Blood Red: The Liverpool FC Podcast

The Blood Red podcast is back, a little earlier than usual, to discuss the draw with Leicester City that extended Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League to five points, but left fans wondering whether their side had just wasted a golden opportunity.Our Liverpool FC correspondent James Pearce admits it was a frustrating night, but adds that it could have been worse, which leads host Ian Doyle to question whether it was actually a good result. Joe Rimmer and Paul Gorst disagree.So often Anfield inspires the Reds to glory but did the nerves and tension that undoubtedly existed in the crowd on Wednesday night have a negative effect on the players?The panel discuss that before talks turn to the performance of referee Martin Atkinson, whether Liverpool are getting a raw deal when it comes to penalties, and how Naby Keita got on after he was handed a starting place in his preferred position.Kyle Walker’s deleted tweet, Manchester City's desire and even Brexit get a mention before James gives us an insight into Lazar Markovic’s existence at Liverpool. It’s worth listening for that story alone.At the time of recording, there was little in the way of activity in or out of Anfield on transfer deadline day, and Ian asks whether Jurgen Klopp has made a mistake by not dipping into the market, before the podcast rounds off by previewing the trip to West Ham on Monday and predicting the Liverpool line-up at the London Stadium.Enjoy.  For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Five points clear at the top at the start of February?Liverpool supporters would have snapped your hand off for that scenario before a ball was kicked in anger.And that's exactly the position the Reds find themselves in after drawing 1-1 at home to Leicester City.However, there was no escaping the feeling that it was a missed opportunity to truly take advantage of Manchester City’s shock defeat at Newcastle the night before.Saying that, Liverpool weren’t helped by the conditions, the referee and a strangely nervous and makeshift back four.And you also have to take into consideration that Leicester are no mugs, which is reflected in the fact that they have become the first team from outside of the top five to take points off the Reds this season.So what did James Pearce make of it?Our Liverpool FC correspondent kicks off the Post-Game podcast with his definitive verdict on the night's action before we hear from the six Reds supporters who have phoned into the show – Simon Donnelly, Matt Whitty, Matt Addison, Ross Strachan, Mark Baker and Peter Lally.Before the podcast ends with the full audio from Jurgen Klopp’s post-match press conference. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nice one, Rafa!Newcastle United's shock victory over Manchester City means that Liverpool will go seven points clear at the top with victory over Leicester City on Wednesday night.And given the table-topping Reds have won their previous 17 matches versus teams from outside the top five so far this season, you would not bet against them from getting the job done against an out-of-form Foxes side.But despite losing four of their last five games in all competitions, Leicester have proven they can take points off the top teams, and in Jamie Vardy they have someone who has scored more goals against Liverpool than any other player currently playing in the Premier League.So to find out what’s going on at the King Power Stadium, Paul Wheelock speaks to reporter and author Rob Tanner, who has covered the Foxes for the past 10 years for the Leicester Mercury.He talks the club’s expectations nowadays after their unbelievable and unexpected Premier League title triumph three years ago, the current mood toward manager Claude Puel and his relationship with Vardy, the former transfer target who could pose a big problem to the Reds’ injury-hit right-hand side, and sadly, how Leicester are attempting to move on from October’s helicopter crash tragedy.You will then hear from our Liverpool FC correspondent James Pearce after he returned from Klopp’s pre-match press conference.James gives you all the latest team news including the straight choice between who will start at right-back. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jurgen Klopp was back in front of the media on Tuesday afternoon to preview his table-topping side's return to action at home to Leicester City.As always, the Liverpool manager had interesting things to say, starting with the fitness of Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho, Dejan Lovren, Gini Wijnaldum and Trent Alexander-Arnold, and potential a novel solution to his right-back problem.Klopp also addressed the 'advantage' Manchester City have been handed in the title race by the TV schedulers and Mauricio Pochettino's comments about the importance of finishing in the top four.He also talked the 'massive threat' posed by Leicester City, and in particular Jamie Vardy, who has an incredible scoring record against the Reds.You can listen to Klopp's press conference in full here.Enjoy - and we'll be back on Wednesday with our Preview and Post-Game shows. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Unlike this time last year, when Philippe Coutinho upped sticks to join Barcelona, there was never any danger of Liverpool losing one of their big guns in the current transfer window.But questions remained over when Sadio Mane would join Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino in signing a new contract until the Senegalese put pen to paper on a long-term deal at the back end of 2018.Mane has opened up about the subject in a new interview - the details of which kick off the latest Blood Red podcast, hosted by Ian Doyle and featuring James Pearce, Paul Gorst and the ECHO sportsdesk's second January transfer window signing, Caoimhe O'Neill.But while we've been busy, Liverpool have been very quiet in the market, much like a lot of their Premier League rivals, and James is on hand to play down one rumour.Ian asks whether Jurgen Klopp is missing a trick by not adding to his squad this month - especially when it appears the TV schedulers are doing their best to hand Manchester City an advantage in the title race.It now appears a two-horse race, with Tottenham's lack of squad depth coming back to haunt them, and the panel wonder whether Mauricio Pochettino regrets what he said about the Reds.James also talks about his exclusive interview with Simon Mignolet before the focus shifts to Leicester's visit to Anfield on Wednesday, Jamie Vardy's remarkable record against Liverpool, and some interesting team selections. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We picked up the phone to Steve Dawson, a Liverpool fan based in Singapore, and presenter for Fox Sports Asia, for our latest podcast.As well as being a big Red, he is also a Bundesliga expert, as one of his main roles at the station is to anchor their coverage of the German top flight.That leads him perfectly placed to give his take on issues that will be of huge interest to his fellow Liverpool supporters - starting with Naby Keita.It's not quite happened for the midfielder since his big money move from RB Leipzig, and while Steve offers an insight into why that might be the case, he also explains why there is every reason to believe that Keita will come good.Jurgen Klopp has certainly done that as Reds boss and, with host Paul Wheelock, the duo talk his impact at Anfield, how it's viewed in his native Germany, and how he has evolved from his highly successful stint managing Borussia Dortmund, who themselves are now moving on from their talismanic former manager.So much so that Klopp admitted Dortmund were the team he wanted to avoid in the last-16 of the Champions League.Instead, Liverpool got Bayern Munich, and Steve touches on that tie, before talk turns to Timo Werner, the exceptional young Leipzig striker who has long been tipped to follow Keita to the Reds. And the podcast rounds off with a little bit about Steve himself and just how big Liverpool are in the part of the world he now calls home.Enjoy. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jurgen Klopp’s side may have the weekend off, but there’s no rest for the Blood Red panel as they return with the latest must-listen Liverpool FC podcast.With Joe Gomez having suffered a setback, and the injuries and suspensions beginning to pile up for the Reds, Klopp may well be counting his blessings that there's no game till next Wednesday.But unless he risks Trent Alexander-Arnold for the visit of Leicester to Anfield, the Liverpool manager still faces a selection headache at right-back.Host Ian Doyle, Joe Rimmer and Blood Red debutant – and the newest member of the ECHO sportsdesk – Sean Bradbury discuss how Klopp could solve it and why there is already a precedent.Joe then lets rip about his dislike – and that’s putting it mildly – for the FA Cup and the ‘romance’ that is attached to the competition.The reason why the Reds can put their feet up this weekend is down, of course, to the fact they have been knocked out of the cup.But they will return to action against Leicester buoyed by back-to-back Premier League wins over Brighton and Crystal Palace.However, did the latter victory prove just how important one player, who does not get the appreciation he deserves outside of Anfield, has become to Klopp?There’s also talk of the two teenage strikers ripping it up at academy level, the training ground plans that demonstrate the commitment of FSG to Klopp and the club, before the pod rounds off on Luis Suarez and the club’s best ever January transfer window signings.Enjoy. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Liverpool may have been sunning themselves in Dubai – and no doubt doing a bit of work, too – but Neil Fitzmaurice braved the cold to make his way to the ECHO studio to record the latest Poetry in Motion podcast, ably assisted by his regular side-kick Joe Rimmer, and by Paul Gorst, who returns after an impressive debut before Christmas.Another brilliant show kicks off with a look back on last weekend’s thrilling 4-3 win over Crystal Palace at Anfield. Not for the first time, the Reds were accused of being lucky. But Joe is not having any of it, and even if fortune has smiled on Jurgen Klopp’s side this season, he explains why.The lads then wonder what magic Liverpool manager Klopp works at half-time as well as having a laugh at Roy Hodgson before discussing the break the squad are just back from in the Middle East. Could it lead to history repeating itself?Fitzy then reopens a can of worms when he asks whether Harry Wilson will ever be good enough for the Reds' first team before Gorsty makes an interesting and very good point about Naby Keita.Talk then turns to Philippe Coutinho, those Manchester United links and whether Liverpool are now better off without him. But can the same be said of Luis Suarez, who this week has made some interesting comments about his former club.The return of Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain (don’t call him ‘The Ox’ in Joe’s company) and the talents of James Milner's worst nightmare are also discussed before the panel look ahead to what’s up next for the Premier League leaders.  For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Liverpool away in Dubai, and without a game to preview until the visit of Leicester City to Anfield a week on Wednesday, we picked the phone back up to Ahmad Yousef, an Egyptian football expert and editor of the King Fut.com website, who is close to the Mohamed Salah camp.When we last had Ahmad on, in October, there were plenty of people outside of the red half of Merseyside questioning Salah, after he had, by his incredibly high standards, a slow start to the season.But he has certainly answered his critics since, and his two goals against Crystal Palace on Saturday made him the outright top scorer in the Premier League, and also meant he has reached 50 Premier League goals faster than any other player.But after the match a lot of the focus was on his alleged ‘diving’ - and he’s also had fans talking tonight with a rather cryptic post on Twitter.Some say it’s to do with his rocky relationship with the Egyptian FA, which will come into question again later this year after Egypt won the right to host the Africa Cup of Nations.Luckily for Liverpool, for the first time the tournament takes place in the summer, and not January, but that will mean Mo playing a full year of football for the second year running, which could well have an impact on Jurgen Klopp's summer transfer plans.But can you even buy a back-up?Host Paul Wheelock speaks to Ahmad about all that, the title race, Salah's future ambitions, plus much more. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He may have fired Liverpool to another win, and in the process raced to 50 Premier League goals in ridiculously fast fashion, but rather than his incredible scoring feats, the focus was on Mohamed Salah's alleged 'diving' following the 4-3 victory over Crystal Palace.So did Salah blot his copybook on Saturday? Or was he right to go down having been denied clear-cut penalties in the past? And what constitutes 'diving' these days anyway?It's one of the big talking points of the latest Blood Red podcast, hosted by Ian Doyle and featuring our Liverpool FC correspondent James Pearce as well as Joe Rimmer and Theo Squires.The quartet also discuss the reactions of Virgil van Dijk and Roy Hodgson to the Palace success and ask what are your favourite 4-3 wins for Liverpool.James Milner's sending off late has added to Jurgen Klopp's right-back problems. So should the Reds boss now turn to Rafa Camacho?James also talks the training camp in Dubai, Pep Lijnders and Zeljko Buvac before making an early dart, leaving Ian, Joe and Theo to defend Jordan Henderson and wonder when Liverpool will see the real Naby Keita.Enjoy. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices