Blood Red: The Liverpool FC Podcast

With Peter Hooton sunning himself in Sicily ahead of the launch of his brilliant new book, the latest episode of the Allez Les Rouges podcast is hosted by a voice that will be very familiar to our listeners. The Liverpool ECHO’s former Liverpool FC editor Andy Kelly made a warm welcome to our studio to record the show, which also features journalist and author, Simon Hughes, Spirit of Shankly committee member Joe Blott, and regular guest and Kop season ticket holder, John Nicolson. And it’s safe to say the lads have a lot to talk about ahead of a run of seven games in 22 days that Andy rightly calls ‘mouthwatering’. Liverpool will go into the first of those games, against Tottenham Hotspur, on the back of four straight wins to start a league season for the first time since 1990. But the panel are of the opinion that Jurgen Klopp’s side have yet to truly get going and they look at the reasons why that is the case. There is no need for alarm – every other club would like to be where the Reds are – but Andy and Co accept the performances must move up a level, starting at Wembley on Saturday. And they believe that is exactly what will happen given the nature of the opposition that lie in wait including and after the showdown with Spurs. Selection for the clash against Mauricio Pochettino’s men is discussed – including the case for a first start for Fabinho – before talk turns to the Champions League and Tuesday’s visit of Paris Saint-Germain to Anfield. The potential ‘banana skin’ in the hectic run of matches is also discussed before the podcast ends with a chat about Liverpool’s new additions to the coaching staff and Peter’s new book, The Boot Room Boys: The Unseen Story of Anfield’s Conquering Heroes. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

We’re bringing you our Preview podcast a little earlier than usual but after two weeks without a Liverpool match, we’re getting a little excited, especially when a trip to Wembley to take on Tottenham Hotspur kick-starts what could be a season-shaping run of seven games in 22 days for Jurgen Klopp’s Premier League leaders. The show kicks off with a chat with our Liverpool FC correspondent James Pearce who cannot wait for what he believes will be the Reds’ first ‘proper test’ of the campaign. James also looks back on last season’s corresponding encounter and the lessons that were learned in the aftermath as well as providing an update on the mini goalkeeping scare Klopp has suffered in the lead up to the match. With Hugo Lloris and Dele Alli sidelined, James reckons Mauriccio Pochettino has got bigger problems than his counterpart, and the second guest of the podcast, Alasdair Gold, who covers Spurs for Football.London, would be inclined to agree. While Tottenham have won three of their first four games of the campaign, Alasdair why explains they are a little bit ‘fragile’, why the reintroduction of Toby Alderweireld and the form of Lucas Moura are giving Pochettino a headache, and why the match is being played at Wembley and not at the club’s new stadium, and what that means for the players and supporters. Enjoy. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Best Liverpool player so far this season? Joe Gomez would have to be in with a shout, and his fine form was recognised by Gareth Southgate at the weekend when he chose the 21-year-old over Manchester City’s £50m man Kyle Walker to start for England against Spain at Wembley It continued a remarkable rise for Gomez that started when he landed a deal with his local club Charlton Athletic – at the second attempt – and it is a rise that has been overseen by one of the men who knows him best, Steve Avory. Steve is the long-serving manager of Charlton’s highly successful academy and we spoke to him to get the inside track on the player he calls the ‘ultimate professional’. Steve tells a tale of a level-headed kid who is always able to meet the challenges put him front of him and who boasts the mental toughness to overcome any setback, including the cruciate ligament injury he sustained not long after signing for Liverpool and, more recently, the ankle problem that ruled him out of the Champions League final as well as the World Cup. Steve also has his say on where Gomez’s best position is and how his former protégé will never forget his roots. And there is also a little bit about England manager Southgate, who Steve used to teach in his previous career as head of PE at a secondary school in Crawley, and who he sees real parallels with Gomez. Enjoy. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Your latest spin-off show to our main Blood Red podcast is a quick catch-up with ex-Liverpool striker Peter Crouch, who has been back in the city to promote his brilliant new book, How to be a Footballer. The former England international talks his Anfield career, how a night out with Jamie Carragher helped get it off the ground, and how he risked the wrath of Rafa Benitez, both then and now. He also explains why he dedicated the final chapter of the book to Steven Gerrard before engaging in a quickfire Q&A including which of his old Reds team-mates were the best to go on a night out with. He also talks the current Liverpool crop and their chances of winning the Premier League as well as giving his thoughts on their big match with another of his former clubs this Saturday. We’re hoping to get Peter in for a longer podcast in the near future, to look back fully on his excellent career, but for now... enjoy. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

