Liverpool speak to Brentford's Dykes in sporting director huntpublished at 12:49 BST
12:49 BST
Sami Mokbel Senior football correspondent
Image source, Getty Images
Liverpool are speaking to external candidates as part of their search for a new sporting director, with Brentford technical director Lee Dykes among the candidates the club has met.
Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon is leading the process.
As well as Dykes, Brentford sporting director Phil Giles is also admired, but luring him away from west London is likely to be difficult.
FSG has spoken to other external candidates in addition to Dykes, who has played a key role in the Bees' consolidation as a Premier League side following their promotion in 2021, having arrived at the club in May 2019.
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Manchester City), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Alex Scott (Bournemouth).
Forwards: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Anthony Gordon (Barcelona), Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Morgan Rogers (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal).
Gossip: Reds will have to pay full release clause for Rayanpublished at 08:15 BST
08:15 BST
Liverpool will have to pay the full £130m release clause to buy 20-year-old Brazilian Rayan from Bournemouth despite manager Andoni Iraola's relationship with the midfielder from his time as Cherries boss. (ESPN Brazil via Caught Offside, external)
Koumas 'a good stylistic match' for an Iraola teampublished at 12:59 BST 17 September
12:59 BST 17 September
Image source, Getty Images
Liverpool.com journalist Matt Addison has said young forward Lewis Koumas "certainly made the most" of his opportunity to start Tuesday's Carabao Cup win over Tottenham.
The 20-year-old played 86 minutes, was relentless in leading the press from the front, and was denied a goal by a fine save from Spurs goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
"I thought he was excellent," Addison told BBC Radio Merseyside.
"It was exactly the type of performance Andoni Iraola would have wanted from him.
"It was the exact kind of pressing and relentlessness - he just never ever stops. He obviously has a lot of talent and quality in possession as well, and his link-up play looked pretty good in moments, but the big thing was the energy.
"You could see exactly what it meant to him to be in that position. He was going to run and run and he certainly made the most of it.
"Those are the physical demands you have to meet to be an Iraola player so that is all positive.
"It is a good stylistic match. He is not going to be in the starting XI for big games but I wouldn't be surprised to see a few more impressive cameos."
Listen to the full discussion below or on BBC Sounds
The celebration was for myself - Szoboszlaipublished at 12:13 BST 17 September
12:13 BST 17 September
Aadam Patel Liverpool reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai has insisted that his celebration after scoring a stunning goal against Tottenham on Wednesday was for himself.
No Premier League player has scored more goals from outside the box (13) in all competitions than Szoboszlai since he signed for Liverpool in July 2023.
The Liverpool midfielder scored a screamer at Anfield to wrap up the win for Andoni Iraola's side in the Carabao Cup and celebrated by pointing his hand to his ear.
Asked if he was trying to make a point with his celebration, Szoboszlai said: "No, (it was) just for myself. I just decided before the game and I just did it."
And the 25-year-old insisted that he was not aware of any criticism after Liverpool drew 0-0 with Fulham last weekend - in a game where Szoboszlai won just one of his 10 duels.
"This goal (against Tottenham) was for the people who are always next to me because we are also humans so we can have bad games and we can have bad days," said Szoboszlai.
"I think never ever was a player who played every game of his life (well) so there will be days also and games where I am going to play bad, but I think the most important is the reaction and I think I reacted quite well and hopefully I can keep on going on Sunday against Bournemouth."
On his role in midfield, Szoboszlai stressed that under Iraola, Liverpool do not play with two midfielders next to each other.
"We play with one six, one eight and one 10, so the six and the eight are not next to each other, the eight is a little bit higher and the six is a little bit deeper and the 10 is a little bit even higher so it is not two next to each other," he said. "So you put the pictures or in the media - it is a six, an eight and a 10 so yes, it is just the system."
Asked about his preference between midfield roles, Szoboszlai, who is now one of Liverpool's vice-captains, added: "I just want to be on the pitch. Maybe I am not at the best in the six position because I win one of the 10 duels but maybe the next game I am going to win eight out of 10, so I am then a good six?
"So it's always balance. There will be games where we are not playing at our best as a team, as personally me or somebody else, but it is always 'leave the past and then the next one' - the reaction is what matters."
