TLW

Jurgen Klopp has completely dismissed any discussion regarding Liverpool prioritising one competition over the other this season.Earlier this week, there had been a report saying that the owners had told Klopp to focus on claiming the Premier League title along with retaining the Champions League trophy.Speaking ahead of the Super Cup against Chelsea on Wednesday evening, Klopp suggested that he will just take things as they come.Sky Sports reported Klopp as saying:“Unfortunately I am not good enough to decide that! I have to take what I can get. “That is how it is.“We didn't decide last year that we would go for the Champions League and ignore the Premier League obviously so we just try to win the next football game."That is [Wednesday] night and that is difficult enough. I am not a genius so I have to take what I can get.“Last year thankfully we won something, celebrated it, so now let's carry on."Liverpool will attempt to win their fourth Super Cup after successes in 1977 vs Hamburg (over two legs), 2001 vs Bayern Munich and four years later against CSKA Moscow. The German who has urged his squad to “stay greedy” in the hunt for more silverware, touched on the special location for their clash against the Europa League winners from last season.“I know about the special importance of Istanbul and what a special place it is for every Liverpool supporter. 2005, nobody will forget it.“We are different people though, team in 2019/20. That's a pretty good one as well." While the Reds cruised to victory in their first Premier League clash of the season, Chelsea crashed to a humbling 4-0 defeat against Man United on Sunday.However Klopp is certainly not taking anything for granted and is a big fan of the work of new Blues manager Frank Lampard.“We respect Chelsea a lot. If you saw the game against United and if you only saw the result you would have no idea how the game was. They played a good game."They are a really interesting team, with a good plan. Frank did an outstanding job last year [at Derby], changed the football there. “Now he is at Chelsea - his club - everything is fresh.“It is the first title they can win together. They will be 100% ready and we have to make sure we are ready as well be.The absence through injury of Alisson has been well documented, but another player that will be missing from the squad this evening is Dejan Lovren.There has been a deal of speculation that the Croatian is set for a move to Roma in a deal in the region of £20 million.However Klopp said that was not the reason why he had not travelled to Turkey.“It's because he is ill.“We will see what happens in general, not just in this window." View full article

Don't expect Liverpool to put a strong focus on the domestic cup competitions this season.The Mirror reports that the Fenway Group are desperate for Liverpool to win their first League title for 30 years, as well as attempting to retain the Champions League trophy.And therefore Jurgen Klopp has been told to put a lower emphasis on the FA and Carabao Cup especially with UEFA Super Cup and FIFA World Club Cup also on the Reds football calendar this season. The traditionists among the fanbase and former players will shudder at the thought, as their view is that every piece of silverware is well worth fighting for.This is especially the case for a club like Liverpool who are blessed to have such a prestigious history.There are also those pundits who love to place the blame at the diminishing interest of these cups at the feet of the big clubs.However, the other side of the coin is that it is a new footballing landscape to 10 years ago let alone 20, and the money on offer for ultimate success is what plays in the minds of the owners. There is much more at stake than ever before and players cannot be expected to produce at a optimum on a game to game basis.Jurgen Klopp and the players themselves have regularly discussed the squad mentality that Liverpool currently have. This proposed policy will give the likes Rhian Brewster, Yasser Larouchi and (provided he remains on the books) Ryan Kent along with fringe first team players a chance to give the manager some food for thought with strong performances.While Klopp is undoubtedly is own man and quite rightly wont be dictated to, at the end of the day he will be well aware there is always a bigger picture at play. View full article

Simon Mignolet has spoken about the pride he had in representing Liverpool Football Club.While the goalkeeper was a somewhat maligned figure by fans and critics, inside the four walls of Melwood, he was unanimously admired by the manager and teammates alike.In a wide ranging interview with the Official site, the veteran who made over 200 appearances over six seasons, admitted there had been some difficult moments in his time at the Reds, but the good times are what he will remember with true happiness."Spending six years here, I wouldn’t have thought that was going to be the case when I started. So I’m happy about that, it’s been a great ride, with ups and downs as in any career, but I’ll only treasure the great memories and there are plenty of them."Obviously winning the Champions League, ranks as the highest. "That is why you come to Liverpool, to win trophies, so even though I didn’t feature I felt part of the team and I think the squad recognised as well my importance there in trying to push the team on to win that medal. "To do that was the best but there were other great moments also.Mignolet said the opportunity to be a Number one keeper again was a key reason why he signed for Club Brugge."Well over the last few years now I always thought and said that I want to be playing again, that I want to be back on the pitch. "They were the team that wanted me the most, that pushed the most to come and get me. "Like yesterday, I played the game and although it was a Champions League qualifier vs first leg(vs Dynamo Kiev) and you can’t really say it’s already won, I was on the pitch and kept a clean sheet. "We won 1-0 and the feeling afterwards, that’s what I wanted again. " That’s why we are football players, to have that feeling again [and] to be not only important in the dressing room and being professional and pushing the lads on - I wanted to be important again on the pitch and that’s the opportunity I’ve got now, and that’s why I grasped it with my two hands.While the Belgian has departed the Reds, the club will not be too far from his mind." I’ve always done that with my old teams. Sunderland and Sint-Truiden as well, I still follow the results on a weekly basis."I just have a look and see how they did, what the score was, and the Premier League I will always follow and will give a special vibe to my ex-teammates.The 31 year-old also believes that this squad has what it takes to pick up plenty more silverware in the seasons ahead." I think the experience of winning a trophy can only push them forward, make them even more hungry to win the next one and be eager to win the next one."With the quality inside this dressing room, I don’t think you have to be afraid. You have to challenge for every single thing – Premier League, League Cup, FA Cup and, of course, in Europe – and I’m sure they will do that."Finally, Mignolet spoke about what his lasting memory will be of the club and the impact that the fans have."It's a big family, It’s a big club in the world, the biggest thing that always struck me the most is when you go abroad and see how the club is being followed. "Not only with the performances on the pitch but also the connection around it, the support it gets, the following it gets. I saw that again in America when I was there and that’s really special." To the fans I say, just stay who you are, basically! It’s [the message is] fairly easy. "I think if they can continue the support that they do at this moment in time and how they have been over the last few years then I’m sure more trophies will follow and the team will only perform better because of that." Thanks Mig for your service and good luck at your new club. View full article

It appears that Harry Wilson will spend another season on loan with Bournemouth a likely destination.The Welsh international won rave reviews for his season at Derby under Frank Lampard and the season before had a impressive impact at Hull.The 22 year-old was a regular fixture in the Reds pre-season and scored a 25-yard screamer against Lyon last week.However with more or less a full squad at his disposal, and his natural thought of wanting to see the younger players continue their development, Klopp signalled that Wilson may benefit with another season on loan to get regular minutes in the first team. " We are in constant conversations, that's clear. We have to do the right thing for us and for the boy."He is obviously a really good player and I was really happy with him in the whole pre-season."While clubs such as Leeds, Aston Villa and a return to Derby have been mooted, The Mirror reports that Bournemouth are ahead of the queue.Attacking midfielder David Brooks was a creative figure for the Cherries last season, scoring seven goals and adding five assists.However, he did pick up an ankle injury that halted his progress early in the new year, and he has fallen victim to a similar ailment which will see the 22 year-old sidelined until November meaning that they are on the lookout for a replacement and are keen on Wilson to fill that role.While Wilson has made just the one senior appearance for Liverpool (a FA Cup appearance in January 2017), there is a view that he can still have a future at the club.That is why a loan move to a Premier League club that likes to play good Football and where he can gain valuable experience makes sense for the talented youngster. View full article

