Liverpool Long Term Story



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So often in the games we play that first goal is so important, if we manage to get it there's very little chance of us getting beat and that usually gives us the injection of confidence to win the game comfortably. That's exactly what happened today, Henderson with the opening goal, Coutinho scored our second and Firmino came off the bench to score, he could hardly miss. That's his first goal in a while though so a good one for his confidence. We play Preston or Scunthorpe in the next round.

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[video=youtube;dn0TdryQcgs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn0TdryQcgs[/video]

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Again not for the first time the first goal took a little while to come, Wijnaldum with it but when it did come we really find our confidence and kick on. Origi got on the score sheet and Firmino even scored as well, winning a penalty and converting it. Our fourth and final goal was something special, a rocket from 25 yards from Gini Wijnaldum, he couldn't of hit that better!

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[video=youtube;JsmQ6Rylksc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsmQ6Rylksc[/video]

We weren't great today, the team struggled to break Sunderland down who are struggling in the relegation zone. They take a surprise lead from a beautiful free kick from Mooy, we did manage to get one back in the first half fom Origi but we couldn't get through again and the game ended 1-1. Unfortunately for us Emre Can picked up n injury in this match as well, he'll be out for the next 3 weeks.

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[video=youtube;C_dId0ouG-8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_dId0ouG-8[/video]

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We already know about the Emre Can injury but unfortunately for us, the shoe in to play defensive midfield tomorrow night against Sporting, Jordan Henderson picked up an injury today, stubbing his toe. Trent will almost certainly play now.

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I feel like we really struggled in this game, particularly in midfield, we did take the lead from an own goal but Sporting hit back. Gelson Martins who Liverpool have been linked with this summer is 24 now and he was a constant problem but it was youngster Marques who scored twice to dampen our spirits and give Sporting the lead. Cameron Brannagan came off the bench to score a brilliant solo goal smashing home from outside box in the second half, perhaps showing he should of started the game over Ejaria. That goal rescued a draw today and there's work to be done in the second leg.

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[video=youtube;ItNn9o952Ss]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItNn9o952Ss[/video]

As we approach the business end of the season it looks for all the money that we're going to win our third league title and our third in a row as well! We started off this update really confidently, dispatching of Chelsea in the FA Cup and beating Bournemouth 4-0 in the league but lately we've struggled a bit, dropping points away to Sunderland and we really struggled drawing up against Sporting without our two first choice defensive midfielders. Next time there's more action in the FA Cup, moving in to the Fifth Round against Preston, we also play Man City in the EFL Cup Final.

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I rested quite a few players today and there's always a worry that you might of made too many changes but we managed to get back to winning ways today. Camacho crossing low to the back post to set up Sheyi Ojo giving us the lead, Divock Origi wasn't great today and he's been a bit hot and cold lately, I think he might just need a rest. Roberto Firmino on the other hand surely has to start our next game with two goals off the bench today, that's four in his last four games coming off the bench as well!

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[video=youtube;k19UWKxnUhQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k19UWKxnUhQ[/video]

Interestingly we play Sheffield Wednesday in the Quarter Finals of the FA Cup and they caused an upset in the last two rounds, knocking out Premier League opposition in QPR and Stoke.

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A really poor display today, Tottenham take the lead from a Harry Kane strike from distance and they never looked like losing. Incredibly this is our first defeat of the season! We can't be too disappointed but we deserved to lose today, of course I rested a few players for the EFL Cup Final at the weekend and they didn't look good enough today. Eriksen made it two early in the second half, Mane did get one back but Spurs made sure of the points with a Ziyech penalty late on.

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[video=youtube;Kb2-357SGwg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb2-357SGwg[/video]

Origi hasn't been on the best of form of late but he performed in the big one today opening the scoring, Raheem Sterling got one back against his former club but we had too much for City today, they did have a few injuries mind. Sadio Mane added a second and Brannagan came off the bench to make an impact yet again, a goal for him today.

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[video=youtube;3Nw8G4TNFgQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Nw8G4TNFgQ[/video]

With a big game in Europe to come against Sporting, where we really need a win to go through I took the chance to rotate the squad here. You wouldn't of known the difference though, we looked really good and there was three different scorers in Camacho, Firmino and Ejaria.

