Liverpool’s 4 most Jurgen Klopp moments since his arrival

One Champions League, one Super Cup and one pair of broken glasses. A lot has happened since Jurgen Klopp took over at Liverpool four years ago.

The irresistibly charismatic German took charge at Anfield on October 8, 2015, and has watched his team score 458 goals, set a club-record for consecutive league victories and be crowned kings of Europe.

With every man and his dog reflecting on the boss’ ‘best’ moments however, we felt it was more fitting to look at the moments that encapsulate the man who has transformed a club and fanbase.

These are the four most Klopp things the gaffer has done since his arrival.

Doubters to believers

We’ve heard it a million times now, but that doesn’t mean we’re getting bored of it.

Klopp arrived to a chorus of ‘collapsed at Dortmund’ and ‘won’t succeed in England’ shouts from rival fans, and more importantly there was plenty of pessimism from Reds fans themselves, fed up after years of failing to compete with the big boys.

The 52 year-old’s message to the Anfield faithful to “change from doubters to believers” has echoed throughout everything he has done since, right down to the cheeky grin on his face when he said it.

Norwich 4-5 Liverpool

Brilliant, chaotic and scarcely believable – has there ever been a more Klopp fixture than the 5-4 win at Carrow Road?

The four goals conceded pretty much sum up how poor the defence was during his first couple of campaigns, the goals from Jordan Henderson and James Milner remind us of their importance in Klopp’s revolution, while the crazy celebration after Adam Lallana’s late winner was just vintage Klopp.

Liverpool 4-3 Dortmund

If changing doubters to believers was the name of Klopp’s guidebook to turning the club around, then the comeback against his former employers was chapter one.

Not only did it seem implausible that the Reds would turn it around after conceding three away goals, is there anything more Klopp than Dejan Lovren, a man ridiculed and crucified at every opportunity, scoring the winner in front of the Kop? We think not.

Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona

You may look to the Champions League final in Madrid as the final marker of Klopp’s progress, but let’s be honest, UEFA could have printed Liverpool’s name on the cup after the 4-0 win over Barcelona.

Not only was it yet another dramatic comeback, it was truly against all odds. No Mohamed Salah. No Roberto Firmino. No chance.

If ever a match summed up the manic pressing, brilliant football, defensive solidity and never-say-die attitude Klopp has built on the red half of Merseyside, it was this one.

Newcastle fans laud Allan Saint-Maximin after 1-0 win over Manchester United

Some Newcastle fans have taken to Twitter to heap praise on Allan Saint-Maximin, following the 1-0 win over Manchester United at St James’ Park.

The £16.5m summer signing was handed his second Premier League start of the season, and certainly played his part against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men.

The Magpies No.10 was in the mood against the Red Devils, driving forward at every opportunity he could and proving to be a real difference maker, creating space with his direct style of dribbling.

It was one of his ventures forward that led to Jetro Willems setting Matty Longstaff up for the winning goal, while Saint-Maximin impressed throughout having recorded a game-high four dribbles.

The 22-year-old also made two key passes on a day when he was one of Newcastle’s best players.

One fan said that the Frenchman is “everything we’ve been missing”, while another said that the former OGC Nice attacker was “key to it all”.

Let’s take a look at some more of the Twitter reaction…

Former Leeds man Danny Mills rips into Andrea Radrizzani

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

How long is this story is going to run?

You imagine it’s going to get a lot of coverage when the teams meet again in January, but for now it’s still quite a talking point.

After the defeat to Millwall, Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani sent out a tweet in which he heavily criticised the EFL and their lack of VAR, insinuating that it was directly responsible in helping the Lions to victory when the home side were awarded a penalty and had defender Gaetano Berardi sent off, although the red card was later rescinded.

What’s been said?

Former Leeds United defender Danny Mills spoke to Football Insider about the matter, and he thinks that the owner was out of order for the way he handled the situation:

“It’s not a great idea, is it? In this day and age it’s hard when people want to hear from the chairman but some of the best chairman and best owners are the ones who just stay silent. Let the manager, let the coach, let the team do the talking.

“Maybe it’s just a little bit of frustration from Radrizzani, of course he wants to do well, he wants his team to do well. Saying things on Twitter about officials and teams and players is never a good idea.”

What should be done?

And Danny Mills is exactly right here. There has to be a certain level of expectation and behavioural standard depending on how high up the hierarchy you go, and you can see a clear example in other sports.

Whilst it may be an unwritten rule, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has stated that “Owners, management personnel and coaches must be held to a higher standard than players” when it comes to incidents of ‘misconduct’, but the logic still applies here.

Opinions like this should be made by the players, coaches and to a lesser extent the fans. And if an owner or another high ranking member of the board does want to voice their views, then it should be in a more dignified manner than an angry rant on Twitter.

