Jermaine Jenas and Leon Osman were broadly in agreement over a potential positional switch for Trent Alexander-Arnold. 

The pundits urged Jurgen Klopp to push the England international into the middle of the park following a stunning performance against Fulham.

“I think Jurgen Klopp’s got a decision to make soon with him,” the former Tottenham star spoke on BBC MOTD2.

“Moments like this. Local lad, playing the way that he’s playing, scoring winners… he needs to be in the centre of the midfield. I just think it’s time to get him in there.

“I totally understand the concept of him coming from a right-back position allows him to be free and maybe gives him the ability to do what he wants to do from a free-role type position.

“But he does it well enough for England. I’d stick him in there.”

Leon Osman agreed on the matter, adding: “I think it’s time. The benefits of what you get. You’ve seen all of his best clips of when he’s picking the ball up centrally. I don’t think we saw a clip of when he was coming back from the right-back position.

“I think his contributions are better, he’s more dangerous against the opposition and you can see Jurgen Klopp is trying to get him in there as much as possible.”

The Academy graduate (valued at £48.9m, according to Football Transfers’ unique valuation system) initially appeared to put the hosts into the lead with a superb free-kick (which was eventually ruled as an own goal) and had the final say in the game with a late winner in the second-half.

READ MORE: ‘Incredible’ Liverpool player could be out for a long time as Klopp confirms ‘it doesn’t look good’

READ  MORE: BBC pundit fears Liverpool now can’t coach frustrating habit out of player

Is it time to make the move?

It’s long been accepted – though we’ve certainly resisted the idea here at Empire of the Kop! – that Trent’s abilities could lend themselves well to a midfield role.

Whether it would truly get the best out of him, however, remains to be seen. There’s also the question of what we would do with the vacant right-back slot.

Joe Gomez, able deputy as he is, is better suited to a central defensive role; we’d then have to entrust either one of Conor Bradley or Calvin Ramsay – both of whom are inexperienced.

It’s quite the conundrum for Jurgen Klopp and Co., though it would at least add even further depth to a much-improved midfield department.

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Liverpool may be waiting quite a while for Joel Matip’s return following Jurgen Klopp’s pre-Sheffield United update.

In comments relayed by Paul Joyce on X, the German tactician confirmed the Cameroonian’s injury ‘doesn’t look good’.

Jurgen Klopp on Joel Matip injury: "Now we lost Joel. It doesn't look good. It is not great. How long I don't know yet."

— paul joyce (@_pauljoyce) December 5, 2023

It leaves the Reds a little more bare at the back, with Jarell Quansah sure to be relied on to a greater degree alongside remaining options Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez.

READ MORE: ‘What can he change?’: Jurgen Klopp’s first words on Chris Wilder ahead of Sheffield United reunion

READ  MORE: BBC pundit fears Liverpool now can’t coach frustrating habit out of player

How will Liverpool react?

It’s an unfortunate blow for the ‘incredible’ (as Jurgen Klopp once described him in comments relayed by Football365) 32-year-old centre-back who had, up until this point, been the first-choice partner to Virgil van Dijk owing to some impressive performances.

Fortunately, a defender of our French international’s quality can, and will, step in in his place, though this will be a concern for our medical department in light of the former’s troubling injury record.

Another injury to Konate would surely then send the alarm bells ringing all over the AXA training centre ahead of the January transfer window.

Could we consider bringing in a new body to compensate?

Jurgen Klopp may argue in favour of waiting it out, lest we fill the squad with temporary bodies. Though, the shadow cast by an injury-ridden 2020/21 campaign is still long enough to tickle the edges of 2023/24.

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Jorginho has named one Liverpool player as the best he’s ever faced during his time in the Premier League.

The current Arsenal midfielder came to England in 2018 when he joined Chelsea from Napoli, spending four-and-a-half years at Stamford Bridge before moving across London last January.

The Italy international was speaking to The Athletic Football Podcast when he was asked to name his best opponent during his time in the English top flight, ultimately plumping for Mo Salah after considerable thought.