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Barring a disappointing lose to Tottenham where we did rest quite a few players with the EFL Cup Final coming up against Man City, we've been in good form of late beating City 3-1 in the final and defeating Preston and Watford by three goals. Next time we've got a massive game in Europe at home to Sporting and hopefully we can win all of our four games!

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We could of got off to a flying start winning a penalty inside the first minute but unfortunately Divock Origi couldn't convert, the lads really did make a stomping start though Sheyi Ojo with the goal. Origi had a really poor game today and his replacement off the bench, Roberto Firmino had a fantastic game today, scoring twice and showing he should of started the game!

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[video=youtube;x0BwaJJgUtk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0BwaJJgUtk[/video]

We really made it hard for ourselves today, playing a second string team the lads just didn't look on their game. Sheffield Wednesday even took a shocking lead late in the game but the substitutions of Origi and Camacho rescued the win coming on today with a goal for each of them. We play Man City in the Semi Finals.

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Really nothing to talk about here we just couldn't break West Brom down and they did defend really well. Firmino unfortunately picked up an injury to give us further bad news, we just have to hope Origi steps up in his place.

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The draw for the Quarter Finals of the Champions League was here and we drew PSG, a repeat of the 2017/18 Final then and I can't wait! Interestingly there is five teams from England in the last eight of the Champions League this year.

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It wasn't a vintage display today we only beat Crystal Palace by the one goal from Sadio Mane but we dominated the ball, just under 70% poessession and they really didn't have a chance when we just had the one and Mane converted it.

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[video=youtube;7Lr06vRUYqg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Lr06vRUYqg[/video]

We didn't get the job done at West Brom drawing 0-0 and even in games against Sheffield Wednesday and Crystal Palace we just about got the victories but the real showing was beating Sporting 3-0 at home to advance in the Champions League. Next time we've got those two huge games against PSG coming up and in between a home game against City but I know which games I'll be taking seriously!

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Divock Origi really does love playing against QPR, earlier in the season he hit a hat trick against them and today he opened the scoring before adding a second. That's five goals in two games against them this season! Mane completed the scoring to round off a good display from the lads, collecting all three points.

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[video=youtube;V7PBrN72rxI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7PBrN72rxI[/video]

Frustrating for Emre Can picking up another injury, his second in a matter of weeks after not long returning from injury long ago, the good news is he's only out for two weeks.

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I was licking my lips at the potential of playing this game, a rematch of the 2017/18 Champions League final, this is our biggest game of the season. Sadio Mane got us off to the perfect start with an early goal but unfortunately for us our star man Divock Origi got sent off for a poor tackle and I've got to say I was fearing the worst. There was no need to panic though, we played the rest of the match without a striker but still managed to go on to win 4-0!!

Nathaniel Clyne scored a wonderful goal today and you wouldn't expect to see him on the scoresheet! In the second half Matip was fouled in the box and Wijnaldum stepped up to convert the spot kick from 12 yards. Coutinho completed the scoring arriving in the box in the absence of a striker and youngster Niend got sent off late on for PSG, fantastic performance! That should be enough to secure our place in the Semis!

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[video=youtube;VrItBblm9VA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrItBblm9VA[/video]

Poor in the week against PSG, today was all about Divock Origi he smashed home a brilliant goal to open the scoring and amass his 50th goal of the season! Oh but he wasn't done there he was fouled just before half time and confidently stepped up to take the penalty, Aguero pouched on a rebound late in the match but we did enough to hold on and take the victory.

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[video=youtube;hvw_lkEqupc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvw_lkEqupc[/video]

I wasn't quite sure how to approach this, missing Divock Origi of course so out of form Firmino steps up to play up front. Without really creating any chances I feel we controlled the game at times, more in the first half and we did concede two goals in the second half, the first from Saul and the second from Cavani but it doesn't mean a lot we might of lost the game but we go through to the Semi Finals. Man United await then and what a fantastic occasion that's gonna be!

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[video=youtube;YRV6CeVmx1c]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRV6CeVmx1c[/video]

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We've almost done it, lifting the title yet again this year seems almost inevitable now, we just need one win to confirm it and hopefully that comes against Stoke in our next game. Another really good run of games for Liverpool, we might of lost to PSG in France but we go through after winning the home game 4-0. There was also wins against QPR and City to celebrate. Next time we should be lifting the title, we've got the FA Cup Semi Final against Man CIty and of course the first leg of that huge European clash away to Man United!


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Just gone through your story start to finish and have found it to be inspiring!
How much cash do you have in the bank?
Remarkable that you've achieved so much with no real spending!
 
deakz said:
Just gone through your story start to finish and have found it to be inspiring!
How much cash do you have in the bank?
Remarkable that you've achieved so much with no real spending!
Click to expand...

Thank you so much, i'm glad you really like my story. As you can see there is over £500M in the bank, incredibly with spending being so low, we've been making a profit year on year. My plan is to hopefully build a huge stadium with a capacity of at least 75,000 maybe even 80,000, unfortunately the club still has some outstanding bank loans to pay off but we have paid just over half of it. I'm hoping in a season or two if we get that far, we can look at building a new stadium.

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It took us awhile to make the breakthrough today, it came in the second half Matip knocking on for Gomez to pounce on the ball. Ex Liverpool man Alberto Moreno fouled Origi late in the game and the Belgian stepped up to score the penalty, completing the scoring with the game finishing 2-0.

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[video=youtube;YRe9bmLjqHA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRe9bmLjqHA[/video]

Unfortunately for him Ovie EJaria picked up an injury at a really important time of the season but the good news is that 2-0 victory against Stoke was enough to secure the title yet again this season! For a third consecutive year as well! We've done incredibly well to win it three times in a row and a real dominant period in the our recent history.

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What a performance from Divock Origi today, our full backs both assisting him in the first half and he managed to score four today! When we will his performances stop? At just 24 hopefully not for a while yet, he's one of the best players around now and Firmino even came off the bench to score a peach today, completing the scoring at 5-0.

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[video=youtube;rETNWwFU-xk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rETNWwFU-xk[/video]

The lads really did look comfortable in the first half despite Divock Origi missing a penalty after Joe Hart saved very early in the game, we did score two early goals from Mane and Coutinho. City really did fight back in the second half and Dybala pulled back with a brace, I was feeling the pressure but incredibly Firmino stepped up and scored the winner in dramatic style, smashing his volley home from Clyne's cross!!

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[video=youtube;KKrU_Erd1H4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKrU_Erd1H4[/video]

Ben Chilwell picked up an injury which unfortunately will keep him out for the rest of the season and that win against Man City set up a huge clash against arch rivals Man United in the final of the FA Cup. What a game that is going to be!

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This game was really close, looking back I think maybe a went a little bit too attacking but i really wanted to get that away goal. Marcus Rashford gave United the lead early in the second half and it was clear we needed to make changes, the decisive one was Roberto Firmino coming on to convert the penalty and earn us a crucial away goal. Infact that goal is his third in his last three games, coming off the bench in every game. The game ended 1-1 and the home tie will be close but I know we can do it!

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[video=youtube;HJQ7RZOzgkI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJQ7RZOzgkI[/video]

A really solid good run from the lads as we approach the real business end of the season, we won both of our Premier League games lifting the title on the first opportunity. We knocked out Man City in the Semi Finals of the FA Cup and we earned a vital away goal and draw against Man United in the Champions League. Next time we've got the last games of the season, a tough home game against United with a place in the final of the Champions League at stake and we also play them in the Final of the FA Cup too.

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With that ginormous game against United coming up and the title already secured I was always going to take the chance to rest quite a few players and even try out a few youngsters here. Gavin Tonge did okay at right back but perhaps more impressively was 18 year old John Shields, making his debut and first start for the club in the absence of injured Ben Chilwell, he looked impressive at left back.

It wasn't the most likely of scorers, Ben Woodburn also getting a start on the right wing, took his chance very nicely and that put us ahead. Emre Can another player who came in today, secured all three points with a goal and our second of the day. He was actually playing centre back today, I can see him playing that role next season especially with Klavan leaving last summer, other options include 33 year old Lucas Leiva who has actually done pretty well and young Gavin Tonge as well.

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[video=youtube;8sTitLuGRZY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sTitLuGRZY[/video]

Firmino with yet another goal today, opening the scoring early on, he hasn't had his best season, Origi has outscored him but he really has scored some massive goals this season! Just when you think about dropping him I swear he just pops up with a goal out of nowhere and a what a goal from Gini Wijnaldum today, smashing our second of the game in the top bin. I swear the goals he scores in the big games are so crucial!! Mkhitaryan did get one back shortly after in the second half but we held strong and progressed through to the Final!

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[video=youtube;SmQEeGMlwTE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmQEeGMlwTE[/video]

Unlucky for Ben Woodburn coming off injured in that game against Man United, he'll miss the end of our season now. We were waiting in anticipation for the opponent in the Final of the Champions League and that will be Arsenal, which will surely prove to be a tough game.

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The team really missed Sadio Mane today, I even played Trent on the right of midfield. Who else but Roberto Firmino, banging in another goal! Unfortunately though Joe Gomez was complacent in possession and Romelu Lukaku punished his mistake, I'm not too disappointed, I did rest a couple of players because we've got two huge games coming up!

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It might look like a bad result and you would think we would of done better but I really did rest a lot of players with two cup finals coming up! John Shields played again at left back, Trent at right back and the whole of the back four were rested with Gomez and Can coming in at centre back. Ejaria returning from injury provided the assist for Coutinho to score coming off the bench but that wasn't enough after two brilliant strikes from Alexis Sanchez earlier in the game. We couldn't push on for another goal but i'm not too disappointed hopefully when our players our fresher for those big games coming very soon we can push on and win!

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[video=youtube;-Bs935Wtu1o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Bs935Wtu1o[/video]

There's not much left to play for in the league season and I think that was showcased by our results in the league this update, the important thing was beating United and advancing to the final of the Champions League!! Next time find out if we can beat Arsenal in the final of the Champions League and we also play United in the FA Cup Final to conclude the season!

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This game was really really close, we could and should of took the lead in the first half when Coutinho's header was straight at the keeper. United where coming in to the game more as time went by but it was substitute Divock Origi who provided what I thought was going to be the winner. Unfortunately Gini Wijnaldum brought his man down just one minute later! Higuain stepped up and converted the penalty and on to penalties we went with the game finishing 1-1 after extra time.

I wasn't massively confident going in to this, United had a lot of experienced players and our usually penalty taker Origi hasn't got the best of records I wasn't quite sure what order to put him as. It turned out our first two penalty takers Wijnaldum and Coutinho both missed their penalties and things really weren't looking good. Sadio Mane stepped up and the score was 1-1 after three pens each, with Mkhitaryan missing United's third kick.

Incredibly we managed to convert our last four penalties, with Emre Can, Divock Origi and finally Dejan Lovren with our sixth penalty making himself a hero! I went absolute mental celebrating, beating United on penalties oh what a feeling!! What a game and it was Loris Karius who previously saved the sixth penalty from Anthony Martial, definitely deserves a mention particularly for the penalty save against Memphis Depay for United's second penalty, which was right in the corner!

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[video=youtube;uzKMDXHIoF0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzKMDXHIoF0[/video]

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I wasn't going to but I decided it would be a good idea to play three at the back today, I even wanted to put our match preparation focused on attacking set pieces but seems that most of our team are still tired after 120 minutes against United and resting from training, there wasn't much point. On to the game and again a really close one, very few chances and Arsenal probably had the better of the first half.

Brannagan coming off the bench in the second half was clearly inspired to get the winner after he seemed to take the ball of Coutinho and curl his brilliant shot from distance on to the post. The man we will all be talking about, stealing the headlines today though is Sadio Mane poaching on a loose ball that Jeremy Toljan the Arsenal left back didn't seem bothered about. Sadio still had to beat Cech and he found the corner as if there was no pressure whats so ever, fantastic! What a season and yet again Sadio Mane scoring the winner in the Champions League Final, incredible!! The goals he has scored have been so so important!!

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[video=youtube;2AJO66m7z1c]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AJO66m7z1c[/video]

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It wasn't just a great season for the senior team at Liverpool this season either, our young lads in the under 18s have been brilliant this year, spectacularly winning the Champions League at youth level!! I did a bit of research and the the UEFA Youth League was actually only founded back in 2013, some of you might remember Chelsea winning it in back to back seasons, both in 2014-15 and 15-16. Unlike Chelsea I can see myself using quite a few of these youth prospects in the first team and I expect a few to make the grade as well. The back four of Martin Morris, Jamie Thomas, Gavin Tonge, Juan Torres and John Shields all have great potential, I'm hopeful they all have a bright future, Camacho as well, Joe Fairs who plays as a winger too and a young striker called Matthew Harris.

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Two fantastic performances against two very tough opponents, we made it hard for ourselves but we've ended the season with two wins and two trophies! I'm absolutely delighted!! This has got to be our best season yet!

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Another very good season, recording our third consecutive league title in a row! Perhaps not as dominant as previous seasons but still in title winning form none the less, Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea complete the top four. With unfortunate victims of relegation, Southampton, Brighton and Swansea all going down. We also knocked Man United off their perch by lifting our 21st title and becoming the most decorated team in the English Premier League.

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Finally Divock Origi's world class form has been rewarded with awards in the league! He claimed both the Player's Player of the Year and the Footballer of the Year too, it's about time but I'm glad his form has finally started to be recognised. Divock also won the Premier League Golden Boot this year as well, taking home the award for Top Goalscorer way ahead of the likes of Harry Kane and Mauro Icardi. Player's Young Player of the Year was taken home by Chelsea's Moise Kean.

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Loris Karius once again took home the Golden Glove award this year, he couldn't get near his incredible record set last year but he did miss two games through injury. Just about coming ahead of Hugo Lloris and Petr Cech, amassing a very impressive 23 clean sheets in 36 games.

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No less than five Liverpool players in the Player's Team of the Year, all very consistent and deserving places in Gini Wijnaldum, Divock Origi, Phillipe Coutinho, Joel Matip and Loris Karius. In the Champions League Dream Team our side was utterly dominant storming the team with no less than seven players! Too many to mention but our defence is clearly rated highly with four of the back five completing the back line.

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Another season of top quality from this group of lads, at some points of this season Divock Origi was on fire and virtually not capable of being dropped as a result, Firmino did chip in with a very impressive 25 goals and some very important ones but Origi smashed it this year with 57 goals!! Coutinho and Mane were both very influential, hitting double figures for goals and assists not for the first season. Sheyi Ojo also achieved that accolade this season as well, he even had more goals and assists than Coutinho combined!

I really don't no where to start with the rest of the team, they really was so many stand out performers this year, both of our first choice full backs, Clyne and Taylor were both very good and consistent. Joe Gomez really stepped up and performed as a first team player this year, it goes without saying that Henderson, WIjnaldum and Can were all reliable in midfield.

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The Fans Player of the Season was Nathaniel Clyne, i could make a case for lots of players but Clyne was really impressive this year, especially defensively I can see why he won it. Joe Gomez won the Fans Young Player of the Season and he and Sheyi Ojo have really enjoyed breakout seasons. No surprise with Origi and Mane both being the top shirt sales as well.

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Squad Update Two - Goalkeepers

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Starting off with Loris Karius, the number one keeper and he's beginning to earn that tag now, really dominating the team in terms of selection often the only player to play every game in the last three years. Almost every game, in our third season he broke the record for clean sheets in a league season with 30! A record breaking unbeatable season for the team as well. It's evident to see that Karius has improved upon his handling and he catches the ball a lot more in games now but what should he improve next? At the age of just 26 soon to turn 27 this month, we're about to see him at the peak of his powers in the next few years and I'm not worried about the position of goalkeeper for years to come!

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[video=youtube;4X3afGhuXGY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X3afGhuXGY[/video]

Kamil Grabara really improved a lot in the first squad update, his first two seasons under my management but in the last two seasons his progress has been halted a bit, he hasn't made much improvement. I think it's time to loan him out and you'll see in the next update I bring in another keeper to do exactly that. Kamil did get some game time last season with Karius injured but only a couple of games, he looked pretty good in those games though.

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There's a couple of players in these updates who signed their first professional deals this summer and Big Jon Coleman is one of them. He actually looks pretty decent, very tall at 6 foot and 6 inches and he's already gained a stone after just two years at Liverpool! The guy is very big and stocky, currently at 18 years old he weighs in at 14 stone and 2 pounds!!Potentially he could become a beast and a real montain of a man playing goalkeeper in the future, I hope he makes it at Liverpool!

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Squad Update Two - Full Backs

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Nathaniel Clyne was brilliant last season and probably had has best season at Liverpool! That wonder goal against PSG well be remembered for a long time to come, he also played his most games with 43 and had his best average rating of 7.52 over the season. Clyne won't be 30 until April next year and the fact that he played 43 games last season, 35 in the 18/19 season, 41 in 17/18 and just 27 in 16/17 he did have a long injury though, that really shows that Trent has been used as rotation at right back. Also he should have a good last few years as a result of not playing every game.

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Moving on to Alexander-Arnold then, you really do have to feel sorry for the lad. Clyne has proved reliable this past season in defence but I really think it's time to start looking towards the future now. Trent didn't make his debut until the 17/18 season but in the last three years at Liverpool he's played in 86 matches and starting 76 of those games. If he's good enough next season, maybe the season after, he will get lots of games. That's when you should you really see him step up and be our first choice at right back.

Come to think about it Trent can play a number of positions, playing him at right wing back with three at the back is possibly his best position but we've also seen him played at defensive midfield which may also be a good option. He may need to improve his passing a bit more to play there though, I have to say that this guy is probably the most improved out of any player in the team so far. I've had him training on improving his composure, passing, crossing and marking, he hasn't complained once. The sheer determination to continue to work hard and progress in to a better player is outstanding and surely that warrants him a chance to play more often?

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[video=youtube;d3Dyx64OEBw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3Dyx64OEBw[/video]

Left back has been a position Charlie Taylor has largely held down from roughly halfway through our second season and he's been ever present since. Usually always first choice at left back, Ben Chilwell has give him competition but he has proved to better. At 26 he''s finally broke in to the England squad, I had previously criticised the England manager a few years ago but it didn't seem to have an affect. Until a few months ago still yet to make his debut though. Not much else to say other than he's reliable and consistent, he's done much better than I expected.

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[video=youtube;As4_Qes7sTg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As4_Qes7sTg[/video]

Talking of Ben Chilwell, who has only really been involved as a rotation option to rest Taylor for the past two seasons but he's definitely seen more game time. In some games he looks really good but some times in big European games he's not looked great. I do see improvements from him though, at 23 now he has to challenge Charlie Taylor for his spot in the team.

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The trouble is John Shields really didn't look bad playing those last two Premier League games at the end of last season. I've got really high hopes for this lad and I really think he'll be the first of the regens to break in to the first team, maybe next season or a season after but that would surely mean that one of either Chilwell or Taylor would have to be sold. I'll be sending him out on loan next season because there's another young left back coming in this summer transfer window as well!

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[video=youtube;g_5uhhQ7D5M]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_5uhhQ7D5M[/video]

A player from our academy in Jamie Thomas, he does look like a promising talent and physically very good as well. Like Nathaniel Clyne you can see he's more of a defensive right back although capable of playing both wing back and centre back. With Clyne at 29 this season, Jamie might get his chance sooner rather than later. I mean I'm not sure if he'll be able to displace Alexander-Arnold in the coming years but I'm sure he will get plenty of game time to develop his career further.

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Squad Update Two - Centre Backs

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At 28 years old Joel Matip should be right at the prime of his career right now and in his own right he really has developed in to a world class central defender. He continues to put in top quality performances, usually deployed on the right of defence alongside Dejan Lovren but even playing on the left of defence with Joe Gomez on the right, Matip never looks out of place. It's easy to see when he doesn't play, we really miss him in the back line.

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[video=youtube;wTepm0bvYHU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTepm0bvYHU[/video]

Dejan Lovren has definetely exceeded expectations, I didn't think he would do anywhere near as well as he has done and credit has to go to him for that. His partnership with Joel Matip has been nothing short of unstoppable of course we do have Joe Gomez really pushing for a first team place, coming off from a real breakout season. At 30 though Lovren still has a few good years left in his career but you can expect Gomez to play more games as seasons go by.

