Liverpool have had a decent start. Are you happy with how things are going?
It’s been an ideal start to the season, with only two points dropped and one goal conceded in the opening five matches. League Cup progression has also been achieved.
The summer was a frustrating one, however, with Ibrahima Konate the only addition, despite calls for a midfielder to replace the brilliant Gini Wijnaldum and an attacking option to come in.
The key now is keeping key players fit, unlike last season. If that happens, there is absolutely no reason why Liverpool can’t challenge for the Premier League title.
You broke the mould a few years back winning the league. Briefly tell us about that season
It was the season we all dreamed of as Liverpool fans and after 30 long years it was well worth it, even though we were cruelly denied the chance to celebrate it properly inside grounds at the end.
The Reds were simply unstoppable that season – winning 26 and drawing one of their first 27 matches, which still remains impossible to get your head around
Jurgen Klopp and that group of players will forever go down as legends, and rightly so.
What do you hope for this season?
I would love us to win a major trophy. As simple as that.
Last season was a complete freak campaign with endless injuries, empty grounds and VAR nonsense. But this feels like the real Liverpool again, so the excuses need to stop.
The domestic cups are of no great interest to me personally, but another Premier League or Champions League title would only add to his great team’s legend. If they don’t win one, they need to go close.
It’s going to be extremely difficult, with Man City and Chelsea are particularly strong. Man United will hang around, too. But as mentioned, Liverpool can definitely win as long as they are fortunate with injuries.
People talk about the Premier League being a division split into two parts. The big six superleague breakaway teams (or should I say the big five and Arsenal) and the rest who play out in two mini-leagues. Do you think this is a fair assessment?
To be honest, I now see it as a top four, with Liverpool, City, Chelsea and Manchester United miles ahead of anyone else.
I would be very surprised if they didn’t all comfortably qualify for the Champions League, with Leicester, Tottenham and Arsenal a fair bit below.
Then there are the likes of West Ham and Everton, who will also likely be in the top-half, but otherwise, I don’t see a huge difference between the remaining clubs. Norwich look in all sorts of trouble, though.
The only way to potentially even things up is money-related, with salary caps certainly something that could help alleviate the issue.
I’ve always liked the way American sports do drafts, too, ensuring teams are relatively even, although it’s hard to see that ever happening in the Premier League.
We always thought your main rivals were Everton. But people tell us you dislike Man United more. Tell is a bit more about Liverpool rivalry and how does it play out?
I think this generally boils down to where you’re from.
If you’ve grown up or live in Liverpool itself, Everton will always be the team you want to beat the most because of the local bragging rights and the fact you bump into Blues left, right and centre.
I’m not from the city, however, and United have always been the team I despise more than anyone and want to beat most.
Part of that comes from being a young kid just as United started dominating under Alex Ferguson and they remain the one team I am desperate to lose every game. Loads of my mates also support them which doesn’t help – they’re from the south, what did you expect.
I think if you asked a million Liverpool fans who they dislike most it would be quite an even split between United and Everton, with City possibly also now entering that conversation – like Chelsea did in the mid 2000s when the rivalry was extremely bitter.
It’s quite often about which team you’re direct rivals with at a certain point.
Brentford’s main objective is survival this season. Compared to other teams over the years, and seeing us play fleetingly, how do you think we will get on?
I’ve been hugely impressed by what I’ve seen so far – eight points from five matches is a great return.
I watched you beat Arsenal in a pub in London with some angry Gooners on the table next to me, so naturally I took an immediate liking to the Bees.
Thomas Frank is an exciting, likeable manager a little in the mould of Klopp and he seems to have you playing the right way.
It is too early to judge you properly, however, because promoted teams can start well and then fade badly, as the likes of Hull and Blackpool have shown in the past.
The current evidence suggests you will be just fine, though, and I hope you do stay up. It’s nice having a new team in the league.
Who excites you on the pitch for Liverpool. Who could do better?
It’s hard to complain about the players we have, with five or six the best in the world in their position, in my opinion.
There’s always going to be bias involved, but I wouldn’t swap Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, Fabinho or Mohamed Salah for anyone in the world at the moment.
On top of that, Joel Matip is in the form of his life and is a real cult hero, Jordan Henderson is one of Liverpool’s greatest captains and a massively underrated player and Thiago is a joy to watch.
Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota haven’t quite got going this season, despite scoring a few, while Roberto Firmino has been injured. Those three all need to up it, with Salah carrying the attack too often.
Naby Keita is still yet to hit the heights we expected of him, mainly due to injuries, and we need him to go up a gear this season.
On our pre-match podcast (link above), Brentford director of football Phil Giles reckoned we could get a result from this match. Who do Liverpool have to look out for and what do you need to do to make sure that doesn’t happen?
As a Liverpool fan, I naturally look out for Sergi Canos and hope he does well.
It didn’t happen for him at Anfield, but he has clearly done brilliantly at Brentford and Reds supporters are happy for him.
We will all be wary of the former player curse haunting Liverpool on Saturday.
Left-back Rico Henry has always impressed me when I’ve seen him. He looks strong at both ends of the pitch, and without being rude tBrentford, I think he could end up at a bigger club over time.
It’s an obvious choice but Ivan Toney is also a very good striker and is showing that he can cut it in the Premier League.
He was superb in the Championship and always caught my eye. The manner in which he has taken to this league like a duck to water is so impressive.
I don’t think Liverpool will be especially fearful of one specific player, even though Toney stands out as a threat. It will be more to do with silencing the home crowd and not allowing you to be more intense and hungry than us in your game. It is also vital that the Reds don’t underestimate Brentford – if they get complacent and allow the game to drift, they could find themselves in trouble.
The Arsenal game showed what the Bees are capable of against big-name opponents. Salah may have to track Henry on occasions, or Trent could get outnumbered – whether or not the left-back is willing to risk pushing forward and leaving Salah remains to be seen.
Score prediction
I’ll go for Brentford 1-2 Liverpool.
I would be surprised if the Reds have it easy, with the boisterous home crowd roaring the Bees on in front of the Sky Sports cameras.
