Free Friday & Liverpool FC News, Media and Transfer Roundup – 24th February 2023
Freakish Results, Hysterical Overreactions & Treble Winning Memories
Free Friday will cover our work across The Tomkins Times’ Substack network, with it running via an opt-in or opt-out newsletter on The Main Hub (where almost all of the community commenting takes place), but covering TTT’s four sub-Substacks, or spokes.
Also make sure you check out Daniel Zambartas’ media round-up, which will be added to best of TTT from the previous week.
Best Comment of the Week
Daniel T with a full blown, constructive, analytical and balanced reaction to the game on Tuesday evening.
I couldn't agree more with the ridiculousness of the reactions by the media. I get that if you're a fan, yesterday sucked. I thought it sucked. We all thought it sucked experiencing it. But my notifications have been an endless stream of breathless "Is this the end of Klopp's Liverpool?" and it would make me embarrassed to be a journalist.
Here's two narratives:
- In a rematch of last year's Champions League Final, Real Madrid handed Liverpool their worst European defeat. Combined with their poor league position, is this the end of Liverpool's run?
- A retooling Liverpool side were able to score 2 on the reigning European Champions before some unlucky breaks and falling apart.
The problem with the latter narrative is it requires pundits to both pay attention and be willing to understand luck is a factor. There was a hilarious bit on our coverage here where Peter Schmeichel declared that Real Madrid's victory in Paris had nothing to do with luck, then after a package breaking down the game Jamie Carragher called him out on how even he described multiple pivotal moments as lucky. It's just a pathological obsession some pundits (particularly those who were high level athletes) have in acknowledging the role of luck... in a sport that literally includes a bouncing ball.
But I think the general bias of punditry towards simplicity and sensationalism means we don't get the kind of analysis here and have to suffer through all sorts of silly narratives. Which is a shame because the reality of what happened is far more interesting. As a test of where the project is, this early in its turnover, I think we can see some real positives and some real negatives. It's also interesting because this Real Madrid side is very similar to what Klopp is trying to do.
I would never be confused as someone who likes Real Madrid, but the progress of rebuilding from their Galacticos Era is fascinating. They've made some smart signings of older players on frees (Rudiger, Alaba), have spent years bedding in young transfers like Vinicus and Rodrygo (a combined 90 mill, or, what Chelsea will spend on the next player that they have no plan to utilize), other young transfers like Camavinga and Tchoumeni, some players through the youth academy, while phasing out (but still getting valuable contributions from) the remnants of that Ronaldo side. Of the side that won in Kyiv, they had three start at Anfield and three come off the bench. Compared to 5 start and 2 come off the bench for the Reds. Very similarly, they're just a little ahead of the curve because they started sooner.
They have also suffered through lean times because of this (by Real Madrid standards). This is the 5th season since Kyiv. They have only two leagues and one European Cup, a paltry return (by Real Madrid standards) and even that is buoyed by their miraculous UCL run last season and being able to nip a pair of leagues off a a basket case in Barcelona.
In many ways, Kyiv was Madrid at the end of one era (Ronaldo would be sold shortly after) and Liverpool at the start of one (that team still didn't have Fabinho or Alisson). Since then Madrid has rebuilt, with (by Real Madrid standards) limited spending, at least certainly compared to the abominations, and are almost a blueprint for a process Klopp is only in the early stages of. In an era where the abominations are spending disturbing amounts of money and other European giants like Bayern, United, and Juventus are struggling to find a way forward, two of the most distinguished clubs in world football rebuilding and retooling on the fly without bankrupting themselves or relying on oil money is absolutely fascinating.
But, nah, let's speculate if KLOPP'S LIVERPOOL IS AT AN END!
ADDITION BY PT:
Daniel posted the comment (below) on pressing, gathered via his work with Anfield Index, which shows, as with the xG being 2-1 to Liverpool even when Madrid were 4-2 up, that the goals (two of Madrid’s were huge flukes, to only one of Liverpool’s, and Liverpool were also denied a stonewall penalty) were distortions of the performance. Nothing about this game screams “three-goal defeat”, and the underlying numbers all suggest a big step in the right direction. But that’s why we analyse underlying numbers, as finishing is random, and never more so when you get two ultra-flukey goals. (Or was Karim Benzema aiming at Joe Gomez’s backside with a poorly hit shot?) Anyway, Daniel’s summary:
Pressing summary:
I've collected the pressing in 51 matches now for Anfield Index's Under Pressure podcast, and there's a database of over 400 games in total across the Rodgers and Klopp era.
Total pressing actions: 332 (highest ever)
Possession wins: 54 (highest ever)
Group presses: 51 (high)
Efficiency: 86.7% (normal range)
Only one press led to a shot though, so there production wasn't there, but what it tells me is that throughout the match our intensity was back. The only goal caused by a failed press was the fifth.
Bajcetic - who struggled against Newcastle with a really low efficiency - was back to his previously set high standards with 35 pressing actions and TEN possession wins and a 97% success rate.
Henderson had the highest volume of presses with 44 and 9 possession wins (88%).
Gakpo was second on the list with 41, again 9 possession wins, and a 92% efficiency.
Robertson had his highest total (19) for four years, as did Trent with 20, but that is his highest ever - again both of them had high success rates as well.
The one caveat I'd pose is that for 20 minutes at the end we bumped up our numbers because we were chasing shadows and Madrid had no intention of taking risks and were knocking it sideways and backwards whenever we applied any pressure.
For more context, we had more presses in the first two minutes on Tuesday than the whole first half against Everton! The intensity was as high as it could for all the periods of the match apart from after we went 2-0 up until the equalised so could be an indication we slightly dropped off.
One thing is for sure, the pressing was not the problem in this game, in fact it was a huge positive.
TTT Main Hub
First up is the post-match analysis after the defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League. Below is a quote from Paul’s section.
The Times noted earlier today that these are the most games played by European clubs since the start of last season, and you would say all are well below their usual standards in 2022/23 – with Madrid massively riding their luck tonight, and playing in a slower, less physical league.
Liverpool, 97 games
Chelsea, 95 games
Man City, 94 games
Real Madrid, 92 games
West Ham, 90 games
But the Reds also shot themselves in the foot, with Alisson's slack pass gifting Real Madrid an equaliser, and then a clumsy foul by Joe Gomez leading to another poorly defended set-piece, before a tame shot deflected off him to make it 4-2.
The same issues remain, in that the midfield doesn't have legs anymore (nothing new there), and leaves enormous gaps, with Fabinho guilty of giving the ball away and being out of the game on the 4th goal. It’s a team running on fumes, but the newer and younger players are showing there’s plenty to rebuild upon.
Stefan Bajcetic was bright, but at just 18, overrun with everyone else once the score went 3-2 just after half-time. He remains a class act, who will get stronger and faster with age – he has the natural pace and energy, but given his age and frame, not yet the power and fully-developed stamina to maintain it. Look at Vinícius Júnior at 18, 19 and 20 – improving with game-time, but only exploding once aged 21. Yet without the games at 18, 19 and 20, he doesn’t become the player he is right now, where his goalscoring ratio has more than quadrupled.
Vinícius is even scoring goals now when turning his back. Alisson made the same passing error as in a recent game, and that's not sustainable.
The biggest disappointment from a frantic first half was how quiet the crowd went when Real Madrid made it 2-1 out of nothing. The party turned to a wake, and yet Liverpool were still winning. Anyone would have taken a goal lead over Madrid at that stage.
This was followed - after lots of reactive nonsense in the media and fanbase - by this, Hysterical Overreactions Won't Help Liverpool – Already 40% a "New" Team, again from Paul.
The overreaction to last night was even more astounding than the freakish result, especially as most people know that Fabinho and Jordan Henderson won't the first-choice midfielders next season.
Both did okay, especially in the first half, and both struggled in the second half. Fabinho was at fault for at least one goal, and his limited running ability has been exposed a lot this season. I don't think anyone expected his form to collapse so badly, but it has. That need not be anyone's fault, even his own. It can happen.
To say that last night was the end of an era misses the fact that we're already at the start of a new one; the old one ended just after the World Cup.
The team is being rebuilt, and is already several games into the start of its next cycle.
Isn't that clear?
I don't know how people are missing this, but a lot of pundits don't pay close attention to Liverpool; those who do should be aware of it.
Just this season, and in two cases pretty much just in the last few games, we've seen the positive introductions of Darwin Núñez (23), Cody Gakpo (23) and Stefan Bajcetic (18), while last season's super-positive new recruits, Ibrahima Konaté (23) and Luis Díaz (25), are currently injured.
That's five great players to build around; five 'new' players.
And 30% of the outfield team last night was 'new'. And it could have been at 50% but for injuries.
Díaz and Konaté were key to the 33-game run-in last season, where all kinds of records were broken, and the Reds got close to the all-time best season in football history. Díaz was sensational, Konaté a rock.
Núñez, despite some recent injuries and all the jibes, is improving all the time, clearly, with goals, assists and chances created.
He is a force of nature, who took a year to settle at Benfica, then exploded. He got six league goals in his first season in Portugal; 26 the next. I've never seen a player so relentlessly bullied online and by opposing fans, and yet he just gets better. Like Díaz, he's a warrior.
This Red Planet
On TRP I took a light-hearted look at the future of football writing after the release of AI ChatGPT.
Will this mean the end of The Tomkins Times? Will the infamous TTT dungeon be no more? Will Martin Samuel have to get a new job in Greggs? Will the days of pop up ads on The Echo’s website making their football writing literally unreadable come to an end? Or is this a bigger overreaction than some Liverpool’s fans’ meltdowns on February 1st after we failed to sign a midfielder? Who knows, but for our first exercise - and you can try it yourself here - let’s ask ChatGPT why the Reds have struggled so much in the league this season (and bear in mind it took about 30 seconds for this to be written).
There could be several reasons why Liverpool FC struggled in the Premier League during the 2022/23 season. Some of the factors that may have contributed to their struggles include:
Injuries: One of the biggest reasons for Liverpool's struggles in the 2022/23 season was a high number of injuries to key players. Liverpool had a number of important players, including Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, and Jordan Henderson, miss significant time due to injury, and this had a major impact on their performance.
Squad depth: Liverpool's squad depth was also a concern in the 2022/23 season. The absence of key players due to injury exposed the lack of depth in certain positions, and the team struggled to replace their production.
Tactical changes: Liverpool made some changes to their tactics in the 2022/23 season, and these changes may not have suited the team as well as they had hoped. The team's struggles may have been a result of a failure to adjust to the new tactics or a failure to implement them effectively.
Lack of focus: Liverpool may have also struggled due to a lack of focus on the Premier League. The team was competing in multiple competitions, including the Champions League, and may have spread themselves too thin, resulting in a lack of intensity in their Premier League performances.
Mental fatigue: Another factor that may have contributed to Liverpool's struggles in the 2022/23 season was mental fatigue. After several years of success and competing for major titles, the team may have struggled to maintain the same level of focus and motivation as in previous seasons.
These are some of the reasons why Liverpool FC struggled in the Premier League in 2022/23. It's important to note that there could be other factors as well, and it's difficult to pinpoint a single reason for the team's struggles. However, by understanding these potential factors, the team can work to address them and improve their performance in future seasons.
That’s not a bad effort is it? Apart from missing the lack of penalties it pretty much has hit the nail on the head. Clearly, it’s without the statistical insight, dry humour, old-school musical references and sexual innuendo of a Tomkins classic but considering the time taken to ‘write’ it, that’s quite impressive.
Dynasty
Chris’ trip down memory lane focused on the Reds’ first treble - in Joe Fagan’s first season (1983/84) - on Dynasty this week.
May 1984 and we were back in Rome, scene of the club’s finest hour seven years earlier. The legions dusted off their ‘Emperors of Rome’ T-shirts to relive the glory of ’77. This time, however, the opposition represented the greatest potential threat yet to Liverpool’s supporters’ good reputation in Europe. It was Roma themselves. UEFA had decided to stick with the originally planned venue for the final despite Roma’s appearance in it - an interesting interpretation of the idea of a neutral venue for the final. The Italian club’s first-ever appearance in a major European final would take place on their own home ground in their own city. We were cast in the role of the demons, the bad guys out to spoil the party and slay the dragon in its own lair.
It didn’t feel fair at the time, and still doesn’t. With the passion and near-hysteria that surrounds Italian football, the biggest match in Roma’s history would create a super-charged backdrop, and the potential for crowd trouble spilling over the sides of the bubbling seething cauldron was all too easy to foresee. We knew it, the police knew it, the football authorities should have known it, but refused to contemplate switching the venue.
Our group was amongst the advance guard of Liverpool supporters to arrive in Rome, in mid-afternoon the day before the game. As our train, a normal service one this time, not a football special - once bitten … - slid through the grey drab outskirts, the bits you don’t think of when you think of Rome, we saw a city ablaze with Roma’s red and yellow colours, tower blocks festooned with Roma flags, draped over balconies, displayed in windows, fluttering from rooftops, and unforgettably, a monumental flag draped from the top of a tower block and covering much of one facade of it. How do you make a flag that big?
The Zen Den
More much needed perspective from Paul, this time asking if we even enjoy football anymore, as every defeat is called a crisis! It includes an excellent quote from Rob Key - who is English cricket’s new supremo - about the value of enjoying the game rather than stressing over winning and losing …
For those who don't follow cricket, Rob Key is an ex-player (one who drank and smoked too much to get much of an international career) who was working for Sky – think Gary Neville, but with a personality – when, out of the blue last Easter, he got the job of the current managing director of the England Cricket team, in part as he wanted to test out his punditry theories, especially on the dismal Test team.
Speaking to Wisden, he said:
“They talk about entertainment, which is the business we’re in. What’s the alternative? Just have a very, very boring game. Somewhere along the line losing has just become far too big a deal. There’s a lot of fear around it. Whereas Stokes and McCullum say, ‘Oh well, we’ll just have another go the next day’.”
Ben Stokes, the new captain, and Brendan McCullum, the Kiwi legend who is the new head coach, joined Key in trying to remove all fear of failing. Stop making it about winning. Make it fun.
Fun!
Vitally, Key also added that social media has drained all the joy from sport. It's all so deadly serious, he added. And that’s just cricket, which while big, is not at the level of elite European football (unless it’s in India).
Test cricket is a brutal game in terms of duration, played over five days. England had won just one of their last 17 Tests when Key, Stokes and McCullum took charge less than a year ago and changed the mentality.
They've won 10 of the 11 they've overseen so far, including historical wins in countries they never win in, and record-breaking run chases (like being 3-0 down to Barcelona or AC Milan and coming back), and scoring runs at a rate about 25% faster than in the fastest in the history of the game.
As a lower scoring sport, football is perhaps far more reliant on luck.
The Transfer Hub
It is probably a broken record that Liverpool need significant investment in the midfield department. The average age of the current options in that area is 27.1, only helped by the fact that Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones and Stefan Bajčetić are 19, 22 and 18 years old respectively. There are no midfielders in that sweet spot between ages 23 and 28. Keïta is 28 but destined to leave anyway.
It is clear that Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara cannot be a starting midfield trio for next season. Two of them are above 30 and one is 29. Recent resurgence of Bajčetić means he is in a shout to play regular minutes from the start of next season.
In terms of departure, Milner, Keïta, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Arthur are expected to leave in the summer. That's two foreign and two home-grown slots available to fill. Bajčetić, although Spanish, is now termed as a ‘club trained’ player. So, he leaves a slot for a foreign addition as well.
Let’s look at the players linked with Liverpool in this department.
Daniel Zambartas’ Liverpool News, Media & Transfer Round-Up
Club interviews
Klopp on Real Madrid defeat
https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/liverpool-2-5-real-madrid-jurgen-klopps-reaction
“I really think everything was pretty obvious tonight; I think we gave all five goals away and that means we could have done better there, but they were all obviously different. The start of the game, in our situation, it is really important that we see the positive steps - and I think the first half was, besides the two goals we conceded, the best we've played for probably the whole season. I liked it a lot.
“OK, the second goal, we cannot defend better because it is a slapstick [moment], but it equalled pretty much our second goal that we scored. The first goal we conceded we have to defend better, there were enough players around, nobody puts a foot in and stuff like this. It's very tight and it is just a world-class moment from Vinicius then as well, but I think it is obvious we can defend it better.
“At half-time, [it was] rather positive, to be honest. You think, 'OK, this happened... we have to play in this and that space, if we keep doing that they will have problems...' and then we start with conceding the third goal, which was a horrible goal and today it was pretty much the game-changer. We lost the momentum in that moment and never really got it back. In the first half we could have scored a third one, we had our moments, we were a bit unlucky with the scrappy situation in the six-yard box.
“In the second half, the game was the game Real Madrid wanted to play. Both of the other goals they scored, one is deflected and they are not really well defended, to be honest. We lose the ball in the wrong moment, which is obviously a massive problem against Real Madrid with the counter-attacking threat they have and that's how it came to the result.
On whether he is concerned about what this result may do to the confidence of his players: “I can see that people think that, [it’s] understandable, but that's actually not allowed. So, I told the boys directly after the game, there are different things that happened tonight, this was a result that was the exact opposite of what we wanted.
