A worrying trend has emerged from Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over Atalanta in the Europa League.

The Merseysiders secured a win in Bergamo – though it wasn’t enough to overturn a three-goal deficit suffered at Anfield – courtesy of Mo Salah’s first-half spot-kick.

It was yet the fourth instance, as spotted by Joel Rabinowitz on X, of the Reds failing to score a goal from open play.

Four consecutive games without scoring a goal from open play. Scary stuff.

— Joel Rabinowitz (@joel_archie) April 18, 2024

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

READ MORE: Why Klopp had to tell off Alisson Becker in the first-half vs Atalanta

READ MORE: Fabrizio Romano just dropped Jamal Musiala news amid serious Liverpool interest

Liverpool must buck worrying trend against Fulham

Frightening stuff, all things considered – especially given that we’re still in with a chance of ending the season with one further piece of silverware.

How on earth can we expect the Reds to achieve that extremely difficult task, however, if our forward line has completely misplaced their shooting boots?

It’s a lot to ask of everyone at this stage of the season, but if we can dig into that mythical well for just the next six games, we could deliver a season actually worthy of the manager.

For Jurgen lads, come on.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

The post Worrying Liverpool trend has emerged from Atalanta win; Klopp will be tearing his hair out appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Is there a sight more depressing that Jurgen Klopp appearing sapped of belief?

We’d venture this one will take some beating as Liverpool shuffled out of the Europa League with a whimper despite defeating Atalanta 1-0 in Bergamo.

The Merseysiders were in need of at least three goals to take the tie the distance but failed to capitalise on Mo Salah’s first-half penalty in Italy.

A second-half so immensely lacklustre it’s probably better not being spoken about followed, leaving the travelling support short-changed ahead of their return trip to L4.

What a disappointing end to Klopp’s European journey with Liverpool. This wasn’t supposed to be the way it ended with our affable tactician, was it?

You can catch the photo below, courtesy of Empire’s X account:

pic.twitter.com/kj2iYpRdQW

— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) April 18, 2024

The post (Photo) Liverpool fans’ hearts will break at most depressing Klopp snap ever taken appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Alisson Becker had to be reminded of his position during Liverpool’s Europa League clash with Atalanta.

Ian Doyle posted on X (formerly Twitter) during the tie in Bergamo, spotting Jurgen Klopp telling off his No.1 for staying too far away from goal.

Alisson that far out of his goal that he's in the centre-circle as he makes a pass forward. Can't help but think that isn't in the gameplan this evening – gets a quick reminder from Klopp that he's a goalkeeper… which is just as well as he has to save at feet of Miranchuk

— Ian Doyle (@IanDoyleSport) April 18, 2024

The Merseysiders lead 1-0 at the Gewiss Stadium, courtesy of Mo Salah’s penalty opener, as things currently stand.

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

READ MORE: Fabrizio Romano just dropped Jamal Musiala news amid serious Liverpool interest

READ MORE: ‘Final negotiations’: Next Liverpool manager closing in on Anfield move; agent bought apartment

Alisson’s return a huge boost

Caoimhin Kelleher’s contributions in this period shouldn’t be forgotten. The Republic of Ireland international played a key part in ensuring we made it to this stage in the knockouts.

That said, it simply can’t be argued that Alisson is a class above most ‘keepers in world football. His return to the first-XI, first slotting back in against Crystal Palace, could prove to be the difference between additional silverware and Jurgen Klopp’s farewell tour having the wind knocked out of its sails.

Now then… just the small matter of one of the potentially great comebacks in Europe we need to progress to the semi-finals.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

The post Why Klopp had to tell off Alisson Becker in the first-half vs Atalanta appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that multiple top outfits are keeping a close eye on Jamal Musiala ahead of the summer.

The talented Bayern Munich attacking midfielder has been linked with English outfits like Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea.

“For Jamal Musiala, guys, we are back there with many rumours – in this case coming from England,” the Italian spoke on his YouTube channel.

“If you remember, it was in October/November we heard strong rumours about Liverpool and I told you guys always the same position as I tell you today, we heard rumours now about Manchester City, about Chelsea… the reality is that all the top clubs in the world, even from Spain, love Jamal Musiala.

“But this is very easy, very normal. Many top clubs are following, appreciating, monitoring one of the best players in the world in Jamal Musiala.

“Manchester City are big fans of the player, but it’s the same for Chelsea, same for the clubs in Spain, same for people in Liverpool. Many top clubs following the situation of Musiala because he’s a special talent and he’s out of contract in 2026.”

The Bavarian outfit is understood to be particularly keen to keep hold of the 21-year-old, of course, with talks set to take place over his future in the coming months.

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

READ MORE: ‘Final negotiations’: Next Liverpool manager closing in on Anfield move; agent bought apartment

READ MORE: ‘I’m told’: Fabrizio Romano now reacts to reports Liverpool are scouting £51.4m centre-half

What do the stats say about Jamal Musiala?

What on earth don’t they say?

Compared to fellow attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe, the former Chelsea academy star is ranking as one hell of a young talent.

Musiala ranks in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons, is reliable in his passing game (ranking in the 95th percentile) and contributes with a significant goal threat (89th percentile for non-penalty xG), according to FBref.

Don’t get us wrong – there’s plenty there left to develop, but my word what a footballer you’d be getting if Bayern were forced into selling.

Not that we can see that situation coming to light without the player and his entourage forcing a move.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

The post Fabrizio Romano just dropped Jamal Musiala news amid serious Liverpool interest appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

You could forgive Liverpool’s lineup for experiencing deja vu after Jurgen Klopp encouraged his Liverpool side to give their all in Bergamo and to ‘fail beautifully’ if they must fail at all.

It was a similar rallying call issued to the squad ahead of a fateful return leg in the Champions League against Barcelona back in 2019.

Winning will, arguably, be an even harder outcome to achieve coming up against Atalanta’s likely raucous home ground.

Yet, try Klopp’s men must to keep alive any hopes of a treble-winning campaign.

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

READ MORE: ‘Final negotiations’: Next Liverpool manager closing in on Anfield move; agent bought apartment

READ MORE: ‘I’m told’: Fabrizio Romano now reacts to reports Liverpool are scouting £51.4m centre-half

Liverpool team news vs Atalanta

Alisson Becker is the man handed the task of patrolling between the goalposts in Italy.

The Brazilian international will be protected by a centre-back partnership consisting of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.

The midfield selection will see Alexis Mac Allister joined on the pitch by Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Mo Salah are the men entrusted with leading the line ahead of our impending encounter in Bergamo.

Give em’ hell, lads.

You can catch the full team news below, courtesy of @LFC:

How we line up to take on Atalanta #UEL

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 18, 2024

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

The post Confirmed Liverpool lineup vs Atalanta: Nunez out as Klopp rings the changes appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Ruben Amorim appears to be closing in on a move to Liverpool Football Club, according to one update from Pedro Sepulveda.

The journalist shared the news in question on X (formerly Twitter), announcing that the ex-Braga boss’ agent has ‘bought an apartment in Liverpool’.

This comes at a time when the Reds and the 39-year-old are finalising negotiations over a proposed switch to L4 this summer.

Rúben Amorim's agent bought an apartment in Liverpool. One of his employee will live there permanently.

They've Diaz in @LFC.

@LFC and Amorim are in final negotiations regarding the coach's contract.

@SportingCP doesn't have any name to replace Amorim, yet. pic.twitter.com/ZnqezzqvEe

— Pedro Sepúlveda (@pedromsepulveda) April 18, 2024

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

READ MORE: ‘I’m told’: Fabrizio Romano now reacts to reports Liverpool are scouting £51.4m centre-half

READ MORE: ‘Not too surprised’: Fabrizio Romano drops intriguing morning Liverpool manager news

Ruben Amorim: Jurgen Klopp’s official successor?

Boy, oh boy, that sounds scary to write, let alone say out loud!

Nothing’s official yet, of course, as things currently stand, with both the club and patch journalists awfully quiet when it comes to reported talks with Amorim – understandably so!

If we’re to take Sepulveda’s latest report with anything other than a pinch of salt, however, it’s encouraging to see witness some serious movement on this front.

We know patience is going to be the name of the game with any candidate who steps in after Klopp.

But how reassuring would it be to know that one of the top options available will potentially take over?

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

The post ‘Final negotiations’: Next Liverpool manager closing in on Anfield move; agent bought apartment appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Fabrizio Romano has noted it’s difficult to determine who Liverpool are specifically scouting over in Frankfurt.

The Merseysiders dispatched scouts to monitor the situation over in Hesse. £42.8-51.4m valued defender Willian Pacho is thought to be a potential subject of interest for English top-flight sides.

The Metro reported that the Reds and Arsenal have made inquiries over the centre-half’s future.

“I spoke yesterday about how they have been monitoring Eintracht Frankfurt, but it’s not really about specific players. It’s normal for top clubs like this to send their scouts to monitor entire teams, but it’s too early to report on anything more than that,” the CaughtOffside columnist wrote in his Daily Briefing.

“So, although there have also been stories about Liverpool enquiring about Eintracht’s talented Ecuador defender Willian Pacho, along with Arsenal, I have no concrete updates about specific clubs.

“It’s true that Pacho has a price tag of around €50-60m and it looks like an open race for his signature this summer. I’m told nothing is at concrete or advanced stages with English clubs.”

Jurgen Klopp’s men are understood to be keen on the idea of bolstering their backline this summer. This will sharpen into focus should the German’s replacement opt for a back-three formation.

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

READ MORE: ‘Not too surprised’: Fabrizio Romano drops intriguing morning Liverpool manager news

READ MORE: ‘Conversations took place’: Fabrizio Romano drops concerning morning next Liverpool manager update

What do the stats say about Pacho?

The 22-year-old centre-half is, it’s worth noting from the off, a left-sided option in the backline.

It’s something we very much crave given the lack of cover for Virgil van Dijk in the Liverpool back four.

The Ecuadorian boasts some pretty impressive defensive metrics for Frankfurt, registering in the 80s of percentiles for tackles, interceptions, blocks and clearances, according to FBref.

One major point of concern we have is Pacho’s passing ability, with his average pass completion rate per 90 of 84.4% putting him in the 39th percentile amongst his positional peers in Europe.

Van Dijk, by contrast, is in the 92nd percentile for pass completion (91.8% per 90).

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

The post ‘I’m told’: Fabrizio Romano now reacts to reports Liverpool are scouting £51.4m centre-half appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Gian Piero Gasperini is currently not in the running for the Liverpool manager’s job.

The 66-year-old earned surprise links following Atalanta’s impressive 3-0 win over the Reds in the Europa League.

“Gian Piero Gasperini will have raised some eyebrows yesterday when he addressed rumours about him being in contention for the Liverpool job. He spoke at his press conference ahead of the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final with the Reds, saying: ‘Of course I am happy with links to Liverpool job to replace Klopp but my focus is on the game’,” the Guardian reporter told CaughtOffside.

“For sure, Gasperini has done a fantastic job at Atalanta in recent times so I’m not too surprised that, after beating Liverpool in such a convincing way with that 3-0 win at Anfield last week, there is some media speculation about him possibly replacing Klopp, but there’s nothing more to it than that.

“I can say that there’s nothing at all between Gasperini and Liverpool from what I know. I think these are links just generated by Atalanta’s super game vs Liverpool at Anfield, that’s it. As for other clubs, again there will always be links, but for now I see him staying at Atalanta.”

The Merseysiders face the Serie A outfit in Bergamo tonight, with a reaction required after a dismal 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

READ MORE: ‘Conversations took place’: Fabrizio Romano drops concerning morning next Liverpool manager update

READ MORE: Strong theory now emerging about Xabi Alonso following Liverpool manager snub

The contenders for the Liverpool job

As things currently stand, Ruben Amorim appears to remain the frontrunner to succeed Jurgen Klopp in the Liverpool post.

Whilst Gasperini’s set-up in Merseyside most certainly deserves plaudits, we’d be surprised if the Italian entered Richard Hughes’ considerations based on one result.

Far more likely are the options of Roberto De Zerbi and Julian Nagelsmann. However, that is, of course, only an eventuality should the former Braga coach remain in Lisbon.