In the latest Blood Red podcast, regular host and Liverpool reporter Ian Doyle is joined by ECHO duo Kristian Walsh and Paul Gorst along with special guest Caoimhe O'Neill to discuss the form of Brazil duo Fabinho and Firmino, decipher Djibril Cisse's interesting Istanbul tale, debate the impact of the new Main Stand and how it is attracting new fans, and start looking ahead to the weekend trip to Wembley to take on Tottenham Hotspur. Also includes brief discussion about which Liverpool player would be best to go for a pint with. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

With the dreaded international break now very much upon us, we tried something a little different in our latest View from the Kop podcast. Hosted by Paul Wheelock and featuring season-ticket holders Paul Philbin and Dan Kay, the trio kick off the show by going through each individual player who has started for Liverpool so far this season and rating their performances. Dan and Philbo are very much on the same page when it comes to some – Alisson Becker and Joe Gomez to name two – but surprisingly they have differing opinions when it comes to one key man. The big Reds are massive fans of Roberto Firmino but they also have contrasting thoughts on why the brilliant Brazilian hasn’t yet hit the heights he achieved so regularly last season. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp made his first change of the campaign at Leicester City last time out when captain Jordan Henderson replaced Naby Keita. But should Keita return for the trip to Tottenham Hotspur? And, if so, which midfielder misses out? As the next episode of this bi-monthly podcast will not be recorded until after the Paris Saint-Germain match, talk then turns to the Champions League group stages and why, although it looks like the Reds have one of the toughest draws on paper, it could be just what they need as they bid to go one better than last season and win number six. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Is James Milner getting better with age? Well, the guest of this special Blood Red spin-off show certainly thinks so. Stephen Warnock is a friend and former Aston Villa team-mate of Milner’s and he offers a fascinating insight into the evergreen Liverpool midfielder's character and personality as well as explaining why he should be regarded as world class. Ex-Reds defender Warnock will line up alongside the 32-year-old in this weekend's Match for Cancer at Parkhead, every penny from which will be devoted to tackling the disease through the Celtic FC Foundation, the Stiliyan Petrov Foundation, and the James Milner Foundation. Warnock also played with Petrov at Villa and he speaks openly about the feeling in the dressing room at the time the Bulgarian received his shocking news and the amazing strength of character he has shown since. Former England left-back Warnock also gives his verdict on Liverpool’s flying start to the season, whether their priority should lie in the Premier League or Champions League, Andy Robertson, his own burgeoning media career and coaching aspirations, plus much more. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

In the latest Blood Red podcast, regular host and Liverpool reporter Ian Doyle is joined by ECHO triumvirate Paul Gorst, Dan Kay and the lesser-spotted Chris Beesley to pick the bones out of Neymar's comments about the Reds' Premier League hopes, the injury setback to Adam Lallana, Fabinho's progress, the new contract for Jordan Henderson and praise for the club over ticket prices. Also includes Dan killing off Kristian Walsh For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Neil Fitzmaurice is back with his latest Poetry in Motion podcast and – once he’s allowed to get his words out – he is joined by the returning Dan Kay and debutant Paul Gorst. With Liverpool sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League with four wins from four, it’s all very positive at Anfield going into the international break, so Fitzy decides to play devil’s advocate and look at some of the areas in which Jurgen Klopp’s side can improve. The second-half showings, Alisson’s one mistake of an otherwise superb start to life between the posts, and the performance of the front three are all discussed, before it quickly becomes clear that even the negatives – if you can call them that – can be turned into positives, including the big difference in this Liverpool team this season. Before a ball had been kicked, Dan was gently mocked for suggesting Sadio Mane could finish as the Premier League’s top scorer, but that’s exactly what he’s on course to be after four goals in as many matches, and the trio debate why the ‘irked’ Senegalese striker has started the campaign in such blistering form.  They also talk Joe Gomez and why he could be the perfect long-term partner for Virgil van Dijk, even though they are certainly not writing off Dejan Lovren, before they discuss James Milner, Adam Lallana’s latest injury setback, a packed September schedule, and the club’s thriving academy. Enjoy. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Former Liverpool defender Stephen Wright is the special guest on our latest Verdict podcast. We recorded a podcast with the Academy graduate earlier this summer looking back on his career. But our latest catch-up, at Wrexham AFC’s Racecourse Ground, was all about the current Reds crop and reviewing their season so far. Along with Liverpool’s summer spending, it’s a start that seems to have got under Jose Mourinho’s skin, but Wright has been delighted by the way that Jurgen Klopp has responded to the Manchester United manager’s barbs. He also discusses those comments from Neymar ahead of Paris Saint-Germain’s visit to Anfield on Tuesday week and reveals whether words of opposition players and managers are really stuck up on the dressing room wall. Wright called for the Reds to buy a goalkeeper after Loris Karius’ Champions League final mistakes and, while Alisson Becker made an error of his own at Leicester City on Saturday, he feels the Brazilian has already removed doubts in the fan base and, crucially, in his team-mates, too. Talk then talks to the fearsome front three of Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, and Wright gives an insight into what it was like playing alongside another great attacking Liverpool trio, Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen and Emile Heskey in the treble-winning 2000-01 season, which in turn leads to an interesting discussion about the revelation Owen recently made on BT Sport. Wright has no doubt Klopp’s squad is much stronger than it was last season and that’s why he believes Liverpool should also have a crack at the Carabao Cup. But the final part of the podcast is dedicated to the Reds’ chances of winning the Premier League and the Champions League, given what we have seen so far and given what lies ahead. Enjoy. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

We welcomed former Liverpool youngster and current Cardiff City defender Lee Peltier into the ECHO’s studio for our latest podcast. After a trip down Memory Lane with the show’s co-host Paul Gorst, Lee tells the tale of a brilliant career that at the age of 31, now sees him playing in the Premier League for the first time with the promoted Bluebirds. It is a career that started at Liverpool, and while he never appeared for his boyhood club in the top flight, the handful of appearances the Toxteth lad did make were eventful to say the least. From a seven-goal League Cup thriller on his surreal debut at Anfield to a Champions League bow in one of the most intimidating stadiums in Europe, Lee looks back on his 10 years with the Reds and explains what Rafa Benitez was like to work for and what it was like to appear alongside the likes of Robbie Fowler, Jamie Carragher and the best player he has seen, Steven Gerrard. His final appearance in a Liverpool shirt was unforgettable for the wrong reasons but the experience has served him well since leaving the club for the culture shock that was Yeovil Town Lee used his spell at Yeovil to refocus and he went on to play for Huddersfield Town, became Sven Goran Eriksson’s first signing at Leicester City, captained Leeds United, before being reunited with Neil Warnock at Cardiff. Warnock will never be well liked by Reds fans after his spats with Benitez but Lee reveals why he is so successful at getting clubs promoted and the big difference the Bluebirds have found between the Championship and the Premier League. Lee also talks the current Liverpool crop, including why the sky’s the limit for Trent Alexander-Arnold and why Marko Grujic, who was on loan at Cardiff last season, has a big future. And there’s also two amazing transfer tells that underline the madness that can go on behind the scenes when you’re a footballer. Enjoy. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

In the latest Blood Red podcast, regular host and Liverpool reporter Ian Doyle is joined by ECHO triumvirate Kristian Walsh, Connor Dunn and Dan Kay to look back at the win over Leicester City, debate the merits of Alisson Becker's footwork, salute Joe Gomez, warn Dejan Lovren and ponder the Reds midfield. Note: this was recorded before Liverpool announced Jordan Henderson's new contract, so it's not like we were completely ignoring it! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

With Liverpool sitting top of the Premier League with four wins from four, Reds supporters can now sit back, relax and watch an Old Firm derby between Celtic and Rangers that they have more than a vested interest in. Sunday’s showdown represents Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard’s first experience of one of the biggest matches in world football since taking over the Ibrox hotseat in the summer. And, if any was needed, extra spice is added by the fact that the person in the opposite dugout will be Brendan Rodgers, Gerrard’s final manager at Liverpool and the man who has led Celtic to back-to-back domestic trebles. But, as the guest of our latest podcast explains, Gerrard’s arrival in Glasgow has transformed Rangers and, for the first time in years, Celtic can feel their rivals breathing down their neck. Jonny McFarlane works for the Daily Record, and produces and presents the Record Rangers and The Transfer Window podcasts, and he spoke to us on Friday after Rangers secured their place in the Europa League group stages with a remarkable win over Ufa that was achieved in spite of the fact they finished the second leg in Russia with nine men. Jonny talks the impact Gerrard has made north of the border, how Liverpool loanees Ovie Ejaria and Ryan Kent are getting on at Rangers, the influence of two of his former managers at Anfield, and of course, his crunch clash with another. Enjoy. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

They were far from at their brilliant best but, for the first time since 1990, Liverpool have made it four straight wins to start a league season. The 2-1 victory at Leicester City also ensured Jurgen Klopp’s side maintained their position at the top of the Premier League table. But as the callers in to this Post-Game podcast make clear, the Reds will need to improve their performances if they are to stay out in front. The pod kicks off with the thoughts of five Liverpool supporters who have called into the show. You’ll then get the verdict of our full-time Liverpool FC correspondent James Pearce before the podcast rounds off with audio highlights from Klopp’s press conference. The Reds boss delivers his thoughts on what turned out to be a hard-fought win and the mistake from Alisson Becker that gave Leicester hope after Roberto Firminio and Sadio Mane struck. Enjoy – and the Post-Game pod will be back after the big Tottenham Hotspur match after the international break. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Liverpool today take their 100% winning record to Leicester City where they will attempt to make it four wins from four and maintain their position at the top of the Premier League table. And we have the full lowdown on the King Power Stadium clash in our Preview podcast. Our first guest on the show is our man in the know at Anfield, James Pearce, who explains why Jurgen Klopp has relished what will soon will be a rarity and why the clash could be the Reds’ toughest test yet despite the fact that nemesis Jamie Vardy is suspended. James also wonders whether it could be time to bring back the captain Jordan Henderson while also paying tribute to two players who many may not have had down as first-choice picks at the start of the season but who are currently two of the first names on the teamsheet. We then speak to James Sharpe, the Leicester City correspondent for the Leicester Mercury. He talks the Foxes’ start to the campaign, which is in contrast to how they ended last season, and why the loss of Riyad Mahrez to Manchester City was no bad thing. Leicester will certainly miss Vardy against Liverpool, though, and James (Sharpe, that is) reveals how he expects Claude Puel’s men to cope with their main man’s absence. He also talks the impressive new kid on the block at the King Power and gives an update on how Danny Ward is getting on after his summer switch from the Reds. And the podcast rounds off with highlights from Liverpool manager Klopp’s pre-match press conference. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy