TLW

Nat Phillips will bid farewell to Liverpool and be free to look for another club in the summer according to a new report. The big central defender may have only played 29 times for the Reds, but in that time he has become a true fan favourite for his whole hearted displays. Never was this more evident than in the pandemic impacted season of 2020/1 when Jurgen Klopp was down to the bare bones when it came to central defenders, and turned to the unheralded former Bolton Wanderers junior and Liverpool academy graduate. While no trophies were won during that season, Phillips along with youngster Rhys Williams won a special place in the hearts of Reds fans for their phenomenal efforts in helping Liverpool clinch a top four spot. At the time, Jurgen Klopp waxed lyrical about the pair. “These two boys, playing like that, it is incredible, absolutely incredible. That was a proper crash course in a Premier League education, and they have learned so much. It’s a sign for all our kids at Liverpool in the academy. It’s possible - it shows it’s possible...just work hard. “These boys they are obviously not skilled like crazy, they had to work incredibly hard. And now they are proper, proper Premier League players.“ While first team opportunities have been scarce since that season, Phillips has continued to carry himself with incredible professionalism and performed to his optimum level when called upon. His departure has been mooted numerous times, there was a feeling that Bournemouth would make a loan deal permanent at the end of the 2021/22 season but that was not to be. Phillips has also been linked to the likes of Brighton, West Ham and Newcastle after his body of work was duly noted but again nothing eventuated. But with a restructure of the squad seemingly on the cards for the summer, The Athletic (per The Mirror) report that the club will do the right thing by the 25 year-old which will give him the opportunity to become a regular at another club. There will always be a market for a physical defender who has made the powerful clearing header fashionable in recent seasons, and when Phillips does find a new home, you sense that there will be no one happier than those associated with the club as they will only want the best for him. View full article

Jurgen Klopp has said that he is looking for midfield reinforcements to fill the holes the departing players will leave. Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are virtually certain to leave once their contracts expire at the end of the season. It remains to be seen what transpires with James Milner as the veteran is reportedly keen to play on, and there is also speculation that he will be a part of Klopp’s backroom staff. There seemingly doesn’t seem to be a Liverpool match go by nowadays where the midfield isn’t a major point of discussion, largely in a less than complementary fashion. By and large in the Klopp reign, the midfield three have been a functional part who know their role and are very workmanlike. As a unit, the Liverpool midfield may lack the dynamism and goalscoring qualities of other elite sides, but they have been undoubtedly pivotal in the overall success of the team. Klopp was posed the question at his press conference ahead of the lunchtime fixture against Bournemouth today, if impressive seasons by young stars Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic meant that his transfer plans would be altered. He stated the club position as the Echo reported. “No, we know exactly what we needed and that didn't change. "But I wouldn't say when we started our plans in, I don't know, September or October, that Stefan was necessarily involved in that but of course he is now. It would be crazy if he wasn't. “Harvey always was and always will be. He is a top player and he is really happy. He had to improve slightly defensively but offensively his contributions are extremely interesting for the football team in the position he plays. "He has a good overview with good technique so that has nothing to do with (our plans). We need players. We cannot go with three midfielders for a season." Klopp went on to further clarify further his explanation saying that the two youngsters will play a big part moving forward but alternatives are also very important for a team looking to contend on multiple fronts. “ So I am not sure I understood 100% right, does (your question) mean we won't do anything because they are here? We count on them definitely, of course (for next season).Its good and there's a lot to come from the boys, both of them, it's good. Klopp refused to be drawn on particular names linked to the club like Jude Bellingham, but he cited the example of the regeneration of the front line over the last few transfer windows as what could be the template for the midfield. “If you have a look, the players we have brought in the last couple of transfer windows, Luis, Darwin, Cody, all players for the first line. (We had) one of the best front three in world football, But only Mo (Salah) is left now, pretty much “Yet we replaced them and Diogo (Jota) came in that time as well. That's investment, and it's wise investment and responsible investment. That's what you want and what you need, and we will do that for other parts of the team.” View full article

James Milner is fully focused on helping Liverpool achieve their goals for the rest of the season and is still enjoying the cut and thrust of competitive action. The recently turned 37 year-old is known throughout the footballing world for his incredible durability over his two decade career. The fact that he is still playing at the highest level at his age is certainly not a surprise to those who know him best and is a tribute to his professionalism in keeping his body in prime shape, and a example for those players much younger than him. This week the veteran was a awarded a MBE for his services to Football and charity and speaking at the event, (per the Echo), Milner was asked if he was still enjoying the game. “It's easy to say yes after the result we had at the weekend obviously. "I think everyone you speak to Kammy [Chris Kamara] he was saying you should play as long as you can. Milner is the definition of the perfect team man, having no qualms to play in any position he is asked, and in the reign of Jurgen Klopp that has included playing multiple times at Left and Right Back, or conversly coming on in the dying minutes to help see the game out and produce a thundering challenge in the process. Change is certainly coming to the squad in the summer and as one of the players out of contract, there has been speculation as to what Milner’s role may be. For now, the veteran is staying in the present moment. “I feel very fortunate to be playing at an amazing club like Liverpool, in an amazing team that I'm playing with. I feel like I can still contribute and I feel good physically the majority of days so I'll keep working hard. "I just want to keep contributing to a massive club like Liverpool and hopefully make an impact both on and off the field." In January, Jurgen Klopp made it clear that he believes Milner had the intention and capability of playing on next season. “We have different plans for Milly but Milly wants to keep playing,' “When you see him play the other night (against Wolves in the FA Cup replay) I think everyone understands that. You can't judge him normal for his age. He is 37, doesn't look a day like this when he is in training.” There is a quote that ‘Time waits for no man’, but when it comes to Millie, perhaps the clock hasn’t stopped ticking yet. View full article

I think this analysis from the PSV scout has proven to be right on the money. "These two away games (against Ajax) are just two examples to show that Cody is a big game player. There has been a level of criticism that says he hasn’t been that in the past. However this season in particular both with PSV and the national team has shown that he steps up to the mark when his team needs him the most." Naturally took time to find his feet in a team that was right out of form. But scoring goals against two big rivals and a team who were riding high in the top four at the time shows that he can rise to the occasion. And taking away the goals, his general performances are on a steep incline. Good signs all round.

Virgil Van Dijk believes that the achievements of Mo Salah should never be taken for granted. The Egyptian ticked off yet another record in Sunday’s 7-0 thumping of Manchester United when he became Liverpool’s top scorer in the Premier League era with his 129th goal for the club, going past Robbie Fowler in the process. It is not too far a stretch to say that Salah is the most humblest of superstars currently in World Football. You could write a book detailing all the records he has set and individual honours he has won but listening to him speak, there is little doubt that nothing pleases him more than team success. There has been the accusation in his career that he is ‘goal hungry’ or not looking for teammates in better positions. A top tier striker would contradict that view by saying that their job is to put the ball in the back of the net, just as a elite central defender’s role is to stop them doing so. But the whole media narrative about “selfish Salah” is blown out the water by cold hard facts. In his outstanding first season for the club, a lot was rightly made of his 32 goals in the league, but he also contributed 10 assists. Last season he broke his personal record where he registered 13 assists and this season while his goal output has been a little down on previous seasons he still has seven assists to his name, with plenty of games left to get into double figures. One thing is for certain, his teammates hold him in the highest regard as Van Dijk stated. "Mo showed why he is so important for this football club. He’s so influential with everything that’s been going on in a positive way over the years and hopefully he can keep that going. “For him to be the all-time Premier League top scorer for Liverpool is something no-one should take for granted. He definitely shouldn’t and I won’t. He should not just brush it off because it’s something special.” View full article