Jorginho declared: “Kevin de Bruyne is ridiculous, but I think Salah in that period, he was another level. I think, yeah, I would put Salah first.”

When podcast host Ayo Akinwolere referenced the 2018/19 campaign in which Liverpool’s number 11 was the joint-top scorer in the Premier League with 22 goals, the Arsenal midfielder replied: “Unbelievable. You could not stop him. He was so strong, so powerful, so fast and his mentality…

“However he would shoot, if you touched the ball it would go in. For me, that season he had was unbelievable.”

Jorginho has faced Salah more often than anyone else in his career, with their 17 previous head-to-heads between their respective meetings in Italy and England producing nine wins for the Liverpool forward and only three for the Italian (Transfermarkt).

For a European champion to rate the Egyptian ahead of a top-class operator in De Bruyne is a telling indicator of just how special a player the Reds have in the 31-year-old winger.

You can view the clip of Jorginho below (from 1:07:01), via The Athletic Football Podcast on YouTube:

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The cheeky side of Jurgen Klopp came out after Liverpool produced a stunning late comeback to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against Fulham on Sunday.

The Reds were 3-2 down at Anfield with less than five minutes of normal time remaining when two goals in 80 seconds from Wataru Endo and Trent Alexander-Arnold turned the game on its head dramatically.

The manager treated the adoring Kop to his customary triple fist-pump straight after the final whistle, and once the initial euphoria had subsided, the 56-year-old reverted to his fun-loving persona away from the heat of battle.

In the latest instalment of Inside Anfield on Liverpool’s official YouTube channel, one piece of post-match footage shows Klopp approaching the camera lens and chirped ‘Hee-hee’, his teeth bared in a huge grin as he enjoyed the light-hearted moment.

We dare you not to break into laughter at the sight and sound of the boss’ brilliant reaction!

You can view the footage of Klopp below (from 14:02), via Liverpool FC on YouTube:

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Some economists might like to speak of the law of diminishing returns as a form of gospel, but there are some situations to which it simply doesn’t apply. Alexis Mac Allister’s goal at Anfield last Sunday is one such example.

Whether seen in the flesh at the iconic stadium or through a TV screen, every Liverpool fan who witnessed it was marvelling at what a sensational strike the 24-year-old produced.

The Reds’ social media team, in conjunction with Google Pixel, have now shared an alternative angle of the Argentine’s thunderbolt as witnessed from the front of the Anfield Road Stand, into which it was scored.

The footage brilliantly captures just how much venom Mac Allister got on striking the ball, and how Bernd Leno was diving in vain to simply try and get near it, never mind keeping it out of his net.

If anyone thinks we’re getting bored of seeing the midfielder’s first Liverpool goal by now, our response is ‘think again’…you can watch this over and over and never tire of watching it!

You can view the alternative angle of the goal below, via @LFC on X (formerly Twitter):

On repeat #TeamPixel | #AD pic.twitter.com/p6E6EIBydA

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 4, 2023

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The number of Liverpool fans prepared to sanction Mo Salah’s exit next summer may be dwindling amid another terrific season from the Egyptian.

Should the club opt to part ways with their talismanic No.11 in the interests of capitalising on his value, one potential avenue they could go down to replace him has freshly opened.

Florian Plettenberg relays an update from Patrik Berger on X (formerly Twitter) that Donyell Malen (24) is now ‘open for a new challenge in winter or summer’.

News Donyell #Malen: The 24 y/o is open for a new challenge in winter or summer as he’s not totally happy in Dortmund. His new agency SEG is sounding out the market.

#BVB, open to let him go
Price expectation: €30-35m.

Malen has a market in ! @berger_pj |… pic.twitter.com/V9goAVdtso

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) December 4, 2023

It could hand Liverpool’s recruitment team an interesting avenue, particularly with the player having been previously admired by Jurgen Klopp (dailysports).

READ MORE: Moises Caicedo’s agent delivers fresh statement on failed Liverpool transfer

READ MORE: Transfer ‘definitely planned’ for Liverpool-linked target as father & agent breaks silence

A fresh start in England?