Liverpool made their third signing for the summer on Monday when former West Ham and Real Betis goalkeeper Adrian joined the club as a free agent.The 32 year-old veteran was signed after long term servant of the club Simon Mignolet decided to move on in his quest for first-team football opportunities.The Belgian has returned home to play for Club Brugge meaning that a replacement keeper needed to be found.While there were plenty of speculation over who the player would be, the Reds acted very swiftly in signing a player with vast experience in the Premier League.Adrian made 150 appearances for the Hammers during the the past six seasons, and was twice runner-up in their player of the year award.Jurgen Klopp told the Official site about how pleased he was to bring the Spaniard to the club."I think this is the perfect solution for us in this moment, replacing talent and experience like for like."With Ali and Simon, I felt like we had two ‘No.1s’ and in many ways we have repeated that with Adrian. This is important."He is a keeper who knows the Premier League, who has played in pressure situations and has the highest quality.Klopp made no secret about how much he rates Mignolet but he is very confident how the new man will fill the back-up role."They are big gloves to fill because Simon was such an outstanding professional and contributed to the group even when not in the starting XI. Everything we know about Adrian tells us he has the personal qualities to go with his clear playing talent to ensure this area of the team is not weakened. Meanwhile, the man himself was thrilled to join the Reds and told the Official site about the moment he got the call and why it is the perfect move for him at this stage of his career."We spoke every day with my agent and we had other options to move, because I finished with West Ham as a free agent last season. "Finally, the last call was yesterday was to go to London to do all the stuff. Obviously I’m really happy to be here."It’s a great step in my career right now, after six good seasons at West Ham."I got experience in the Premier League and I’m coming to a big club to fight for everything "It’s a good challenge, a big challenge for me to face, challenging with big players here.Adrian said he couldn't wait to team up with Alisson who he described as a 'great keeper' and who had a 'magnificent last season.'But he is not someone to just be content with a place on the bench and said he would keep the Brazilian on his toes."I’m very ambitious. I come here to try to win everything, to try to push Ali from the first minute and to make us better. "Obviously I want to win titles, so I come here to fight for all the competitions. "Sunday was very unlucky at the end [with] the penalties in the Community Shield. But we have many competitions ahead, so we’re going to fight for it and try to get them."It seems the veteran has the right kind of mentality which will fit in perfectly with this squad.Welcome aboard Adrian. View full article

Liverpool will reject any bids for Dejan Lovren and Divock Origi during the summer transfer window.Both players have attracted interest from rival clubs with only this week, a report saying that AC Milan were very keen on the services of the Croatian defender.However the Liverpool Echo says that the Reds are planning to have Lovren on board for the 2019/20 campaign.The report continues to say that Lovren has not indicated that he is keen to depart the club despite been restricted to just 15 appearances in 2018/9.While Liverpool themselves claim that they have not received any official offers for the player who turns 30 today.Meanwhile, the club are hoping that the late season renaissance of Origi will see the Belgian striker sign a long team deal to stay at Liverpool.Even if Origi declines the opportunity to sign on the dotted line and looks to further his career elsewhere, the Reds are determined to hang onto the 24 year-old for the upcoming season, even if it means losing him for nothing next summer.The impact of Origi was a massive plus in the last few months of the 2018/9 season as he evolved seemingly overnight from a player on the fringes, to someone who could produce on the biggest of occasions. And with the front three on international duty during the off season, Origi will most certainly be given plenty of opportunities early in the new campaign.While fans are wondering if a marquee signing will be made in the next month, it seems the powers that be are making sure they hold on to what they have which is more than fair enough when you take into account what this squad accomplished last season. View full article

