Blood Red: The Liverpool FC Podcast

Not only did the Reds get back to winning ways in European competition after a disappointing defeat to Napoli last time out, but Jurgen Klopp's men seemingly rediscovered their attacking verve as they scored four goals and put Red Star to the sword. James Pearce, Paul Gorst and Joe Rimmer sat down to discuss the finer points of the game, including individual performances from Fabinho, Xherdan Shaqiri and more. The lads agree that Fabinho should now get a run in the side after such an impressive display, and James talks about Shaqiri's happiness at Anfield after a season of struggle with Stoke City. Paul picks out Joe Gomez after another commanding turn at centre-back, and then we discuss what's next for Liverpool in the Champions League. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Champions League football is back at Anfield on Wednesday night - and the clash with Red Star Belgrade will be special for one Liverpool player in particular. Marko Grujic is a Red Star fan who grew up in Belgrade and rose through the ranks of his hometown club before Jurgen Klopp made the midfielder his first signing as Liverpool manager in January 2016. Grujic is currently on loan with Bundesliga high flyers Hertha Berlin, but as he tells our Liverpool FC correspondent James Pearce in an exclusive interview, he is hoping to be back at Anfield for the match. The 22-year-old speaks about how the loan is going and the latest on his fitness after his impressive start to life in Germany was halted by an ankle injury. Grujic also shares his memories of growing up, and then playing for Red Star, and what it means to the 1991 European Cup winners to be competing in the Champions League proper for the first time. He also tells us what Liverpool can expect on Wednesday night - and in the return encounter between the teams in Belgrade on November 6. And a really enjoyable chat ends with Marko making a bit of a revelation. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

In the latest Blood Red podcast, Liverpool reporter and regular host Ian Doyle is joined by ECHO triumvirate Joe Rimmer, Paul Gorst and Connor Dunn to look back at the dreary win over Huddersfield Town, consider Joe Gomez's form and Xherdan Shaqiri's impact, assess the issues in midfield and ponder what to expect against Red Star Belgrade. Also includes a little chat about Jose Mourinho because you didn't think we'd let that incident pass without comment, did you? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

It was far from pretty but Liverpool's hard-fought victory at Huddersfield Town this evening means they have moved level on points at the top of the Premier League table with current leaders and defending champions Manchester City. But bar from Mohamed Salah's expertly taken 24th-minute strike, which ultimately proved the difference between the sides, the Reds failed to impress at the John Smith's Stadium. But, especially with Chelsea drawing at home to Manchester United, does that matter one bit given it stretched their unbeaten start to the season to nine games? It is a question that is addressed in our latest Post-Game podcast. Like those before it, it kicks off with the verdict of the Liverpool ECHO's Liverpool FC correspondent James Pearce. You will then hear from Reds fans Sam Planche, Alex Watt, Matt Whitty, Nathan Davidson, Ross Strachan and Peter Lally, who have phoned into the show. And the podcast rounds off with audio from Jurgen Klopp's press conference. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

