Blood Red: The Liverpool FC Podcast

Liverpool are back in Champions League action tonight when they travel to Italy to take on last season's Serie A runners-up Napoli - and we have a packed Preview podcast to look ahead to the big match.We kick off by speaking to our Liverpool FC correspondent James Pearce, who talks the club's and Jurgen Klopp's last visit to the Stadio San Paulo, whether the Reds boss will ring the changes with a massive Premier League match with Manchester City to come on Sunday, and why the locals don’t seem to be taking to Carlo Ancelotti.Ancelotti took over Napoli in the summer after Maurizio Sarri left for Chelsea and we get the thoughts of Marco Giordano, a presenter for CalcioNapoli24.it, on how the ex-Chelsea boss is doing and where the main strengths and weaknesses lie in his line-up.And the podcast rounds off with a chat to Italian football expert John Solano, who we first caught up with in the summer as Alisson Becker prepared to make his move from Roma to Liverpool.As well as Alisson and Napoli, John talks Mohamed Salah, the current strength of Serie A, and the interesting reason why he believes the league still has some way to go before it gets back to its 1990s heyday.It's a really good listen. Enjoy. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A true Liverpool FC legend this week makes his return to the city.Kevin Keegan will be at Waterstones on Wednesday afternoon to promote his brilliant new autobiography, My Life in Football.The book was written with Daniel Taylor, the chief football writer for The Guardian and The Observer newspapers, and the Sports Journalists’ Association Football Journalist of the Year for the past three years.And for our latest Blood Red spin-off podcast, Paul Wheelock picked up the phone to Daniel before he met up with Kevin for the latest leg of the book signing tour.So much of the focus on the book has surrounded the explosive revelations regarding Kevin’s second spell in charge of Newcastle.But as Daniel explains, there is much more to his story, not least the six years at Liverpool that transformed his career and life, and the importance of the manager who signed him, the one and only Bill Shankly.Kevin said recently that Jurgen Klopp is the modern manager he would like to play under most, and in this podcast Daniel talks the similarities between the two, as well as Liverpool’s performance at Chelsea at the weekend, the contrasting moods at Anfield and Old Trafford, why it would be an incredible achievement for the Reds to win the Premier League this season, and about Rhian Brewster, who sat down with Daniel late last year to talk about the racist abuse he has received in his young and highly promising career. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One man dominates the latest Blood Red podcast, hosted by Joe Rimmer and also featuring James Pearce, Dan Kay and Theo Squires.And that man is Daniel Sturridge after his superb strike earned Liverpool a late but thoroughly deserved 1-1 draw at Chelsea on Saturday night.Sturridge is now second only to the original super-sub, David Fairclough, as the player to have scored the most goals from the bench for the Reds.But can he become a regular starter again for Jurgen Klopp? And is now the time to start talking about a new contract for the revitalised striker?James provides an insight into the burgeoning partnership between Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez and also into another player who impressed at Stamford Bridge, Alisson Becker. But could the Liverpool number one have saved Eden Hazard’s opener?The love-in between Klopp and his counterpart Maurizio Sarri is discussed and the lads ask what was once an unthinkable question: is it now okay to like Chelsea?Talk then turns to Mohamed Salah and the team changes that could and should be made for Wednesday’s Champions League clash in Naples.Enjoy. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What a game. And what a goal.It looked like Liverpool were heading for a second defeat to Chelsea in the space of four days after Eden Hazard, the matchwinner in the midweek Carabao Cup tie between the sides, opened the scoring.But a quite superb strike from substitute Daniel Sturridge a minute from the end of normal time earned the Reds a richly deserved draw.As always we have the view from the pressbox, the stands and the dugout in this podcast.It kicks off with the thoughts of our Liverpool FC correspondent James Pearce.You then hear from Reds fans Sam Planche, Mark Baker, Alex Watt and, a debutant on this show, Kop season-ticket holder Matt Whitty.And the podcast rounds off with audio from Jurgen Klopp’s top-table press conference that took place after the match.  For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Peter Hooton is back with his Allez Les Rouges podcast, a little later than usual, but with good reason, as he has been busy promoting his excellent new book, The Boot Room Boys: The Unseen Story of Anfield's Conquering Heroes.And joined by Liverpool season-ticket holders Joe Blott, and Ian Byrne, of Fans Supporting Foodbanks, they kick off another enjoyable show by talking about the book’s launch event, where the last member of the fabled Boot Room, Roy Evans, had the packed-out crowd hanging on his every word.Times have changed, and not just at Liverpool, but the lads can see similarities in the single-mindedness of Jurgen Klopp and the great man who created the Boot Room.While there have been comparisons between Virgil van Dijk and Alan Hansen, Peter reckons the Dutchman could be for Klopp what Ron Yeats was for Bill Shankly.Liverpool are hoping the centre-back is fit for the second part of the double-header with Chelsea later today, but while Peter and Co believe the performance in the Carabao Cup defeat underlined why the Reds now have serious strength in depth, they feel there is one player - and not van Dijk - who simply needs to play every game.Xherdan Shaqiri’s display in midweek is hailed but the panel argue the Swiss winger is still more effective coming off the bench.Eden Hazard produced a devastating cameo coming on for Chelsea at Anfield on Wednesday night but Peter, Joe and Ian believe we will see the best of Liverpool’s front three this afternoon and that a match against his former club could be the one that sees Mohamed Salah’s season truly come alive.The podcast rounds off by highlighting the important work that is being done in the city by Fans Supporting Foodbanks, and a little bit about the group's special guest at last weekend’s win over Southampton, Jeremy Corbyn. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the latest Blood Red podcast, regular host and Liverpool reporter Ian Doyle is joined by full-time Liverpool correspondent - both home and away - James Pearce along with ECHO duo Joe Rimmer and Chris Beesley to discuss the last few days of all things Anfield. The team take a look back at the Carabao Cup defeat to Chelsea, what Jurgen Klopp could have done differently, and his on-field exchange with Xherdan Shaqiri after the match. There are concerns over Virgil van Dijk and some serious respect for Chelsea's Eden Hazard.Also includes plenty of Alan Partridge references. Including his big plate. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It may be less than six weeks old, but it has already been an eventful season for Liverpool FC Women.After a summer of massive change that saw the majority of last season’s squad leave along with manager Scott Rogers, the club was looking to stabilise under Neil Redfearn.But the former Leeds United boss rocked the Reds by quitting after just two games in charge.That left ex-Liverpool and England men’s goalkeeper Chris Kirkland, and Redfearn’s first-team coach Vicky Jepson, to take up the reins on a caretaker basis.And the duo, along with the rest of the backroom staff, have overseen back-to-back victories, which have lifted spirits going into the first Women’s Super League home match of the season against Reading at Prenton Park on Sunday (2pm kick-off).So to preview the game, and to find out what life has been like back at the club he played for and supports, Kirkland speaks to our Liverpool FC correspondent James Pearce.There is also an update on the Reds’ U18 and U23s academy sides.Enjoy. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All good things must come to an end, and after seven straight wins, Liverpool have suffered their first defeat of the season after losing 2-1 to Chelsea in the Carabao Cup.And in our Post-Game podcast, we get the view from the pressbox, the stands and the dugout on what was a frustrating night at Anfield.The podcast starts with the verdict of our Liverpool FC correspondent James Pearce.You then hear from four Reds supporters who have phoned into the show – Ross Strachan, who is gutted, Simon Donnelly, who is not, Mark Baker, who works at an academy at a Championship club, and Alex Watt, who could be in for a long few days before Liverpool attempt to exact revenge in this weekend’s Premier League meeting between the sides at Stamford Bridge.There was no doubting the quality of Eden Hazard’s winner.But controversy surrounded Chelsea’s equaliser and Jurgen Klopp spoke about just that in his press conference, which we have audio highlights from, and which rounds off the podcast. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s the first of Liverpool’s big double-header with Chelsea tonight as the clubs do battle at Anfield in the Carabao Cup.And to get the lowdown on the team standing in Reds’ way of continuing their perfect start to the season, we spoke to Nizaar Kinsella, the Chelsea correspondent for Goal.Nizaar talks the revolution new manager Maurizio Sarri is ushering in at Stamford Bridge, whether Eden Hazard will play and the teenage talent tipped to fill the brilliant Belgian’s boots if he doesn’t, how Ross Barkley is getting on, and much more else besides.We also speak to our Liverpool FC reporter Ian Doyle who, with James Pearce having a day off (of sorts), was at Melwood for Jurgen Klopp’s pre-match press conference.He talks the player who is certain to start the tie, a possible full debut for Fabinho, and whether Klopp should target the Carabao Cup for his first silverware as Reds boss.Enjoy this Preview, and we’ll be back after the match with our Post-Game podcast. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Seven wins from seven, top of the Premier League, and off to a flyer in the Champions League, but have Liverpool hit top gear yet?That is the question Reds season-ticket holders Sean Bradbury, Dan Kay and Paul Philbin answer in our latest View from the Kop podcast.There is no doubt Jurgen Klopp's side played within themselves in the second half of the 3-0 victory over Southampton, which Paul says is exactly the type of one he's been waiting for.It was a victory that also extended Liverpool's unbeaten league run at home to 24 matches, an impressive record of 16 wins and eight draws that make Joey Barton's comments today perplexing.The lads discuss those, and also the difference in atmosphere between European nights and afternoon kick-offs at Anfield, before talks turn to Mohamed Salah, his return to the scoresheet at the weekend and his interesting evening at the FIFA awards.Whether Salah will start Wednesday's Carabao Cup clash with Chelsea is open to question but Sean is certain it is a competition Klopp must target to claim the first trophy of his Reds reign.The focus then switches to the second game in the double-header with Chelsea and the visit of Manchester City to Anfield and why the rivalry between those clubs and Liverpool is one-sided. Dan, in particular, has strong opinions on the subject.Enjoy. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices