Category Archives: FC Liverpool

Why are football stadiums so expensive to build?

“Manchester United and Chelsea share a problem they cannot hope to run away from. Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge might be able to narrate storied chapters of the Premier League’s history, but neither can project a compelling future. At least not in their current states. The famous homes of Manchester United and Chelsea have become weights that threaten to hold back their owners. They are not fit for an elite long-term purpose. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Arsenal have accepted how they must play to win a Premier League title – Jonathan Wilson

“A sign of champions, the theory has it, is winning ugly. No side can be at their very best all the time and so, over the course of a season, there will be occasions when a team that is going to win the league has to gut it out, to keep going with their plans, to keep believing, whether that means withstanding pressure or burgling a late goal. Not all points are won with beauty; some have to be fought for or stolen. In a title race, character matters as much as ability. …”
Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Darwin Nunez’s game for Liverpool and Uruguay is benefiting from the Marcelo Bielsa effect

“So many players cite Marcelo Bielsa as having had a transformational impact on their career: Gabriel Batistuta, Mauricio Pochettino, Diego Simeone, Alexis Sanchez, Ander Herrera and Kalvin Phillips, to name just a few. Argentine coach Bielsa’s ability to craft and tweak systems and tactical plans to maximise individual strengths, as well as notice the tiniest details to raise a player’s level, are legendary. Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez can be added to the above list. …”
The Athletic

Toulouse 3 Liverpool 2: VAR row, Endo and Tsimikas flop and Klopp’s plan falls apart

“This was supposed to be the night that Liverpool secured their Europa League knockout qualification — instead, they delivered one of their worst recent displays under Jurgen Klopp to slump to a shock defeat, and one clouded by controversy. The visitors deservedly trailed at the interval through Aron Donnum’s 36th-minute goal and things did not improve after half-time. …”
The Athletic
BBC – Toulouse 3-2 Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp angered by ‘chaotic’ performance – and media conference (Video)
The Athletic: Liverpool’s away form is becoming a problem – so what’s going wrong? (Video)

Is the Premier League ready to embrace a substitution revolution?

Jürgen Klopp hugs Diogo Jota as he leaves the pitch during Sunday’s game between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
“José Mourinho wore many faces as a Premier League manager. Chameleon-like, shifting from rambunctious to cantankerous. If Chelsea’s 2015 Premier League title win had all the hallmarks of a Tom Wambsgans redemption arc, his 2004 to 2007 incarnation was defined by his Logan Roy lead character energy. Every game felt tinged with Mourinho razzmatazz – good or bad. No wonder, then, when Chelsea lost to neighbors Fulham for the first time in 27 years on 20 March 2006, Mourinho preserved his role as chief headline maker. …”
Guardian

Liverpool’s Anfield Road End: Millions in lost revenue, site chaos – and no set end date

“The changing landscape around the Anfield Road End was clear to see this week — and goes some way to explaining why Liverpool’s expensive stadium rebuild is still far from complete. All the sights and sounds of a busy building site were present on non-matchdays as staff got to work on the remaining phases of a job that has already been delayed multiple times due to the collapse of the construction firm, Buckingham Group. …”
The Athletic

Liverpool continue to show tactical mastery of a season laden with red cards

“Two months into the 2023-24 Premier League season, four of Liverpool’s nine matches have contained at least one red card. Ashley Young’s dismissal in the Merseyside derby yesterday (Saturday) was the first time that Liverpool’s opponents were the team reduced to 10 players. Liverpool had four men sent off in the space of six games: Alexis Mac Allister at home to Bournemouth, Virgil van Dijk away to Newcastle the following weekend, and both Curtis Jones and Diogo Jotaat Tottenham Hotspur. …”
The Athletic
Guardian: Liverpool in state of flux but Salah still Klopp’s priceless gamechanger
The Athletic: Mohamed Salah, Egypt and the scrutiny of his words about the war in Israel and Gaza (Video)

Liverpool’s ‘Famous Five’: How Jurgen Klopp built Europe’s most formidable attack

“Blink and you would have missed it. Luis Diaz to Darwin Nunez to Mohamed Salah. Goal. Liverpool were back on terms with Brighton & Hove Albion last Sunday and, once again, Liverpool’s formidable attack had carved open an opposing defence. It is not just those three, either. Take out Diaz and replace him with Cody Gakpo (when fit), or remove Nunez and swap him for Diogo Jota (when not suspended) — there is no discernible drop in quality. With five players of such excellence at their disposal, it is difficult to argue against Liverpool having steadily amassed the best attacking options in Europe. …”
The Athletic (Video)

How the sole of the foot sparked a tactical revolution in football

“Antonio Vacca can remember the moment well. In truth, the Italian is unlikely to forget it anytime soon, given he not only gets to see his ‘little theory put into practice’ every time he watches Brighton & Hove Albion play on television, but he also has Roberto De Zerbi’s initials tattooed on him. The story Vacca recalls goes back to De Zerbi’s time in charge of the Serie C club Foggia, between 2014 and 2016, and an incident in a training match that fundamentally changed how the Brighton manager viewed build-up play, and, ultimately, contributed to one of football’s modern tactical trends. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Why Brighton are Liverpool’s bogey side – and how Klopp could put things right

“In football, everybody has a so-called ‘bogey team’. No matter what your side does, what line-up your manager picks or how well the players perform, the result never goes in your favour. For Liverpool over the past four seasons, their bogey team have been Brighton & Hove Albion. Jurgen Klopp’s men have won only one of their last seven games against them. …”
The Athletic

Liverpool vs PGMOL: What do the club hope to achieve after VAR row?

“Almost 72 hours after Liverpool’s contentious defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, the fallout rumbles on. A review is underway into the errors that led to Luis Diaz’s goal being disallowed for offside, with VAR Darren England and assistant VAR Dan Cook, who failed to overturn the on-field decision after replays showed the Colombian was onside, having been left off the list of officials for the next round of Premier League matches. …”
The Athletic
Guardian: VAR audio from Luis Díaz’s wrongly disallowed goal is released by PGMOL (Video)
The Athletic – Liverpool VAR error audio made public after Luis Diaz goal wrongly disallowed – full transcript: ‘That’s wrong, that, Daz’

US owners understand profit but do they appreciate clubs’ tradition and values? – Jonathan Wilson

“It’s just over a year since Gary Neville declared US owners of English soccer clubs ‘a clear and present danger to the pyramid and fabric of the game’. The comment provoked a furore but the former England full-back turned high-profile pundit was unrepentant, insisting that if profit is the priority, there are vital aspects of the roles of soccer clubs that risk being lost. …”
Guardian

Keeping the threat alive: The importance of the second phase at corners

“When a stat about goals from corners pops up during a Premier League match, a common question from viewers is why the number of goals their team has scored from them is higher than they expected. Any confusion generally arises because of goals that are scored in the second phase of corners. The second phase starts when the team taking the corner quickly collects the ball after it was cleared — or in some cases overhit — and is in position to attack again with most of the attacking players still in the box. …”
The Athletic

How Football Works: Third-man combinations in the double pivot

“When Xabi Alonso played for Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich, he usually operated as a lone defensive midfielder, presumably because he was so handsome that team-mates were too intimidated to stand next to him. Not many clubs play that way now. A decade of increasingly sophisticated pressing has forced sides that want to build up through the middle (as opposed to going over or around the other team) to put two bodies on their defensive midfield line. … Their secret weapon was third-man combinations in the double pivot. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Liverpool’s new system is blunting Andy Robertson – but there could be a solution

“There were five minutes of normal time remaining at Molineux when Andy Robertson found himself storming forward into the Wolverhampton Wanderers box. He found Mohamed Salah on the edge of the penalty area, took the Egyptian’s return pass in his stride and stroked the ball into the net for the goal that completed Liverpool’s comeback and set them on their way to three more precious points. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Klopp moving Szoboszlai was key to Liverpool’s second-half turnaround at Wolves

“The Liverpool fans at Molineux saved their final song — ‘I’m so glad that Jurgen is a Red’ — until the 99th minute, which was fitting for more than one reason. Jurgen Klopp has let his feelings be known about the premature nature of chanting in his direction before the job is done, so with 99 minutes on the clock and Liverpool 3-1 up against Wolves, it felt like the perfect timing. …”
The Athletic

The art of publicly criticising players: Why do managers do it and does it ever work?

“… One way to look at things is Ten Hag was simply answering a question honestly and straightforwardly. Another is that the United manager saw a passing bus and chose to throw Sancho under it, that he could quite easily have fobbed the question off with benign platitudes and avoided potentially alienating one of his squad. It does raise the question: is it ever justified for a manager to single out an individual player for public criticism? What purpose does it serve? Is it just the boss lashing out in frustration, or is there a more deliberate purpose to it all? Does it actually work? …”
The Athletic

Liverpool’s 2019-level pressing intensity might well be back

“Liverpool’s win against Aston Villa resembled an Anfield performance from 2019-20. That season, Liverpool won 18 of their 19 home league games en route to lifting the Premier League trophy. They were wins characterised by four trademarks: three of those being fast starts with them usually ahead by half-time, set-piece goals (because many opponents defended deep to limit open-play opportunities) and Mohamed Salah scoring in front of the Kop. All three happened in Sunday’s win. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Ryan Gravenberch Could Be the Perfect Player to Conclude Liverpool’s Midfield Rebuild

“Last summer, reports suggested that Liverpool wanted to sign Ryan Gravenberch from Ajax, along with several other big clubs. Ultimately, the young Dutchman chose Bayern Munich, and Liverpool didn’t sign a midfielder until a panic loan deal for Arthur Melo on deadline day, which worked about as well as you would expect. …”
The Analyst

Newcastle 1-2 Liverpool: Darwin’s double, Alexander-Arnold’s nightmare start, Gordon shines

“Newcastle and Liverpool served up a typically thrilling game at St James’ Park on Sunday afternoon, with Jurgen Klopp’s team — down to 10 men for much of the match — somehow turning defeat into victory and extending their unbeaten league run against Newcastle to 14 games. Here, our writers break down the key moments of the match as it unfolded. …”
The Athletic (Video)
The Athletic: Anthony Gordon was terrorising Liverpool – taking him off cost Eddie Howe dearly (Video)
Guardian: Núñez, Liverpool’s king of chaos, proves a fitting master of the mayhem – Jonathan Wilson
BBC – Newcastle 1-2 Liverpool: ‘Agent of chaos’ Darwin Nunez turns Reds saviour

Time-wasting in football is ugly, maddening – and absolutely vital

“It was a bright, clammy afternoon in August, and the clocks were striking one hundred and thirteen. Midway through the second half at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, with the score 1-1, Chelsea engaged in a spell of concerted forward thrust, and with Liverpool adjusting to a double substitution, Trent Alexander-Arnold pressed the damper pedal for a moment. …”
Guardian

The Premier League Bad Predictions Amnesty 2023-24

“The Premier League is back tonight, promising thrills, spills and all manner of footballing chaos. Our team of writers at The Athletic have gone to great effort to make some sensible predictions and season previews for 2023-24. But for those who want their football forecasts to talk about xVibes more than xGOT, this week has brought a return of our Bad Prediction Amnesty. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Premier League hope-o-meter 2023-24: How every club’s fans are feeling

“If you think you’re excited about the start of the new Premier League season, you should speak to an Aston Villa fan. They’re about ready to pop. All of them. Well, almost all of them. In a survey conducted by The Athletic this week (before the developments on Thursday and Friday which brought the transfers of Moises Caicedo and Harry Kane closer to being completed), we asked how supporters of each of the 20 teams are feeling about the new season. Ninety-nine per cent of Villa respondents said ‘optimistic’, making them the most positive bunch in the division. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Klopp’s ‘LFC reloaded’ need return of sharp pressing of opposition and of manager – Jonathan Wilson

“On the opening weekend last season, Liverpool went to Fulham and, after twice falling behind, drew 2-2. Coming a week after the Community Shield win over Manchester City, the positive impression of Darwin Núñez seemed to be confirmed but the broader feeling was of doubt. Liverpool just didn’t look at it. They didn’t overwhelm Fulham physically as they had so many teams previously. Fabinho looked off the pace. …”
Guardian

Why so much stoppage time is being added on to Premier League matches this season?

“The new Premier League season has begun, with reigning champions Manchester City beating Vincent Kompany’s Burnley 3-0 at Turf Moor— and top-flight games are about to become longer. The game at Turf Moor had five minutes added on at half-time and six minutes added on after the second half. Additional time played at the end of each half will increase under a new directive for 2023-24, and the expectation is that 100-minute matches will become the norm this season. …”
The Athletic

2023-24 Premier League – Location-map, with 3 charts

“… The map is a basic location-map, with an inset map of Greater London. Also shown are small labels which point out the three promoted clubs (Burnley, Luton Town, Sheffield United). And there are three charts… The Attendance chart, at top-centre of the map page, shows 4 things for each of the 20 current Premier League clubs…A) 2022-23 finish (with promotions noted). B) 2022-23 average attendance [from home league matches]. C) Stadium capacity [2022-23]. D) Percent-capacity [2022-23]. At the right-hand side of the map page are two more charts. The chart at the top-right shows Seasons-in-1st-Division for the 20 current Premier League clubs. …”
billsportsmaps
W – 2023–24 Premier League

Why Jurgen Klopp placed his trust in Trent Alexander-Arnold: ‘You need specific DNA at Liverpool’

“With his cap on backwards, Jurgen Klopp strolled across to Trent Alexander-Arnold during Saturday’s open training session at Singapore’s National Stadium and affectionately draped an arm around his shoulders. A brief chat was followed by a warm embrace between the Liverpool manager and his new vice-captain before they went their separate ways. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Replacing Fabinho: How Will Liverpool Fill Hole Left by Brazilian ‘Lighthouse’?

“In 2019, Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders waxed lyrical to ESPN about the role of Fabinho in the team, describing him as a ‘lighthouse’. ‘Inside the organised chaos that we want, that we like, he is like a lighthouse, he controls it… His timing, his vision, his calmness, it gives another dimension to our midfield play,’ Lijnders said. His arrival from Monaco in 2018 coincided with Liverpool going from a team that challenged for the top four to one that challenged for titles. Along with Alisson, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, Fabinho helped take Jürgen Klopp’s men to the next level. …”
The Analyst

Where Does Your Team Need to Strengthen? One Solution For Every Premier League Club

“The summer transfer window is hotting up. Every team is spending (or preparing to spend) millions of pounds to try and improve ahead of next season, while managers and coaching across England will have put in hours of work to try and find a way to get even more from the players already at their disposal. Each team has a weakness – yes, even Manchester City – that the staff will need to address this summer, either through recruitment or tactical tweaks on the training ground. Here, we have highlighted an area of the game that each Premier League team could do with improving (that they haven’t already addressed) ahead of next season. Read on to see where your team needs to strengthen. …”
The Analyst

Liverpool, the box midfield and where Dominik Szoboszlai fits in next season

“There were two key questions around Liverpool’s midfield rebuild this summer: which players would comprise it, and which formation was the club buying for? More specifically, would Jurgen Klopp return to his traditional 4-3-3 system or continue with the 3-box-3 set-up in which Liverpool ended the season. The addition of Dominik Szoboszlai appears to have provided more clarity because the 22-year-old looks extremely well suited to the right-sided No.10 role of the box midfield. …”
The Athletic
Where Dominik Szoboszlai could fit in at Liverpool in 3 systems
W – Dominik Szoboszlai

What is Gegenpressing?

“‘No playmaker in the world can be as good as a good counter-pressing situation!’ – the words of Jurgen Klopp a true advocate of Gegenpressing, the art of swarming the ball player as soon as the ball is turned over.”
YouTube
Counter- or Gegenpressing

Liverpool squad audit: Who stays and who goes this summer?

“This summer has long been labelled as the big rebuild, Liverpool righting the wrongs of the failure to address their midfield situation in particular. James Milner, Roberto Firmino, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita waved goodbye last month and World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister said hello last week as the first signing of the summer. There is still plenty of work to be done and more additions will follow. …”
The Athletic

All 20 Premier League clubs’ 2022-23 season summed up in just 10 games

“Did the Premier League season pass you by? Can you barely remember what took place before the World Cup? Are you a bit unsure of what happened with Bournemouth? It’s difficult to describe a 380-game campaign concisely. But here is an attempt: all 20 Premier League teams’ seasons summarised in 10 choice matches… ”
The Athletic – Michael Cox

Tales from the Anfield Road: Magical memories from Liverpool’s ‘other’ end

“It may lack the storied glamour of the Kop or the soaring splendour of the new Main Stand, but Liverpool’s Anfield Road end has a history and atmosphere all of its own. The bulldozers will move in after Saturday’s final home game of the season, replacing the current structure with a new stand that will lift Anfield’s capacity to 61,000 at a cost of £80million ($101million) in time for the start of next season. To mark the end of the stand in its current form, we asked those who have watched from or played in front of the ‘Annie Road End’ for their standout memories. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Fabinho: Liverpool’s new system is giving ‘the Lighthouse’ new foundations

“It was not too long ago that Fabinho’s Liverpool career looked like it was drifting towards an unhappy ending. The Brazilian has barely resembled a shadow of himself during parts of this season and, while being far from the only player struggling, his decline was significant and one of the roots of Liverpool’s collective problems. For years, Fabinho was able to patrol the centre of the pitch from touchline to touchline in front of his team’s defence. The lighthouse, the Dyson — pick your nickname and it explains his responsibilities in Liverpool’s 4-3-3 system. …”
The Athletic (Video)

The Premier League xG table: Evaluating the attacking performance of every club

“In case anyone needed reminding, scoring goals helps you win games of football. For those who like to dig a little deeper, it is interesting to see how often a team scores goals relative to the opportunities they create. Yes, your team might rocket a 40-yard strike into the top corner from time to time, but how sustainable is that method of attack across a season? That’s right, we’re talking about expected goals (xG). …”
The Athletic

Mohamed Salah has a secret skill for Liverpool which makes him truly special

“If there was a list detailing everything Mohamed Salah brings to Liverpool, it would be a very long one. His goals and remarkable consistency would of course be at the top and, with that, all the records that come his way. The assists he provides would be on there, too, along with his speed and ingenuity. …”
The Athletic

Liverpool fans and the national anthem: A history of hostility

“The message from the Kop could not have been clearer. ‘You can stick your coronation up your arse,’ came the cry from the most vocal section of Liverpool’s crowd during Wednesday’s home win over Fulham, an echo of the sentiment that had reverberated around Hampden Park in Glasgow a few days earlier courtesy of Celtic fans. It was the latest iteration of Anfield’s long-standing antipathy for the British establishment, and which manifests itself most obviously when Liverpool supporters routinely boo the playing of the country’s national anthem, God Save the King. …”
The Athletic (Video)
The Athletic: Liverpool fans and Jurgen Klopp: Is the love affair as strong as ever? (Video)
The Athletic: Why Liverpool want Jorg Schmadtke as their new sporting director
The Athletic: What would make managers improve behaviour towards officials? We asked some
The Athletic: Virgil van Dijk hails Alisson after Liverpool clean sheet century: ‘I’m very glad he’s my goalkeeper’

Do football managers matter?

“Managers can’t perform magic, although some people seem to think they can. They’re not David Copperfield or Harry Potter. They can’t work miracles or sprinkle some magical dust to make players know how to play football. Spending hours on analysis isn’t very useful. It doesn’t put you in better conditions to win the game. The tactics, the schemes, they’re all bull***t. Of course tactics matter, but players win the game. For 45 minutes at a time, players make their own decisions. Football is a continuous sport in which the coach has barely any influence, less than in any other sport. …”
The Athletic

Liverpool 4-3 Tottenham: A thriller that underlines why neither team are top four

“Liverpool won a fourth successive Premier League match thanks to an incredible 94th-minute winner from Diogo Jota against Spurs at Anfield. Goals from Curtis Jones, Luis Diaz and a Mohamed Salah penalty put Jurgen Klopp’s team in a commanding position in the first 15 minutes, as Spurs found themselves all but beaten in the first third of a match for the second Sunday running. …”
The Athletic
The Athletic – Liverpool and Tottenham are at the crossroads: What can they learn from each other?

Liverpool’s midfield transfer targets: Analysing Mount, Mac Allister, Gravenberch and more

“Liverpool may have withdrawn from the race to sign Jude Bellingham but there will still be plenty of change to their central midfield this summer. The club are in the hunt for at least two, and possibly three, midfielders in the upcoming window, and a lot of exploratory work and discussions have been carried out by their senior recruitment staff in recent weeks to determine, out of the players they have tracked extensively, who will be available and at what price. …”
The Athletic

Liverpool and how it became the football mural capital of the UK

“It is a glorious spring morning in north Liverpool and John Barnes is gazing up at the latest striking addition to Anfield’s growing collection of street art. Covering the entire end wall of a terraced house on Balfour Street, a five-minute stroll from the stadium he once graced as a player, it consists of two images of Barnes: a close-up of his face — brow furrowed, lips pursed — and another of him unleashing a left-footed shot. …”
The Athletic

Salah is back – this is the Liverpool tactical change that made it happen

“How many times have you watched Mohamed Salah play for Liverpool this season and felt he was too isolated, too wide and getting crowded out by opponents? There has seemingly been a rotating list of frustrations as the Egypt forward, alongside his team-mates, has failed to hit the lofty standards of previous years. …”
The Athletic

Maybe it’s time to welcome back the old fashioned wing-half – in modern guise

Bayern Munich, full-back Philipp Lahm
“One of the easiest and most misleading pieces of footballing received wisdom is that everything is cyclical. Wait long enough, the great drum of history will revolve again and the same ideas will come back round, be that sharp side-partings, the back three, Howard Webb apologising to Brighton or Roy Hodgson managing Crystal Palace. Except time is not a flat circle. Each iteration is different because it comes with knowledge of what went before. …”
Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Who will make Premier League top four? Analysing the run-ins of Champions League hopefuls

“We are on the home straight of the Premier League season and while the title might have become a two-horse race, there are still some highly lucrative spots up for grabs. There are arguably six clubs fighting for the remaining two Champions League spots, with fewer than 10 games to play. Newcastle United and Manchester United are currently leading the pack in the race for Europe’s most esteemed competition, but will it stay that way? …”
The Athletic

Liverpool’s poor away form: ‘You always fear for them now’

“After watching a sleepy and hollow performance against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge earlier this month, Liverpool fans boarded their coaches home from London with a familiar feeling. … Disappointment and frustration have been recurring feelings for Liverpool fans on the road this season. They have watched their team lose eight times but only seen three wins. A stark contrast to Liverpool’s past four seasons, where they lost nine times and won 50 games in total. …”
The Athletic – Liverpool’s poor away form: ‘You always fear for them now’

Liverpool against Arsenal dispelled a myth – it was proof tactical battles can be fun

“‘Intriguing tactical battles’ are generally considered to be a euphemism for matches that are tight, tense, and uneventful. This is something of a myth, however. Commentators, pundits and presenters refer to games in this manner when nothing else is happening, in an attempt to convince the armchair viewer that sitting through it isn’t a complete waste of their time. But Liverpool’s 2-2 Anfield draw with Arsenal yesterday was one of the most intriguing tactical battles you’ll see all season and one of the best games you’ll see all season. …”
The Athletic – Michael Cox

Liverpool 2 Arsenal 2: Firmino’s revival, Ramsdale’s rescue and a Premier League classic

“Arsenal withstood a blistering second-half barrage from Liverpool to salvage what could yet prove a crucial draw in their pursuit of a first Premier League title since 2004. Aaron Ramsdale conjured two stunning late saves deep into stoppage time to ensure Arsenal left Anfield with a point for the first time in seven seasons after blowing a 2-0 lead. Their advantage at the top of the table now stands at six points, with second-placed Manchester City — who host the leaders later this month — holding a game in hand. …”
The Athletic

Game of Numbers #14 – Ilkay Gündoğan’s Movement Masterclass

“It’s spectacular to think that even within a midfield of Bernardo Silva, Kevin de Bruyne and Rodri, that İlkay Gündoğan remains one of City’s most important players when it matters most. He’s guaranteed a selection for 20-30 games in any given season, despite all the magnificent options operating around him. In fact, when fit, he’s often the team captain – even when more vocal players like Dias or De Bruyne remain available. This is all down to the German’s intelligence and magnificence when it comes to off-the-ball movement. …”
The Mastermindsite (Video)

Liverpool shouldn’t sack Klopp – but it is right questions are being asked of him

“Imagine, for a second, that Liverpool hadn’t appointed Jurgen Klopp in late 2015 and were instead forced to settle for an inferior manager who only marginally improved the club. In that world, the past few years in English football would have been very dull. Rather than Manchester City winning four of the last five titles — already a huge level of dominance, although two of them were only clinched on the final day ahead of Liverpool — they would presumably have coasted to five in a row without any serious challenge. …”
The Athletic (Video)
The Athletic: Liverpool’s whole defensive structure is struggling – it’s not just Virgil van Dijk

How Pep Guardiola turned John Stones into Manchester City’s midfield maestro

“John Stones’ performance against Liverpool on Saturday was a masterclass. In recent weeks, Stones has been Pep Guardiola’s inverted full-back, moving from right-back to central midfield seamlessly and helping Manchester City dominate games. While Stones has less impact in the final third compared to his predecessor Joao Cancelo, who used to move into midfield from left-back, the England international’s own style has allowed City to thrive in other ways. …”
The Athletic (Video)
The Athletic: Jurgen Klopp seems bullet-proof but Liverpool’s patience is not limitless

Jack Grealish, Manchester City’s coolest kid, teaches Liverpool a lesson

“Is anyone in Britain currently having more fun than Jack Grealish? Two minutes before the end of this 4-1 annihilation of Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium Grealish left the pitch to a standing ovation, met by a tender, oddly sensual full body hug from Pep Guardiola, who for a while just wouldn’t let him go, patting his buttocks, whispering in his ear, hungry for Jack love. …”
Guardian (Video)
Guardian – ‘Four performances were OK’: Klopp laments Liverpool’s display at City

At Liverpool, a Red Alert

“… Still, the award’s existence is harmless, even kind of sweet. It is a chance, after all, to give athletes who devote years to their craft a celebration they deserve. More of a problem is the cultural gravity it exerts: In the months before the ceremony, there is a tendency to present any sporting success solely in the light of how it might affect the award’s destination. …”
NY Times

Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

“… 5) Howe eyes revenge – and McTominay. Newcastle may have lost February’s League Cup final to Manchester United but revenge against the same opponents at St James’ Park on Sunday would be particularly sweet for Eddie Howe’s side. While a home win would bolster Newcastle’s Champions League qualification hopes significantly, a key subplot of the match itself could involve central midfield. …”
Guardian

Premier League predictions: Arsenal to edge title race but Manchester City to lift the Champions League?

“Will Arsenal hold on? Can Thomas Tuchel turn Bayern Munich into Champions League winners? Who will finish top four in the Premier League? And who will go down? And just how many league goals will Erling Haaland finish on in his first season at Manchester City? Oliver Kay, Daniel Taylor, Sarah Shephard, Nick Miller and Dan Sheldon assess the Premier League run-in and pick their Champions League and Europa League champions. …”
The Athletic

Premier League accounts: Latest finances for all 20 top-flight clubs

“It’s that time of year again. No, it’s not the dawn of spring with birds chirping and daylight actually lasting longer than the working day, it’s the end of the financial year and that means Premier League clubs must present their full accounts for the previous financial year — essentially the 2021-22 season. …”
The Athletic (Video)
YouTube: Football Club Accounts: Explained

How to move off the ball like a world class winger

“In the modern era, wingers can be as vital to scoring goals and creating chances as any other position on the pitch. Elite superstars like Mohamed Salah and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have illustrated this to a tee this year, for both their goal scoring prowess and chance creation supremacy. But most young players aspiring to be the world’s best struggle to see the finer details of exactly how the likes of Salah and Kvara find themselves in those scoring positions. With that, we break down how to move off the ball like a world class winger, with real examples from the likes mentioned above, in addition to Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and Alex Morgan. …”
The Mastermindsite (Video)

Liverpool must pull off the impossible at Real Madrid – this is how they do it

“The odds will be stacked against Liverpool when they walk out at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night. Real Madrid’s 5-2 win in the first leg at Anfield three weeks ago — Liverpool’s heaviest defeat at home in the Champions League — left Jurgen Klopp’s side on the brink of elimination. The champions of Europe, three goals up in their own stadium, against a team beaten by lowly Bournemouth last weekend. Logic suggests the tie is already done and dusted. …”
The Athletic (Video)
The Athletic – Real Madrid 1 Liverpool 0: Klopp’s team limp out – who can stop the champions?

Liverpool’s elite status under threat after timid exit from the Champions League

“‘Where’s the final next year? Istanbul? Book the hotel,’ declared a bullish Jurgen Klopp after last season’s Champions League final defeat in Paris. Let’s hope those rooms are refundable. Klopp expected the good times to keep rolling, but over the course of this troubled season, Liverpool have been repeatedly exposed as a fading force. This limp last-16 exit at the hands of Real Madrid simply confirmed it. …”
The Athletic

Liverpool 7 Manchester United 0: Gakpo, Nunez and Salah run riot as Ten Hag’s men wilt

“Two goals each from Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah helped Liverpool power to a record win over Manchester United. Gakpo, the Netherlands forward signed from PSV Eindhoven in January, produced his best performance for Jurgen Klopp’s team, scoring two exquisite goals either side of Nunez’s 47th-minute header. Salah got in on the act with a fourth before Nunez got his second and the Egypt star completed his own double. Roberto Firmino, who confirmed this week he will be leaving at the end of the season, came off the bench to complete the rout. …”
The Athletic
The Athletic: Ten Hag has used ruthlessness and running but this Man Utd humbling needs a new response (Video)
Guardian: Ten Hag accuses Manchester United of being ‘unprofessional’ in Liverpool rout
BBC: Bruno Fernandes a ‘disgrace’ & Manchester United ‘eaten alive’ in Liverpool thrashing
Guardian: Salah and Liverpool make history with seven-goal rout of Manchester United