Synopsis
Liverpool FC podcasts from the Liverpool ECHO, including our main Blood Red show with James Pearce, Ian Doyle, Kristian Walsh, Paul Gorst and Joe Rimmer; Neil Fitzmaurice's Poetry in Motion; Peter Hooton's Allez Les Rouges, plus our new spin-off shows hosted by Paul Wheelock.
Episodes
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The truth about Liverpool's Champions League draw - and the real test for Jurgen Klopp
31/08/2018 Duration: 44minIn 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 and ECHO hack Kristian Walsh to discuss the Champions League draw, ponder a similarly tricky Carabao Cup assignment, tackle the transfer deadline and look ahead to the trip to Leicester City.Includes Kristian momentarily turning into Ian. And then becoming James. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Why it’s a Champions League draw to savour and the one player Jurgen Klopp cannot rotate
30/08/2018 Duration: 50minLiverpool’s Champions League group stage opponents are the big talking points in the latest edition of the unmissable Allez Les Rouges podcast.Recorded straight after the Reds discovered they will go head to head with Paris St Germain, Napoli and Red Star Belgrade in Group C, host Peter Hooton and regular guests – and Kop season ticket holders – Kieth Culvin, John Nicolson and Ste Monaghan cast their eyes over the teams standing in the Reds’ way of progressing to the knock-out stages.There is no question that last season’s losing finalists could have been handed an easier draw but the lads explain why they are thrilled by it – and in particular the chance to lock horns with Red Star – and, like Jurgen Klopp, they are quick to remind everyone that no team will want to face Liverpool either.Peter believes this season represents a great opportunity to win the Premier League and wonders whether Reds boss Klopp should prioritise that over a tilt for a sixth European Cup.But, while all and present agree Liverpool n
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The story behind Mohamed Salah’s bitter dispute with the Egyptian FA
30/08/2018 Duration: 19minMohamed Salah could be crowned the UEFA Player of the Year at this evening’s Champions League group-stage draw.Should Salah see off Luka Modric and holder Cristiano Ronaldo to claim the crown, it would continue the Liverpool superstar's remarkable ascent.However, in the build up to the ceremony in Monaco, Salah has been embroiled in a war of words with the Egyptian FA.The dispute goes back further than this week – to before, and particularly during, this summer’s World Cup in Russia.After Egypt crashed out of the competition in ignominious fashion, we spoke to Ahmad Yousef for a special podcast to get the lowdown on a dispute that continues to rage on.Ahmad is an Egyptian football expert, and the editor at KingFut.com, who has followed the story closely, and in the podcast he tells a tale of bad luck, politics, poor planning, poor organisation and poor management.And from listening to it, it becomes clear that Salah was let down by the powers that be, and you cannot help but feel desperately disappointed for
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The ‘perfect Klopp player’, Mourinho’s mood and why Liverpool’s boss is right to strike note of caution
29/08/2018 Duration: 40minLiverpool’s perfect start to the Premier League season has served only to increase the excitement and expectation surrounding Jurgen Klopp’s side.But is Reds boss Klopp right to strike a note of caution as he did after the win over Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend?Dominic King, the North West Football Reporter for the Daily Mail, and guest on our latest Verdict podcast, thinks so.But that does not stop him from pouring praise on Alisson, Virgil van Dijk and the man he hails as the ‘perfect Jurgen Klopp player’.In a wide-ranging podcast, hosted by Paul Wheelock, Simon Mignolet’s situation is also debated, as is the form of Joe Gomez, who is now getting his rewards after ‘sacrificing’ himself at the end of last season.Dominic also gives his take on why Klopp’s current midfield trio have started the season so well and why the hype is justified when it comes to Naby Keita.The former ECHO scribe also reckons Tottenham Hotspur are the real deal after their thorough dismantling of Manchester United on Monday ni
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Why Gini Wijnaldum continues to amaze - and is it time to forgive Michael Owen?
