'I am very happy here' - Ryan Gravenberch assesses his first month with Liverpool - Now soccer
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‘I am very happy here’ – Ryan Gravenberch assesses his first month with Liverpool

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'I am very happy here' - Ryan Gravenberch assesses his first month with Liverpool

Liverpool already feels like home for Ryan Gravenberch, who has provided a detailed insight into an enjoyable first month with his new club.

A transfer-deadline-day arrival from Bayern Munich, Gravenberch has settled quickly both on and off the pitch and made his fourth appearance – and second start – for the Reds in Wednesday’s 3-1 Carabao Cup victory over Leicester City.

The Netherlands midfielder has registered an assist in each of his two starts and is yet to experience anything other than victory in a Liverpool shirt.

“Everything goes well. I am very happy to be here and it’s now a month already, so it feels great. I am very happy to be here,” Gravenberch told Liverpoolfc.com at the AXA Training Centre.

“If I am honest, the team is very good with each other and they give me a warm welcome. When I need something I can ask them and they will help me with it.

“Of course, I have to learn a little bit the system from the coach [and] what he wants from me, but when I look to the games that I played I think it goes well and we can grow on that.”


Jürgen Klopp and his staff – including Gravenberch’s compatriot Pepijn Lijnders – are conducting both individual and collective work with the 21-year-old, who is eager to get up to speed as quickly as possible.

“That [general work] also and I think with the coaches, [they are] working with me on counter-pressing,” the No.38 replied, when asked about his daily agenda.


“I think counter-pressing is the thing that he [the manager] wants to put inside of me, inside of my head [to] directly think of it, so I think counter-pressing is the [main] thing.

“He [Lijnders] explains to me a lot, also before the games and in the half-times. I like it because he speaks also Dutch so he can explain.”

Gravenberch teed up fellow Dutchman Cody Gakpo to slot home the equaliser in Wednesday’s win against Leicester and his first experience of starting a home game for Liverpool was as special as he hoped it would be.

 

“When I walked outside, you hear the You’ll Never Walk Alone song and it feels special, you know, when you go on the pitch. It’s such a good feeling to go into the game. It’s special to be here and it gave me a good feeling as well,” he said.

The physicality of English football is a trait that newcomers often have to adapt to – and Gravenberch is no different.

“I think in England it’s more physical and the intensity is also a lot higher than where I came from,” he noted.

“Also for me, like against Leicester City, they are a Championship team but of course they came from the Premier League, and you see the intensity that they are playing with. That’s the thing to adapt to, so we are working on it.

“Especially for me, last season I didn’t play so much so that’s the thing that I have to adapt with.”




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“What I’m really excited for”: Jamie Carragher makes massive Liverpool and Premier League prediction

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Jamie Carragher says he believes Liverpool win the Premier League again next season as they continue their march to a 20th league title.

“What I’m really excited for”: Jamie Carragher makes massive Liverpool and Premier League prediction

The last week was massive for Arne Slot’s maiden title charge in England after Arsenal dropped points in back-to-back games, allowing Liverpool to breathe a sigh of relief after dropping two points against Aston Villa.

Now 13 points ahead with their next league outing coming next weekend, Liverpool can turn their focus to the Champions League with a trip to Paris on the cards to face PSG at the Parc des Princes.

It cannot be overstated how crucial breaking for the Champions League with such a big lead over Arsenal is. Liverpool can place their full focus on their European ambitions knowing their title charge is as strong as it could with 10 games to play.

Liverpool are doing so well that Jamie Carragher has now suggested Arne Slot will lift back to back titles.


Arne Slot tipped for league double after near-perfect start to life in England

Arne Slot tipped for league double after near-perfect start to life in England

Speaking on the “It’s Called Soccer!” podcast, Jamie Carragher said: “What I’m really excited for is that I think next season will be the first time I will ever predict Liverpool to win the league at the start of the season.


“The reason I say that is Arne Slot will know that squad and team and players so much more than he did 12 months ago and he also knows the deficiencies within the squad.

“He hasn’t brought a proper player yet. So, I’m almost excited thinking this guy’s going to look at the team thinking ‘this is the team that won the league, only lost one game all season and I think I can improve them.’

“I still think Man City will come back next season, but there’s questions about Arsenal, questions about everybody, but I think Liverpool are in a really strong position to try and kick on over the next few years under Slot.”

While it may be a bit soon to think about Liverpool winning the league again next season knowing that Arsenal and Manchester City will both strengthen again while Chelsea will also likely spend heavily to catch back up.

For me, it depends solely on whether or not Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold sign new deals. If Slot keeps all three, the Reds need only minor adjustments to the squad to stay in a healthy and competitive place.

If they leave, Liverpool will face as big a challenge as when Klopp left to stay close to the elite level.




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Harvey Elliott urged to leave Liverpool after ‘angry’ reaction to Newcastle snub

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Harvey Elliott has been told to leave Liverpool by Tim Sherwood after the youngster was left out of the team for the Reds’ Premier League clash against Newcastle.

Harvey Elliott urged to leave Liverpool after 'angry' reaction to Newcastle snub

Harvey Elliott has been urged to consider leaving Liverpool after an apparent “angry” reaction following the Reds’ triumph over Newcastle.

The England U21s star was left on the bench during the victory, which saw Arne Slot’s players extend their Premier League lead by 13 points. Despite being a regular feature in Jurgen Klopp’s squad last season, Elliott’s current campaign has seen him struggle to make a significant impact.

The midfielder has only managed 17 appearances so far, with just 10 in the Premier League and a mere four in the starting lineup. A foot injury sidelined him for three months early in the season, and since his return in December, he hasn’t secured a spot in Slot’s first XI.

His last start against Plymouth Argyle resulted in him conceding a penalty, leading to Liverpool’s unexpected FA Cup exit, and since that defeat, he’s only made one brief appearance as a substitute, against Manchester City.


His path to his preferred central midfield position is blocked by Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones and Dominic Szoboszlai, with two of them being Slot’s first choices alongside the revitalised Ryan Gravenberch. After being benched for the 12th time this season during the Newcastle match, Tim Sherwood suggested that Elliott was visibly upset.

Is it time for Harvey Elliott to leave Liverpool?

While Sherwood admires Elliott’s attitude, he has advised the young player to depart Anfield. On Sky Sports’ Gillette Soccer Special, the commentator expressed his views on Harvey Elliott’s situation at Liverpool.


“The trouble is for players like Harvey Elliott, I watched him and I was really impressed with what I saw,” he said. “The other boys are coming onto the pitch, he’s made five subs there, and still no Harvey Elliott and you know, he’s not happy. He sat there and his face was so angry and annoyed.

“I quite admire that. You know, that boy is not going to sit there and just not play. He will want to leave that football club, I know it’s a brilliant club if he can fight his way into the team, but if he’s not going to play on a regular basis.

“They’ve got players like that and you need players like that, who want to play and want to affect it. At the moment, a top-quality player like him is sitting there and he’s getting no game time.

“If you don’t play and listen, he would be happy picking up a trophy and a medal but in the end, he will want to contribute a lot more than what he’s done.”




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Anthony Gordon sends two-word message to Curtis Jones as Liverpool close in on title

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Anthony Gordon featured for Newcastle United during their 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.

Anthony Gordon sends two-word message to Curtis Jones as Liverpool close in on title

Anthony Gordon has sent a message to Curtis Jones after Liverpool beat Newcastle United. The Reds ran out 2-0 winners over their Carabao Cup finalists during their Premier League showdown in midweek to move 13 points clear at the summit.

Jones got the better of his England international and former Everton attacker after goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister ensured Arne Slot’s side capitalised on another slip-up from title rivals Arsenal.

Both the Liverpool midfielder and the Newcastle star are friends within football following their time going head-to-head, as well as being in the England set-up as teammates. The pair embraced after the full-time whistle at Anfield and swapped shirts in midweek.

Jones shared a post to his Instagram of the pair talking after the Reds took a stride towards to the Premier League title. Gordon was among those to comment, he said: “My brother.”


Last summer, Gordon was mooted with a spectacular move to Merseyside as Newcastle faced Profit and Sustainability issues. It was even reported that a medical had been booked for the 24-year-old with the two clubs, while the ECHO reported at the time that Liverpool had rejected an opportunity to sign the Magpies forward.

The reports came during England’s Euro 2024 bid, and speculation intensified when Gordon talked up Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard and lavished praise on Anfield. He said: “Other than St. James’ Park, it’s Anfield by far. I think because I’m from the city, it’s probably like I grew up watching it. But I just think before the game, when they sing You’ll Never Walk Alone, it’s top, top level.”


Eddie Howe’s side managed to avoid breaching the Premier League’s rules after Elliot Anderson made the move to Nottingham Forest, while Brighton & Hove Albion landed Yankuba Minteh.

 




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Watch Isaac’s story: How seven-year-old singing Kopite captured LFC hearts

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Watch Isaac’s story: How seven-year-old singing Kopite captured LFC hearts

Watch Isaac's story: How seven-year-old singing Kopite captured LFC hearts

“I’m looking for someone who is a big, big Liverpool fan and he loves to play the guitar… I think his name is Isaac?”

Well, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk certainly found him.

Reds fans, and in fact supporters of rival clubs, have found Isaac too – found his very special renditions of LFC songs on social media.

His combination of passionate chanting and toy guitar in support of his beloved team has captured the hearts of thousands online.


And he captured even more hearts during his own tour of the AXA Training Centre recently.

Watch Isaac’s story



It all started when the six-year-old – who was born with the rare genetic disorder Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, which means he develops at a slower rate than other children his age – was surprised on a normal Friday morning at school by Salah and Van Dijk.

The Liverpool duo arrived unannounced and whisked Isaac and his family – dad Alan, mum Melissa and sister Florence – off to Kirkby.

There, he met the squad, each of whom the young Kopite greeted with a shout of their surname and a warm high-five, before watching them put through their paces by Arne Slot.

Salah and Van Dijk had another surprise for him, too: Isaac was to be an official mascot alongside the latter for the Reds’ massive Premier League clash with Manchester City at Anfield, ahead of the United Nations’ International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

He proved to be a lucky charm as Slot’s men delivered a 2-0 win that afternoon.

Worth singing about, for sure.

Watch Isaac’s story in full in the video above.

Celebrating our diverse fanbase is a key aspect of LFC’s Red Together initiative, reflecting the club’s dedication to embedding equality, diversity and inclusion into every aspect of its work.




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‘It wasn’t’ – Eddie Howe reveals what he didn’t understand about Liverpool victory over Newcastle United

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'It wasn't' - Eddie Howe reveals what he didn't understand about Liverpool victory over Newcastle United

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe gives his verdict on the 2-0 loss to Liverpool.

'It wasn't' - Eddie Howe reveals what he didn't understand about Liverpool victory over Newcastle United

Eddie Howe rued Newcastle United’s defending in their loss to Liverpool.

The Reds earned a comfortable 2-0 win at Anfield to move 13 points clear at the summit of the Premier League. A tricky contest was expected against a Newcastle team that had won 13 of their previous 16 games and are pushing for Champions League qualification this season.

But Arne Slot’s side duly put the Magpies to the sword. Dominik Szoboszlai opened the scoring early in the first half before fellow midfielder Alexis Mac Allister sealed all three points midway through the second period. Luis Diaz and Mo Salah spurned opportunities to make the victory more comfortable in the closing stages.

Newcastle, in contrast, failed to have a shot on target throughout the game. Howe accepted his side lacked a cutting edge in the final third but bemoaned the goals that the visitors conceded. The St James’ Park boss said at his post-match press conference: “I thought we played pretty well. What I don’t understand was the two goals – we should never have conceded from those situations. We had enough bodies back but didn’t mark the men. We were two yards off.


“I’m really disappointed with that aspect of our play but in between the boxes, I thought we were competitive. It wasn’t our best performance form an attacking sense but we had our moments. There wasn’t a bundle of chances for us but we weren’t clinical enough, that’s obvious. We had the ball in dangerous areas but didn’t make the most of those.”

‘Isak blow’

Newcastle were hit with a hammer late blow as talismanic 21-goal striker Alexander Isak was omitted from the squad because of a minor groin injury. The Magpies will face Liverpool again in two weeks time when they do battle at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final.


Howe hopes Isak will be back and the loss can help for the upcoming showdown in the capital. He added: “We’ll analyse this game and it will help us for the final but I’m sure Liverpool will be saying the same thing. They’re a high-quality team, they have good players in all areas and can see why they’re doing so well.

“I had a chat with him [Isak] around lunchtime. He was feeling something yesterday and maybe hoped it would improve overnight but it didn’t. I thought we were always in the game, and showed our strength with our delivery or what we were trying to do – but we missed Alex’s quality, Joelinton’s strength and Sven’s [Botman] height and technical ability. We are missing some key components in our team and those players would have made a difference. Still, I back the players on the pitch but that quality was missing.

“The spirit and determination we lacked against Manchester City recently was there but we’ve still got a bit to go but a big improvement from our last away performance. So, I was pleased with the psychology of the squad. But there’s no doubting we’ve still got a bit to go. I think it was a big improvement from our last away performance though, and I take big hope from that.

“We’re going through a difficult run of fixtures – when you consider Nottingham Forest as well, they’re tough games for us. I think we’ve come through relatively well – now we’ve got to try to get back to winning ways.”




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Liverpool boss Arne Slot given touchline ban and huge fine by FA after Everton chaos

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Liverpool boss Arne Slot given touchline ban and huge fine by FA after Everton chaos

Liverpool boss Arne Slot given touchline ban and huge fine by FA after Everton chaos

Liverpool boss Arne Slot given touchline ban and huge fine by FA after Everton chaos

Arne Slot has been given a two-match with his assistant Sipke Hulshoff also suspended and both Liverpool and Everton fined…

Arne Slot has been slapped with a two-match touchline ban and a huge fine following his red card in the controversial derby earlier this month – but will be in the dugout for Liverpool’s League Cup final against Newcastle United next month. And the Reds and Everton have both been fined with Slot’s assistant Sipke Hulshoff also banned following the dramatic scenes after the final whistle of the 2-2 draw at Goodison Park a fortnight ago.

Both Slot and Hulshoff were shown the red card by referee Michael Oliver during the post-match chaos in which Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones and Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure were also dismissed after a melee near the away end.

Slot had already accepted the Football Association charge of having “acted in an improper manner and/or used insulting and/or abusive words and/or behaviour towards both the match referee and an assistant referee”.


And an independent Regulatory Commission has determined the Liverpool boss Arne Slot – who served a one-match suspension in December for accruing three bookings – should be banned from the touchline for two domestic games, meaning he will be in the stands for tonight’s Premier League visit of Newcastle and the home game against Southampton on March 8.

The punishment, though, does not apply to European competition with Slot able to be in the dugout for the Champions League round of 16 first leg at Paris Saint-Germain next week, and will have served his suspension in time for the League Cup final against Newcastle on March 16. Slot has also been fined £70,000.


Hulshoff, who was charged for both his red card and subsequent reaction to the dismissal at Goodison, has been banned for the same two games and been fined £7,000. It means Liverpool assistant coach John Heitinga is likely to lead the club from the dugout with Slot and Hulshoff in the stands.

Liverpool and Everton have been fined £50,000 and £65,000 respectively after both admitted the FA charge of having “failed to ensure their players and/or technical area occupants did not behave in an improper and/or provocative way following the final whistle” of the fixture.




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Isaac Kearney’s family flooded with support after ‘secret’ update

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Isaac Kearney’s family flooded with support after ‘secret’ update

Isaac Kearney's family flooded with support after 'secret' update

Isaac’s mum Melissa made the announcement on social media.

Isaac Kearney‘s family were supported as his mum Melissa announced that she was pregnant with her third child. Over the last few months, seven year-old Isaac Kearney from Kirkby has captured the hearts of Merseyside and people across the world.

Isaac was born with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a rare genetic disorder, meaning he develops at a slower rate than other children his age. His mum Melissa and dad Alan have tried to highlight the day-to-day realities for Isaac through social media, gathering over one million followers on TikTok alone, with viewers regularly sending their support to him and his family.

Isaac’s love of Liverpool FC has made him a much-loved member of the club’s fanbase too. He was the star of a video last year that featured Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk. He has also been a mascot and visited the club’s training ground in Kirkby.


In a post on Isaac’s Instagram account yesterday, which is run by Melissa, she announced that her son and daughter Florence would soon be joined by a new addition to the family.

The video showed Isaac and the rest of the family beaming as they received the news following a scan from St Helens-based firm Hello Baby. In the caption, Melissa added: “Our family have been keeping a little secret. Thank you to @hellobaby4dscan for the best service as always.”


The post received over 10,000 likes and hundreds of comments sending their support to the family. One person said: “Aw amazing. What a few months. Love it.”

Another added: “Congratulations to you all, such lovely news.” A third person said: Congratulations, such a beautiful family. Love the videos, they make me smile.”

Speaking to the ECHO last week, Melissa said she was made aware of Isaac’s condition before he was born and wanted to use social media to educate others about it.

She said: “There was a medical team waiting to sit down with us and that’s when they told us about his diagnosis. I think I was about 34, 35 weeks pregnant. That phone call completely changed our life.

“I got a bit frightened when they told me. Probably the best thing that we’ve got from this attention is raising all this awareness. It’s been amazing.

“He’s just the cheekiest little boy you’ll ever meet. He has no filter but is so funny, so full of life. He’s just so oblivious to it all. He’s living his best life.”

 




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Man City 115 charges verdict: 60 points deducted, relegation ‘guarantee’, ‘most likely outcome’

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Manchester City will reputedly receive the verdict of the independent commission hearing into their 100-plus alleged Premier League financial rule breaches this spring.

Man City 115 charges verdict: 60 points deducted, relegation 'guarantee', 'most likely outcome'

Manchester City are said to likely face a de facto relegation from the Premier League if they are found guilty of their alleged financial rule breaches. In addition to that latest verdict comes a claim City may be used as an example to deter other clubs.

However, any suggestion that the EFL would reject City’s entry into the Championship, League One or League Two appears unfounded according to the league’s rules.

A points deduction is allegedly the most probable outcome, and City could purportedly face a penalty roughly six times harsher than Everton’s initial punishment for violating profitability and sustainability rules.

These claims come from football finance expert Kieran Maguire on the fourth episode of the Football on Trial: The Manchester City Charges podcast on BBC Sounds.


“A points deduction would be the most likely outcome should the club be found guilty,” stated the University of Liverpool lecturer.

“As for the quantum of a points deduction, if Everton were initially given a 10 points deduction for going around about £10/12 million over the limits in one particular season, I think, in order to set an example to the rest of football, it’s got to act as a deterrent.


On the probable number of points, Maguire opined: “We’ll probably be looking at somewhere in the region of 60 to 100 points, which would effectively guarantee relegation out of the Premier League and into the lower tiers of football in the EFL.”

Further elaborating on the situation, Maguire acknowledged speculation about the EFL’s acceptance of City.

“There has been a suggestion that the EFL might refuse to accept Manchester City in terms of its competition, but looking at their rulebook, I don’t think that is feasible,” he clarified.

‌According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, there is an expectation that a verdict will arrive in the springtime.




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