Despite a promising start to the 2023/24 Bundesliga season – in which he found the net in three out of his four opening league games – minutes have since been hard to come by.

At a potential price tag ranging between £25.7m-£30m, Malen could represent an extremely high reward married with a low-risk buy.

Of course, this isn’t an area we’d wish to see Liverpool gamble with either way given the calibre of player who could be heading out of the door next summer.

In that sense, it’s reassuring to see that the Dortmund attacker’s underlying stats suggest he’s currently one of the most exciting wide men in Europe, registering in the 99th percentile non-penalty goals and xG, according to FBref.

Following a significant stint away from English football, after he departed Arsenal’s academy, perhaps it’s high time he made a return.

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Liverpool fans sat in the lower tier of the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand on the Kop side of the halfway line had a perfect view of some masterful pre-match entertainment on Sunday.

During the Reds’ warm-up ahead of the Fulham game, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai indulged in a back-and-forth of pinpoint passing, casually turning their heads as they received the ball.

What made it remarkable is that the pair were almost 50 yards away from each other, but they stroked the ball around with an almost insultingly consummate ease, and their faced suggested that they were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

If you see this clip and think it looks simple, do keep in mind that these are two master craftsmen at work, with few players in world football capable of so routinely executing such Louvre-worthy passes to one another.

You can view the passing exchange between Trent and Szoboszlai below, via @jgfootballedits1 on TikTok:

@jgfootballedits1 Trent and szobo having fun #trentalexanderarnold #szoboszlai #liverpool #comebacks #skills ♬ original sound – .dybala.szn

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Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz appeared to be in very good spirits as they arrived at Anfield prior to Liverpool’s 4-3 win over Fulham on Sunday.

The Merseyside club’s social media team have posted the latest episode of Inside Anfield with behind-the-scenes clips from the L4 venue, and one piece of footage showed the Reds squad making their way to the home dressing room upon arriving at the stadium.

As the South American duo strolled through the tunnel, they briefly stopped and broke into a humorous dance in unison, tapping their feet rhythmically and duly bursting into laughter before disappearing from view through the dressing room door.

It’s a clip which’ll have Liverpool fans cracking up laughing themselves, and it’s fantastic to see Diaz looking so free-spirited once again following the ordeal of his parents’ kidnapping in Colombia a few weeks ago.

You can view the two Reds dancing below (from 1:22), via Liverpool FC on YouTube:

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Steve Nicol has criticised two Liverpool players who he feels could hold the Reds back in terms of a potential Premier League title challenge.

As of Tuesday morning, the Reds are second in the table and only two points behind Arsenal, although Jurgen Klopp’s side just about preserved their 100% Anfield record this season after a quickfire late comeback to triumph 4-3 over Fulham on Sunday.

Speaking on ESPN FC, the former Reds right-back was asked if he’d go along with Craig Burley’s assessment that LFC’s defence would cost them in trying to compete with the Gunners and Manchester City for the title.

Nicol replied: “I do agree because right now, [Trent] Alexander-Arnold and [Kostas] Tsimikas are not good defenders. If you’ve got half of your back four who are not good defenders, it shouldn’t really be a surprise that you’re giving up chances and goals.”

Admittedly the Fulham match wasn’t the finest hour-and-a-half for Liverpool’s back four, but it’s not as if the Reds are in the midst of a defensive crisis. Prior to Sunday they’d shipped just two goals over their previous five league games, while only Arsenal have conceded fewer in the top flight so far this term.

The £75,000-per-week Tsimikas has set up almost as many Premier League goals (three) as his team have conceded (five) since he came in for the injured Andy Robertson in October, as per Transfermarkt.

Meanwhile, Trent – whose defensive qualities have been subjected to much scrutiny in the past – has more than made up for any such lapses with his huge impact at the other end of the pitch over the last couple of weeks.

Liverpool have conceded 12 goals in as many league games with the £180,000-per-week England international in the team. Kyle Walker – who’s been Man City’s go-to right-back for much of the season so far – has been part of a defence which has shipped 16 goals in 14 top-flight matches (Transfermarkt).

There is scope for the Reds’ full-backs to improve defensively, but it’s harsh from Nicol to declare that the two current starters in those positions are ‘not good defenders’.

You can view Nicol’s comments below (from 1:40), via ESPN FC on YouTube:

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Florian Wirtz will remain at Bayer Leverkusen for one more year as things currently stand, according to the player’s father and agent, Hans-Joachim Wirtz.

Beyond that point, an exit away from the Bundesliga outfit is understood to be ‘definitely planned’ for 2025.

Florian Plettenberg relayed the comments in question on X (formerly Twitter), additionally noting that the player would then ‘prefer’ a transfer to admirers Bayern Munich.

Hans-Joachim #Wirtz, father and agent of Florian Wirtz excl. at Sky:

„Currently, everything is geared towards Florian continuing to play in Leverkusen next season.“

As reported: Wirtz is likely to stay in Leverkusen next season. A transfer is definitely planned in 2025.

… pic.twitter.com/NxYPRTeIaL

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) December 4, 2023

Whether the Bavarians can succeed in their ambitions of landing one of the most talented midfielders in Europe remains to be seen amid reported interest from Liverpool [TeamTalk].

READ MORE: January transfer ‘now impossible’ for Liverpool after Achilles tendon injury – report

READ MORE: ‘They look the real deal’: Didi Hamann’s honest verdict on Arsenal v Liverpool in title challenge with Man City

Could/should Liverpool intervene?

With a contract not set to expire until 2025, you can absolutely expect Wirtz’s eventual asking price to be astronomical.

According to our sister site CaughtOffside back in November: “Our sources do not expect Wirtz to leave Bayer Leverkusen until at least next summer. The Germans are also open to a sale and are hopeful a summer bidding war will see their eye-watering £105 million (€120 million) asking price met.”

The fee would appear to be justified to a certain degree, given that the 20-year-old is already on a whopping 16 goal contributions in 19 games.

Statistically, the player stacks up well against the best in Europe’s top five leagues, registering in the 97th percentile, for instance, in shot-creating actions, according to FBref.

If Wirtz can maintain that form going into the rest of the season and, perhaps, the next – he’s going to be unaffordable for a considerable number of potential suitors.

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Liverpool may be forced to review their January plans if Cheick Doucoure was in the frame to be targeted in the winter transfer window.

Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider now reports that a deal would be ‘impossible’ after the Malian ruptured his Achilles tendon during a 2-1 defeat to Luton Town.

The 23-year-old had been heavily linked to the Merseysiders in the summer, with the club instead opting to land Stuttgart’s Wataru Endo.

READ MORE: ‘They look the real deal’: Didi Hamann’s honest verdict on Arsenal v Liverpool in title challenge with Man City

READ MORE: Didi Hamann says 24-year-old Liverpool ace still hasn’t got going yet; Reds ‘will be a force’ when he does

Would Liverpool have gone back in for Doucoure?

It seems highly unlikely, with all due respect to Doucoure, that our recruitment team would have pushed to secure his signature in the winter.

Whilst the former Lens man is admittedly being asked to play a different role to that which he was tasked with in France, Alexis Mac Allister’s superb start to the season leaves us in no doubt over Jurgen Klopp’s feelings on the matter.

The No.10 is very much a trusted quantity in this Liverpool squad – not merely just a placeholder until a pure No.6 comes along.

In that respect, and in a similar manner to how we likely feel about Andre Trindade, it will take a rather special operator in the holding midfield role to push ‘Macca’ out of the way.

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Didi Hamann has backed Liverpool to be a potential title contender this term amid an encouraging campaign.

Asked to choose between his old club and Mikel Arteta’s table-topping Arsenal side, the 50-year-old threw his weight behind the former, arguing that ‘they look the real deal’.

“I think they’ve (Liverpool) got a chance to go all the way this season. I don’t see why not,” the former Red spoke on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast. “Obviously City are the ones to beat. If you ask me to pick between Arsenal and Liverpool (to challenge), I’d go for Liverpool. They look the real deal.”

