The Kopite View

Alex Scott is starting to look like a player Liverpool are going to have to keep an eye on.

According to BBC Sport, Liverpool and Chelsea are interested in the Bournemouth midfielder, with Arsenal also admirers.

Bournemouth don’t want to sell him in January, though, and they are apparently prepared to wait until the end of the season before considering offers.

And if they do decide to sell, the price is expected to be £80m or more.

That’s a lot of money.

Scott is only 23, has plenty of Premier League experience and has now broken into the England senior squad, so Bournemouth are obviously in a strong position. He also has two contract offers that he has turned down, according to BBC Sport, and is understood to have ambitions of eventually playing for one of England’s biggest clubs.

Liverpool being interested doesn’t surprise me at all.

There is also an obvious connection that makes this one particularly interesting.

Andoni Iraola knows Alex Scott extremely well.

Iraola relied on him heavily during his time at Bournemouth, with Scott making 89 appearances during the manager’s spell on the south coast. Sky Sports previously highlighted just how important Scott was to Iraola, including his involvement in Bournemouth’s results against the bigger Premier League clubs.

So if Liverpool are genuinely thinking about bringing him to Anfield, Iraola will already know exactly what he is getting.

Scott is not a pure defensive midfielder, which is probably the first thing Liverpool supporters need to remember.

He’s more of a box-to-box midfielder who can carry the ball, get around the pitch and contribute defensively. He is also versatile, which would give Iraola another option in midfield.

For me, that makes him interesting.

Liverpool have already been linked with several midfielders and there has been plenty of discussion about whether the squad needs another player in that area.

Scott could certainly add something.

But £80m?

That’s where I start to hesitate.

Liverpool have already spent enormous amounts of money rebuilding the squad and there is no point signing somebody simply because he’s available.

If Bournemouth really are demanding £80m or more, Liverpool would need to be absolutely convinced that Scott is the right midfielder for the next several years.

The timing could also be important.

Bournemouth are competing on four fronts this season, including their first European campaign, and BBC Sport says they have no intention of entertaining January approaches for Scott. They want to see how their season develops before considering his future.

That means Liverpool can probably forget about this one for January.

And honestly, I’m fine with that.

If Scott continues to develop, I’d rather Liverpool watch him for another few months and decide whether he is genuinely worth that sort of investment.

There is another interesting part to this.

Liverpool will face Bournemouth again this season, and Scott will have the chance to play against the club who could potentially be interested in signing him.

That gives Iraola and Liverpool another opportunity to see him up close.

Of course, we shouldn’t get carried away.

Being interested in a player doesn’t mean Liverpool are preparing an £80m bid.

Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool are all reportedly interested, and there will be plenty of competition if Bournemouth eventually decide to sell.

But Scott is now at the stage of his career where a move to a bigger club looks increasingly possible.

And if Iraola believes he can take him to another level, Liverpool have a connection that Chelsea and Arsenal simply don’t have.

I wouldn’t be surprised if this is one that Liverpool keep watching.

£80m is a huge price, though.

At that sort of money, Liverpool can’t afford to get it wrong.

For now, I’ll be interested to see how Scott gets on over the rest of the season.

If he keeps improving and Iraola still believes he can be an important player for Liverpool, then this could become a very interesting transfer story next summer.

Jamie (The Kopite View)

Alexis Mac Allister has been getting back to his best for Liverpool recently and he gave us another little reminder of what he can do for Argentina last night.

Argentina beat Bolivia 4-0 in Córdoba, and Mac Allister provided the assist for Lautaro Martínez to open the scoring.

It was a lovely pass from the Liverpool midfielder, finding Martínez in enough space to take the ball forward and finish.

Argentina went on to win comfortably, with Nico Paz, Cristian Romero and José Manuel López also getting on the scoresheet.

For me, though, Mac Allister’s involvement is the bit Liverpool supporters will be interested in.

I’ve felt for a while that we’re starting to see more of the player Liverpool signed from Brighton.

Last season was difficult for him at times. He looked tired, he wasn’t always able to influence games and there were plenty of occasions when I wondered whether Liverpool were actually getting the best out of him.

This season feels different.

He’s looking more involved in matches and there’s a bit more energy about his game.

I also like seeing him getting forward and making things happen rather than simply sitting in midfield and trying to keep everything ticking over.

The assist for Argentina was a good example of that.

Mac Allister started alongside Exequiel Palacios in midfield and was substituted in the 74th minute, with Enzo Fernández replacing him.

It wasn’t some extraordinary performance that needs to be talked about for days.

It doesn’t need to be.

Sometimes it’s just nice to see one of your Liverpool players go away with his country, play well and come home with a bit of confidence.

And I think Mac Allister needs that.

Liverpool have a huge few weeks ahead of them and the midfield is going to be important.

We’ve already seen how much better the team can look when Mac Allister is involved properly.

I still think there is a very good player in there who hasn’t quite had the consistency we’d hoped for.

Maybe we’re finally starting to see him again.

The Argentina assist won’t suddenly change everything, but it’s another positive sign.

Mac Allister is looking more like Mac Allister again.

And Liverpool could really do with that.

Jamie (The Kopite View)

Liverpool supporters are not wrong to feel uneasy about everything that has happened around Manchester City.

The independent commission found City guilty of serious financial rule breaches over a nine-season period, including using sham commercial arrangements, misstating accounts and breaching spending limits. City have the right to appeal, and the question of sanctions has not yet been decided.

But there is another issue that deserves attention: the refereeing.

I am not accusing Michael Oliver or Howard Webb of corruption. Nor am I claiming that every controversial decision involving Manchester City was deliberately made in the club’s favour.

Those would be serious allegations, and they would require serious evidence.

However, there have been enough contentious decisions involving City for supporters to ask whether the refereeing system should be independently examined. That should include PGMOL, senior referees, appointments and the relationships surrounding professional officiating.

Liverpool have had several decisions against Manchester City that remain difficult to understand.

Take the 1-1 draw at Anfield in March 2024. Jeremy Doku caught Alexis Mac Allister with a high boot inside the penalty area. Michael Oliver waved away Liverpool’s appeal, and VAR Stuart Attwell did not intervene.

Howard Webb later defended the decision, saying it was subjective and that VAR was right not to overturn it.

People will continue to debate that incident, but it was hardly the first time Liverpool supporters had been left frustrated by a major decision involving City.

There was also the more recent match in which Virgil van Dijk appeared to equalise with a header, only for the goal to be ruled out because Andy Robertson was judged to have interfered with Gianluigi Donnarumma from an offside position.

Michael Oliver was on VAR and supported the decision made on the pitch. Liverpool later contacted the refereeing body because the club believed the goal should have stood.

Webb again defended the decision, describing it as a matter of judgment.

That does not prove anything sinister. But when the same club keeps appearing at the centre of major refereeing controversies, supporters are entitled to ask questions.

Then there is the issue of overseas appointments.

Michael Oliver travelled to Saudi Arabia in 2023 to referee Al-Nassr against Al-Hilal. Reports at the time said he was paid around £3,000 for the match, more than double his usual Premier League fee, with business-class flights included.

Other English officials have also taken assignments in the region.

The concern is not simply that referees accepted those appointments. It is the wider context. Manchester City are owned by Abu Dhabi’s City Football Group, while Newcastle United are owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

That does not mean a referee who works in Saudi Arabia will favour Manchester City. But football should understand that perception matters, particularly when officials are taking paid assignments connected to countries and ownership groups with close links to clubs in the Premier League.

PGMOL eventually changed its policy. Reports said Howard Webb decided that approval for senior Premier League officials to take one-off matches in Saudi Arabia and the UAE would no longer be granted unless the assignment involved a development opportunity.

That suggests the optics were recognised as a problem.

This is why I believe there should be a proper independent review.

Not a witch hunt. Not an investigation designed to prove that every decision against Liverpool was wrong. A genuine review of the major decisions involving Manchester City over the years.

It should examine who was referee, who was on VAR, what the KMI panel concluded, how the decisions were explained afterwards, how appointments were made and whether any potential conflicts of interest were properly managed.

Then the findings should be published.

The Premier League has already taken a small step in that direction by introducing the weekly publication of its Key Match Incidents panel results for 2026/27. The panel independently assesses major refereeing decisions, which is welcome, although the process could still be made more transparent.

Recent events show why that matters.

Earlier this month, Pro Ref admitted that VAR made an error during Manchester City’s derby win over Manchester United. The VAR failed to properly consider Enzo Fernández’s influence from an offside position before Erling Haaland’s goal was allowed to stand. The officials involved were subsequently stood down.

That is how serious mistakes should be handled. Explain them, admit them and take action where necessary.

What supporters should not be expected to do is accept that everything is fine simply because Howard Webb has explained why a decision was made. An explanation does not automatically make a decision correct, and sometimes it only raises further questions.

After the findings against Manchester City, football should be willing to examine everything connected to the integrity of the competition.

That does not mean accusing referees of cheating. It means asking whether the structures around professional officiating are strong enough.

Were appointments made appropriately?

Were major decisions reviewed properly?

Were potential conflicts managed?

Were overseas assignments suitable?

Were mistakes dealt with consistently?

Most importantly, would an independent observer have confidence in the system?

That is the question that needs answering.