With Liverpool flying high in third, with six wins and two draws from their unbeaten opening eight games to the Premier League campaign, surely the trip to Huddersfield Town is an away banker? Huddersfield, after all, are winless, sit third from bottom and have not scored at home since April 14 when former Reds youngster Tom Ince secured a priceless victory over Watford. But Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has been at pains this week to warn that the team managed by his big mate David Wagner are playing better than their position suggests. So to find out just how true that is, Paul Wheelock picks up the phone to Rory Benson, who covers the Terriers for the Huddersfield Examiner newspaper Paul then speaks to our own Kristian Walsh, who believes this is the start of a must-win run for the Redman. And the podcast rounds off with audio highlights from Klopp's press conference on Friday afternoon. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Real football is back this weekend... and in your and second and final Blood Red podcast of the week, host Joe Rimmer is joined by James Pearce and Paul Gorst to look ahead to Liverpool’s Premier League return at Huddersfield Town on Saturday, and much more else besides. But before that – and after a shout out to Gorsty’s mum – the trio discuss the UEFA Nations League, which may have caught the imagination of the England national team supporting public, but which has not gone down well with Reds boss Jurgen Klopp. The injuries piled up for Klopp over the international break, which could well lead to a return for Adam Lallana at the John Smith’s Stadium. James finds it bizarre that the midfielder has been written off in some quarters. He also finds it hard to justify throwing Fabinho into the starting line-up on Saturday. Gorsty, however, disagrees. The in-form Gini Wijnaldum seems certain to start against Huddersfield but, following his stunning solo effort for Holland, should we be expecting even more from one of Liverpool’s players of the season so far? The threat posed by the Terriers is discussed, with James leaving listeners under the impression the Reds could be even for a tricky afternoon... that is until he gives his score prediction.  For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Cast your mind back to this stage of the season one year ago and Mohamed Salah sat on four goals from his first eight Premier League games of the campaign. Fast-forward 12 months and Liverpool’s superstar striker has netted just one goal fewer despite having to overcome the physical and emotional effects of what happened in Kiev and before, during and after the World Cup. But given the incredible feats he achieved in his debut season at Anfield, the spotlight is now very much on Salah, and has been since the first ball was kicked versus West Ham United just over two months ago. And, while it is undeniable that we have yet to see the very best of a player who broke record after record in 2017-18, he produced a positive performance against Manchester City before the international break and then scored a stunning goal direct from a corner while away with Egypt. But he picked up an injury later in the same match which makes him a doubt for Saturday’s trip to Huddersfield Town and which sums up his luck since being taken out of the Champions League final. So to get the lowdown on Salah from Egypt, host Paul Wheelock gets back on the phone to Ahmad Yousef, an Egyptian football expert and editor of the KingFut.com website. Paul also speaks to the Liverpool Echo’s Liverpool FC reporter Ian Doyle to talk Salah and his form as part of a front three that is supposedly ‘misfiring’. Like the chat with Ahmad, it makes for revealing listening. Enjoy.  For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Neil Fitzmaurice is back with his Poetry in Motion podcast and for the latest episode he is reunited with Joe Rimmer and joined by Kristian Walsh, who keeps his place after an impressive showing last time out. In contrast, Jurgen Klopp may have to ring the changes for Saturday’s trip to Huddersfield after a number of his players picked up injuries while playing for their countries. But the lads are confident Klopp now has the squad to cope and they ask, if he doesn’t, what does that say about his side’s title chances, particularly given the run of games they have coming up? A lot was made of Liverpool’s schedule before the international break but Fitzy and Co argue that, in many ways, this next set of fixtures could be the real litmus test. Ronald Koeman’s interesting comments about Virgil van Dijk are discussed before talk turns to another player who got injured during the international break, Naby Keita, and the reasons why the summer signing has so far been unable to live up to expectations. Gini Wijnaldum, however, is defying expectations, and after the panel lavish praise on the Dutchman, they explain why he has become such a key man, and question whether the fit-again Adam Lallana can do the same now that it appears opportunity knocks. Another brilliant podcast rounds off with (tentative) details of our next Blood Red Live and, more importantly, the Talk Tonight event that is taking place at the O2 Academy on Friday, November 2. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Harry Wilson and Ben Woodburn are currently on international duty, team-mates with Wales, but on Saturday the highly rated Liverpool youngsters will be on opposite sides with their respective on-loan Championship clubs. However, whereas Wilson is seemingly making a big impression at Frank Lampard's Derby County, with his stunning goal and 'five times' celebration in their Carabao Cup win at Manchester United the highlight, the same seemingly cannot be said of Woodburn at table-toppers Sheffield United. But, as you will discover in this podcast, the tough spell Liverpool's youngest ever goalscorer is currently going through at Bramall Lane could yet be the making of him. To find out why it's not quite happening for Woodburn, Paul Wheelock speaks to James Shield, who is the Sheffield United correspondent for The Star newspaper in Sheffield. But only after Paul catches up with Steve Nicholson, who is the chief football writer for the Derby Telegraph, and who watches Wilson every week.  It's an insightful listen about two of Liverpool's brightest prospects. Enjoy. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

In a special Blood Red podcast, Liverpool reporter and regular host Ian Doyle is joined by ECHO triumvirate Kristian Walsh, Joe Rimmer and Connor Dunn to discuss the FSG reign. What have they done right? What have they done wrong? What about transfers? What has been their greatest achievement? What has been their biggest failure? And what are they going to have to do next? All this, and plenty more, is discussed during a special hour-long episode. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Jurgen Klopp may have so far this season resisted the temptation to rotate the impressive squad he has put together in his three years as Liverpool boss, but that’s exactly what we have done for our latest View from the Kop podcast. Caoimhe O’Neill makes her debut on the show, and along with regulars, and fellow Reds fans, Paul Philbin and Neil Macdonald, and host Paul Wheelock, they kick-off by reflecting on the start to the campaign. The trio wonder whether the change in Klopp’s style this season is by design or a consequence of the testing run of matches his side played going into the international break. But they are all in agreement that we are now witnessing a different, more rounded and mature Liverpool, and explain why that is the case. The ‘No 10’ role then comes up for debate and how much Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain is being missed. Can Adam Lallana fill his boots? Can Klopp trust Xherdan Shaqiri to play there? And will it ever be Naby Keita’s position? The panel try to answer those questions, give their midfield line-up for the trip to Huddersfield Town next Saturday, and then disagree over whether this next run of games, which certainly look easier on paper, provide Klopp with the perfect opportunity to freshen up his starting line-up. The merits of Arsenal’s and Chelsea’s title chances are also discussed before we ponder a question that hasn’t been asked – or widely at least – in the week of Klopp’s third anniversary in charge of the Reds. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