Gossip: Reds considering Camarapublished at 07:18 BST 17 September
07:18 BST 17 September
Liverpool are considering a January move for 22-year-old Monaco and Senegal midfielder Lamine Camara, who missed out on a deadline-day move to Chelsea. (Football Insider, external)
Meanwhile, Vincent Joseph has confirmed his departure from Liverpool, with the 16-year-old expected to join Arsenal. (Standard, external)
'You feel it' - Szoboszlai on stunner against Spurspublished at 15:13 BST 16 September
15:13 BST 16 September
Image source, Getty Images
Liverpool midfielder Dominic Szoboszlai says "everything was perfect" for his stunning strike in Tuesday's Carabao Cup win over Tottenham.
Szoboszlai scored the third in stoppage time in the 3-1 win by smashing a bouncing ball into the top right corner from around 35 yards out.
"I would say it's in my top five," he said on the goal after the match.
"As soon as I had a good touch after Cody [Gakpo] passed me the ball I wasn't thinking longer, I just took the shot and it went in.
"You know when you had a good shot, you feel it. I thought it was going in the middle but I saw it go to the right. Everything was perfect."
It was a morale-boosting win for Andoni Iraola's side, who were blunt in Saturday's 0-0 home draw with Fulham.
"It was very important [to win]," added Szoboszlai.
"We are in the next round and we take every competition very seriously. I'm very happy to be in the next round and very happy for the guys who had the chance to play and who didn't maybe have the chance during the season until now.
"I think everyone showed they are ready to play.
"It's a lot of new things, but we have to get used to this and to each other and to the new manager. We need to build a good team."
Referee and VAR correct on Gakpo penalty claim at Ipswich - panelpublished at 13:48 BST 16 September
13:48 BST 16 September
Dale Johnson Football issues correspondent
Image source, Getty Images
The Premier League's Key Match Incidents Panel has backed the decision not to award a penalty to Liverpool at Ipswich Town earlier this month.
Liverpool led 2-0 towards the end of the first half when Abdul Fatawu slid in to make a block and brought down Cody Gakpo on the edge of the area.
Referee Darren England allowed play to continue, and video assistant referee Nick Hopton decided against a review.
The KMI Panel voted 4-1 that it should not be a spot-kick, and 5-0 that there should be no VAR review.
"An unusual situation where some contact is made by Fatawu on Gakpo after the ball is laid off," the KMI Panel members said.
"The majority feeling was that the contact was below the high threshold for a foul and they unanimously felt that this was not a clear and obvious error for VAR intervention."
Angela: Still a bit laboured. If Spurs had put away their chances it could have been a very different outcome.
Gazza: Good result and big bonus to rest key players while knowing you can rely on youth to help. Still not convinced by us defensively but it's early days. So pleased that Gakpo has stayed. If he can gel with Isak, Wirtz and Barcola then that's an exciting prospect which should put fear into most opposition defences.
Robby: We may just pull off a few surprises this season with our wealth of youth all pressing for game time. The contribution put in by the younger players was definitely uplifting for both the team and the fans. Things are finally taking shape.
Nigel: Koumas - amazing non-stop pressing! He must be a nightmare to play against.
Ian: A much more positive performance. It was good to see everyone battling to keep possession and making good use of it, with some creative play capped off with three excellent goals.
Tottenham fans
Richard: Some promise, but still ineffective in front of goal. Maybe time to dispense with some of the 'old guard'. It was a little unlucky to draw Liverpool away early in the competition - hardly a confidence driver.
Febz: Chances made are frustrating when there isn't enough quality to finish them. We will always struggle without someone reliable to find the net. Improving side but fairly blunt at the sharp end. Eternally optimistic...
Ian H: We got bullied from start to finish. The Liverpool kids looked a lot sharper than we did and we need to start putting our chances away or it's going to be another long, hard season to watch.
Greg: Same issues. Just can't stick the ball in the net. We had a lot of attacking moments that didn't go anywhere and spent far too long just passing it between the goalkeeper and defenders, especially after we were losing.
Mike: Huff and puff. No finish. Dreadful football. What a shame to have sunk to this level.
'How I play is ultimately the Liverpool way' - Koumaspublished at 12:07 BST 16 September
12:07 BST 16 September
Aadam Patel Liverpool reporter
Image source, Getty Images
It didn't take long for Andoni Iraola to decide that Lewis Koumas would be part of his Liverpool squad for the season ahead.
