Fc Liverpool Blog

Liverpool’s hopes of winning their first Premier League title were dealt a blow by Manchester United last weekend as once again they were unable to hold onto a lead at Old Trafford, which meant they dropped another two points in their chase of Chelsea at the top of the standings.

Things were looking good for the Reds when James Milner coolly slotted home past David De Gea from the penalty spot in the first half. Simon Mignolet was magnificent in keeping United out in the opening 45 minutes but Klopps’s men just could not find that second goal which would have sealed all three points.

An equaliser was always likely in the second half and it came with just six minutes left on the clock when Zlatan Ibrahimovic headed home for the hosts from an Antonio Valencia cross.

Liverpool are now 6-1 in the Premier League betting for the title as they have a seven-point deficit to try and make up. Chelsea top the market at 8-13 as they had no problems against Premier League champions Leicester in a comfortable 3-0 win at the King Power Stadium. Tottenham have won their last six consecutive games in the league and are available at 13/2, while Manchester City are out to 12/1 along with Arsenal after they went down 4-0 to Everton.

At the time of writing, Liverpool are still without a win in 2017. They led twice against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light but were held to a point against the Premier League strugglers. Plymouth took advantage of a number of changes made by Klopp in the third round of the FA Cup at Anfield which resulted in a goalless affair, while the Reds have a lot of work to do in their EFL Cup semi-final with Southampton after going down 1-0 in a very poor performance against the Saints in the first leg at St Mary’s.

Liverpool’s next home game in the league is against Swansea where they should be able to take maximum points against the Swans. They end the month against Chelsea at Anfield. Although it is still early to be talking about a six pointer, that is a huge game and one the Reds simply cannot afford to lose.

Both Liverpool and Chelsea should benefit when European football returns next month. Manchester City and Arsenal remain in the Champions League and both have tricky ties against Monaco and Bayern Munich respectively to worry about, while in the Europa League, Manchester United and Tottenham will have their eye on winning the competition.

Chelsea could be without the services of striker Diego Costa for some time as he has fallen out with manager Antonio Conte. Although the West London club did not miss him against Leicester, the former Atletico Madrid striker has scored 14 goals in the Premier League this season. The unrest will surely have unsettled the league leaders.

Liverpool must now try and go on a run over their next five-six games and hope that Chelsea slip up a couple of times if they are to close the gap at the top of the standings and keep their hopes of a league championship alive heading into the final stages of the campaign.

Liverpool are flying high in Jürgen Klopp’s first full season at the helm, but the German is still not content with his side. Although they have been playing some of the most exciting and attacking football in the top flight, The Reds’ defence has let them down on numerous occasions this term. The former Borussia Dortmund manager has even said tha this Liverpool side are not yet performing at 100%.  Reports suggest that Klopp is ready to bolster the squad further in January, in his quest to deliver Liverpool’s first ever Premier League title in May.

According to The Sun, Liverpool are preparing to once again raid Southampton for defensive reinforcements in the New Year and will put in a £40 million bid for Virgil Van Dijk and academy product Sam McQueen.  The Reds have conceded 14 goals after 12 games this season, and have only managed to keep 2 clean sheets. They desperately need more solidity in their backline, so have earmarked The Saints’ Van Dijk as the man for the job. McQueen would provide another option in the left-back position.

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In most of their football matches this season Liverpool have been favourites with bookies to prevail due to their attacking threat, but their odds are likely to shorten further once they tighten up at the back. Chelsea are a prime example of this, and their odds to win the title have now been slashed to 5/2 with Betway after they kept their sixth successive clean sheet of the campaign.

Since joining Southampton last season, Van Dijk has been one of the standout defenders in the league. With him in the side Southampton kept 10 clean sheets in 2015-16, and only conceded 36 goals. The 25-year-old won 74.5% of aerial duels, and 66.2% of his tackles were successful. This season he is continuing to help the Southampton backline remain one of the best in the league, and the South coast side have only let in 12 goals in 12 games. That’s on a par with Arsenal and better than Manchester United and Liverpool. Southampton have lost 121 challenges compared to Liverpool’s 146, and the Saints have also only made 2 major defensive errors compared to The Reds’ 6.

It is clear that Liverpool need to strengthen their backline and there is no doubt that Van Dijk could be the man for the job. If the Mersey side outfit manage to sign the Dutchman, the likelihood is that it would be Dejan Lovren who would make way. The Croatian has proved to be too unreliable during his time at Anfield and made a fatal error which led to a goal in the tie against Crystal Palace in October (see video above).

Lovren aside, Liverpool’s plundering of Southampton has been successful in the past. Nathaniel Clyne, Adam Lallana, and Sadio Mane have all turned out to be excellent acquisitions. Van Dijk may be tempted by the massive chance to win trophies at the more prestigious club, and follow in the footsteps of his predecessors.

James Milner has managed to fit in well at left-back after Klopp lost faith in the error-prone Alberto Moreno. Signing McQueen would enable the German to rotate his side more to cope with possible injuries during the hectic festive period. Milner would also be able to slot back into midfield to cover absentees there if needed.

There is no doubt that Liverpool look like one of the strongest sides in the league and are well in the hunt for the title. It was the defence that let them down in 2013-14, though, when they came so close to winning. If Klopp can solve the defensive woes, The Reds may just go on to lift the trophy.

Now the international break is upon us it seems a good time to take stock and determine if this is the year Liverpool can finally end their title drought or if they’ll be entertaining, but ultimately unsuccessful yet again.

The obvious answer is yes, of course, they can win it and this is reflected in the current football betting odds, with the Reds now second favourites at 4/1. Even after losing to Spurs, Manchester City remain clear favourites and if Pep Guardiola can address a few issues, it’s possible they might be too strong for Liverpool, just like the 2013/14 season.

Yet this looks like being a vintage Premier League season and even though City have looked mighty impressive at times, it’s only October and so much can happen before the destination of the title is decided. Here are a few reasons why this could be Liverpool’s year:

The defence is improving and you’d back Jurgen Klopp to continue to make improvements. This might seem a little ridiculous when The Reds haven’t kept a clean sheet all season, but other than the crazy 3-4 game against Arsenal and the malfunction of a 2-0 reverse at Turf Moor, Liverpool are conceding just a goal per game. James Milner looks a fit at left-back, Joel Matip seems to be one of the best ever free transfers, Nathaniel Clyne is now looking good going both ways, Dejan Lovren looks the player he was at Southampton and Ragnar Klavan is an able deputy.

The only real concern is at goalkeeper, where Loris Karius seems much better with his feet, but looked timid and failed to come for crosses against Swansea and Simon Mignolet has never convinced. It seems Liverpool have two good Goalkeepers when what they really need is one great one. Mignolet has been given chances, now it’s Karius’ turn to show he can improve and become the main man between the sticks that the squad will need if they’re to get near the title.

There is depth to the squad and new players have seamlessly slipped into the team tactics and mentality. It can be difficult adding players to a squad without disrupting the dynamics and it’s especially difficult to manage players’ game time, as no one wants to be warming the bench. Klopp has done a great job of integrating players such as Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum into the team and there is no doubt that they have improved the performances while the team mentality looks strong. Yet it’s players such as the returning Emre Can, Danny Ings and Marko Grujic that might prove crucial to a title run.

These players either haven’t done enough in training, have picked up an injury or are simply not as good as someone else in their position but in spite of that, they could be decisive to Liverpool’s success. Either coming off the bench or taking the place of an injured player, these are men Klopp will be calling on to do a job for him and his options look very much improved over previous Liverpool squads. Hopefully, these players are up to the job, as injuries will happen and Mane will be off to the African Nations Cup in the New Year, meaning that some players not getting much game time currently, will need to be ready to perform.

Liverpool’s attack will cause problems for any side they face and without the distraction of European football they should be able to maintain the level of performance that has been so impressive thus far. Unlike the 2013/14 season that relied so much on the excellence of Luis Suarez, this campaign’s attack has a combination of fluidity and agility that incorporates many players without being reliant on any one individual.

Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana, Roberto Firmino and company all hunt the ball together, are then quick to interchange for the attack and it’s a recipe for disaster for any defence they come up against. The statistics show that this Liverpool team is running more than any other side they come up against and the more they play like this the fitter they’ll get. When Klopp first came to the club, there was a problem with many hamstring injuries incurred, but with a full pre-season behind them and no midweek trips around Europe, this should no longer be an issue and the attacking football we love should continue to flourish.

Seven league games in and Liverpool have only played two at Anfield, have played last years’ Champions and a few of the teams expected to challenge this year, yet they sit on 16 points. There’s a long way to go, but there are a few reasons to be optimistic that this is the year.

Liverpool’s recent winning run – helped by a 2-1 victory at Bournemouth – has cemented the belief that Jurgen Klopp has finally installed a winning mentality into the Reds, just at the right time.

A much-changed Liverpool line-up triumphed on the south coast with goals from Roberto Firmino and Daniel Sturridge and, despite featuring a host of second-choice names after the previous week’s heroics in the Europa League win over Borussia Dortmund, it was a routine victory that was marred only by an injury-time strike from Joshua King, which served as a mere consolation for the Cherries.

With the business end of the season well and truly upon them, Liverpool fans are anxious for signs that Klopp’s much-lauded managerial methods are finally delivering consistency and an end result.

Liverpool lie in eighth position in the Barclays Premier League, at the time of writing, just two points behind West Ham United in the Europa League places for next season, but, crucially, with a game-in-hand over the Hammers.

Six games remain in the Premier League for Liverpool to clinch a Europa League place for the 2016/17 season, in the event that they don’t win the trophy in May and automatically earn the right to defend it. However, having gone five games unbeaten since that horrifying 3-2 defeat to Southampton – after having lead 2-0 – Liverpool are now beginning to convince their expectant fanbase that they are the real deal.

Since letting that two-goal lead slip at St Mary’s, Liverpool have earned a credible draw at home to title-chasing Tottenham Hotspur, successfully navigated the home and away legs against Borussia Dortmund, and earned wins at home to Stoke City (4-1) and away at Bournemouth (2-1).

Liverpool face a tough run-in to the end of the season, including the Europa League semi-finals. The latest Europa League odds show Liverpool and Villarreal can barely be separated and, while the former have hit form at the right time, the Spaniards have also won four successive games and sit fourth in La Liga, a full six points ahead of Athletic Bilbao below them.

But with the crucial and potentially season-defining semi-final tie with Villarreal less than a fortnight away, Liverpool can’t afford to lose their focus and have two critical Premier League games before then in which they must maintain their upwards momentum. Klopp will have been delighted with the performances of second-string youngsters such as Brad Smith, Connor Randall, Kevin Stewart and Sheyi Ojo in the win against Bournemouth, but he is sure to restore the majority of his big guns for the passionate local derby with Everton, followed by another home game with relegation-haunted Newcastle United also coming up soon.

The energy-sapping drama of Liverpool’s epic win over Dortmund certainly affected some of Liverpool’s key players, but it has energised their fans, and now the players must truly deliver.

In the last couple of seasons Liverpool failed to qualify for Champions League but this could be their year. According to football experts Liverpool ar ranked fourth in Premier League this season after Man City, Chelsea and Man United.

By Ivan PC from Vigo, Spain

So the top four finish is realistic and why not considering them title contenders. You can get a football coupon if you want to bet on their chances.

Liverpool was a force in Europe a few years ago and that’s what fans from all over the World are expecting to see again shortly. They were constantly playing in Champions League and had great results. “The Reds” were part of what we called “Big Four” until 2010 when they finished second in Premier League the previous year.

Since then they were on a decline and even if they spent huge sums of money they failed to get back on top. Brendan Rodgers is hoping to break the curse and bring Liverpool were it belongs. The first step was done last weekend when Liverpool managed to beat their rivals Manchester United with 1 – 0.

Rodgers has made not less than 8 transfers this summer. Sakho, Mignolet, Toure, Cissokho, Luis Alberto, Ilori, Moses and Iago Aspas arrived at Anfield while Borini was loaned to Sunderland. The most expensive was Sakho who cost Liverpool €17 millions.

Liverpool will sign Kolo Toure at the end of the season when his contract with Manchester City will expire.

The 32 years old defender has not been in the first team lately, as he made only 17 appearances for City this season, and this move could revitalize his career.

Jamie Carragher has retired and he will probably partner Daniel Agger in the center of defence. If Toure will reach his best form Liverpool could have one of the best defence in Premier League. Kolo Toure was considered one of the best defenders in the World a few years ago when Arsenal dominated Premier League.

His experience will definitely help Liverpool and considering that he comes for free makes him a quality signing.

Liverpool are trying to get back into top four position, which assures them a qualifying spot for Champions League next season, and this could be the year.

Bad news for Liverpool fans. Jamie Carragher has announced that he will retire at the end of the season.

The 35 years old defender is a legend already in Liverpool. The veteran defender was at Liverpool since he was a child, only 9 years old, and is second in the list of appearance-makers with 723 presences. Ian Callaghan  tops the list.

With Brendan Rodgers as coach, Carra found his playing time limited at Anfield. It is well known that Rodgers is a coach who promotes youngsters into the first team. This is probably one of the reasons why he decided that it’s time to hang out the boots.

With all this said Carragher played the last two Premier League games against Arsenal and Manchester City and he did well. Now even more the Liverpool fans will try to make Carragher change his mind.

Even if he is not playing regularly he is a leader and a role model along with Steven Gerrard. The youngsters have a lot to learn from him.

If he wont change his mind we are all hoping that he will get a role into the coaching staff of the club. It would be a petty to not have him continue with the club he loves.

Head on over to http://www.bestsatellite.tv/ and get the Fox Soccer Plus to make sure that you don’t miss a moment on the pitch this season.

Surprising most in the online poker world, PokerRoom.com made a comeback earlier this month to the online poker world.  Always known as an innovator in the game of poker, PokerRoom offers perks that other site just don’t offer.

Are you a poker player looking for something new and exciting from the online poker experience? The newly revamped PokerRoom.com is now offering players the chance to take part in the exciting poker game of Five Card Stud, a game that isn’t even spread in any US poker room and very few online.

New players that aren’t sure about the rules can check out the instructions at PokerRoom.com to learn the methods that are used to play online, learn the hand rankings and even learn the betting system that is used while playing Five Card Stud at PokerRoom.com. The game of Five Card Stud is one of the original poker games, so it’s only fitting that the game is played at one of the original poker websites that offered players one of the first chances to play real money poker games online.

Though Five Card Stud may seem simple, there are betting techniques that should be learned before taking part in the popular poker game. Learning these techniques can be simple at PokerRoom.com, as there are free games for players to take part in before they throw real money down on the table and play poker online.

Playing the free games can allow the player to get familiar with the interface of playing poker online, as well as allowing the player to learn the betting schedules and playing techniques that are displayed by other players taking part in the game of Five Card Stud. Getting familiar with the game can be a great way for the player to increase their chances of winning when they finally decide to play for real money and make a deposit to PokerRoom.com.

After two disastrous seasons in which Liverpool failed to qualify for Champions League it seems that The Reds have again good chances of reaching the Champions League spots.

After ten games Liverpool are sixth in the Premier League standings, only one point behind rivals Chelsea who are currently on the fourth position.

What’s encouraging is that Liverpool are playing a good football and that without Steven Gerrard, the Liverpool heart. It is well known that Liverpool were dependent on Gerrard and Torres in the last few seasons.

It looks like Kenny Dalglish managed to create a group at Liverpool capable of winning trophies again. You can bet online and Unibet Romania and get a good profit if you put your money on Liverpool.

AC Milan have announced the transfer of Alberto Aquliani from Liverpool on a loan deal with the option to make the move permanently at the end of the season.

Alberto Aquilani

The buy-out clause is €6 millions. Alberto Aquilani will replace Pirlo who moved to Juventus at the end of last season.

Montolivo from Fiorentina was also on Milan’s list but the ex-Roma player has won the race. Kenny Dalglish decided to allow some players to leave as there are enough players especially in midfield.

Aquilani started his career at AS Roma where he spent no more than seven years. He move to Liverpool in 2009 as a replacement for Xabi Alonso who left for Real Madrid.

Unfortunately for him he never filed up the expectations at Anfield but the injuries were an important  factor.