Dark days as pressure mounts at Liverpool FC

The unprecedented situation of Covid-19 pandemic has halted the world economy on an unimaginable scale, robbing millions of lives across the world, and it could have possibly impacted football players as well along the way. 

Well, as a die-hard Liverpool, I am not trying to look for an excuse to describe my team's worst start to the EPL campaign ever since Klopp took over, but I strongly believe the pandemic has a mitigating effect on the players performances. 

After enjoying a couple of spectacular seasons under Klopp, winning the Champions League after 14 years and Super Cup in 2019, and ending the 30-year drought of winning the English Premier League title in 2020, Liverpool, who seemingly got off to a great start this campaign (2020/2021), now find themselves in fourth place and six points behind, well I hate to say this, current league leaders Manchester United. 

Well, what's funny is that, just a run of few poor games in the start of 2021, many have described Klopp as a 'one season wonder', not realising it was this man who brought immeasurable happiness when he lifted the EPL title after almost three decades. It was this man who lifted the Champions League trophy for the club after almost 14 years of wait. 

The criticism and illogical remarks by haters, never for a second, can deny the type of professionalism and caliber this man carries, and of course, the much-needed depth the team had been longing for all these years. 

I mean, come on, Klopp has seen it all, When he first took over the Reds in 2015, he had already lost several major cup finals such as the clash with Real Madrid in the Champions League final in 2018, Europa League final to Sevilla in 2017 and a few more. 

What's unbelievably amazing about Klopp is that, despite downfalls, he doesn't lose the spirit and only gets hungrier each time, and it clearly mirrors his relationship with the players. 

Look guys, the season is far from over, we're just midway through, but yes, it won't be as easy as how it was last season, where we took off in top gear and went clear more than 10 points of second placed Manchester City. There is still hope, Klopp will slowly but surely bounce back. 

Separately, it is notable that Mo Salah has clearly lost his scoring ability, most of the time kicking the ball at players instead of behind the net. As a player who lacks creativity, at least he should be making extra efforts to contain the ball and make quick passes when needed, and not fry too long, which eventually opens the gate for the opponent team defenders to intervene. 

Salah's other drawback, which is something that is quite unacceptable for a very long time now, his failure to look for his fellow teammates when they would actually be in a clear goal-scoring scene than him. 

Previously, we have seen Mane who reacted angrily in one of the league matches when Salah did not pass him the ball, in which he could scored before being substituted. 

Mo is a great player, can be considered as a lethal finisher, but once you start eating the entire meal all by yourself, you are only leaving room for hatred and bad impression among your teammates. 

Mane, meanwhile, is probably one of the few players at Liverpool that has retained a good form this season, despite making goals count. His ability of controlling the ball and tireless efforts are some of the key elements that makes him one of the best forwards in the world now. 

Firmino, on the other hand, has been firing blanks more frequently between the other two, but he still remains one of Klopp's favourite for obvious reasons (outrageous skills at times and vision). 

After losing Virgil Van Dijk who suffered a horrific injury through a clash with Pickford in the Merseyside Derby last year, Fabinho stepped in and has proven to be instrumental while the big Dutchman is absent. Van Dijk is currently going through rehabilitation, and the signs are very encouraging as he could potentially make an early return than scheduled. 

It has been a season filled with ups and downs so far, especially losing some key players through injuries, but what's more important is that, we need to stay intact and in no time, our team will bounce back. 

We've gone through greater storms, and am sure we can go through this too! 

YNWA

Liverpool - Champions of England after 3 long decades!

It has been a painful journey to hear all kinds of critics in the past, especially Liverpool's inability to regain momentum as English champions, a recognition that was long buried in the 90's era. Kenny Dalglish was the last scouser to have won the grand prize for the Reds back then. Many stepped in, hereafter, but none managed to carry the club's long buried legacy since 1990, but one man, Jurgen Klopp totally wiped out all critics as he has led Liverpool to become English champions for the 19th time this morning after Manchester City surrendered a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.


When Klopp took charge of Liverpool in 2015, he promised that in four years time, the club would win one title, and guess what, he has delivered as mentioned. Since 2015, under Klopp's supervision, Liverpool went on to win the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup and now, the latest addition of becoming English Champions for the 19th time!


Although Liverpool had to wait 30 long years to end the top-flight drought, another notable achievement is that the Reds actually won the title with seven games still remaining in the league, a new Premier League record and in the history of English football. Such dominance is a living evident in the form they've displayed throughout the season and it is truly immensely satisfying seeing Liverpool clinch the title after such a long time.

The team has often been criticised in various occasions, even when Klopp and his team went through to the Champions League final in 2018 and lost it to Real Madrid, but none of those criticism affected the Reds mentality! The just kept on going with high determination and Klopp never failed to believe in his players. Klopp was the kind of coach that any team would dream to have, mainly for the affection, coaching style, the extremely positive chemistry he shares with his players and most importantly, his passion for the game. He is something else and his achievements at the club thus far has shown what class he has been to the club.


All these years, Liverpool have been coached by some really remarkably talented coaches, and it is no doubt that this triumph will be dedicated to all those that have played a huge role in the building up of this club. Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley would be proud of this achievement. As much as it's impressive to watch Liverpool finally win the title, it is equally disappointing not to have the one man which I really wish was part of the success now, Steven Gerrard. Boy oh boy, imagine Stevie G at Liverpool now. The intensity is quite unimaginable and it would truly be explosive, even at the rare thought of it. To become Champions of England once again is definitely something special and it's even more special for Liverpool to have done it with such talents.

Liverpool came close last season but thanks to City's narrow win against the Reds at Etihad, the Citizens emerged winners with just a one-point lead at the end of the season. This time around, it's a whole new scenario, one that not many predicted knowing City's incredibly talented pool of players. With seven games left to play for, Liverpool have drifted far off the title race with a 23-point gap with close rivals, Manchester City. City's defeat at the hands of Chelsea on 26 June in a late evening kick-off, has mathematically proven that the Citizens bid to challenge the Reds finally came to an end.


Klopp praised his players for the outstanding form they've shown this season but the German find it unbelievable that his team has drifted far away from this Manchester City side - a team that he feels is no less of creativity, pace, power and extremely skilful players. He then admits, "That means we've done something really special this season."

Pep showed true class after he commended Liverpool's extremely brilliant performance this season and congratulated the team over the long-awaited title triumph in a post-match interview after his side surrendered a 2-1 defeat at Chelsea.


The players have done a magnificent job ever since Klopp stepped in and went through such a hard-fought transformational period to stand where they are now, majestically!

This is the dawn of a new era and many more successes to come for the club.

When you walk through a storm

Hold your head up high

And don't be afraid of the dark

At the end of a storm

There's a golden sky

Walk on, walk on

With hope in your heart

And you'll never walk alone

You'll never walk alone

     

Premier League to resume from June 17

Life without football can be utterly meaningless and for those who seek no pleasure from illegal activities, football is the only source of entertainment to the heart and soul, well at least for real football fans. These past 2-3 months of the year 2020 will be blasting like a loudspeaker and causing severe damage to our eardrums, reminding us of how catastrophic this year has been with a string of events that has caused major threat to mankind and all living being on earth. 

Coronavirus has proven to be a deadly pandemic and a huge threat to mankind by all means, and by far has proven that no football player, even the likes of Messi or Ronaldo can stop this pandemic. They may still be our heroes, but the true heroes of the world are our FRONTLINERS - Healthcare Professionals and other relevant groups that have been putting their lives on the line in order to protect us from this deadly virus. 

Before I further write about the Premier League's return to action, let's all take this opportunity to thank all our frontliners for their untiring efforts, time and sacrifices and most importantly, putting their lives on the line in order to make sure we survive this pandemic. The fight is far from over and let's not get too complacent if we see positive progress along the way, where COVID-19 is concerned. Let us continue to keep our guards high up and fight this deadly enemy of us away for good. 

Okay, now we can talk about the return of the Premier League! 

After 3 decades of waiting, finally Liverpool can put aside their dreams and live reality by claiming what's rightfully theirs after a pulsating season and become English Champions! But, what a way to celebrate the long-awaited moment. Due to the current situation of COVID-19, strict standard operating procedures (SOP's) have been imposed by the Football Association on professional football across all the leagues, which also includes potential champions will be lifting their trophies in closed doors without fans! As much as that hurts to hear, it's going to be an even more painful watch to see Liverpool lift the cup without the electrifying fans behind them. 

Well, as much as it hurts me to know that, look on the bright side! Premier League is returning and we finally have reasons to live our weekends to the fullest. Although Premier League is returning on June 17, Liverpool will have to wait until June 21 to face their city rivals, Everton in what will prove to be a cracking Merseyside clash between the Reds and the Blues. 

Liverpool's only closest competition this season thus far, Manchester City will meet Arsenal in what could prove to be the title-deciding game. If City drop points to Arsenal, it would mean that Liverpool get to celebrate early and be crowned champions at Everton! Now, that is something no Evertonian would be able to accept, but that might just be the reality that will kick in hard for all haters. Hahahahaha!

Liverpool have shown great signs of improvement ever since losing out to Real Madrid in the Champions League Final in 2018, where they went to win it in 2019 and continued great progress under the supervision of Klopp. The German is close to making every Liverpool fans dream a reality, when he lifts the highly anticipated silverware come end of June, hopefully. It has been a masterclass performance by the Liverpool players and I, as a die-hard Liverpool fan, would want nothing less but more and more success under Klopp and whoever the predecessor may be in the future, well, hopefully it will be Steven Gerrard. 

The hype is real! The wait is finally over. You'll Never Walk Alone.  

West Ham scare but narrow escape for Liverpool as hunt for title continues

Four more wins and Liverpool will be crowned English Champions after nearly 3 decades! But there is one significant milestone that can be achieved which is staying unbeaten for the next 11 remaining games in the league and become only the 2nd top-flight team in the Premier League to achieve that after Arsenal's invincible season in the 2003/2004 season. 

This also means Liverpool stand a chance of winning a golden Premier League trophy provided they stay unbeaten for the remaining games and emulate Arsenal's feat, a kind of achievement that many teams failed to surpass since 2004. 

A handsome 22-point lead at the top of the table leaves Manchester City as the closest rival to the Reds at the moment after the Citizens nicked a narrow win against the Foxes last weekend, through a late winner by Brazilian star, Gabriel Jesus. Regardless the win at Leicester, Pep Guardiola chose not to remain optimistic about Manchester City going any where near of challenging a resurgent Liverpool side and claims that Liverpool have drifted on a higher gear now and are truly unstoppable. 

Liverpool welcomed a wounded West Ham side that's probably facing their worst start to a season but pulled out a surprise performance against the Reds at Anfield on Wednesday. Gini Wijnaldum's opener in the 9th minute was cancelled out by a well-taken goal by Diop before Pablo Fornals stunned the Kop by driving a low shot pass the irresistible, Allison right after the interval.

Comeback wins has been a routine for Liverpool this season and this match against West Ham was no different as Sadio Mane scored the winner 10 minutes from time before Mo Salah made it 2-2 through an unexpected howler by Fabianski. Liverpool were up against an adamant West Ham side that played some decent football at times during the match but the Reds were far too strong and the home support played a huge role in the big win. 

Liverpool now inch even closer and can already taste Premier League glory and winning 4 more games shouldn't be a problem for Klopp and his Red army. Where the back four is concerned, Joe Gomez and Van Dijk has formed a formidable partnership while both Trent-Alexander Arnold and Andy Robertson continue to be sharp in their respective roles. 

Losing Henderson through injury means that Klopp has the choice of utilising his attacking midfielders and more play time for the likes of Keita, Chamberlain or even Minamino, who is yet to adapt to the Liverpool outfit.  

Mane's return from injury was vital as he provides more attacking options and widens the play on the field while Firmino's trickery and Salah's persistence in front of goal is not sufficient to win important games.

Liverpool's prime aim for this season is to finally end the 30-year drought of clinching the Premier League title but also retaining the Champions League this year would be a bonus. Having lost the 1st leg of the last 16 tie against Atletico Madrid, the Spanish side better be expecting similar scenes of a vibrant Anfield as to when Barcelona visited and were stunned and knocked as the Reds went on rapid fire mode by beating the Spanish giants 4-0 and winning 4-3 on aggregate to reach the finals.

Atletico, hold your horses first because you’re about to enter the most dangerous and electrifying stadium there can ever be! 

Liverpool closer than ever now

Liverpool's comfortable win over Manchester United could finally put the final doubts to bed as they seek to end a devastatingly long-wait to clinch the Premier League Title. 

To all Liverpool fans, enjoy this moment while you can because it is quite uncertain that the club can compete and better their own current form in the years to come! Only Liverpool can stop Liverpool at the moment. They've now gone more than 38 games unbeaten in the Premier League, equalling the completion of a full season which puts them 3rd on the list just behind Arsenal and Chelsea respectively. 

The Reds were given some daunting tasks to overcome in order to be where they are at the moment and it goes like this: 

"If Liverpool beat Manchester City at Anfield, they will most likely win the title" - Everyone in November 2019. 

"Okay, but really, if Liverpool come through the Christmas period with their lead intact and maintain a steady form, they are on course for the title." -  Everyone after Christmas 2019. 

"Okay, that's done but if Liverpool go on and beat Leicester City, they're surely going to win the league." - Everyone before the Leicester game. 

"If they come out top against Spurs, Manchester United and Wolves, then that's the league done." - Everyone last weekend. 

I think it's time we rub off those imaginary obstacles and just hand the title over to Liverpool. 64 points from a possible 66 is ridiciolously good and they have shown nothing less of a highly capable team of winning the title this time around. Although Liverpool secured a comfortable win against the Red Devils last night, matches like these are no longer intense and fierce as how it used to be in the past. 

More than the result, rival matches of such bring more excitement when there is high intensity, fouls, red cards, exchanging aggressive tackles and many more. I still remember those days when Liverpool had Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Jamie Carragher and Manchester United had Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs. 

You know you are up for a feast because these players don't serve you any ordinary meal, but a spiced up menu like no other matches. To be honest, I can't keep count on the number of times Nemanja Vidic was sent off whenever these two sides meet in all competitions. 

So, is it finally happening for Liverpool? So far, they've managed to bring down all the critics and went on to bag 3 major European trophies under Klopp. Can they go on and do the unthinkable and win the one silverware that they've been longing to get their hands on? 

Klopp has set up a squad so strong that they can go on and finish the season unbeaten and share the baton with Arsenal. 

Manchester City and Leicester City dropped vital points over the weekend which means Liverpool are now 16 points clear at the top with one game in hand. 

WE ARE LIVERPOOL. THIS MEANS MORE. WE GO AGAIN. YNWA

Liverpool's fabulous start to the season continues

      

       Liverpool's winning streak this season has been inevitable and they've literally blocked all roads, not allowing a single team to knock them down. Totally dominant in both European and Club football this season, making them the most feared and best team in Europe at the moment. Slicing it clean with comfortable victories in all competitions, the Reds are currently on course to claim their first Premier League trophy after 3 decades now. Liverpool fairly enjoyed impressive seasons in the past, particularly in 2008/2009, 2013/2014 and 2018/2019, but the current form that they are in are incomparable to any of that mentioned! 

      Don't remember seeing a Liverpool side as deadly as this and it certainly is a proud moment for all Reds fan to see the team back to where they rightfully belong. The formidable form that the Reds are currently enjoying looks almost impossible to beat off and it is definitely going to stay for a very long time. 

     There was a time Liverpool only had several players capable of delivering world-class crosses, but now, almost everyone in the squad can do it. That's how much the team has progressed over the years under the supervision of Klopp. The width and depth this possesses now is unbelievable. Klopp now has two major trophies under his name and is looking ever confident and likely to win more in the years to come with his fellow Redmen. 

      It was a week full of happiness for Liverpool fans as they celebrated some really good news when Klopp and James Milner signed an extension to the contract with the club until 2024. Milner on the hand, has proved to be a great asset by stepping up when it matters the most and it is the kind of maturity and experience that Liverpool needs from time to time. 