28/08/2018 Duration: 43minAfter a Bank Holiday break, the Blood Red podcast is back.Joe Rimmer is joined by Paul Gorst, Kristian Walsh and James Pearce to dissect the victory over Brighton and discuss what's next for Liverpool.The lads chat about Alisson's heart-in-mouth moment at Anfield, as well as the Brazilian's impact in general at Liverpool.There's a discussion on Joe Gomez's partnership with Virgil van Dijk and what it means for Dejan Lovren, and James Pearce reveals why he continues to be "amazed" by Gini Wijnaldum.Talk then turns to Michael Owen, who is back in the news after discussing his career on BT Sport, and the lads debate whether the former Liverpool striker should be forgiven by Reds fans.And finally, Kristian puts everyone to sleep with his forensic analysis of Liverpool's Champions League seeding - but if you can manage to stay awake you'll learn lots about what teams the Reds could face.Enjoy! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.f
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The Liverpool fan from a family of Blues who will be out to knock Everton out of the EFL Cup
27/08/2018 Duration: 34minThe special guest on our latest podcast is Rotherham United footballer Jon Taylor.Like so many people from Merseyside, Jon comes from a family featuring both Liverpool and Everton fans.But unlike his brother and cousin, the Huyton lad chose the Reds – and that’s why he will be particularly fired up for Rotherham’s EFL Cup tie at Everton this week.After a trip down Memory Lane with co-host Paul Philbin, the podcast starts and ends with Jon talking about the Goodison Park encounter and, of course, he also shares his thoughts on the current Liverpool side led by Jurgen Klopp that top the early Premier League table.But what is most fascinating is the insight Jon gives into life as a professional footballer.He talks the experience of relegation and promotion, playing at Wembley in one of the biggest matches in domestic football, being a club record signing, and the heartbreak of being let go by his first professional club at 16 for being too small.The former Shrewsbury Town and Peterborough United winger also reve
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Post-Game: Liverpool make it three wins from three to go top of the Premier League
25/08/2018 Duration: 30minThree games played, three wins, three clean sheets and nine points on board.Yes, Liverpool sit top of the table after they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 on Saturday evening to maintain their perfect start to the season.Mo Salah’s 29th goal in 29 appearances at Anfield was enough to settle a scrappy contest and ensure the Reds made the most of Manchester City’s slip-up at Wolves.And in this, our latest Post-Game podcast, we get the verdict from the stands, from the press box and from the dugout.We kick-off with the thoughts of five Liverpool supporters – Sam Planche, Ross Strachan, Alex Watt, Mark Baker and Simon Donnelly – who phoned into the show.We then hear from our Liverpool FC correspondent James Pearce.And we round off the podcast with audio highlights from Jurgen Klopp’s press conference, including what the Reds boss had to say on the impressive Joe Gomez and on the departing Loris Karius.Enjoy – and we’ll be back after the Leicester match next Saturday. For information regarding your data privacy,
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Liverpool look to maintain blistering start by adding to Brighton’s away day woes
25/08/2018 Duration: 35minWith Liverpool unbeaten at Anfield in the Premier League since April 2017 and Brighton & Hove Albion having not picked up three points on their travels in nine months, surely the outcome of Saturday’s tea-time kick-off is a formality?That is the question we put to our two guests – plus many more – on our Preview Podcast.Our own James Pearce gives us the inside track from the Reds camp including why there is a real belief among Jurgen Klopp and his players that they are now better equipped to challenge defending champions Manchester City.Our Liverpool correspondent also talks man-of-the-moment Sadio Mane and his contract situation as well as one of Klopp’s greatest achievements since taking over the club – namely turning Anfield into a ground that no team wants to visit.The podcast’s other guest, Brian Owen from The Argus newspaper, admits to feeling a sense of trepidation ahead of the game in spite of the fact that Brighton impressed in beating a shambolic Manchester United at the Amex last time out.Seagulls
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The FSG takeover question, changing rotation and should Liverpool be on their guard over Sadio Mane?
24/08/2018 Duration: 36minIn 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 Paul Gorst to discuss the form and possible fear regarding Sadio Mane, the future of Divock Origi, news regarding FSG takeover speculation and looking ahead to the visit of Brighton and Hove Albion.Also includes Ian getting the name wrong of the person he'd interviewed literally a few hours before - sorry Kieran! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Expert casts his eye over Liverpool's finances in wake of run to Champions League final
24/08/2018 Duration: 38minNews broke today (August 24, 2018) that Liverpool have been the subject of a failed £2bn bid to buy the club, which would have been the most expensive takeover in the history of football.Our Liverpool FC correspondent James Pearce subsequently reported that the club's owners, Fenway Sports Group, have no intention of selling up, however they would be open to selling a minority stake in return for the right investment.That in turn led our Liverpool FC reporter Ian Doyle to speaking to football finance expert Kieran Maguire, a lecturer in the subject at the University of Liverpool.You can read both Ian’s and James’s articles on the Liverpool ECHO website.But earlier in the year, in the week after the Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid, we sat down with Kieran for a special podcast.He discussed the strength of Liverpool’s finances following the run to Kiev, assessed FSG, and explained why the Reds need to run to stand still in the Premier League due to the financial strength of the Manchester clubs.The
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Poetry in Motion: Single most important signing Klopp has made and why we are now seeing a different Liverpool
