for the first time, he rose to the challenge. Having been at the World Cup with England, he was given extra time off and wasn’t due to report back until just before the season. He was having none of it though and Klopp had to force him to stay away. In the end he came back early anyway as he was so insistent. I think he had two weeks off, and even that was more than he wanted. He wasn’t in the starting line up on the opening day, but he came on in the second half and was like a man possessed. He was on the bench for the next three games too, and each time he came on he played with the intensity of a man who wanted to show his manager he was ready to start. Klopp handled it well though, resisting the temptation to rush him back and treating the first few weeks as a pre-season of sorts for him. That careful approach paid dividends as some of his performances in the latter months of the season were as good as anything we’ve seen from him. He’s in the form of his life and particularly shone on the big European nights. He was great in those games last season too actually. European sides can’t cope with the speed and intensity we play at and Henderson is a big part of that. Barca at Anfield is a perfect example. That was probably the finest display of his life, a performance to sit alongside those of any of the legendary names of the past. A real career defining game that was. He was immense, especially as he was injured early on and had to stock up on painkillers at half time just to get through the game. Seeing him collapse at full time and then struggle to get back on his feet because he had nothing left... I mean how can you not love this lad after that? Then of course there was the final. The scenes with his Dad at full time would bring tears to a glass eye, but it was also revealed later that he asked Milner and Klopp to lift the trophy with him. They both rightly refused, but that’s just about as Jordan Henderson as it gets. Even in the most defining moment of his career he’s still thinking “there’s no I in team”. Captain. Leader. And now, finally, Legend. Rating 8/10. Had he played the whole season in the more advanced role he ended it in, he'd have been a 9. Still, overall a fine effort from the skipper and a season he can be proud of. Best Moment: Lifting Big Ears. I don't know if anyone has ever done it better. Years of practice in front of the mirror had gone into that, you could tell. Worst Moment: For him personally it was probably being left out in the Nou Camp, but he ended up playing most of the game anyway after Keita was hurt early on. Maybe going off injured early away at Bayern was a low point for him, but thankfully it wasn't as serious as it looked. The Future: I expect next year to be a lot like this one. He'll play more often than not but be left out more than he'll like.

Having looked like his Anfield days were coming to a close when he joined West Brom on loan last season, Daniel Sturridge had an epiphany of sorts and set about showing Jurgen Klopp that he still had a part to play. Sturridge had chosen to move to the Baggies last January in an attempt to force his way into England’s World Cup squad, but he had a miserable time of it at the Hawthorns and barely played due to injury. It was beginning to look like he was finished. He just couldn’t stay fit. That spell with West Brom showed Sturridge a glimpse into his future and he didn’t like it. Suddenly he realised what he had at Anfield and he didn’t want to give that up. He came back for pre-season fit and strong. He looked razor sharp too, and with the space of a few weeks he’d done enough to have Klopp tell people that he was going nowhere and had a part to play. He had a great pre-season and hit it off immediately with Naby Keita. Those two were tearing it up in the first few friendly games. Studge looked fitter than he has for years and he made some good contributions early part of the season. He scored on the opening day against West Ham after coming off the bench. He started against PSG in the Champions League and Chelsea in the League Cup and scored in both games. A few days later he came off the bench and grabbed a stunning late equaliser at Chelsea. Then after that he did nothing. I mean look at this. It says it all really.... Granted, he didn’t have many opportunities to start but part of that was his own doing. He was given a start in the cup against Wolves and looked like he’d rather have been anywhere else but there. In contrast, Divock Origi was out there desperately trying to show that he deserved more of a chance. And guess what? The player who wanted to try and impress the manager to earn an opportunity, actually got that opportunity. The one who ambled around looking completely disinterested wasn’t seen again for weeks. His entire season was like the reverse of Origi's. I wonder what he must have been thinking when Divock was Origi'ing the shit out of everyone in the last few weeks of the season. I'm sure he was happy for his team-mate, but he wouldn't be human if there wasn't the odd thought of "that could have been me". A lot probably comes down to performance in training, but from the outside I'd certainly use that cup game at Wolves as a big reason as to how the season played out so differently for Origi and Sturridge, and I'd be using that as a teaching moment to any fringe players who get a chance in the cups next season. Sturridge was out in the cold for a while after that game, although his improved performance level in training did earn him a couple of starts late in the season and he did ok without really shining. His lack of speed now is just so glaring, especially in a team that places as much emphasis on running and energy as this one does. He was a great player once but injuries robbed us of what would have been a fine Liverpool career. A real shame, but at least he gave us that stunning late equaliser at Chelsea to remember him by, and seeing him do the dance one last time in front of the fans in Madrid did make me a little emotional. It’s been a series of ups and downs with Sturridge. There were times I loved him and times I’d have happily sent him packing to whoever would take him. Ultimately, it all came down to his body just not being able to handle the demands placed on it. At his best he was a phenomenal talent. A great finisher as well as a good footballer. With a tiny bit more luck he’d have won the league with us twice. In the end, he had to settle for a Champions League win, two second placed finishes and three runners up medals in various cups. Sturridge’s career at Anfield was very much a case of what might have been, but he still leaves us with some sensational goals and great moments. Thanks for the memories Studge, and best of luck. Rating 6 / 10 Went out with a trophy but also with a whole heap of “if only”. Could have been one of the greats if his body had allowed it. Best Moment: That goal at Chelsea. Stunning. Worst Moment: Half arsing his way around Molyneux in the FA Cup. The Future: I’ve thought for some time he’s got LA Galaxy written all over him. If he doesn’t go there this summer, it’s only a matter of time.