    Liverpool's back four has been a formidable force and a major pursuit in the Reds course of maintaining 100% record in the league this season. In the past few weeks, we've seen the likes of Matip and Lovren (latest in the list) suffering from injuries which opens the door for Gomez to step up and prove a point. The English national player was sidelined for several months after suffering a broken leg last season and struggled to find the form he once had. But now, with Matip and Lovren out through injuries, Gomez filled up the gap just perfectly and was a deadly force pairing with Virgil Van Dijk. 

     Gomez's and Van Dijk's strong physique is a worrying factor for many attackers although there's less clean sheets in the past few games. Among the front three, Mane is proving to be a force to be reckoned and it was indeed a surprise to not see Mane win the Ballon d'Or this year. That's how good Mane has been and truly, an underrated player. Salah and Firmino has not been as deadly as how they used to be but definitely effective as ever. 

YNWA! 

Record transfer VVD turns into a MAGIC BUY

Hailing from a city in Southern Netherlands, Breda, who would have thought that Virgil Van Dijk would be making such headlines in the world of football? What shook the whole world is probably the amount that Premier League side, Liverpool paid to secure him from Southampton in 2015. 

Born on 8 July 1991, Van Dijk is a Dutch professional footballer that currently plays for Premier League side, Liverpool and captains the Netherlands national team. 

The big Dutchman started his footballing career with Groningen before moving to Celtic in 2013, where he also won the Scottish Premiership and was named in PFA Scotland Team of the Year. Van Dijk's dynamic physical and tactical approach to his game caught global attention and Southampton was first to react as he made the move in late September 2015 before signing for Liverpool in January 2018, for a staggering record transfer of 75 million pounds! And that's a a record transfer for a defender. 

Questions were raised over the massive buy and whether will the big Dutchman live up to the expectations, and guess what, he wiped out all critics and is now one of the most promising, deadly and probably the best DEFENDER the world has ever seen! 

In his first full debut with Liverpool, Van Dijk won PFA Player of the Year Award and was named Premier Player of the Year Season for the 2018-2019 season. Van Dijk played his first ever Champions League Final when Liverpool squared off against Real Madrid in the 2018 Final in Kiev. The Spanish side came out favorite winners in what happened to be a disastrous final for the Reds after losing their talisman forward, Mo Salah in the early stages of the game. 

After the agonizing defeat that tailed along with several catastrophic mistakes, Van Dijk and team brought the A Game on when they enjoyed an unbelievably amazing 2018-2019 season. Van Dijk's contribution in Liverpool's success of reaching back-to-back consecutive Champions League final was huge and it was no surprise when he not only won the CL medal with the Reds, but also bagged Man of the Match award! A true BEAST at sight! 

It was close to being a double joy for the Reds as they were seeking for the first PL trophy after almost 30 years, but it was cut short by a single point victory by the Citizens, Manchester City. 

Van Dijk made his international debut in 2015 and was fast to be appointed as the team's captain in 2018. Now, for any player to make such an instant impact and be promoted to captaincy level, is extremely extraordinary! Van Dijk is a deserving captain and a perfect example of a captain material. 

Years after Liverpool saw inspirational defenders hang their boots with the likes of Jamie Carragher, Samy Hypia, Daniel Agger, Steve Finnan and others, the back four was in great amount of trouble. This was simply because the team lacked leadership at the back and no one really stepped up. 

Then, Van Dijk happened and everything changed and now we are considered as the team with the best back four! Van Dijk is not alone, he has 3-4 others that equally contributes to the success that Liverpool is currently enjoying. 

Trent-Alexander Arnold and Andy Robertson make up such a mind-blowing combo and it is evident in all the games that they've starred together all season. Trent and Andy has filled up the missing puzzle all this while for Liverpool from breathtaking crosses, quickness of reacting to difficult situations, pitch perfect passes, speed and most importantly, timely tackles! 

On the other side, Van Dijk is often paired with Matip has shown great potential and due to Gomez's fitness issues, he has been the perfect replacement. 

Just like what Klopp said during the post-interview session after the heroic victory over Spurs at the Champions League final,  "This is just the beginning to many more successes to come for Liverpool."

YNWA