In the latest Blood Red podcast, Liverpool reporter and regular host Ian Doyle is joined by ECHO triumvirate Kristian Walsh, Joe Rimmer and Paul Gorst to discuss the last few days of all things Anfield. Amid the stupor of the international break, discussion turns to the travails of Naby Keita, the best way of sorting the creativity issue, how the summer signings have fared, the biggest disappointment and just what to make of the Nations League. Also includes Kristian revealing something about his pencil case and Joe having a partial potty mouth again. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

With Liverpool without a game this weekend due to the international break, we thought we would focus attention on football that is far removed from the Premier League for our latest podcast. It’s Non-League Day in England, which means football fans, not just of top-flight and Championship clubs, are encouraged to get down and support their local team, and discover just what a brilliant job they do. So to mark that, we spoke to three people who play, manage and are heavily involved in non-league football in this area. Our first guest is Craig Lindfield, the former Liverpool striker who fired the club to its last FA Youth Cup wins, in 2006 and 2007, and who has spent the past five years in non-league football, currently with Nantwich Town and also recently with Runcorn Town. Our second guest is one of the most successful non-league managers of recent times, Neil Young, a big Liverpool fan who last month took charge of Marine. And our third and final guest is Paul Manning, who is the chairman of the thriving City of Liverpool Football Club. City of Liverpool are away on Non-League Day, but there are plenty of other games in and around Merseyside to attend, all of which kick-off at 3pm, and which can be seen below: Southport v York City (Postcode: PR8 6JZ) Marine v Whitby Town (L23 3AS) Warrington Town v Matlock Town (WA4 2RS) Prescot Cables v Kendal Town (L34 6ED) Bootle v Burscough (L30 1NY) Runcorn Town v Guisborough Town (WA7 4ET) Litherland REYMCA v Thackley (L21 7LA) St Helens Town v Daisy Hill (WA10 6RP) Vauxhall Motors v Seaham Red Star (CH66 1NJ) For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Peter Hooton returns with the Allez Les Rouges podcast and so do three of his regular guests, Ste Monaghan, Kieth Culvin and John Nicolson, to look back on the final two matches of a testing and stamina-sapping run of seven games in 23 days for Liverpool The quartet start by examining the Champions League encounter with Napoli, and explain why there were elements of the trip, like the match itself, that were a disappointment, before talk turns to Sunday’s top-of-the-table Premier League stalemate with Manchester City The game has been described as an ‘anti-climax’ in some quarters but the lads disagree and Peter reasons why it showed just how far the Reds have come in the last year. Jurgen Klopp’s decision to bench Trent-Alexander Arnold is debated, and while there is an acceptance that the right-back dipped below his high standards four nights earlier in Naples, the panel wonder whether it was the wrong match for him to be rested. Rest is what James Milner is going to get after coming off injured against City and Peter and Co talk about who should replace the key man. New boys Fabinho or Naby Keita? Xherdan Shaqiri? Or a player who was once key to Klopp’s style of football? The fixtures after the international break are then pored over, including a first Champions League clash with Red Star Belgrade since 1973, a game which that proved pivotal for Bill Shankly and for the club. Kevin Keegan told the ECHO recently that the current Reds boss was cut from the same cloth as Shankly. The lads discuss the comparisons and also spell out what could be Klopp’s greatest achievement of his three-year reign. The first part of the show then ends before Peter and Ste are joined by Joe Blott, a Spirit of Shankly committee member, to talk about World Mental Health Day, the role the supporters’ group are playing with Liverpool Mental Heath Consortium and the club, and the new documentary, Jason McAteer: Through the Storm. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

A true Liverpool FC legend is the special guest of our latest Blood Red spin-off podcast. Kevin Keegan was back in the city last week to promote his new autobiography, My Life in Football, and Paul Wheelock caught up him with him after a signing session. They talked Keegan’s six-year Liverpool career, which saw him win three First Division titles, two UEFA Cups, one FA Cup, and in his final game in a Red shirt, the European Cup, which was to prove to be the first of five for the club. Keegan gives an insight into the motivational magnificence of the manager who signed him at Anfield, the great Bill Shankly, and how the power of the Liverpool shirt inspired him to become a better player than he, and anyone else, had expected. Paul also asks the former England manager what Shankly would have made of current Reds boss Klopp – and the answer is worth listening to the podcast alone. Keegan also discusses the similarities between Klopp’s team and his own Newcastle United sides of the 90s and why lifting the first trophy – the First Division and UEFA Cup wins of ’73 kick-started a glorious, trophy-laden era for Liverpool – is the hardest thing to do. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy