As Liverpool conclude their pre-season tour of Asia, where they gave some fans a rare opportunity to see the Reds in the flesh, we’ve rounded up five of our favourite stories from the week.
The season is edging closer, the football is back (kind of) and the excitement is building ahead of 2022/23.
Liverpool have wrapped up the majority of their transfer business and attention is starting to turn towards the real stuff again.
Here, we pick out five Liverpool stories we think you should see this week.
Something important
Story: French senate blames UEFA and officials: Liverpool fans unfairly blamed in Paris
On Wednesday, the French Senate report on the disorganisation around the Champions League final were published.
The provisional report found that Liverpool fans were unfairly blamed for the chaos to “divert attention” from the failure of the organisers.
France’s interior minister, Gerald Darmanin, initially laid the blame for the delays at the door of ticketless Liverpool supporters for the build-up of crowds at the perimeter of the Stade de France, with police also using tear gas on fans as they waited to gain entry.
The provisional report of its findings, published on Wednesday, stated:
“It is unfair to have wanted to make supporters of the Liverpool team bear the responsibility for the disturbances that occurred, as the Minister of the Interior did to divert attention from the inability of the state to adequately manage the crowds present and to curb the action of several hundred violent and co-ordinated offenders.”
The report found the chaos had been caused by a “chain of events and malfunctions” in the days and hours leading up to kick-off.
A step in the right direction. Liverpool fans have been exonerated, but now we should expect a formal apology from the French government and a parliamentary enquiry.
Something heart-warming
Story: “A dream come true” – What Liverpool’s tour to Singapore means to boyhood Red
After bidding farewell to Bangkok after their pre-season friendly with Man United on Tuesday, the next leg of the Reds’ Asia tour took them to Singapore.
There, they found plenty more fanatical Reds, with over 50,000 watching them beat Crystal Palace on Friday.
One of them was Farhan, from the official Liverpool Supporters Club Singapore East, who this week spoke to This Is Anfield about the special feeling of having the Reds so close to home.
“It is definitely a dream come true not only for me but also the thousands of Liverpool fans from Singapore to have the team play a match here.
“Not all of us have the privilege to travel all the way to Anfield to watch a match and so being able to see the team, who have won every possible trophy, is going to be such a joy for all of us.
“We will cherish every moment of it!”
This is why Liverpool make sure to do these tours as often as possible.
Something funny, but true
Story: “Thank God, I am not like this” – Jurgen Klopp on fans writing players off
In Thursday’s pre-match press conference in Singapore, Klopp explained why, despite persistent claims for a new midfielder among some supporters, he will not lose faith in his current options by any means.
He did so in typically brilliant fashion.
“If you go through, the quality of the players we have is really, really high. People make one mistake.
“They underestimate the chance that a player who didn’t play his best season this year might play the best season this year.
“It’s like football fans – I’m not sure all, but some – don’t give people the chance to improve. It’s like, ‘He didn’t play well last year, he cannot score goals, he cannot do that, so get him out of the house.’
“Thank God I am not like this.”
You’ve got to love Jurgen always saying it like it is!
Something great to see again
Story: 22 of the best photos as Liverpool debut new home kit in Singapore
The Reds are back in action once more.
After a result to forget against Man United on Tuesday, Liverpool put on a show for the people of Singapore against Crystal Palace on Friday.
The squad are very much still at the stage of building up their fitness levels for the new season, but this was a game that gave fans plenty to smile about again.
Harvey Elliott looks ready to kick on this season, Mohamed Salah was looking razor sharp after penning his new contract, and there was even a trophy lift after the game!
It was a fitting conclusion to a tour that Klopp will feel went about as well as it could have done.
The Liverpool boss isn’t the biggest advocate of the commercial commitments that come with these tours, openly admitting that he’d prefer to spend the majority of pre-season focusing on the football.
Nonetheless, this time around, the Reds were able to get through some good work on the pitch, with the weather conditions remaining relatively good throughout.
A trip to Germany to take on RB Leipzig is next on the cards, as the season edges ever closer.
Something feel-good
Story: The feel-good story from Liverpool’s travelling squad to Far East
What a story this is.
Liverpool’s 37-man squad for their tour of Asia included 11 members of the academy, and one name, in particular, stands out thanks to his journey.
That name, you ask? Tom Hill.
Some of you may remember him as one of the young Reds who started against Aston Villa in the League Cup in 2019, the club’s second-youngest ever starting lineup in history.
In the years since, though, the 19-year-old has been steadily working his way back from a serious knee injury, sustained in September 2020.
The ACL injury required surgery and what was anticipated to be one season out of action turned into nearly two years of rehabilitation work, with a return coming only 20 months later.
Hill’s return came with the U18s in May and saw him hit the scoreboard straight off the bat, the start of his journey to make up lost time after missing nearly two full seasons.
The Formby-born midfielder is now 19 and was involved with first-team training prior to their travels to the Far East, steadily building up his match fitness and sharpness.
Remarkably, Hill featured in Liverpool’s friendly against Man United on Tuesday, lining up alongside Salah and Darwin Nunez in attack!
He missed the victory against Crystal Palace due to a minor knock, but his inclusion in the tour should give him a real boost ahead of the new season.
Go’ ed Tom!
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