“We made mistakes around the goals, yes as well, and I said a couple of times that a defeat is a defeat if you don't learn from it. If you don't learn tonight that the start of the game was outstanding and the way we played was us in a nutshell, was us like we want to be, and that's what we have to keep doing. So if we now allow this one game to be influential, well, we are really silly.
“We have to improve, third goal massively, first goal massively, but we have to take the good things as well - that would be horrible if we don't do that. It's a different game than in Paris, of course, but anyway the intensity, the effort we showed, the football we played, pretty much everything was like how we want to see ourselves so we have to make sure that we keep that. I know, 5-2 could be damaging, but I hope I can make sure that is not happening.”
Henderson on Madrid defeat
"It is hard to sum it up," Admitted Henderson to BT Sport. "Mixed feelings. Disappointment. For large parts of the first half, we did well, especially for the goals, [but] we made too many mistakes. Real Madrid punished us every time tonight.”
"A lot was [down to] their quality. We didn't help ourselves for sure. We didn't defend it [Real's third goal] well enough. After that there was a few balls [where] we could do better. The game went away from us at that point.
“It's hard. it's difficult to come here and speak. Yes, they have a lot of quality. When you're not 100% defending they punish you. We caused ourselves problems at times. It's a tough one to take in the end.
"We still played a good first half. We were on top and created some good chances. There was a good chance at 2-0, a scuffle on the line. If that goes in it's a big moment.
"The second goal obviously is a mistake. The third we'll be disappointed with. That's when the game went away from us.
He added: "Performance level, the first half was very good. The second half wasn't as good. The second leg is three weeks away. We have to move on quickly and come across that bridge when we come back to it.”
Virgil van Dijk on Madrid defeat
“We have almost an impossible job in Madrid in three weeks’ time, but when the time is right, we’ll focus and we’ll give everything to represent the club as good as we can,” said the Netherlands captain.
“The only thing we can do is watch it, learn from it and make sure it doesn’t happen in the next game we play, which is Crystal Palace. It sounds pretty easy but it isn’t – that’s the hard reality.
“If you look back in the last two games, we played well and that’s something we should focus on as well and not going into a panic.
“Obviously we are all disappointed we lost, that is how we should be, but the way we lost, almost not giving ourselves a chance in Madrid, is tough.
“They have quality players all over the team, they can punish you and punish mistakes that you make and that’s what they did, especially in the second half,” said Van Dijk.
“It’s pretty clear to see [we made] mistakes that we shouldn’t make but it happens in football. We’re not robots.
“I think we were rushed at times and lost the ball in difficult moments and they have the pace and quality to punish us and they were fantastic. It is something we have to deal with as a group.
“It’s not been the easiest season so far but the only way to get out of it is to stick together and that’s the message – even now.
“Everyone is angry, everyone is obviously disappointed but the next game is in four days, so if we want to perform there we have to quickly change the switch and that’s what we’re going to do.”
LFC Media
Paul Machin praises Tomkin’s article on the media overreacting to LFC defeat
John Barnes: Luis Diaz will be very important when he returns
https://apostagolos.com/luis-diaz-tem-sido-fantastico-para-o-liverpool-diz-idolo/
Speaking to Apostagolos, Barnes said: “He [Diaz] has been fantastic for Liverpool and it was very unfortunate that he got injured, but Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota have also been injured, so Liverpool have been affected not only by his injury, but by a lot of injuries.
“Liverpool have a lot of great players up front and you could even argue that there are too many players when all the attacking players are fit, but Luis Diaz will be very important when he returns and he got injured at a really bad time for Liverpool.”
Rafael Benitez on Liverpool’s current situation
“This is a Liverpool team with injuries, not getting the results expected,” Benítez says. “Players like [Roberto] Firmino or [Diogo] Jota, who connected with [Mohamed] Salah, have been missing. The departures, especially [Sadio] Mané, change the structure. Signings should compensate for that but Darwin Núñez or [Cody] Gakpo are different – especially Núñez, who moves into space more. No one expected Firmino and Jota to get injured at once and maybe that obliges you to accelerate a process.
“Sometimes that’s good: I had Raúl at 17 and he went straight into the first team at Real Madrid. But there are other players who need time to mature. The demands are there though. They have to perform now and sometimes that pressure is too great, which can affect everything.
“Jürgen is still a great coach, but if you take away a series of important elements like [Virgil] van Dijk who gives you defensive solidity or Mané then add the absence of Firmino and Jota, that’s going to be felt. The midfield has had to take on greater responsibility, a more central role.
“[Stefan] Bajcetic is playing very well and there are players who bring a freshness but you want veterans for them to develop alongside – like the transition with [Toni] Kroos and [Luka] Modric at Madrid. [Dani] Ceballos and [Federico] Valverde are fundamental too and maybe Liverpool lack those players having the time to develop.
“At the same time Arsenal, [Manchester] City, [Manchester] United are growing, your objectives become harder to meet, and that can create nerves, doubts, a lack of confidence. Players start to commit errors and that brings insecurity. When you lose Van Dijk who was the player upon whom the defence was sustained, you start to doubt and when you start to doubt …”
“The only way to solve that problem is a good game, a good result. I think Everton was a key game that could be the starting point, the beginning of growth.
“Klopp is a great coach who will recover the team.”
Josh Sexton of The Anfield Wrap provides reasonable analysis of Liverpool vs Madrid
https://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2023/02/writing-liverpool-real-madrid-loss-reveal-all/
“Liverpool need reinforcements. That was clear before last night’s loss to Real Madrid and it was still clear after.
“Of their three midfielders who started last night, they have two who are on the wrong side of their peak years, one who is on the opposite side of the curve and is therefore still a raw product.
“I’m not having the idea that losing to Madrid in that way was one of the biggest signs of everything that is wrong with this Liverpool team this season. If it showed any one thing about this year’s iteration of our lads, it’s that their confidence is fragile and they can be got at.
“I just can’t get onboard with hot takes that decide that game last night exposed everything that was wrong with The Reds, because for the most part they actually played well. They had hard lines against a team who relentlessly creates luck for themselves by having the ultimate confidence in their game plan.
“Liverpool don’t have ultimate confidence right now and how could they? That’s not something that signing a player or two would even fix, but some new ideas will no doubt help them get back to that point.
“That was the case before last night, though. So don’t be fooled by those hot takes.”
Neil Atkinson of the Anfield Wrap on Madrid defeat
https://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2023/02/writing-liverpool-2-real-madrid-5-review/
“It was a game of two halves. The issue is that Liverpool drew their half 2-2, whereas Real Madrid won theirs 0-3.
“Within the issue is a lot of other issues. Real Madrid kept their threat level high, even when they were very much coming off second best. They suffered well. They took their chances and once they had got their gifts, they never looked like giving another back.
“What’s tough to take is that part of why Liverpool start well is because they start wise. They contest in a smart way, pick their battles and get their rewards.
“Darwin Nuñez does brilliantly in terms of the first of those rewards. It’s an excellent ball and finish and the start we needed.
“When it goes two it could have gone four. Liverpool get Mo Salah in four times and get Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold in too. But they don’t convert.
“The fourth is fortunate but Liverpool are wide open; Madrid would choose to suffer — Liverpool choose to bleed.
“Liverpool have had hard lines, but they have brought them on themselves, as well as coming up against an excellent side. They need to regain the ability to have nothing happen for a bit at the very highest level. That will include going over to Madrid for the second leg.
“You can’t be a bit smart and a bit stupid. You need to hammer home your advantage. You need to cut out gifts and you certainly don’t have to exchange them.”
Stephen Warnock on Joe Gomez and the impact of his injuries
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool
"I think with Joe Gomez, he’s either outstanding or he has tough nights and that’s just an inconsistency, but I also think that’s come with the issues of his injuries over the years," Warnock told BBC Radio 5 Live, reflecting on Tuesday's 5-2 Champions League defeat by Real Madrid.
"He doesn’t quite trust his body to do what he knows it’s capable of doing and that can be a big problem when you’re trying to concentrate on your game.
"When [Real Madrid keeper Thibaut] Courtois made a mistake, it didn’t faze him, it didn’t get to him at all, whereas with Gomez, as soon as one mistake was made, it just felt like the weight of the world went on his shoulders."
Warnock, however, was quick to point that Gomez was certainly not the only Liverpool player culpable on an error-ridden night for Jurgen Klopp's side.
"If you look at the goals they conceded, four of the goals were mistakes and I think that's the difference where the mentality of the players isn’t quite back to what it used to be," Warnock added.
"You look around and think that senior players were on that pitch for Liverpool and they didn’t grab the game by the scruff of the neck."
LFC News
Everton and Liverpool hit with different fines after Merseyside derby “brawl”
“Everton and Liverpool have both been fined by the FA after players from both clubs were involved in an altercation in the closing stages of the Merseyside derby earlier this month.
“Chaos erupted as a row broke out between Andy Robertson and Jordan Pickford, with both players later booked for their roles in a melee that drew in players from both sides - and several Liverpool substitutes.
“Everton have been fined £40,000 and Liverpool £25,000 by an independent regulatory commission,” the FA said.
Jake Humphrey (finally) apologises to Liverpool fans after blaming them for what happened in the Paris Final
Jake Humphrey has apologised to Liverpool supporters on behalf of BT Sport for their coverage during last season’s Champions League final.
The broadcaster came under fire for their coverage of the problems Liverpool fans encountered ahead of their side’s clash with Real Madrid in Paris. Gary Neville was among the many who criticised BT Sport for their build-up to the final in Paris.
He said: “We are hugely regretful that we were reading out those false statements, the only statements shared on the big screens as we were inside the stadium was a completely false narrative.
“I just want to say sorry to all the people involved in this football club, the stress was added to you because of us sharing that information, which we now know to be completely false.
“The truth is that those football fans that were being accused were out there saving the lives of other football fans, including our family members and our friends.”
Dan Z: Humphrey was simply doing his job by reading out what BT had been informed was happening, but it should never have taken this long for him to apologise.
John Henry confirms FSG are not looking for a full sale of the club
“John W Henry, Liverpool’s principal owner, has confirmed Fenway Sports Group is not looking to sell the club.
“FSG has been open to outside investment in Liverpool for several years and enlisted the investment banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley in a sales presentation for the club in November.
“Henry has clarified Liverpool are not for sale and that FSG appointed the two banks to help sound out potential investors. He confirmed the company’s intentions in a rare interview with the Boston Sports Journal before the first day of spring training for the Boston Red Sox, the Major League Baseball franchise that FSG also owns.
“Henry was asked by the Journal’s Sean McAdam, in an email exchange, whether he could state with confidence that the Red Sox would not be sold in the near future given FSG’s purchase of the Pittsburgh Penguins ice hockey team and the potential sale of Liverpool.
Henry replied: “Yes. I know there has been a lot of conversation and quotes about LFC, but I keep to the facts: we merely formalized an ongoing process. Will we be in England forever? No. Are we selling LFC? No. Are talking with investors about LFC? Yes. Will something happen there? I believe so, but it won’t be a sale. Have we sold anything in the past 20+ years?”
LFC transfer news
David Ornstein on Liverpool’s chances of signing Jude Bellingham
“Bellingham is Liverpool’s No 1 target for the summer as they look to rebuild a midfield in need of an injection of quality and youth.
“Cody Gakpo’s arrival in January showed the ownership are happy to invest in the squad despite the club being on the market/looking for investment, but the fee Dortmund want would be almost twice Liverpool’s club-record transfer, so whether they have the money or not is to be seen.
“Nevertheless, Klopp has been impressed by Bellingham and is more likely to spend big on him than sign two players with the same money.
“Bellingham is a huge admirer of Klopp and Liverpool, and several sources have insisted he wouldn’t necessarily be put off by the club’s recent blip.
“Another potential advantage for Liverpool is Klopp’s relationship with his former club. And with Liverpool’s director of football Julian Ward soon to depart, the manager’s role in trying to secure Bellingham could be particularly crucial.
“Bellingham is hugely intelligent and will think long-term — picking the right move is more important to him than a potential year without Champions League football.”
Liverpool linked to Josko Gvardiol
"His left foot is outstanding," says Sky Germany reporter Philipp Hinze, who covers RB Leipzig. "His pass accuracy, his passing speed is outstanding. Risky passes and dribbling through the first pressing line... Line-break passes are one of his best abilities. I've never seen this at this age at this level.
“Anfield could be a future destination for Gvardiol, too.
"He's said Liverpool is his [ideal] team," says Hinze. "Liverpool or City. Firstly, they can buy the release clause and secondly the Premier League is so competitive. You can join Real Marid but who's your opponent? Valladolid or Villarreal? Join the Premier League and play the best teams in the world, that's the dream and I think he's ready to do this in this summer. But the question is how high is the offer?"
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