A round-up of the latest Liverpool news as Jamie Carragher shares a ‘huge problem’ and Trent Alexander-Arnold admits he found one Jurgen Klopp decision ‘surprising’.
Liverpool U21 coach Barry Lewtas feels Rhys Williams is a ‘forgotten man’
Academy boss Barry Lewtas thinks Liverpool have a ‘forgotten man’ in Rhys Williams after an injury-plagued season. A raft of back and calf problems have troubled the 23-year-old so far this term. His fitness gripes even saw Port Vale cancel his loan transfer after a mere 16 days.
Williams spent the first half of the season on loan to Aberdeen but struggled to get a spot at the Premiership side. He never featured at Pittodrie and left after seven games as an unused substitute. But a switch to Port Vale in January ended early when he suffered another injury.
Lewtas eventually welcomed Williams back from his injury with Liverpool’s academy side in March. The centre-back has since featured five times in the Premier League 2 and scored in a 2-0 win over Manchester City’s academy. He also shut Manchester United out in a 3-0 win.
Speaking following the Reds’ win against the Red Devils, Lewtas was quick to praise Williams for how he has responded with Liverpool’s academy. The former England U21 prospect will now hope a regular role under Lewtas leads to first-team chances or a loan in the summer.
“I’ve known Rhys for a long time,” Lewtas said, via the Daily Mail. “He’s had his injury issues and sometimes you can be a bit of a forgotten man. The character he’s shown [and] how he’s supported the group epitomises the type of kid he is. He’s been brilliant.”
Read more about what Lewtas has had to say about Liverpool outcast Williams, here.
Jamie Carragher sees a ‘huge problem’ for Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool
Reds hero Jamie Carragher thinks Jurgen Klopp faces a ‘huge problem’ that Liverpool must resolve quickly if they are to win the Premier League title. The Reds now sit third in the table after 32 games following a possibly costly 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Anfield on Sunday.
Liverpool had 21 shots to the Eagles’ eight but could only direct six on target to their guest’s five. Per Fotmob, the Reds even recorded an xG of 2.81 to Crystal Palace’s 1.98. Eberechi Eze scored the only goal with a shot holding an xG of 0.53 for the second-best attempt all game.
The best attempt by a Liverpool player for xG came through Diogo Jota at 0.45 in the 72nd minute. But he failed to find a way past Dean Henderson. Now, Liverpool have an xG of 74.7 as a squad this term – the best in the Premier League – but have scored 72 – the third-best.
Carragher now feels Klopp must resolve Liverpool’s inability to convert chances that carry a high xG value. If the Reds cannot turn their efforts that have a realistic chance of finding the net into goals, Carragher fears Liverpool will fail to win the Premier League title this season.
“It has to change,” Carragher said on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football. “I think Liverpool’s xG in this run is about nine and they have scored two, which is not great and for it to just finish and go like that right now at the most pivotal of times is a huge problem for them.
“There is still time to fix that and get it back. But I think the nature of the players, it will always be a bit like that. But that has to change very quickly if Liverpool are to get back into the title race.”
Read more about what Carragher has had to say about Liverpool’s xG, here.
Trent Alexander-Arnold admits Jordan Henderson’s transfer was ‘surprising’
Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has now admitted that he found Jurgen Klopp’s decision to sanction a transfer to Al-Ettifaq for Jordan Henderson ‘surprising’. The Saudi Pro League team lured the Reds’ former captain to the Middle East last July for an initial £12m.
Henderson left Anfield after 12 years of which he spent eight as their captain after replacing Steven Gerrard. The 33-year-old also featured 492 times for the Merseysiders after joining from Sunderland in 2011. He further made 43 of his appearances over the 2022/23 season.
So, Alexander-Arnold admits he was surprised when the news broke of Henderson’s move to Al-Ettifaq last summer. It was not to be a long-term love affair with Saudi Arabia, though. He returned to Europe in January with a move to AFC Ajax after just 19 matches for five assists.
“Probably Hendo,” Alexander-Arnold told The Overlap. “That was a surprising one. We had just come back from pre-season and then it was just like, he starts getting in talks and that.”
Read more about what Alexander-Arnold has said about Henderson’s transfer, here.
