Matt Addison – The Empire of The Kop

‘Immense’, ‘Incredible’: Some Reds fans react as unreal Van Dijk dominates once again

Matt Addison — Sat, 23 Nov 2019 17:13:52 +0000

Liverpool were not at their best for much of the game against Crystal Palace this afternoon but are now 12 points ahead of Manchester City in the Premier League title race before Pep Guardiola’s side host Chelsea this evening.

Sadio Mane put the Reds in front soon into the second half, before Wilfried Zaha then equalised. Roberto Firmino got the winning goal for Jurgen Klopp after a Trent Alexander-Arnold corner led to a scramble.

Roy Hodgson’s team put up an excellent fight and were on top during periods of the match, but one man, in particular, stood up strong to help stave off their attacks.

Once again, Virgil van Dijk was superb at the back.

The number of headers he clears is just stupid, in all honesty.

This is how some Reds fans reacted at full-time to his performance:

https://twitter.com/Patrickkk1997/status/1198274880552230914

https://twitter.com/Footballfan301/status/1198259415473885184

Van Dijk been brilliant today

— LFC Fans Corner (@LFCFansCorner) November 23, 2019

https://twitter.com/ffsGeorge4/status/1198274828286849024

Van Dijk class again, dealt with everything with that big beautiful head of his.

— Ari (@SouvlakiBukkake) November 23, 2019

Next up in the Premier League is a game at Anfield against Brighton next Saturday. The Reds just need to keep that winning form going for as long as possible, and the title could be ours.

Even when Zaha scored, it still felt like the Reds would get the job done – and they did exactly that with another late winner.

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(Video) Roberto Firmino scores colossal goal for Liverpool after goalmouth scramble

Matt Addison — Sat, 23 Nov 2019 16:54:30 +0000

Just as Crystal Palace had equalised late on through Wilfried Zaha, Roberto Firmino put the Reds back in front again at Selhurst Park in the Premier League – making it 2-1 to Liverpool.

Trent Alexander-Arnold swung in a brilliant corner kick that forced a goalmouth scramble, and then the Brazilian was there to poke home his fourth goal of the season so far.

Watch the goal, which could be a crucial moment in Liverpool’s season, below, via Bein Sport’s coverage:

https://twitter.com/EnRouteAnfield/status/1198281338324959232

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(Video) Trent rakes a straight 60-yard cross-fielder that sums up jaw-dropping passing ability

Matt Addison — Sat, 23 Nov 2019 16:39:33 +0000

Trent Alexander-Arnold has made swinging long-range passes across the pitch to Andy Robertson his speciality this season – and he’s just produced another from the top drawer against Crystal Palace.

He nonchalantly got hold of possession at full-back before he effortlessly fed his opposite full-back with a perfect pass.

Watch a clip of the skill below, via SportCanli’s coverage.

https://twitter.com/araslfc/status/1198276734837313536

Alexander-Arnold had a tough time in the first half coping with Wilfried Zaha but got through that, with Sadio Mane putting the Reds in front early in the second period (watch that goal by clicking here).

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(Video) Sadio Mane’s perfect finish puts the Reds in front at Selhurst Park

Matt Addison — Sat, 23 Nov 2019 16:20:26 +0000

Sadio Mane put the Reds in front at Selhurst Park with a superb finish having been found inside the box by Andy Robertson today.

It was the first shot on target from Jurgen Klopp’s men in the game and it was a scruffy goal, which nicked both posts before trickling over the line, but it’s another assist for the left-back and another goal for the Senegalese winger.

Watch it below courtesy of Premier Sport’s footage:

| Sadio Mane goal. #LFC https://t.co/r0djzdIZm7

— The Kopite (@_TheKopite) November 23, 2019

Having survived a goal for the hosts being disallowed by VAR in the first half, the Reds got themselves in front in the game just minutes after the restart.

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(Video) ‘If that was Salah or Mane…’ Some Reds claim Harry Kane’s ludicrous Spurs dive proves media hypocrisy

Matt Addison — Sat, 23 Nov 2019 15:16:26 +0000

Harry Kane dived as Jose Mourinho got his first win as the new Tottenham boss this afternoon, as Spurs beat West Ham United 2-3 at the London Stadium.

