Free Friday & Liverpool FC News, Media and Transfer Roundup – 3rd February 2023
Doom-Laden Knee-Jerkers, Vintage Shankly & Magic Dozens
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
Here’s another TTT stalwart and legend Allen Baynes, responding to Paul’s post-transfer window piece:
Wow, what an article which should be compulsory reading for anyone with any pretence to be a supporter of LFC.
Happily, I am still in Morocco and my only football talk is with local lads who think it's great to speak with someone from Liverpool, really they do, even when its only me!! I can't say that I am missing the fevered debate as to who actually won the transfer window or the wittering's of the doom-laden knee-jerkers foretelling are demise and imminent obliteration, I can only guess about the crap that is being aired in the name of punditry.
So how typically sensible to come on here and realise that gobshitery is only found through other channels. Paul, that analysis of the future chimes with what I have seen watching the kids develop via LFC. I just want official confirmation that Gordon still has two legs and is going to reappear very soon.
Morton, Bradley and Doak, what a talent in the waiting room and Stefan and Harvey are already with the team full time.
I don't know if it is only me but I had fully expected Owen Beck to be in the waiting room, and of course Chambers and Quansah may be there as well by August.
Let's hope we are about to observe big Nat enhance his cult status and for Bobby and Diogo to walk into full time training this week.
Anyway as always, Up the Reds or as they say in these parts, ALLEZ LES ROUGES
TTT Main Hub
First of all we have the aforementioned article by Paul on the transfer window and why it is often misleading.
So, since just before the World Cup, Liverpool now have Keïta, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jones fit again, Arthur Melo nearing fitness, and have Bajcetic – not even really in the equation at the start of the season – and Elliott playing extremely well.
(Fabinho remains a fast-melting wreck, but actually, James Milner – another who is fit again – has impressed this season, even if you wouldn't want him in the same team at the same time as all the other older guys. And he seems better at right-back these days, where he's had some excellent games this season.)
Now, I'd have liked to have seen Sander Berge added, as I think the Reds need the option of a giant physical presence in midfield (who's also talented), and he seemed a good price at £20m or so. But then Sheffield United changed their mind on selling, leaving various clubs frustrated (I'm not sure if Liverpool were one, but Klopp is a fan).
Although Gakpo and Núñez will help, I do think Liverpool need more height in the team, even if I think having great small players is fine too.
As I always say, ideally need 5-6 big guys, and a big part of Arsenal's improvement has been making the team taller (and therefore doing much better on set-pieces, which was Liverpool's strong suit in most seasons, but was a weak area in 2020/21, and more recently in this season, both due to injuries. Virgil van Dijk is consistently the best aerial player in the Premier League. Konaté has been improving in the air, as big young players tend to do – the height and power are important, but there's also the experience and the improvement in timing that come with age.)
Obviously Moises Caicedo would have been a great signing, but Brighton were also not selling, as Arsenal and Chelsea also discovered. It could be that Liverpool are back in for Caicedo in the summer, as Chelsea and Arsenal buy up other midfielders.
I like Ruben Neves, too, who has a year left this summer; a real leader who is never injured, and a player who'd suit the club's style. Youri Tielemans will be free in the summer – he's gone a bit stale, but so have Leicester on the whole; he has almost 500 career games at the age of 25, so is clearly durable. And obviously everyone wants Bellingham.
As of a year ago, no one in England wanted to pay £10m for Enzo Fernandez. Players emerge all the time.
Next up is a Daniel Zambartas piece, post-window, of rating the Reds’ players this season.
Fabinho
4- I don’t know what has happened to Fabinho, but he’s been one of our poorest players this season, and one of the main culprits behind the Reds’ midfield woes. He’s never been the quickest, but he’s now so slow he looks like an adult trying to run in children’s shoes. He seems to be one of the main victims of the quadruple chase hangover. Looked a bit better after the World Cup reset, but then looked poor again, and has now been dropped for an 18-year-old. Could be time for Liverpool to consider selling him. He’s been more drab than fab.
Dynasty
Chris reflects on one of the Reds’ best ever seasons, and also one of Shankly’s favourites as well!
But the role of eternal bridesmaid did not appeal to Shankly one bit. He wanted trophies, he wanted to be a winner not a runner-up. He wanted the title and he wanted success in Europe.
In 1972/3 he got both, as the new side well and truly gelled.
That season Liverpool were remorseless in the league, more dominant than the three point gap at the top might suggest. They went top in September after a 5-0 rout of Sheffield United, a position they rarely relinquished from then on, holding top spot after 35 of their 42 games, and second after three others. Only for a brief spell in early season did they fall below that.
The team was patient, methodical and extremely hard working, with players like Hughes, Keegan, Callaghan and Hall renowned for putting in a shift. They played the Liverpool way – possession, pass and move, each player helping out his team mate when in possession by offering a pass. Criticisms of being mechanical, a grinding machine, failed to take account of the flair produced by Heighway, Cormack and that impish bundle of restless creativity, Keegan. Liverpool simply swarmed over their opponents, a relentless pressure that usually eventually led to a crack. They wore teams down with sheer effort and force of will. They came and came, and if repelled, just came again.
Incredibly, Callaghan, Lawler and Lloyd played in all 66 games that season in all competitions – three more than the epic season of 2021/22 - with Hughes only one fewer and Keegan and Clemence two. Heighway also played over 60 games.
The team may have been new, but the values were vintage Shankly:
“Every player in my team has to play for the team. Not himself. We do things collectively. Specialist players in specialist positions. We didn’t complicate them, they had a simple job to do. Teams need a system, they should be able to play, know what should be done. Players should be on speaking terms, not strangers, they have freedom to play.”
The Zen Den
Paul’s Zen Den analysis was a preview of an upcoming series looking into the potential brilliance of a group of Liverpool youngsters.
Even allowing for the problems with highlights videos, these are a lot of special highlights for half a season; not sensational goals, but great turns, wonderful passes, and a general Thiagoesque air to how he strikes the ball and turns to beat the press, with a few Thiagoesque lunges thrown in.
To me, this is no normal highlights reel; it's top-class.
However, he's winning rave reviews for his entire game, not just his highlights, and this will be part of him becoming a 90-minute player, not someone who drifts in and out of games like a lot of youngsters.
Various Blackburn fans have noted that, like Harvey Elliott, Morton is far too good for that level.
And yet Elliott, still only 19, has had too much criticism this season from some Liverpool fans due to the inconsistencies you get with younger players, the lack of a natural role for him (in part due to lacking electric pace, and being small), and a crash in confidence before, after a great goal at Wolves he took his tally to five goals for the season with another goal at Brighton, as a clear uptick towards what he did at Blackburn aged 17/18 (seven goals in 42 games, as well as lots of assists).
Daniel Zambartas’ Liverpool News, Media & Transfer Round-Up:
LFC Media
Klopp on Brighton defeat
https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/jurgen-klopps-verdict-brighton-2-1-liverpool
On the defeat and Liverpool's performance: “We came here to go through to the next round, with the game a couple of weeks ago in mind, which was pretty much rock-bottom of the performances we had in my time [here]. So that was better today, much better. But still, in the end, we concede two goals from set-pieces. We pretty much closed the gaps where they passed through last time, but around set-pieces that doesn't help, so you have to do different stuff, so twice we were not close enough to avoid the goal. That doesn’t feel great, obviously. That's not cool, but we have to take it.
On the game opening up towards the end: “Different things. The set-up for the first half was really good. Cody helped us massively with the ball, without the ball, in the centre. Harvey on the left-wing, defensively we can really use him, he is really in there. The midfield did that, but when we change then, that’s how it sometimes happens.
“Obviously for Darwin it’s a bit more tricky to do all these kind of things, he is not used to it, and we have to really work a lot with him to involve him in these moments. Against a well-drilled team like Brighton, if not all positions work really well together then all of a sudden…
“They only play for this one gap. They play for one gap where they pass the ball through and then whoever – Mac Allister or Gross, or Welbeck or Ferguson – turns and from there they go. We closed these gaps for the majority of the time, but then all of a sudden not that well anymore.
“It’s not that we were that much under pressure, we had our moments as well in the late period of the game. That's how football is, everything opens up a little bit. Again, the goal happened after a set-piece – and the set-piece shouldn't have happened because we could have won that ball in a heading situation already.”
“Would it have been the same stance if Liverpool wanted to buy them? City may well have tried to put the kibosh on that one as soon as agents started talking about the possibility of a move to Anfield. Had those players set their hearts on it, though, it would have been a very difficult position for City.”
Harvey Elliott interview with the club
https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/harvey-elliott-we-have-work-put-things-right-well-keep-fighting
"It’s been a tough season so far. In training tomorrow and throughout the week, we have to work to put things right. It’s down to us. It’s another tough opponent in the next game. We need to look at ourselves but, at the same time, pick ourselves up.
