Interview by Peter Phillips with Simon Ward
1. Right Simon here we go pal… How would you sum up Liverpool`s season so far?
As expected, probably. Inconsistent. The biggest problem last season was defending, so to sort that out either buy better defenders or change way we play. Liverpool, to be honest, did neither. Injuries in midfield have been costly but sniffing around top 4 is where I expected us to be this season and nothing more.
2. Who has been the best performer for Liverpool in your opinion?
Mo Salah has been a big bonus. The only signing from the summer to make an impact. To score so many goals yet miss so many chances is mad but like we all said with Suarez for two years “Imagine if he could finish”.Roll on when he can…!
3. Which has been the best Liverpool performance this season?
Hoffenheim at home I think. Massive game, big stakes, and even though we conceded a couple never felt we were at risk of slipping up!
4. Which has been the worst Liverpool performance?
Spurs for me. It felt like game was over after 20 minutes and tactically, defensively and the goalkeeping were as bad as I have seen in a while. If LFC start well we normally play well, but from the start at Wembley we were outplayed. Leicester in the cup also had an inevitability about it, but that is as much to do with team selection as anything else.
5. Do you think Klopp will address the defensive problems by making signings in January?
Fans need to remember that signings are not just down to Klopp. We have a Sporting Director, plus other members of the committee still involved, and a policy restricting what profile of player we can target. Yes, after the summer mess, I do expect us to go after at least one centre-half. Personally would buy two, and an experienced strong keeper, but that is unlikely.
6. What are your hopes and expectations for the rest of the season?
Hopes = win a trophy, so I really hope for the first time Klopp takes FA Cup as a priority. It’s our best chance by a mile.
Expectations = inconsistency due to conceding goals to easily, 4th-6th place finish, QF of Champions League after decent 2nd round draw, and no idea about FA Cup.
7. Who would you sell/buy in January to strengthen the squad?
I wouldn’t look to sell anyone. Only Emre Can (reluctantly) if we can get some money for him before leaving on a Free. I would sign a keeper, 2 CBs and a proven, experienced DM but don`t ask me for names who are realistically available. We have been told for two years January is a tough time to do business so we need to act fast, aggressively and spend what it takes to rectify the errors from the summer.
Thanks to Peter and the people at Friends of Liverpool for giving me the chance to express my feelings in this interview.
Simon Ward
