First State Kopites

Welcome to First State Kopites after the Reds lose narrowly to the proponents of anti-football from North London. I’m Paul, joining you from Liverpool one last time with a quick update on the Liverpool - Arsenal game.Summary - probably 3 parts to this game - Arsenal started well and scored a goal from a misplaced pass between Alisson and Jeremy Jacquet. Liverpool put them under tremendous pressure for about 60 minutes and then the last 20 minutes it felt like Liverpool got a little desperate, and created less in the end.Talking pointsThe narrative appears to be that Liverpool had no shots on target and therefore carried little threat but that is not how it felt in the ground. Loads of nearly moments, Macca header, Wirtz free kick, Then there's the pull back on Isak, the grab on Gakpo. I think these probably told you how Arsenal were feeling especially in the first half, when it felt like a goal had to comeTrey Nyoni was everywhere, what a tremendous performance. Felt like we lost something when he went off. Szobozlai does not have the passing range of Trey. Also question his weird demeanor at the end of the game, when all his team mates were clapping the fans, he is gesturing to the crowd for them to be louder…Much debate about Kerkez - starting point for me is effort and he certainly has that. Saw that someone said we’d have created many more chances with Andy Robertson. Not sure but feels like he is under some unfair pressure.Few words on Arsenal - wish we’d have won, obviously, but would have meant this sound less like sour grapes:The TV focus on Mac Allister feigning injury was interesting given the number of times Gabriel and Havertz went to ground holding their faces. Lots of going to ground which our nemesis Andy Madley was very happy to give fouls for next to nothing especially in the second half (13 fouls to 4 in the second half). Jurien Timber….When they weren’t trying to waste time, they hit almost 70 long balls. They had no interest for the most part in engaging in a proper game. Honestly made Brentford look like Brasil 1970.Points to revisitOverall, can feel good about Liverpool’s progress. Lots to be encouraged by in terms of how this team is building. Given 2 of their rivals a lot to think about in the last 7 daysCrowd was really up for this - felt very loud at times yesterday. Kept with the team till the end.London media has an issue reporting on us - outplayed against Brighton, some Athletic writer claimed this weekend. I was there and you have no idea how wrong that analysis is. Deciding that Liverpool didn’t do enough in this one - how about we get a subjective VAR call just once and then we have a different game?I’m Paul, thank you dear listener for joining me. Thanks for the positive feedback about the bonus episodes. Be back next week with a full episode, looking at these last 3 games, Fenerbahce and the upcoming away match at Palace. Let us know in the comments if you’d like more of these (obviously not always from Liverpool, but we could try).

Welcome to the second bonus edition from Liverpool, I'm Paul joining you from the city center the day after Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties (6 to 5 if you are counting) in the Carabao Cup 4th round.There were probably 3 parts to this - an understrength Liverpool facing probably a first choice Chelsea team and holding their own. Later in the game, Liverpool are able to bring on high quality replacements to almost turn the game for Liverpool and then there were the penalties.So takeaways from this one:Very intense game it felt, lot of back and forth, but not as many chances created from that chaos. The fluidity felt quite extreme, with Virgil showing up as a number 10 and Joe Gomez as a wide forward. Was this intentional for Iraola?Matched Chelsea even with a bunch of less experienced playersReds had 4 big chances (inc pen), they had 2. Been great if the Araujo or Barcola chances had gone inTalk about experience Trey Nyoni was outstanding - a lot of 100m midfielders started this match - i am sure that wasn’t on repeat during the commentary. Rio - the move where he burst away from multiple Chelsea defenders was breathtakingLot of moaning about Cody and Ryan. I think they both had almost moments, but honestly they looked exhausted, particularly toward the end. They have played a lot of minutes in a short space of timeOnce the big names got involved - Barcola, Wirtz - felt more likely that we were going to score.Word on the opposition - Chelsea are weird and Darren England looked a bit lost Penalty shoot out - big names score solid pens. Not sure about Kostas, but Joey came through!!Morgan Rogers - did his best to prove the doubters rightSo that’s it from Liverpool on Thursday October 29th. Be back hopefully on Monday after Liverpool face Arsenal. Some logistics to navigate for that one (leaving Liverpool). On ArsenalMuch made of their loss to Fleetwood. Not sure what impact it has on this game - apart from more weird things Mikel Arteta might sayDon’t want to get anyone into trouble but Xabi Alonso was outside his technical area a lot last nightWith their injuries in attack, big question is does he go for the ‘let’s keep it tight’ philosophy he used last season?Reds probably have some decisions to make about the fitness of people like Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch. They’ve played a lot this last 10 days.I’m Paul, thank you dear listener for joining me. Thanks for the positive feedback about the Brighton bonus episode - let us know in the comments what you think about this one.