Jurgen Klopp’s men find themselves only two points behind the Gunners in second following their 4-3 win over Fulham.

READ MORE: Didi Hamann says 24-year-old Liverpool ace still hasn’t got going yet; Reds ‘will be a force’ when he does

READ MORE: ‘What worries me’: BBC pundit predicts Liverpool vs Sheffield United result ahead of ‘imminent’ change

Manchester City remain the ones to beat

The Premier League table indicates that a number of pundits may have to revise their earlier predictions made around the start of the campaign.

Admittedly, how many could have truly predicted such an astonishing turnaround after we completely revitalised our midfield in the summer?

Still, with us having already ticked off several challenging fixtures – including trips to the Etihad, Amex, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, St. James’ Park and Stamford Bridge – we’re feeling rather confident about the ties that remain.

It’ll still take a big points haul, of course, to secure the title whilst a Pep Guardiola-managed Manchester City are knocking about around the top of the table!

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Things could quickly go from bad to worse for Manchester United ahead of their meeting with Liverpool in the middle of December.

Rob Dawson of ESPN now reports that a ‘group within the first-team squad are becoming disillusioned’ and of concerns around the dressing room mood dipping even further unless results improve.

It’s a reality that’s sure to fill travelling Red Devils fans’ hearts with much in the way of hope for when they pay a visit to Anfield on 17th December.

READ MORE: Liverpool poised to bank millions as ‘largest’ ever £6.7bn behind-the-scenes deal agreed

READ MORE: Liverpool’s 83-touch colossus just posted a 10/10 defensive performance vs LASK

Could Liverpool be set to humble Manchester United again?

Whilst one can never be certain just how United will react to the challenge of facing Jurgen Klopp’s men – and a renewed Liverpool side at that – the odds are certainly stacked against the later visitors as things stand.

Following a couple of heavy defeats at L4, we’re certainly more than hopeful on our end that we can replicate the demolition jobs of March this year and in 2022 to further highlight the growing divide between the red halves of Manchester and Merseyside.

With an opportunity to rest key stars ahead of the 17th, after securing our status as group winners in the Europa League with a game to spare, we’ll have every opportunity to prepare for the meeting as we’d like.

#Ep96 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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Liverpool are among the Premier League outfits surely poised to earn an increase in top-flight revenue following the conclusion of live UK package deals with Sky Sports and TNT Sports.

The agreement in question will see live rights value rise by four per cent as part of a £6.7bn delivery in revenue over a four-year process (from 2025/26 onwards) – the ‘largest sports media rights deals ever concluded in the UK’, according to the Premier League’s official website.

Sky Sports are the ultimate winners of the arrangement, having secured a dominant share of the live rights, snapping up packages B through to D (a minimum of 215 live matches per season).

READ MORE: Liverpool’s 83-touch colossus just posted a 10/10 defensive performance vs LASK

READ MORE: Monstrous: 20-year-old Liverpool speedster welcomed LASK to hell in first-half

The Premier League stays in the green

Despite fears over when the Premier League’s meteoric financial rise will reach its natural apex, the English top-flight continues to pull the big bucks when it comes to live rights.

It remains to be seen how exactly this will affect Liverpool’s revenue numbers, though even a four per cent increase on the prior process’ result will surely be at least reasonably beneficial for our coffers.

It’s not a benefit that will be solely enjoyed by ourselves, of course, though one might imagine our competitors abroad in La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 will all be looking over somewhat jealously at the Premier League’s ongoing financial growth.

#Ep96 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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There come moments in football where even the most gifted of players are left awestruck by what their teammates accomplish on the pitch.

Case in point: Trent Alexander-Arnold’s reaction to Alexis Mac Allister’s ‘majestic’, as Liverpool’s official X (formerly Twitter) account aptly put it, goal against Fulham.

Footage shared on socials shows the No.66 palming his face with both hands after the World Cup winner’s long-range effort struck the top right corner of the net.

He most certainly won’t have been alone there!

You can catch the clip below, courtesy of @LFC:

Absolutely majestic from @alemacallister pic.twitter.com/KCMAuXEHzY

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 3, 2023

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