https://www.scmp.com/rss/500872/feed Tony Evans is a journalist and author. He began writing professionally in his late 20s. Before that he worked a variety of jobs to finance his efforts to follow Liverpool around Britain and Europe. He was Football Editor of The Times for eight years and is now a broadcaster and columnist en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Liverpool’s third-place finish in the Premier League was an unexpected positive after a season that threatened at times to spin out of control but the Champions League final in Porto put the campaign into perspective. Chelsea, who finished two points below Jurgen Klopp’s team, left Portugal with European football’s most prestigious trophy. Manchester City, runaway title winners, returned to England in defeat but with an increased determination to dominate the continent. Both these teams will... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3136090/huge-summer-beckons-liverpool-city-united-and-chelsea-primed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3136090/huge-summer-beckons-liverpool-city-united-and-chelsea-primed?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Jun 2021 09:18:54 +0000 The mood is buoyant around Anfield after Wednesday’s 3-0 victory away to Burnley. Liverpool’s top-four fate is in their own hands. Beat Crystal Palace on Sunday and Jurgen Klopp’s team will qualify for next season’s Uefa Champions League. After a campaign that fell apart after Christmas, this feels like victory. The truth is that, in the space of five months, Liverpool have regressed four years. Defending the title and targeting European glory were the aims when the season began in September.... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3134305/liverpools-jurgen-klopp-needs-be-creative-close-gap-english-premier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3134305/liverpools-jurgen-klopp-needs-be-creative-close-gap-english-premier?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 May 2021 07:00:13 +0000 Liverpool supporters are angry, confused, unhappy and divided. The pandemic, a calamitous title defence and Fenway Sports Group’s (FSG) dalliance with the failed Super League project have thrown up questions about the club’s future that most Kopites would rather not ask. The Spirit of Shankly (SOS) supporters union met Billy Hogan this week to discuss the idea of fan representation in the boardroom. The chief executive’s views on the Super League appear to be broadly similar to SOS’s – it was a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3132673/liverpool-owners-must-work-hard-regain-trust-disgruntled-fans-wake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3132673/liverpool-owners-must-work-hard-regain-trust-disgruntled-fans-wake?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 May 2021 10:14:53 +0000 Liverpool are at a crossroads. The future direction is unclear. The only thing for certain is that the European Super League has proved a blind alley. A divisive and destabilising dead end. It has been a fractious week and the fallout will linger for some time. John W Henry, the principal owner, released a video on Wednesday accepting responsibility for the decision to join the 12 clubs who signed up to a breakaway competition. The Boston-based head of Fenway Sports Group (FSG) apologised. The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3130823/faith-fsg-evaporates-liverpool-owners-face-fallout-latest-long-line?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3130823/faith-fsg-evaporates-liverpool-owners-face-fallout-latest-long-line?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Apr 2021 09:37:32 +0000 Anger swept across English football after yesterday’s revelation that the “big six” Premier League teams have signed up to the European Super League (ESL). Supporter groups expressed their outrage as Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur admitted that they were among the 12 clubs aiming to establish a midweek competition outside the jurisdiction of Uefa. The proposals represent a huge threat to the integrity of the European game. Barcelona, Real... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3130106/european-super-league-epl-big-six-supporters-clubs-promise-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3130106/european-super-league-epl-big-six-supporters-clubs-promise-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Apr 2021 07:18:30 +0000 The low point of Liverpool’s season should have been the 7-2 defeat by Aston Villa in October. As Jurgen Klopp’s team prepare for the reverse fixture at Anfield tomorrow, the fear is that the campaign has not bottomed out. The contemptuous ease with which Real Madrid passed the ball around a static Liverpool in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday was worrying. Mohamed Salah’s away goal gives Klopp a lifeline but the 3-1 result could have been much worse. At times the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3128887/jurgen-klopps-rudderless-reds-desperate-need-mentality-monster-who?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3128887/jurgen-klopps-rudderless-reds-desperate-need-mentality-monster-who?