Welcome to a unique edition of FSK. I'm Paul joining you from Liverpool after watching the Reds win at home against Champions elect Brighton. A fascinating 2-0 win. We get to see why Brighton have been doing well but we also get to see why Liverpool fans feel better about their team than every pundit out there:What are the takeaways from watching this one in person:Liverpool have become more resilient under Andoni Iraola. It’s not that the opposition can’t have chances or have the ball in our penalty area, but they don’t give up many big chances. And our press created problems for them, in a way that wasn’t happening last season.Key to this resilience - Jeremy Jacquet and of course, Ronald Araujo, whose front footedness seems to have sparked the team and the crowd. There was a spell in the first half where you could see the potential of our attack - moments where Wirtz and Barcola in particular were finding spaces. Probably should have got a goal on the break in the second half. Workrate from Wirtz, Barcola, Gakpo was also noteworthy.Brighton play a very watchable, slick brand of football than some team in Manchester would die for.The Anfield crowd were lifted by big Ron, but there were murmurs about all of Brighton’s possession - 64% - although Brighton only had one shot on target.Interesting at the close, Iraola walked around the pitch applauding the crowd, getting a great response from those who remained Final word on the weather - not sure how much it was visible on TV, but it made moments quite difficult, and even though Alisson’s ball created Isak’s goalSo that’s it from Liverpool on Monday October 26th. Be back on Thursday after Liverpool take on Chelsea in the Carabao Cup. i’m Paul, thank you dear listener for joining me. Obviously we are trying something new here, please let us know in the comments what you think.

Reds went away to LASK in the Champions League and to Brentford in the Premier League and came away with all the points. We will review the games before going onto look ahead to 4 homes games - Villareal, Brighton, Chelsea and Arsenal. I'm Paul, joined by Daz.Part One - Lask and Brentford?We just won 2 football matches away from home - some of the reaction has been underwhelming especially around BrentfordIs that all you get for 400m?It’s not clicking said Daniel Storey (probably pissed because his Forest team lost)It was against 10 men - unlike us, they had 15 minutes at half time to organizeIt’s just like last season - the wide open spaces and the giving up big chancesStasbomb says we’ve improved dramatically (less than 2 a game - 6th in the league)LASK - well, they are uselessWell, how else could you read this:Brentford is a hard place to go - last loss was February. It’s a battle.That’s 2 away wins against 2 of the 3 ‘Bs’They had the week off, we were in Austria on WednesdayMacca, Jacquet, Munoz, Rio, and Bradley BarcolaWirtz 9 chances created - even Tony Evans is talking about that as a useless statIsak - 5 goals in 6We have 12 points and are in 5th place - others lower down are getting much more praisePart Two - 4 home games over a 12 game periodVillareal in Champions LeagueBrighton - currently 3rdChelsea in the CarabaoArsenal - currently 2ndWhat do we know, think, hope?We’ll be back after the game against Arsenal - to review these 4 and look ahead to Fenerbache and Crystal Palace. Thanks to Daz for joining me, Paul. And most of all, thank you dear listener for joining us.If you enjoyed the pod, please share it with a friend. Follow us @FirstStateKopites on X  – we only tweet and retweet from sources we think are credible. Music is courtesy of Hypenotic – they are a Welsh electro-pop band – https://hyperfollow.com/hypenotic   

Reds played the biggest cheats in the history of football (pending an appeal of course) last Sunday - a game of two ⅔ and ⅓ segments as Jonathan Wilson once said. We will review the game and offer some opinions about the event. We’ll offer some thoughts on LASK and Brentford but we’ll start with some reactions to the game against FC114 charges . I’m Paul, joined by Daz and Justin.Part One - A defeat against  ‘Sham City’ - the Ghost game?The eventMeaningless football matchNormal rules don’t applyThe season is a shamThe FU - bringing on a $100m player as a 4th subThe celebrations - ‘that showed them’. ‘When we win the appeal’.Could you see yourself doing this?The reporting on the atmosphere feels uneven‘Little Lies’ Virgil - I’ll comment after the appeal is done…The game itselfBright spotsWhat would you have done differently?The refereeing and the red cardPart Two - looking aheadA word on LASKBrentford awayDoes it matter?Team selection - not great to be without Isak, Cody and Szobo.What do we know, think and hope?How will you watch the rest of the season until the appeal is done?We will be back after the game against Brentford (and then Villareal) - looking ahead to the intense schedule that follows. Thanks to Justin and Daz for joining me, Paul. And most of all, thank you dear listener for joining us.If you enjoyed the pod, please share it with a friend. Foll

Reds return to action this weekend against the biggest cheats in the history of football (pending an appeal of course). We will preview this game/this occasion, but we’ll start with some reactions about the news that City have been found guilty of some number of charges north of 114.. I’m Paul, joined by Daz and Justin.Part One - ‘Sham City’Impact on the Reds‘Giving us the trophies and the players the medals would be hollow’. Really?Jesse Marsch ‘ we all knew this was happening’How many $50M failures should you be able to afford?John Henry in 2011 - ‘be interesting to see the second bid’Do we (the fan base) owe FSG an apology?Are we the biggest losers?City helped us get betterBut the 2018-2022 team does not get wider credit does it?Wider impact - lots of strands:Are other teams angry enough?Everton response… Trickle down effect. BurnhamDeeper inquest into AD investment by mainstream outletsSponsor OKX now apparently fined $400m for flouting anti-laundering laws (as reported by the Sun *turns, spits)Whether or not “irrefutable” means what they think it meansThe players didn’t cheat……What do we think will happen versus what we hope will happenTalk of the Sheikh selling to get out from under the black eyePart Two - Sunday’s gameDoes it matter?Team selectionWhat do we know, think and hope?We will be back after the game against the now disgraced team from east Manchester - looking ahead to the intense schedule that follows. Thanks to Justin and Daz for joining me, Paul. And most of all, thank you dear listener for joining us.If you enjoyed the pod, please share it with a friend. Follow us @FirstStateKopites on X  – we only tweet and retweet from sources we think are credible. Music is courtesy of Hypenotic – they are a Welsh electro-pop band – https://hyperfollow.com/hypenotic   

Reds away to Bournemouth who had not lost at home since January 3rd and come away with a win. We will look at that game, and review the season so far. I’m Paul, joined by Daz and Justin.Part One - away at Bournemouth - did we mention they haven’t lost at home since January and this is the first time they have gone behind:Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez are passengers they say….See Andy Robertson comments about last season - hard for new players last seasonAllison Becker. The defence. Nyoni.The Bermuda triangle of the 3 ‘B’s?Part Two - Played 7, won 4, drew 3How is Iraola doing? What were our hopes and expectations?xG against is very low - second best in the league (0.85)How do we get more from the front 4?Away games are hard - our current record is unbelievable. Home form? It’s 2 games - each had its own narrative:Forest are better away, Fulham game was really poor.How is the rest of the league?Arsenal aren’t exciting but are extremely effective and consistentThere are a lot of highly physical, highly scripted performancesGrace Robertson, John McKenzieSpecifics of the Reds:Only two teams have conceded fewer goals – the Ev and Leeds (3)Interestingly enough, we also conceded 2 in both of the opening fixtures last season (but won both)Oh Mac Allister, Oh Mac Allister - once again he is being the best we’ve seen from the ArgentineThe defence including Jeremy, Araujo, and that loser Milos Kerkez is solid.We will be back before the Man City game - and looking further ahead at an interesting October/November. Thanks to Justin and Daz for joining me, Paul. And most of all, thank you dear listener for joining us.If you enjoyed the pod, please share it with a friend. Follow us @FirstStateKopites on X  – we only tweet and retweet from sources we think are credible. Music is courtesy of Hypenotic – they are a Welsh electro-pop band – https://hyperfollow.com/hypenotic   

Reds home to Fulham and drop more points, having won away at Ipswich. And then beat Atletico de Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur in the cups. We will review these games, and then go onto preview our Sunday visit to Bournemouth, a team our coach may have some familiarity with. I’m Paul, joined by Daz and Justin.Part One - the good performances and the one not so goodAway at IpswichThey look good when they have a leadIsak, GakpoHome to AtleticoPress slightly off in the first halfVery solid second half performanceMac AllisterHome to FulhamLacking freshnessAlso Fulham played differently than any game this season - Sander BergeJeremy Jacquet Home to SpursKoumas, McConnell, NyoniThe goals Part Two - Bournemouth AwayWhat do we know, think and hope?Bournemouth in Spain on Thursday nightTeam selection (James Pearce advocating for Szobozlai at the 10)How will the game play out?PredictionsWe will be back after the Bournemouth game - looking ahead to the restart of the league in what feels like 3 months time. Thanks to Justin and Daz for joining me, Paul. And most of all, thank you dear listener for joining us.If you enjoyed the pod, please share it with a friend. Follow us @FirstStateKopites on X  – we only tweet and retweet from sources we think are credible. Music is courtesy of Hypenotic – they are a Welsh electro-pop band – https://hyperfollow.com/hypenotic   

Reds home to Nottingham Forest and drop more points. We will review Liverpool’s first home game of the new season, and then we’ll go onto preview our Friday visit to Ipswich Town, a team that has looked better overall than the one that got relegated in 2024-25. I’m Paul, joined by Daz and Justin.Part One - the Forest gameThe first half performanceLot of gaps still in midfield and defence?The goal - Jacquet not following VVD’s leadForest - lot of long ballsUnlucky with the Wirtz ‘goal’Second halfMore intense, Forest created little in this half - goal at 60 perfect timingThe penalty? The lack of awareness and the foul throwThe changes - Rio, Gravenberch, Nyoni Munoz goal - Wirtz passOverall:The xG appears misleading. Statsbomb doesn’t double count or generally count offside efforts and they had Forest at less than one non-penalty xG.Part Two - Ipswich AwayWhat do we know, think and hope?Team selectionHow will the game play out?PredictionsBradley BarcolaBajcetic to Celta VigoSquad building:We will be back after the Ipswich game - looking ahead to Atletico in the Champions League and Fulham at home. Thanks to Justin and Daz for joining me, Paul. And most of all, thank you dear listener for joining us.If you enjoyed the pod, please share it with a friend. Follow us @FirstStateKopites on X  – we only tweet and retweet from sources we think are credible. Music is courtesy of Hypenotic – they are a Welsh electro-pop band – https://hyperfollow.com/hypenotic   

Reds go to Newcastle and drop points or rescue a point with a last minute goal depending on your perspective. It’s the same response to Liverpool dropping points as most of last season - the sky is in fact falling. We will review  Liverpool’s first game of the new season, and then we’ll go onto preview our first game at home against Nottingham Forest, a team that has given us problems in the last few years. I’m Paul, joined by Daz and Justin.Part One - the Newcastle gameThe performanceKoumas, MunozMidfield - and the defence - Kerkez, VirgilKeep it quiet the first 15. The long balls….. Imbalance of the attack? Gakpo, Rio, Wirtz and IsakThe resultDifficult away? Level for maybe 8 minutesPart Two - Nottingham Forest at homeWhat do we know, think and hope?Team selectionHow will the game play out?PredictionsWe will be back after the Forest game - looking ahead to Ipswich away. Thanks to Justin and Daz for joining me, Paul. And most of all, thank you dear listener for joining us.If you enjoyed the pod, please share it with a friend. Follow us @FirstStateKopites on X  – we only tweet and retweet from sources we think are credible. Music is courtesy of Hypenotic – they are a Welsh electro-pop band – https://hyperfollow.com/hypenotic