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[video=youtube;9tUgjze0OoE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tUgjze0OoE[/video]

Speaking of Joe Gomez I was really impressed with him this season, for the most part he looked very comfortable and came out of defence very well. The odd mistake in his game but he is still quite young, hopefully that will stop as he gains more experience playing matches. I really hope this lad has a really good career because the platform is certainly there for him, I can't hold him back forever.

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[video=youtube;2QbCik_DQoU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QbCik_DQoU[/video]​
 
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Squad Update Two - Midfielders

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Our captain Jordan Henderson continues to anchor the midfield from deep, the pass before the pass. He really is a class player and although he's turning 30 this month, I'm sure that there's plenty still left in the tank. While he's still playing, I'm hopeful that this winning tradition can continue for at least a few years to come.

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[video=youtube;WeZ9gWGddOE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeZ9gWGddOE[/video]

Emre Can is on a similar level in midfield and while he offers different attributes and traits at defensive midfield, he still gives a good option without Henderson in that position. Towards the end of last season, we did see him used as a centre back on some occasions. Can was okay but I still think he's better in midfield, I've often used him as a bit of a utility man, covering lots of positions. With Hendo, Wijnaldum, Lovren and even Matip not getting any younger though, you can quite easily see him finding a place in the starting eleven and rightfully so.

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[video=youtube;6WemrFnJm3g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WemrFnJm3g[/video]

I'm not quite sure if Pedro Chirivella will be good enough to make it at Liverpool, much like Cameron Brannagan he's just a little bit lightweight in midfield. Last season he spent out on loan at German club FC Koln and it wasn't a great loan spell, the encouraging thing is the progress he has made in training, really improved as a player. His mental attributes are very good, especially for his age and the good news is if Can plays as a fourth choice centre half, there is a place for Chirivella to play as back up defensive midfielder to Henderson.

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[video=youtube;LULflOkNMDQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LULflOkNMDQ[/video]

Gini Wijnaldum is a bit of an unsung hero for me, he doesn't get much of a mention in real life either but he goes about his business in a professional tidy manner and his performances have been superb season after season, so god **** under rated!! We all know about his big goals but you don't see the full picture sometimes, he really does keep the ball so so well and often he doesn't steal the headlines because he's the player getting up and down, winning the ball and giving it, again and again to the more creative players in the team.

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[video=youtube;9mD4tb2kjGo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mD4tb2kjGo[/video]

I'm really impressed with the amount of progress Cameron Brannagan has made over the last four years perhaps not as much as other some other players but he's certainly right up there. He even went on loan for the second half of our third season to Borussia Mochengladbach after not featuring much earlier in the season, one thing is for sure though, he really has continued to develop year after year, getting better and better. Cameron is a bit lightweight, particularly playing in midfield you want players to have a bit about them, he's very much a creative player but in games were we have the majority of the ball, he's more than capable of playing well, even making a difference from the bench.

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[video=youtube;flEHWkVgX-I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flEHWkVgX-I[/video]

I guess you could say Ovie Ejaria is a little bit further down the pecking order than Brannagan but that's not to say he can't push ahead of him. Ejaria does have a few years on him and particularly in the last two seasons, when he's played more games, the lad has really kicked on and progressed really well as a player. Unfortunately with Naby Keita coming in as our summer signing, Ovie Ejaria might have to go out on loan for a season but I think we'll be seeing him again.

​
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[video=youtube;mtCRDIOsJM8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtCRDIOsJM8[/video]​
 
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Squad Update Two - Attacking Midfielders

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Season after season Mane performs and shows us he's one of our best players, I am aware that the career of a winger is a short one but Sadio Mane has shown no sign of slowing up any time soon. At 28 it may be time to look for someone who can replicate his brilliance in the future but physically he's still in fantastic shape and I reckon he'll be bringing it for a few years yet.

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[video=youtube;lwO4rftcodE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwO4rftcodE[/video]

Philippe Coutinho has continued to get better and better, I mean sometimes it seemed like he might leave us for another club, of course there's going to be clubs after one of the best players in the world but I really do think we've done incredibly well to keep hold of him. Impressively Coutinho has slotted in to a midfield role with complete ease, as he gets older and perhaps loses a bit of pace, you might see him play in midfield more often but right now at almost 28 he's more than capable of playing on the left wing and it is nice to have the versatility.