The England forward has a history of throwing himself to the ground easily, though many Reds supporters were quick to point out that had it been one of Sadio Mane or Mo Salah, the reaction from the media and the wider public might have been a little different.

The clip below shows an example of Kane jumping up in the air to exaggerate the contact, courtesy of BT Sport’s footage.

Hilarious dive by Kane here. Basically gets hugged from behind and falls on his ass. Literally makes no sense but https://t.co/s4IAWL9lW1

— D-Gooner (@goonerderrick) November 23, 2019

This is how some Reds fans – and a few West Ham ones too – took to Twitter to make a similar point.

https://twitter.com/MoMoneyMoSaIah/status/1198250459435327488

Harry Kane needs to stop getting so much protection from referees and the media. If salah or zaha was rolling around the way he did today they would’ve been slaughtered

— Tommy Bennett (@WhuTommy) November 23, 2019

If that fall from harry Kane was Salah, the streets would have been lit by now and a whole 1 hour reserved for his discussion!!!

— Hassan Harun13 (@hassannur06) November 23, 2019

https://twitter.com/MichiganLfc/status/1198244518623137792

Hopefully, the Reds get the job done at Crystal Palace without any controversy this afternoon. Otherwise, this topic is going to be dragged up once again.

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Pep Guardiola insists he isn’t going anywhere – meaning Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp rivalry will continue

Matt Addison — Sat, 23 Nov 2019 10:17:19 +0000

Pep Guardiola says he will not be leaving Manchester City next summer, despite some speculation linking him with a move away from the Etihad Stadium, with Bayern Munich among those to have considered him, according to Sky Sports.

Nine points behind the Reds at this stage of the season, Guardiola does not believe his time is up in Manchester just yet, even if the number of suitors across Europe would be vast should he take that decision.

Via iNews, Guardiola said: “Why should people think I’m not happy here? Because we lost at Anfield or I’ve lost three games this season? That’s an odd reason to say I’m not happy or satisfied to be here. The real situation is 198 points in two seasons is exceptional.

“The moment I leave is when I feel my team don’t follow me to play at Anfield in the way we played. The players may say completely the opposite but I don’t have that feeling.”

Guardiola sticking around is great news for the Premier League. His touchline antics at Anfield were comedy gold, but he’s also one of the best coaches there has ever been.

Liverpool would not have reached the level they are at right now had it not been for the Spaniard’s side being as good as they are, so keeping him in Manchester is a good thing.

The rivalry between the sides, despite it not feeling like it at times, is based on a respect for the level that each has reached over the last couple of seasons, and that, it appears, is only going to continue.

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Stats show Liverpool’s offensive play has improved on last season – and Fabinho is making the difference

Matt Addison — Sat, 23 Nov 2019 09:39:17 +0000

Here is a scary thought for the rest of the Premier League: Liverpool have got better since last season.

According to an interesting article in FiveThirtyEight.com, it is pointed out that the Reds’ key performance metrics in an attacking sense are much improved this season compared to last.

Measured per 90 minutes, ball recoveries are up by 2.9, chances created are up by 1.7 and shots are up by 1.5. Alongside that, possession being won back in the final third has increased by 1.7 instances per 90 minutes, with key passes up by 0.6.

Those increases can be reasonably put down to the form of Fabinho. Taking the stats out of the equation for a second, a simple ‘eye test’ – watching the Reds’ games – shows that Fabinho has been especially proactive in winning the ball back high up the pitch.

His aggressive tackles and clean recoveries mean the ball is won back higher up the pitch, closer to the opponent’s goal. That, in turn, means that more chances are created, and therefore more goals can be scored.

Most people would have noticed the Reds’ improvement this season – and, in particular, the good form of Fabinho – and the stats seem to back that up.

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Only two Liverpool players are among the top-10 most valuable in the world, according to Transfermarkt

Matt Addison — Sat, 23 Nov 2019 09:19:50 +0000

Only two Liverpool men – Mo Salah and Sadio Mane – have been named as being among the top-10 most valuable players in world football in the latest Transfermarkt rankings.

https://twitter.com/AsemahBoadi/status/1197531985025126405

Mane makes the cut, but only just, while Salah is behind only Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. The likes of Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who might have been expected to be there, miss out completely.

Mane, valued at less than Antoine Griezmann and Kevin de Bruyne, seems to have been particularly hard done by. He’s been one of the very best players in the world for some time now.

Eden Hazard, meanwhile, has been overrated quite a lot, factoring in his age and his time at the Bernabeu so far. Raheem Sterling and Mane should definitely be ahead of him.

It’s not clear exactly how the values are attributed to the players, but Reds fans are likely to be questioning at least a couple of those values.

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Crystal Palace contact Liverpool for Rhian Brewster ahead of Premier League clash

Matt Addison — Sat, 23 Nov 2019 08:55:13 +0000

Roy Hodgson and Crystal Palace have contacted Liverpool about the possibility of signing Rhian Brewster in January, according to Football Insider.

As reported yesterday, Jurgen Klopp is now said to be open to the idea of Brewster going out on loan, given that he has made limited appearances for Liverpool’s first-team so far this season, and has spent a lot of time playing for the U23s.

Brewster will play against Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup – fitness permitting – but other than that is going to struggle for minutes if the first portion of the season is anything to go by.

With Xherdan Shaqiri potentially to come back into the fold as well as existing options such as Divock Origi, Klopp has plenty of other forward players to pick from, so a loan move could prove beneficial.

A move to Crystal Palace, who have no striker likely to be capable of depriving Brewster of time on the pitch, seems to make a lot of sense.

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Jurgen Klopp fears for Mo Salah with Egypt set to place more strain on the winger

Matt Addison — Sat, 23 Nov 2019 08:24:56 +0000

Egypt are keen to take Mo Salah to the Olympic Games next summer, according to the Daily Mail, with Jurgen Klopp said to be concerned about the situation.

Having frequently spoken about the welfare of players and the risks of placing too much strain on them, Klopp is unlikely to be best pleased that Salah, for the third consecutive summer, could be featuring at a competitive international tournament.

Two years ago, it was the World Cup in Russia, while this summer just gone, Egypt hosted the Africa Cup of Nations.

Salah would have to be one of three over-23 players for Egypt at the competition, and while, as a national hero, it is easy to see why his country want him to be there, off the back of another mammoth campaign, he really could do with not going.

The winger is already nursing a knock sustained against Leicester City six weeks ago, and would only make himself even more susceptible to injuries if he has to go another summer without proper rest.

It’s not just the strain that the extra matches have on his body, either. When Salah represents Egypt, his status in the country means there are other pressures on him.

From both a Reds and an Egypt point of view – though, admittedly, perhaps more so the former – it is best that Salah doesn’t have to go.

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Reported Liverpool target Timo Werner is being transformed into the new Roberto Firmino

Matt Addison — Sat, 23 Nov 2019 07:59:42 +0000

Timo Werner says he is becoming a more rounded player under new coach Julian Nagelsmann at RB Leipzig, calling himself more of a ‘false nine’ in recent comments on his playing position.

The Germany international has been linked with the Reds a number of times over the last couple of seasons and has a release clause of just €30 million, says Bundesliga journalist Manuel Veth.

As his comments in the tweet below show, cited originally in One Football, Werner says he has become more like Roberto Firmino since Nagelsmann moved from Hoffenheim, which could make him an even more interesting proposition for the Reds.

| Timo Werner: "Nagelsmann has said that I won’t be playing as an out and out striker for him as such, but more of a false 9. It has encouraged me to improve & develop myself, even when we come up against oppositions that sit deep. He‘s helped me to make better use of space. pic.twitter.com/Zt9mkHo86o

— LFC Transfer Room (@LFCTransferRoom) November 22, 2019

Werner could become a long-term replacement for Firmino and if Leipzig are moulding him into a player of that similar kind, Jurgen Klopp is only going to become even more intrigued by the forward.

At that price, and with an increasingly appropriate skillset for playing at Anfield, we can’t see any reason why the Germany international won’t be considered a genuine target come next summer.

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Great news for Mo Salah and Liverpool as Egyptian avoids surgery on ongoing problem

Matt Addison — Sat, 23 Nov 2019 07:43:36 +0000

Liverpool winger Mo Salah will not undergo surgery on his ongoing injury issue, Jurgen Klopp has confirmed, as per the Daily Mirror.

His initial injury was sustained by the shocking tackle from Hamza Choudhury in the game against Leicester City at Anfield. Six weeks later, and Salah is still struggling to shake it off.

It was only exacerbated by the heavy challenge from Fernandinho in the fixture with Manchester City just before the international break which left him hobbling in the second half.

According to the same report, Salah has been barely able to train in that time, though the Reds feel an operation will not be needed and rather that he will simply need to be managed and rested as much as possible.

Salah completed a full training session yesterday and will need to be assessed ahead of this afternoon’s trip to Crystal Palace. Even if he came through that without a problem, Klopp may decide that with so many huge games to come, it might be wise not to risk him anyway.

With a huge game against Napoli to come midweek, which would see the Reds make the Champions League knockout stages with a game to spare with a victory, keeping Salah on the bench at Selhurst Park seems the most likely outcome.

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(Video) Liverpool’s potential Club World Cup opponents Flamengo have a song about the Reds

Matt Addison — Sat, 23 Nov 2019 07:24:15 +0000

Liverpool, as champions of Europe, will compete in the FIFA Club World Cup next month, and they could be joined by Brazilian side Flamengo.

Another team who will be present will be selected via the Copa Libertadores final, which takes place this evening and is between Flamengo and River Plate. The winner of that will join the Reds in the semi-finals.

For those in the UK, the Copa Libertadores showpiece game can be watched on BBC Two this evening from 19:45.

If Flamengo do progress to the tournament, the Reds will need no added motivation to win a possible clash in Qatar, given no Liverpool side has won it before, but as the video below shows, revenge is necessary.

As Twitter user @Brand0nLFC points out, the Reds were beaten by Flamengo in the competition back in 1981, and the Brazilians still sing about it even now.

Turns out Flamengo have a song about beating us in the Club World Cup Final in 1981, revenge is needed as much as I respect Flamengo. #Liverpool #Flamengo pic.twitter.com/Of0T9uS2BA

— ɦօɢɢʏ (@chillhoggy) November 22, 2019

The Reds’ first game of the Club World Cup will be on December 18, just a day after the Carabao Cup quarter-final clash against Aston Villa, with a potential final three days later.

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Ludicrous report claims Real Madrid will offer one of four players including Isco in part-exchange for Van Dijk

Matt Addison — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 20:21:24 +0000

Spanish outlet Diario Gol claim that Real Madrid are prepared to offer one of Gareth Bale, Luka Modric, Isco or Marco Asensio as part of a deal to sign Virgil van Dijk.

The report states that the Dutchman is seen as being a long-term replacement for Sergio Ramos, though that would be a slightly bizarre move considering he is already 28.

Neither Bale nor Modric would be of any interest to the Reds, and while both of the other two players named are excellent and could be tempting to sign outright, there is no way the Reds would entertain sacrificing Van Dijk to get them.

With the international break in full swing, it’s almost like the report has been put out to fill some space…

There is no doubt that Real Madrid would want to acquire Van Dijk – he is the best defender in the world – but there is no chance of the Reds being willing to let him leave. There is also no reason to think he might want to move.

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Danny Murphy claims only Jordan Henderson can be sure of his place in England’s Euro 2020 midfield

Matt Addison — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 19:58:35 +0000

Danny Murphy says Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is the only guaranteed starter in England’s midfield for Euro 2020 next summer, with plenty of options at the disposal of manager Gareth Southgate.

Leicester City’s James Maddison can barely get a kick for his nation, while both Declan Rice and Harry Winks have played to varying degrees of success.

Chelsea’s Mason Mount and fellow Reds man Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are also in the equation and will fancy their chances as long as they are fit and continue their current form.

Via Goal, Murphy said: “Jordan’s always in it. There are good options in there for Gareth, but I don’t think it’s worth saying now that should be the three, because if I was playing a lesser nation, I’d have no problem playing Maddison and Mount, ahead of Henderson or Winks or Rice.

“If you’re playing France – the best team in the world – then you might go for Winks, Henderson, and Oxlade-Chamberlain, because they can all do the defensive bit, they’re all disciplined.”

Henderson gets a lot of stick even now from some sections of the Liverpool fanbase despite being a Champions League-winning captain, but it has to count for something that both his club boss and his national team coach love selecting him.

If he and Trent Alexander-Arnold are both playing, with Oxlade-Chamberlain in with a real chance as well, that might be sufficient reason for Reds fans to get behind the national team for a spell.

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