It’s not that we should be restricting people from having their views, in fact so long as they’re legal and non-offensive, the more the better because it encourages debate.

But there’s a time and a place for them to happen, and an angry tweet in the aftermath of a defeat is not the way to go about it for someone who should know better.

Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish could decide Brighton game in a wide role

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Aston Villa will be looking for more success in the Premier League as the top-flight returns to action on Saturday afternoon.

Dean Smith’s men play host to Brighton and Hove Albion, a second game already this season against the south coast side, having defeated them in the Carabao Cup third round last month.

Last time out, Villa picked up their second win of the Premier League campaign in dominant fashion, smashing five past a helpless Norwich City at Carrow Road.

Villa on Tour features in a preview of Aston Villa v Brighton in the video below…

Brighton will be sure to field a much stronger line up having put out a predominantly youth-focused XI in their previous meeting, so who is likely to have an impact on the game?

On the Chalkboard

Well, captain Jack Grealish is seemingly thriving in a different role over the last two or so matches, so ultimately, he will be crucial to their success.

His opposite number is likely to be right wing-back Martin Montoya, who has played in seven of Brighton’s eight Premier League matches this term.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The 28-year-old is pretty sound defensively, averaging 3.4 tackles, 1.3 interceptions, and 1.1 clearances per game, via WhoScored.

But Villa’s star man should prove to be a nuisance as he’s been given license to bomb down the wing and cut in to operate in the half-spaces behind Wesley in the attack.

He could well run the Spaniard ragged if he’s on his game.

In the last three games alone, the 24-year-old has managed to net his first goal of the season while also providing an assist against Arsenal.

Overall, Grealish is averaging 1.9 shots, 1.6 dribbles, and 2.4 key passes per game, which suggests that the Seagulls’ defender may have his work cut out, especially as he lets a man past him at least once per match.

The fact he fails to ever really make a block, closing down just one shot and two crosses should also play in the Villans’ favour.

The midfielder’s lack of crosses only highlights how much he likes to cut inside. Therefore, Montoya will need to be careful as this will mean Matt Targett will advance forward from left-back, as his manager has described in a recent interview.

Grealish could be the difference-maker in this fixture, and he has every chance to add to his goal involvements looking at the work his opposite number will be left to do.

Liverpool fans think potential Nike deal will bring Kylian Mbappe to Anfield

#Mbappe2020 is trending on Twitter after Liverpool fans added two and two together and managed to make 180.

That’s £180m in case you were wondering, Kylian Mbappe’s Transfermarkt valuation, as Reds fans are convinced the PSG superstar is going to arrive next summer as part of their potential deal with Nike.

This comes after the news that the club have won their court battle against New Balance, via The Guardian.

New Balance were fighting for the right to continue making Liverpool’s kits from the summer of 2020, when their current deal ends, and the Reds are now expected to switch over to a £30m per year deal with Nike.

Of course, Nike bring an added element of star power, marketing brilliance and a wide array of partnered athletes, one of which is Mbappe, and Reds fans are flooding Twitter believing that the potential deal with Nike will bring the wonderkid to Anfield, because that’s how transfers work, right?

The World Cup winner has a ridiculous 106 senior goals for club and country at the tender of age of just 20.

Take a look at some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where even BT Sport have jumped on the bandwagon…

Chelsea: Fans react to Ashley Cole performance against Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is largely regarded as one of the best footballers of all-time and his incredible goal record of over 700 throughout his career would suggest he’s got the best out of many an opponent over the course of it.Â

Still, one opponent to have left a mark on the Juventus superstar is a certain Ashley Cole. Indeed, Ronaldo told Coach Mag (via Sky Sports) back in 2016 that the Englishman was one of his toughest opponents and that the former Arsenal ace does ‘not give you a second to breathe’.

Cole – who won pretty much every major trophy available to him as a Blue – was also part of a defence that limited the Portuguese to just one goal (albeit in a Champions League final) in 15 games against the west London giants, per Transfermarkt.

Chelsea’s official Twitter account decided to relive one of the games where Cole marked him ahead of the two sides meeting in the Carabao Cup tomorrow night, and some of the replies from Chelsea fans are brilliant.

Chelsea fans, how much do you miss this battle? Let us know below!

West Brom fans talk up Kenneth Zohore after his brace for the U23s

West Brom still hold that sole position atop the Championship table as we pass the first third of the season, and fans have been talking up an unlikely candidate ahead of Monday’s trip to Stoke City.

Despite not picking up a victory in their last two fixtures, the Baggies somehow have a two-point cushion from second-placed Preston North End.

On Saturday, Slaven Bilic’s men missed out on three points thanks to the referee’s dubious decision to award Charlton Athletic a 94th-minute penalty, which Josh Cullen duly dispatched.

Charlie Austin’s struggles in front of goal continued, meaning he’s netted just the one goal in ten appearances at the west Midlands club, while Hal Robson-Kanu bagged his second in three matches off the bench.

In midweek, Kenneth Zohore made his return from injury, playing for the U23 squad against Swansea City in the Premier League 2, which has led to some supporters calling for him to start against the Potters.

The 25-year-old has only scored two penalties for the senior side, but this latest showing saw him net an 11-minute brace, leading to fans hyping up his future prospects under Bilic.

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One supporter labelled his performance a ‘masterclass’ while another said Zohore was now ‘bagging a hattrick’ on Monday.

A further member of the Hawthorns faithful believed it was time to give him another chance, stating that Austin’s record wasn’t good enough, considering it is worse than two players who have played far less.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

Newcastle United fans laud Allan Saint-Maximin for tormenting display

A selection of Newcastle United fans lauded Allan Saint-Maximin for his tormenting display against West Ham United on Saturday, with a few suggesting it ended Pablo Zabaleta’s career as a professional footballer.

Saint-Maximin featured for 77 minutes in the Magpies’ 3-2 win over the Hammers, as Steve Bruce’s men recorded their third victory of the Premier League season to climb up to 15th in the table.

The Toon are now four points clear of the relegation places after 11 games, while defeat saw West Ham slip to 12th and are only one point above the St. James’ Park natives.

Saint-Maximin did not have a direct influence on any of Newcastle’s goals on Saturday, but his performance saw supporters flock to social media, with one noting that his display was ‘the stuff of dreams’.

Another suggested Zabaleta was having a ‘nightmare’ trying to contain the 5 ft 8 Frenchman, signed in the summer for £16.5million.

Watch Newcastle United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Saint-Maximin completed five of his seven dribbles against the Irons, more than any other Newcastle player, per WhoScored data. He also fashioned three shots, all of which were on target, and made 11 of his 18 passes in the final third.

The former OGC Nice man came close to opening his account for assists in the 36th-minute, too, when he breezed past Zabaleta on the wing and squared the ball to Miguel Almiron, but saw the Paraguayan’s shot saved before Jonjo Shelvey smashed the rebound over the bar.

Here are some of the messages shared…

Birmingham fans drool over Ivan Sunjic’s goal against Cardiff City

It was a highlight in an otherwise dreary day down in South Wales.

Although, if he keeps setting the bar like this, Birmingham City fans might just be in for a bit of a downfall if he starts scoring tap ins.

Ivan Sunjic came in with a bit of a reputation when he signed in the summer, with one Croatian journalist comparing the 23-year-old to Internazionale midfielder Marcelo Brozovic.

Quite high standards indeed, and those standards only got higher after his first goal for the club against Derby County, earning him the Goal of the Month award in the process.

He’s since gone about trying to better himself, and his second goal for the Blues might have been more impressive than the first one.

Watch Birmingham City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

That’s why Bluenoses can’t seem to get enough of it, taking every opportunity to watch the goal over and over again whilst drooling over the strike.

Indeed there were some who were rather annoyed that it didn’t get more recognition from those outside the club.

If he can make it three like this, it would possibly be the three greatest goals to start a club career since Wayne Rooney’s first three for Manchester United.

West Ham are right to put their trust in David Martin amid Roberto’s calamity

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

West Ham United are going to give David Martin a chance to show what he can do in goal, according to Football Insider.

Manuel Pellegrini is said to be ready to trial him in what is regarded as the first-team during international break training, and the view is that he will start against Tottenham Hotspur if he impresses.

This is the correct decision from the Hammers manager, as he simply can’t afford to blindly stick with Roberto after all of the mistakes he has made.

The shocking attempt at a punch against Burnley and terrible positioning for Newcastle’s second are among the most obvious errors, but there have been many more.

Watch West Ham United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

They have been costly for the team, who are now on a run of seven games without a win in all competitions, which has seen them drop down to 16th in the league.

When thinking of Martin’s on-pitch actions, many will likely think of his mistake for Millwall against Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup last season.

However, Phil Parkes has said the Englishman should not be judged on that moment alone, as reported by Claret & Hugh: “I think the manager needs to make sure that Alvin’s son Dave Martin is between the posts against Spurs.

“Ok, we know he had a bad game in a Cup match on television but before that, he had performed impeccably and has to be a better bet than the Spanish lad.”

The Englishman played 10 league games for Millwall last season, keeping 4 clean sheets and conceded 9 goals.

Considering Roberto has conceded 12 times in 6 Premier League games, it is definitely worth giving Martin a chance after the international break.

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