Liverpool supporters are not asking for special treatment. They are asking for the same thing every football supporter should want: a level playing field.

If an independent review concludes that the controversies were the result of mistakes, inconsistent interpretations and the problems that come with VAR, then so be it. At least the issue will have been examined properly.

But if football is serious about protecting the integrity of the Premier League, it should not be afraid to investigate itself.

Michael Oliver should not be above scrutiny.

Howard Webb should not be above scrutiny.

PGMOL should not be above scrutiny.

Nobody should be.

Not after everything that has emerged about Manchester City, and not when supporters have been raising questions about refereeing decisions and outside relationships for years.

I would rather see those questions investigated and answered than spend another decade arguing about them.

Jamie (The Kopite View)

There was always going to be a moment when Jürgen Klopp was asked about the Manchester City verdict.

After everything that happened during his Liverpool career, how could he not be?

Klopp spent years going head-to-head with Pep Guardiola and Manchester City. Liverpool finished second to City by a single point in both 2018/19 and 2021/22, despite collecting 97 and 92 points respectively.

So when the independent commission found City guilty of serious financial rule breaches, plenty of Liverpool supporters immediately started thinking about those seasons.

Klopp apparently isn’t.

Or at least, he isn’t sitting around waiting for someone to hand him another Premier League title.

Asked about the situation, Klopp was pretty relaxed about it.

“I can only wait and see. I have big respect for Pep Guardiola and City’s style of football; they played fantastic football and were a top-class opponent for us.”

That’s Klopp.

He could easily have taken the opportunity to talk about Liverpool being robbed of titles or start talking about what City might lose.

Instead, he basically said: I’ll wait and see.

And then he made his position even clearer.

“If any sanctions are handed out, I have nothing to do with it; I’ll wait and see. I’m far from preparing for a title or anything like that. I’m absolutely fine with what we’ve achieved in Liverpool.”

I actually love that.

Because whatever eventually happens with Manchester City, nobody can take away what Klopp and that Liverpool team achieved on the pitch.

They fought.

They pushed City harder than almost anybody else in Europe.

They won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup and Club World Cup. They produced some ridiculous points totals and some of the best football I’ve ever seen Liverpool play.

Klopp doesn’t need somebody to rewrite the history books for him.

His Liverpool team was bloody brilliant.

And that’s exactly what he said.

“We fought hard on the pitch.”

That line probably sums up his attitude better than anything else.

Liverpool didn’t stroll through those seasons collecting 80 points and complaining about City.

They were relentless.

Ninety-seven points and still finished second.

Ninety-two points and still finished second.

That is why those title races are still talked about today.

Of course, there is now a completely separate process going on away from the football pitch. The independent commission found Manchester City guilty of serious breaches covering a nine-season period, while City have maintained their innocence and are expected to appeal. No sanctions have been decided yet.

So Klopp is right to say he will wait and see.

And I think that’s important.

It’s tempting for Liverpool supporters to start handing ourselves extra titles already, but that’s not how this works.

There are still legal processes to go through and City have the right to appeal the verdict.

If sanctions eventually affect previous seasons, then we’ll see what happens.

But I’m with Klopp on this one.

I’m not sitting here pretending Liverpool have suddenly won another couple of Premier League titles.

I’d rather remember what that team actually achieved.

Because I’ve got no doubt that Klopp’s Liverpool pushed City to levels they might never have reached without that rivalry.

Pep Guardiola has clearly had an enormous amount of respect for Klopp over the years and Klopp has always spoken highly of Guardiola as a coach, even while trying to beat him every season.

That’s what makes his comments about City’s football interesting.

He isn’t suddenly pretending that Manchester City weren’t an outstanding football team.

They were.

Liverpool had to be unbelievably good just to stay in the fight.

That doesn’t mean supporters shouldn’t be angry about the commission’s findings. It doesn’t mean the allegations and verdict don’t matter.

They obviously do.

But Klopp doesn’t seem interested in rewriting his own story.

And maybe that’s because he knows exactly what he achieved.

He doesn’t need somebody to tell him that Liverpool were good enough.

He was there.

He watched those players train every day. He stood on the touchline when Liverpool won those huge games. He saw them produce performances that will stay with supporters forever.

Whatever happens with Manchester City now, that doesn’t change the memories.

It doesn’t change Istanbul.

It doesn’t change Madrid.

It doesn’t change Liverpool winning the league with 99 points.

It doesn’t change the night we finally ended that 30-year wait for the Premier League title.

And it certainly doesn’t change the fact that Klopp’s Liverpool team fought for everything they got.

So if somebody eventually tells Jürgen Klopp that Liverpool have been awarded another title, I suspect he’ll probably just smile.

