Chris Beesley and the rest of the team will be with you today from 7am to ensure constant coverage of all things LFC, including news, great photos, nostalgia, live interviews and much, much more.
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Night
That’s your lot for today, Liverpool fans.
Here are the best stories from the day to keep you going in case you’ve missed them. If not, read them again anyway!
Join us again tomorrow. Night!
Le Tissier hits out at Van Dijk
Southampton legend Matthew Le Tissier has hit at Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk little over a year after the defender swapped St. Mary’s for Anfield.
Recalling his initial move to Merseyside falling through the previous summer, the Dutchman insisted in an interview with the BBC that he continued to give his all for the Saints.
After the end of August [and the transfer window] I put my head down, played for Southampton and gave everything.
I was happy to play because I came back from an eight-month injury.
When everything happened over the summer, people doubt you.
For me, I really didn’t care as I gave everything in games and training. When it was December and I got a call to say they got a deal done and I could talk to Liverpool, I was very happy.
However, Le Tissier has tweeted his bemusement at Van Dijk’s claim.
The Soccer Saturday pundit later replied to fans explaining his argument.
Let it go, Matt!
Gerrard returning to Anfield!
Steven Gerrard is returning to Anfield!
The Reds icon will line up against AC Milan once again in next month’s Legends game, 14 years after leading Liverpool to Champions League glory in Istanbul against the Italian giants.
First deal for Glatzel
The ECHO’s LFC correspondent James Pearce has been speaking about prolific young striker Paul Glatzel’s first professional contract.
Reds supporter and United fan take lie detector test
A Manchester United fan was hooked up to a lie detector test ahead of their game with Liverpool.
He was asked whether Old Trafford or Anfield had the best atmosphere.
He answered Old Trafford - and was told it was a lie.
Why United won't determine fate of Reds title bid
If there’s one fixture that fills Liverpool supporters with equal measures of excitement and trepidation, it’s a trip to Manchester United writes Ian Doyle.
However, he points out:
While a win on Sunday would no doubt be a welcome boost for a Liverpool side that has won only three of eight games in all competitions since the turn of the year, it won’t mean the title is definitely on the way back to Anfield.
Just in the same way a defeat won’t mean the championship challenge is over for another year.
Yes, United could be an inconvenience for Liverpool at the weekend. But that’s all they have been this season.
Click here for the full article
Carra reveals how he avoided red for tackle that made Nani cry
Ahead of Liverpool’s grudge match against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, old sparring partners Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville have been discussing their past flashpoints in the fixture.
Former Reds defender Carragher recalls how he talked his way out of a sending off for an over-the-top challenge on Nani in March 2011.
CARRA: Not one of my finer moments. It was a bit of a dive from Nani, wasn’t it? I tell you what my best memory of that is...
NEVILLE: Not getting a red card I imagine!
CARRA: Haha. No, not so much the tackle but Wayne Rooney’s reaction. I was on favourable terms with the referee Phil Dowd. I got him on my own, pulled him and said ‘he just beat me with skills’. Everyone is fighting and I got him over like an experienced pro. Then Rooney comes over and says ‘you won’t believe it, he’s crying’.
NEVILLE: Did you seriously go to do him?
CARRA: No, what happened was that someone got injured so I went from centre-back to right-back and as soon as that happened, Alex Ferguson put Nani to the left wing straight away.
So I’m thinking ‘I’m either going to get tight, I’m going to tackle him or I’m going to foul him. There’s no way I’m letting him get the ball and run at me’. So I’ve got there and the ball did jump up at me, I went for it and it just disappeared so I caught him on the shin.
NEVILLE: Did you think it was a red card at the time?
CARRA: Oh yeah. I’ve seen the reaction of all the players but like I said, I got Phil Dowd on his own, had a word with him and we came to some sort of a deal.
Fan makes must-see portrait of Salah using thousands of dice
Talk about a labour of love - I suspect this one must have taken a while.
A huge picture of Liverpool star Mohamed Salah composed of lots of dice.
Why would anyone own so many dice? I really don’t know.
Click here for the full story
Van Dijk - I'm one of Reds elder statesmen
Virgil van Dijk admits that the emergence at Liverpool of teenage talents like compatriot Ki-Jana Hoever makes him feel old.
