A Fan's View on Liverpool's Progress

  The World Cup is now over, and finally, Liverpool fans can get down to the real business - the excitement of the transfer market. Liverpool has been surprisingly efficient thus far in the market, a far cry from the January window. They however had to be efficient given the impending departure of one Luis Suarez, a talismanic figure who had almost singlehandedly taken Liverpool to the brink of Premier League glory last season. However, given all the column inches that have been dedicated to analysis of Suarez's departure and Liverpool’s hyperactivity in the transfer market, this post is simply yet another muse on Liverpool’s transfer dealings, an attempt to try and put forward the feelings of a simple fan.

Is Jon Flanagan Ready to Replace Glen Johnson as Liverpool's First Choice Right-Back?

As the complications regarding the contract of Glen Johnson do not look to end soon, the good news is that Liverpool have developed a player in their ranks who can be an apt replacement of the veteran English defender.

Experience of a Die-Hard Red at the Screening of Manchester United vs Liverpool

Football is all about experiences, and arguably it doesn't get bigger than a match between Manchester United and Liverpool. To have your fellow fans around you, cheering every tackle, groaning about every foul or celebrating every goal is a unique experience that doesn't happen very often, especially if you have been a Liverpool fan in the recent past.

Liverpool fans at the live screening

Liverpool's Transformation: From European Outcasts to One of the Most Attractive in Europe

The last time Liverpool played in the UEFA Champions League was in the 2009-10 season when they were eliminated in the Group Stage of the competition. Even though they managed to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League that season by virtue of their third placed finish in their group, they have been away from Europe's elite club competition since then.

Steven Gerrard deserves to play in the Champions League

Are Manchester United fans going overboard with the supposed superiority of Januzaj over Sterling?

In life situations arise when the less deserving person gets to hog the limelight more than the person who actually deserves it. Fame is something for which a person has to be not only performing well, but also be at the right place at the right time. For now it seems like it has been the exact case with Manchester United midfielder Adnan Januzaj and Liverpool youngster Raheem Sterling.

Of Loyalty and One Club Men

Football is a fickle game- allegiances change over time, and past heroes often become pantomime villains thanks to a wrong career move. Loyalty was held in high regard at one time in football, but given the huge paychecks that come with being a professional footballer, loyalty has become precious commodity in the sport these days.

Waxing lyrical about Suarez is no longer enough

Words seem to be insufficient to describe the performances of a man possessed by the burning desire to prove all his doubters and critics wrong. Coming off the back to a controversial 10-match ban for taking a liking to the taste of Branislav Ivanovic's hand in last season's game against Chelsea, Suarez was forced to miss the first five games of the Premier League this season. Since then, however, he has not looked back.

FIFA's decision to extend the voting deadline for Ballon d'Or may diminish the value of the award

Lets face it- we witnessed some magic last night in the Wold Cup playoffs. France overcame a 2-0 first leg deficit to win 3-2 on aggregate while Portugal gunned down Sweden in their own backyard to qualify for the tournament proper in Samba-land. All eyes were on three of the best footballers on the planet- Frank Ribery, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo- and none of them disappointed.

Is Frank Ribery's Ballon d'Or credentials on the line against Ukraine?

Many believe that Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery has got better as a player and is the most deserving candidate for the FIFA Ballon d'Or, after helping the Bundesliga outfit to the treble last season, including the UEFA Champions League. He capped off a great season by scooping the 2013 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award and is now one of the front-runners for this year's Ballon d'Or.

What is wrong with Real Madrid?

The derby defeat against Atletico coupled with a narrow victory over Elche and a draw against Villarreal this season, has left Carlo Ancelotti with a major task at hand, and very noticeable problems that Madrid’s record €100m signing can’t necessarily solve. On Wednesday, however, he has a chance to correct the team’s course against FC Copenhagen at home in the Champions League.

How will Suarez fit in to the current Liverpool lineup?

Liverpool will be facing Manchester United in the Third Round of the Capital Once Cup later tonight, and it will mark the return of Luis Suarez from his ten-match suspension for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic towards the end of last season. Liverpool, will no doubt welcome him with their arms wide open, especially considering that their juggernaut of four consecutive wins in the league and cup have been halted by a draw at Swansea and a defeat to Southampton at home.

Is Isco good enough to replace Ozil and Kaka at Real Madrid?

In my last post, I talked about the new evolution that is happening at Real Madrid, with them entrusting up-and-coming Spanish youngsters at the expense of Galacticos like Mesut Ozil, Kaka and Gonzalo Higuain to carry them ahead in the near future, signing the likes of Isco, Aiser Illarramendi and Dani Carvajal, and promoting Nacho, Alvaro Morata and Jese Rodriguez to the first team. I have talked about why I think Asier Illarramendi will be crucial to Real Madrid's success in the near future, and its time to look at another of their potential superstars in the making. 

Why Asier Illarramendi will be crucial to Real Madrid's success in the near future...

Having already sealed the €30 million signing of Isco and brought back former youth prospect Dani Carvajal to Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid are now hot on the tails of the latest Spain starlet to emerge in La Liga: Asier Illarramendi of Real Sociedad. If reports are to be believed, Real Madrid are hoping to seal the capture of the central midfielder later this week, with the fee possibly amounting to €30 million.

How does Isco fit in at Real Madrid?

Real Madrid's first signing of the Carlo Ancelotti era is Malaga's attacking midfielder Isco, for a figure reported to be around €30 million. Having recently been on duty with the successful Spanish under-21 side at the European Championships, the whole continent has awoken to the talents of the creative player over the past 12 months. 

After a season of unrest and playing catch up in La Liga, Real Madrid will see the signing as symbolic of the new regime. They will once again be filled with optimism that they can become the dominant power domestically and, given time, finally reclaim their European crown.

Is Henrikh Mkhitaryan Worth £20 million?

I see a lot of old photos of Henrikh Mkhitaryan signing Liverpool jerseys doing the rounds on social media, and I wonder if he really is worth the £20 million or so (multiple figures have been quoted by multiple sources, so I'm not sure which is the exact figure) Liverpool are supposed to be shelling out to acquire his services.

Is F.C. Porto the best “selling club” in Europe?

Some of the dealings that Porto have done over the last 4-5 years seems to suggest that Porto have got a good knack for making a profit in the transfer market. They seem to buy talented players on the cheap, and then make huge profits from their sales a couple of years later. Here’s a look at a few of their dealings.

Footballers and their Celebrity Lookalikes v2.0

Here's a look at a few more footballers and their celebrity lookalikes...

Mario Gomez & Crispin Glover

 

Footballers and their Celebrity Lookalikes v1.0

Here's a look at a few footballers and their Hollywood lookalikes...

Andrea Pirlo & Chuck Norris

 

Player Performance Analysis 2012-13: Iago Aspas

With Iago Aspas reportedly undergoing a medical at Melwood, I have tried to analyze his statistics (courtesy Squawka) from this season's La Liga as to what I think Liverpool will be getting for the reported £7.7 million that they are paying Celta Vigo.

Should Pepe Reina be allowed to leave?

Pepe Reina has been consistently linked with Barcelona ever since Victor Valdes refused to renew his contract which expires at the end of next season.  With Reina expected to leave for the Camp Nou, Liverpool have lined up Sunderland’s Simon Mignolet and Stoke City’s Asmir Begovic as potential replacements should the Spaniard leave.