23/08/2018 Duration: 40minNeil Fitzmaurice is back from sunny Prestatyn for his latest Poetry in Motion podcast and, joined by Paul Wheelock and regular sidekick Joe Rimmer, the trio assess Liverpool’s flying start to the season.Virgil van Dijk was the star of the show at Selhurst Park on Monday night and Fitzy admits he is fast running out of superlatives – and expletives – for the centre-back. Paul likes van Dijk’s ‘arrogance’ while Joe goes further in his admiration of a player he sees as already being in the Sami Hyypia class.Talk then turns Naby Keita, another Reds player catching the eye, only for Fitzy’s mum to unexpectedly cut the conversation short.With phones now on silent, the focus switches to Roy Hodgson and a choice analogy and great story involving Billions star – and big Liverpool fan – Damian Lewis and a special night with Sir Kenny Dalglish.The lads then lavish praise on the ‘machine’ that is James Milner and argue why there should be no concern over summer signing Fabinho.Manchester City once again look the team to
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Liverpool's midfield surprise, problem for Lovren, and why van Dijk has changed everything
22/08/2018 Duration: 38minIt’s been an ominously impressive start to the season for Liverpool – and to reflect on the wins over West Ham and Crystal Palace, and the big talking points from them, our View from the Kop podcast is back.Reds fans Paul Philbin and Neil Macdonald join host Paul Wheelock in the ECHO studio and they believe Jurgen Klopp’s squad strengthening is already beginning to pay dividends.Paul Philbin reckons that was proved by Jordan Henderson’s excellent performance off the bench on Monday night but the question is will the Liverpool captain get his place back in the team given the performances produced by the player who could be the surprise package of the season so far.One midfielder who has quickly become a nailed-on starter for the Reds is Naby Keita and both our guests struggle to contain their excitement over the summer signing.But Neil believes there is plenty more to come from Keita and from Klopp’s side in general – and that leads him to state his belief that the battle for Premier League title is already a
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Blood Red: A different Mohamed Salah and does Liverpool's Alisson Becker merit the hype?
21/08/2018 Duration: 51minIn the latest Blood Red podcast, regular host and Liverpool reporter Ian Doyle is joined by ECHO triumvirate Kristian Walsh, Joe Rimmer and Dan Kay to look back on the last few days of all things Anfield. The win at Crystal Palace is discussed at length, along with the impact of Virgil van Dijk and how he is improving the players around him. There's also disagreement over Alisson Becker, some concern for Roberto Firmino and an appreciation of Gini Wijnaldum.Also includes Kristian trying to kill off a succession of footballers. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Post-Game: Looking back on Liverpool’s professional 2-0 win at Crystal Palace
20/08/2018 Duration: 27minSix points in the bag, six goals scored, and none conceded – Liverpool could not have made much more of an impressive start to the Premier League season.And in our latest Post-Game podcast we look back on the victory that ensured Jurgen Klopp’s exciting side made it two wins from two.The 2-0 triumph over Crystal Palace also hauled the Reds up to second in the early standings and went some way to banishing the memory of their last Monday night visit to Palace.But whereas that painful evening back in May 2014 was characterised by terrible defending, the same could not be said of this latest trip to Palace.Little wonder, then, that the likes of new goalkeeper Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez all come in for praise in the podcast, which kicks off with the views of Reds supporters who phoned-in to deliver their verdicts.Then you’ll hear from our Liverpool FC correspondent James Pearce before the pod rounds off with audio highlights from Jurgen Klopp’s press conference.Enjoy – and if you are a Reds fan
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The inside track on Liverpool’s trip to Crystal Palace for the first Monday Night Football of the season
19/08/2018 Duration: 37minIt’s been a long weekend without football for Liverpool supporters.But after seeing Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham continue their perfect starts, the Reds will also attempt to make it two wins from two at Crystal Palace in the first Monday Night Football of the season.And we’ve got a full preview of the Selhurst Park clash in our latest podcast.The pod kicks off with the lowdown on Jurgen Klopp’s side from our Liverpool FC correspondent James Pearce.James explains why Palace’s home should not be considered a ‘bogey ground’ for the Reds – even if it will always bring back bad memories – and why the match will be the first proper test of Alisson Becker and Naby Keita.James also discusses a possible midfield conundrum as well as a reunion with Mamadou Sakho, Christian Benteke, Martin Kelly and, of course, Roy Hodgson.James isn’t Hodgson’s biggest fan but the podcast’s second guest, Matt Woosnam, cannot speak highly enough of the former Liverpool boss.Matt is a Palace supporter and covers the club for the
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The Liverpool v Manchester United rivalry with a twist
18/08/2018 Duration: 14minIt’s been a summer of massive change for Liverpool FC Women... with a new name, a new manager, new staff and new players.And in our latest podcast we reflect on what has been a very busy pre-season and look ahead to the Reds’ opening game of the campaign at home to a newly formed Manchester United Women side that contains a whole host of familiar faces.Neil Redfearn is the new man at the helm at Liverpool and we caught up with the ex-Leeds manager to reflect on a rollercoaster first two months in charge and to find out his short and long-term aims for the 2013 and 2014 Women’s Super League champions.We also get his thoughts on the Continental Tyres League Cup clash with United, who are not only managed by former Liverpool defender and England legend Casey Stoner, but also feature a number of players who, until last season, plied their trade on the red half of Merseyside, including new captain Alex Greenwood.We also talk about the memorable moments Redfearn enjoyed against Liverpool during his playing career a
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Blood Red: The player Liverpool cannot do without, the truth about Crystal Palace and what's happening with Sadio Mane?
17/08/2018 Duration: 49minIn the latest Blood Red podcast, regular host and Liverpool reporter Ian Doyle is finally reunited with full-time Liverpool correspondent - both home and away - James Pearce, along with ECHO duo Joe Rimmer and Paul Gorst to discuss the last few days of all things Anfield. On the agenda is the decision to allow Ragnar Klavan to depart, future plans for Joe Gomez, what's going to happen to Liverpool's unwanted, the injury to Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne, the possible return of the 39th game and a look towards next Monday's game at Crystal Palace.There's also yet another inappropriate Selhurst Park-related observation from the nasty man Joe For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Allez Les Rouges: Debating the defence, Roberto Firmino and what will be key to Liverpool winning the title
16/08/2018 Duration: 58minPeter Hooton is back with his excellent Allez Les Rouges podcast – and he’s invited a special guest along for the latest instalment.Alongside regulars Kieth Culvin, John Nicolson and Ste Monaghan is Accrington Stanley manager – and big Red – John Coleman.The lads were impressed with the way Liverpool started the season as West Ham United were put to the sword at Anfield – in particular debutant Naby Keita and the attacking options that were able to come off the bench.That said they were less heartened with the cover at the back and, while they believe Alisson could go on to become one of the club’s best ever goalkeepers, they do question whether Jurgen Klopp should have brought in another defender before the transfer window closed, and what his best centre-back partnership is.Reds boss Klopp is certainly not short of quality in midfield after the summer arrivals of Keita and Fabinho but James Milner proved on Sunday why he remains such a vital performer – and Coleman gives a fascinating insight into what the
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What next for starlets who impressed in pre-season and why Liverpool is the club to go to for young players
15/08/2018 Duration: 21minIt’s a big weekend for Liverpool FC’s academy with their U18s and U23s sides playing their first home matches of what is set to be another exciting season at Kirby.Neil Critchley’s U23s welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Anfield on Friday (7pm) before the U18s, now managed by the highly regarded Barry Lewtas after Steven Gerrard’s departure to Rangers, take on rivals Manchester United at the academy on Saturday (11am).We preview both matches – and talk much more besides – in our first Academy Show podcast of the new campaign.Our Liverpool FC correspondent James Pearce guests on the show after spending the afternoon in the company of Critchley and Lewtas.The rise of Trent Alexander-Arnold to integral first-team squad member was the highlight of a brilliant season for the academy last time out.And there is real hope that there are more players ready to follow in Trent’s footsteps. The likes of Curtis Jones, Rafa Camacho and Nat Phillips certainly staked a claim with their performances in pre-season and James explains
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Keita comparisons, Fekir ‘saga’, and why Jose Mourinho and Manchester City have a problem with Liverpool
14/08/2018 Duration: 34minLiverpool and football are back – and so are our Weekend Verdict podcasts.And our first guest of the new season is the Merseyside Football Reporter for The Telegraph, Chris Bascombe.Chris was at Anfield on Sunday to watch the Reds make an early statement of intent by sweeping aside West Ham United 4-0.The impressive victory served only to heighten the expectation surrounding Jurgen Klopp’s side.But Chris argues the pressure is largely external and, if Liverpool are unable to overhaul Manchester City in the coming months, very little will change at Anfield – and with good reason.Naby Keita was one of the stars of the win over West Ham and we discuss whether the comparisons with N’golo Kante and Andres Iniesta stand up to scrutiny – and whether Nabil Fekir will be ‘missed’ after all. Oh, and why the Fekir ‘saga’ was never a saga in the first place.Squad depth, Daniel Sturridge and the goalkeeping department all get a mention with Chris believing a way to rebuild Loris Karius’ confidence could come down a tradit