The world’s most expensive defender said:
“I’m 27, hopefully I can play if I’m still enjoying it until at least 36.
“After that, you can’t really play at the highest level anymore, so you have to enjoy it.
“Sometimes in training we do youngies against oldies, and I’m with the oldies. We have so many young guys, we have Ki-Jana Hoever who is 17, and I’m getting really old! You have to enjoy every bit of it.”
Click here for the full interview
Milner made up
What do you mean you’ve never seen a Yorkshireman in make up?
Don’t you remember The Human League? Phil Oakey might have been born in Leicestershire but his formative years were in the White Rose county.
Building up to Old Trafford
Needless to say it’s a huge game on Sunday and an opportunity for Liverpool to return to the top of the Premier League table.
Celtic star compared to Sadio Mane
Scotland manager Alex McLeish has compared Celtic loan man Oliver Burke to Liverpool ace Sadio Mane.
The 21-year-old has enjoyed a major revival since returning north of the border in January after a disappointing spell at West Bromwich Albion and moving from the wing to centre-forward.
McLeish said:
“Against teams who play a high line, Burke – with his pace – is certainly one of those players who could harm them.
“I can see him in any of the front roles because of his versatility. You look at Liverpool’s front three, where Sadio Mane can play wide or through the middle.
“If you have players who can do that then you can use them anywhere. But especially against opponents who use that high line, there could be a place for him there.”
Fans call on United to go on the attack against Reds
Manchester United’s cagey display in their 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in December proved to be the last straw for the Glazers as they sacked manager Jose Mourinho after the game.
Now re-energised under caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United are a different proposition and replying to a tweet from the Norwegian’s number two Mike Phelan, many supporters want the hosts to adopt a more positive approach this time around.
Will this play into Jurgen Klopp’s side’s hands at Old Trafford?
‘If we score three, Bayern have to score six!’
I’ve often wondered why commentators often trot out the basically false statement of away goals supposedly ‘counting double’ in European ties when they should perhaps state that if aggregate scores are level then the team with the most away goals wins on a tie-break.
While this is probably just a mild annoyance for most of us, it seems that one Liverpool fan actually got himself confused and took the phrase literally when calling up talkSPORT.
Speaking to host Andy Goldstein, ‘Steve the Red’ proudly declared:
Caller: “You have to remember, Andy, that away goals count double.”
Host: Well, sort of, Steve but continue…
Caller: “So if we score, Bayern have to score two to win.”
Host: Yep, Steve, go on…
Caller: “If we score two, they have to score four. If we score three, they have to score six.”
Host: Err, what? No, Steve! Someone please explain the rules to Steve, we’re still laughing!
'Has Wilson gone back to Liverpool?'
It seems that after earning rave reviews for most of the season, on-loan Liverpool player Harry Wilson is now feeling the wrath of some Derby County fans.
The Wales international has not provided a goal or assist in the last six matches - his longest such run of the campaign - and with the Rams failing to climb back into the play-off places after a 1-0 home defeat to struggling Millwall, many were left frustrated.
Ox still one of the Wenger boys?
Pushing ahead with his much-anticipated return to fitness, Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain took time out from his Melwood duties last night to attend the Brit Awards with girlfriend Perrie Edwards of Little Mix.
The Reds ace looked quite different from his usual on-the-pitch look in an all-red kit as he sported a striking extra-long coats and glasses.
Perhaps it was a nod to his former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger?
Van Dijk on his legacy
Virgil van Dijk has declared that he wants his legacy to be that of a Liverpool legend.
When asked how he’d like to be remembered, the Reds defender told BBC Five Live:
“As a legend of Liverpool.
“I want to achieve amazing things here. We have a fantastic squad, we have everything, we have all the tools.
“They went all out to get me and I want to give everything for them. Before I started training [(with the club), I went to the game against Leicester (in December 2017). I was in the boardroom and met so many legends, great players who played for a beautiful club.
“When you play for this club, you’ll always be welcome as you’ve been part of the family. It’s one of the reasons I definitely wanted to play for the club.”