Team success and not personal glory is in the front of Mo Salah's mind as the Reds prepare to take on arch-rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford tomorrow.The Egyptian has been a prolific goal scorer since arriving on Merseyside at the start of last season, however Man United are the only Premier League team that he has failed to hit the back of the net against in three previous meetings.While many strikers would dwell on that record along with casting a eye to the scoring charts at this time of the season, Salah's only intention is making sure the Reds claim the all important three points tomorrow afternoon.The Official site reported Salah as saying:“As I’ve said before, for me, the record is not that important."Being the top scorer is important, but it never counts as No.1 – the Premier League is No.1."If we win [a game] 1-0, 2-0 or 3-0 and anyone else scores, I don’t mind, I would be very, very happy. For me, the team is the most important thing.“I hope I can score [Premier League goal numbers] 50, 51, 52… but the most important thing is to win [our] game."We need to stay first in the table and that’s something very important for us.” Currently Salah sits level with Sergio Aguero on 17 goals for the season with Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang two goals further back.In terms of the game, Salah knows the Red Devils will pose a much sterner challenge than the deflated and disheartened outfit that came to Anfield in the middle of December."Everyone knows about Liverpool and Manchester United. "They have good players – even before they won their last 10/11 games, they have had very good players from the beginning of the season."They have a good team and now they are winning, winning, winning, so they have confidence, but at the end of the day we want to win the game. "Whoever we play against, we want to win the game.”A victory tomorrow will not only give us the league double over a fierce rival, it will give the team a almighty boost when it comes to the title race as we enter the pivotal stage of the season. View full article

From the moment Virgil Van Dijk walked through the doors at Melwood at the end of 2017, you had a sense there was something just a bit special about him.It was quite the ordeal to bring Van Dijk to the club with claims of illegal tapping up of the player by Southampton and negotiations between the two clubs coming to a grinding halt.While it would have been easy for Jurgen Klopp to walk away and look elsewhere, it was a indication of how highly the German rated him that he was so determined to get his man come what may, especially with Man City and Chelsea lurking ominously.There was the usual jokes about Liverpool returning to their 'feeder club' to sign another player, while there was also questions whether the Dutchman was worth the world record fee for a defender.But from the moment he graced the Anfield turf in the third round FA Cup clash against Everton, you could see the sort of aura he has.While he was not at his sharpest in that fixture due to the fact that he had not played for a few weeks, he still managed to have a impact by scoring the winner.In his following 53 appearances, he has certainly made his teammates walk taller by his presence, in the process making them better players.The Official site reported on a conversation Van Dijk had with the BBC Football Daily podcast, where he outlined his goals for the future and how he wanted to be remembered once his career is done."That’s a difficult question, but maybe as a legend of Liverpool."At the moment, that’s something that comes to my mind. I want to achieve great things, amazing things, here. "We have a fantastic squad, we have everything, we have all the tools, but obviously we have to do it.“For us, we have a team in the league that is pretty good as well [Manchester City] that are doing fantastic. We’re matching them at the moment and we will see what happens. Van Dijk also talked about his overall emotions when he met some of the greats of the club for the first time.“Before I started training [with the club], I went to the game against Leicester [in December 2017]. "I was in the boardroom and met so many legends, great players who played for a beautiful club."When you play for this club, you'll always be welcome as you've been part of the family. It's one of the reasons I definitely wanted to play for the club.”Over the years, there have been countless times that a player declares their undying love for a club, only to leave a couple of years later as Liverpool fans know all too well.So while it may be too early to pop the champagne corks just yet, you get a feeling 'big Virg' is the kind of person who keeps to their word.He is well aware of the lengths that the club took to bring him to Merseyside and he wants to repay them in full.“I just want to give everything for this club. They went all out to get me and I want to give everything for them and hopefully make sure we achieve great things.Virgil has a job to do and it is clear he won't be satisfied until it is successfully achieved. View full article

Liverpool got back to winning ways on Saturday afternoon with a important 1-0 victory against Brighton at the Amex Stadium.The win reaffirms the Reds' seven point lead at the top of the table although they have played a game more than nearest rivals Man City who take on Wolves on Monday night.It was one of those afternoons where patience would be a key factor as Brighton are known as a highly organised unit on home turf and the first 45 minutes followed that script.While the defence was rock solid despite Trent Alexander-Arnold sustaining a ankle injury in the pre-match warm-up which he bravely managed to play through, the team needed to be a bit more decisive in the attacking third.Step forward the man for the big moment in Mo Salah, who won a penalty after being fouled in the box by Pascal Gross five minutes after the break and the Egyptian was able to power home the resulting spot-kick past goalkeeper David Button.The penalty looked a clear-cut decision and to Brighton manager Chris Hughton's credit he agreed with that call, however he felt a number of the other decisions by referee Kevin Friend did not go the way of his side. Sky Sports reported Hughton as saying:"There's no intent and referees have a hard job, but sometimes you feel things go your way and sometimes you feel some of the decisions don't go your way." I felt today it was one of those days. No malice or anything towards the referee but I thought the bulk of decisions favoured Liverpool today."I feel for Pascal because Mo Salah is probably the most dangerous player once he gets in those sort of positions."One-on-one with the pace that he's got. It was difficult for Pascal, but no complaints (with the penalty).Despite Brighton failing to register a shot on target throughout the ninety minutes, the.veteran manager believed his team was worth some reward for their toil on the afternoon."On the balance of play I thought we deserved something."They are such a good side and the opportunities they had were when we were trying to get back into the game and put bodies forward and made the game a bit more open. I thought we restricted them to minimal chances."Pascal Gross' chance [a shot in the second half] was probably as good as any of their chances. "In the latter part of the game we went for it a bit and showed a real intent to get back on level terms and I thought for the feel of the game that we deserved something.For his part, Jurgen Klopp was thrilled with the patience his team displayed throughout the game." I thought it was the most mature performance of the season. It's so important. On a good day, everybody can win a football game."On an average day, not a lot of football teams can win football games. On a bad day, pretty much only a few teams can win football games. Today was not a bad day, it was a difficult day for us."It was just a difficult game because Brighton is doing really well. "We played a lot of times against a 4-5-1 system, but how they do it is different. I'm really happy that the boys took the game like it is." After tasting defeat for the first time for the season in their last league clash, Klopp knew all eyes would be on the Reds to see how they responded. He knew there was only one way to rectify that."If you fall from the horse, the best thing you can do is go immediately back on it." Win or lose we never look back, only forward to the next game.That next game is against Crystal Palace at Anfield on Saturday. View full article

It appears that after five seasons, Alberto Moreno's time at Liverpool is coming to a close. A report from the Daily Star(via Estadio Deportivo) basically confirms the news that Moreno is set to depart come the conclusion of this campaign.The Spaniard is currently free to talk to other foreign clubs and sign a pre-contract agreement.While a return to former club Sevilla is believed to be Moreno's first choice, no deal is in place at this moment and clubs from Serie A and even the Premier League are believed have registered an interest. The Spanish left-back has often been one of the most discussed players when he has taken to the pitch, and mostly not in a positive fashion either.Viewed as a good bit of business when Brendan Rodgers signed him from Sevilla in the summer of 2014, it was quickly apparent that while Moreno was a attacking threat, he was susceptible to a defensive mistake or two.When a manager like Jurgen Klopp loses patience in you, like he did when James Milner replaced Moreno for the majority of the 2016/7 season, there was a sense the writing was well and truly on the wall.While he responded admirably in the early stages of last season, a untimely injury opened the door for Andy Robertson and the Scot has taken his opportunity superbly.Moreno has been on the outside looking in ever since that fateful night against Spartak Moscow in late November 2017, only making 12 first team appearances in the 13 months since.There has been constant speculation about Moreno's displeasure of his playing status which ramped up over the festive period when the 26 year-old spoke out about the situation in his homeland. Moreno said at the time "Moving back to Spain is something I have thought about, I am tired of the cold here but I do not know about interests from other clubs."I am in my fifth year here, there is no agreement on a renewal and in January, I am free to listen to any offer."An interesting claim is that Liverpool were planning to offer Moreno a new deal when the current deal expired at the end of the season, but the Spaniard seemingly wants his future sorted before then. Taking everything into account, a clean break will be best for all parties concerned.The imminent departure of Moreno means that Liverpool will be looking for a fresh face to give competition to the Scottish captain. Whether they venture onto the open market or look internally and promote someone like Adam Lewis, we will see.While Moreno is looking to close this chapter of his career, one player who it seems does have a future at the club is Divock Origi.The Belgian striker has constantly been linked to Wolves in the lead-up to the January transfer window, but it is believed in the aftermath of Dominic Solanke leaving the club to sign for Bournemouth, Jurgen Klopp does not want to lose another attacking player with so much still to play for in the second half of the season.While unlikely to crack the starting lineup in its present form, the worth of having the 23 year-old remain in the squad was illustrated by his vital late winner against Everton last month. View full article

Neil Warnock has blasted the conduct of Liverpool over the failed loan move of Nathaniel Clyne to Cardiff. The Liverpool right-back was heavily rumoured to join his old manager in Wales however on Friday, Clyne joined Bournemouth on loan until the end of the season.The veteran manager cut a frustrated figure in the aftermath of the Bluebirds shock 3rd round FA Cup to Gillingham and not for the first time in his career took his anger out on the Reds.Sky Sports reported Warnock as saying."I was disappointed with Nathaniel Clyne. "Having known the player and given him his debut (at Crystal Palace), I'm disappointed not just with the boy himself but with Liverpool as well for not ringing me."To see it on television when I've done everything right and they've promised that he's my player this week, it's a disgrace for me, it's a lack of class isn't it?"But listen, we're not going to get any favours, whether it's on the pitch or off it and we're always up against it and that's when we're good.Warnock suggested he should have looked to the 'dark arts' of the transfer market to get the deal over the line."I probably should have been illegally tapping him, but I've done everything right and then Bournemouth come in and I suppose Bournemouth paying £19million for [Dominic] Solanke probably whetted their appetite a little bit."The Cardiff manager continued his blame game saying that the wait over signing Clyne had cost him further signings."The reason I'm disappointed with Nathaniel and Liverpool is that I've missed out on three players because of waiting."I lost out on a couple of full-backs and a striker, so I'm doubly disappointed." For those with good memories, they will remember that Warnock also laid a fair share of the blame of Sheffield United's relegation in 2007 at the door at the Reds and Rafa Benitez in particular.What irritated Warnock so much was that he deemed that Rafa had fielded a weakened team against Fulham looking ahead to the Champions League final against AC Milan.Fulham won the clash 1-0, pushing the Blades one step closer to relegation.For those who need a refresh, here is what Warnock said at the time." I didn't even know two of those that played for Liverpool at Fulham last week."I'd never heard of them but when you are a foreign manager like Rafa Benitez, you probably don't give two hoots about what Sheffield United think."" I’ll never forgive Benitez for playing what wasn’t even a reserve team. “I’d understand it if the Champions League was the following week but it was 18 days away."You don’t ever forget things like that." Warnock also sent a email to Rafa saying he would never forgive him who in turn replied, threatening legal action for questioning his integrity and alleging that a Harrods hamper would be delivered to him by Fulham owner Mohamed Al Fayed. It took good few years for Warnock to get over it, talking about it in great detail whenever the topic was raised. However it has finally appeared to let it go, even praising Rafa this season for the loyalty he has shown to Newcastle under tough circumstances. Just for Neil's benefit, the starting lineup included the likes of Pepe Reina, Xabi Alonso, Alvaro Arbeloa and Sami Hyppia and Craig Bellamy to name just five.- hardly what you describe as 'nobody's.' Jurgen Klopp and Warnock have been mutually appreciative of each other's teams and personal achievements in the game, in the lead-up to their meeting earlier this season.This non-loan deal of Clyne may put a damper on the unlikely 'bromance' but perhaps for once, Warnock can look in his own backyard before placing blame at the feet of others. View full article

Alberto Moreno has been given a Liverpool lifeline with the Spanish defender set to start the third round FA Cup clash against Wolves on Monday night, manager Jurgen Klopp confirming the news at a press conference on Saturday.The much maligned left-back has only made four appearances (three starts/ one sub) for the club this season with the last time being in early December away to Burnley.Since then, Moreno has publicly questioned why he was consistently being overlooked in favour of Andy Robertson.Speaking to a paper in his homeland over the festive period, the 26 year-old said:"I do not feel good, that is the truth."I hurt myself giving everything for this team and I think that when I came back from injury, I deserved an opportunity."The situation is normal for a lot of players but simply, I did not like the way he (Jurgen Klopp) has treated me, you can say that."In another example of Klopp being the bigger person, he said his door is always open for any disgruntled player.The manager went one step further by giving glowing praise to the Spanish international in the build up to the cup clash with the Midlands side.The Liverpool Echo reported Klopp as saying:“Will Alberto start? 100%,. “Alberto is another example of being an unbelievable professional person and a really important part of the dressing room."He's from the positive side of the planet, I would say! "He is very often in very, very good shape, he loves training, he loves playing, he loves all these things. He is really good with all the boys." After seemingly being out the door at the end of the 2016/7 season, Moreno was enjoying a renaissance in the first few months of the last campaign, even winning a call-up to his national team.However a serious ankle injury in the final Champions League group game against Spartak Moscow gave new signing Andy Robertson an opportunity he was waiting for, and the Scot has not relinquished his grip on the left-back role since.However after such a intense and emotionally draining December and early January with so many big games, Klopp knows that it is important to give his key players a mental break just as much as a mental one.With cover at left-back pretty thin, it is a rare opportunity for Moreno to give a good impression, and remain in the thoughts of the manager for the rest of this season. View full article

Liverpool full-back Andy Robertson says developing a fear factor in the the same vein that Man City had last season, will be a important step in the quest for title glory. The Citizens strolled to the league title, demolishing a number of teams and setting countless records along the way.Liverpool were arguably the only team willing to go toe to toe with them, and those tactics paid off when they inflicted the first of only two losses in the league at Anfield in January.That defeat seemed to play on their mind when they came to Anfield for the first leg of the Champions League quarter final clash where they were torn apart by a scintillating first half display by the Reds.Liverpool have been more deliberate in their play this season, aiming for a measure of control all over the pitch, rather than leaving the door open to let opponents back in the game.The way that Liverpool brutally identified Arsenal's weaknesses in the first 45 minutes on Saturday was a clear reminder of those captivating attacking displays from the last campaign.Robertson hopes that it is a sign of things to come with The Independent reporting the Scotland captain as saying:"Of course, if teams are coming here maybe a bit worried then of course that works to our advantage. "But it only works to our advantage if we make it happen."We did that by going behind [against Arsenal] and we hit them hard straight after it so it was really good. "If people are worrying about coming here then it’s a good sign for us, but it’s up to us to continue that and we need to keep winning games by doing that.”Robertson said the perfect team to learn from is City who maintained that hunger throughout the whole season."We spoke about City last season and I’m sure every other team did as they were very hard to beat. "Of course we did it here in the league and the Champions League but in the league, not many people could touch them. "But the thing is, they completed it and they’ve got their winners’ medal and the trophy. "Just now, we have nothing and that’s why at the end of the season, hopefully we can talk about it.” Liverpool have mixed emotions of the Etihad Stadium last season.They were thrashed 5-0 in September albeit with 10 men for a majority of that contest, but got a measure of revenge in the second leg of the Champions League quarter final.Robertson says that you cannot put the clash on Thursday in the same context.“The thing is about the difference in the Champions League game is they obviously had to win by four goals or whatever so they had to come out."" They only need to win by one on Thursday. Despite holding the upper hand in the title race at this point, the left-back is taking nothing for granted.“Look, they’re a fantastic team, a very experienced team and they’ve been in this position before. "They’ve won the title. "It’s something that we’ve never had. They’re probably more experienced than us in this position but we look forward to it.”Getting a result on Thursday will put a major dent in the hopes of City, while giving Liverpool a massive psychological boost as we enter the second half of the season. View full article