TLW

Simon Jordan believes that Jurgen Klopp is the best manager in the Premier League in all facets of the game. The former Crystal Palace chairman and current Talksport presenter admits that bare facts show that Pep Guardiola has been the standout manager in terms of overall success in the modern era, if the two managers were to swap places, then Klopp would have won just as much as him. They’ve [Liverpool] got a manager that to me, I think, is the best manager, if not close to it in world football. “I know that the statistics will tell you that it’s Pep. But if (Klopp) had the same resources as Pep I think he might have achieved the same things. Jordan went further in his analysis of the two most dominant teams of this modern era in English Football saying that he finds Liverpool much more enjoyable to watch. The argument will be, ‘what style of football do you like to watch? “I just like a more dynamic style of football rather than this overwhelming destruction of other sides by passing them to an almost near standstill. “The nature of Manchester City’s football whilst beautiful on the eye, isn’t quite as exciting as the dynamic explosion Liverpool often produce and that’s just a personal choice.” Jordan believes after a very difficult last season for all concerned with the club and most of all Klopp who was the public face constantly having to answer questions of what exactly had gone wrong, the German is rejuvenated and on the cusp of building another very successful era. “I think Klopp is a brilliant manager. He’s now back in the groove and back in most press conferences saying things that are sensible and not constantly indulging himself in what they do and don’t have and how unfortunate it is for them. “I think he’s an outstanding manager.” The whole Klopp vs Guardiola ‘who is better’ debate has been trotted out a number of times over the years and depending on what side of the fence you sit on, you will have a different answer. There are those that look at basic statistics and conclude their answer that way, but on the flip side there are those who use a bit of rationale behind their response like Jordan has done here. And by coming from someone who is completely impartial, it may carry a bit more weight in the mainstream. But even if it doesn’t, a great majority of Reds fans know that Jordan is completely on the money with what he said and in turn how lucky we are to have him guiding the club into a new era that is hopefully just as successful as what occurred before it. View full article

Pep Lijnders believes that FSG have played a major role in the rejuvenation of Liverpool this season by sanctioning a summer transfer spend window that transformed the midfield. With a number of senior midfield players such as captain Jordan Henderson, vice captain James Milner, Fabinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all departing at the end of last season, the decision was made to bring players of a younger age and potential to grow into true stars. Alexis MacAllister and Dominic Szoboszlai were initial signings which were then followed by Waturu Endo and Ryan Gravenberch. While each newcomer has adjusted to life at Liverpool at their own pace, what it has led to is a greater level of competition and pushed the likes of Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott to raise their game too. Speaking ahead of the first leg of the Carabao Cup Semi final against Fulham, Lijnders believes the owners who have their fair share of critics amongst the fanbase for their perceived frugalness at times, deserve some credit as the Echo reported. “Was their summer spending a surprise? No because we knew we could invest and knew in the summer we would invest. Cody Gakpo was a summer signing that we brought forward to January. We could do that early and it was great. If you look at the number of players we have brought in, that is really great, in my opinion. “The way we do business and the way our ownership works - of course you are relying on Champions League money, but not so much because we do our things really well. If we do not have it, we don’t do it. The assistant manager stated that a lot more goes into being a successful club than just results, everyone needs to be on the same page and wanting the same outcomes. “There is not a good manager without good ownership. The ownership invested in the squad where we needed to invest and that’s already a really good sign." After a 2022/3 which saw the Reds drop out of the top four and produce some truly abject performances, there was the real question mark regarding what kind of Liverpool team we would see coming into this campaign. Lijnders made it clear that those bad vibes had to be banished for the club to focus on future success. “We really drew a line before pre-season started. I said as a joke that if anyone was negative in this building I would punch them in the face! “I said that to every single one of them. Just to make sure that we didn’t carry anything over [from last season]. Then pre-season starts and we had all the players available for a long time. "A lot of key players went, seniors who were always the leaders, so new players had to step up – Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson, Trent (Alexander-Arnold) – and they did, they showed up, and then you can start training three times a day, which we didn’t do before. There was a voice in their head saying: ‘We want to be successful and so we have to go through this." And part of becoming Liverpool 2.0 under Jurgen Klopp was reclaiming that “mentality monster” trademark which certainly played into the psyche of the opposition, knowing that the Reds were never beaten. "You need to win games when you think that maybe you are not going to win them. That’s why Newcastle away was a massive one. That creates momentum. In the right moments the team really stepped up." View full article

Jurgen Klopp has once again implored the governing body of the game to be extremely sensitive to the issue of player burnout. The footballing calendar has never been more congested than this current era with. tournaments which were scheduled to be played in the off-season now being played during peak periods of the campaign such as the upcoming AFCON. Players are also seeing their summer breaks greatly reduced due to the implementation of the UEFA Nations League fixtures played during that period. In these days of intense cost of living pressures for the everyday individual, sympathy is never going to be high on the scale especially given the average weekly wage the top players receive. Klopp has been a unrelenting advocate for player welfare since coming to England, where he is often bemused by the lack of a genuine winter break and the frequency of early kick-offs on Saturday that Liverpool are fixtured for. Speaking about the issue at length once again (per the Mirror), Klopp said important decisions need to be made but openly questioning if there is willingness to do so. “The people who decide don’t care. There isn’t one guy deciding who can remember what it was like when he was a player - if he ever was a player. That’s how it is. I won’t be in there deciding and I won’t have the power for that. “At some point, someone will have to press the brake. But we are obviously not in charge because, if football people were in charge, it would look completely different. Not because we are lazy, but because we are the people who really understand the intensity of what the boys are doing." Klopp believes whatever field of work an individual undertakes, it is going to take a toll and he is not underplaying what a general person goes through on a daily basis. However for those who are athletes for a living, he says there is only so much a body can take on a physical level. “The outside world discusses it and say ‘I work eight hour a day, seven days a week’ - and that’s 100 percent true. It’s just that they don’t run, sprint, tackle, sprint. You can’t compare it. If we did compare it, that would be dumb. It’s just a different intensity - and it is really difficult for the human body as we know it, to deal with. “Now UEFA and FIFA are arranging a new tournament - and suddenly getting a winter break in January is the smallest problem. When is the new Club World Cup? Is it 2025? In the summer? I don’t know how to compare that to anything else, where you take time off your best employees and then just think ‘they will go again and play a full season’.” The winter break issue always raises debate whichever side of the fence you sit on. Those teams that are not in European Cup competitions and who do not often progress to the business end of the FA/League Cups would not have nearly as many issues with playing on unabated compared to the elite teams of the division that regularly have two games a week. “I read what Sean (Dyche) said about it - that it just favours the bigger clubs - but I think the facts are on the table. “He said that it would be cool if we could take some games out of a really busy December and put them into January. That might be an idea, but it would then kill the winter break. "There’s so much tradition in this competition. If I, as a German, stood here and said stuff about the FA Cup… I love the FA Cup. It’s just so difficult to stay on your feet and get through these rounds. “You need a top squad to get to the end - and that also means moving other games. If you get through to the final of the Carabao Cup then it takes a league game out and you have to fit it in somewhere where it definitely won’t fit in. It’s unbelievably tricky.” But despite the fixtures coming thick and fast, Klopp was adamant that there would be no weakened side for their clash against Arsenal today. "Can you go to Arsenal and play a team with boys in a situation that Arsenal are in and will probably go all in? Of course not. We are Liverpool we can't go there like that. “Four years ago, we played Everton and it was one of the biggest nights of our lives. We went into an Everton derby game with a very young team and somehow we won. It was great. “All the boys with us in the dressing room are ready for games. That's how it is. There is no doubt about it. That is our life and the life of the boys. We have to make sure we get through.” View full article

Kaide Gordon could be on the move in January in a quest to get some valuable first-team experience according to a new report. The 19 year-old has just returned to first team action this month playing 75 minutes against Union SG in the Europa League. It was the culmination of a hellish 18 month period for the talented youngster who has had a series of musculoskeletal issues as he grows into his body. While an undoubtedly frustrating period for Gordon, he has now come out the other side and as Jurgen Klopp mentioned a few weeks back. “So we were really unlucky with some of our big, big prospects. “We had that problem that they were a little bit too good already for the physical status, let me say it like that. “So they were that good that we thought they could help us already and everybody went in the right direction, and then the body said ‘no, stop. “And that happened to Kaide unfortunately two or three times. It was a really long time out.” As he finds his feet in terms on a regular basis, there is a couple of paths that the club could choose to go down. The first one is to keep him in the ranks and allow him to get up to speed with the U/21s and possibly making future appearances in the Europa League and FA Cup. The other option is to go out on loan and as TeamTalk reported that Birmingham. Middlesbrough and high-flying Ipswich are all interested. Birmingham who are managed by Wayne Rooney are said to be extremely keen as the former Everton and Man United striker gave Gordon his senior debut at Derby. It is a added element to keep an eye on throughout January, but regardless what occurs, the great news is that Gordon is now fully fit and hopefully it is only upwards from here. View full article

Robbie Fowler has no doubt that he was a better all-round striker than his former Liverpool teammate Michael Owen. Affectionately referred to as ‘God’ by the Reds faithful, Fowler scored 183 goals in 369 appearances across two separate stints. In a golden era of strikers in the Premier League through the mid 90s, Fowler was right at the top echelon, the only disappointment being that his personal brilliance did not lead to team success with Liverpool being a greatly inconsistent team at that time. A few years down the track and another extremely talented striker started to emerge through the Liverpool ranks in Owen. With Fowler suffering from a career threatening knee injury, Owen began to claim top mantle. The treble winning season of 2000–01 is a memory that still sticks with a large majority of Reds fans today, and the two strikers combined for 41 goals across all competitions during that campaign. But a continuation of that partnership was not to be as Fowler was sold to Leeds in late November 2001. In a refreshingly honest reflection, Fowler spoke on the Up Front Podcast (Per The Mirror), and firstly addressed his own career compared to Owen. “In all honesty, I’ve always thought I was better than Michael Owen. He was quicker than me, but in every other element of being a striker, I genuinely think I was better than him. He could say the exact opposite but that is just my opinion and my self-confidence – I was better in every aspect of being a striker.‌ “Michael wasn’t the best player at Liverpool when I played, but I remember him coming through at the club and you could see that he was different class. At the time I was upset not to be playing as much as him for England, but I didn’t want Michael to fail or play badly. “Of course, I wanted to play, but I didn’t want him to not succeed. I think Michael just thought more of England than he did of his club, whereas I thought more of Liverpool than England.” In terms of England, Fowler played 26 times scoring seven goals but once again feels that he compared more than favourably to his contemporaries at the time. “I’d scored nearly 100 goals before I was called up to England – that to me is extraordinary, today I’d be in the England squad in an instant with the way I was playing back then. "England had the likes of Alan Shearer, Teddy Sheringham, Ian Wright, Les Ferdinand and Andy Cole, but I genuinely would back myself to be better than all of them. In terms of goalscoring, I was probably the best at that time." View full article

Jurgen Klopp has put out the call to the Anfield faithful to be in full voice from the very first minute as Liverpool prepare to play Arsenal in a top of the table clash on Saturday evening. The Reds warmed up for the fixture in fine style outclassing a West Ham outfit 5-1 to progress to the Carabao Cup semi final against Fulham. While the performance on the pitch was 5-star, the manager was significantly less satisfied by what was occurring off it as ESPN reported. “I thought it in the first half a little bit, when the boys played really exceptional, I was not overly happy. I have to say it now, with the atmosphere behind me. I asked people, 'What do you want?' “So, we changed a lot of things, we dominate West Ham like crazy, we missed chances. If I would be in the stand, I would be on my toes, 1,000 percent." The talking point of the atmosphere at Anfield has been bubbling away at various times, but seemed to come to a head on Sunday when the Reds played their arch rivals in Man United. Klopp was not as focused about that as he was regarding the daunting challenge that lies ahead in a couple of days time. “I don't know if the Man United game was that bad that we have to say, 'Oh sorry that we didn't smash them. "We need Anfield on Saturday. Without Anfield, I would say...[Arsenal] didn't play this week...they prepared for this game and [those] who know a little bit about them, they will be prepared. "So, we need Anfield on their toes from the first second -- without me having an argument with the opposition coach, whatever. We need you from the first second. If you really want, if it's too much football in December, I don't know, sorry, we have to play it as well. But if you are not in the right shape, give your ticket to somebody else." On an individual side, the manager was thrilled with the overall performance of the Player of the Match in Curtis Jones. “He did even better [than he has in recent months], to be honest, because he added in his game the acceleration with the ball, which is really important. You cannot do that against each opponent, but there are some opponents where you can do it, when you pass the first line then you have to go with the ball. “His second goal is now a crazy goal because you go pretty much towards the penalty spot from where he scored, that's pretty rare, but it's an important thing for him to do. Yes, it was a really good game. He looked super-fresh, which is probably not surprising because he didn't now play thousands of minutes in recent weeks. In general, the performance was just good." View full article

Pep Lijnders has produced a staunch defence of Darwin Nunez ahead of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup clash with West Ham at Anfield on Wednesday evening. The Uruguayan striker has not scored in his past 10 appearances for the Reds with his last goal coming in this competition against Bournemouth at the start of November while his last league goal came against Nottingham Forest on the 25th of October. Despite the lack of goals, Lijnders says that Darwin is more than playing his role in the side as ESPN reported. “Darwin is full of desire, you see this in each game. “If we only would judge players on the goals this would be so unfair because in our way, always when we reach our targets or when we were there to compete, it's always about the collective.” As well as his four goals in the league, Nunez has also contributed five assists which sees him just two behind joint leader Mo Salah in that category. Compare that to last year where he had three for the entire campaign. The assistant manager says that is a sign of the improvement in the all-round game of Nunez. “I feel above everything that Darwin is playing a much better season than last year. The way how he defends for the team... how he controls the centre [of the pitch] and at the same time put pressure [on]. “He helps us a lot when we are deep and we can play with him as a reference, he does that much better." “(And) I Feel There's a good connection between (Mohamed Salah) and Darwin for example, the way they see each other, assist each other. One thing you certainly cannot say of the 24 year-old is that he hides on the pitch. No one has hit the woodwork more (five) and only Erling Haaland (17) has missed more big chances than Nunez (15). While both stats can be used as a negative by his detractors to question why he is not putting those chances away, the positive is that he is actually putting himself in the right positions. Lijnders believes the tide will turn for him in the near future. "He's learning. We have this discussion often: this guy is full of fire and that's what our stadium likes. That's what we need as well to lead the line in this way. He can only get better and as always with goals, if you create a lot, the goals will come naturally, "He feels our trust, that's the thing that we can give him. Like I said, If you were not creating [chances] that would be much worse." View full article

Liverpool are looking to cut short the loan of Fabio Carvalho and send him to another club for the second half of the season according to a new report. The 21 year old has only played a total of 289 minutes in 14 appearances for RB Leipzig in all competitions this season, with one start coming in the Bundesliga and the other against Young Boys in the Champions League. To this point of time, the attacking utility player has yet to register a goal or assist in his time playing for the team currently third on the league table. The Mirror reports that the lack of regular minutes for Carvalho is of concern for the Liverpool hierarchy and conversations are believed to have taken place with Leipzig over what may happen in January. Just how far they have progressed is up for debate however with Leipzig director Rouven Schroder not prepared to entertain talk of a possible termination, stating in midweek: “These are typical power games that ultimately emerge." Ideally Liverpool would like to move the youngster to a club where he will get the minutes required to truly assess his development and at this point of time they are not willing to sell him. One of those clubs that Carvalho could move to on a temporary basis is his former club in Fulham where he spent seven years coming through the youth ranks and progressing through to the senior ranks making a big impression which in turn alerted a number of the top clubs in the country. Marco Silva avoided discussing the subject before Fulham played the Reds a couple of weeks ago saying that it is up to Liverpool to work out the situation. Burnley are another club believed to have registered an interest. For Carvalho, he would certainly want some clarity on his future as by his own admission, he felt like his first season at Liverpool did not work out the way he would have liked. View full article