Greavsie gets stormy
This isn’t directly related to Merseyside football - or indeed any football other than that Jimmy Greaves was arguably English football’s most-gifted finisher of the post-war era but it’s a fantastic piece of television to recall having been flagged up yesterday on what was Greavsie’s 79th birthday and retweeted today by Jamie Carragher from whom it came to my attention.
Dear old Jim isn’t in the best of health these days but his spirit remains unbroken.
Here he is in more robust times. To put things in context for our younger readers, the retired once-prolific striker used to have a gig as a TV critic on breakfast time telly and he’s ranting about that great British obsession - the weather - and a series of dodgy forecasts back in 1987 when a hurricane that the so-called experts said wasn’t coming, battered the nation.
Pearce on US tour plans
Our James talks about Liverpool’s pre-season plans and a potential trip to the USA.
'Brilliant' Hendo leads by example against Bayern
Liverpool might have drawn a blank against Bayern Munich in their Champions League stalemate but captain Jordan Henderson has received praise for his display - from a former Manchester United player no less.
Homes Under the Hammer presenter Dion Dublin returned to his first love to discuss the Reds skipper’s performance on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily podcast.
Dublin said:
“I thought Henderson was brilliant.
“I thought he was very positive, always trying to get on the ball at every opportunity, trying to get his defenders up the pitch as well.
“Always wanting to try and play forward which is what I do like about Henderson.
“His game has changed, he’s become a man now and he’s one of the seniors here at Liverpool - and it showed tonight in his performance.
“A very mature leader.”
Great Dane checks out
What a special talent Jan Molby was.
I can attest to him being such a knowledgeable student of the game too from the times I’ve done his column for the ECHO.
I recall quite a few years back - but still long after Jan hung up his boots - Granada Soccer Night were doing some kind of challenge where they would go around the region’s lower division clubs and various players had to try and ping the ball in the net from by the corner flag and all different angles.
Despite being in their prime, the honest journeymen pros of League One and Two would often struggle but one week an already middle-aged Molby stepped forward and seemed to complete the challenge effortlessly. What a passing range!
Reds eye World Cup winner's son
Roy and Dean Saunders; Kenny and Paul Dalglish; Tony and Mark Hateley; Brian and Nigel Clough; Harry and Jamie Redknapp - there are many famous football father and son combinations (there are just a few with Anfield links).
As the old adage goes, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and many of those lads inherited their dad’s footballing genes.
Therefore, it’s with great interest that Liverpool are reported to be tracking the progress of World Cup winner Lilian Thuram’s son.
Thuram senior, capped 142 times by France, lifting the World Cup in 1998 and European Championship in 2000.
According to Caughtoffside, Monaco could be forced to fend off Liverpool and Chelsea this summer, as the Premier League giants are eying a move for Khephren Thuram.
The 17-year-old has impressed at youth level for the Ligue 1 outfit, while he has also featured for the senior side this season in the Champions League and Coupe de la Ligue.
Salah and Mane can benefit from Mourinho sacking
So says Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher ahead of his old side’s trip to Manchester United.
The ex-Reds defender told Viasport:
“The way they (United) are setting up now, they’re really attacking, on the front foot, exciting to watch.
“Maybe that will give Liverpool more chance in terms of space at Old Trafford.
“Whenever Mourinho’s teams played against Liverpool at Old Trafford there was very little space for Mane and Salah, they always found it really difficult in the last couple of years.
“So maybe that might change, maybe a more open game.
“But Liverpool’s record is really poor at Old Trafford since Sir Alex Ferguson left so that is something that has to change.
“If Liverpool could get a result there they have a big week, Watford then Everton.
“But Manchester United is the real big one, that’s the one where Man City expect Liverpool to drop points. If they get three points there it will be a little body blow to Manchester City.”
Good morning
Hello everyone and welcome to today’s Liverpool Live Blog.
Now you’ve all had a day to reflect on the Bayern Munich game, thoughts are rapidly turning to this Sunday’s showdown at Old Trafford.
Always the biggest game on the Premier League calendar regardless of the circumstances, this particular encounter has even more riding on it than usual.
Stick with us throughout the day for all the latest news and views on the Reds.