He’s already told us how he feels.

“I’m absolutely fine with what we’ve achieved in Liverpool.”

And you know what?

So am I.

Because that team didn’t need an asterisk to make me proud of them.

Jamie (The Kopite View)

This is one of those Liverpool injury updates that actually makes you feel a bit more positive.

According to L’Équipe, via Get French Football News, Hugo Ekitike is targeting a return to training with Liverpool in November, with the striker hoping to make his competitive comeback in December.

After everything he has been through, that would be brilliant news.

Ekitike ruptured his Achilles tendon back in April and has obviously had a long road ahead of him. Nobody should be rushing him back from an injury like that, but knowing he has November in his sights gives Liverpool supporters something to look forward to.

And, if I’m honest, I’ve missed watching him play.

Ekitike had become such an important player for Liverpool before the injury. He brought goals, movement and a bit of unpredictability to the attack.

Now Liverpool are missing him at a time when the forward line could really do with another option.

Alexander Isak is currently injured and Cody Gakpo is also out, so Andoni Iraola has had to juggle his attacking options.

That’s why Ekitike’s eventual return could be so important.

I’m not expecting him to come back in December and immediately be the same player he was before the injury. That would be completely unrealistic.

He’ll probably need time.

He’ll need minutes.

He’ll need to get his confidence back.

Most importantly, Liverpool need to make sure his Achilles is ready for the demands of Premier League football.

But once he’s properly fit, I think he could make a huge difference.

Ekitike has already shown what he can do.

He’s got pace, he’s good at running beyond defenders and he’s capable of finding the right positions in the box. He’s also still young enough to improve considerably.

And I think that’s something that sometimes gets forgotten.

Liverpool didn’t sign a finished product.

They signed a young striker with a lot of potential who was already showing signs of becoming a very good player.

Then this injury came along.

It’s frustrating for him and it’s frustrating for Liverpool, but neither of those things change his ability.

The report says Ekitike is hoping to return to training in November and play competitively in December. That’s a target rather than a definite date, so I’m not going to get carried away.

If he needs another few weeks, give him them.

I’d much rather see Ekitike return properly in January than rush him back in December and risk another setback.

We’ve got plenty of football still to play.

And if he can get himself right, the second half of the season could be really interesting.

Imagine having Ekitike, Isak and Gakpo all available again.

Add Barcola, Wirtz and the other attacking options into that and Iraola suddenly has a lot more to work with.

The Liverpool attack hasn’t clicked anywhere near as consistently as I’d hoped this season, but injuries haven’t exactly helped.

Getting Ekitike back could give Iraola another player who can change a game.

For now, though, I just want to see him get through the next few weeks without any problems.

November training. December comeback.

Those are the targets.

Hopefully everything goes to plan.

Because when Hugo Ekitike finally walks back onto that pitch in a Liverpool shirt, I think there will be a lot of us who realise just how much we’ve missed him.

Jamie (The Kopite View)

30 September 2023.

I still remember this one.

Liverpool went to Tottenham knowing a victory would take them top of the Premier League after Manchester City had lost earlier in the day.

Instead, we got one of the strangest and most frustrating games I can remember watching as a Liverpool supporter.

Looking back three years later, I honestly still struggle to believe how many things went against Liverpool that afternoon.

It wasn’t just one decision.

It was decision after decision.

And the worst of them was the one that should never have been allowed to happen.

Luis Díaz’s goal

Liverpool thought they had taken the lead when Luis Díaz raced through onto Mohamed Salah’s pass and finished brilliantly.

The flag went up for offside.

At first, you could accept that the officials had made a decision.

That’s what VAR was supposed to be there for.

Except VAR didn’t correct it.

Darren England checked the incident but mistakenly believed the on-field decision had been to award the goal. He therefore told referee Simon Hooper “check complete” without realising that the goal had actually been ruled out.

PGMOL later admitted that a “significant human error” had occurred and that Díaz’s goal should have been awarded.

That wasn’t an interpretation.

It wasn’t one of those handball decisions where supporters can argue about the laws for days.

Díaz was onside.

The goal should have counted.

And VAR failed to do the one thing it was there to do.

Then everything else happened

If that had been the only controversy, it would still have been an awful afternoon.

But it wasn’t.

Curtis Jones was sent off after a VAR review of his challenge on Yves Bissouma. The referee had initially shown him a yellow card before changing it to red after watching the incident again.

Liverpool were down to ten men.

Yet somehow they kept going.

Tottenham eventually took the lead through Son Heung-min, but Liverpool refused to collapse.

Cody Gakpo equalised in first-half stoppage time after a lovely move involving Virgil van Dijk.

And then came another huge blow.

Gakpo injured himself while scoring and had to be replaced at half-time.

Liverpool were already fighting against ten men, had lost one of their attacking players and had seen a perfectly good goal taken away from them.

But they kept fighting.

Then Jota was sent off

Diogo Jota had come on for Gakpo.

Within 90 seconds of each other, he received two yellow cards.

Liverpool were down to nine men.

At that point, surely there was no way they were going to get anything from the game.

Except they nearly did.

That’s what makes this match so remarkable.

Tottenham had the numerical advantage and piled pressure on Liverpool, but Alisson produced two brilliant saves to keep his team alive.

Liverpool defended.They ran.They blocked.They fought for every ball.

They were hanging on, but they were still hanging on.

And somehow the clock kept ticking.

Then came the final punch

Six minutes of stoppage time had been added.

Liverpool were almost there.

Then, with virtually the last kick of the game, Joel Matip turned a Pedro Porro cross into his own net.

Tottenham 2-1 Liverpool.

I remember just sitting there thinking: How on earth has that happened?

Liverpool had gone from potentially going top of the league to losing a match they had every right to feel aggrieved about.

The Premier League’s own match report confirms the sequence: Jones sent off, Díaz’s goal wrongly disallowed, Jota dismissed and Matip’s own goal deciding the game in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

The part I still find incredible

For me, the Díaz decision will always be the biggest talking point.

Not because Liverpool were guaranteed to win if the goal had stood.

We don’t know that.

Football doesn’t work like that.

But the goal should have been given.

That’s not my opinion. PGMOL said it themselves.

The later release of the VAR audio made the whole thing even more bizarre. It showed that the VAR had actually checked the offside but failed to understand that the on-field decision had been to disallow the goal. Once play restarted, the officials believed they could no longer intervene.

It’s difficult to imagine a more basic VAR communication failure.

And Liverpool paid the price.

Klopp was right about one thing

After the match, Jürgen Klopp said he had never been more proud of his team and described the circumstances as the most unfair he had experienced.

I completely understood that.Forget the result for a minute.Look at what Liverpool actually did.They lost Jones.They had a goal wrongly ruled out.

They conceded to Son.They lost Gakpo to injury.They lost Jota.They were down to nine men.

And they still almost walked away with a point.

That tells you something about that Liverpool team.

They weren’t perfect that afternoon, but the mentality was incredible.

And that’s probably why I still remember this match so clearly.

Three years later, the result is in the record books.

Tottenham 2-1 Liverpool.

But anybody who watched it knows there was so much more to the story than the scoreline.

A legitimate Luis Díaz goal was wrongly ruled out.

PGMOL admitted significant human error.Two Liverpool players were sent off.Gakpo was injured.Alisson kept Liverpool alive.

Matip’s late own goal finally broke them.

It was one of those afternoons where you just wanted the final whistle to come.

And when it finally did, I was absolutely raging.

Three years on, I still am.

30 September 2023.

One of the strangest, most controversial and unforgettable afternoons of the Klopp era.

And for Liverpool supporters, one that is very difficult to forget.

Jamie (The Kopite View)

Sometimes opportunities in football arrive when you least expect them.

For Will Wright, one could be coming at exactly the right time.

Liverpool are dealing with injuries to Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo, leaving Andoni Iraola with fewer options in attack. Isak has returned to Liverpool after picking up a thigh problem with Sweden, while Gakpo suffered an ankle injury during the Netherlands’ game against Serbia.

And suddenly, Will Wright has a chance to show Liverpool supporters what he can really do.

I don’t think he should be expected to replace Isak or Gakpo. That would be ridiculous pressure to put on an 18-year-old.

But if Iraola gives him an opportunity, I’d love to see Wright take it.

Wright has been knocking on the door

What makes this interesting is that Wright isn’t completely new to the first team.

Liverpool signed him from Salford City in August 2025 and he made his senior debut for Liverpool during pre-season shortly afterwards. He has since been involved in Premier League matchday squads and made further appearances during the summer under Iraola.

He’s also already shown that he isn’t frightened of stepping up.

During Liverpool’s pre-season tour, Wright played against Sunderland and Wrexham before featuring against Como. He has spoken about how much he learned from training alongside players such as Isak and Federico Chiesa.

Now he could get the opportunity to actually play alongside some of those players in a competitive match.

That’s a massive difference.

His goals are impossible to ignore

Wright has also been doing exactly what a young striker needs to do at academy level.

He’s scoring goals.

He has scored five times in four Premier League 2 appearances this season and was recently shortlisted for the PL2 Player of the Month award after scoring twice and assisting another in Liverpool’s 5-1 win over Brighton.

That’s the sort of form that makes you sit up and take notice.

Of course, Premier League 2 is not the Premier League.

Nobody should pretend it is.

But confidence matters for a young striker, and Wright certainly seems to have plenty of it at the moment.

I like what I’ve seen from him

I’ve been interested in Wright since seeing him get opportunities with the first team.

There is something quite refreshing about him.

He looks like a proper centre-forward rather than a winger being pushed into the middle. Liverpool’s academy staff have previously described him as a striker who likes a battle and will work defenders hard. Wright himself has said his long-term ambition is to become Liverpool’s No.9.

That’s a big ambition.

But why shouldn’t he have it?

Liverpool have spent huge money rebuilding their attack, yet one of the most exciting things about the squad is still seeing whether somebody from the academy can force his way into the picture.

Wright has already said that playing alongside the senior players showed him the level he needs to reach.

Now he gets the chance to show whether he’s getting closer to it.

Don’t expect miracles

I’d be careful with the expectations, though.

If Wright gets 20 minutes and doesn’t score, that doesn’t mean he’s not ready.

If he starts a game and struggles against experienced Premier League defenders, that doesn’t mean Liverpool have made a mistake by giving him an opportunity.

He’s 18.

This is about experience.

It’s about giving him a taste of proper first-team football and seeing how he responds.

Sometimes a young player only needs that first opportunity to realise that he belongs at the level.

And sometimes it takes several opportunities.

Either way, Liverpool won’t know until they give him one.

This is exactly what an academy is for

I actually think this is one of the more exciting parts of Liverpool’s current situation.

The club has been investing heavily in young players and building a pathway into the first team. Wright is one of those players who has already started walking down it.

Now injuries have opened the door a little wider.

Isak is one of the best strikers in the Premier League.

Gakpo has been in excellent form and had become an important part of Iraola’s attack before his injury.

Nobody is asking Will Wright to become either of them.

But if he’s given a chance, he can make his own case.

That’s all I want to see.

Let him train with the first team.

Let him get on the bench.

Give him some minutes if the opportunity is there.

And if he gets on the pitch, let him play his natural game.

Because five goals in four PL2 appearances tells us Wright is currently doing his bit.

Now we get to find out what he can do when the lights are a little brighter.

Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo’s injuries are obviously bad news for Liverpool. But for Will Wright, this could be the opportunity he’s been waiting for.

And I really hope he grabs it.

Jamie (The Kopite View)

Thierry Henry has given Liverpool supporters something worth thinking about when it comes to Bradley Barcola.

The former Arsenal and France striker has warned that it will take time for Barcola to settle at Liverpool following his huge move from Paris Saint-Germain.

And honestly, I think he’s right.

Barcola arrived at Anfield for an initial £106m, with the deal potentially rising to £123m, so nobody is going to pretend there isn’t pressure on him. He has also arrived with a huge reputation after winning the Champions League with PSG and representing France at the World Cup.

But there is a big difference between having a slow start and being a bad signing.

I think some people need to remember that.

Barcola hasn’t suddenly forgotten how to play football

Barcola is only 23 and has spent the majority of his senior career in France.

He has now moved from PSG to Liverpool, from Ligue 1 to the Premier League, and into a completely different tactical environment under Andoni Iraola.

That’s a lot of change.

He also isn’t walking into a Liverpool team that has everything perfectly settled around him. The attack is still being worked out, there have been injuries and Iraola is still learning exactly how to get the best out of his squad.

So I’m not going to judge Barcola too harshly because he hasn’t immediately started scoring every week.

We’ve already seen glimpses of what he can offer.

His pace is obvious. He wants to run at defenders, he can play on either side and he has the ability to carry the ball over distance. At PSG last season he scored 13 goals and provided seven assists in 49 appearances.

Those qualities haven’t disappeared because he’s moved to England.

Henry’s warning makes sense

Henry knows better than most what it is like to move from France to the Premier League with enormous expectations.

And that’s probably why his comments caught my attention.

Barcola isn’t just adapting to English football. He’s also dealing with the price tag.

Every time he doesn’t score, somebody will mention the £123m.

Every time he misses a chance, somebody will ask whether Liverpool paid too much.

Every quiet performance will be compared with what he did at PSG.

That’s football now.

But Barcola cannot control the transfer fee.

Liverpool agreed to pay it because they believed he was worth it.

The player simply needs time to settle.

I still think there is a lot to come from him

For me, the most exciting thing is that we’ve already seen enough to know why Liverpool wanted him.

His performance against Atlético Madrid showed flashes of the player Liverpool thought they were buying, while he also created a promising opening alongside Florian Wirtz before the chance went wide. Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has also pointed to his match fitness as something that still needs to improve.

That’s important.

We’re talking about a player who is still getting used to his new surroundings and hasn’t yet reached full rhythm.

