Joe Cole has admitted he was surprised by the pace one Liverpool ace showed during yesterday’s 4-0 defeat of LASK.

The victory over the Austrian outfit ensured Jurgen Klopp’s side have progressed through to the knockout stages of the Europa League with a game to spare.

Cody Gakpo grabbed a brace in front of a packed crowd inside Anfield and ex-Red Cole said after the game that the Netherlands international ‘looked blistering’ during the game and insisted he’s excited about what’s still to come from the 21-year-old.

“He was probing, getting into good positions and what I do like about him is how comfortable he is on the ball,” Cole told TNT Sports (via Rousing The Kop).

“He showed a yard there. I didn’t know he had that kind of speed. He just took off. That’s why I think there’s more to him, because I have not seen that. How long have we watched Cody Gakpo play? I have not seen him open his legs like that. He looked blistering.”

READ MORE: ‘Worst coach I have ever had’ – Ex-Red makes his thoughts about Brendan Rodgers very clear

Gakpo was signed from PSV in January in a deal worth an initial £35m but is yet to nail down a regular starting spot under Klopp.

Our German tactician does have plenty of options in attack which makes it somewhat difficult to get our No. 18 into the starting XI but his performance last night will have done his chances of earning regular game time no harm whatsoever.

Our No. 18 now has six goals and one assist in 16 appearances this term (across all competitions) and will be needed in the coming weeks as we attempt to tackle the hectic Christmas schedule.

When Fulham visit Anfield on Sunday that will kickstart a run of 11 games in 29 days for the Reds – which includes clashes against Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle.

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Joe Cole has named one Liverpool player who he believes is capable of going on to become an ‘all-time’ great at Anfield.

The 42-year-old was speaking after the Reds cruised to a 4-0 win over LASK in the Europa League at Anfield on Thursday night, with Luis Diaz’s 12th-minute goal setting them on their way.

The former LFC winger was raving about the Colombian’s performance not just last night, but ever since he came to the club from FC Porto nearly two years ago.

Speaking on TNT Sports, Cole said of the 26-year-old: “He’s a fantastic player, wonderful signing for the club, and I think he’ll go on to be an all-time player at Liverpool as well if he carries on the way he’s going. I think he can be that good.”

READ MORE: ‘So dedicated…’ – Owen wowed by ‘model professional’ at Liverpool who’s ‘out of this world’

READ MORE: ‘Poker player…’ – Pundit spotted something about Mo Salah last night which concerned him

Following his diving header last night, Diaz’s Liverpool tally now stands at 16 goals in 63 appearances (Transfermarkt).

It’s not an eye-watering return from the Colombian, but those numbers alone don’t take into account the sheer energy that he brings to the team, and the headaches that he causes to opposition defenders with his relentless work rate.

His form this season is all the more remarkable in the context of the harrowing ordeal of his parents’ kidnapping in their homeland, with his father held captive for almost two weeks before being freed in early November.

In truth, Diaz hasn’t yet had a full campaign at Liverpool as such, having joined midway through 2021/22 and missed six months of last term due to a serious knee injury.

However, there are strong signs that 2023/24 might be the one in which the 26-year-old truly establishes himself as an integral presence at Anfield, and maybe going on to fulfil Cole’s lofty prediction of becoming an ‘all-time’ great on Merseyside.

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

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Joe Cole made an observation about Mo Salah after Liverpool’s 4-0 win over LASK on Thursday night which may leave some Reds fans a little concerned.

The Egyptian closed to within one goal of 200 for the club with an emphatically dispatched penalty early in the second half, taking his tally for the season to 13 (Transfermarkt).

However, one former LFC winger dubbed the 31-year-old ‘a poker player’ over the lack of emotion he tends to show in celebrating his goals, something into which pundits might attempt to read between the lines given the ongoing speculation over a possible big-money move to the Saudi Pro League in 2024 (ESPN).

Speaking on TNT Sports last night, Cole said of Salah: “He’s a bit of a poker player, isn’t he? You don’t know whether he’s happy. He could score a worldie and he doesn’t smile. He keeps his cards close to his chest.

“The future, the years are passing by for him because he’s already a Liverpool great, there’s no doubt about that. I think the key situation will be does he wants to stay and really take this team?

“I feel there’s years ahead of him. I think he is going to be another five, six or seven years playing because of that professionalism and fitness and he doesn’t look like he’s letting up. He is still breezing past players.”

READ MORE: (Video) Jurgen Klopp couldn’t stop smiling after reporter’s question following Liverpool romp

READ MORE: (Video) Salah shows class with shirt-swapping gesture to LASK players

It must be said that Salah didn’t look particularly poker-faced after dispatching his penalty last night, even if he’s sometimes been relatively muted with his celebrations of previous goals.

Given the ongoing Saudi transfer links, pundits may look for any body language cues which could even slightly hint at an element of dissatisfaction from the Liverpool attacker, which in turn might worry some fans about the possibility of an exit from Anfield over the next few months.

However, he certainly isn’t playing like someone who’s sulking and looking for a way out of the club, and you only need to look at his ongoing consistency in front of goal to see that he’s still performing at an extremely high level.

Like Cole says, the manner in which Salah looks after his body should ensure that he’ll continue to be a world-class operator well into his 30s, so hopefully the Egyptian King have another few years at Liverpool yet.

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

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Joe Cole believes that England manager Gareth Southgate has sent a subtle message to Liverpool-linked midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

The Reds have been linked with the Manchester City player at various intervals over the past few months, with the 27-year-old starting only once for the club in all competitions so far this season (WhoScored).

From being a core presence in the Three Lions team which almost won the European Championship in 2021, the Leeds native played for just six minutes during the current international break, an indicator that he’s also at risk of becoming a peripheral player for his country or possible even being axed from the squad.

Speaking on Channel 4 (7:28pm, 20 November 20) prior to last night’s game against North Macedonia, former Liverpool winger Cole said: “Kalvin Phillips not playing. Maybe that’s a message – ‘Kalvin, go and get some minutes somewhere’, because that’s his shirt next to Declan [Rice].”

READ MORE: ‘It wasn’t nice…’ – Curtis Jones shares insight on ‘harsh truths’ Gerrard told him at Liverpool

READ MORE: ‘Three-legged dog with fleas’ – talkSPORT pundit takes Liverpool swipe in condemning England display

Phillips’ club manager Pep Guardiola hasn’t dismissed the idea of selling players to Man City’s direct rivals, having previously done so with the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer.

However, while Arsenal and Chelsea have posed competition for the treble winners in recent years, no team has done so to the same extent over a prolonged period of time as Liverpool, so the 52-year-old mightn’t be keen on allowing even the less regular members of his squad to move directly to Anfield.

From the Reds’ perspective, the ex-Leeds midfielder might be a prized coup for a few reasons – he’d help with the homegrown quota, he’s proven himself in the Premier League before with his hometown side and he could jump at the chance to feature more regularly elsewhere.

However, it’s a cause for concern that even when Rodri was suspended for three top-flight games earlier this season, and even with Southgate having licence to experiment this month with England already qualified for Euro 2024, Phillips has still been on the fringes at club and international level.

The 27-year-old may well be on the move in January if he wants to be assured of a seat on the plane to Germany next summer, but if he does leave the Etihad Stadium, it probably won’t be for Liverpool, in all likelihood.

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Liverpool threw in a lacklustre performance during their clash with Toulouse tonight but can feel hard done by to not come away with a point from the game.

The Ligue 1 outfit were deserved 3-2 winners at Stadium de Toulouse but Jurgen Klopp’s side thought they had dragged themselves level in stoppage time through Jarrell Quansah.

Following a VAR check, however, Alexis Mac Allister was adjudged to have handled the ball in the build-up to the goal – a controversial decision which ex-Red Joe Cole believes was the correct one.

“I think it was a handball,” Cole told TNT Sports (via Independent). “It was a strange situation because we were all wondering what was going to be the decision given the handball happened quite a while before the goal went in, but the ref got it right. Much to the dismay and frustration of Liverpool fans and players, it was the right call.”

READ MORE: (Video) ‘Wow!’ – Klopp cannot believe decision to host press conference while Toulouse fans make a racket

Klopp didn’t look too happy with the decision as he made his way onto the pitch to speak to referee Georgi Kabakov at full-time.

The ball did appear to brush Mac Allister’s arm, but it was very early in the build-up to Quansah’s strike, and it was therefore extremely harsh for the referee to review a decision so far back in the move.

Kabakov did appear to award the goal after pointing to the halfway line, only to then make his way to the pitch side VAR monitor and rule out the goal.

It’s important to note that our performance was not good enough tonight, but the decision was a painful one to take.

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Joe Cole has drawn comparisons between Darwin Nunez and Didier Drogba during the Ivorian’s early years at Stamford Bridge.

Nunez netted his fifth goal of the campaign last night as the Reds defeated Toulouse 5-1 at Anfield in the Europa League but the 23-year-old also missed an absolute sitter in front of the Kop in the second half.

The ex-Benfica forward beat his man with a show of superb skill and then rounded the ‘keeper before somehow striking the post – something which resulted in Cole claiming the Liverpool forward needs to work on his finishing.

“He’ll be claiming it was an assist for Gravenberch I think! But seriously, he does so well here to pick the ball up, the footwork is exquisite to sit down the centre-half, the composure is excellent to go around the goalkeeper,” he said on TNT Sports (via The Mirror). “He just needs to take an extra touch, I think he gets very excited and goes too early. I love the way he’s alive on the run.

“I think it does [sum him up as a player] but I think that can be harsh on him because he’s got so much to his game. He gets an A* in every part of his game, and his performance tonight was also fantastic but his finishing is a C at the moment, but that’s something he can work on.

READ MORE: (Video) What Nunez’s teammates did to him after missing absolute sitter against Toulouse; brilliant show of team spirit

“It’s something that often comes later on in strikers, something that they work on later like Dider Drogba. When he arrived at Chelsea, he wasn’t as polished as when he became the legend he was so the Liverpool fans will be hoping Darwin Nunez can turn into that kind of striker, one who seizes those opportunities and gets better with age.”

There’s no denying that it was a dreadful miss from our No. 9 but the forward had a brilliant game apart from that.

He showcased his exceptional hold up play, fired home emphatically in the first half and ran his socks off for the team both with and without the ball.

His name was chanted constantly from the Kop and if he can just compose himself a little better in front of goal Jurgen Klopp has a serious player on his hands.

His pace and movement in behind is an absolute nightmare for defenders and we look forward to seeing him improve further under the watchful eye of our German tactician.

#Ep94 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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Joe Cole was full of praise for one of Liverpool’s up-and-coming talents following tonight’s Europa League win over Toulouse.

It was a night to remember for Luke Chambers, who was making his first senior start for the Reds and only his second appearance (Transfermarkt), and the ex-Anfield winger believes the 19-year-old can be delighted with his contribution to his team’s 5-1 victory.

Speaking on TNT Sports, the former England international said of the teenage left-back: “He should be very proud of his performance. He was good, he’s done everything he needed to do. If you win on your debut 5-1, fantastic. He looked at home, he didn’t look like a young lad.

“There was a little shaky moment for the goal, he looked a bit anxious to get out, but aside from that he’s done very, very well.”

READ MORE: (Video) Joe Cole states what Liverpool ‘have to’ do after 5-1 romp against Toulouse

READ MORE: Journalist digs out notorious 90s throwback in describing one Darwin Nunez moment for Liverpool against Toulouse

Chambers’ match statistics from tonight were decent if not eye-catching, completing 23 out of 30 passes (77% success) and touching the ball 46 times but being beaten in all four of his duels (Sofascore) before being replaced by fellow youngster Calum Scanlon on 67 minutes.

However, those numbers must be weighed against the context of him having only made one very fleeting substitute appearance before the Toulouse game, so the 19-year-old can indeed feel proud of his performance.

As noted by Ian Doyle in his player ratings for the Liverpool Echo, there were ‘no signs of nerves for the teenager on his full debut’, who ‘helped Liverpool often play a three-man defence’ and adapted commendably to playing at first-team level.

With Andy Robertson sidelined for the foreseeable future, Chambers could certainly get a few more opportunities in Jurgen Klopp’s side in the coming weeks and months. On tonight’s evidence, he seems more than ready to make an impression in senior football.

#Ep94 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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Joe Cole has said that only by winning the Europa League would Liverpool be able to constitute their run in the competition a success.

The Reds maintained their 100% record in Group E by thrashing Toulouse 5-1 at Anfield on Thursday night, and they could even guarantee first place with two matches to spare if they win the reverse fixture in two week’s time and Union Saint-Gilloise fail to beat LASK away.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are many people’s favourites to lift the trophy in Dublin next May, even with eight clubs due to drop down from the Champions League in the New Year.

Speaking on TNT Sports after tonight’s match, Cole insisted that it’s win or bust for Liverpool when it comes to the Europa League.

The former Reds winger said: “They dominated from start to finish. Toulouse, I can’t fault their tactical gameplan, but like Eni [Aluko, fellow pundit] said, I think Liverpool are in the wrong competition. If they were in the Champions League we’d be looking at them [and] thinking they could go all the way.

“They have to win this Europa League. Anything other than winning it is not good enough for this group of players because of how talented they are.”

It was less than 18 months ago that Liverpool played in the Champions League final, so they absolutely should be targeting Europa League glory this season.

We’re definitely good enough to win it out among the 32 teams who are currently in the competition. Let’s just hope a certain club named Sevilla don’t drop down into it for the knockout rounds!

You can view Cole’s comments below, via @footballontnt on Twitter/X:

"Liverpool are in the wrong competition!"

Joe Cole reflects on another dominant performance from the Reds in the Europa League #UEL pic.twitter.com/5nOfXxifHP

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 26, 2023

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Peter Crouch believes it was a ‘harsh’ call to award Harvey Elliott’s late entry on the scoresheet to Wolves’ Hugo Bueno as an own goal.

The England youngster wheeled away in jubilant celebration, mixing with the fans in the away end along with Scouse Academy graduate Curtis Jones.

“Harsh that. I think it’s harsh!” the former Red spoke on TNT Sports (via the Football Review YouTube channel).

“It starts with the goalkeeper. I have to say, Nunez’s hold-up play there… he might have caught him in the face a little bit. I’ve played against Dawson and he’s a strong, tough defender when you get up against him, so to roll him there I thought was fantastic.

“Comes to Mo Salah and great strike from Harvey Elliott. I think it’s harsh to take it off him. Might have been going slightly wide but who cares? Give the young lad the goal.”

An unfair result for Mo Salah too, one could argue, with the Egyptian only allowed to walk away with just the two assists for his part in a dramatic second-half comeback from the men in red.

READ MORE: ‘We’re blessed’ – Joe Cole blown away by Liverpool monster who broke Mahrez record vs Wolves

READ MORE: Forget Elliott: Liverpool’s 81-pass wizard ran the show in second-half Wolves comeback

The result, as ever, will be the most important thing for Elliott and his teammates, though we’d certainly agree that we’d rather see a young player’s confidence boosted by a goal added to his tally for the season.

If you were to ask Bueno his thoughts on the matter, we dare say he’d agree on the matter!

Still, as Joe Cole was right to bring up after, the move showcases some serious development on our young gem’s part: “That shows to me he’s developing his game because he could have stood still but he just moved because he knows Mo Salah’s going to put it in the right area.”

The former Fulham man has hardly put a foot wrong when called upon this season, with Dominik Szoboszlai working overtime so far to keep him out of the starting-XI.

#Ep90 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Steve Kay – Goncalo Inacio NEXT?

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Joe Cole made clear that neutrals were ‘blessed’ to witness Mo Salah play football in the English top-flight every week.

The Egyptian was instrumental in helping Liverpool overturn a first-half deficit, setting up Cody Gakpo, Andy Robertson and Harvey Elliott for their efforts (although, the latter was chalked off after being registered as an own goal).

“He’s an all-time great. If he’d have left Liverpool four or five days ago, he would always be an all-time great for what he’s done at this club,” the ex-Red told TNT Sports (via Football Review’s YouTube channel).

“Just to get that put to bed… I think now he’s looked at the dressing room and looked at the team and thinks ‘I fancy we can do something with this team and these young players’.

“The boys coming in midfield I think have all been excellent. Young players. They’re starting to get the balance of all the ingredients of a top side which they were two or three years ago.

“So I think having him is fantastic – we’re blessed to have him in the Premier League, a player of that quality.”

Inevitably, the No.11 raked in yet another record with his two assists at the Molineux, overtaking Manchester City attacker Riyad Mahrez to become the highest assisting African player in Premier League history.

Mohamed Salah has now provided more Premier League assists (63) than any other African player in the competition’s history, breaking Riyad Mahrez’s record.

The Egyptian King reigns supreme. pic.twitter.com/vudDVKH50o

— Squawka (@Squawka) September 16, 2023

With six goal contributions amassed from the Reds’ opening five league games, the former Roma hitman is on-track for another remarkable tally come the end of the campaign.

READ MORE: Forget Elliott: Liverpool’s 81-pass wizard ran the show in second-half Wolves comeback

READ MORE: 7 clearances, 5 duels won: Liverpool unearthed gem in Wolves win; Klopp said he made a ‘statement’

Liverpool can’t afford to sell Salah in January

It goes to show just how wise decision-makers at the club were in resolutely refusing to engage with Saudi numbers thrown at us in the dying stages of the summer transfer window.

Given his ongoing importance to our efforts on the pitch, however, it does go to show just how vital it is that we find some sort of successor between now and the next summer market, with the pressure of a mammoth fee sure to break the ice at some stage.

#Ep90 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Steve Kay – Goncalo Inacio NEXT?

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Joe Cole has claimed that Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has the ability to do certain things that only Mo Salah and Lionel Messi can do.

The 22-year-old started for England yesterday as Gareth Southgate’s side were held to a 1-1 draw by Ukraine in Poland.

In recent seasons the winger has become recognised as one of the hottest talents in world football and ex-Red Cole has compared him to two of football’s superstars.

“You can’t defend [against Saka] because he’s got this ability like Lionel Messi where he takes it backwards,” he said on Channel 4 (as quoted by Football365). “So the defender, you can stop him but he takes it back and he’s still got the ability to whip it with so much power.

“There’s only a few  – Mo Salah’s got it, Lionel Messi’s got it and Bukayo Saka’s got it. When he gets in that position, he’s clinical.”

READ MORE: Joe Cole claims Southgate has been put in a ‘difficult situation’ following Henderson’s move to Saudi

Saka scored 15 goals and assisted another 11 across all competitions last term which had some Gunners fans comparing him to our No. 11.

There’s no doubt that the forward is a quality player and the fact he’s already registered two goals and one assists in Arsenal’s opening four Premier League games supports that argument but he simply cannot be compared to the Egyptian King at the moment.

Some claim that the former Roma man had an ‘off’ season last time around which is interesting when you consider that he had 46 goals contributions in 51 games (across all competitions).

Saka is certainly on his way to becoming a world-class player but he’s got a long way to go before he can be seriously compared to Mo – and even more so Messi!

Ep89 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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Joe Cole has claimed that Gareth Southgate has been put in a ‘difficult situation’ following Jordan Henderson’s move to Saudi Arabia earlier this summer.

The former Liverpool skipper moved to the Middle East to join up with Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq side in the Saudi Pro League.

A lot has been made of the England international’s move to the Gulf Nation, especially due to the support he has previously shown to the LGBTQ+ community, and ex-Red Cole believes Henderso’s Three Lions future is ‘in jeopardy’.

“From a footballing perspective, I can understand why it puts Gareth in a difficult position,” Cole told Channel 4 (as quoted by Daily Mail).

“When you’re competing with the players Henderson is competing with – Rice, Bellingham, Ward-Prowse, Phillips – they are all playing in the Champions League [and Europa League].

READ MORE: Why Liverpool will be more motivated than ever to challenge for Premier League title – report

“Is he going to be as sharp as he was? You have to remember the margins that England went out with against France at the last World Cup.

“You have to be so sharp, every player on the pitch. Henderson will know he’s put his England future in jeopardy.”

Henderson remains a quality midfielder and there’s no doubt that he still could’ve remained at Anfield albeit as more of a squad player.

After winning every major trophy at Anfield and captaining the Reds for eight years, however, he instead decided to head to Saudi and pick up a whopping £700,000 a week.

In an interview completed with The Athletic recently the Sunderland-born midfielder claimed that his move to the Middle East had nothing to do with money but Cole believes our No. 14 ‘slipped up’ by speaking about finances.

“Of course I can understand [why LGBTQ+ fans are upset],” he added. “I see it from both sides. It’s difficult to talk about.

“I think where Jordan slipped up is afterwards when he said he wasn’t going there for the money. It’s a huge contract.

“As an individual, he has the right if he wants to earn that kind of money and bring it back. He could be doing lots of work in the community with that.

“Look, Jordan is a good lad at heart. He’s represented Liverpool and England very well. It’s difficult to talk about.”

At the end of day Henderson was a brilliant captain for Liverpool and he can be proud of everything he achieved during his time at the club.

It’s a shame that there’s so much controversy regarding his decision to move to Al Ettifaq – it’s not as if he’s the only player to have moved there in recent times!

