Liverpool Category
Liverpool football club news, Liverpool transfers, Premier League
The tabloids are attempting to light the bunsen burner beneath Liverpool’s home match with Manchester United. It’s not an easy thing to do. Liverpool, an ordinary mid-table side, versus also-rans Manchester United. Game on!
The papers looks at the charisma-free players on either side, fail to spot any signs of tension, fight, star-quality or feuds, and decide to focus attention on the teams’ respective managers.
The Sun says Liverpool boss Jurgen Kloop, fresh from wildly celebrating a last-gasp home draw with Arsenal – Liverpool fans still unsure how far their club have fallen should study his frenzied reaction and weep – “Said No to United.”
JURGEN KLOPP snubbed a chance to fill Alex Ferguson’s boots at Manchester United.
The Liverpool boss was approached by Fergie himself three years ago. But Klopp admitted: “We spoke and it was a big honour but there was a time I couldn’t leave Dortmund. It was April and in the middle of the planning for next season… We spoke but I first had to finish the job with Dortmund then think about other things. Maybe that is not smart but that is my way.”
No snub, then. Klopp was tied to his beloved Dortmund. He would not leave them in the lurch.
The Express says Klopp “turned down Fergie”. Klopp was not first choice for United. Ferguson sounded out many managers about them taking over at Old Trafford.
The Mirror and Star both lead with Louis Van Gaal, a man who for week has been on the “brink” of getting the sack at Old Trafford – well, so the papers have told us. He’s still there. Asked if he thinks United will go as long without winning the title as Liverpool, who last won the league in 1990, Van Gaal says:
“I am part of the transition so I cannot imagine that shall happen with Manchester United. But when it’s happening to Liverpool it can happen to Manchester United but I cannot imagine that because we are in transition and we are going in the right way.
“Maybe it shall take a longer time but I cannot imagine that it shall be the same period for Manchester United – the club is too big, too well organised and we have an infrastructure and we are improving that every year.”
So much for his having a pop at Liverpool. He says it could happen to any team.
It’s war!
Anorak
Posted: 16th, January 2016 | In: Back pages, Liverpool, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Paul Tisdale giving Jurgen Klopp a present before the start of FA Cup match between Exeter City and Liverpool “is just one one of the nicest things ever”, says George Caulkin.
And it is.
Anorak
Posted: 8th, January 2016 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comment
Liverpool manger Jurgen Klopp “may be forced into the transfer market”, reports the BBC. During Liverpool’s 1-0 League Cup semi-final first-leg win at Stoke, Philippe Coutinho and Dejan Lovren were forced from the field with hamstring injuries. At the final whistle, Kolo Toure looked to be struggling.
With Martin Skrtel already injured, Liverpool have no fit central defenders.
“This is something we have to think about,” said Klopp after the match when asked if he was now looking for new players. Two weeks ago we had three centre-backs, which is a good situation, and the season started with five – but now it is zero. It is a strange feeling because on one side it is very, very good then we have these injuries.”
BBC Radio 5 live pundit Kevin Kilbane, blames Klopp for the injuries:
“I’ve seen it at some clubs before. Perhaps it’s down to the change in training methods. Under Jurgen Klopp they’ll train much harder day in, day out. The amount of medical attention footballers get at football clubs now – and also the physical work which is put in – this shouldn’t be happening. I put down the various hamstring injuries down to Klopp’s change in style.”
Does Klopp agree? “Maybe I could look at our training methods but we don’t train – we only recover. There is no training,” he says. “I’m responsible for these things and if you want to make me responsible for our hamstring strains, then OK.”
On the matter of what players Liverpool should buy, the Press is full of guessing.
The Liverpool Echo links Liverpool to Ilkay Gundogan yesterday ,Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Joel Matip and Leroy Sane.
The Express says “Marko Grujic looks set to be unveiled as Jurgen Klopp’s first signing as Liverpool boss today”.
The Star says Toni Kroos is on his way to Anfield – maybe.
The Metro declares: “Liverpool transfer news: Kamil Grabara deal, Max Meyer eyed, Kylian Mbappe targeted.”
Such are the facts.
Anorak
Posted: 6th, January 2016 | In: Back pages, Liverpool, Sports | Comment
Transfer balls: and now for a Daily Star masterclass is utter tosh:
Luis Suarez to Man Utd, Real eye all-star Arsenal duo, Liverpool deal close
Story 1: Suarez to Manchester United:
BuzzSport report, United bosses are concerned they will fall short in their pursuits of the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo or Paul Pogba.
Unable to sign any of those players, United will – get this – swoop for Luis Suarez.
…they are looking into the possibility of a move for Suarez, hoping he could be tempted by a return to the Premier League.
Possible. Hope. Could.
Story 2: Ozil and Sanchez to Real Madrid
Reports from Spanish press Don Balon claim that the La Liga giants want the Gunners’ star duo Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.
Facts to support the Spanish magazine’s claim: zero.
Story 3: Liverpool deal
Simon Mignolet is set to be handed a new deal by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp despite his latest blunder.
Liverpool fans must be overjoyed.
Anorak
Posted: 16th, December 2015 | In: Arsenal, Back pages, Liverpool, manchester united, Sports | Comment
When plucky Liverpool drew 2-2 with big-spending West Bromwich Albion, Reds manager Jurgen Klopp got the party started at a jubilant Anfield. They’ll be talking about his at Anfield for years:
Anorak
Posted: 13th, December 2015 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comment
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says he will buy…no-one on the January trasnfer window. He wants to give his existing players a chance.
Well, so says the Telegraph – which is wrong.
But what Klopp actually said was that Liverpool cold buy a player. Maybe.
“It’s much more important to work with people and if you trust them they have to feel it – and not just for two days but for a longer time…
“If we need something we will do it, not talk about it before. In this moment I don’t think about it. No one should be in doubt that we are prepared for any situation. We have 24 hours always at work.
“We always watch players on video but if we take them in winter, in summer or never I don’t know at this moment.”
In short: if we buy anyone, we won’t be advertising the fact in the media.
Anorak
Posted: 12th, December 2015 | In: Broadsheets, Liverpool, Sports | Comment
Daniel Sturridge is injured. The Liverpool striker is dogged by injuries. The Sun quotes Jurgen Klopp, Sturridge’s manager at Liverpool: He says: “We need to look at how we bring him into shape.”
It’s all a far cry from what the Sun declared On November 28:
The Guardian agreed:
Jürgen Klopp has told Daniel Sturridge he must start to play through the pain barrier to address the problems that have blighted the Liverpool striker’s career. The manager said Sturridge needed to learn “what is serious pain or what is only pain”.
Looks like Sturridge’s pain isn’t all in the mind, after all – and Klopp is fallible.
Anorak
Posted: 10th, December 2015 | In: Back pages, Liverpool, Sports | Comment
Sir Alex Ferguson says he’s worried at the impact Jurgen Klopp will have at Liverpool. The former Manchester United manager says of Klopp:
“I’m worried about him because the one thing United don’t want is Liverpool to get above us. He’s a fantastic personality, with those big white teeth always showing…”
And then Ferguson spoke about working with the media:
“You have to win twice on a Saturday. You have to win the game and you have to win the press conference. Some managers fail, simply because they lack experience or they’re emotional. You have to gather yourself. I used to wash my face before a press conference…. You have to give a message to your fans because they’re watching. They want to see their manager come out with a positive attitude and not a beaten man… You’ve got to handle the press. It’s a very difficult part of it.”
That would be the Alex Ferguson who for seven years refused to speak to the BBC after they dissed his son.
Anorak
Posted: 7th, December 2015 | In: Back pages, Liverpool, manchester united, Reviews, Sports | Comment
Martin Skrtel’s own-goal for Liverpool in their 2-0 defeat 1t Newcastle takes the player’s tally of shots-in-the-wrong-goal to 7, leaving him level with fellow Red Jamie Carragaher in the most top-division own goals table.
Skrtel is now only three hits behind the Premier League’s leading own-goal getter, Richard Dunne, who scored 10 times between 1997 and 2015.
Anorak
Posted: 7th, December 2015 | In: Back pages, Liverpool, Sports | Comment
The Metro reports Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp as having said “nothing stopping Liverpool grabbing Marco Reus and Mats Hummels”.
Is that really what he said? Because last January the Metro reported that Reus had agreed to join Real Madrid – which he hadn’t done:
That balls was written by Jamie Sanderson, who is also the author of this latest news:
Sanderson adds:
Klopp has revealed he could sign the pair, because there’s no clause in his exit contract from Dortmund preventing him.
He could buy any Dortmund player for Liverpool, then. Indeed, in another article the Metro says Klopp wants to bring Neven Subotic to Liverpool.
That’s three Dortmund players. The Express spots Klopp’s shopping cart and adds Mats Hummels, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Sven Bender and Ilkay Gundogan.
Can it be that Klopp will buy seven Dortmund players? We soon learn that the manager said:
…there could be a possibility – if we need a player then we could try. At this moment there is nothing to talk about. But there is no agreement that we can’t do business with Dortmund. There’s also no agreement that we can’t sell players to Dortmund!
One problem is that Hummels plays for Manchester United. He doesn’t? But we heard that he signed for them. We read that news in the Metro:
Such are the facts…
Anorak
Posted: 29th, November 2015 | In: Liverpool, Reviews, Sports, Tabloids | Comment
ST GALLEN, SWITZERLAND – JULY 25: Marco Reus of Dortmund (R) celebrates his team’s second goal with team mate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang during the friendly match between Juventus and Borussia Dortmund on July 25, 2015 in St Gallen, Switzerland. (Photo by Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images)
Transfer balls: News is that Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp is on course to reunite with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the Borussia Dortmund striker who has scored a mere 19 goals in 16 appearances so far this season.
The Guardian says Arsenal and Barcelona are among clubs to have noticed that Aubameyang is rather tasty, but Liverpool hope the player’s relationship with Klopp, who signed him, will secure a “£42m deal”.
The Sun, however, says Chelsea are leading the hunt, and are”weighing up a £20m bid”.
It all adds up to a lot of guesswork. Like this in the Bleacher Report:
Liverpool are hoping to recruit Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus, but they will only be able to do so if Arsenal can secure his team-mate, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, at the same time.
According to Heiko Ostendorp of German outlet Sport Bild (h/t Metro‘sGeorge Bellshaw), the pair “have made a pact to not leave the club unless the other is also leaving” with the Reds targeting Reus and the Gunners eyeing up Aubameyang.
That would be the dame Metro that told its readers:
Such are the facts.
Anorak
Posted: 22nd, November 2015 | In: Chelsea, Liverpool, Reviews, Sports, Tabloids | Comment
Transfer balls: The Daily Star has a scoop about a “Liverpool target”. The headline tells us:
Liverpool target talks up shock move: It’d be a dream to play for them!
Who is it?
PARIS ST-GERMAIN winger Ezequiel Lavezzi hinted that he’s open to a move away from the French capital.
“Liverpool”. “Move”. “Dream to play for them”.
Chisanga Malata then writes about Lavezzi’s dream:
…the former Napoli star has talked up a move to the Nou Camp by revealing that it’d be a ‘dream’ to play for Luis Enrique’s side. “I’m not going to deny that it would be a dream to play in a team like that,” he said.
Number of times he mentions Liverpool: nil
Respect the Daily Star has for its reader: nil.
Previously in the Star:
He went nowhere.
Anorak
Posted: 19th, November 2015 | In: Liverpool, Reviews, Sports | Comment
Transfer balls: The trusty Daily Star says Liverpool and Arsenal are competing to sign Borussia Mochengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka.
The Star says Arsenal and Liverpool are in a “battle” for the player.
According to Bild, the 23-year-old is interested in a move to the Premier League despite committing his long-term future to the German club.
Other British newspapers log in and repeat the claim:
Daily Express: “Liverpool to upset Arsenal with £20m bid for star midfielder”
The Metro: “Arsenal ready to seal Granit Xhaka transfer”
The Sun: “Liverpool and Arsenal preparing to go head to head for Granit Xhaka”
Over to Bild, then, where we read:
Xhaka for 28 million to Klopp?
Any headline in the form of a question can be answered ‘no’.
Gladbach Leitwolf is according to British media on the list of two star-coaches of the Premier League: Arsene Wenger (66 / Arsenal) – and Jürgen Klopp (48 / Liverpool)!
The Bild story is sourced in the British media. But there’s no link. It’s a baseless rumour repeated in England and Germany.
Xhaka, who has extended his contract with Borussia to 2019, does say:
“As long as I feel comfortable in Gladbach, there’s no reason to change what. I’m really happy here. We play great football – with the captaincy, a childhood dream has come true for me. “
Such are the facts.
Anorak
Posted: 16th, November 2015 | In: Arsenal, Liverpool, Sports | Comment
In his ‘JOIN THE DEBATE’ column for the Daily Mail, Martin Samuel focuses on Chelsea striker Diego Costa.
Diego Costa will not be charged by the Football Association for his off-the-ball kick on Martin Skrtel.
Fact. But this is debate, so…
Why? Replays plainly showed Costa pushing his studs into Skrtel as the pair fell to the ground in Saturday’s game at Stamford Bridge.
Costa has previous for violent play, too, and served a three-match ban earlier in the season. Yet the FA line is that referee Mark Clattenburg saw the incident and dealt with it at the time. Really? If he did he was the only one who didn’t believe it deserved action.
In Monday’s Mail, Matt Barlow prised Skrtel for “not making a meal of it”.
The Mail has already published the views of one referee. It employs Graham Poll to tell readers:
When Diego Costa fouled Martin Skrtel it did appear that he made a secondary action with his right leg and kicked the Liverpool man in a violent manner. The incident occurred close to Clattenburg who took no action. Perhaps he missed it completely or didn’t think it violent. Perhaps he thought it fair ‘retaliation’ after Skrtel had caught Costa with a leading forearm in the first half. For me at full speed I doubt whether any referee would have dismissed the Chelsea man; replays might well have led to a red card but thankfully we still trust our referees to get the majority of decisions right.
Might. But… Not that conclusive, then.
Samuel adds:
More likely, Clattenburg and the FA knew after the game that Lucas Leiva of Liverpool should have received a second yellow card, and that to punish Costa — who could have been banned for four matches considering the previous offence — would merely add to Chelsea’s conspiracy fantasies. So it wasn’t justice: merely a balancing of injustices, which isn’t the same at all.
Chelsea benefit from FA conspiracy. Read all about it!
Anorak
Posted: 4th, November 2015 | In: Chelsea, Liverpool, Reviews, Sports, Tabloids | Comment (1)
Transfer Balls: Manchester United and Manchester City want to sign 18-year-old Anderlecht midfielder Youri Tielemans says the Daily Star. In the paper’s “exclusive” we learn that United and City will have to pay £30m, for the “star”.
Paul Hetherington writes:
City’s strong Belgium contingent is headed by skipper Vincent Kompany and Kevin De Bruyne, an instant hit since his record £56m move from Wolfsburg in the summer.
Kompany and De Bruyne are the only Belgians in City’s first team squad.
For good measure this scoop also name-checks a load of other clubs:
Tielemans is also being linked with possible moves to Chelsea, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund.
But Spanish organ AS told us Tielemans had signed for Atletico Madrid:
The Express, sister paper to the Star, said the young blade was worth £14m and was heading to Arsenal or Chelsea:
The Star’s “exclusive” was the Mail’s story a week ago:
And that price is falling on the Express:
And in March the Star said he was on his way to Chelsea, snubbing Liverpool:
In May Youri Tielemans – a player linked by the tabloids bullshit.com to the six biggest clubs in English football – signed a new five-year contract with Anderlecht.
Such are the facts.
Anorak
Posted: 2nd, November 2015 | In: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, manchester united, Reviews, Sports | Comment
Klopp Watch: Jurgen Klopp was won his first match as Liverpool manager, a 1-0 home victory over an injury-ravaged Bournemouth in the League Cup.
The Sun lads with news that this is evidence of Klopp’s “masterplan”.
Someone else had a masterplan.
The Liverpool Echo:
Masterplans can be overrated.
Anorak
Posted: 29th, October 2015 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport says Liverpool want to sign Internazionale central defender Andrea Ranocchia. Jurgen Klopp likes the 27-year-old who’d cost in the region of €18m.
Ranocchia had been heavily linked with a move to Southampton over the summer but TalkSport said the player wanted to remain in Italy. He’s been linked with a move to pretty much every top English club:
The Metro: “Everton ‘approach Inter Milan for Andrea Ranocchia to replace John Stones’”
Daily Express: “Napoli set to rival Manchester United and Spurs for Inter Milan’s Andrea Ranocchia”
Daily Mirror: “Chelsea to target towering Inter Milan defender Andrea Ranocchia in January
Daily Express: “Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal & Spurs target Andrea Ranocchia set to hand in transfer request”
Daily Star: “Everton, Spurs, Newcastle and Crystal Palace set to pounce for Italian star Ranocchia”
Daily Mail: “Man City keen to snap up Inter centre back Ranocchia in exchange for Kolarov”
Ranocchia’s got a busy agent.
Anorak
Posted: 23rd, October 2015 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comment
Keen to convince his Liverpool team that they are the players he’d have chosen to buy, new Reds’ manager Jurgen Klopp says one of them is the “complete footballer”.
Klopp told reporters:
“We don’t have to sprinkle magical dust on them: ‘and now you can play football’. They know how to play. We just have to create a situation where it is possible to do this.
“I am not sure how many games you saw like this from Adam Lallana? I know him from Southampton and he can do 20-30 percent more. Philippe Coutinho? Do you not think he can play better football than today? Of course, he can.
“Lucas? You don’t think he can play balls on the right and left side? Of course he can. Emre Can? Learning between running and passing? He can learn.”
But who is the star turn?
“Milner? The complete football player, the perfect professional, a machine.”
He sure is Jurgen, he sure is…
Anorak
Posted: 19th, October 2015 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comment
Klopp Watch: more bilge on the new Liverpool manager in the Metro.
Stats show the Jurgen Klopp effect is already in full flow at Liverpool
Liverpool drew 0-0 away at Spurs in Klopp’s first match in charge. In can be argued that the scoreline is the biggest and most important stat. But the Metro has seen a tweet by data harvesters Opta:
Gegenpress is Klopp’s preferred method of closing down the opposition – what English types call ‘getting in their faces’ or simply ‘pressing’.
It might be worth looking at the same fixture last season, a game that ended 0-3 in Liverpool’s favour. Or the result in the season before that when Liverpool won 0-5.
And as for sprints equating to good team play, well, these are three biggest runners from last season:
George Boyd (Burnley) – 2587
Scott Arfield (Burnley) – 2532
Ahmed Elmohamady (Hull) – 2241
Burnley and Hull were relegated.
Such are the stats.
Anorak
Posted: 18th, October 2015 | In: Liverpool, Reviews, Sports | Comment
Klopp Watch: Gary Neville was annoyed by BT Sport’s Klopp cam, a little box in the corner of the screen that kept track of every smile, grin and physical jerk by Liverpool’s new manager Jurgen Klopp.
Klopp is hailed as that most rare of sporting gems: the likeable German.
In the Mirror, before a ball has been kicked under his guiding smile, the paper told readers:
Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp had the air of Bill Shankly about him at first pre-match press conference
Shankly was the manager who inspired Liverpool to greatness.
David Maddock began his article:
If there is one word Jurgen Klopp has used above all others since arriving at Anfield, it is “dream”.
He is living it, he insists, and he wants his players and the Liverpool supporters to do the same. His aim, above all others, is to get his new club dreaming again… There is something of the Shankly about him when he says, calmly, he has always preferred to concentrate on those who are available, rather than worry about the players who aren’t.
That’s pretty much what every manager does, is not, focusing on playing the fit over the ill, in this case not dwelling on injury to striker Danny Ings.
“As a manager, one of the things I learnt first you do not think about the players who are not available at this moment, because there is no chance to get lucky if you do this all of the time,” he explained with a smile… Shankly was famous for refusing to speak to injured players, blanking them as though they didn’t exist until they were fit and useful to him again.
Blimey! It’s the second coming.
Anorak
Posted: 18th, October 2015 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comment
Klopp Watch – a look at the news Liverpool manger Jurgen Klopp in the news. Matt Dickinson tells Times readers he “fears that the charm offensive won’t last”.
Klopp is the current media darling. It used to be Jose Mourinho they loved and before that Harry Redknapp. But Jose is now presented as toxic by the righteous and right-on and Redknapp’s been rumbled.
Says Dickenson:
As José Mourinho finds fresh conflict and conspiracy everywhere he turns, at least there is that lovely Jürgen Klopp to keep us smiling. Ah yes, the “normal one” with his cool jeans-jacket combo, his self-deprecation, the twinkle in his eye and stylish stubble on his rugged chin. Klopp is the future — bright, optimistic — like Mourinho used to be. Or so we like to think.
We then get to realise that anyone who got to the top of German football didn’t do it by grinning alone:
Blaming his woes on referees? Klopp can resort to that cheap tactic along with the worst of them. A check of his misdemeanours shows that he has been sent to the stands at least eight times for volcanic explosions. Patronising to journalists? Klopp can charm but he can also pull off a world-class sneer. You might think that is no bad thing — the media dish it out, we should take it too — but belittling hacks does not tend to play well beyond a club’s supporters.
Nigel Pearson’s belittling played out badly with pretty much everyone. And if Klopp’s words can bind Reds fans, so be it. Maybe he can share a few words with a Sun journalist and really win them over?
How long before Klopp is snapping like he did at Borussia Dortmund in a press conference when it was pointed out by someone from the club’s website that he was on a losing run against Hamburg: “The last thing I need is for you to bring that up, a***hole”.
Make a nice change from Mourinho’s too-clever-by-half rhetoric. Klopp’s “dark side” looks refreshingly normal.
Read it all here.
Anorak
Posted: 17th, October 2015 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comment
Arsenal are playing badly in the Champions’ League. With the table reading ‘played 2; lost 2’, Arsene Wenger’s team need a win in their home match with Bayern Munich.
Steve Howard has a theory that you can win when you lose. He writes in the Sun:
Should Arsenal suffer back-to-back defeats against Bayern Munich — P11, W11 and 24 goals in their last six games — they could well finish bottom of the group and not even qualify for the Europa League. Arsenal, free of other distractions, will then never have a better chance of winning their first title since the Invincibles in 2003-04. Just call it forward planning. And they never do anything in the Champions League anyway
Can losing matches help to win matches? What about winning being a habit?
In 2014, Liverpool were pushing to the title. With a home match against Chelsea looming the Daily Mirror asked its writes to take a view:
Will Liverpool win the Premier League title? Our reporters have their say…
Martin Lipton:
…the Anfield clash comes slap in the middle of Chelsea’s Champions League semi-final games with Atletico Madrid. That surely gives Liverpool an advantage.
Joe Mewis:
While there’s surely a few twists and turns awaiting us, the fact that the Chelsea game comes in the middle of their Champions League semi-final tips the balance in favour of the Reds for me.
Paul Wilson had more in the Guardian:
There can be no doubt, as Liverpool home in on a possible first title in 24 years, that their chances have been enhanced by non-involvement in Europe.
Managers in the know such as José Mourinho and Manuel Pellegrini have been saying all season that it is easier to play once a week, it is clearly less tiring not to have to travel abroad in midweek and you do not run the risk of “hangovers” when disappointing results in Europe affect your confidence in Premier League matches…
The Anfield game falls right between the two legs of Chelsea’s Champions League semi-final against Atlético Madrid. Mourinho’s players will arrive in Liverpool having played in Spain, and have the home leg at Stamford Bridge three days after Anfield. Given that victory over Liverpool will not necessarily confirm Chelsea as English champions – another slip-up by Manchester City will be required for that to happen – it may be the case that European progress is prioritised…
He then adds wryly:
At the very least some seem to feel that if a 24-year gap is closed and Gerrard gets his title wish, an asterisk should accompany the achievement in the record books to denote that Liverpool played fewer games than most of their rivals that season. If Liverpool do win the title and seventh place is established as the ideal launchpad for domestic success, can we expect teams to be fighting to finish outside the European positions from next season onwards? It could be Manchester United have been ahead of the game all along.
Adding:
There is plenty of room for argument about whether a Championship season is actually easier or less taxing than a Premier League one, but missing from my correspondent’s analysis of the Wembley situation was the consideration that Arsenal, of the Champions League, were nine minutes from being humbled by Wigan, of the Championship. A team that though relegated at the end of last season had gone to Manchester City in the previous round and put out a side that at the time were favourites to win the Premier League title. You can produce statistics to support almost any argument in football, but Danny Blanchflower was right about the game being about glory. If you don’t see that, if you can’t even be a little bit excited about teams upsetting the odds, you might be missing the point.
Liverpool never did win the title that year, losing t0-2 to Chelsea in that home match. Chelsea lost 3-1 to Atletico Madrid.
Does defeat in the Champion’s League help a team win the title? No. It just means you lost.
Anorak
Posted: 16th, October 2015 | In: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Reviews, Sports | Comment
Klopping Off
Klopp Watch: a look at the Liverpool manager in the news. the Daily Mail shoehorns Klopp into a story built around a selfie.
Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino all loved up with wife Larissa Pereira…
Rohan Banerjee adds:
…so will new boss Jurgen Klopp take a fancy to him?
File under: threes a crowd.
Anorak
Posted: 15th, October 2015 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comment
You should see the size of the Cups
Klopp Watch: a look at reporting on the Liverpool manager.
Daily Mirror: “Who is Jurgen Klopp’s wife Ulla Sandrock? All you need to know about the Liverpool boss’s other half”
Key facts from the big list:
Ulla Sandrock, who was known as the ‘First Lady of Bundesliga’
That would make the President of the Bundesliga, which is odd given that he works in the Premier League.
Ms Sandrock is well known to the German media and was a regular at Borussia Dortmund games, but is she ready to compete with Merseyside’s finest WAGs?
Compete for what?
The Liverpool Echo adds: “New LFC boss Jurgen Klopp’s wife loves Liverpool fashion”
Jurgen Klopp’s wife is a big fan of Scouse fashion, according to… former Big Brother contestant Rebeckah Vaughan… Rebeckah, from Bidston, said: “My dad is a huge Liverpool fan so I’d heard all about him. We went up to his wife and I asked if she liked Liverpool and she said she did. I offered her a drink but she declined. She had on a lovely poncho so we discussed Scouse fashion…”
The poncho was invented in Toxteth in 1897.
Anorak
Posted: 12th, October 2015 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comment
Klopp Watch: Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has been speaking to German newspaper Bild:
“There is no doubt, this is a huge challenge, for me and my coaching team. We knew that full well [when we accepted the job]. Liverpool have not had any success for a long time and they’ve changed the manager all the time. And now they have appointed a German who is no miracle worker. Progress is not possible without a bit of time…
“I spoke to the people in charge of the club at length. [There are no targets for this season], just simply to play football with a recognisable brand…
“Whether there is money to spend in January or not doesn’t interest me. We are only in October and I don’t even know how many games we’ve got until the transfer window opens and therefore we will have a look at the players at our disposal first.”
What about the language?
“We will all have English lessons. I was relieved after the first press conference. I have said some stupid things in my life. But never in English… Did I dream about becoming a Liverpool manager when I was a kid? No, I dreamed about playing for Stuttgart, and that didn’t work out. But I am totally humbled to be here. It is almost a bit bizarre: there have been so many good and successful German managers and yet no one has been here.”
The Mail picks up the story. It also publishes paparazzi photographs of Klopp, his wife, son, son’s girlfriend and dog stood by a wall in Sefton Park. This is the Mail that swore off paparazzi photos after Princess Diana died. One photo is captioned:
Klopp’s wife Ulla bends down to stroke her pet dog while the Liverpool boss looks on along with his stepson (second left at back) and his girlfriend (third right), his driver (second right) and a club liaison officer (far right)
In another caption, the Mail reads his mind
Klopp will be hoping to be settled in his new apartment before Liverpool’s next match against Tottenham
The Guardian says “Klopp is expected to deliver – and fast“. We hear more from Klopp:
“People should not make me out to be like Jesus, I don’t walk on water.I understand that there are huge expectations surrounding this club, and expectations are important in life, not just football, but I hope no one really thinks I can perform wonders. Of course I cannot. I am not really enjoying all this attention, to be honest. I didn’t ask for it and I am hoping that after the initial big hype we can all cool down a little and get to work.
“I am glad everyone seems happy I am here, but some people seem to think that because Jürgen is here everything will change. I can’t promise that. Some things will change, for sure, and I might be different to other managers in some respects, but we cannot change the whole world in one day. I am sure Liverpool fans are clever enough to understand that we need time. If things need changing I want to do it as soon as possible, but patience is important.”
Paul Wilson adds:
Time is what every manager asks for, with Brendan Rodgers no exception. The trick is to buy it with results, visible improvement and perhaps even silverware. As Klopp attempts to move from trophy manager to manager responsible for trophies, he can be under no illusions that being in charge of Liverpool at the moment is anything other than daunting.
Sky Sports has news of ‘The Normal One’.
Jurgen Klopp had no plans to call himself ‘the Normal One’ before Liverpool unveiling
It too has read the Bild interview:
Speaking to the media for the first time since taking over at Anfield, Klopp was asked about how he compared himself to Jose Mourinho who labelled himself ‘The Special One’ when he became Chelsea manager in 2004.
Klopp delighted reporters with his tongue-in-cheek response, saying: “I’m a very normal guy from the Black Forest. I’m the normal one, maybe.”
But, speaking to German newspaper Bild, Klopp says it was an unplanned remark.
“No, I hadn’t thought about that at all,” Klopp said.
“I was asked and simply answered. Sometimes it is better to keep your mouth shut – but that is quite difficult at a press conference.”
Not that being the Normal one is original.
The Guardian tells us:
Avram Grant described himself as the “normal” one as he vowed to coach Chelsea in his own way after taking over from ‘the Special One’. Grant was unveiled as first-team coach at Stamford Bridge this evening, taking over from Jose Mourinho following the shock events at the club this week, but he made a less dramatic immediate impact than his predecessor.
More Klopp Watch most days.
Anorak
Posted: 12th, October 2015 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comment
