Reassuring to see that we havenāt lost him to Burnley yet anyway.
Paddy Footix back in the saddle and discussing their favourite English soccer teams after a month of barracking the England national team and cheering against them.
I donāt think Liverpool ever invaded Ireland, to the best of my knowledge
3 Likes
In fairness the Ratoath Inn crew havenāt been too vocal in any anti-English bias. Weāve shown ourselves to be knowledgeable Kopites and taken each game on its merits.
3 Likes
Much like the snooker supporters at the crucible , supporters of Liverpool Football Club are very knowledgeable
5 Likes
This season could be our season. 
And Thomond Park
Weāve backed every Liverpool player to the hilt no matter what nation state they claim to hail from. Liverpool FC does not recognise lines on a map, weāre a global family.
4 Likes
Ye had a quiet enough time so with only one player starting a match from the quarter finals on.
Youāre very focussed on the European continent
1 Like
Ye didnt back that keeper after the European cup final against Madrid.
2 Likes
Heās still at the club 
We are Liverpool
1 Like
The next picture is him picking it up outta the net.
Konate lad is a massive unit.
3 Likes
No one wants Kabak, wants kabak, wants Kabak for good
Henderson apparently the only English player to keep his medal ! wonder what it says his mentality 
That heās not petulant and is humble and grounded.
6 Likes
āItās a real calm windowā, was Jurgen Kloppās succinct assessment from Liverpoolās pre-season training camp in Austria.
In the seven weeks since sporting director Michael Edwards wrapped up a Ā£35 million deal for RB Leipzig defender Ibrahima Konate, thereās been precious little movement in the transfer market, apart from the outgoings.
Striker Liam Millar made the switch to Basel for Ā£1.3 million and goalkeeper Kamil Grabara was offloaded to Copenhagen for a fee that could rise to Ā£3 million. Adam Lewis (Livingston), Paul Glatzel (Tranmere Rovers) and Sepp van den Berg (Preston North End) all headed out on loan.
However, Liverpool havenāt so far generated the kind of cash from sales required to seriously bolster Kloppās transfer kitty. Selling the more valuable fringe players who are surplus to requirements at Anfield has so far proved problematic.
The signing of Konate was always the priority this summer, given the problems at centre-back which derailed last seasonās Premier League title defence. The commanding young Frenchman has already made a big impression on team-mates and staff alike at the training camp in the stunning surroundings of Salzburg.
But there are still two areas of Kloppās squad which need to be reinforced.
Midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum has yet to be replaced since his exit on a free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain. Further upfield, a dynamic young attacker would ideally be recruited to compete with Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota.
The rumour mill has gone into overdrive. Every day seems to throw up a different name. The vast majority are works of fiction.
Senior club sources have rubbished recent reports suggesting bids have been tabled for either Atletico Madridās Saul Niguez or Renato Sanches of Lille.
Brighton & Hove Albionās Yves Bissouma and Leicester Cityās Youri Tielemans have been repeatedly linked but that speculation has also been dismissed by insiders. Tielemans, as with John McGinn of Aston Villa, has his admirers at the club but the price tag is massively prohibitive. Leicester would want around Ā£60 million for the Belgian, while Villa value McGinn at around Ā£50 million.
Instead, Liverpool are looking outside of the Premier League.
The Athletic reported last month how Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Florian Neuhaus was under consideration after being extensively scouted over the course of last season but the Germany internationalās release clause of around Ā£34 million has expired, and negotiating a fee wouldnāt be straightforward, with the Bundesliga club having signalled their intention to retain his services for another season.
In terms of attacking options, Bayern Munichās Kingsley Coman is not a target ā despite reports claiming a Ā£30 million bid had been rejected. PSV Eindhoven forward Donyell Malen has been on the clubās radar but interest in the Netherlands international has gone no further than an initial inquiry. Borussia Dortmund are in the box seat to sign Malen as they target a replacement for Manchester United-bound Jadon Sancho.
