Your evening Liverpool headlines for Thursday, December 15.
Steven Gerrard sends 'exciting' Liverpool message after Aston Villa sacking
Steven Gerrard believes Liverpool can use the World Cup break to their advantage and enjoy a 'strong, exciting' second-half of the season.
Jurgen Klopp's squad are currently enjoying some warm weather training in Dubai as they prepare for their Carabao Cup clash against Manchester City next Thursday, followed by the resumption of Premier League football with a Boxing Day trip to Aston Villa. The Reds were invited to compete in the Dubai Super Cup, with friendlies against Lyon - a 3-2 loss on Sunday - and AC Milan adding a full pre-season feel to the break.
The enforced pause is hoped to mark a natural end to a disappointing first half of the season, with Liverpool enduring their worst start to a league season under Klopp and needing to make up ground quickly in the top-four race. The Reds played every possible game last season - 63 in total - as they competed on all four fronts, and the fatigue that followed the squad through a condensed summer seemed to have hindered their start to the new campaign.
That makes this six-week break from competitive football a welcome checkpoint as Klopp and his squad rest and reset. And Gerrard, who was sacked as manager of Villa in October, believes the 'second pre-season' can act as an opportunity for them to kick on come Christmas and enjoy a strong end to the season.
Read the full story, here.
Christian Pulisic Liverpool transfer truth clear despite rejected bid and Luis Diaz injury
It’s amazing how much difference a few short weeks can make. If you had suggested to any Liverpool fan that they could sign Christian Pulisic before the World Cup, you would have probably been greeted by an unenthused sigh and roll of the eyes.
But a goal and two assists in an impressive showing for the United States at the 2022 World Cup, along with confirmation that Luis Diaz will miss a further three months of the season after undergoing knee surgery, and suddenly you have Kopites’ attention.
It was reported earlier this week that the Reds are interested in signing the winger from Chelsea. 90min claimed that both Liverpool and Newcastle United would like the 24-year-old on loan, who is said to be desperate to leave Stamford Bridge to reignite his career.
On paper, a move would perhaps make sense for the Reds and you can see why they have found themselves linked with the American. He is a former target after all, with Liverpool seeing an £11m bid rejected for his services by Borussia Dortmund back in 2016.
Having worked with Jurgen Klopp at Dortmund, both player and manager have been full of praise for each other in the past with the German a keen admirer of his former winger, as demonstrated by his efforts to bring him to Anfield six years ago.
Read the full story, here.
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