Liverpool produced a performance that no one associated with the club will forget in a hurry. A 7-0 win against your fiercest rivals is the stuff that dreams are made of and there were many positives to come out of the historic result, some which will have long terms benefits. As we know, the iconic front three come the end of this season will be down to one original member in Mo Salah. The big question mark in a season of transition has been whether the players brought in in recent times could fill the boots of Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino. Luis Diaz has showed in his time at the club that he has the qualities to do just tha,t but his campaign has unfortunately been wrecked by injury. It has meant since the turn of the New Year that Salah has looked to develop a connection with Darwin Nunez and January signing Cody Gakpo. It has been anything but smooth sailing since he joined with Liverpool suffering a couple of humbling defeats and questions raised if the young star from PSV was a good fit for the club at this point of time. Meanwhile, Nunez was never brought purely for the present moment, his rawness has been evident at times, but it is just as clear that when he puts it all together, he will be an absolute nightmare for defenders. But as a horror January turned into February, there were just a few signs that the trio were starting to gel. But no one in their wildest dreams would have thought they would have combined for six goals in a marquee fixture, but that is exactly what occurred and they made their manager very proud as the Echo reported. "It was one of the best performances for a long, long time, in a way I think everybody saw how good the boys could be. “Nobody was in doubt about Darwin’s future impact when he settles because he is a real force of nature. “But Cody plays in the most difficult area in the pitch against a man-marking side which is super tricky. How he keeps himself on the feet and has the overview for everyone else. “Mo is Mo. You could see today, and the other night against Wolves, that having Diogo back is super important that we can give the other boys breaks here and there.” There were notable performances all over the pitch from the veteran pairing of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, to the youngster Harvey Elliott who arguably produced one of the more astute performances of his young career. And Klopp wanted to give special mention to Andy Robertson who is so often the barometer for the team in big games and once again set the ball rolling with a wonderful assist for Gakpo’s opener. “Look, that’s a top situation. I think everybody saw how good Kostas is in the last game, he had a real impact and set up a super goal. But Robbo is Robbo and he had now 90 minutes’ break and I thought he benefited from that today. It was a top performance, like really a flying Scotsman performance!” View full article

Roberto Firmino is parting ways with Liverpool in the most amicable of ways according to his agent. News broke on Friday that Firmino was set to leave the club that he has called home for eight seasons and over 350 appearances in all competitions. It was an emotional moment for many fans as the Brazilian has been an instrumental figure in this special era for the club. Alongside Mo Salah and Sadio Mane, they combined to become the most potent and feared front three in the Premier League and arguably in Europe. The beauty about the trio is that they each had different elements to their game and when you put it all together, you had a winning formula. In the Samba tradition, Firmino had his share of technical quality to his game, however he combined that with a tremendous and selfless workrate which made those around him better players. And to top it off, he did it with a terrific attitude and a trademark smile. But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end and with Liverpool embarking on a re-generation of sorts, and with Firmino out of contract come the end of this season, all things added up to this decision Speaking to Football Insider about the moment when it came to fruition was Firmino’s agent Roger Wittman, who said that Firmino was emotional but very honest about what he needed to do. “This was not the easiest decision for the boy. It took a long time to make his decision along with the family and the decision was with love. “Roberto is a peaceful man and said, ‘I’ve had my time but it’s time to go. Liverpool was the biggest, greatest, most successful time of my life together with the manager, together with my colleagues, together with all of them’. It was an unbelievable journey. “He said the feeling with Liverpool, this is unbeatable. This club, the people, all of them. I saw so many rumours about the boy making a decision, even the club, but everything was with peace." It is rare in modern day sport for athletes to maintain their core values with all the money and various endorsement opportunities that are available. But in the case of Firmino, you can take him completely at face value, what you see is what you get. As Wittman explained, this whole experience is new for him, but at the moment he wants to stay truly professional and do the best thing by his current club. “Our plan for the next couple of weeks – this is the plan of Roberto – is to show the manager and Liverpool finally again the best version of him to say goodbye. This is what he wants to do. “He has no clue what that means for him in the near future. He told us during the whole phase when we negotiated, ‘I don’t want to talk to anybody else, there’s no need to do that’. He said it was a decision with the club. “This was the first time in my life he’s a free agent player and he said there was no need to talk to others! So he’s not motivated by other clubs or by financial terms – far away from that. “He is the best Brazilian scorer ever in the Premier League (currently on 78 goals) , he’s not a normal one, a top human. He was really, really sad as well, when he told us this would be his new challenge, it was unbelievably emotional. “The club gave him the time as well, no pressure. And he never started to compare asking us to talk to different clubs. For us [it would be] easy but this was not his intention, it was just to find his own way. This is so far away from this normal business, believe me!” In terms of departures from clubs, this appears to be as pure and mutually respectful as you can get. Unless a miraculous comeback occurs in Madrid in a few weeks time, Firmino’s last season will be without any silverware. However playing a part in clinching Champions League football next season will be fitting of the individual and his want to help the team in any way. And the silver lining about this early announcement is that it will give fans ample opportunity to pay tribute to the 31 year-old. View full article

Stefan Bajcetic is preparing himself to play in one of the most iconic fixtures in World Football tomorrow afternoon when Liverpool play Man United at Anfield. While the young Spaniard is currently making a great deal of progress for Liverpool, there was a possibility he could have been playing for their arch rival. When Bajcetic had just turned 16 and playing for Celta Vigo, a number of English clubs were coveting his signature. Man United was believed to be the favourite but remembering that fateful moment in time, Bajcetic said there was no discussion to be had with them or any other team. The Mirror reported the midfielder as saying: “When I heard that Liverpool wanted to sign me, there was nobody else to decide on. This was the only one. It has happened many times before, a young player reflecting about a moment in time that has some relevance regarding an upcoming opponent. The media at large would love nothing more than the player to expand on the reasons why he made that decision. But showing the kind of poise and maturity that he has displayed on the pitch this season, Bajcetic did not want a bar of going into further detail. “(Liverpool vs Man UnIted) It’s the English ‘Clasico’, no? It’s a massive game. “ I’m at Liverpool now, I’m just focusing on that and I don’t want to talk about other clubs.” The opportunity to learn from one of the modern day midfield maestros and a perennial winner in Thiago Alcantara would have certainly played a part. “Since I came here, since I trained that first day, I have always talked to him (Thiago). I’m Spanish, so I wanted to speak and he has been helping me a lot. “Thiago has been massive for me, to give me confidence. He introduced me to the other players and I am learning a lot from his game. It is all so good.” Liverpool have countless seasoned professionals in their squad, but the impact of Bajcetic is underlined by the fact that he has been described as the best performed Reds player of 2023, by Mo Salah no less. For a young player, there is nothing greater than earning respect from your senior teammates. It’s one thing earning your debut, but it’s another to earn the faith and trust of those that you take to the pitch with, as well as the coaching staff. There seems little doubt that Bajcetic who recently signed a new contract until 2027 has done exactly that, referring to his debut goal against Aston Villa on Boxing Day. “They were so happy for me, it’s the same for everyone. If a new player scores, there is always a nice feeling for him and everyone supports you. It was good. “It is always nice when these big players trust you. They give you the ball. When they are in a tough situation on the pitch, they look for you to help. They will give me the ball in a situation that is tough for me but they believe in me. “It gives me a lot of confidence, definitely. They are massive players. If they trust me, then it makes me feel tall. The manager, too, he tells me to show my confidence. He likes my intensity, I think. He wants me to be intense but calm with the ball.” View full article

Jurgen Klopp is looking to use this week as a springboard to put Liverpool into serious top four contention. The Reds are currently sitting nine points adrift of Tottenham, however they have two games in hand of the North London outfit. One of those is against Wolves this evening as the two teams meet for the fourth time in 2023. Despite sitting in the lower reaches of the table, the West Midlands outfit will be anything but daunted having registered a 3-0 win just a few weeks ago while also bringing a second string team to Anfield earning a deserved 2-2 draw in the FA Cup 3rd round tie. Speaking ahead of this fixture (per Metro), Klopp is optimistic that his players can focus on the job at hand using their experiences of the past, most recently the Covid impacted 2020/21 campaign. “It’s a super important week. We cannot ignore that. We have two home games. I would love to give the season a little push in this week. “It helps because it was us (sealing a top four berth) We don’t have to tell them a story of another club or team. “We have a lot of stories to tell where it went well in the last few years, with long winning streaks and going unbeaten at home and so on. “There are 15 games left and that’s 45 points. If there is a club that can do it I really think it is us. Honestly. But there is no alternative to results. So we need results and for results we need performances." With hopes of silverware this season all but extinguished after the heavy defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League last week, the remaining league games shape as a cup competition in their own right. And Klopp says confidence from achieving that goal, can lead to bigger things down the road. “We have a future together: the immediate future from tomorrow on but there is a bigger picture as well. “We will strike back in general but now we have to make sure that we really squeeze everything out of this season that we can get." View full article

Jurgen Klopp understands the frustration for his players and fans alike with the current situation but he is adamant that there will be a way out of the current malaise sooner rather than later. The Reds had their two match winning run halted in the league on Saturday evening playing out a extremely dour 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. The visitors were also hit by another injury blow on the eve of the game with in-form striker Darwin Nunez ruled out with a shoulder injury that he suffered against Newcastle last week. And his absence was evident in a game low on clear cut chances and general quality with the home team yet to win a league game in 2023 and Liverpool playing their first game since being thrashed 5-2 against Real Madrid in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie. Liverpool under Klopp have made it a habit in setting club records and winning honours, but there will none of that celebration for this campaign with the pure focus being able to clinch a top four berth which at this stage looks like a uphill battle. Klopp is never one to talk down his side but he is also a realist and speaking after this result, he knows he has a job to keep the morale high as ESPN reported. " Look, I see it in your eyes and in the players' eyes as well: it looks like we lost the game. We didn't. It is like that. We cannot suffer because of our own history. That would now be really a joke. “This will not be the season that everybody when you have the history books and say 'let's have a look at that season again and again and again.' There will not be big movies about it and stuff like this but we have to go through it anyway. “It is not always 'here we won, great, oh now we dropped points, oh rubbish.' We have to keep going. Take the things and go again, that's what we will do. "Nothing really changed tonight. You can see it two ways: we didn't win, that sounds negative. We have a point more than before. I think that sounds pretty positive. So you can choose." Veteran midfielder James Milner echoed the thoughts of his manager. “We'd like a better performance and three points but we didn't get that. "We have to keep going. We're our harshest critics. It's important we don't listen to the noise outside. It's down to us. We're the only ones who can change it." While the Reds wasted this opportunity to significantly cut the gap on those above them, they have a catch-up game midweek against Wolves where hopefully they pick up maximum points. View full article

Jurgen Klopp has signalled that Liverpool will be an active participant in the summer transfer window. In a clear indication that the squad is set for a refresh, Klopp was speaking ahead of the clash with Crystal Palace this evening and made it clear that a decent sized spend in necessary if they want to compete for honours well into the future. The Mirror reported Klopp as saying: "Money always has an impact (on signings). But it can not be that much of an impact (this time). "Of course it is influential, but it is a summer where we have to be in the market, definitely. “We know we have to change things and we will, we cannot do that now - we just have to go through this and fight back - but it is already clear we have to do something in the summer. Around us obviously a few (clubs) are speeding up, and you cannot ignore that. Klopp continued with his forthright messaging regarding the future direction of the club, saying that while he has no say on the amount he is given, he is clear with the type of player that he wants, and says that they need to hit the ground running to land their targets. “ I cannot decide at all about money, not about one penny. That was always the same. My job is to make 100 per cent clear what we need from a sports point of view and then other people are responsible for giving us the resources. “We know what we will do, it is still about finding the right players, not about bringing in a lot. “ It is tricky and difficult but we have to start work (on recruitment) earlier before we know where we will end up position-wise and European competition-wise. These things are clear here." It is human nature to focus on the present moment and in terms of Liverpool, it has been rather grim especially the start of the New Year. There was no more sobering reminder than the 5-2 thrashing that Real Madrid delivered at Anfield on Tuesday evening, which brutally exposed the shortcomings of this current squad. But in the main, there have been many more wonderful memories of the football that has been played and success that has occurred during the Klopp era. But as we edge ever closer to a new phase, the manager has urged the fans not to forget what has come before. “This team was always the basis for all what we do, and is the basis for all we do (in the future). Even if people are now in the mood like, ‘He can go, he should go, bam, bam bam - everybody out’. My God, calm down please! “Have a look. Go on YouTube and watch an old video and think, ‘That’s what he did, he threw his heart and soul on the pitch’. That’s still in there so let’s make a decision after the season. "As long as we are together, let’s support this group with all we have. That’s the only thing I am asking for.” · View full article

