Liverpool's academy recruitment has delivered some remarkable talents over the years. Could Xavier Parker be the next one? The 16-year-old Manchester City midfielder is attracting serious interest from the Reds, and after digging into the numbers and analysing his game, it's easy to see why.

Three red cards in the opening game had many wondering if FIFA officials were preparing for a World Cup crackdown. Then South Korea v Czech Republic came along and produced just one yellow card in the 96th minute.

No more strolling off the pitch. No more endless delays at goal kicks. More VAR intervention. Potential red cards for new offences. The 2026 World Cup won't just be bigger, it could fundamentally change how football is played and officiated.

Liverpool’s season ended exactly how it deserved to, flat, fragile and full of warning signs.

From European glory in Prague to Championship football in just three years. West Ham’s relegation feels less like a shock and more like the inevitable outcome of years of drift, poor recruitment and executive failure.

Liverpool had 55% possession, 443 passes, 32 touches in the Villa box and 9 corners. Aston Villa still looked the more dangerous side all afternoon. This wasn’t just another defeat. It felt like another warning sign. My latest for It Was Always...Liverpool 🔴 👇

Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea, but the scoreline barely tells the story. Chelsea controlled too much of the game at Anfield, Liverpool looked tactically confused at times, and the reaction to Arne Slot’s substitutions said plenty about the mood inside the ground.

Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 3-1, but the scoreline only tells half the story. The result was strong, the performance less convincing. My latest for It Was Always...Liverpool looks at the numbers behind the win, the tactical issues that remain, and why Arne Slot still has questions to answer.

Hearts are four games from doing what Scottish football has not seen in over 40 years. Can Derek McInnes’ side really break the Old Firm stranglehold and make history? My latest on the remarkable Scottish Premiership title race. 👇

Liverpool got the win at Everton… but how convincing was it, really? The numbers tell one story, the performance tells another. Fortune, fragile structure and too many moments rather than control. My latest for It Was Always...Liverpool 👇

Iraola’s Bournemouth exit has set the Premier League managerial carousel spinning early this summer. Who replaces him, where he goes next, and which clubs follow suit could define the entire off-season. Full breakdown here 👇 #EPL #Bournemouth #Football www.itwasalwaysfootball.com/p/the-summe...

Liverpool get the result, but let’s not kid ourselves… one win doesn’t fix everything. Fulham beaten, yes. But with PSG looming at 2-0 down, the real questions are only getting louder.

Liverpool outplayed in Paris, but the tie is not done. Numbers don’t lie, 0 shots on target, 0 control, big questions for Slot’s structure and FSG’s next move. Can Anfield spark another Champions League comeback? Full analysis 👇 www.itwasalwaysliverpool.com/p/liverpool... #LFC #UCL

Harry Maguire stays at Manchester United, but this is about more than a contract. Pay cut. Redemption arc. A player who refused to fade away. From criticism to quiet importance, a look at one of football’s most debated careers. Read here 👇

The Masters has its winners… then it has its legends ⛳ Only a handful have conquered Augusta 3+ times - this is the most exclusive club in golf. Who’s the greatest of them all? youtube.com/shorts/HP7B...

Top 10 Heavyweight Boxers: Then vs Now 🥊 From prime dominance to lasting legacy… the names that defined boxing history all in one place. Some will spark debate 👀 Who’s your No.1? youtube.com/shorts/ICR1... via @YouTube

Reading this and honestly wondering what state of mind you need to be in to post something like that? This isn’t strong leadership, it’s reckless rhetoric on a global stage. @realDonaldTrump can’t actually be serious with this??

Liverpool didn’t just lose to Manchester City, they folded. Completely.

Eleven Arsenal players withdrew from international duty… coincidence or careful management? Arteta has his say as the title race heats up, and the timing feels anything but accidental. Full piece below 👇 www.itwasalwaysfootball.com/p/arsenals-...

🚨 This isn’t a dip in form, this is a team and a manager that has lost its grip Brighton exposed everything 📉 2.17 xG to 1.03 ⚔️ Lost the duels 🧠 Lost control of the game Arne Slot delivered the title, but right now Liverpool look a so far off that standard

Trey Nyoni might not have the hype, but the numbers and performances tell a different story. Composed, intelligent, relentless in his pressing, and already making an impact at 18. Liverpool don’t need to look far for answers in midfield. My latest piece 👇

From drifting against Tottenham to dismantling Galatasaray… Liverpool have just raised the bar. 32 shots. 4.88 xG. Total control, real identity, relentless intent. They’ve shown the level. Now there are no excuses. New piece on Substack 👇

Morocco are champions of Africa… but not in the way anyone expected. Senegal won the final on the pitch. CAF have taken it away in the boardroom after that walk off in Rabat. A title decided twice. A controversy that won’t fade. My full breakdown on a night that changed AFCON forever ⬇️

Liverpool are drifting, and it’s no longer up for debate. 63% possession. 17 shots. Still couldn’t beat a depleted Tottenham side on a losing run. No identity. No cutting edge. No control when it matters. Slot has questions to answer, and they’re getting louder. New piece 👇

Liverpool are drifting, and the noise around it is getting louder by the week. A Tottenham side missing more than a dozen players arrived at Anfield on a six game losing run and still left with a deserved point. That alone tells you where Liverpool are right now.