Ep89 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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Joe Cole broke through into the footballing world through West Ham’s academy and he will always hold a special place for his former club, meaning that his insistence on Thiago Alcantara being punished for his penalty box handball – is understandable.

Speaking on BT Sport, the former Chelsea man said: “I understand David [Moyes’] frustrations. If you go to ground in the box, you’re taking a risk of giving away a penalty with a foul or with your arm. You have to benefit attacking play and you have to punish poor defending. For me it’s a penalty.”

READ MORE: (Video) Klopp on key moment that Curtis Jones didn’t play the right ball to ‘machine’ teammate

It’s fair to say that the Londoners had a case as the ball did clearly touch the hand of our No.6 and we too would have been aggrieved to have not been given a spot-kick.

However, the close proximity to which our midfielder was to the ball has clearly been taken into account and thankfully – the decision went our way at the London Stadium.

You can watch Cole’s argument for the possible West Ham penalty via @btsportfootball on Twitter:

"If you go to ground in the box, you're taking a risk."

Joe Cole, @CarltonCole1 and @petercrouch discuss whether West Ham should've been awarded a penalty late on against Liverpool pic.twitter.com/D7LXJ02CZg

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 26, 2023

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Liverpool fans will be loving the fact that our team is now five games unbeaten and look to finally be launching an attack up the league, with one man shining in our most recent victory against West Ham.

Speaking on BT Sport (via Rousing the Kop), Joe Cole spoke about Trent Alexander-Arnold: “What he does is he gives you options. He comes into the midfield, creates an overload, he can’t be picked up. He drops in deep, turns, lovely round the corner, he starts the attacks and he builds up. Look at the forwards, they’re making runs because they know he’s got the ability to find them. He was outstanding there.

“It’s just outstanding ability to take that pass It looks simple, that is an outstanding pass. We have to stop talking about what he can’t do Trent, we need to talk about what he can do. He’s an outstanding footballer, he needs to be playing regularly for Liverpool and regularly for England. When he’s got the ball and he’s looking around. Trust me, as a forward, you want Trent in the team.”

READ MORE: (Video) Liverpool fans in awe of Cody Gakpo’s touch and turn during goal-scoring West Ham display

Our No.66 has played four games in his new inverted full-back role and that has seen him provide five assists for the Reds, a truly remarkable statistic when you consider that the league-high amount for this season currently stands at 16.

The Scouser in our team has always been known for his passing and this was again on show as he played a very difficult ball to Cody Gakpo, before the Dutchman fired into the back of the opposition net.

The words of our former midfielder show just how widely admired the 24-year-old is from ex-pros and his teammates alike, something that only seems to be growing in his new role.

With a pre-season ahead to iron out any issues with this new-look formation, we could look to be a very exciting team again next season and with several new signings also expected – let’s hope we can carry this current form into the new campaign.

For now though, it’s all about getting more points on the board and seeing how high we can end the season – as we look to make amends for an inconsistent campaign to date.

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Joe Cole admitted he wouldn’t trust Trent Alexander-Arnold to be defensively robust enough in a back four for England were Gareth Southgate’s men to come up against Kylian Mbappe’s France.

The Liverpool fullback has endured much in the way of criticism for his performances this season.

“Would you play him in a back four against Mbappe? Probably not,” the former Chelsea star told ITV (via Rousing the Kop). “Would you play him in a back five against most teams? I would. At twenty-four, I still think there is improvement from him.”

It’s telling, however, that the No.66 suggested the defensive side to his game had been far from disastrous, despite claims to the contrary.

READ MORE: ‘Gorgeous footballer’ – Gary Lineker blown away by World Cup gem amid Liverpool interest

To be completely fair on the matter, there’s no question that the 24-year-old, much in a similar vein to other key performers within our squad, has been far from his best so far.

A complete lack of assists in 20 appearances in club football after registering 19 in 47 last season certainly reflects that statement.

We’re keeping our fingers crossed that he can continue to enjoy an upward trajectory alongside the club and prove his critics wrong in the second-half of the campaign.

He may not get much in the way of opportunities to do so sooner, given Southgate’s evident lack of faith in his abilities, though we’re certain Jurgen Klopp can nurture the best out of him come December.

EOTK Insider: Liverpool’s Two World Cup Winners and 14 Finalists, ahead of Qatar

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