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A new day sees another interesting name linked to the club, and this time around it is a individual that we all very well.The Daily Express (via French outlet Le10 Sport) reports that the Reds are interested in re-signing Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona.The Brazilian has had a much discussed tough time of things things leaving Liverpool midway through last season, and the 27 year old has recently spoken about his future at the Catalan giants."I don't know if I will continue at Barcelona."Nobody knows about the future, and right now I am focused on playing with my [national] team.While he was adored on the Kop, Coutinho has found the Nou Camp a much tougher fanbase to win over. Much of that has to the fact that he is not a lock to be in Barca's starting eleven week in and week out leading to a number of inconsistent performances.The highly skilled attacking midfielder has no shortage of suitors interested in his services including PSG, Manchester United and Chelsea.But if Coutinho stays at the Barcelona for the time being, it could also work out as a boost for Liverpool. That is because the club could pocket some handy cash due to a contract clause.So far, Liverpool have accumulated £22.5m of the possible £36m in add-ons, through qualification for the 2018/19 and 2019/20 editions of the Champions League and appearance fees.Liverpool included a clause on the contract which means Barcelona pay them £4.5m every 25 games he pulls on the Catalan club’s shirt.Coutinho has played 75 times for Barcelona so far, meaning there is one more instalment of £4.5m to up for grabs.It is a case of mixed emotions when it comes to Coutinho's current predicament.He produced many moments of individual brilliance during his five season spell at the club.However his departure was poorly handled by the individual and his team of advisors, leading to a sense of angst that could have been easily avoided.The old adage that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence seems to be particularly true in this case.If Cou was to return, would he be welcomed back with open arms like a prodigal son, or would there be a deal of scepticism attached?This is certainly another transfer storyline to watch with interest as the summer progresses.

Difficult one this because the injury disrupted Joe's season and he only featured sporadically after his return (usually at right back) so he was never able to get back into any kind of groove. It would be unfair to judge him based on that though so instead I’m rating him based on his form pre-injury, which was sensational. His partnership with Big Virg (with Alisson behind them) was almost impregnable and it felt like we only conceded about three goals in the first three months. I know that’s not the case, it’s just how it felt to me. They never even really got to play with Fabinho shielding them either. Joel Matip was brilliant in the second half of the season, but the prospect of Gomez again linking up with Van Dijk, and with Fabinho destroying souls in front of them... well it’s mouth watering. Going into the season I didn’t expect that level of performance from Gomez. I know some probably did, as there have been calls for him to be given a run at centre back for a while. Not from me though. I'll freely admit that I’d have kept Ragnar Klavan (don't really have much of a choice seeing as I wrote it at the time!) as I felt like we were leaving ourselves a little short with just the four centre halves, especially as three of them have a history of missing a lot of games. As it turned out, I was half right as we did end up in a situation where Van Dijk was our only fit centre back and we had to use Fabinho there. That being said, Fabinho was brilliant when we had to cover there, so allowing Ragnar to go was the right call, especially as it gave Gomez his opportunity. I’ve always felt that Gomez looks like someone who could go on to be a superstar, but I didn't see it happening this season. You could see it though. Some players just stand out from the rest, and he did. He just looks smooth. He’s quick, strong, good on the ball and right from the very first game he played (at left back) you could see he had that something about him that great players have. Would I have put as much faith in him this season as Jurgen did? Nope. Two reasons for that. Firstly, the injuries. He’s missed so many games it was difficult to know if he was the same player he was before. Not only that, even if he was the same player he was before, he basically missed two whole seasons of development and gaining experience. So even though he was only 20 going into the season, he was an inexperienced 20 playing a position where experience is one of the main requirements to being successful. Young centre backs make mistakes. It goes with the job. That’s just a fact. It’s such a difficult position for a manager to put his faith in a young player, which is why they are often loaned out. Let them make those mistakes for someone else, or alternatively play them at full back until they've got enough experience to make the switch. You can throw a kid in up front and let him run around and freestyle a bit. If he’s talented, he’ll learn on the job while still making a contribution. You can play them in midfield or full back too, as they have enough players around them to help them out and cover for any mistakes. Centre back is a whole different ball game though. That’s why you rarely see top clubs playing youngsters in that position. Along with goalkeeper, it’s the one position where experience is just as important as talent. Gomez had all the tools and we knew he had massive potential, but I’ll admit, I was worried when we went into the season with Matip and Lovren sidelined, and Gomez as the only option to play alongside Van Dijk. I couldn’t have been more wrong though. Joe was a revelation. The mistakes that you expect from young defenders were nowhere to be seen. In fact, I don’t actually recall any. I’m sure there must have been one or two, but none jump out at me. That’s credit to Gomez but also to Virgil, who must be the easiest player in the world to play alongside as he’s so calm, so dominant and is always talking. Would Gomez have been so accomplished if he’d started the season alongside Lovren or Matip? Doubtful. And I don’t say that to diminish what Joe accomplished. He still has to go out and perform, and he did. Van Dijk makes it easier for the whole team though, which is one of many reasons why he’s the best in the business, Gomez was lighting it up alongside him though and if Virgil was the best in the league you could make a compelling argument that Joe was number two. Of course I’m biased, but who was better than him? Look around the league. Other than Laporte I don’t think there’s anyone who could say they were performing at the same level as Gomez. And then he got injured. He was playing right back that day, which directly contributed to the injury as he wouldn't have in that situation had he been playing in the middle. Klopp blasted the challenge from the Burnley lad but it really wasn't anything out of the ordinary. 99 times out of a 100 Gomez would have just walked away from that unscathed, but Joe doesn't seem to have much luck. The poor lad is cursed isn’t he? Some players are injury prone but Gomez just seems to be incredibly unlucky. It’s not as though he’s constantly picking up muscle injuries like Adam Lallana, or crying off with various different ailments like Dejan Lovren. He’s done his ACL, he’s done ankle ligaments and he’s broken his leg. He’s only 21 and he’s had those three major injuries already. As I say, cursed. Players who continually suffer from muscle injuries are not really any use and need to be moved on. That’s my definition of injury prone. Gomez has been prone to injuries, but is it fair to say he’s ‘injury prone’? I’m uncomfortable using that label on him based on the nature of the injuries he’s had. It also hasn’t helped that it appears his injuries have been mis-diagnosed on more than one occasion. It happened last season and cost him a place in the Champions League final as well as the World Cup (rumour has it that it also contributed to Buvac’s departure, as ‘the Brain’ felt that players were being rushed back from injury before they were ready). It happened again this year and cost him three months of the season. I don’t know if it was avoidable or if there is any blame to be attached to anyone, but two seasons running Gomez picked up an injury that was said to be one thing and turned out to be something different. The initial timescale for his return ended up being doubled in both instances. It cost him a starting place in two Champions League finals. He may or may not have played at right back last year, but were it not for the injury suffered at Burnley he would almost certainly have been lining up at centre back in this year’s final. Hopefully there are more to come though. It’s so tough because any time you lose your place due to a long term injury, it’s going to be heard getting back in when the standard is so high now. Last year he was being rotated with Trent at right back, but his injury opened the door for Trent to play every week and just look at how good he’s become. This year Joe’s misfortune presented an opportunity for Matip, and he was so good that no-one could get the shirt back off him. That’s how it used to be when we were so dominant, and even though football has changed and it’s much more of a squad game these days, Klopp is still operating a policy of if you’re in possession of the shirt and doing well, you’ll keep it except when you need a rest. Matip didn’t play every game in the run in. He was rotated with Lovren, but because he’d played so well he was always brought back in for the big games. Gomez was out of the centre back equation because he missed all that time. At least his versatility meant he still got some minutes filling in for Trent and he got on for a few minutes in the final too which was well deserved. The competition for places is fierce now, especially in midfield and at centre back. Joe deserves better luck next year and if he can stay fit then Klopp really is going to have an embarrassment of riches to choose from. Rating 9 /10. It’s a pre-injury rating. Overall I could have gone lower if I’d factored in the second half of the season, but both Matip and Fabinho were rated on the second half of the season when they played regularly, so applying the same criteria for Gomez how could he be any less than a 9? Best Moment: The goal-line clearance in the Anfield derby, or maybe turning on the after burners and delivering a crunching challenge on Lucas Moura against Spurs at Wembley. Worst Moment: Breaking his leg at Burnley. The future? As long as the injury curse is lifted this lad is going to be an all time great. I’ve got no doubt about that whatsoever. He’s been around for a while already but still has another 12 years in him before his pace starts to go. Fingers crossed, half of those years should be alongside Van Dijk so yeah, I think we’re looking at someone who could go on to be one of the best ever.