Liverpool had the ball. Liverpool had the shots. Liverpool even had the numbers. 📊 And still lost 1-0 in Istanbul. Too open. Too chaotic. Not nearly serious enough in the first half. Eat. Sleep. Rave. Repeat. 🔁

🚨 NEW on It was always...Football Chelsea captain Reece James has signed a new six year contract at Stamford Bridge. But the bigger story may be the club’s extraordinary long term contract strategy.

Liverpool dominated the numbers at Molineux, but Wolves walked away with the points. I’ve taken a deep dive into the stats, tactics and key moments behind Liverpool’s frustrating Premier League defeat. My latest for It was always...Liverpool on @Substack

Liverpool 5-2 West Ham… but the scoreline doesn’t tell the full story. Clinical finishing ✔️ Set piece evolution ✔️ Midfield tracking issues ❗ I’ve broken down the numbers, the xG, the press, and the moments that still concern under Arne Slot. Full analysis here 👇

Rio Ngumoha is 17, but the impact is anything but youthful. Liverpool score more when he’s on the pitch. His dribbling numbers are elite. The directness changes games. The evidence is there. So why is he still waiting for proper Premier League minutes?

Liverpool leave the City Ground with three points… but the performance raises bigger questions. First half chaos. Pressing uncertainty. Midfield distances stretched. Yet higher xG, more big chances, and better box play ultimately decide it.

Raheem Sterling has taken the road less travelled.

Liverpool, 1-0 winners at Sunderland, and I was watching it unfold somewhere in the Persian Gulf on ship WiFi. Kick off just after midnight, final whistle past 2am, but worth every bleary eyed minute.

📊 Liverpool 1-2 Manchester City felt frustrating, but the numbers tell a clearer story. 2.75 xG to 1.21 85% pass accuracy to 78% Control early, fatigue late, and fine margins throughout.

Guehi not seeing red changed the entire direction of the game. Salah was through, shirt pulled, a clear denial of a goalscoring chance, yet only a yellow card followed.

‼️ Liverpool have now spent over £500m since last summer. Champions last season. Inconsistent this time. This isn’t reckless spending. It’s controlled upheaval. New piece on my Substack, out now ⬇️ www.itwasalwaysliverpool.com/p/liverpool...

Is Jamie Carragher right about Liverpool? Mostly, yes. But the gaps in his argument matter. I’ve gone through his key points, used his own quotes, and asked what the real fix actually looks like. Full piece free on Substack here 👇 www.itwasalwaysfootball.com/p/jamie-car...

Same ball, same story, same pain. Why does Liverpool’s control keep leading to nothing? Why does conceding feel terminal now? Why are the numbers telling the same story every week?

Another evening that sums up the pattern all too neatly. Plenty of the ball, chance after chance created, territory dominated, and still Liverpool find a way to leave empty handed. Control without conviction, pressure without punch, and once again punished at the very end.

Football’s laws are changing again ⚽ Daylight offside. Countdown clocks ⏱️ Expanded VAR checks 📺 Are these reforms restoring common sense, or just shifting football’s arguments to new places?

73% possession. 32 shots. 3.18 xG. And Liverpool still walked away from Anfield with a draw against Burnley.

Local Business Sponsorship Opportunity – Grassroots Football As Jack’s football team prepares to move into 7-a-side football this March, we are inviting local businesses to partner with us as team sponsors for the next stage of their journey. We are seeking sponsorship support for:

Unwanted history, unwanted familiarity. Liverpool draw 1-1 at home with Burnley and complete a grim set, failing to beat every promoted side at Anfield this season. Sunderland, Leeds, Burnley.

🔴 Liverpool 4 Barnsley 1 🏆 FA Cup Third Round 📊 But what did the stats really say? 75% possession 21 shots 1.98 xG A scoreline that suggests comfort, numbers that suggest caution. I break down the data, the tactical patterns and the warning signs beneath the win at Anfield.

🔴⚫ Manchester United are becoming irrelevant. The FA Cup loss under Fletcher didn’t shock anyone, and that’s the real problem. I’ve written about how a giant drifts when nobody’s in control. www.itwasalwaysfootball.com/p/mancheste...

A Thursday night under the lights at the Emirates, and a 0-0 that said far more than the scoreline. Liverpool frustrate Arsenal, extend the unbeaten run, and show control without cutting edge. Outstanding defensive work, smart midfield play, and a night that once again begged for a fit striker.

Liverpool’s 2–2 draw away at Fulham was one of those Premier League games that leaves you uneasy rather than encouraged.

Power without patience. Maresca gone at Chelsea. Amorim out at United. Yet Arsenal stood by Arteta, City ride out blips with Guardiola, and Liverpool trusted Slot to the title. Modern football talks about projects, but panics at the first wobble.

Three weeks ago, large sections of the media praised Florian Wirtz for being street smart. For going to ground when he was fouled, even though the contact alone might not have sent him down. That moment sparked debate, but what happened with Ekitike today proved the point perfectly.

📈 Why Liverpool sacked Aaron Briggs 12 goals conceded from set pieces, 7 from corners, just 3 scored in return. A minus 9 set piece goal difference, the worst in Europe’s top five leagues. There is luck game to game. Over a large sample size, it stops being luck. It becomes evidence.