I would much rather give him time than start putting ridiculous pressure on him after a handful of appearances.

We’ve done this before.

Liverpool supporters have seen players need time before becoming important players for the club.

And sometimes the best thing you can do with an expensive new signing is simply let him play.

Iraola needs to find the right role for him too

There is another part of this which shouldn’t be ignored.

Barcola is predominantly a left winger, and that’s where he spent most of his Champions League minutes with PSG.

Liverpool have also got Cody Gakpo, who stayed at the club after Manchester City made an £80m offer, while Rio Ngumoha and Victor Muñoz provide further options in the wide areas.

So Iraola has to work out how all these players fit together.

That’s his job.

Barcola shouldn’t have to become a completely different footballer just because Liverpool have several talented attackers.

Get him comfortable.

Get him fit.

Give him minutes.

Then let’s see what happens.

Because I genuinely believe there is a frightening amount of ability there.

I’m not worried about Barcola yet

I’m certainly not going to sit here and tell you that Barcola has already been brilliant for Liverpool.

He hasn’t.

But I’m also not going to start questioning the signing after a few appearances.

The £123m price tag makes the scrutiny inevitable, but it shouldn’t change the way we judge the player.

Thierry Henry says it will take time for Barcola to settle. I think Liverpool supporters should listen to that.

We’ve got a young French winger who has just left one of Europe’s biggest clubs and moved into one of the most demanding leagues in the world.

Let him breathe.

Let him learn.

Let him get properly fit.

And most importantly, let him play.

Because I have a feeling that when Bradley Barcola finally settles into Liverpool, we might look back at these early months and wonder why we were worrying so much.

Jamie (The Kopite View)

There have been plenty of brilliant Liverpool performances over the years, but some are just a little bit sweeter than others.

Beating Everton at Goodison Park is always special.

Doing it 4-1 is even better.

Doing it with Ian Rush scoring a hat-trick while Liverpool lifted a trophy makes it one of those nights that deserves to be remembered.

On 30 September 1986, Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool travelled across Stanley Park for the second leg of the Screen Sport Super Cup final against Everton.

Liverpool had already won the first leg 3-1 at Anfield, but there was no chance of taking anything for granted.

Everton were a very good side themselves at the time.

Liverpool simply blew them away.

Rush was absolutely magnificent

It took only ten minutes for Rush to open the scoring.

John Wark found him and the Welshman did what he did so often during his Liverpool career — he found the net.

Seventeen minutes later, he did it again.

This time Jan Mølby provided the assist and Rush made it 2-0.

Liverpool were in complete control.

Steve Nicol added a third in the 62nd minute before Rush completed his hat-trick six minutes from time, again with Mølby involved.

Everton eventually got a consolation from Graeme Sharp’s penalty in the 88th minute, but by then the damage had been done.

Liverpool had won 4-1 at Goodison Park.

The aggregate score was 7-2.

And Rush had scored five of Liverpool’s seven goals across the two legs.

Imagine watching that Liverpool team

Looking at the Liverpool starting eleven from that night is enough to make you smile.

Bruce Grobbelaar was in goal.

Gary Gillespie, Jim Beglin, Mark Lawrenson, Ronnie Whelan and Alan Hansen were in the defence.

Then came John Wark, Steve Nicol, Ian Rush, Jan Mølby and Steve McMahon.

Kenny Dalglish was the manager.

That’s some Liverpool team.

And it wasn’t just the names. These were players who knew exactly what Liverpool meant and what was expected when they walked onto a football pitch.

They were serial winners.

That is something I always find myself thinking about when looking back at old Liverpool matches.

We talk so much about individual players now, but those great Liverpool sides had an incredible mentality running through them.

Goodison wasn’t exactly an easy place to go

There is another reason I love this match.

It wasn’t played in some meaningless pre-season friendly.

It was a Merseyside derby with silverware at stake.

Liverpool were already 3-1 ahead from the first leg, but Everton had every reason to believe they could make the second leg uncomfortable.

Instead, Liverpool went there and effectively settled the tie before half-time.

Two goals from Rush had Everton facing an enormous task after only 27 minutes.

Even Trevor Steven missing a penalty early in the second half couldn’t change the direction of the match.

Nicol made it 3-0.

Rush then completed his hat-trick.

Game over.

Trophy coming back to Anfield.

Rush was made for nights like this

Whenever I think about Ian Rush, this is exactly the sort of game that comes to mind.

He wasn’t the flashiest player.

He didn’t need to be.

Rush was about movement, timing and finishing. Give him the slightest opportunity and he could punish you.

Three goals at Goodison Park in a trophy final tells you pretty much everything.

And five goals across the two legs against Everton?

