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FA Cup: Game of the Weekend: Shrewsbury 2-2 Liverpool

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Nobody would have expected the European and club world champions to have many problems when they were drawn against Shrewsbury in the 4th round of the FA Cup. Liverpool were expected to win comfortably against the League one side playing in the third tier, but the match ended in a 4 goal thriller as the underdogs drew the game 2-2 and forced a replay.

Liverpool did not start with their strongest team which seems par for the course for Klopp and domestic cup competitions. However there were still some recognisable faces on the pitch in the form of Dejan Lovren, Divock Origi, Fabinho and Adrian was in goal. Liverpool opted to play a 4-3-3 whilst the home team had a slightly daring 3-5-2 wanting to try and pack the midfield out. It was risque to see the team happy to play 2 up front and just 3 at the back against the Reds.

The away side dominated possession and it was no surprise that they took the lead within 15 minutes through Curtis Jones who had stunned Everton in the 3rd round. Scoring so early it felt like Liverpool could 5 or 6 goals, but to their credit Shrewsbury held firm and the half time score read as 0-1.

As the 2nd half got under way Shrewsbury would have had the belief that they were still in the game but just a minute after the whistle they found themselves 2-0 down and practically out of the cup. To add insult to the wounds it was an own goal converted by defender Donald Love. Well no home fan was loving this.

But Shrewsbury found a way back, which was handed to them by one of Liverpool’s youngsters Yasser Larouci his foul giving away a penalty. Jason Cummings made no mistake and slotted home- suddenly there was belief that this game was not dead. Ten minutes later the stadium erupted like it had not done so before when Cummings ran through and took a shot, now it was 2-2 and the atmosphere in the stadium was simply electric.

Jurgen Klopp looked like someone who had been told that Christmas had been banned for the rest of his life. Distraught, angry on the touchline he played his ace cards. On came quality, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain but for the final ten minutes Liverpool could not find a breakthrough and the game ended 2-2.

It was a shock result even if we consider that Liverpool did not start their strongest team and the clubs will meet again in a weeks time.

But there will be a bigger fall out from this as Klopp desperately wanted to win this game and has announced that not only will he field a complete second string side at Anfield he will also not be there to coach the team. This is because there is a gap week in the Premier League and players and coaches have taken pre-arranged holidays.

This is great news for Shrewsbury though, who now have a chance to reach the 5th round of the FA Cup. You would think that any neutral will be willing them on to do it now.

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Rhian Brewster shows why he may play a big part in Liverpool’s first team next season

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Rhian Brewster

Liverpool got their pre-season friendlies off to a flying start with a 6-0 win over Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park on Thursday evening.

The young Reds striker put a season of injury woes behind him by turning on the style against League One side Tranmere and, in doing so, declared himself fit, ready and able to play a part in Jurgen Klopp’s first-team squad for the 2019/20 campaign.

It’s no secret that Liverpool have been quiet in the transfer market so far this summer. Could Klopp’s faith in Brewster’s abilities be one of the main reasons why Liverpool have not looked to spend big on another forward? Continue reading →

Does Divock Origi deserve his new Liverpool contract?

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Not so long ago, Divock Origi looked set to join the striker scrapheap at Anfield. Liverpool have, over the past decade, boasted a number of world class centre forwards – Fernando Torres, Luis Suarez and Mohamed Salah to name just three – but they have also been burdened with a number of duds.

Andy Carroll, Fabio Borini, Danny Ings, Christian Benteke, Iago Aspas and Rickie Lambert have all passed through the club, all failing to live up to their billing. For much of his time as a Liverpool player, it seemed that Origi was about to join such company. A lot has changed since then, though.

Divock Origi

Wednesday saw the Belgian sign a new long term contract with the Merseyside club, putting pen to paper on a deal that will keep him at Liverpool for a good few years to come. But did he deserve such a show of faith? Might the Reds have been more ambitious in securing a back-up centre forward?

Of course, Origi earned his new contract on the back of his achievements towards the end of last season. His late winner against Newcastle United at St James’ Park kept Liverpool in the Premier League title race. More importantly, his double against Barcelona saw the Reds through to the Champions League final, with his goal against Spurs in the final sealing the win.

Many had written off Origi, expecting the 24-year-old to be sold by Liverpool at the end of the season. He appeared to be a misfit at Anfield. In truth, he still looks to be an awkward misfit, but he gives Jurgen Klopp’s team another dimension. He gives them an aerial presence, a different sort of target to hit.

“It’s a story really only football can write,” Klopp explained after the signing of Origi to another contract. ‘It didn’t really work out at Wolfsburg and, coming back, he was thinking about leaving. But he grew and grew and grew, in training sessions you could see it, and he scored unbelievably important goals. Now he is this wonderful player again so it’s great to have him.”

Some might argue that the signing of someone like Timo Werner would have made a greater statement of intent. After all, Liverpool still have a gap to close on Manchester City at the top of the Premier League. Will Origi really help them do that this coming season?

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Divock Origi needs to hit the ground running next season

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Divock Origi

Liverpool are reportedly confident that Divock Origi will extend his current contract deal with the club to go beyond 2020.

Origi showed his worth to the first team on several occasions last season when he filled in for one of the first-choice front three and, more often than not, provided important goals when called upon.

The Reds’ forward line consists of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane so Origi has one of the toughest jobs in football trying to break into Liverpool’s first eleven. However, Jurgen Klopp is reportedly very happy with the Belgian international’s contribution and his ability to be effective in a short space of time. Continue reading →

Liverpool set for a quiet summer – Forwards

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Liverpool forwards

Can Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp go one step better in 2019/20 and win their first league title for 29 years?

Today is the final part of our look at the whole Liverpool squad. We already discussed goalkeepers and defenders and followed that up with a look at The Reds’ midfield department.

Now we’re going to look at Liverpool’s forward line plus their backup strikers.

Forwards

Mohamed Salah – Salah has now spent two seasons at Anfield, scoring a phenomenal 54 league goals in the Liverpool jersey. The Egyptian speedster has also provided 18 Continue reading →

Liverpool must continue on their path of relentless improvement

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In any other season, with the exception of last season, Liverpool would have been champions. In fact, had they registered their tally of 97 points in any other Premier League campaign besides the last two, Jurgen Klopp’s side would have been the strongest in the history of the division, at least numerically.

Liverpool fans don’t need another message of consolation reminding them of just how unfortunate they were to finish such an astonishing season second to Manchester City. There has been enough of those over the past couple days. This doesn’t help to ease the pain in any way.

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The Anfield side must use that pain to continue to improve, though. Of course, they still have a Champions League final against Tottenham Hotspur to look forward to, but when that matter has been settled and pre-season begins again there will be no doubting Liverpool’s aim for the campaign ahead – win the Premier League title.

Last year, they identified deficiencies in their squad, in goals, at centre back and in the centre of midfield, and so Alisson Becker, Virgil Van Dijk and Fabinho were all swiftly signed for something close to a combined £200 million. All three players have since delivered on their promise, even if Fabinho took a little longer to find his feet at his new club.

It’s this sort of ruthless drive that will be required again this summer if Liverpool are to draw Manchester City in at the top of the English game. They could still use another centre back, for instance, so they aren’t so reliant on Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren when Joe Gomez isn’t available. Matthijs de Ligt has been linked, with the Dutchman certainly fitting the bill of a signing that screams ambition. The Ajax teenager might, however, be an unrealistic target with Barcelona expected to complete a deal soon.

Depth is also required in the attacking third. Divock Origi and Daniel Sturridge have performed adequately enough in the recent absence of Roberto Firmino, but there has been an element of fluke to their goals. Liverpool must look to add depth, perhaps in the form of someone like Thorgan Hazard or Timo Werner, not just to provide options, but to press existing attackers to new levels. Liverpool’s season might have ended in disappointment, but they must use that to go even further next season.

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Barcelona victory proves Klopp status among football’s best

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 Jurgen Klopp Liverpool

Basking in the glory of the win over Barcelona, it’s fair to say Jurgen Klopp’s standing has been higher. Victory over Messi and co confirmed the Liverpool manager’s status as one of the best in world football.

Look around Europe’s top five leagues, and there is an argument there is nobody better than he. Pep Guardiola is the obvious rival, He continues to shine with Manchester City and is one of the greatest coaches of his generation. Yet, his team are only one point ahead of Liverpool in the Premier League. They lagged far behind them in the Champions League. Klopp has matched and outperformed Guardiola at times this season. The win over Barcelona was another example of the world-class coach he is. Continue reading →

EPL Game of the Weekend – Newcastle vs Liverpool

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newcastle2-3liverpool

When you are still in the race for a league title, the pressure is of course on. At this late stage of the season, with a single point deficit and an away day to consider, one could be forgiven for feeling a little added pressure on your day job. When you are Liverpool, with the weight of the expectations of millions of fans across the globe resting heavily on your shoulders and facing an uphill battle to reclaim the crown once so familiar, an away day at Newcastle United is one of the last things you would fancy. That is not a knock on Newcastle at all, of course – but with such a rich history of clashes between the two sides, and with reining champions Man City watching on with interest, anyone connected with the Reds could be forgiven for feeling somewhat pressured.

Continue reading →