Blood Red: The Liverpool FC Podcast

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 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

Liverpool’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 now have the squad to compete on more than one front, they reckon there is one player that Klopp cannot even begin to contemplate rotating – not even in the Carabao Cup. Speaking of the Carabao Cup, Peter and Co also react to the third-round draw for the competition, which took place while the podcast was being recorded, as well as looking ahead to Saturday’s trip to Leicester City, where the Reds will look to maintain top spot and their 100% winning start to the season. Talk then turns to our own James Pearce’s exclusive two-part chat with Liverpool’s managing director Billy Hogan, which in turn leads to a debate over the club’s off-the-field performance and owners FSG. Like the rest of the podcast, it gets lively. Enjoy. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Mohamed 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 him. The podcast was published exclusively on the LFC ECHO app on June 1, 2018, but you can now listen to it here, too. It remains an insightful listen and goes some way to explaining Salah’s continuing unhappiness with the people that run the Egyptian game. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Liverpool’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 night. That in turn leads to a discussion about Liverpool’s rivals for the title, including Manchester United and their manager Jose Mourinho, who Dominic believes needs to look at himself when assessing the current gloomy mood at Old Trafford. Talk then turns to Liverpool’s front three and Sadio Mane’s contract before the podcast rounds off with a Champions League chat ahead of Thursday’s group-stage draw and why this Klopp team will and must win something. Enjoy. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

After 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

The 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 reveals what it is like when the manager signs you leaves – and what it is like to be the subject of transfer speculation and bids, including the time he was effectively sold without him and his agent knowing. He also speaks about one his best friends in football who is thriving at Rangers under Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard. It’s a really interesting listen. Enjoy. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Three 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, visit acast.com/privacy

With 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 boss Chris Hughton has so far kept faith with the vast majority of the players who helped keep the club up last season but, with injuries beginning to bite, some new faces should be on show on Saturday, including the Spanish star who once turned down the chance to sign for Liverpool. Brian also talks about the time the Seagulls tried to buy Virgil van Dijk, whose primary job on Saturday will be keeping quiet Glenn Murray, whose brilliant backstory is explained. And the podcast rounds off with audio from Klopp’s and Hughton’s press conferences. Enjoy the show – and stay tuned for our post-game podcast featuring views from the stands, the press box and the dugout. 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 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

News 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 podcast was published exclusively on the LFC ECHO app on May 31, 2018, but you can now listen to it here, too. It remains an insightful listen.  For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Neil 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 beat this season but does their new documentary underline Pep Guardiola’s fear of the Redmen? Fitzy certainly believes so. And another must-listen podcast ends with predictions for the Brighton match. We’re not giving the game away when we say there is every confidence the Seagulls will be on the end of a hiding. Enjoy.  For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

It’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 two-horse race. Paul Philbin disagrees, but both supporters are on the same page when it comes to Virgil van Dijk, the January signing who has ‘changed everything’. Praise is also lavished on van Dijk’s new centre-back partner Joe Gomez whose displays could pose a problem for Dejan Lovren. Alisson Becker’s start to life between the Liverpool posts is discussed in detail before talk turns to the upcoming games v Brighton and Leicester and why maximum points is imperative in the ‘who-blinks-first’ showdown with Manchester City. And the podcast rounds off with a discussion about next week’s Champions League draw. 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, 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

Six 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 who would like to contribute to future Post-Game podcasts, then email paul.wheelock@reachplc.com for further details. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

It’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 South London Press, as well as running the @PalaceYouth Twitter account, and he also talks Wilfried Zaha’s new deal, the young right-back hoping to follow in Trent Alexander Arnold’s footsteps, as well as one-time reported Liverpool target Max Meyer. And a packed podcast ends with audio highlights from Klopp’s and Hodgson’s pre-match press conferences. Enjoy. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy