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Friday 22 September
Klopp’s tactics are spot on - Matip
14:15: Liverpool centre-half Joel Matip has claimed there is nothing wrong with the way Jurgen Klopp makes his side defend.
The Reds have become known for their ruthless attack and leaky defence, dating back to Brendan Rodgers’ time at Anfield.
Klopp has done little to address the issue, with his side shipping nine Premier League goals already this season - the worst in the top half.
However, Joel Matip has jumped to the German’s defence and insisted there is nothing wrong with their tactics at the back.
"Everything has its positive and negative sides but I have no doubt about our way of playing," Matip told NBC Sports.
"I cannot just stand at the back and our attackers go forward and there is so much big space. We all have to fit together. It is not always easy but this is our way of play. I think that is a good way of playing. We have had our good moments and also our not so good moments.
“We were punished for these and it was ruthless, the first few games, but we have to carry on. I am not in doubt about the quality in our team."
PA
Liverpool Transfer News: Stuart Pearce thinks Jurgen Klopp should have signed Jack Butland
Liverpool team news
12:00: Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren is unlikely to feature at Leicester as he has not trained this week because of the back injury which forced him to sit out their last two matches.
Fellow centre-back Joel Matip is also a doubt as he is carrying a knock from last weekend's draw with Burnley.
Midfielder Emre Can returned to training yesterday after recovering from a minor injury while forward Sadio Mane serves the final match of his suspension.
11:25: Liverpool have announced the return of Michael Beale to the club.
Beale served as Liverpool Under-23s boss before leaving to join Brazilian side Sao Paulo as their assistant manager.
He left there in the summer citing football reasons and explained: “I had just entered the seventh month of my time here and the project had changed a bit in terms of what I agreed to when I left Liverpool.
“It was a very exciting project and something I really believed in. Over time and for different reasons it changed a bit. It was maybe going in a direction that I maybe didn’t 100% believe in.”
And now he’s back on Merseyside to work primarily with the Under-5 to Under-11 age-groups.
January swoop for Goretzka
10:30: Barcelona are growing confident of signing Schalke star Leon Goretzka for a cut-price fee in January, reports claim.
Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are determined to sign Goretzka and have already opened talks with his representatives.
Goretzka, 22, is out of contract in the summer and will be eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with a club outside Germany in January.
Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Manchester City are also keeping tabs on the situation as Schalke struggle to keep hold of their valuable asset.
Phil Neville slams Liverpool transfer policy
09:20: Liverpool are paying the price for signing defenders on the cheap, according to Phil Neville.
The Reds are the Premier League’s third-highest scorers, but they also have the joint-third worst defensive record in the division.
Jurgen Klopp failed to sign a centre-half this summer despite identifying the position as a top priority for new signings, and Neville believes that error is costing his side valuable points.
On Liverpool’s defence, Neville told Sky Sports show The Debate: "There’s a massive problem. We’ve known probably for the last 12 to 18 months that goalkeeper, central defence, they’ve got massive problems.
"I think it’s personnel problems. When I see Liverpool play, they’re fantastic going forwards, as good as anybody. But I don’t think they’re exposed at the back. I don’t think the centre-backs play so wide open, the midfield vacate the space. I think they’re quite well organised. I think they’re individual errors.
"I think at centre-back Joel Matip and Ragnar Klavan… if you’re spending £5million on a centre-back, you get £5m worth of quality. You can’t teach concentration. You can’t stop players making individual errors. You’ve just got to change personnel and buy better players.”
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Liverpool should have signed Butland - Pearce
08:00: Jack Butland would have solved Liverpool’s goalkeeping problems, according to Stuart Pearce.
Jurgen Klopp has had a recurring selection issue with his current keepers Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius, who he’s rotated for four-consecutive matches.
He’s even brought Danny Ward into the equation after handing him his first start of the season in the 2-0 Carabao Cup defeat to Leicester.
But Pearce reckons the need for a new goalkeeper is also a pressing matter and was baffled as to why Liverpool did not prioritise strengthening between the sticks.
“I’m still a little bit flummoxed about the goalkeeper situation. I would’ve gone with Butland,” Pearce told Sky Sports’ The Debate.
“I think he is of the right age and experience now. I think he wouldn’t be phased at Liverpool. I don’t think they have got a top goalkeeper and if you are going to win anything you’ve got to have a top goalkeeper.”
£88m to sign Upamecano
07:50: Liverpool will have to break the bank to sign RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano.
Liverpool’s defence has come under scrutiny this season after going four games without a win and failing to sign Virgil van Dijk in the summer.
And German publication BILD claim they are eyeing the France youngster, who only joined Leipzig in January from Red Bull Salzburg.
The 18-year-old has a new contract offer on the table from the Germans which would raise his buyout clause to €100m (£88million), but that might NOT be enough to deter Liverpool.
Wilson set for January loan
07:45: Promising winger Harry Wilson could be sent out on loan in January.
The Liverpool youngster has continued to impress with the club’s Under-23 side, netting a brace in a 2-0 win over West Ham earlier this week.
Fellow academy stars Ryan Kent and Sheyi Ojo are already gaining first-team experience with Freiburg and Fulham respectively, and coach Neil Critchley says it’s possible that Wilson will follow in their footsteps.
Critchley said: “You can have ideas. I suppose a plan is difficult to stick to because you’re reliant on maybe others clubs or people coming in for Harry on loan. But with him being injured, that put that plan to bed for a little while. I'm sure we’ll revisit that in January.”