That’s ridiculous.

Liverpool’s official history is full of great goalscorers, but Rush’s numbers and his consistency put him in a different category.

He just kept scoring.

This is what Liverpool used to be about

I love looking back at games like this because they remind me of the standards Liverpool once set.

A big game.

A big opponent.

A trophy on the line.

Liverpool didn’t just scrape through.

They went to Goodison and won 4-1.

There was no hanging on.

No sitting back and hoping.

They took control of the match and made sure there was never really any doubt about where the trophy was going.

And that’s probably my favourite thing about this game.

Liverpool didn’t just beat Everton. They absolutely hammered them.

For younger Liverpool supporters, it’s easy to look at old results and see nothing more than a scoreline.

But imagine being a Liverpool fan in 1986.

Your team had just won the league and FA Cup double under Dalglish. You had players like Rush, Dalglish, Hansen, Lawrenson, Mølby and McMahon.

Then you watched them go to Goodison Park and destroy Everton in a cup final.

What a time to be a Liverpool supporter.

Thirty years later, the details might fade.

The feeling doesn’t.

30 September 1986: Everton 1-4 Liverpool.

Ian Rush hat-trick.

A trophy.

And another reminder of just how bloody good Liverpool were.

Jamie (The Kopite View)

There are some players you watch and you just know they have something different about them.

Florian Wirtz is one of those players.

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente was asked by German newspaper BILD if there was a German player he would like to have in his squad.

His answer was simple.

“Florian Wirtz! Incredible player.”

De la Fuente then added: “Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a Spanish passport. I really like the way he plays.”

I can understand exactly what he means.

Liverpool supporters have already seen flashes of what Wirtz can do, but I still think we are waiting to see the best of him in a red shirt.

And I don’t think there is anything wrong with saying that.

Wirtz is a special player. There is no doubt in my mind about that.

Liverpool haven’t seen everything yet

When Liverpool spent so much money bringing Wirtz to Anfield, there was always going to be huge excitement around him.

He had already established himself as one of the most exciting attacking midfielders in European football at Bayer Leverkusen. His vision, close control, movement and ability to find space made him a nightmare for defenders.

But moving to the Premier League is different.

Wirtz has had to adapt to a new country, a new league, new teammates and a new manager in Andoni Iraola. Liverpool themselves are still trying to work out exactly what their best attacking structure looks like.

So I’m not going to write Wirtz off because we haven’t seen him dominate games every week.

Far from it.

I’m actually more interested in what happens when everything around him starts to click.

We’ve already seen moments where the quality is obvious. The touches, the little passes between defenders, the movement and the confidence to try something other players simply wouldn’t see.

The problem is that those moments haven’t always lasted for 90 minutes.

That’s where I think patience is needed.

De la Fuente clearly sees the talent

What I like about De la Fuente’s comments is that he wasn’t specifically asked about Liverpool or Wirtz’s current form.

He was simply asked which German player he would like to have.

He picked Wirtz.

That tells you something about how highly the player is regarded outside England.

And De la Fuente isn’t exactly short of talented footballers to choose from. Spain have an incredible group of players, yet when asked to name one German he would want, Wirtz immediately came to mind.

Calling him an “incredible player” is a pretty strong endorsement.

For Liverpool supporters, though, the important thing is what happens next.

We don’t need compliments from other managers to know Wirtz is talented. We need to see that talent consistently at Anfield.

I think we will.

I’m still backing him

I’ve criticised Wirtz when I haven’t thought he’s played well enough. I don’t think Liverpool supporters should pretend everything has been perfect simply because we paid a huge fee for him.

But there’s a massive difference between saying a player hasn’t reached his level yet and saying he isn’t good enough.

I’m firmly in the first camp.

We’re still waiting to see the best of Florian Wirtz.

And that’s actually quite exciting.

Because if Liverpool can get the best version of Wirtz playing alongside players like Bradley Barcola, Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and the rest of this attacking group, there is potentially a frightening amount of creativity in that team.

The frustrating part is that we haven’t seen it consistently yet.

Maybe that takes time.

Maybe Wirtz needs to become more comfortable with the demands of English football. Maybe Iraola still needs to find the best way to use him. Maybe Wirtz himself needs to become more aggressive and start demanding games rather than simply influencing them in flashes.

Whatever the reason, I’m not worried about the ability.

I’ve seen enough to know it’s there.

And when Spain’s manager is asked which German player he would love to have and immediately says Florian Wirtz, it is another reminder that Liverpool didn’t spend all that money on an ordinary footballer.

They signed a player with enormous ability.

Now we just need to see it all come together.

Because I genuinely believe the best of Florian Wirtz is still to come.

Jamie (The Kopite View)