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Apr 2021 06:02:04 +0000 Trent Alexander-Arnold’s exile from the England squad was greeted with glee by a substantial proportion of Liverpool supporters. Many Kopites would be pleased if Gareth Southgate never called up another player from the club. The break will give the full back time to rest. There is no risk of the 22-year-old coming back from international duty carrying an injury. Joe Gomez was lost for the season in November while preparing for a friendly against Ireland. The reasons for the antipathy towards the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3127147/liverpool-vs-england-trent-alexander-arnolds-dropping-southgate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3127147/liverpool-vs-england-trent-alexander-arnolds-dropping-southgate?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Mar 2021 09:01:56 +0000 Fabinho must be a shoo-in to be Liverpool’s player of the year. While all around him have underperformed or succumbed to injury, the 27-year-old has excelled. When he was needed to play at centre half, the Brazilian did his duty without complaint and shone in the unfamiliar job. Now he can save Liverpool’s season. To do that, he needs to be back in midfield, no matter how dire the central defensive situation becomes. On Wednesday night in Budapest in the 2-0 victory over RB Leipzig, Fabinho was... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3125230/fabinho-underscored-his-liverpool-player-year-credentials-return-his?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3125230/fabinho-underscored-his-liverpool-player-year-credentials-return-his?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Mar 2021 09:49:43 +0000 A grim year for Liverpool took a worse turn on Wednesday when news emerged that goalkeeper Alisson Becker’s father drowned at his holiday home in southern Brazil. Jose Becker had been swimming in a dam when he went missing in late afternoon on Wednesday. The body of the 57-year-old was found after a search was launched on the property. This is the second tragedy to befall Liverpool this year. Last month Jurgen Klopp’s mother died in Germany. The manager was unable to attend the funeral because... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3123118/liverpool-mourning-again-allison-becker-grieves-tragic-loss-father?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3123118/liverpool-mourning-again-allison-becker-grieves-tragic-loss-father?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Feb 2021 09:17:02 +0000 Liverpool appeared to be Brendan Rodgers’ shot at the big time. The Northern Irishman was close to being an Anfield legend. Seven years ago he came within two games of breaking the long title drought but his team fell apart in the final week of the season. If Rodgers had pulled off that feat there would probably be a stature of him outside the Kop and Jurgen Klopp might have gone elsewhere. Instead, he is not remembered with much affection. When he was sacked and replaced by Klopp in 2015 it... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3121547/leicester-citys-brendan-rodgers-returns-anfield-last-thing-liverpool?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3121547/leicester-citys-brendan-rodgers-returns-anfield-last-thing-liverpool?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Feb 2021 07:00:21 +0000 A 3-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on Thursday is a cause for celebration but it did not come without unnerving consequences for Liverpool. Defender Joel Matip limped off at half-time and will undergo a scan to assess ligament damage to his ankle. The gaping hole at the centre of Jurgen Klopp’s defence just got bigger. The manager is now sweating on the fitness of Fabinho, a midfielder drafted into the back line, for the Premier League match against West Ham United on... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3119734/liverpools-defensive-risk-backfired-spectacularly-time-panic-buy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3119734/liverpools-defensive-risk-backfired-spectacularly-time-panic-buy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Jan 2021 07:00:25 +0000 Scousers have a deep, venomous rivalry with Mancunians. The cities of Liverpool and Manchester are a mere 30 miles apart but there is little kinship between the conurbations. They have always competed economically and culturally. The most visible battleground is between their flagship football teams. The relationship between Liverpool and Manchester United has often been poisonous. When English football’s heavyweight clubs clash, spite cascades down from the stands. On Sunday, Anfield will be... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3117891/marcus-rashford-manchester-uniteds-crown-jewel-who-became-national?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3117891/marcus-rashford-manchester-uniteds-crown-jewel-who-became-national?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Jan 2021 07:59:02 +0000 There is no false modesty about Mohamed Salah. The Liverpool striker knows just how good he is. The Egyptian’s pre-Christmas interview with Spanish sports newspaper DiarIo AS caused headlines because Salah refused to rule out a move to Barcelona or Real Madrid. The 28-year-old’s answer was non-committal. No sane footballer would dismiss outright the prospect of playing for one of La Liga’s big two. What was even more instructive was Salah’s answer when asked whether he regarded himself as one of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3116174/barca-or-real-mohamed-salah-actually-liverpool-still-perfect-fit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3116174/barca-or-real-mohamed-salah-actually-liverpool-still-perfect-fit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Jan 2021 04:00:16 +0000 Managing Liverpool is one of the most prized positions in football. Gerard Houllier loved the job. The Frenchman, who died on Monday at the age of 73, saw the role as the fulfilment of a dream. He embraced the club’s traditions. The tributes were effusive. Yet the importance of the man who led Liverpool to a cup treble in a strange but ultimately glorious season 20 years ago has been sometimes overlooked by supporters in the ensuing two decades. Perhaps it was because the silverware – the League... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3114490/liverpool-was-more-just-job-tribute-late-manager-gerard-houllier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3114490/liverpool-was-more-just-job-tribute-late-manager-gerard-houllier?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Dec 2020 08:00:19 +0000 The one position that has kept Jurgen Klopp awake at nights during his five years at Liverpool has been goalkeeper. Even after Alisson Becker arrived at Anfield two years ago, the manager’s deep-seated fears were that the Brazilian would suffer a prolonged injury. The drop-off in quality between the sticks when the team’s first choice was unavailable has been massive. Caoimhin Kelleher could be the man who changes this situation. The 22-year-old is emerging as a No 2 goalkeeper who can make... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3112522/liverpool-manager-jurgen-klopp-can-sleep-easier-keeper-caoimhin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3112522/liverpool-manager-jurgen-klopp-can-sleep-easier-keeper-caoimhin?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Dec 2020 07:00:18 +0000 Liverpool and Manchester United are the teams everyone wants to watch. No other club in the English Premier League comes close to matching their appeal. That is the verdict of a study into televised football audiences in the UK published last month. The research by the Centre for Sports Business at the University of Liverpool Management School looked at viewing figures for 790 English top-flight games screened between 2013 and 2019. The evidence in Armchair Fans: Modelling Audience Size For... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3110745/liverpool-and-man-united-streets-ahead-english-premier-league-tv?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3110745/liverpool-and-man-united-streets-ahead-english-premier-league-tv?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Nov 2020 10:14:50 +0000 Diogo Jota is the name on everybody’s lips. The Portuguese has made a sensational start at Anfield since his move to Liverpool from Wolverhampton Wanderers in September. The forward’s hat-trick against Atalanta on Tuesday capped a remarkable 11 days when the 23-year-old scored six times in four matches. Jota’s pace, movement and eye for goal have been sensational. He would appear to be an obvious choice to start the crucial Premier League showdown against Manchester City on Sunday. Roberto... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3108780/diogo-jota-has-made-splash-expect-jurgen-klopp-go-his-trusted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3108780/diogo-jota-has-made-splash-expect-jurgen-klopp-go-his-trusted?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Nov 2020 08:52:58 +0000 There has been too much doom and gloom at Anfield over Virgil van Dijk. The injury to Liverpool’s stand-out presence over the past two years is a severe blow but good sides survive the loss of even their best players. Great teams rise to the challenge. Fabinho, who will now be deployed in the back four, is crucial to Liverpool’s prospects. The Brazilian is used to performing a role where he has to curb his natural instincts. Because of the balance of the team, Jurgen Klopp’s midfielders have had... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3106758/liverpool-grumbling-over-virgil-van-dijks-loss-leaves-them?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3106758/liverpool-grumbling-over-virgil-van-dijks-loss-leaves-them?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Oct 2020 07:00:09 +0000 This is not the way Jurgen Klopp expected to spend this week’s fifth anniversary of his appointment as Liverpool manager. The 53-year-old is wiling away the international break pondering his side’s biggest defeat in half a decade. The 7-2 rout by Aston Villa was more than a setback. It was a collapse of monumental proportions. What does it signal for the rest of the season? A trouncing like the one suffered at Villa Park can have long-lasting effects. When Brendan Rodgers’ side were pulverised... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3104814/no-panic-liverpool-after-villa-rout-reds-have-history-recovering?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3104814/no-panic-liverpool-after-villa-rout-reds-have-history-recovering?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2020 07:00:12 +0000 Jurgen Klopp knew the clock was ticking. For two years Liverpool’s tactics have been largely unstoppable. The full backs have been rampant and the front three thrived in a system that the rest of the Premier League struggled to match. Time was running out, though. Every manager in the top flight – and coaches across Europe – has been studying the German’s methods and working on ways to pin back Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson and cut off the supply to Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3103029/thiagos-arrival-brings-guile-liverpool-midfield-and-new-dimension?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3103029/thiagos-arrival-brings-guile-liverpool-midfield-and-new-dimension?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2020 07:23:38 +0000 Football logic is simple: If you are not moving forward, you are going backwards. Clubs that do not evolve tend to regress. Liverpool have done little business in the transfer market this summer and standing still should never be an option. The fans are getting twitchy. The Premier League begins anew tomorrow when Leeds United visit Anfield. Jurgen Klopp is determined to maintain the momentum of the past two campaigns. After bringing the Champions League trophy back to Anfield for the sixth time... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3101192/liverpool-are-envy-league-reds-dont-need-be-green-eyed-over-big?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3101192/liverpool-are-envy-league-reds-dont-need-be-green-eyed-over-big?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2020 09:49:45 +0000 If Lionel Messi moves from Barcelona to Manchester City the knock-on effect could be significant for a number of clubs. Liverpool will need to brace themselves for a raid on the squad by the Catalan giants. Ronald Koeman, the new Barca coach, has already put Georginio Wijnaldum high on his wish list. The 29-year-old is in the final year of his contract at Anfield and is not expected to extend his deal. Koeman knows the midfielder well from his time in charge of Holland and sees Wijnaldum as... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3099372/manchester-city-signing-lionel-messi-could-see-barcelona-raid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3099372/manchester-city-signing-lionel-messi-could-see-barcelona-raid?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Aug 2020 02:59:29 +0000 Liverpool have all the advantages going into the new season except for one thing. The crowd. Support has been a huge factor in the success of Jurgen Klopp’s team. The way they draw energy from the supporters gives real meaning to the phrase “on song”. This week it was announced that the Community Shield against Arsenal will be played in front of empty stands at Wembley on August 29. The British government and the football authorities are keen to get people back into the stadiums but it will not... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3097355/lack-anfield-crowd-biggest-plus-point-liverpools-premier-league?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3097355/lack-anfield-crowd-biggest-plus-point-liverpools-premier-league?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Aug 2020 09:00:12 +0000 Had things been different, Liverpool could have been in the Far East this summer. Earlier in the year the club were considering a pre-season tour to the region, with a one-off game in China. Coronavirus put paid to those plans. Disappointed fans should not worry too much, though. The team are overdue a return to the area. Now that their relationship with New Balance as shirt sponsors is finished and Nike have taken over, the focus will inevitably turn east. The last time Liverpool were in Asia... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3095479/liverpools-far-east-assault-hold-now-nike-link-means-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3095479/liverpools-far-east-assault-hold-now-nike-link-means-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Jul 2020 08:00:14 +0000 The season ends and the silly season begins. Liverpool’s triumphant title campaign is not yet over but the biannual frenzy of transfer speculation has already begun. It will go into overdrive a week on Monday when the summer window for sales opens. Traditionally, Anfield has conducted its best business from a position of strength. In the 1970s and 80s the rationale was simple: buy after success to build on victory. Players want to join clubs that win trophies. Alex Ferguson and Manchester United... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3093551/jurgen-klopp-and-liverpool-need-tinker-sense-will-rule-silly-season?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3093551/jurgen-klopp-and-liverpool-need-tinker-sense-will-rule-silly-season?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Jul 2020 07:00:11 +0000 Jurgen Klopp was watching the World Cup in Russia two years ago when he had an epiphany. The Liverpool manager was struck by the number of goals that were generated from set-pieces. By the end of the tournament, 42 per cent of the scoring would come from free-kicks, corners and throw-ins. Klopp spotted the trend early and immediately began to apply the lessons to his own team. He picked up the phone to Peter Krawietz, his assistant, and the pair discussed how Liverpool could become more... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3091669/how-jurgen-klopps-obsession-fine-margins-bringing-out-best-everyone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3091669/how-jurgen-klopps-obsession-fine-margins-bringing-out-best-everyone?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jul 2020 07:00:08 +0000 There were tears and texts. Solo beers and emotional phone calls. It was a different kind of wonderful. Traditionally, the most memorable nights in Liverpool’s history have been characterised by packed stadiums, hugs, mayhem and songs that raised roofs. In the surreal, echoey atmosphere of locked-down football, the Premier League title winged its way to Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp’s team became champions in a manner no one could have predicted when the campaign started in August. They will talk... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3090648/sadness-and-joy-liverpool-write-another-triumphant-chapter-during?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3090648/sadness-and-joy-liverpool-write-another-triumphant-chapter-during?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jun 2020 23:30:07 +0000 It has been called the friendly derby but when Everton and Liverpool play at Goodison Park on Sunday it will be a different experience to any of the teams’ 235 previous meetings. This time it will be the antiseptic derby, played behind closed doors without the atmosphere that has made the game famous. This is unavoidable because of the Coronavirus crisis but it is a shame. The mood of Evertonians at the moment would have created as hostile an environment as this match-up has ever experienced. It... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3089792/seething-evertonians-preparing-gloomy-summer-liverpool-head-goodison?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3089792/seething-evertonians-preparing-gloomy-summer-liverpool-head-goodison?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jun 2020 08:46:50 +0000 At the end of the storm there’s a golden sky, the song says. The Coronavirus tempest may be far from over but a gilded future for Liverpool appears within touching distance. Especially because their main domestic rivals, Manchester City, are facing the sort of troubles that might neutralise the Etihad’s threat to Anfield. Liverpool fear Pep Guardiola’s side above all other English teams. The season is virtually over at the top of the table. Second-placed City will kick off the renewal of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3087700/manchester-citys-uefa-date-destiny-could-pave-way-period-liverpool?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3087700/manchester-citys-uefa-date-destiny-could-pave-way-period-liverpool?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jun 2020 08:00:18 +0000 At Anfield the tradition was never to bask in the team’s achievements. The next trophy was always the most important during Liverpool’s glory years. The previous piece of silverware was consigned to history almost as soon as the celebratory hangovers had cleared. This sort of attitude can only exist in an environment where there are real expectations of success. Jurgen Klopp has revived this mindset. Winning the Champions League in Madrid last summer was not enough for the 52-year-old and his... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3085606/miracle-istanbul-15-years-day-changed-liverpool-supporters-and-club?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3085606/miracle-istanbul-15-years-day-changed-liverpool-supporters-and-club?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2020 05:59:07 +0000 The most important game in Liverpool’s history took place on May 10, 1986. Kenny Dalglish’s team beat Everton 3-1 at Wembley in the FA Cup final and sealed Anfield’s only league and cup double. There was more than silverware at stake. The match helped salvage the honour of a city and restore faith in the game. For the Kop it remains a glorious memory. Everton and their followers emerged from the day with their reputation enhanced but the sting of humiliation still lingers at Goodison. Just 12... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3083468/liverpools-greatest-day-driving-open-top-bus-through-evertons-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3083468/liverpools-greatest-day-driving-open-top-bus-through-evertons-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2020 06:00:34 +0000 High expectations come with the job at Liverpool. Managers at Anfield are expected to win trophies, but the Kop adds extra pressure. They want the boss to be a symbol of something bigger than the club and an advocate for the community. Jurgen Klopp fulfils this criteria. The 52-year-old is emerging from the Covid-19 crisis with his reputation enhanced. At a time when life and death are more important than football, Klopp is earning a place in Merseyside’s affection that no longer depends on what... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3081458/jurgen-klopp-follows-bill-shanklys-example-leading-front-local?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3081458/jurgen-klopp-follows-bill-shanklys-example-leading-front-local?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2020 10:00:53 +0000 European nights at Anfield have a reputation for being memorable but the most recent Champions League tie will go down in history for all the wrong reasons. Last month’s game against Atletico Madrid will always be associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. More than 52,000 people crammed into the stadium to watch Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat. The crowd included about 3,000 supporters from the Spanish capital, which was already emerging as one of the epicentres of the medical emergency. The previous day... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3080375/bleak-anfield-night-liverpools-history-centre-massive-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3080375/bleak-anfield-night-liverpools-history-centre-massive-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2020 05:29:16 +0000 Jordan Henderson is a leader. The Liverpool captain has judged the mood of Britain in a considerably more astute manner than his club. The 29-year-old is the driving force behind the creation of Players Together, a Premier League-wide initiative to raise money for National Health Service charities. Henderson, along with James Milner, came up with the idea. He called all his fellow top-flight captains to bring them on board, led Zoom conferences to get feedback from his colleagues and has been... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3079410/fsg-has-consistently-undervalued-jordan-henderson-skipper-proving?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3079410/fsg-has-consistently-undervalued-jordan-henderson-skipper-proving?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2020 09:26:44 +0000 Liverpool’s decision to furlough non-playing staff on Saturday was greeted with shock across the game. As late as Thursday, sources close to the club were confident that the European champions would not follow Tottenham Hotspur and a handful of other Premier League clubs in seeking access to government funds. There were knowing nods earlier in the week when Daniel Levy announced that Spurs were furloughing employees not directly involved in football during the Coronavirus emergency. The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3078518/liverpools-owners-have-let-down-jurgen-klopp-players-and-community?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3078518/liverpools-owners-have-let-down-jurgen-klopp-players-and-community?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2020 11:43:49 +0000 Even if Liverpool do not emerge from the covid-19 crisis with the Premier League trophy – and every indication is that the season will still be completed, bringing a first title in 30 years to Anfield – the club will come out of the pandemic with its reputation intact. That cannot be said for some of its rivals. Tottenham Hotspur’s conduct has drawn widespread condemnation. Last season’s Champions League finalists cut all non-playing staff salaries by 20 per cent for the next two months,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3078303/history-wont-look-fondly-premier-league-clubs-resorting-self?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3078303/history-wont-look-fondly-premier-league-clubs-resorting-self?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2020 08:25:53 +0000 Just a month ago, Merseyside was planning the party of a lifetime, to start when Liverpool finally secured the Premier League trophy. The brilliance of Jurgen Klopp’s team meant that success was within touching distance. The 30-year title drought was almost over. The time for celebration was near. Covid-19 did what Manchester City and the rest of England’s top flight could not: slowed Liverpool down. Football has been necessarily placed on hold. There are much bigger issues to deal with. The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3077225/liverpools-premier-league-party-can-wait-players-desperate-complete?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3077225/liverpools-premier-league-party-can-wait-players-desperate-complete?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2020 07:00:14 +0000 Liverpool have made a habit of stretching out title-winning seasons. Jurgen Klopp’s team will eventually be awarded the Premier League trophy after football’s ruling bodies agreed that the campaign must be finished. When that will happen is anyone’s guess. One thing is for sure: by the time Jordan Henderson lifts the silverware, the record for English football’s longest season will have been broken by some distance. In 1946-47, the final top-flight game was played on June 14. Liverpool were top... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3076076/liverpool-are-worthy-english-premier-league-champions-whenever-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3076076/liverpool-are-worthy-english-premier-league-champions-whenever-it?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2020 06:00:15 +0000 The run-up to Monday night’s match between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park could be the strangest in the 126-year history of the Merseyside derby. This is a period of wild uncertainty in England’s top flight. The Premier Leagueis conducting an emergency meeting about the impact of Covid-19 today and it is possible that the football authorities will suspend the competition for a month. For now the game will go ahead and both sides are itching to play. Liverpool are desperate to break their... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3075128/liverpool-have-not-time-lick-their-wounds-race-against-coronavirus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3075128/liverpool-have-not-time-lick-their-wounds-race-against-coronavirus?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2020 09:38:57 +0000 It had to happen. Even the best teams experience a blip. Liverpool’s mini-slump has come at a good time. When the season opened there were concerns over whether Jurgen Klopp’s squad had the staying power to complete a successful title race. The summer transfer window closed without any outfield reinforcements. Back in August, the prospect of a long season loomed. Potential booby traps appeared predictable. The Club World Cup in Qatar piled on extra games just before the exhausting festive... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3073995/liverpool-are-having-remarkable-season-few-losses-doesnt-change-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3073995/liverpool-are-having-remarkable-season-few-losses-doesnt-change-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2020 10:33:10 +0000 They are queuing up to win player-of-the-year awards at Anfield. There are candidates all over the pitch. Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side is full of individuals who can make a case that they have been the most influential performer in the English game this season. Virgil van Dijk has been excellent throughout the campaign and got the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) vote last year. Jordan Henderson may not be flamboyant but the captain is the emotional leader of the team. Trent... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3052856/alisson-becker-has-excelled-terrific-liverpool-side-year-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3052856/alisson-becker-has-excelled-terrific-liverpool-side-year-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Feb 2020 07:00:10 +0000 Beating Liverpool is one thing. Infuriating Jurgen Klopp and his team is quite another. Atletico Madrid did both at the Wanda Metropolitano this week. The La Liga side’s 1-0 victory in the Champions League knockout round first leg was a masterpiece of tactics and gamesmanship. Diego Simeone is one of the finest defensive coaches in the world and his methods feature a healthy dose of South American cynicism. The Argentinian was an expert in the dark arts of niggle during his playing career and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3051749/atletico-madrids-metropolitano-antics-have-stoked-fire-epic-anfield?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3051749/atletico-madrids-metropolitano-antics-have-stoked-fire-epic-anfield?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Feb 2020 06:44:14 +0000 The last time Liverpool played Atletico Madrid in European competition they were a laughing stock. The club appeared to be in terminal decline. The only place they are laughing now is Anfield. Jurgen Klopp’s team inspire fear, not amusement. Ten years ago Liverpool limped into the Spanish capital to contest a Europa League semi-final. The club had American owners and a Champions League-winning manager but any similarity to today ends there. George Gillett and Tom Hicks, the owners, had lost... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3050639/can-europe-provide-greater-test-jurgen-klopps-liverpool-they?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3050639/can-europe-provide-greater-test-jurgen-klopps-liverpool-they?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Feb 2020 07:01:49 +0000 Liverpool have paused for breath in the Premier League’s midwinter break. Jurgen Klopp, in his most excitable fantasies, could not have imagined being in such a dominant position in the title race one week into February. Tom Werner, the club chairman, said it was a “dream season” and Kopites should “savour” the rest of the campaign. Across England there are millions of fans who feel they are living a nightmare. Devotees of Manchester City are shell-shocked. In August they were optimistic about... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3049482/liverpool-are-not-blame-tainted-premier-league-campaign-and-will?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3049482/liverpool-are-not-blame-tainted-premier-league-campaign-and-will?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Feb 2020 06:11:16 +0000 Liverpool are irresistible but the next question is whether they are invincible. Jurgen Klopp does not care either way. His target is the Premier League trophy. Emulating Arsenal’s unbeaten 2003-04 season is low on his list of priorities. Arsene Wenger’s “Invincibles” have gone down in English football legend as the only team in the modern era to complete a campaign without losing. Preston North End avoided defeat in 1888-89 but in a 22-match season. Klopp is rewriting the record books. Arsenal... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3048450/liverpool-are-well-their-way-becoming-invincibles-jurgen-klopp?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3048450/liverpool-are-well-their-way-becoming-invincibles-jurgen-klopp?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Jan 2020 10:25:48 +0000 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is losing games and the Manchester United dressing room. If results like this week’s back-to-back 2-0 defeats by Liverpool and Burnley continue, he will surely lose his job. He certainly appears to have lost his critical faculties. The United manager’s comments after his team were shown up at Anfield were bizarre. Solskjaer talked about the home side’s “long ball” game and called Jurgen Klopp’s side “the most direct team in the league.” The implication was clear. It was a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3047582/ole-gunnar-solskjaer-takes-alex-fergusons-lead-bizarre-long-ball?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3047582/ole-gunnar-solskjaer-takes-alex-fergusons-lead-bizarre-long-ball?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Jan 2020 09:47:36 +0000 You know things are bad at Old Trafford when Manchester United supporters boast that their team is the only side to take points off Liverpool in the Premier League this season. It is not much to hold on to for devotees of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men, who go to Anfield on Sunday five points adrift of fourth place in the table. United’s ambitions have been downgraded severely since Alex Ferguson stepped down as manager seven years ago. The Red Devils are firmly in the shadow of their despised... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3046497/manchester-united-delight-denying-liverpool-indicates-grim-times?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3046497/manchester-united-delight-denying-liverpool-indicates-grim-times?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Jan 2020 04:25:31 +0000 When Jurgen Klopp made his debut as Liverpool manager with a 0-0 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane in 2015 things were very different. The Reds were in a state of flux while Spurs seemed on the path to success. In the end, all Tottenham got out of the next four and a quarter years was the best stadium in the world while Liverpool became the best team on the planet. Klopp’s side return to the Lane on Saturday as world champions. They are reigning Champions League winners and have... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3045560/liverpool-are-unrecognisable-jurgen-klopps-first-game-charge-2015?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3045560/liverpool-are-unrecognisable-jurgen-klopps-first-game-charge-2015?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jan 2020 08:45:59 +0000 “Derbies are meatier,” Craig Johnston said. “They are not like other games. They are brutal.” More than 30 years have passed since Johnston played for Liverpool against Everton but matches between the local rivals never lose their edge. The 235th Merseyside derby takes place at Anfield on Sunday and there is more at stake than a place in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Civic pride means these games are always among the most important of the season. “The result affects the whole city,” Mark... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3044452/wed-be-trying-kill-each-other-what-evertons-carlo-ancelotti-needs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3044452/wed-be-trying-kill-each-other-what-evertons-carlo-ancelotti-needs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jan 2020 06:00:17 +0000 For the Kop, 2019 has been a delight. It has been one of the greatest 12 months in Liverpool’s history. Fans at Anfield do not want the year to end – except that 2020 promises to be even more momentous. Jurgen Klopp’s team reached the halfway point in the English Premier League season with a thunderous 4-0 victory over second-placed Leicester City at King Power Stadium. It was a breathtaking display. Klopp’s team are confounding expectations on a weekly basis. The main aim is to win the league.... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3043829/premier-league-leaders-liverpool-could-make-2020-their-greatest-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3043829/premier-league-leaders-liverpool-could-make-2020-their-greatest-year?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Dec 2019 09:00:23 +0000