Liverpool in the Media (Linked Articles Only) VII

Haha haha. Always knew he was stealing a living, was Garth but not this obvious!

 

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...e-100-best-male-footballers-in-the-world-2020

the top 10 will be published tomorrow. in positions 11-100 we have 9 players:

Ali 26
Trent 18 Robbo 34
Gini 73 Fab 38 Hendo 33 Thiago 17
Jota 63 Bobby 43

for a full team we just need 2 more forwards (I wonder who they could be? ) and 2 defenders (1 is a given)

of these 90 players, the Prem has 28 names: 9 for us (tops) City 6 and Chelsea 5

 

the full list. Mane - 5th Mo - 8th Virgil - 10th

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...e-100-best-male-footballers-in-the-world-2020

Lewandowski out on his own while Liverpool have most players in top 100
In a truly extraordinary year, 83% of our judges had the Bayern striker as their No 1 while Klopp’s Liverpool are the best club.

Liverpool may have lost their Champions League crown to Bayern but they won the Premier League in emphatic fashion and have the most players on the list in 2020, one more than the Bundesliga champions.

The increase in the number of Liverpool players in the top 100 since Jürgen Klopp took over in 2015 is remarkable. It has gone from a single player (Philippe Coutinho) to 12.

 

https://c.newsnow.co.uk/A/1060180060?-19388:814:latest_news#out

Liverpool and FSG could use Man City route to get around new Brexit transfer rules
The FA has confirmed that Premier League and EFL clubs will be forbidden from signing foreign players under 18 as well as having a cap on three players under the age of 21 joining from overseas in any transfer window in a bid to encourage more home grown talent.

The new regulations will come into effect from January 1, 2021, regulations which have been approved by the Home Office and that tie in with current FIFA rules, meaning that when free movement ends when the UK leaves the European Union, so will the ability to sign young talent.

But regulations that will come into effect post Brexit could mean that Fenway Sports Group's plan to allow RedBall Acquisitions to purchase part of the business and for FSG to become publicly listed on the stock market are more vital than ever.

One of the key driving factors between the potential deal between FSG and Gerry Cardinale and Billy Beane's RedBall is the creation of a portfolio of football clubs, much in the same way that Red Bull operate with RB Leipzing, Red Bull Salzburg and FC Liefering.

 

I can see that we don’t have anyone in the top ten. We play as a team, I think Klopp and the scouts have stayed away from the prima donnas.

 

Oh!


I was looking at the numbers with the names.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...-full-stadium-for-granted-liverpool-west-brom

Jürgen Klopp has said he will never again take managing a team inside a full stadium for granted and that he is braced for Liverpool to lose the ability to welcome even 2,000 spectators, something only they and Everton in the Premier League are allowed to do under the new Covid-19 tier restrictions in England.

Liverpool have played in front of 2,000 of their own fans on two occasions this season, against Wolves and Tottenham, and will do so again when West Brom visit Anfield on Sunday. The fixture is the only top-flight match with spectators this weekend, with Everton playing away at Sheffield United on Boxing Day.

“What this year has shown us is to enjoy the good things for as long as they are there, and I will never, ever in my life take a full stadium for granted. Working at Mainz, Dortmund and Liverpool, I don’t think I played a home game for a long time in a not sold-out stadium. I enjoyed it but I didn’t think how special it is. I will much more in the future.”

 

Premier League fans’ half-term reports. Part two: Liverpool to Wolves

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...alf-term-reports-part-two-liverpool-to-wolves

Liverpool
Always good to be top of the league, can’t get much higher than that. We dropped points in our last two games, but all things considered, I’m happy. The downside has been the injuries. To lose Van Dijk and Thiago away to Everton’s School of Science – or was it Dogs of War? – so early in the season was tough. But Thiago is back: I’m looking forward to seeing him on a regular basis. 9/10
Stars and flops The whole side have adapted brilliantly to so many changes due to injury, but particularly the young lads, Rhys Williams, Nat Phillips, Neco Williams and keeper Caoimhín Kelleher. Also a mention for Fabinho at centre-back and Curtis Jones, who has lost his “one for the future” moniker thanks to a string of good performances. And Mo Salah, obviously. We have no flops.
Happy with the manager? Course. Absolutely thrilled, chuffed, made up. There aren’t enough superlatives. Tactical genius, brilliant man-manager, gracious in victory, sore loser. And not afraid to call out this government. 10/10
We need to sign A centre-back or two. Ben White’s reputation is growing and he’d know what’s expected, but we’ve been linked with Schalke’s Ozan Kabak. If the boss thinks Kabak is the man, hopefully it’s a done deal soon – though talk is we won’t be signing anyone.
Moment that made me smile in 2020 When Chelsea beat Manchester City in June and we won the league. Another standout moment was Spirit of Shankly leading the national fans’ campaign against the disgraceful pay-per-view idea, forcing the broadcasters to rethink and drop it.

Manchester City
I’m relatively pleased. In the context of this absurd season and how everyone else is doing, we are well placed. We’ve had some particularly poor league performances, but our cup form has been outstanding. However, the recent Covid outbreaks at Newcastle, City and Fulham plus the worsening crisis across the country has got me questioning whether it’s all worth it. 7/10
Stars and flops Without doubt our stars have been our defenders. Rúben Dias has had a transformative effect: I’m not exaggerating when I say he’s been close to flawless. John Stones’ resurgence has been equally wonderful, and a tad unexpected. João Cancelo deserves a mention too. He’s been shunted around our backline but has been one of our most consistent performers and chance creators. Flops? I think the club have finally given up on Benjamin Mendy.
Happy with the manager? Again, relatively, yes. His work on the defence and with Stones in particular has been very impressive. But too many of our players (particularly our attackers) have been woefully out of form. There were signs we were clicking into gear against Newcastle, but I fear the Covid outbreak could have scuppered that. 7/10
We need to sign We won’t do anything this month but a left-back would be great. Álex Grimaldo possibly?
Moment that made me smile in 2020 City overturning the Cas appeal – what a day that was. And a mention too for Marcus Rashford for his incredible humanitarian work. That boy is a gem.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/jan/03/jurgen-klopp-premier-league-liverpool-title-race

'It will go to the wire' – Jürgen Klopp predicts fierce Premier League title fight

Jürgen Klopp has acknowledged this season’s title race is too close to call and seems likely to go to the wire.

“This season is a tough one for the supporters,” said Liverpool’s manager as he prepared to take his defending champions to Southampton on Monday night. “If you are a neutral you will love it. Our season so far is good but I’m not surprised it is this close. This year is tough.
I am pretty sure it will go right to the wire. It is tough for all of us [challenging teams], which is the reason why it’s so close.”

 

https://www.thisisanfield.com/2021/01/5-surprising-stats-about-liverpools-season-so-far/
5 surprising stats about Liverpool’s season so far

• Across of most of Europe’s top five leagues – almost every side is down on their usual press-rate. And yet, Liverpool are still one of the most effective: among the big five leagues of Premier League, Serie A, LaLiga, Bundesliga and Ligue 1, the Reds rank second for pressures in the attacking third of the pitch (701), behind only Eibar (704).
• Liverpool receive far fewer free-kicks from referees than other teams: the Reds average 8.8 fouls on players per game this season, which is lower than every other team in the league other than Sheffield United (7.4). Despite similar-style Sadio Mane on the opposite side being fouled (or rather, having seen fouls given for challenges on him) 42 times this season in 16 games, Salah is nowhere close. Not in the top 10 of the league, in fact (Mane is third), or the top 30. Or 50. Or the top 100. Salah ranks 114th.
• Joe Gomez remains the Liverpool centre-back with the most minutes on the pitch this season, and will still be so for at least a few more games.
• In general terms, Liverpool’s goals – both for and against – have this season been around the expected level, in terms of the chances faced and shots taken. And, if we take all teams’ expected goals for and against from each individual game, and translate those into expected points earned for performances so far…the Reds are still top, and have a one-point lead – over Man City, not United. They are overachieving at present by a massive six points, hinting at a difficulty to match that form over an entire campaign. Nothing conclusive, and the Reds still must arrest the current form drop which has seen our lead evaporate, but it’s always worth retaining the wider-lens view when going through sticky patches.
• The player with the most shots from inside the six-yard box for the Reds this term is Roberto Firmino. Our No. 9 isn’t a typical one, so doesn’t always get in those positions, but his seven Premier League attempts from close range is ahead of Sadio Mane‘s five – and Salah hasn’t had one at all in the league from that zone. At the other end of the scale, the player with the most shots from outside the penalty box is Trent Alexander-Arnold.
  

 

That bolded section doesn’t surprise me at all. Game after game we’re seeing our players go down with seemingly obvious fouls. While we pick up yellow cards for dirty looks.

 

Our man Milner according to Micah Richards.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/55606774

 

Well, blow me down a gale force!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...te-Jurgen-guys-dive-too.html?login#newcomment

Ignore the hysterical headline, the following is the real scandal.

 

Liverpool's stellar 2018/19 season has paved the way for them to break into the top five of European football's money elite.

Liverpool climb ahead of Man City and PSG into top five of Europe's richest clubs - Liverpool Echo

 

Liverpool trio Roberto Firmino, Fabinho and Alisson Becker could miss up to three matches as a result of government quarantine guidelines.

Residents now returning from COVID-19 hotspots – such as South American, Portugal and South Africa will be forced to undergo a 10-day hotel quarantine period upon their return to the UK, as per The Express.

Brazil are scheduled to face Argentina in a World Cup qualifying match on March 30, with Firmino, Fabinho and Alisson all expected to be involved.

Liverpool are due to face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium just four days after the Brazil vs Argentina bout. Also, if the Reds are to progress past RB Leipzig into the quarter-finals of the Champions League, the first-leg is scheduled to take place on either April 6 or April 7. And as a result of their national team involvement, they could also miss Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa at Anfield the following weekend.

 

I can't understand why any players are travelling anywhere during the pandemic.

 

I know it'll never happen but this pandemic is the perfect opportunity to cancel a competition that should never have been allowed to happen for so many reasons (corruption, December timeframe, etc.).

 

That's some time away. These days, who knows what the rules will be by then.

 

Hopefully this time, we’ll use the UK government travel restrictions to stop players going here, there and everywhere.

 

Beware the ghost of 2016/17.

https://www.thisisanfield.com/2021/01/liverpool-at-home-in-the-eye-of-the-storm/

 

Nice article about The Egyptian As-sass-in

https://www.espn.com/soccer/liverpo...an-ominous-development-for-their-title-rivals