"The reason we have been so successful is because of the amount of fight we have, the work we put in on the training pitch, and the hunger and desire to play for the fans and the club. We always believe."
“Elliott is the only player in the Liverpool squad to have featured in all 31 of the club’s matches so far this season.
“When asked what it means to have earned the trust of manager Jürgen Klopp, the 19-year-old replied: "I’m loving it here, playing for my boyhood club, there’s nothing more I’d want to do in life.
"At the same time, it’s frustrating results aren’t going our way. That would be the cherry on the cake for me.
"On a personal note, it’s nice to have the backing of the manager and the coaching staff to go out and play these games. That’s what I want to keep doing.
"I want to keep playing for Liverpool and contributing, helping us win games and getting us up the table. Hopefully I can get these opportunities more and more and show the fans that I care with all my heart."
On Brighton defeat: “I’m lost for words. Especially [to lose] in the last kick of the game. We fought so hard throughout the game. We had chances ourselves. I had chances to make it two and increase our lead. It’s another learning curve. Unfortunately, the game is done, we can’t change the outcome. We have to go again.”
On how the game could have gone either way in the second half: “Maybe luck is just not on our side at the moment. You never know, that late chance could have fallen to us and we could’ve scored at the other end, and we could be coming away with a win. We need to stay concentrated throughout the whole game and make sure we put performances in.
“Brighton is a tough place to come. We knew they were going to be hard opposition to play against. We witnessed that a couple of weeks ago. It’s another learning curve to take into the next game and hopefully put right against another tough opponent.”
On how he is feeling after taking a knock to the head during the game: “I’m OK. It’s a bit sore, but it’s nothing that’s going to stop me. I’ve had worse. It’s just a bang on the head, so I should be over it in the next couple of days. These things happen in football.”
Andy Robertson on Brighton defeat
https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/andy-robertson-fa-cup-exit-hard-take
“It’s bitterly disappointing,” Robertson told ITV post-match.
“I thought it was a proper cup tie, [it was] end to end - both teams had chances.
"We were a lot more competitive than two weeks ago against them, but that didn’t take much.
“We were nowhere near good enough two weeks ago and I thought today we were slightly better. We had chances and [we were] a bit more compact.
"At the end of the day we’re going out the cup and that’s hard to take. When you’re at a club like Liverpool the fans and everyone expect us to go far in these competitions and we’ve not managed it.
"Obviously it’s the last minute and it’s the last kick of the ball – it’s so disappointing.”
“We need to [improve] quick. We keep saying that, but it doesn’t help the fans.
"I feel sorry for them, obviously the way we’re putting on a show just now.
“Behind the goal was packed today [and] the fans were unbelievable. We let them down again and we’re obviously disappointed to be out the cup.”
Cody Gakpo interview with the club
https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/cody-gakpo-brighton-trophy-ambitions-settling-and-more
On how he has settled in at Liverpool: “From a football perspective, it's a new environment on the pitch, with new players and a new team. I can tell it's a really great group. Every day I am looking forward to working with them, to train hard and to play the games. I am trying to adapt as quickly as possible, to improve every day and in the end show the best version of myself. Off the pitch, to be honest, I haven't been in the city so many times yet. Most of the time I have been in the hotel. I am moving this week, actually. That's also something I'm looking forward to.”b
On the relationships he has formed with his new teammates: “It's a really good group. Everybody has helped me a lot and tried to make me feel at home as much as possible. I hang around with Curtis [Jones] sometimes and with other players, like Ibou [Ibrahima Konate]. Everybody is nice and helping me, so that's great.”
On the role of playing as a striker for Liverpool: “It is a little bit different to what I'm used to. Normally, I have played on the left for almost the past three years. It's something I can improve, playing in the striker role, and I want to show my quality there. It's a great position and playing there makes me more complete as a technical player.”
Matt Addison on BBC Radio Merseyside's The Red Kop podcast discusses Gakpo’s best position
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/c14ngg09jrdo
“It seems like Liverpool are looking to mould Cody Gakpo into a potential Roberto Firmino replacement, according to the editor of Liverpool.com.
“The 23-year-old has started at centre-forward for the Reds in four of his first five games, but is yet to score for the club.
“However, he is also comfortable on the left flank, featuring there for both the Netherlands and PSV Eindhoven.
"The fact he is playing centrally the last couple of games, with Darwin Nunez playing off the left, it looks like that is what they want to do with him in the future," Matt Addison told BBC Radio Merseyside's The Red Kop podcast.
"If you wanted him to be a winger, you would have started that process straight away. There are not many obvious wingers for Liverpool at the minute, so that would make sense.
"Roberto Firmino is out of contract at the end of the season. It is like a Mane-Diaz situation last season - when they try and bring one in to replace the other.
"Gakpo, therefore, maybe becomes that false nine type of player. He is not quite the same, but I don't think you will ever be the same as what Firmino does.
"On the evidence so far, I would rather see him on the left-hand side, to give him a bit of space to do what he does - dribbling and being able to beat a man."
Rio Ferdinand discusses Liverpool’s issues on the FIVE Podcast (quotes found via Caught Offside)
“Why didn’t they just pay him the money to stay?” he said on the FIVE Podcast.
“I think they let the wrong one go, they should’ve let Firmino go, I just don’t understand how you let someone who is world-class at that moment in time, ideally who would’ve liked to have stayed if you gave the contract he was looking for or something similar to what Salah got.
“I just can’t get my head around it, every Liverpool fan must be sat there thinking ‘wow, how have we let this slip through our hands, a player of that calibre?'”
James Pearce on Brighton defeat
https://theathletic.com/4135525/2023/01/30/liverpool-brighton-fa-cup/
“This is still a team desperately short of belief, with key personnel out of form. Even Klopp admits the body language of his players concerns him.
“Certainly, Liverpool’s propensity to shoot themselves in the foot, especially when it comes to defending set pieces, still hasn’t been addressed.
“Klopp has been ruthless in relegating captain Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to bench duty. It sent a clear message that no one will be selected on reputation alone. Putting his faith in teenager Stefan Bajcetic and Naby Keita has helped make Liverpool more compact and provided a much-needed injection of energy.
“Bajcetic continues to shine like a beacon during these testing times, and the Spanish midfielder showed real maturity in how he handled himself after picking up an early booking. The combative Ibrahima Konate was another who didn’t deserve to be on the losing team.
“This was the first time Liverpool have lost after scoring first in a game since they were beaten by Leicester City in February 2021.
“It’s a damning statistic that the only goal Klopp’s men have scored after the hour mark in any of their nine games in all competitions since the World Cup was Bajcetic’s composed finish late on at Villa Park on Boxing Day.
“That points to another problem: the impact of Klopp’s substitutions. Certainly, the changes he made in the second half on Sunday made Liverpool gradually worse rather than better.”
Barney Ronay of The Guardian reviews Liverpool’s current situation
“This is probably a moment for Liverpool’s supporters, who know this better than anyone, to take a breath and think about wider endings. The main feeling around this Liverpool team in recent weeks has been dislocation. The temptation is always there to look for simple reasons. There has been talk of tired players, of the shadows of last season’s ghost quadruple, of recruitment mistakes made, of Klopp losing his magic dust.
“But in reality this loss of torque comes from a much wider place. This entire entity is in turnaround. The club is for sale. Key people are leaving. This isn’t a team in transition, but a model, a set of structures, a culture, feelings, energy all running their course.
“The last years of success came from a shared source, a blend of brilliant coaching and shark-faced financial management. But that thing is now done. Something will have to replace it. In the meantime Klopp is left trying to build another team out of less while continuing to win. It took two years when he first turned up. It took three years at Dortmund. Will he get the time again?”
Tony Cascarino says “Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool rebuild must start in midfield” in the Times
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/juergen-klopps-liverpool-rebuild-must-start-in-midfield-0fkgf6xvj
“This summer they need two big signings: a tenacious, ball-winning midfielder and a leader in the heart of defence.
“The club have been strongly linked with Jude Bellingham, but I have said before that I would rather they went for Declan Rice. Liverpool are more in need of a player like Rice, who sits in front of the back four and does the ugly side of the game well.
“Should Arsenal fail in their pursuit of Brighton’s Moisés Caicedo this month, he would be an option again in the summer, or they could even consider Kalvin Phillips at Manchester City. If they wanted a versatile option, they could go for Bayern’s Joshua Kimmich, who can play at right back too. They also need another experienced, vocal centre back, in the mould of Antonio Rüdiger, who can get more from Van Dijk.”
“Chelsea and Arsenal are making big moves in the transfer window, Newcastle United and City are backed by Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi respectively, and Manchester United are looking resurgent, putting Liverpool at risk of being left behind.
“Klopp has extended his contract until 2026 and must be given the tools to make his side competitive again.