Thiago Alcantara has not given up hope in earning a new contract at Liverpool according to a new report. The 32 year-old Spanish international is in his fourth season at the Reds but has not played a minute of action during this campaign due to a persistent hip injury that he first suffered in February and went under the knife for in late April. It has followed a trend for the midfielder who has been a perennial winner where ever he has played, but sadly his body has not allowed him to show his true value at the Reds. Alcantara has made 97 appearances in his three completed seasons, but incredibly has missed 101 games with injury and illness. It has led to much speculation that the veteran will depart on a free transfer in the summer and head either back to Barcelona or the Saudi League but according to 90min that is not to be the case. The report states that ‘Thiago is closing on a return to action, likely early next year, and is hopeful of playing a major role for Jurgen Klopp in a possible title challenge.” And if all goes to plan, he will hope to convince Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool's hierarchy that he remains a valuable part of the squad and worthy of a contract extension. There is plenty of water to go under the bridge between now and May and even though it’s a massive ‘If’, Thiago has shown that he can be a difference maker when at his best. The main question is even when Thiago does return to full fitness, whether his body allows him to do what his mind wants to. View full article

Harvey Elliott has no desire to be a Liverpool ‘super-sub” and is willing to be patient to earn his place in the starting lineup. The 20 year-old made a telling cameo in the come from behind victory against Crystal Palace on Saturday where he produced a superb strike to earn the Reds all three points at Selhurst Park and likewise played a key role in setting up Luis Diaz’s injury time equaliser against Luton. But while he has been a constant figure in Liverpool’s Europa League campaign starting all five fixtures and playing the full 90 minutes in each game, along with two starts in the League Cup, in the Premier League it has been a different story. In thirteen appearances this season, twelve have come from the bench for a grand total of 299 minutes played. His lone start came away to Brighton where he was substituted at half time. Despite the lack of starts in the league, Elliott said he does not view it as a setback, instead he uses the opportunity to watch the game and assess where he can affect it when he comes on as the Echo reported: “I think it’s just about taking that time to analyse the opposition, analyse the players you’re going to be playing against and maybe analyse our players as well, seeing what they’re doing, the things that aren’t coming off," Elliott said on how he has been able to make a mark regularly as a sub. “The things they are doing that are coming off, you try and replicate, and maybe try something different as well. For me, it’s just about being aware and focusing fully on the game and the other team especially. Seeing where I can exploit the spaces, positions I can pick up. Starting compared with being on the bench it kind of gives you that different view and you are able to sit back and analyse it.” Despite having a positive effect on a number of games this season from the bench, it is something that Elliott does not want to get used to. “For me, I don’t really want to be known as a super-sub. It’s a great headline as well, it’s a nice one, but at the same time I want to be in the team. It’s time for myself to establish myself in that position again and hopefully get good run of games. But at the same time, I need to be patient as well and maybe be the super-sub as well." While in many ways still at the beginning of what hopefully will be a long and successful career, Elliott has a maturity and humility that not many players of his age possess. He knows what he wants, but is more than respectful of those that are in front of him. "It’s not going to be straightforward. There are always going to be ups and downs, but you just need to keep working hard. You see the talent that we’ve brought in and the talent already around the club, and you can go through many, many names! But it’s a healthy competition, healthy relationships between the players, and we are always wanting to drive each other on. "No-one is being selfish in that aspect of, ‘I want to play’, we are all there to support each other and make a difference when called upon. I feel like that’s what is good about this team, we are as a team throughout the whole season, and we’re all together 100%. That’s what makes it special." View full article