A stop start season for Big Dejan. He came back injured from the World Cup and couldn’t get back in the side due to the form of Joe Gomez. When he did get his chance he played well enough but was never able to get a long run in the team because there was always something going on. An illness here, a little hamstring pull there, just minor stuff that disrupted his rhythm. It was in stark contrast to a year ago when he was a fixture in the side alongside Big Virg and was arguably our best player (along with Robbo) in the Champions League final loss to Madrid. Lovren’s star was in the ascendancy, especially when he followed it up with an impressive World Cup campaign that saw Croatia reach the final. Poor Dejan lost a Champions League final and a World Cup final in the space of a couple of months. His reputation was as high as it had ever been though, and when he described himself as “top five” in the world it wasn’t as ludicrous as many seemed to think. He’s much derided due to that claim, but I’m one of the few who felt that his boast wasn’t that outlandish at the time he made it. Based on his form in 2018, when he performed well in some extremely high profile games for club and country, he was one of the best. Since then he’s hardly played, and he’s now number four at his own club. Things can change quickly though, we’ve seen that. Besides, being number four at Liverpool doesn’t mean he’s no longer top five in the world. It just means Matip and Gomez have joined him in that elite group. Seriously though, I like him. He’s a character, he keeps Mo entertained and his Instagram rant about Sergio Ramos after Croatia played Spain was legendary. In case you’d forgotten, after beating Spain 3-2 Lovren grabbed his phone and went off on one…. “Elbowed him good,” said Lovren, citing a challenge on Ramos during the game, while making a gesture with his elbow. “Haha! 3-2! Go ahead and talk now, buddy. Buddy! They are a bunch of pussies.” He then proceeded to cover the Spain flag on his match jersey, while pointing at the Croatia flag, and continued: “Only this side [Croatia] is worthy. Now to beat England and walk out like a boss!” Lovren also posted a picture of himself getting the better of Ramos in an aerial challenge during the game, accompanied by the message: “Good morning Croatia”. I mean come on, that’s funny as fuck. I can imagine Klopp’s reaction when he heard about it. There’s no point even getting worked up about it, he probably just rolled his eyes, shook his head and said “fuckin’ Dejan”. He cracks me up. When we beat Barca he did one of the post-match interviews even though he didn’t even play! You’d never know if he played in a game or not based on his celebrations, as he’s going to be the life and soul of it no matter what. I saw some rival fans on social media comparing him to John Terry after the way he was right at the heart of the celebrations when we won number six, but unlike Terry (who was suspended) Lovren was on the bench so was entitled to be wearing full kit (and shinnies!). Besides, the reason he enjoyed it so much was because he was part of the side that lost a year before. He referenced that in the interview he did after Barca and he also spoke about the need for those not in the team to put that disappointment to one side and be supportive. “I’m so happy for the team. I felt it last year. I saw how the guys who didn’t play were smiling. It’s my turn now to give them a boost, to give them confidence. I’m proud of them for reaching the final.” That’s one of the most impressive things Klopp has done but it’s also one of the least talked about. Everyone in that squad feels like they are important, whether they are in the team or not. It’s easy to laugh at those who didn’t play when you see them giving it the beans, but this isn’t a Josemi type situation. Klopp is forever telling them all how important they are and they’ve bought into it. It’s a squad, not a team, and they’re all in it together irrespective of who makes the starting eleven. The best part about that Lovren interview though was when he was asked about whether the team could go one better than last year. “We will. Trust me.” He didn’t even know who we playing at that point, but it mattered not. He even doubled down on it a few seconds later when the final was brought up again and he said “We will do it. Trust me”. And he was right. There was a time when a Lovren brag would almost certainly end in embarrassment (usually his) but not any more. We now have a team and manager who can back up Dejan’s bravado. Some would suggest that it’s also because he’s not playing, but that’s just mean. Rating 7 / 10 Possibly a little generous, but he celebrates like a boss and that counts for something. Best Moment: Savaging Ramos on Instagram or dragging Hendo over to the fans after the final and yelling “This is the fucking man! This is your captain!” Worst Moment: Making Rondon look like prime time Didier Drogba. The Future: Is uncertain. There’s talk that he’s available for £25m and AC Milan are interested. Maybe the Reds will want to get his 100k a week off the wage bill considering he’s fourth choice, but the smart move is probably to keep him around for another year while Ki-Jana Hoever develops. As long as Lovren is happy to fight for his place, then let him stay. He’s a big part of the incredible team spirit in the camp, as he’s often the butt of his team-mates jokes but he takes it all in good spirit and gives as good as he gets. Matip and Gomez have had injury problems, we’ve got a shitload of games next year, so for me Lovren needs to stay as he has a part to play.