In the meantime, we’d be surprised if Gasperini’s performances didn’t bring him into consideration at other top outfits.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

The post ‘Not too surprised’: Fabrizio Romano drops intriguing morning Liverpool manager news appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed once again that Bayern Munich have pinned down Julian Nagelsmann as the frontrunner to replace Thomas Tuchel this summer.

This comes amid some links to the soon-to-be-vacant Liverpool manager role, with Jurgen Klopp calling time on an illustrious career at Anfield.

“I want to confirm once again that Julian Nagelsmann is the frontrunner for the Bayern Munich job, ahead of Roberto de Zerbi and Ralf Rangnick, who are two alternatives. What will be important now, in the next few days, will be for Bayern to understand what will happen between Nagelsmann and the German national team,” the CaughtOffside columnist wrote in his exclusive Daily Briefing.

“My understanding is that the German federation want to keep Nagelsmann until 2026, and they have already prepared a new contract proposal for him. They want him to commit to the national team. Nagelsmann himself wants to decide his future before the Euros this summer, and he knows now that Bayern’s interest is strong and concrete.

“Bayern have an idea of what they want their project to be with Nagelsmann, and now it’s about entering into the crucial stages of the conversation. Conversations took place with his agents in recent weeks, he’s the big favourite for the job.”

The German tactician will enjoy a well-deserved sabbatical after a nine-year stint that will have at least delivered one league title and a Champions League trophy back into the Reds’ hands.

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

READ MORE: Strong theory now emerging about Xabi Alonso following Liverpool manager snub

READ MORE: ‘We’re hearing’: Fabrizio Romano weighs in on Unai Emery links to Liverpool

Ruben Amorim in the lead to replace Jurgen Klopp?

Despite Ruben Amorim’s concerning comments to the press, it very much appears as if he’s leading the race to replace Jurgen Klopp.

The Portuguese head coach has rightly won plaudits for his style of football and transforming Sporting Lisbon into a regular competitor for the league title in the Primeira Liga.

Should, God forbid, the former Benfica star opt to continue his cycle in Portugal, of course, that leaves Liverpool with one hell of a problem to tackle.

Even more so if another promising candidate in Nagelsmann is snapped up by Bayern Munich this summer.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

The post ‘Conversations took place’: Fabrizio Romano drops concerning morning next Liverpool manager update appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

It wasn’t meant to be for Liverpool and beloved former midfielder Xabi Alonso.

The ex-Spanish international footballer opted to stay put with Bayer Leverkusen after the Reds came calling looking for a Jurgen Klopp successor.

Fabrizio Romano has since pointed to the 42-year-old’s ‘really special’ link to Real Madrid as one of several indications that he’ll one day be reunited with Los Blancos.

“Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has been very clear, telling the Spanish press that he 100% expects Xabi Alonso to become Real Madrid manager one day. Carro was very strong in his statement, saying he has no doubts that Alonso will be Real Madrid manager in the future,” the Italian journalist informed CaughtOffside.

“Carro knows that Alonso is super attracted to a future with Real Madrid – this is the reality, as Alonso still loves all his former clubs, such as Bayern and Liverpool, but the feeling with Real Madrid, as a Spanish guy, is really special.

“You might also remember that when I told you about Alonso rejecting Bayern and Liverpool to stay at Leverkusen this summer, I told you that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is a big fan of Alonso – this is an important point. Perez is a big fan of Alonso as a person, and as a manager. He also believes he has the perfect style for Real Madrid and that his skills as a coach are fantastic.

“Perez is a super big fan of Alonso and this is why the feeling is that one day he will become Real Madrid manager.”

Leverkusen have since been crowned Bundesliga champions following a 5-0 thrashing of Werder Bremen.

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

READ MORE: ‘We’re hearing’: Fabrizio Romano weighs in on Unai Emery links to Liverpool

READ MORE: Journalist hearing Liverpool about to move to ‘next stage of talks’ with managerial candidate

Will Xabi Alonso manage Liverpool one day?

It’s looking increasingly likely that Real Madrid will be the first of the former outfits to benefit from Alonso’s skillset.

Whether the opportunity then later arises to take over Liverpool is difficult to determine and dependent entirely on the success of Jurgen Klopp’s successor. Potentially even the man after that!

If it all works out with Amorim, should the Portuguese head coach say ‘yes’ to the role, of course, the heartbreak will be quickly forgotten.

Dean Jones’ latest update on the matter at least suggests talks could progress quickly.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

The post Strong theory now emerging about Xabi Alonso following Liverpool manager snub appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Unai Emery’s impressive job at Aston Villa is understandably earning him both plaudits and links to bigger jobs in football.

Not many jobs come bigger than Liverpool Football Club ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s impending departure this summer.

Fabrizio Romano has now confirmed, however, that the Spaniard remains fully focused on the task at hand with the Villans.

“We’re hearing a lot at the moment about some fantastic managers who could be on the move this summer as big clubs like Liverpool, Bayern and Barcelona could be looking for new head coaches, but one name we’re not hearing much about is Unai Emery,” the CaughtOffside columnist shared in his Daily Briefing.

“Emery has done a hugely impressive job at Aston Villa, and I’m aware some media pundits have been discussing and debating if he should be someone Liverpool are looking at to replace Jurgen Klopp. So why aren’t we seeing Emery linked with some of the top jobs available this summer?

“My understanding is that this is because Emery is fully focused on Aston Villa. Emery with Monchi, Damian Vidagany, are all together focusing on Villa’s European campaign this season and of course on a Champions League spot for next season. Nothing is concrete at this stage with other jobs; there’s interest for sure in Emery but he’s focusing on Villa now.”

The 52-year-old is on course to potentially deliver Villa fans their first piece of silverware since 1996.

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

READ MORE: Journalist hearing Liverpool about to move to ‘next stage of talks’ with managerial candidate

READ MORE: What Bellingham is now saying about pre-Real Madrid ‘conversations’; likely with Liverpool

Unai Emery shouldn’t be the next Liverpool manager

First and foremost, let us say that we’re appreciative of Emery’s talents as a coach and what he’s accomplished thus far in the West Midlands.

That said, the jump up to the impending vacancy at Anfield is a pretty steep one for any manager.

Let us put it this way: We’d have been taking a gamble on Xabi Alonso and the same applies for Liverpool-linked Ruben Amorim.

It’s absolutely no slight on Unai Emery but we don’t think he’d be the right fit for the job.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

The post ‘We’re hearing’: Fabrizio Romano weighs in on Unai Emery links to Liverpool appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Liverpool are keen on making Ruben Amorim their next manager after Xabi Alonso opted to stay put with Bayer Leverkusen.

The good news for the Reds is that it very much appears the feeling is mutual for the Portuguese head coach.

Dean Jones now reports that talks with the 39-year-old are going relatively smoothly and that the next round of talks is expected to occur as soon as the Merseysiders’ ‘contact with Sporting becomes active’.

“I do think there is confidence in finding an agreement over making Amorim their manager, but there has always been an acceptance that it would not be sorted out fast,” the journalist told GIVEMESPORT.

Sporting Lisbon restored their seven-point buffer over Benfica with a 1-0 win over Famalicao yesterday.

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

READ MORE: What Bellingham is now saying about pre-Real Madrid ‘conversations’; likely with Liverpool

READ MORE: Andy Robertson spots Liverpool crowd’s telling behaviour during Palace shocker

Next Liverpool manager: Ruben Amorim to Anfield?

It seems a matter of time before Amorim trades his green armband for the red of Liverpool.

The former Braga boss did appear to allude to the possibility of following in Alonso’s footsteps and extending his stay in Portugal.

In our mind, however, this is merely talk designed to cut short the ongoing questions over his future.

Should Amorim pick up a second league title this term… what else is left to achieve in the Primeira Liga?

If not Amorim, then who?

Former FC Bayern boss Niko Kovac is the latest surprising name to be linked with Liverpool.

As Neil Jones made clear in his latest column with EOTK Insider, however, this very much seems like agent talk.

Admittedly, if Amorim does say ‘no’ to the opportunity at Anfield this summer, it leaves us in something of a pickle.

The Portuguese coach does seem the least problematic of the remaining candidates on paper.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

The post Journalist hearing Liverpool about to move to ‘next stage of talks’ with managerial candidate appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Jude Bellingham has opened up once again on his decision to move to Real Madrid this summer.