Jurgen Klopp has signalled that Liverpool will be much more active in the summer transfer window than what was previously thought.There was a wide held view that the Reds would be quiet players on the market, looking for complementary pieces rather than big money signings.However The Mirror (via German broadcaster ZDF) reported Klopp as saying that a change of approach may be in order."Liverpool is an ambitious club and if we didn't spend the same amount of money as others, we wouldn't be able to compete." Everybody's splashing the cash, so we have to do the same." This time of the year brings all kinds of wild speculation with one rumour currently doing the rounds seeing the club linked with PSG star Kylian Mbappe.Another player who has come onto the radar of late is Real Betis left-back Junior Firpo.The Mirror also reports that the Spanish U/21 international will set the club back in the region of £45 million.It seems a remarkably high figure when you take into account that he would be competing with Andy Robertson for a starting berth who is rightly regarded as one of the best in his position in world football.But there is no doubt that Klopp required a reliable backup for Robbo, especially as you have to plan as best you can for all scenarios which may arise during a gruelling season.It is the same issue that faces the front three with Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane facing busy international schedules in the off-season.Divock Origi certainly proved his worth in a back-up role last season, but another senior attacker may be required to join the squad. All there is to say about this period of the football calendar is, expect the unexpected.

I love this little guy. How can you not love him? Look at his little smiling face. If I was one of his team-mates I’d spent all day just ruffling his hair and high fiving him. He’d probably end up hating me or reporting me for harassment. When I think of Shaq, the first thing that comes into my head is this clip of him on his first day at Melwood giving it the 'finger gun' when he saw the fitness guy he worked with at Bayern. That’s Shaq right there, a gif makers wet dream. He’s the kind of player that fans are drawn to. If he stays here another year (or hopefully more) he’ll be even more of a cult hero than he already is. In a squad full of so much talent he’s never going to be one of the main men even though he’s a top player in his own right. He’s a modern day Ronny Rosenthal type. Someone who made a big impact in limited playing time and who will always be remembered fondly and with a nostalgic smile. I wish he’d played more this season but I trust Klopp’s judgement implicitly (let’s face it, how can you not?) and if he’s not picking him much then there’s a reason for that. It’s probably due to his off the ball work more than anything. It’s not that he’s lazy or unwilling to work, I just don’t think it’s something he’s particularly good at as it doesn’t come naturally to him. Some players can just do it instinctively, but if you’ve got to think about where you need to run and when you need to close down, that split second can make all the difference. Initially I hoped Shaq might be able to fill the role Coutinho vacated. Sometimes in the front three, sometimes in a midfield trio. In theory it seemed like it could work, but Klopp never played him in midfield and usually when he picked him he changed the system to 4-2-3-1. It has to be down to a lack of trust in him defensively, as nothing else makes sense. Even taking that into account I still thought he could have been used more, because he is a difference maker. His goals and assists record is really good based on minutes played, and he’s one of those players who can lift the crowd as soon as he steps onto the field. He made an instant impact with a spectacular overhead kick goal against the Mancs in a pre-season game in the States, and he looked sharp from day one. A free-kick that hit the underside of the bar against Southampton (Mo followed in and buried it) also stands out as an early memory. I also remember Klopp coming onto the field at full time and having a right go at him over something. Poor little Shaq looked distraught, like a kid being blocked by his Dad. He was just unfortunate there, he was the first player Klopp ran into so bore the brunt of his ire over a short free-kick routine in stoppage time when Klopp wanted it put into the box. It wasn’t even Shaq’s fault, but he was nearest so he took the flak. His little face though, it was heartbreaking. The best bit was when he mistook Klopp’s gesturing as an offer of a handshake and he just grabbed Klopp’s hand. It kills me every time I watch this, it’s fucking hilarious. bigshaq.mp4 Cracking the starting line up was never really likely given the players he was competing against, and I also thought there might be an element of him needing to wait a few months until he learned all the intricacies of the pressing game. It didn’t really turn out like that. He probably played more early in the season than he did in the run in. That’s a little worrying in one sense, as you’d think that once he picked up all the nuances of the system he’d feature more, in the way Ox did the year before. Instead, he found himself struggling to get any minutes for about three months. Klopp actually apologised for this towards the end of the season, but when you see the results we had there’s not really anything to apologise for. That being said, maybe Shaq might have been able to make a difference in some of those draws we had? When he did play, he was effective. He ended the season with six goals from eleven starts. Ok, he had a lot of sub appearances too, but that’s still a good level of production. He had a few assists too, some of them vital ones. It was his cross from which Origi headed the winner at Newcastle, and it was another pinpoint Shaq delivery that allowed Gini to head in the third against Barca a few days later. He’s just a really good little footballer. He can score and he can create, and when he’s on the pitch he makes things happen. He also has the ability to immediately change the pace of a game when he comes off the bench. He can lift a crowd, which in turn lifts the team. There were a few occasions early in the season when he came on as a sub and with his very first involvement he immediately had the crowd go up a notch or two. Some players can do that, most can’t. It’s not always even about doing something impactful. It’s just the vibe he gives off. He’s busy, he looks like he wants to get on the ball and do something positive, and that has an effect on the crowd. This was never more evident than when he came off the bench to score twice against United at Anfield. They were really beginning to frustrate us but Shaqiri’s positivity turned the game. The tunnel footage they show on LFC TV after home games captured Van Dijk walking off the pitch and shouting “BIG SHAQ IN THE HOUSE!!!!”. I love that. I also love that Shaqiri never complained when he wasn’t getting a look in. Just like Origi, he kept his head down and waited for his chance to come again, and when it did he made sure he contributed to the cause. In short, he's boss and I love him. He's my Dad's favourite player. My Dad loved Ronny Rosenthal too, so that's something else they have in common. Rating 7/10. He was a steal for the price we paid and he’s done exactly what we needed him to do. Best Moment: Scoring twice in front of the Kop against United, and in doing so earning the approval of Big Virg.. Worst Moment: The first half against Barca wasn’t great, he kept giving the ball away. He was much better in the second half though. Being shouted at by his Dad, I mean manager, was the worst though. Poor little guy. The Future? Tough one this. I had suspected his stay here might be coming to an end but he insists he’s staying and I hope that’s the case. Regardless of what happens this summer he’ll always have a place in our hearts.