Klopp interview with Michael Calvin on BT Sport podcast
“The things happening with Chelsea and their new ownership … nobody knows exactly how they are doing it, how they can spend that much money. No one likes me talking about it, but a transition needs time, unless you have endless money. Otherwise, you can change overnight, you can bring in ten players and then another ten.
“Last week I was asked if I am too loyal. I’m not too loyal. Questioning loyalty in general is a sign of the time we are living in, which I really don’t like too much. I’ve never seen anything bad in loyalty.
“One of the main reasons I signed the new contract was that I knew this [the transition] was necessary. We have an awful lot of injuries and it makes life really complicated. I know the majority of the outside world is just interested in the short term, but we have to be long term focussed as well.
“One of my skills is that I’m completely independent from public opinion. I help myself in a period like this by not reading anything about Liverpool; pretty much nothing, because it’s nothing nice.
“I’m the only one in the whole building who’s like that because everybody else reads everything and I need to know about their feelings as well.
“Problems only have the right to exist because of solutions; the problems are obvious, [for example,] ‘we don’t play well’ or ‘we don’t do that’, but my job is not to find problems, my job is to find solutions, and I can do that independently from the outside world.”
Neil Jones looks at LFC’s potential summer rebuild
“At 29 – he [Oxlade-Chamberlain] will turn 30 in August - Oxlade-Chamberlain’s time at Anfield is up. He will not be offered a new deal, and has already been linked with a move to various Premier League clubs, including West Ham and Southampton.
“The Guinea international’s [Keita’s] injury record, though, means any optimism surrounding his form must be tempered, and the fact there has been no breakthrough in talks over a new deal does not bode well. A number of German clubs have expressed interest in signing the 27-year-old. Likelihood of leaving? 8/10.
“If Klopp gets his way, Firmino will be staying around. The Brazilian will be a free agent in June, but his manager is eager for him to extend his contract for at least another year, believing he still has an important role to play.
“As of yet, though, there has been no resolution. Firmino is understood to be open to the idea of remaining on Merseyside, but is expected to receive lucrative offers from elsewhere, and the January arrival of Cody Gakpo hardly bodes well for his future prospects.
“Kelleher would be right to believe he is ready to play regular first-team football now, and would improve many Premier League clubs. A summer deal could be in everyone’s best interests.
“There have been growing whispers from within the club that Matip may move on this summer.
“Matip will enter the final year of his deal in the summer, and if a suitable offer was received for the 31-year-old, it would be hard to refuse.
“Klopp is likely to keep faith with Fabinho, who can also operate as a centre-back if needed, but he’ll want to see signs of improvement soon, and a big offer from elsewhere could give him a decision to make.”
Sam McGuire concerned about Trent Alexandr-Arnold’s contract situation
“With everyone focused on the midfield situation at Anfield and a new injury crisis ripping through the squad, it has gone under the radar that the right-back is almost into the final two years of his contract. He is due for a renewal in the summer and though many believe it is a formality, it might be trickier than people realise.
“The new system has exposed him a lot more at full-back and limited his impact in the final third. With Liverpool looking to evolve, Alexander-Arnold became something of a conundrum. Not a problem but a riddle that is yet to be solved.
“Simply put, Alexander-Arnold is being asked to do things he isn’t particularly comfortable with while not being able to do what he has excelled at. It isn’t beneficial to the team or the player.
“If there is a feeling that he cannot adapt adequately enough to the new role within whatever long-term system Klopp opts for, would it make sense to keep him? Similarly, if the new role handicaps him as a player, why shoehorn him into the side? It isn’t a conversation those on Merseyside will want to have but it is one they need to have.
“Something else to ponder from the club’s perspective is what sort of contract do you offer. He is reportedly already one of the highest earners at the club and any new deal would likely see him earning over £200,000-per-week.
“That is a significant commitment to a player who is having to adapt his game to fit in with the plans. What about the length of the deal? A four-year extension takes him to 2027 and would mean they would have to assess the situation again in 2025.”
LFC news
Raheem Sterling was open to Liverpool return
“He [Sterling] would have been open to a move back to previous club Liverpool, but that was a non-starter, too. Chelsea were his only option.
“It is tempting to think Zinchenko and Jesus, given their very professional attitudes and their admirable responses to being left out of Guardiola’s team fairly regularly during their time at City, would have put their grievances aside and got on with the job this season.
“It’s possible, but there’s also a chance that keeping three (because you have to include Sterling) players who were denied dream moves would have only made the current situation worse.”
LFC becomes first Premier League club to be sustainably certified
https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/lfc-becomes-first-premier-league-club-be-sustainably-certified
“Liverpool FC has become the first Premier League club to be awarded the British Standards Institute (BSI) ISO 20121 certificate, which recognises and awards its approach to successfully delivering sustainable events.
“Recipients of this certificate need to demonstrate they are minimising potential negative impacts on the environment, communities and local economy – maximising the positive impacts and leaving a legacy to be proud of.
“This latest important accolade is recognition of the pioneering work that continues to be done across the club by The Red Way initiative, which puts sustainability at the heart of everything LFC does, including matchday operations, Anfield and the AXA Training Centre.
“The overall objective is for LFC to be net-zero across its sport operations by the end of the 2022-23 season, which means the club will be implementing its robust carbon-reduction plan and offsetting any remaining carbon emissions.
“By 2025, the club also aims to have 100 per cent of club operations run on low carbon and clean energy sources, and by 2030 to reduce actual operational carbon emissions by 50 per cent. It now uses sustainable fuels in its team buses, which creates a reduction in carbon emissions of up to 90 per cent from regular diesel.
“The BSI certification has been awarded to LFC following a full audit of the club’s Sustainability Management System. A rigorous process which looks across the organisation, considering not only matchday activities but the operational framework that underpins the delivery of the club’s sustainable strategy The Red Way.
“All sites (Anfield, AXA Training Centre, the Academy and the distribution centre) were independently assessed to audit activities, products and services ensuring sustainable standards are met.
“Hannah Simpkins, vice-president of club operations, said: "We are proud to achieve this ISO 20121 certification. It is an amazing honour for the club and recognition for The Red Way strategy. This standard provides us with credibility in the approach we’re taking towards sustainability in sport.
"It’s taken an incredible amount of work and effort from the LFC team to get this certification from the BSI in place.
"We are very aware of the responsibility we hold as a global football club to help inspire and encourage positive behaviour change. With hundreds of millions of supporters around the world, we know we are in a strong position to help influence sustainable decisions in their day-to-day lives which is why it's hugely important to us."
Ibou Konate hamstring injury
https://theathletic.com/4141604/2023/01/31/liverpool-ibrahima-konate-injury/
“Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate is facing two to three weeks out with a hamstring injury.
“The France international, 23, complained of discomfort following Sunday’s FA Cup defeat to Brighton and a scan subsequently confirmed the extent of the damage.
“It’s a major blow for Jurgen Klopp, who is already without fellow centre-back Virgil van Dijk. The Dutchman, who has missed the past five matches due to a hamstring problem, is expected to be fit by mid-February.
“Konate will miss the upcoming Premier League matches against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton. He’s also a major doubt for the trip to Newcastle United on February 18 and the first leg of the Champions League last 16 tie against Real Madrid at Anfield three days later.
“Konate’s injury means it’s increasingly likely that Nat Phillips stays at Liverpool to provide defensive cover for the rest of the season. Phillips has attracted interest from Galatasaray and a number of German clubs.”
Simon Brundish provides crazy LFC injury stat on Twitter:
“Liverpool are up to 17 separate hamstring injuries this season, totalling 79 games missed.
This is not the physios’ fault. Physios put players back together, they aren’t involved in the breaking of them”
Roberto Firmino’s agent gives update on his contract situation
Speaking to Sky Germany, Wittman said: “It’s a long relationship between Roberto and Liverpool. Roberto is comfortable. At the moment we are in a great exchange and in February we will probably know where the journey is going.
“But Roberto also has to have a say in order to find an agreement with Liverpool. We are on the right track. We have really good talks with Liverpool. It’s an outstanding club.”
Emre Can was diagnosed with thyroid cancer soon after leaving Liverpool
“The German said of the thyroid tumour discovered in 2018: "A couple of months after the medical visits with Juve, the doctors called me".
“The usual medical examinations for sporting suitability represent the classic process after the transfer of a footballer. In-depth checks by the new club to check the health conditions and monitor the situation of the professionals.
“In the case of Emre Can they proved to be providential for the life of the German footballer of Turkish origins.
“This was revealed by the 28-year-old himself, who moved from Liverpool to Juventus in the summer of 2018 on a free transfer.
“Precisely on the occasion of the preparatory medical tests for signing the contract, the Juventus doctors found something anomalous:
"I had thyroid cancer and I urgently needed an operation - Emre Can told DAZN -. This has changed a lot in my life. You can have a lot of money, you can have everything, but health is the most important thing".
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