The former Borussia Dortmund midfielder had been heavily linked with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool last year, though was persuaded by the project in the Spanish capital.

The 20-year-old admitted he had spoken to other clubs – with the Merseysiders no doubt one of those outfits – but moving to Los Blancos was a ‘no-brainer’.

“I had good chats with loads of clubs – including Dortmund – and my family were great in helping me chew up that information,” the England international was quoted as telling reporters by the Independent.

“It’s difficult while you are still in the season to take in the information and process it and still have to play at the weekend or in the Champions League.

“I had conversations with other teams but when Madrid came in it was a no-brainer really. The size of the club, the project, the plan going forward, the chance to play with such amazing players.

“I just jumped at it. That’s why I made my decision.”

The ex-Bundesliga star has enjoyed a terrific opening campaign with Carlo Ancelotti’s men, registering 30 goal contributions in 34 games (across all competitions) this term.

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

READ MORE: Andy Robertson spots Liverpool crowd’s telling behaviour during Palace shocker

READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp has a theory why Liverpool lost again at home in title blow

Jude Bellingham at Liverpool would have been something

What an opportunity missed for Jurgen Klopp in his final season at Anfield!

That’s not to suggest our recruitment team failed to react appropriately to the news in question.

The signings of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endo are already paying dividends, even if Ryan Gravenberch appears to be one for the future.

Still, we can’t help but wonder at the kind of impact Bellingham would have made in the famous red shirt!

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

The post What Bellingham is now saying about pre-Real Madrid ‘conversations’; likely with Liverpool appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

This article was originally published on EOTK Insider, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Neil Jones’s exclusive articles via email ahead of publication on empireofthekop.com, please sign-up for the service here: empireofthekop.substack

Hello and welcome to my column with Empire of the Kop! You can read about all the latest updates around Liverpool Football Club and its forays into the transfer market right here, every week, with EOTK Insider. Thanks for giving this a read and let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Today’s top stories:

• What life without Ruben Amorim might look like…
• Could Niko Kovac be the next Liverpool manager?
• And further updates on Luis Diaz, Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez and more!

Crystal Palace review

There were a couple of familiar themes at play again against Crystal Palace. A slow start and wastefulness cost Liverpool, the latter in the second half in particular! It is strange, isn’t it, because I don’t think Liverpool played well, and even if they’d come away from the game with a 2-1 win, I would have said, ‘Wow, that was a tough one, they sort of got away with one a little bit,’ or ‘they’ve had to dig deep for that one’. They still created a lot of chances. I saw an Instagram post this morning of two side-by-sides of Curtis Jones clean through and Diogo Jota on the six-yard box – how neither of those ended up in the net is beyond me! Then there’s the Mo Salah one at the end where you’re thinking, ‘That has to be a goal!’ Nunez had one earlier in the second-half as well, so there were four great, real chances in a match that, on another day, you might have ended up taking all four or two or three. At the same time, I think Liverpool were the architects of their own downfall.

I did some research and found that Liverpool have gone 1-0 down 15 times in the first 25 minutes of a game this season. Whilst we can always somewhat rely on Liverpool’s resilience and ability to figure games out, go in at half-time and make subs, and eventually win the game, the more times you go to the well, of course, the more you’re increasing the chance that one day the well will run dry. It looked like it might have run dry in the second-half against Manchester United, it looked like it ran dry against Atalanta on Thursday in the Europa League, and again on Sunday. It depends on your viewpoint, but the only saving grace is what happened to Arsenal on Sunday, or whether it makes you feel even worse about Liverpool’s result. When you look now, Liverpool had a chance to take complete control of the Premier League on Sunday in a home game against a team in the bottom half of the table. There will be a lot of regrets waking up on Monday morning but also a lot of resignation, not just amongst the fans, but I think a few of the players might feel that was the chance missed and there won’t be another one.

The emotional drain of having to be on a knife edge so often is an important factor. You look at all the great moments Liverpool have experienced this season and they have been knife-edge moments, haven’t they? You look at the Carabao Cup final victory, the great late win against Nottingham Forest and the roaring comeback at Newcastle. They’ve all been when Liverpool have been right up against it. It says a lot about the team’s resilience, character and quality that they’ve been able to do this so regularly. But when you get to this stage of the season, you want as quiet a life as possible; you want routine, you want the kind of result you see Manchester City get over Luton Town (5-1) on Saturday, where you have to exert yourself but not absolutely drain yourself physically, technically and emotionally. We know, of course, that Liverpool aren’t really that kind of team, but when they were for that period in 2019, that’s when they steamrolled the league, when they became that game-winning machine. What they’ve been this season is really, really rugged and resilient, not to mention consistently able to dig out these results.

Another thing that has to be mentioned, and it’s easy to forget, is the reality of this Liverpool side being a very new team. There are a lot of players here who are experiencing this for the first time – and not just the ones signed last summer! You look at the younger players that have come into the side and were around the great Liverpool sides under Jurgen Klopp but weren’t front and centre at the time. There are also those who haven’t been involved in a Premier League title challenge on an active basis like Darwin Nunez, Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones, Conor Bradley and the like. There’s a great deal of newness around this – and it’s not just those players who may have underperformed; you look at the experienced players like Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate who have had a couple of poor games. All this adds up to Liverpool potentially coming up short.

There was always the danger that they might. I thought there was a chance they could win the league and I was under the impression that if they won at Old Trafford the momentum could maybe carry Liverpool to the title, but there was always a chance Liverpool could come up short. I think a lot of people outside of Liverpool suspected their pedigree wasn’t quite as strong as Manchester City or even Arsenal. That said, there are still six games to go. You look at the league table and think, ‘If Arsenal can beat at home by Aston Villa, Manchester City could lose at Tottenham!’ Arsenal also have to play Tottenham, for what it’s worth, so there is the potential for twists and turns. The one worry that I have now, and the one worry that’s fair to have around Liverpool, is even if the other two slip up, you wonder if Liverpool are going to be faultless. I think they’ll have to be if they’re going to win the league and I’m just not sure whether they’re in the position at this moment in time to win the last six.

End-of-season decisions

There are a couple of big decisions to be made with contracts and Salah’s obviously one of the three that needs to be sorted. I’ve been on record as saying I would let him see out his contract and take out another year, but I don’t think Liverpool will. There’s obviously Trent Alexander-Arnold’s contract and I personally expect that to be sorted. I also expect Virgil van Dijk to get a new contract. In terms of the rest, if you look at the ones who aren’t coming to the end of their contract or who are in the mid-peak age, if you like, in their early to mid-20s – there are some decisions to be made here. Obviously, Luis Diaz has been linked with a move away from Liverpool quite recently and there was some talk about his contract. You make a case either way here; you could say a great offer would be too good to turn down and you could get a player comparable or at least as good or better than Diaz, or you can make the case that he’s been really good for Liverpool and carried them through a tough period of the season and he deserves to be treated as a star. That depends on your preference.

I think a lot of people might have a similar opinion about Darwin Nunez. I’m personally a big fan of his, but I suspect a number of people might get to a point where they think after two seasons, ‘Do we need to be brutal? Or does the team need to change in the way it’s set up to really get the best out of him?’ The centre-back position is definitely an area that needs another body, regardless of who the next manager is. Though, if the next manager plays with three centre-backs then, of course, that adds to it! I still think you’re in the same position with Ibou Konate when you signed him where, though he’s a really good player with serious potential, he misses too many games and you spend a lot of the season having to compensate for his absence.

I think all of the signings brought in last summer were brought in for the long-term, but there will be some who look at Ryan Gravenberch and want to see a lot more from him. What would happen if a bid came in for him? For me, there are no obvious ones where they’re flashing red on the dashboard, but there are a lot of ones you look at and wonder what might happen if £50m was slapped on the table for them. There are a few players at Liverpool at the moment where if £50m was on the table, there would be a split in terms of what you’d do with them, whether you’d sell or keep.

Ruben Amorim

I think Ruben Amorim has been very sensible in his comments to the press. They’re on the brink of winning the league, with a cup final also coming up. I think he’s in a position where he doesn’t want any further distractions. He’s already made it clear that he doesn’t want to engage in further talk over his future between now and the end of the season. That’s perfectly fair! We’ve spoken before about managers and who might succeed Jurgen Klopp, but it’s very easy to forget about the club or the fans that manager represents. They have to be fair to them and put them front and centre in this situation. It’s only right that whilst Sporting are in a position where they’ll have the perfect end to the season, he’s not dampening the flames or upsetting the apple cart by saying he’s dreaming of going to Liverpool. You don’t want to take away anything from what has been a magnificent season. There has to be a chance that he does decide he’s happy with his lot with Sporting, but it would be unlikely to me.

He’s a young manager and quite clearly an ambitious manager. You’ve seen some of the interviews he’s given and he’s spoken in the past about aiming high. He knows he’s in demand, doesn’t he? He’s fully aware that it’s not a deep pool of managers at this moment but there are a lot of clubs that are fishing in it. He know he’s going to have at least one good option, maybe more, this summer. I think he probably would leave Sporting this summer, but, like I say, he’s still got a job to do – and so do Liverpool! Sporting are four points clear of Benfica and in a really good position to win a league. I think he’s done the right thing by his club by cutting down those stories and making sure every press conference isn’t dominated by managerial talk.

Niko Kovac links to Liverpool

I saw the headline and it made more sense for his agents who have been sounding out Premier League clubs. That feels like an agent-led story to me. I don’t think Liverpool will be in the running for Niko Kovac. It will be someone with a lot more recent pedigree.

Where would Liverpool go without Amorim?

It would leave Liverpool in an imperfect situation with two of their least imperfect options – in Xabi Alonso and Ruben Amorim – gone. Whoever Liverpool appoint, it’s going to be a manager where you think, ‘I like this and this about him but there’s always this and there’s this issue’. You’re going to be in that position regardless, even if it is Amorim. What it does is it puts Liverpool in a position where there are probably more of the negative aspects to contend with in terms of any manager they subsequently bring in. Steven Gerrard, Julian Nagelsmann and Ange Postecoglou will probably be on that betting list, but even as I’m listing those options I’m almost mentally crossing them off. It would leave Liverpool with a really tough decision to make – not to suggest they don’t already have one! They have a situation where whoever comes in will have a very, very tough job on their hands. The other fly in the ointment is that there are a few other clubs in Europe, like Bayern Munich and Barcelona, that look like they’ll be searching for another manager. If not now, certainly in another month or two.

The post EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? & more appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Andy Robertson has admitted he could feel the Liverpool home crowd’s anxiety during the 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.

Can you blame them? The Merseysiders were second-best for the first half of action at Anfield, with a second-half improvement not enough to save any points.

“I’m not sure. The crowd were anxious today, and rightly so the way we were passing the ball, giving it away and giving chances. Maybe we reacted to that. Maybe players who aren’t as experienced at being in a title race,” the Scotland international’s quotes were shared on BBC Sport.

“But we’re all quality players and that’s why you are at Liverpool and you have to deal with that pressure.

“Second half we were better but we didn’t take them. All the strikers had a chance and if you don’t take them you get punished.”

Jurgen Klopp pointed to a potential hangover from a damaging 3-0 home defeat to Atalanta mid-week.

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp has a theory why Liverpool lost again at home in title blow

READ MORE: Oh no: ‘Magnificent’ Liverpool player carried off pitch as fresh injury rocks Reds

Liverpool crowd not to blame for latest disappointment

Some were quick to lay the blame at the feet of the home support and, in particular, fan groups like Spirit of Shankly for a lacklustre atmosphere in the Europa League.

We’ve made our thoughts very clear on this matter: Fan groups have EVERY right to protest the rise in ticket prices in a cost of living crisis and in general!

Whilst we can more than understand this overwhelming sense of anxiety in the stands may have negatively impacted the players there can be little in the way of excuses left for such an appalling performance.

Where was the reaction promised? Where’s the sense of fight in a season run-in that could yield a Premier League medal?

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Could a surprise candidate now replace Klopp? The search after Xabi Alonso, and much more!

The post Andy Robertson spots Liverpool crowd’s telling behaviour during Palace shocker appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.