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[video=youtube;b6smNbeSyu4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6smNbeSyu4[/video]

Sheyi Ojo is a player I've been really impressed with over the years, like so many others he's progressed really really well and he's just starting to cement his place in the first team now. With Coutinho moving in to midfield, there's a place for him out there on the left wing but he just has to perform more in the big games and more consistently bringing his best game as well.

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[video=youtube;5LsjaXdSsW8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LsjaXdSsW8[/video]

It's difficult for Camacho with the likes of Mane, Coutinho and Ojo ahead of him but he's probably one of our first substitutes when we need to make a change. The good news is he's only 20 and he continues to improve as a player, there's plenty of years left for him and by the time that the likes of Coutinho and Mane get a bit older, he should make a real push and hopefully find his starting place in the team.

​
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[video=youtube;y0keOnvr7oA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0keOnvr7oA[/video]​
 
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Squad Update Two - Strikers

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Roberto Firmino is a player who at the age he is, won't improve too much but he's already world class. The biggest credit I can pay him is that he's still playing the big games over Divock Origi, not every game but when he's not in the team you can see he's frustrated and he wants to be in there. Unfortunately for him though, in the last few years Origi really has outscored him season after season, he's second choice and with Ben Woodburn and Taiwo Awoniyi patiently waiting for their chance, we could see Firmino leave in the near future.

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[video=youtube;96RY_WwqvLI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96RY_WwqvLI[/video]

Moving on to Divock Origi and at 25 years old, he's already banged in nearly 200 goals for Liverpool!! He's not even hit his peak yet and his scoring record under my management has been nothing short of world class. If he carries on at the rate he's going, I would back him to beat Ian Rush's record of Liverpool's top goalscorer!! Time will tell, currently he has 182 goals for Liverpool in 203 appereances and Rush's record stands at 346 goals in 622 appereances! He's halfway there already!

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[video=youtube;151RDuYVN7M]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=151RDuYVN7M[/video]

I feel a bit sorry for Ben Woodburn sometimes, with these two lads ahead of him in the pecking order and performing at a world class level he really hasn't stood a chance of making the first team. Next season I'm sending him out on loan though and although he has improved a decent amount, I'm hoping that this loan spell will be the making of him. When Woodburn has been given a chance, he's look pretty good so hopefully he will make the Liverpool team one day.

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[video=youtube;n9spAVdXSwQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9spAVdXSwQ[/video]

I've been really impressed with the progress Taiwo Awoniyi has made in his development. He's got a lot better but the trouble is there's already some very talented strikers at the club, some mixed loan spells from Taiwo, his second season at AZ was a poor one even being dropped. On loan at PSV last season he was banging in the goals hitting something like 15 in his first 12 games! His form for the rest of the season wasn't as good but he still scored goals and incredibly he hit 14 goals in just 8 starts for his country, Nigeria. One more season out on loan and Awoniyi will have dutch citizenship, after spending five years in the country. I have to say monitoring this guy on loan, he's certainly something different. The lad is a confidence player, he scores and starts banging them in but then he can hit a dry spell nether the less, it will be interesting to finally see him!

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Very nice performance out there, Mate!
Always love Liverpool.

And Karius really do something good, while Origi and Lovren is not really Deadwood :p

Charlie Taylor actually pretty good isn't it?
Done some good crossing

I knew him from my Leeds, my Top Class Fullback, unfortunately Request to Transfer List on January in my first season
 
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Belphegor said:
Very nice performance out there, Mate!
Always love Liverpool.

And Karius really do something good, while Origi and Lovren is not really Deadwood :p

Charlie Taylor actually pretty good isn't it?
Done some good crossing

I knew him from my Leeds, my Top Class Fullback, unfortunately Request to Transfer List on January in my first season
Click to expand...

Thanks mate, really appreciate the nice feedback. Karius has probably surprised me more than anyone, he's perfect for the way I play but I never thought he would of been this good! I bet Taylor was destroying the Championship haha, I bet you were gutted :( . When I signed him there was something like six mid to low end of the table PL teams after him. I thought he's only gonna end up playing every game and then he'll be £15-20M if I tried to sign him a year or two later. He's quality though mate, honestly looks like one of the bargains of the century ;)
 
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