Jamie Carragher says that Liverpool received a brutal reality check in terms of their current level as they were thrashed 5-2 by Real Madrid in the first leg of their Round-of-16 clash on Tuesday evening. It has been a challenging start to 2023 in terms of form, but the Reds seemed to be emerging from the fog with two league wins in succession, and just as importantly two clean sheets to go along with it. There is nothing quite like a big European night at Anfield to get the juices flowing and it doesn’t come bigger than playing the ‘grandmasters’ of this competition in the Spanish outfit. Madrid came into this fixture with the wood over the Reds in this competition including two victories in the final in recent seasons, but it had been somewhat of a frustration for fans that Liverpool had not played them at a full capacity Anfield during the Jurgen Klopp era, with the only meeting coming when empty stadium restrictions were enforced during the pandemic. And if on cue, they made the perfect start with goals to Darwin Nunez and Mo Salah before being pegged back to 2-2 at half time. After the long break, it become a truly chastening experience for anyone associated with the club as the defensive frailties and general sloppiness which had typified this campaign came to the fore and the last team that you want to have control of the contest is the reigning holders of this competition. As with any result of significance, there are plenty of opinions in the aftermath and Carragher was at the forefront not holding back as the Mirror (via CBS) reported. "It was nonsense, absolute nonsense that Liverpool were back after the last two games," "And that's why I was cautious before the game. They played against an Everton team, one of the worst performances I've seen in a derby game from an Everton team who did nothing. "I was at the Newcastle game as well. Newcastle had 10 men and created chances. If Newcastle had had 11 men all game, they'd have got back to 2-2, I'm convinced. Liverpool, right now and all season, as I've said before, have been an absolute shambles defensively. Now, this team had a great defensive record last season. “But we know the midfield doesn't have the energy anymore, the attacking players - the front three - don't press like or certainly don't have the cohesion that was there before with (Roberto) Firmino and (Sadio) Mane, so they're new to it, (Darwin) Nunez and (Cody) Gakpo. “So, this Liverpool defence now, who for years we've been told have some of the best players in the world, can't cope because for years they've had a front six in front of them who probably worked harder and smarter than any other team in world football, and now that's gone, it's completely fell apart.” Having been around the game for such a long period of time, Carragher understands that things can go wrong during a season and there has been some mitigating circumstances regarding Liverpool’s downfall in this campaign. But what he cannot accept is the same mistakes being made during a match and seemingly how much standards have dropped. “ I keep - I wouldn't say making excuses, it's the wrong word - but because as a Liverpool fan, we absolute adore this manager and his team, and they've done so much for the club in the last four of five years, it hurts to say anything negative because they've give you so much. "But Liverpool are eighth in the Premier League, they've just been battered 5-2 in the Champions League. I know it's Real Madrid but these are the two teams who were in the final last year. It's not acceptable what we're watching this season. We keep looking for reasons and excuses, but no, it's nowhere near good enough. “Some of players there... Joe Gomez tonight - listen we've all had bad nights - and maybe I shouldn't kick someone when they're down because I'm sure he'll feel terrible right now. We keep talking about midfield players who Liverpool need and I think that's right, but I think Liverpool need defenders as well because when they get exposed they can't defend." View full article

Liverpool could be looking to add to their defensive stocks in the summer as they have been linked to young Colombia defender Kevin Mantilla. The 19 year-old has been taking part in the U-20 South American championships and has had a lot of Premier League scouts watching his impressive performances. And according to Football insider, the Reds are in the front of the queue to sign the youngster having made the first preliminary step to do so. The make-up of the Reds defence moving into the future with recent speculation that Joel Matip could be on the market, while Nat Phillips deserves the opportunity to build a career away from Anfield as first team opportunities seem thin on the ground for him moving forward. It also remains to be seen what the club do with the likes of Rhys Williams and Sepp van den Berg in the summer as their loan spells this season have not gone to plan this season. Mantilla who plays for Independiente Santa Fe in his homeland stands at 6 foot 1 and is described as predominantly playing as a central defender but can also play at right back. South America has become a market that Premier League clubs are heavily scouting for value in recent times due to the difficulties in signing rising stars from Europe as a result of the Brexit regulations. We have seen a club like Brighton strike gold with their South American scouting network identifying major value with the likes of Alexis Mac Alister and Moises Caicedo in recent seasons. So if Liverpool can have similar success, that can only benefit the team in the long run. View full article