Behind the scenes, Edwards and assistant sporting director Julian Ward ā together with head of recruitment Dave Fallows and chief scout Barry Hunter ā have been working tirelessly, speaking to clubs and agents across Europe to establish what is and isnāt feasible.
Shortlists have been drawn up but making definitive decisions is currently tricky. Further signings are unlikely until the picture regarding outgoings becomes much clearer.
āThere was always an acceptance that with the Euros and the ongoing financial impact of COVID on clubs, that a lot of business would happen later in the summer,ā a senior club source tells The Athletic.
āJurgen has got 34 players in the camp in Austria, plus the boys on holiday following the Euros and the Copa America. Thereās a lot to be decided. Thereās the financial element but also, you canāt just stockpile players. You can only have 17 non-homegrown players (over the age of 21) in your 25-man Premier League squad, so space has to be created.ā
There are parallels with a year ago, when Liverpool signed Kostas Tsimikas early in the window but then didnāt do any further business until the season was underway. Back then, the sales of Ki-Jana Hoever and Rhian Brewster helped fund deals for Thiago and Jota.
Marko Grujic and Harry Wilson are two of the most valuable players seemingly destined for permanent transfers over the coming month or so. Both are valued at around Ā£12 million to Ā£15 million.
Porto, where he spent last season on loan, are the front-runners to buy Grujic ā however, they have so far been reluctant to meet Liverpoolās asking price and have indicated they need to sell first themselves to generate funds. Edwards has also fielded calls from clubs in Italy and Germany about the Serbia international, who has never started a Premier League game in five and a half years as a Liverpool player.
Wilson, who is now on holiday following his Euro 2020 commitments with Wales, could also be on his way to Portugal. Benfica remain interested in the winger, despite initial talks between the clubs breaking down over the fee. Premier League new boys Brentford and West Bromwich Albion, now relegated back to the Championship, are also in the mix.
Liverpool turned down a bid of around Ā£11 million for Wilson from Burnley last summer and believe his value has since gone up given his further development over the course of last season. Wilson scored seven goals and contributed 12 assists on loan at Cardiff City in the Championship.
The return to fitness this summer of centre-backs Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip following long-term injuries ā coupled with the arrival of Konate ā means Liverpool are open to the prospect of selling Nat Phillips if they get an offer of around Ā£15 million. Burnley are among a group of Premier League clubs chasing the 24-year-old, who hails from nearby Bolton.
Konate, Leipzig, Liverpool
Konate has made a big impression on Liverpool staff and team-mates already in pre-season (Photo: Jan Woitas/picture alliance via Getty Images)
āNat is very much in demand, which is understandable,ā a senior club source confirmed. āWeād be reluctant sellers, given how well he did last season and how much everyone loves him, so it would have to be right for Nat too.ā
Klopp would happily keep Phillips on board as a squad player but accepts that, at this stage of his career, he wants to be playing regularly. Given that Van Dijk, Gomez and Matip are still gradually increasing their training load, Liverpool are in no rush to lose a centre-back.
The club opted not to trigger their Ā£18 million option to buy Ozan Kabak following his loan spell at Anfield in the second half of last season. Parent club Schalke have since dropped their asking price for the Turkey international to just Ā£8.5 million following their relegation to the German second division, but Liverpool still arenāt interested on the basis they are now so well stocked in that department.
Ben Davies didnāt play a single minute for Liverpool following his arrival from Preston North End at the end of the January window but has been told heās not available for transfer. Young centre-back Rhys Williams is likely to be loaned out later in the window to gain further experience after spending half of the 2019-20 season at non-League Kidderminster.
Liverpool are prepared to sell full-back Neco Williams for around Ā£10 million. The Wales international has found his game time limited in his role as Trent Alexander-Arnoldās deputy. Similar to Phillips, thereās an appreciation on the clubās part that he may wish to move in search of regular first-team football and they wonāt stand in his way if the right offer is tabled. Leeds United, Southampton and Burnley have registered interest previously.
Klopp has high hopes for rookie full-back Conor Bradley, who was included in the group for this training camp along with fellow academy youngsters Owen Beck, Kaide Gordon, Mateusz Musialowski, Tyler Morton, Harvey Davies and Billy Koumetio. James Balagizi missed out after injuring an arm on holiday.
Loris Karius has returned from his loan at Union Berlin but the former first-choice goalkeeper has no future at Liverpool. The same goes for Sheyi Ojo. The winger, who also spent last season on loan to Cardiff, is training back at the Kirkby academy after being overlooked for this trip to Austria.
While thereās an obvious Wijnaldum-shaped hole that needs filling in midfield, recruiting another attacker hinges to a large extent on who departs.
Divock Origi scored just once in 17 appearances last season and the time looked right for him to pursue a new challenge this summer, but he has yet to give any indication he wants to move on. Club sources have denied reports that Borussia Monchengladbach have offered Ā£11 million for him.
Uncertainty also surrounds the future of Xherdan Shaqiri, who only made seven starts in all competitions last season. He enhanced his reputation at the Euros, helping Switzerland knock out favourites and world champions France to reach the quarter-finals, and is wanted by Italyās Lazio. Liverpool value him at around Ā£13 million.
Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi is finally training with Kloppās senior squad, nearly six years after signing for Liverpool from the Imperial Soccer Academy in his homeland. Work permit issues forced him to lead a nomadic existence with a succession of loan spells across Europe before he was finally granted the right to stay in the UK earlier this year.
However, Awoniyiās time working with Klopp is likely to be brief.
Thereās been interest in the 23-year-old from Championship sides Fulham, West Brom and Stoke City. Liverpool, who value him at around Ā£8 million, rejected a bid of Ā£4.5 million from Belgiumās Anderlecht in May.
The expected loss of Salah and Mane for a month when the Africa Cup of Nations begins in January is one factor that has to be considered but Anfield officials point to the fact that they would only actually miss two or three league matches because of the FA Cup fixtures that are part of the club schedule at that time of year.
Thereās also excitement over the potential impact of 18-year-old winger Harvey Elliott, whose progress was recently rewarded with a new five-year contract. After an eye-catching loan spell in the Championship with Blackburn Rovers last season, this pre-season provides the perfect stage for him to prove to Klopp he is ready to light up the Premier League.
So to cut a long story short, thereās much to sort out.
Who leaves and at what price in these next few weeks will ultimately influence where Liverpool go shopping for the central midfielder and attacker they need to add to fuel the belief they can be title contenders again in the com season.
āItās a real calm windowā, was Jurgen Kloppās succinct assessment from Liverpoolās pre-season training camp in Austria.
In the seven weeks since sporting director Michael Edwards wrapped up a Ā£35 million deal for RB Leipzig defender Ibrahima Konate, thereās been precious little movement in the transfer market, apart from the outgoings.
Striker Liam Millar made the switch to Basel for Ā£1.3 million and goalkeeper Kamil Grabara was offloaded to Copenhagen for a fee that could rise to Ā£3 million. Adam Lewis (Livingston), Paul Glatzel (Tranmere Rovers) and Sepp van den Berg (Preston North End) all headed out on loan.
However, Liverpool havenāt so far generated the kind of cash from sales required to seriously bolster Kloppās transfer kitty. Selling the more valuable fringe players who are surplus to requirements at Anfield has so far proved problematic.
The signing of Konate was always the priority this summer, given the problems at centre-back which derailed last seasonās Premier League title defence. The commanding young Frenchman has already made a big impression on team-mates and staff alike at the training camp in the stunning surroundings of Salzburg.
But there are still two areas of Kloppās squad which need to be reinforced.
Midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum has yet to be replaced since his exit on a free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain. Further upfield, a dynamic young attacker would ideally be recruited to compete with Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota.
The rumour mill has gone into overdrive. Every day seems to throw up a different name. The vast majority are works of fiction.
Senior club sources have rubbished recent reports suggesting bids have been tabled for either Atletico Madridās Saul Niguez or Renato Sanches of Lille.
Brighton & Hove Albionās Yves Bissouma and Leicester Cityās Youri Tielemans have been repeatedly linked but that speculation has also been dismissed by insiders. Tielemans, as with John McGinn of Aston Villa, has his admirers at the club but the price tag is massively prohibitive. Leicester would want around Ā£60 million for the Belgian, while Villa value McGinn at around Ā£50 million.
Instead, Liverpool are looking outside of the Premier League.
The Athletic reported last month how Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Florian Neuhaus was under consideration after being extensively scouted over the course of last season but the Germany internationalās release clause of around Ā£34 million has expired, and negotiating a fee wouldnāt be straightforward, with the Bundesliga club having signalled their intention to retain his services for another season.
In terms of attacking options, Bayern Munichās Kingsley Coman is not a target ā despite reports claiming a Ā£30 million bid had been rejected. PSV Eindhoven forward Donyell Malen has been on the clubās radar but interest in the Netherlands international has gone no further than an initial inquiry. Borussia Dortmund are in the box seat to sign Malen as they target a replacement for Manchester United-bound Jadon Sancho.
Behind the scenes, Edwards and assistant sporting director Julian Ward ā together with head of recruitment Dave Fallows and chief scout Barry Hunter ā have been working tirelessly, speaking to clubs and agents across Europe to establish what is and isnāt feasible.
Shortlists have been drawn up but making definitive decisions is currently tricky. Further signings are unlikely until the picture regarding outgoings becomes much clearer.
āThere was always an acceptance that with the Euros and the ongoing financial impact of COVID on clubs, that a lot of business would happen later in the summer,ā a senior club source tells The Athletic.
āJurgen has got 34 players in the camp in Austria, plus the boys on holiday following the Euros and the Copa America. Thereās a lot to be decided. Thereās the financial element but also, you canāt just stockpile players. You can only have 17 non-homegrown players (over the age of 21) in your 25-man Premier League squad, so space has to be created.ā
There are parallels with a year ago, when Liverpool signed Kostas Tsimikas early in the window but then didnāt do any further business until the season was underway. Back then, the sales of Ki-Jana Hoever and Rhian Brewster helped fund deals for Thiago and Jota.
Marko Grujic and Harry Wilson are two of the most valuable players seemingly destined for permanent transfers over the coming month or so. Both are valued at around Ā£12 million to Ā£15 million.
Porto, where he spent last season on loan, are the front-runners to buy Grujic ā however, they have so far been reluctant to meet Liverpoolās asking price and have indicated they need to sell first themselves to generate funds. Edwards has also fielded calls from clubs in Italy and Germany about the Serbia international, who has never started a Premier League game in five and a half years as a Liverpool player.
Wilson, who is now on holiday following his Euro 2020 commitments with Wales, could also be on his way to Portugal. Benfica remain interested in the winger, despite initial talks between the clubs breaking down over the fee. Premier League new boys Brentford and West Bromwich Albion, now relegated back to the Championship, are also in the mix.
Liverpool turned down a bid of around Ā£11 million for Wilson from Burnley last summer and believe his value has since gone up given his further development over the course of last season. Wilson scored seven goals and contributed 12 assists on loan at Cardiff City in the Championship.
The return to fitness this summer of centre-backs Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip following long-term injuries ā coupled with the arrival of Konate ā means Liverpool are open to the prospect of selling Nat Phillips if they get an offer of around Ā£15 million. Burnley are among a group of Premier League clubs chasing the 24-year-old, who hails from nearby Bolton.
Konate, Leipzig, Liverpool
Konate has made a big impression on Liverpool staff and team-mates already in pre-season (Photo: Jan Woitas/picture alliance via Getty Images)
āNat is very much in demand, which is understandable,ā a senior club source confirmed. āWeād be reluctant sellers, given how well he did last season and how much everyone loves him, so it would have to be right for Nat too.ā
Klopp would happily keep Phillips on board as a squad player but accepts that, at this stage of his career, he wants to be playing regularly. Given that Van Dijk, Gomez and Matip are still gradually increasing their training load, Liverpool are in no rush to lose a centre-back.
The club opted not to trigger their Ā£18 million option to buy Ozan Kabak following his loan spell at Anfield in the second half of last season. Parent club Schalke have since dropped their asking price for the Turkey international to just Ā£8.5 million following their relegation to the German second division, but Liverpool still arenāt interested on the basis they are now so well stocked in that department.
Ben Davies didnāt play a single minute for Liverpool following his arrival from Preston North End at the end of the January window but has been told heās not available for transfer. Young centre-back Rhys Williams is likely to be loaned out later in the window to gain further experience after spending half of the 2019-20 season at non-League Kidderminster.
Liverpool are prepared to sell full-back Neco Williams for around Ā£10 million. The Wales international has found his game time limited in his role as Trent Alexander-Arnoldās deputy. Similar to Phillips, thereās an appreciation on the clubās part that he may wish to move in search of regular first-team football and they wonāt stand in his way if the right offer is tabled. Leeds United, Southampton and Burnley have registered interest previously.
Klopp has high hopes for rookie full-back Conor Bradley, who was included in the group for this training camp along with fellow academy youngsters Owen Beck, Kaide Gordon, Mateusz Musialowski, Tyler Morton, Harvey Davies and Billy Koumetio. James Balagizi missed out after injuring an arm on holiday.
Loris Karius has returned from his loan at Union Berlin but the former first-choice goalkeeper has no future at Liverpool. The same goes for Sheyi Ojo. The winger, who also spent last season on loan to Cardiff, is training back at the Kirkby academy after being overlooked for this trip to Austria.
While thereās an obvious Wijnaldum-shaped hole that needs filling in midfield, recruiting another attacker hinges to a large extent on who departs.
Divock Origi scored just once in 17 appearances last season and the time looked right for him to pursue a new challenge this summer, but he has yet to give any indication he wants to move on. Club sources have denied reports that Borussia Monchengladbach have offered Ā£11 million for him.
Uncertainty also surrounds the future of Xherdan Shaqiri, who only made seven starts in all competitions last season. He enhanced his reputation at the Euros, helping Switzerland knock out favourites and world champions France to reach the quarter-finals, and is wanted by Italyās Lazio. Liverpool value him at around Ā£13 million.
Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi is finally training with Kloppās senior squad, nearly six years after signing for Liverpool from the Imperial Soccer Academy in his homeland. Work permit issues forced him to lead a nomadic existence with a succession of loan spells across Europe before he was finally granted the right to stay in the UK earlier this year.
However, Awoniyiās time working with Klopp is likely to be brief.
Thereās been interest in the 23-year-old from Championship sides Fulham, West Brom and Stoke City. Liverpool, who value him at around Ā£8 million, rejected a bid of Ā£4.5 million from Belgiumās Anderlecht in May.
The expected loss of Salah and Mane for a month when the Africa Cup of Nations begins in January is one factor that has to be considered but Anfield officials point to the fact that they would only actually miss two or three league matches because of the FA Cup fixtures that are part of the club schedule at that time of year.
Thereās also excitement over the potential impact of 18-year-old winger Harvey Elliott, whose progress was recently rewarded with a new five-year contract. After an eye-catching loan spell in the Championship with Blackburn Rovers last season, this pre-season provides the perfect stage for him to prove to Klopp he is ready to light up the Premier League.
So to cut a long story short, thereās much to sort out.
Who leaves and at what price in these next few weeks will ultimately influence where Liverpool go shopping for the central midfielder and attacker they need to add to fuel the belief they can be title contenders again in the coming season.