Divock Origi, the man who was undoubtedly one of Liverpool's heroes of the 2018/9 campaign will not be on the move in the summer transfer window.After his telling contribution in the last month of the season, it had been speculated if the Belgian would look to new pastures, especially as his status as a impact substitute and occasional starter is unlikely to change in the long term at the Reds.However, The Mirror reports (via ESPN) that the club will not sanction a sale for Origi under any circumstances even if it means losing him on a free transfer at the end of next season.The 24 year-old is approaching the final year of his current deal and while it is believed that he has opened up contract negotiations over a new deal. Origi is keeping all options on the table. It is fair to say that Origi's Liverpool career has been something of a roller coaster. There were the highs of the Europa League campaign in Jurgen Klopp's first season where he led the line against esteemed opposition with maturity well beyond his years, but soon after the crushing blow of a serious ankle injury occurred sending him back to square one once again.Midway through the following season saw the striker hit a hot streak scoring four goals in as many league games, but the second half of that campaign saw Origi flatter to deceive.He was then sent on loan to Wolfsburg for the 2017/8 campaign where it is fair to say he did not set the world on fire by any means.So the expectations on his return to the Premier League were certainly not what you would call 'sky high.' In fact to the contrary, many observers were surprised that he was still a member of the squad.But the beauty about Football is that it only takes a couple of moments which can set you on your way to another level and Origi is testament to that. He was blessed to have the kind of physical attributes that every striker would die for, but for the youngster it was all about developing a sense of belief in his own capabilities. While the winner against Everton could be put down to a high level of good fortune, his ability to step up to the mark when the opportunity arose against Newcastle, Barcelona and Tottenham shows that Origi has plenty more to give as a footballer. Whether that is to be with the Reds in the longer term is going to be a interesting storyline to follow.But one thing is for certain, after some false starts, the career of Divock Origi is only heading in one direction from here.And his contribution in the latter part of the 2018/9 season will never be forgotten by anyone associated with the club.

I expected Naby Keita to arrive and hit the Premier League like a tornado, but he barely managed a mild breeze. It was weird. The player I thought we were getting was nothing like the one we saw. Even when he started to play well late in the season, he wasn’t the player I thought we’d signed. We’d waited so long for him to get here that the expectations were huge. Based on all those youtube compilations we’d all watched, I expected this whirlwind bundle of energy who would rack up goals, assists and a ton of yellow and red cards. Someone who would be dribbling past five players and splitting a defence one minute, and then two footing someone and getting red carded the next. He was nothing like that though. Did he even make a tackle all season? I don’t actually mean that as a criticism, as I have no problems with his work off the ball (the nerds will tell you he rates highly in all of those categories). It’s just he wasn’t what I expected. I thought he’d be a bit of a hothead who Klopp might have his hands full with. After all, he did hospitalise one of his own team-mates in training when he was at Leipzig. That’s not who he is at all though. I almost wish it was. I was looking forward to seeing him explode all over the Premier League, but it just didn’t happen. Injuries didn’t help of course. He was in and out of the side all season through one thing or another and it wasn’t until April that he really got going. He scored three goals that month and his performances steadily improved with each game. Then, just when he was really starting to look sharp, he got injured early in the game at the Nou Camp and his season was over. Unlike several other recent new signings, Naby didn’t have to wait long for his opportunity. Guinea not qualifying for the World Cup meant he had a full pre-season with us and he looked dynamite from the word go. His link up with Sturridge was a feature of those early games and did nothing to dampen the lofty expectations we all had of him. He was in the starting line up on day one of the new season and looked good in a 4-0 win over West Ham. One little slide rule ball inside the right back that allowed Robbo to cross for Salah to tap in was a particular highlight. Next up was a trip to Palace. We saw the best and worst of him that night. First, picking the ball up under pressure deep in his own half, he produced a brilliant turn and then played a perfectly chipped ball over the top into the path of Salah. Then, picking the ball up in virtually the same spot, he passed the ball straight to Benteke and Andros Townsend hit the woodwork. He got away with a sloppy one there, but overall it was a good performance and he could easily have scored a couple of goals with sharper finishing. So far so good. It felt like he was settling in nicely and big things were on the horizon. It just never happened though. He was injured on international duty and then picked up another knock away at Napoli (in a game where he had looked wretched). After that he was in and out of the team and was generally ineffective. He was rarely noticeably bad, but he just wasn’t really doing much and seemed to be playing well within himself. The player that had swaggered his way through two seasons in the Bundesliga looked timid, lacking in confidence and, at times, a bit too meek to cut it in the Premier League. Klopp’s tinkering with the system probably hurt Keita more than most. He didn’t look comfortable in the 4-2-3-1, especially when he was occasionally asked to play on the left wing. His form was cause for mild concern but with the team doing so well it wasn’t a major issue. It took some of the pressure off him and eventually he began to settle and show some good form in the spring. He scored in successive games at Southampton and Porto, and added another at home to Huddersfield a couple of weeks later. He looked great that night and kept his place for the trip to Camp Nou. He was looking sharp in that game too until he did his groin. It was unsatisfactory way to end his first season but at least his arrow was trending upwards, which bodes well for next year. The stat crew will tell you that Naby's number's are good, and I'm not going to argue with that. He might have had a great looking season on a spreadsheet but the eye test is another matter. We can all see that he didn't set the league alight, and Naby will know it himself. This season was generally disappointing for him but there seems to be no real cause for future concern. He was starting to look the part and with a season of acclimatisation now under his belt, there’s no reason to believe he won’t be much better next year. Rating 6/10. Had the team not done so well this might have been lower. He failed to live up to expectations but ultimately it didn’t matter because his team-mates picked up the slack, which makes it easier to be generous with the rating. Best Moment: The turn and pass against Palace. Worst Moment: Not being awarded a penalty at home to Leicester when he was clearly brought down in the box. We drew that game, costing us two points and the league title. It still rankles as it was such a blatant penalty it's hard to believe that the referee missed it. Thanks for that, Martin Atkinson. The Future? The expectations I had of him a year ago are still there, although my perception of the type of player he is have changed considerably. I’m not expecting ‘explosive’ anymore, but I do expect efficiency and excellence. It's not going to be easy getting in the side though as the competition for places in midfield is more intense than anywhere else in the side.

Going into the season the likeable Dutchman seemed to be one of those most under threat by the arrivals of Fabinho and Naby Keita, yet he was our best midfielder in the opening months. By some distance. His start to the season was fantastic. He had a little dip in the middle (actually 'dip' might be overstating it to be fair) but he came back strong again and he was almost superhuman in that Barcelona game. He’s such a clever, versatile footballer. He's been brilliant whenever he has had to play as a number six and this time last year that was a position I thought he might settle down into. Then we bought Fabinho, and the impact made by the Brazilian in the second part of the season means we're unlikely to see Wijnaldum there much in the future. He'll probably be the one to fill in for Fabinho now though, with Henderson finally released from those shackles and allowed to run free again. The thing Klopp seems to love most about Wijnaldum is that he’s so tactically aware he can be deployed virtually anywhere and will carry out his manager’s instructions to the letter. He was even asked to fill in for Bobby in the Nou Camp, a move that surprised everyone, including Wijnaldum himself. In some ways Gini is a lot like Milner (and even Hendo, to a degree). On paper you look at all the players vying for those midfield positions and think “he’s not going to get too much playing time”. Then at the end of the season you look and he’s got 35 starts or something. Managers love players like them a lot more than the internet does. There’s some talk that we might sign a more creative midfielder to compliment what we already have. If that happens and you asked the fans what their strongest line up would be, loads would go for Fabinho, Keita and the new signing. Gini, Hendo and Milner would be overlooked by many. Not by Klopp though. Ironically I think Klopp’s trust in Wijnaldum tactically plays a part in Gini being somewhat under-rated. You could say he’s a modern day Ronnie Whelan in that respect. Often Gini does the water carrier’s role because that’s what Klopp needs him to do. He’s so much more than that though, when he’s given licence to be. I used to get a little frustrated with Gini because there would be games when he’d be really quiet and not get forward at all. Then the next week I’d see him making runs into the box and causing havoc and I’d think ‘why can’t he do that more often?’ Now I realise it’s because he’s either doing what he’s told, or what he himself has decided is required to most help the team. H'e just smarter than the average bear. Look at the goal he scored away at Cardiff, when he identified how they were defending set-pieces and then drew up a corner routine at half time that saw him smash one in completely unmarked. If he’s got the freedom to make those runs, or if he’s determined that the situation requires it, then he will do it all day, but if he’s been told (or decided himself) that he needs to sit in and keep the shape, then that’s exactly what he’ll do. There's no ego about him at all, he's just all about the team. I feel as though he should be let off the leash more often though as he could easily be a 12 goal a season midfield player if he had licence to get in the box more. When he does it, he’s great. When he doesn’t, he’s extremely steady and dependable. The Barcelona game is the most obvious example of him getting in the box and making the difference, but there was also the game at home to Bournemouth when he kept running behind the forwards and scored a brilliant goal doing just that. He’s just a terrific all around player. He’s so good in possession and is almost impossible to dispossess, which is why he’s always excelled on the infrequent occasions he’s had to play as the six. He’s strong, uses his body well and is an under-rated dribbler. That little bit of skill he did to leave three Barca players for dead at Anfield will live long in the memory. So all in all, another really good season from Gini. He’s a great player to have around and a big part of everything we’ve achieved over the last couple of years. I imagine he’s probably one of the most liked players in the dressing room. Maybe even the most liked by everyone, as he’s just such a lovely, friendly fella. He’s also the owner of arguably the most beautiful face in football, and he unquestionably has the best smile. Rating 8/10. His best season for us so far. Very consistent. Capable of even more, but that depends on how Klopp uses him. Best Moment: The second leg against Barca. The stuff of legends. Worst Moment: Nope, I got nuthin’. The Future? He doesn’t have a new contract yet. That should be one of the first things addressed this summer.

Reports in Portugal claim Liverpool are the first club to have made a formal offer for Sporting Lisbon’s star midfield man Bruno Fernandes. Correio de Manha reports that the Reds have offered £40m for the 24 year old but that Sporting’s valuation is considerably higher. So far there have been no other firm offers for one of Europe’s most sought after players. Fernandes is in high demand, with Spurs, Inter Milan and both Manchester clubs having already been linked with him this summer. He certainly fits Liverpool’s recent profile of signings as under Jurgen Klopp the Reds have tended to target players in the 23-26 age bracket. Players who have proven themselves but are ready to take the next level. Sadio Mané, Mohamed Salah, Naby Keita and Fabinho amongst others all fall into this category, and Fernandes would be another. At 24 years of age he’s coming off the best season of his career, scoring 32 goals and also claiming 18 assists from midfield. Hugely impressive numbers, which even if halved would still make him a valuable asset to any team. A year ago the Reds were only a failed medical away from adding Lyon star Nabil Fekir to the squad as a replacement for Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian has never truly been replaced and although Liverpool have fared pretty well without him (reaching successive Champions League finals, winning one of them while also breaking the club record for points in a top flight season), many would argue that there is still a vacancy in the squad for a creative, goalscoring midfield player. Liverpool finished just one point behind City last year and need to explore every possible avenue if they are to overhaul Pep Guardiola’s team. UK bookmakers still make City favourites to retain their title, but that may change depending on how both clubs fare in the transfer market this summer. The Reds have the best defence and the most potent forward line, so adding extra goals from midfield could be the key to jump from second to first. That is the one obvious area where Liverpool are behind Manchester City. Klopp certainly has a number of high quality midfield players at his disposal, but he has no ‘magician’ following the departure of Coutinho and collapse of the Fekir deal. City have the two Silvas and Kevin De Bruyne. From that perspective, a move for Fernandes would seem plausible but as of yet the usual suspects on the LFC patch have yet to confirm it. Until that happens, best to take these rumours with a pinch of salt.

As with Joel Matip, I’ve chosen to largely ignore the first few months of the season when Fabinho hardly played. Matip didn’t play because initially he was injured, and then he couldn’t get in the team. With Fabinho it was different. He was fit, he just wasn’t selected. It may have been frustrating for him at the time, but given the way things turned out he will surely understand now why he didn't get a look in for a while. Jurgen played this one absolutely perfectly. Of course it’s easier to leave out a big money new arrival when the team are winning virtually every week, but even so, Klopp was still being grilled about why Fabinho wasn’t playing but he wouldn’t be rushed. Fabinho was barely seen for months. He didn’t even make the bench sometimes, despite arriving with a big reputation (not to mention a big price tag) from Monaco. This caused a bit of unnecessary panic from some fans and a lot of bollocks to be written by some sections of the media. There was even speculation of him being sold back to France in the January window. There was never any chance of that happening. Anyone with any sort of clue knew what was going on. Klopp has simply gone back to the old ways of letting players learn ‘the Liverpool Way’ rather than immediately throw them in to the side. There are exceptions of course, some players go straight in and take off immediately. Others have needed time, and they’ve been given it. Last season it was Robertson and Oxlade-Chamberlain who needed a few months to pick it up, this year it was Fabinho and Naby Keita, and to a certain extent Xherdan Shaqiri too. Keita had been expected to hit the ground running due to coming from a system and style at Leipzig that was not unlike Klopp’s, but for Fabinho it was a whole different ball game. He was learning to adapt to a new league, a new country, new team-mates and most crucially, a new style of play which is pretty complex and takes time to learn. It’s not like we were desperate and needed to throw him in. We had Henderson and Wijnaldum for the number six role so Klopp had the luxury of taking his time with the Brazilian and spending time on the training ground getting him familiar with what is required. The first we saw of him was as a last minute substitute against PSG in September. He played 87 minutes of the EFL Cup loss to Chelsea and got 15 minutes off the bench away at Napoli. Another sub appearance came in the win at Huddersfield in late October, and then he started three games on the bounce. He looked good in the first two, but the pace of the third one (away at Arsenal) seemed too much for him. At this time Klopp was experimenting with different tactical set ups and I felt as though the formation change to 4-2-3-1 was to make things easier for Fabinho (and also Shaqiri) to come in and play their natural game. Expecting Fabinho to play the ‘six’ role at that early stage was perhaps unrealistic, and having done well as part of a two against Red Star and Cardiff it was probably no co-incidence that his struggles at the Emirates came when he was left ‘alone’ in a 4-3-3. Pep Ljinders later said something about how they felt he was playing too deep and that although he was the best in the world at defending in front of the centre backs, he struggled covering across from side to side. These are the things he needed to learn, and learn them he did. As soon as Fabinho got himself comfortable and was able to hold down the fort on his own, he just went from strength to strength. In fact, I could make a decent argument that since January he’s been as dominant and as influential as Virgil Van Dijk. He’s an absolute monster, capable of just taking over the middle of the pitch and bossing things. He’s a tackling machine, he reads the game brilliantly and he can pick a pass as well. I look at him and see a mixture of Didi Hamann and Patrick Vieira, with a bit of Javier Mascherano thrown in too. The spine of our team now with Alisson, Van Dijk and Fabinho, is pretty damn intimidating isn’t it? Imagine being an opposition player lining up next to them in the tunnel. Just big, physical specimens who can all play. They're bigger than you and they're better than you. How do you overcome that? You don;t. With him on the field we look to have gone up an extra level. Scoring goals against us when we’ve got Alisson, Van Dijk and Fabinho on the pitch is incredibly difficult for anyone. It’s not just the defensive side that makes Fabinho so important though. He just brings a calm to the team. He settles things down. He was even brilliant on a couple of occasions when he needed to play centre back too. Matip said it best I think: “Fabinho is amazing. You always know you can play the ball to him, even a shit ball, he does not get stressed. When he makes a tackle…his leg seems to get longer and longer, like a gadget.” Matip also referenced the Barca game at Anfield and how it looked like there were three or four Fabinho’s on the pitch because he was everywhere. It was an incredible display. To play the way he did, despite being on a yellow card for 80 minutes, almost defied belief. That night Fabinho was like the end of level boss you can’t beat on a video game and by full time both Suarez and Messi had thrown their control pads at the TV in frustration. We’ve got some cracking options in the middle of the park, but I don’t think I’m wrong is stating that our midfield now is Fabinho plus two others. Rating 9/10. As I said, since January he might have been our best player. Best Moment: The second leg against Barca. One of the greatest defensive midfield performances I’ve ever seen, capped by that visceral roar into the face of Suarez. Worst Moment: Not being picked by Brazil for the Copa America despite being the best defensive midfielder in Europe in 2019. This is even worse than picking Jesus over Bobby. Are they mental? The Future? I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if he was Player of the Year next season. I can see him becoming ‘the midfield Van Dijk’ and just completely dominating everyone next year. I think I should also mention his missus here. Often, particularly with South American players, the wives don’t really settle. Or at least that’s an excuse regularly used when they want to leave (not specifically us here, I’m talking across the board). From day one though Fab’s other half became some kind of Liverpool Superfan. She was wearing the shirt on the plane over when he was signing, and she’s never off Twitter posting about the Reds. I’m not saying he’ll stay here forever but one thing I don’t think we need to worry about is his wife pushing for him to move. Hell, she might stay even if he goes.

Saturday Jun 8: Fuck all happening at the moment. The most interesting thing I saw today was something on Twitter that might have been complete bollocks for all I know. It got my attention though. Klopp was apparently invited onto the Graham Norton Show but declined, as he preferred to go on holiday instead. Completely understand why Kloppo couldn’t be arsed with it, as he doesn’t get much opportunity to get away from it all and spend time with the family. Besides, he’s not really into all that celebrity jazz anyway. Still, imagine how fucking funny he’d have been on there. He’s the only manager with the personality to pull a show like that off. Actually I tell a lie, my man Tim Sherwood could do it. If he had a job. And if he ever actually won something. Tell you who couldn’t pull it off. Pep, the boring bastard. He’d be whining about not getting credit for his treble and telling everyone about how big John Stones' balls are. Actually, that might make decent telly thinking about it. Is this what the summer is going to reduce me to? Just talking absolute shite about nothing to fill space? Anyone makes a crack that it doesn't take the summer to have me doing that can fuck off. Oh wait, something did actually happen today. Robbo scored a screamer for Scotland. It was like the shot he had in the final against Spurs only this one went in. Willing to bet here and now that he bags at least a couple like that next year. He’s finding his range I reckon. Imagine how good he’ll be when he adds a few goals to his armoury. We’re talking Balon d’or. Sunday Jun 9: England won the third place game against the Swiss after penalties. I didn’t watch it as to be honest I didn’t even know it was on. I wouldn’t have watched even if I had known, but I might have dipped in and out of it just to check on Shaq. Trent had a good game, apparently. I only know this because Lineker was tweeting about him. Again. Lineker obsesses about Trent almost as much as Man City’s press office obsesses about the Reds. In the final, Portugal beat Holland, which is a minor blow to Virgil’s hopes of pipping Messi. It shouldn’t make any difference either way really, but if he’d skippered Holland to this trophy it might have had an influence. Bernardo Silva was named player of the tournament, much to the visible disgust of Ronaldo. Maybe he is just a selfish, self absorbed, individual glory above the team wanker, or maybe he’s just playing up to that now and it’s all just some elaborate in-joke between him and his team-mates. He pulls this kind of shit all the time. The hissy fit he threw a few years ago when Arbeloa nipped in front of him to score a back post tap in was sensational. Is he really this much of a diva or is he just winding us all up? I reckon it’s a bit of both, as that one today can’t possibly be real. Meanwhile, one of his Portugal team-mates is hoping for a call from the Reds. Bruno Fernandez (who I mentioned a couple of weeks ago after he said he likes us better than City), is reportedly wanted by Spurs to replace Eriksen but he’s holding out in the hope that Klopp makes a move. United want him too, but what self respecting decent footballer is going to join that circus when there are better offers on the table? They are on the brink of signing that Welsh winger from Swansea and they’re being linked with Longstaff from Newcastle. They have no idea what they’re doing. They tried the “throw massive money at superstars” approach and it bombed spectacularly. So now they’re going oppo and doing it the “sign young and hungry players from unfashionable clubs” route. It won’t work because they don’t have the structure (or manager) in place to make it work. It’s a long way back for them fuckers. Monday Jun 10: Last week was a bit mad on Twitter from when Carra retweeted the stuff I’d said about Spurs and Kane. Today was mad in a different way. I quoted a tweet from some Manc claiming Vidic was better than Virg, and I compared it to saying Simply Red are better than the Beatles. Someone replied by saying that Westlife had more UK number ones than the Beatles, and then one of Westlife jumped in and said “We don’t”. Not gonna lie, it was pretty cool having one of the Westlife lads just randomly appearing in my mentions, but it's not like it was Abs from 5ive or anything. There'd be no living with me if that had happened. One day maybe. Also today, the MEN ran a story on how Virgil’s ‘not dribbled past’ stat isn’t accurate because Leroy Sane successfully took him on. I don’t actually care if he did or didn’t, but it’s hilarious how much we’re in the heads of everyone connected to City. Even funnier, Sane wasn’t playing for City when it happened. It was an international game. So, Van Dijk hasn’t been dribbled past for Liverpool, which is sound, as I don’t care what any of our lads are doing when they’re with their countries. Wait, news just in. Harry Kane has apparently claimed that he did it too, but his bid for glory was thwarted when Opta had to break it to him that “dribbled on” isn’t the same. Yeah yeah, I know I cracked that joke last week, but it’s a belter so I’m using it again. I’ll keep using it too, so you may as well get used to it. Tuesday Jun 11: So the streaker from the final reckons some of our players have been “sliding into her DM’s”. “I’m not revealing any names, but a couple of the Liverpool players did send me private flirty messages after I streaked the game. One sent some heart emojis and the other one a message saying, ‘I saw you at the game’. I honestly didn’t even know who they were until I clicked on their profiles. I didn’t respond though as I already have a boyfriend." Ok, I’m calling bullshit on this as I reckon she’s lying her bare naked little arse off. If she is telling the truth though, who are the most likely suspects? I’m putting Curtis Jones at the top of the list as he seems like a proper little scouser. I don’t reckon any of the first teasers are pulling stunts like that as they’re pretty much all spoken for. Big Joel looks a right smooth bastard and it briefly occurred to me that the “I saw you at the game” one could have been him , but then I remembered he’s not on any social media as he’s too smooth for that shit. So in short, I reckon she’s lying to generate yet more publicity for her boyfriends shitty website. Apparently he’s made millions out of this little stunt, the pimping cunt. No wait, it's Studge isn't it? That "I saw you" line is dripping with Studge I reckon. Wednesday Jun 12: AC Milan want Big Dejan. This is an interesting one because he’s on big money here and is pushing 30 now. Currently he’s fourth choice, so it would make financial sense to move him on. However, I can make an equally strong case for keeping him. We need a big squad, Gomez and Matip both have a history of injuries (as does Lovren, to be fair) so there’s every chance he’d get up to 20 games next season. Additionally, he’s a very big part of the dressing room dynamic as he seems to be the butt of a lot of jokes and always takes them in the right spirit. He appears to be very well liked by the rest of the lads and Mo loves him. If we were going to make a statement and go for De Ligt then I’d sell, but otherwise I’d keep him as there’s more to be gained by having him around than letting him leave. Speaking of De Ligt, he’s reported to be close to joining PSG. I’ve got some strong thoughts on this. If he joins PSG then it tells me a lot about him. Everyone has been kissing his arse about what a great leader he is. That speech he gave after Ajax won the title went viral, as did the clips of him singing with the fans after their wins in Madrid and at Juve. I mentioned on here that I didn’t really get why he’s being lauded when he was about to leave after only a couple of seasons in the team at his home town club. If he’d moved to us, City, Barca or Real then I don’t think anyone could blame him at all. However, if he swaps Ajax to go for the money in Paris then it doesn’t reflect well on him. If the move he really wants isn’t there this summer for whatever reason (Barca being skint, us not needing him etc) then stay at Ajax. Why the fuck is he leaving? He’s 19 years old, club captain, an icon of the fans, yet he’s apparently about to go and join the rest of the mercenaries at PSG. Maybe it’s just me, but if he makes that move I reckon it makes him a bit of a cunt. Thursday Jun 13: The fixtures come out and we start on a Friday night, which is shit. It’ll be fine if it’s a nice sunny evening, as it’ll almost feel like a spring European night, but this TV bullshit is robbing us of one of the best days of the season. There’s nothing quite like a sunny opening Saturday (or even Sunday) to kick things off. In terms of the games themselves, we’ve got an easy enough start and a fairly tough finish. I looked at the run in and it was a bit concerning, until I remembered that we’re fucking boss and don’t need to worry about the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea. Then I saw City’s run in. Unless we’re ahead going into the last half a dozen games then forget it. The two games against them will decide it next year. Just like they did this year actually. AC Milan want Big Dejan and for £25m we’d apparently let him go. I understand it, to a degree. He’s on 100k a week and is currently four in the pecking order. It would make sense to let him go and then either bring in a promising young talent to help with cover, or even go big on a De Ligt or Koulibaly, but I can make just as strong a case for keeping Lovren. This time last year he was coming off an outstanding season and a man of the match performance in the CL Final. He was about to have a great World Cup. He’s an excellent defender, but he does miss too many games. However, he’s a massive part of the dressing room and seems to be at the heart of pretty everything that goes on (even if it’s often just him being the butt of the others lads’ jokes!). He’s a valued member of the squad and seems to keep Mo happy. I’d prefer we kept him, but we’ll see how this one plays out. Meanwhile, Hazard is unveiled at the Bernabeu and the fans chant “We want Mbappe”. They’re the absolute worst aren’t they? Barca fans have a real sense of entitlement too, but Madrid are next level. I’ve grown to quite like Hazard over the past year or so and although it goes without saying I’m glad we don’t have to face him twice a year anymore (unless we get Madrid), I almost feel sorry for what may well happen to him there if he doesn’t immediately turn it on. He’s not Ronaldo, he won’t score 50 goals a season for them. If he produces the same kind of goal tally he did at Chelsea he’ll get the Bale treatment from them. I’m not a fan of Bale by any means, but it still pissed me off seeing how unappreciated he was after all he did for them. Still, players should be aware of all this before they move there so I guess whatever happens - good or bad - he can’t really have any complaints. Same as Coutinho at Barca really. Friday Jun 14: Suarez finally opens up on what happened at Anfield, and it’s glorious. What is it the kids say these days? Inject this straight into my veins… "The days after back in Barcelona were the worst moments of my life and career along with the 2014 World Cup, I wanted to disappear from the world." "I didn't want to take my children to school, everyone could see I was in a very bad way, I had days I didn't want to do anything, they were very difficult moments." "I didn't see it because we are Barcelona and we thought we'd have two or three chances to score, but we became nervous, we gave stupid passes away, we didn't show the right attitude." "When the first goal came we didn't know how to react, we knew we had really messed up. After the game in the dressing room no-one could say anything, there was sadness, bitterness and disappointment because we knew we'd given an awful image." In situations like this, no-one captures the mood quite like this man..... Tell you what else was great today. BBC changed a graphic on their website because City fans and Evertonians were crying about the original. What happened was they ran an article on the fixture list coming out, and they led with a photo of the Reds with the European Cup, rather than City with the league. City’s fans went mad (all ten of them) and they were backed up by hordes of angry Blues, all bleating about preferential treatment for the Redshite. And the BBC backed down. I reckon its hilarious. This kind of shit doesn’t bother me at all because we’re European Champions, so who gives a fuck really. I love how we’re in City’s heads though. They’re completely obsessed, the fuckin' weirdos. and that was the week that was…

Before writing this I had a look at Matip’s report card from this time last year. He was a 6 out of 10 and I ended the review with this: "The main thing for him is to stop getting injured so we can see what he’s made of. We know his partnership with Lovren isn’t bad but we’ve not seen much of him with Big Virg. Lovren's game went up another level with the Dutchman alongside him, so perhaps Matip's can too? At the moment Lovren is in possession of the shirt but there’ll be more than enough games to keep them all involved next year. I feel as though next year is make or break for Matip. He's got the ability but he needs to show he has the durability and the consistency." I’d say he did it, wouldn't you? Are there any Matip doubters still out there after the last six months? He only played half a season, but he was pretty much flawless when he did play. This wasn’t as surprising a success story as Divock Origi, but back in the opening months of the season no-one could have predicted the vital role Matip would play in a team that picked up 97 points and also became European Champions. It was hardly his fault he only played half a season, so I couldn’t really factor that into his rating. He had to be judged on the games he did play, not the ones he didn’t. And based on the games he played, he was actually one of our most impressive players. He's much more low profile than virtually everybody else in the squad, so he's never going to get much in the way of hype, but in the closing weeks of the season he was arguably as good as anyone. He started the season injured and number four in the pecking order but he ended it as the number two behind Van Dijk. He got in the side through injuries to Joe Gomez and Dejan Lovren, but he stayed in there because of his own performances. He was in the team on merit and even when the others were fully fit they couldn’t dislodge him. I never really understood a lot of the criticism he got prior to this season. I've gone back and forth with this with my Dad too many times to count. He was always on Matip's case, constantly saying he’s not good enough. It's relative though isn't it? It depends on what you’re looking for. If you're comparing him to Van Dijk then he'll come up short, but then who won't? I've always liked Matip but it wasn’t unreasonable to question whether he was up to being first choice. It was fair to doubt that, but he’s obviously a good player. My argument was that he’s not first choice and you won’t find a club in England that has a better fourth choice centre back than Matip. I don’t see how that could even be in question. He’d be starting for most teams, including some of the ‘big six’ teams over here. He’s better than anything at United and Arsenal, and would probably get a game at Chelsea too. And this was how I felt about him before he got into our side and performed so well. Now I think he’s won everyone over, even my Dad. He has shown he is good enough to be first choice, but so have Gomez and - unpopular opinion alert - so has Lovren. Any one of them could play alongside Van Dijk and we’d still have the best defence in the league. The problem big Joel has always had is that he couldn’t stay fit. He’d have little run of games and start to look good, but then ‘pop’ would go a thigh muscle and it’s two months on the sidelines. He was unreliable, much like Lovren and (I hate to say it, because I just think it’s bad luck more than anything) Gomez. Even this year, he got a chance in the team and then picked up a freak injury in the very last second of the win over Napoli when he was disgracefully taken out by a striker as he headed the ball clear. That was an awful, cowardly challenge that went unpunished because the final whistle went immediately (and the ref was absolutely horrendous that night. Thankfully he was better in the final.) Matip had a brilliant game that night and the injury was desperately unfortunate for him. He might not have gotten another chance had Gomez not suffered complications in his recovery from a leg fracture, or if Lovren hadn’t continued to be struck down by a variety of ailments. Luckily for Matip there was a path back into the team for him when he recovered and he seized his opportunity with both hands. His partnership with Van Dijk has been great and there have been some games when he has actually been the more impressive of the two, which is no mean feat. Against Barcelona he was brilliant in both games. It was almost overlooked because there were so many other star performers and storylines to come out of that tie, but Matip was absolutely top class against Suarez and Messi. He’s become something of a cult figure too due to his ambling runs forward when opponents are sitting deep and trying to deny space for our frontmen. Matip loves a little saunter into the opposition half to try and open things up. I dubbed him ‘Big Bird’ (after the Sesame Street character) because he’s all long legs and big feet and plods around the field. He’s a vastly under-rated passer though. It’s not just about being accurate, it’s the pace of the passes into the front players that is impressive. The one criticism I have of him is his heading in the opposition box is crap. He’s got a head like a 50p coin. So many times he gets on the end of a corner only to put the ball over the bar. If he could improve on that he’d be getting as many goals as Virgil. Overall though, it was a great season from the quietly spoken big man, capped by an excellent display in the Champions League Final. There’s talk of a new contract, which is some turnaround from where he was six months ago when it looked like he would have to leave to get regular football. You know the maddest thing? When it looked like he might be looking to move on, the club most heavily linked with him was Fulham, which is insulting really. He’s much better than that and he’s proved it. If he was to be made available now, there’d be clubs all over Europe clamouring to get him. Fucking Fulham. That’s offensive that is. How had all those other teams overlooked him? No-one is overlooking him now, not even my Dad. Big Bird looks like he’s here to stay now though, and I’m delighted for him. Rating 9/10. His performance level was so high that we didn’t miss Joe Gomez at all, and prior to getting injured Gomez was so good that he was almost on a par with Virgil. Big Joel just got better and better and by the end of the season he was absolutely killing it. Best Moment: Completely bossing it in the second leg against Barca. A truly outstanding performance. Worst Moment: He put through his own net away at Bayern but it was pretty much unavoidable, and proved to be immaterial anyway. The injury he picked up against Napoli was a bad moment and could have scuppered his entire Anfield career had Gomez and Lovren not both had fitness problems of their own, but generally there wasn't too many low points for him. The Future? Six months ago I’d have said there was a decent chance he’d leave. He was too good to not be playing but his opportunities here appeared to be limited. An opportunity came though and he seized it. He's at a really good age too for a centre back as he can still improve and hasn't hit his prime yet. Everyone will start from scratch again in pre-season though and he’ll have a battle on his hands keeping Gomez out, but we’ve seen now just how good he is and he won’t give up that shirt lightly.

When it comes to football, it is hard to know everything about every team because there are so many. Liverpool has consistently topped their leagues for quite some time. If you would like to know more about the Reds, check out this article. A team with as long and as prestigious a history as Liverpool is always going to have some interesting history. Let’s take a look at some of the interesting things about the team now. History of Liverpool Football Club Liverpool Football Club was founded in 1892 and has won; • 18 League Titles • 7 FA Cups • 6 European Cups • 8 League Cups • 3 UEFA Cups This team is one of the most popular football clubs in the world and has over 200 other supporter clubs across 50 different countries. Top Players Since this team has been around for many years there have been some brilliant players scoring some brilliant goals and winning many matches. Some of the top Liverpool to this day include; Luis Suarez, John Barnes, Graeme Souness, Kenny Dalglish, Steven Gerrard, Virgil Van Dijk and Alisson Becker as well as many others. Premier League Liverpool Football Club is currently competing in the Premier League and has many upcoming matches to play in order to win points. So far, Liverpool is sitting at 2nd place in the Premier League. The Premier League is a great deal to many football teams because it involves 20 different teams all trying to score as much as possible in order to be crowned English football champions. Premier League matches are watched by around 900 million people across 190 countries from August until May. During the League 380 matches are played both at home and away across the August-May season. 3 points are awarded to a team that wins and if there is a draw 1 point is awarded; the teams that fail to win points at the end of the season are relegated to the championship. Betting When it comes to football many people decide to place bets to try and win money by guessing which teams will win the matches. Betting can be done any time when there is a football game on, however, one of the most popular times to place football bets is during the Premier League. Premier League online betting can be done either by using an app or going online to different betting sites, for example, Ruby Bet. Head over today and place some bets to see if you could win. In Conclusion Overall, there are many things that you should know about the Liverpool Football Team because they are a very popular football team and have been around for a long time which has helped them achieve a lot of titles and cups. Are they your favourite team? How many of the points above did you know? They have a long and healthy history which is in no doubt going to get even better in the future years. What do you think will happen in the next season?

A couple of weeks ago I did player ratings in my monthly column for the Norwegian supporters club magazine, “the Kopite”. Even though the ratings were done the day before the Champions League Final, the ratings I gave each player in “the Kopite” will be the same as the ones I’ll be doing on here too. With just one exception - Alisson. I gave him 8 out of 10 in the Kopite, which on reflection was…. well, it was bollocks. I did him a dis-service. Like I say, the ratings were written the day before the final, but it was not his performance in that game that caused me to revise the rating I gave him. Well it was, just not in the way you’d think, but I’ll explain that shortly. So why did I ‘only’ give him an eight initially? My justification for it was that he made several mistakes that have been mostly forgotten about because either they didn’t result in a goal, or if they did, never cost us points. I stand by that point, if not the overall rating. Two examples off the top of my head are a cross he misjudged against Cardiff that Sean Morrison should have buried (the ref would have given a foul anyway, but there didn’t look much wrong with it to me) and an incident at Anfield late in the season (can’t remember who it was against) when he came out for a ball and missed it, the ball hit him in the face and then popped up perfectly for him to grab it. There were other similar ones throughout the season, which I accept is no big deal as it goes with the job. All keepers make mistakes, it’s unavoidable. The only reason I bring them up is to explain why I was ‘only’ giving him an eight and not higher. Alisson made a fair few errors but I don’t think they cost us a single point. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good, but if you can be both then that’s perfect, and finally it looks like we have a keeper who fits that description. Alisson is great, and he also seems like he has Lady Luck in his corner. Neither Mignolet or Karius could ever be described as ‘lucky’ and many wouldn’t call them ‘good’ either, although I have a lot of time for big Simon so I’ll always fight his corner. As for ‘the Instagram Kid’? Yeah, that’s not a hill I’m prepared to die on, sorry. It always felt to me like any time Mignolet made a mistake it ended up costing us a goal. The poor bloke never got away with anything. Alisson made some blunders this year that Mignolet would have been slated for, but most of the time his blushes were spared because the ball didn’t end up in the net, or if it did it didn’t cost us points. For example, he was at fault for Jesse Lingard’s goal at Anfield but no-one remembers that now because Xherdan Shaqiri came off the bench and won the game for us. Virgil bollocked him for that one, but you’ve probably forgotten that too (as I had) because we won. The one Alisson mistake people do remember was at Leicester when he was caught showboating, but even that didn’t cost us points because we held on for the win. He learned a lesson that day and promised he wouldn’t do anything like that again, and he was true to his word. He didn’t do anything even remotely like that. What he did do was make big saves on the rare occasions we needed him to. The Napoli one stands out, but there were others too, usually in one v one situations where he’s absolutely sensational. The one at Old Trafford to deny Lingard was special, and the one against Jordy Alba just before half time at Anfield was crucial. He was immense that night. Another one that springs to mind was at Burnley late on when we were holding onto a 2-1 lead. Seconds later he started the counter attack that led to us making it 3-1. There was another top save at home to Brighton that preserved a win, a cracker to deny Everton at the Kop end and he was magnificent away at Chelsea. He’s come up big in important moments and I’m struggling to think of any keeper out there I’d rather have. I don’t know if he’s the best in the world but he’s definitely in the conversation, and there’s no-one better in the Premier League since David De Gea morphed into Massimo Taibi. So all of the above explains how I arrived at a rating of eight, but the below explains why I was talking through my arse. The final made me realise the error of my ways, but not because he was my star man on the night. Yes, he had a really good game and made some fine saves, but it wasn’t one of those eye popping games when the keeper is making all kinds of spectacular saves. Virtually every save was one that you’d have been disappointed if he hadn’t made it. So what caused my change of heart? It was more of a realisation that he doesn’t often have to make ‘difficult’ looking saves because his fundamentals are so good that he’s rarely stretched. I’m no goalkeeping expert, but I’m now of the opinion that Alisson doesn’t have to make full length miraculous saves because his footwork and his positioning is so good. He makes the difficult look easy, without us even realising he’s done it. Mignolet seems to idolise him and has even publicly stated that he has no complaints about being Alisson's back up as he's one of the best in the world. This is part of what has made me think again about what makes a great keeper. If he isn't always making brilliant saves, yet people keep saying he's one of the best in the world, why would that be? Fundamentals. Things that the layman wouldn't really notice. This brings me back to the final. Some of those saves he made didn’t look anything special but for another keeper they might have been, that’s if they made them at all. Take the Eriksen free-kick for example. It was a good save but it wasn’t a ‘how did he keep that out?’ moment. If he’d been a step more to his right though, maybe it would have been. Or worse, maybe it would have been a goal. If he’d just failed to get there most of us would probably have said “the shot was too good, he had no chance”. If I had a quid for every time I've said that about a goal Mignolet let in I’d have enough to… well it wouldn’t even pay him a day’s wages, but it’s still a lot. It’s nonsense though. I realise that now. I feel like I’ve had an epiphany. For years I’d judge keepers on their great saves or bad mistakes. The mistakes part is relevant as you don’t want a goalie who’s dropping clangers all the time, but the great saves thing is overstated. Sometimes a great save only looks great because the positioning was shit. Unless you’re a goalkeeping guru (which I'm certainly not) you probably wouldn’t even notice that. Alisson has maybe made half a dozen “great” saves this season, but it's likely that a load of those routine ones are only routine because he’s so damn good. The other thing that needs to be taken into account is that even when he’s made a mistake, you’d never know it from looking at him afterwards. He doesn’t let it affect him, and his team-mates don’t let it worry them either. He just keeps on being a big, bearded, dominant sexy bastard, oosing machismo. All of this has brought a sense of calm to the position that we haven’t had since before Reina tacked on mass and sacrificed flexibility. Alisson knows he’s boss, his team-mates know he’s boss, and the crowd knows he’s boss. The best thing is there’s still room for improvement. We’ve got ourselves a great one here. Best Moment: The save against Napoli. Without that, there’s no ‘number six’ and even worse, we’d have gone into the Europa League. The damage that would have done to our morale might have torpedoed the entire season. Worst Moment: Only being given 8 out of 10 by some divvy writing in "the Kopite". Other than that, probably the mistake at Leicester, although it was a blessing in disguise as it knocked the cockiness out of him early on. Rating 9 / 10 Not perfect enough to get a ten but a fantastic first season.