David James believes Caoimhin Kelleher can still have a fine career at Liverpool by making the most of the opportunities given to him. The Irishman is set to surpass his personal record of appearances for the first team in a season which currently stands at eight (2020/21). He has already reached that figure in this campaign and with Europa League and Domestic Cup games still to be played, you suspect all things considered that it will be well into the double figures come May. Speaking in depth about the situation to the Echo, James who made 214 appearances for the Reds said while it is a frustrating situation to be a backup, it should not define a career, especially when you consider who is in front of them. “I am a self-confessed fanboy of Alisson. The question often comes up of ‘who is the best goalkeeper in the world’ and I know Emi Martinez has been voted that. Yes he won the World Cup and was massively influential in that, but is he the best? Alisson proved last year and the ones before that without him in top form, Liverpool don’t challenge for trophies or win them. "I’ve met Caoimhin a few times, not that we’ve sat down for a long chat over a coffee, and he strikes me as someone who is capable in every department. I don’t think that is in question. But football is a really funny industry in the sense that you don’t have to be the No.1 to have a good career. He has probably got more medals than I have and played in more winning finals than I did. James said that Kelleher will have to decide what is the best move for his career, but in many ways staying put may well be the best thing for him as the grass is not always greener on the other side. “For Kelleher to go and be first-choice in a promoted side from the Championship next season, he might get exposed to a lot of things. He will play the games but not get the rewards he is getting at Liverpool by playing fewer games. I wouldn’t argue with him either way over what he decides to do. “If he’s happy getting the odd games and a sustained spell in the team when Alisson gets an injury, then there shouldn’t be any intention for him to move. It’s only when he gets his chance and performances are substandard because he hasn’t played enough that he should then start to ask the question of ‘Do I need to play more games to get myself back up?’ James believes that if the 25 year-old does look to stick with the Reds for the long term (current contract runs until 2026), then his loyalty will pay off in the end. “If the allure of being Liverpool’s No.1 in three, four, five or six years from now is still there, why do you want to go somewhere else? If I was with and in the situation I had with Brad Friedel, I would leave. "If I was him [Kelleher], being more experienced and realising I had the chance to take over as first-choice, I would hang around or have a good conversation with the club over a short-term loan. He is in a good spot and it will be a difficult ask for him to have to think about going to play somewhere else." View full article

Jurgen Klopp has unequivocally hailed Virgil Van Dijk as the best defender in World Football. While it is not the first time the manager has complemented his captain in such glowing terms, it is the fact that the Dutchman is still seen in that high esteem which is noteworthy and full credit to him. For the reason being that like many players in the Liverpool squad, Van Dijk had a substantial dip in his elite standards last season, and there was genuine questions whether we would see him back at his imperious best as he was during the golden era of the Klopp reign. Granted, Van Dijk’s general standard is so high that even a below par season for him would tick the boxes for many of his modern day contemporaries, but not for someone as professional and proud as the 32 year-old. With the departure of Jordan Henderson to the Saudi League and James Milner to Brighton, Van Dijk took over the great honour of taking over the captains armband. Leading the team out on a regular basis along with a injury-free pre-season and a squad freshen up has seen Van Dijk produce the kind of Football that Liverpool fans have been accustomed to since his arrival from Southampton half way through the 2017/8 season. Not that Klopp had any doubts as he spoke about his captain on the eve of Saturday’s early kick-off with Crystal Palace (per the Mirror) “It always was and will always be; Virg is the best defender in the world. The manager cited other examples of other elite defenders who may have had a slight blip but they always responded. “Did he have lesser good spells? Yes. If you show me one player who never had that, I will be really happy to meet him. To be honest, probably that’s how we all are. “When we look back in the past and the Rio Ferdinands on the planet, not to blame him, but were they good all the time? Or Jaap Stam, Sami Hyypia, or whoever? “Were they always perfect? Nobody was and nobody will be. So, yes, Virg in that shape is for us super, super, super-important. “With Virg, everything positive I said in the past, we can say again because I still think exactly the same. “Everybody can see Virg is back and it’s obvious. Thank God!” View full article