• Liverpool FC

    Posted on November 30th, 2008

    Written by Paul Tomkins

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    Plea For Perceptive Punditry

    Liverpool will never win the league while Rafa Benítez keeps tinkering. That is the view of renowned intellect, existentialist and bon viver, Stanley Victor Collymore. Are we having our intelligence insulted by a ‘wife/(Ulrika)-beater’ and ‘dogger’ who wasted his career and, to my knowledge, has never managed a football team, and has therefore not developed [...]

  • Liverpool FC - Books

    Posted on November 24th, 2008

    Written by Paul Tomkins

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    Dynasty: The Graeme Souness Years

    Dynasty: The Graeme Souness Years

    Abridged excerpt from “Dynasty: 50 Years of Shankly’s Liverpool”, book available here. Graeme Souness 1991-1994 Introduction On paper it was the perfect appointment. A canny ex-Liverpool player (and a Scot, to boot) with exacting standards, and whose football education after leaving Anfield had continued in the rarified tactical arena of Italy, before enjoying success north [...]

  • What Did We Learn?

    Posted on November 21st, 2008

    Written by Paul Tomkins

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    What Did We Learn #2: In Praise of Pepe Reina and Zonal Marking

    Perhaps the main thing we learned this week, following victory at Bolton and the fortunes of various other keepers, was how thankful we should be for Pepe Reina, and pray that he stays fit. We also learned that the Reds’ zonal marking is back to its best. (When I say ‘learned’ in these pieces, it [...]

  • Liverpool FC

    Posted on November 17th, 2008

    Written by Paul Tomkins

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    Is it now or Never for Liverpool?

    Clearly, this is the best chance Liverpool have had to win the league title for almost 20 years. But it could also be the best chance for the next few years. Not that I think the Reds will peak this season, because it’s a fairly young team with scope to keep improving, but simply because [...]

  • Liverpool FC

    Posted on November 15th, 2008

    Written by Paul Tomkins

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    Some Puzzles Take Time

    [Piece submitted to www.liverpoolfc.tv on 13.11.08, but had yet to appear on site so published here. Since posting here it has now appeared on the official site.] Take a look at this imaginary Premiership XI: Jasskelainen, Agger, Vidic, Evra, Pires, Ronaldo, Lampard, Mascherano Bergkamp, Henry and Adebayor. On the bench there is Riera, Drogba, Flamini, [...]

  • Liverpool FC - Books

    Posted on November 13th, 2008

    Written by Paul Tomkins

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    Dynasty: Introduction

    (Some formatting, such as italics, may have been lost in transfer) Glamourous locations arrived at in global travels; power and money; unfeasibly big hair; silver ostentatiously displayed; success that peaked in the ‘80s with huge TV ratings; and warring silver-haired American tycoons –– but not a Joan Collins or Heather Locklear in sight. This is [...]

  • Liverpool FC

    Posted on November 12th, 2008

    Written by Paul Tomkins

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    Rotation Myth Will Never Die

    It seems clear that Rafa Benítez has tweaked his rotation policy, in the way he suggested, several weeks ago, that he would. That’s right, he’s tweaked it; made a small but subtle alteration. However, several times in the media last weekend, I was told that Rafa has now dispensed with his wholesale changes – rotation [...]