"For me, Koumas, the first week I was here I told the club that he was staying for all the season," Iraola said last week.
Koumas waited 907 days between his first and second appearance for the Reds - which came on the opening day of the season when he got his first Premier League minutes at Newcastle - and on Wednesday, the Wales international rewarded Iraola's faith in him with a man-of-the-match performance when he started against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup.
Iraola described the 20-year-old's energy as "contagious for the rest" of the squad, with Koumas leading the press from the front with his intensity.
"When you see the ones up front giving everything you are kind of forced to go behind and use the same intensity levels," said the Liverpool boss.
And Koumas, who turns 21 on Saturday, said: "I think how I play is ultimately the Liverpool way. We have always been a club where players have to give absolutely everything on the pitch. We're bringing that back now and the crowd are loving it."
Just three days on from a flat, goalless draw against Fulham at Anfield, Iraola named a much-changed side that entertained the crowd with a solid display in the 3-1 win over Spurs.
"It [running non-stop] is definitely something the manager is trying to instil, but it's also me through and through. That's why I'm being trusted to go out there and do a job for the team," added Koumas, who made his debut under Jurgen Klopp in 2024.
The Welsh forward has spent the past two seasons on loan at Stoke City, Birmingham City and Hull City and insisted that he never doubted that he would return to Anfield.
"The past two years have been massive for my development. Going out on loan helped me to become the player I am today. I was able to impress the new manager in pre-season and it's all worked out well," said Koumas, who is the son of former Wales international Jason.
"I never showed a weak mentality about how the future would look for me at Liverpool. I always had the drive that I would get here. The reason for going out on loan was to prepare for this moment. It all sort of worked out.
"A lot of hunger can be lost in the game with how things go. But for me, coming through the pre-academy and right through the academy, my hunger has always been there. My hunger comes from representing Liverpool Football Club and wanting to give everything for the best club in the world."
Analysis: Iraola's changes work as Reds entertainpublished at 23:05 BST 15 September
23:05 BST 15 September
Aadam Patel Liverpool reporter
Image source, Getty Images
As expected, Andoni Iraola made a number of changes for Liverpool's third game in less than a week at Anfield and he was rewarded with an energetic display from a largely second-string side.
"I made a lot of changes but I think I needed to do it," said Iraola. "We lacked a bit of energy the other day and we needed fresh legs and I am happy that all the players have given us energy and aggressiveness."
The goals may have come from familiar names but Iraola will have been pleased with how well his youngsters coped against Premier League opposition.
Rio Ngumoha, 18, was superb while Lewis Koumas, 20, was relentless in leading the press from the front and the 20-year-old came close to scoring too. Trey Nyoni, 19, and James McConnell, 22, were impressive as well.
"It is very clear what he needs to do what the team needs and the energy he shows is contagious for the rest," said Iraola, when asked about Koumas.
With Florian Wirtz rested, along with Virgil van Dijk, and watching on from the hospitality suites at Anfield, the performances from the players on the pitch ensured that Iraola was not left to regret his decision.
Giorgi Mamardashvili had a nervy start but made a number of crucial saves and showed exactly why Iraola was so keen to sign him at Bournemouth.
It was a solid evening for Liverpool who will travel to Bournemouth in the league this weekend - where Iraola will be reunited with his former club - with a spring in their step as they look to continue their unbeaten start to the season.
Liverpool 3-1 Tottenham: What Iraola saidpublished at 22:42 BST 15 September
22:42 BST 15 September
Image source, Getty Images
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live after the game: "I am pleased with the performance. I think there have been different phases in the game but overall I liked the energy. We scored but I am happy because we are in the next round.
"I think at 2-0, they have to take a risk and win some territory. We were defending well but conceding a lot of set-pieces and when they scored that put us under some pressure. Luckily for us we found a way to score a third and finish the game properly."
On Dominik Szoboszlai's goal: "I think the thing with Dom is when he is going to shoot he has a chance to score. With him you believe because he has done it before. He is a great finisher."
On Andy Robertson: "I think he deserves all this and I was happy. I was thinking he honestly deserves this because he has given so much to Liverpool."
You can also listen to today's 5 Live commentaries on your smart speaker. Just say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Liverpool v Tottenham" or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Ipswich match", for example.
New this season: Live match updates
Fans of Premier League clubs can now get real-time scores live on their phone lock screen for every game.
Simply follow your favourite football teams on the BBC Sport app for updates throughout the 2026-27 season.
Matti: There have been big problems with transport after matches, even worse than usual recently, meaning that some are starting to get out early to try and avoid that. The mayor really needs to do something about this. For me, unless you have a really good reason, you never leave a match early. Why waste your money on a ticket if you're not going to stay to the end? Even if it's a bad match, you never know what could happen at the death... But then, I'm that one guy who insists on staying in the cinema until the credits have finished for every movie.
Steve: Not new, just worse, probably down to more 'casual' fans getting tickets now. I remember the chants from The Kop at the Kemlyn Road season ticket holders leaving early in the early 70s, so it has happened for a long while to some extent.
Russel: Blaming the quality of the football for poor atmosphere is missing the point entirely - it comes down to how much match tickets cost and who can afford to buy them. Sell tickets at an affordable price and fill Anfield with local supporters, and you'll make less money but the atmosphere will be electric. Sell tickets at high prices and fill Anfield with rich people and day trippers, and you'll make more money but you won't get the atmosphere. Depends what the club's priorities are, really.
Kevin: We had the same issue several years ago when Jurgen took over and fans were leaving early. He made a clear statement aimed at these fans and it appeared to have an impact. Maybe Andoni Iraola needs to look at a similar approach.
David: If you don't want to watch the match until the end, I would give my teeth (dentures) for a season ticket. If you're not part of the cure your part of the cause.
Loraine: It was once a reputable fortress where the opposition were no doubt intimidated by the persistence of the Liverpool fans fanatically cheering the Reds on until the final whistle. It's poor support currently unless our team are on top. Come on - if you want the performances from the boys, make some of the infamous Kop noise and keep on until the final whistle. That is what fanatical support does. Sadly, at the minute, the once intimidating support is just like every other team's fans. Nothing special and nothing to fear.
Denis: I agree the volume and support at Anfield is terrible. I find it shocking that often the away supporters sing for longer and make more noise. Liverpool chants go up and half the people join in and within one or two rounds it peters out. No noise at corners, etc, and no noise at all five minutes after kick-off unless they score. And then before half and full time is the really strange sight of dozens all around you heading out. This starts at 84/85 minutes when the result is still to play for. They're missing 10 or more minutes of what they paid for. Crazy. It's so hard to get tickets - you would think people would want to squeeze every moment.
Iraola could do with a good cup run but it's a delicate juggling actpublished at 11:27 BST 15 September
11:27 BST 15 September
Aadam Patel Liverpool reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Andoni Iraola indicated at his pre-match news conference that there will be a number of changes for Liverpool against Tottenham in the third round of the Carabao Cup later, with Giorgi Mamardashvili already confirmed to replace Alisson in goal.
Given that there are five more days before Liverpool visit Bournemouth in the Premier League (14:00 BST on Sunday) and an international break to follow, the expectation is that Iraola might be able to turn to his more regular starters on the bench if needed against Spurs.
But it remains to be seen how exactly the Reds boss will approach the game, given it will be his side's third in under a week. Will there be mass changes or just a handful?
In Liverpool's third-round fixture in this competition last season against Southampton at Anfield, Arne Slot made 11 changes and named a youthful side. The hosts progressed that night thanks to a late winner from Hugo Ekitike.
However, when Slot made 10 changes against Crystal Palace in the next round, Liverpool were brushed aside 3-0 - with the Dutchman, who had take the Reds to the final in his first season in charge, criticised for having no-one older than 21 on the bench.
You only have to recall the start of Jurgen Klopp's tenure at Anfield, when the German led Liverpool to the final of the League Cup and Europa League after taking over in October, to see the feel-good factor that progress through cups provided.
Deep down, Iraola will know that a good cup run can only be a positive, but Liverpool struggled with the short turnaround between games last week. It is a delicate juggling act that is new for Iraola too.
"We are in a position where I have to learn who is ready to play and who is ready to rest so their performance level doesn't drop," said Iraola. "I had an idea with some of them, but for some of them it is new as they haven't played as many games before."
Judging by that, Iraola will be learning plenty more on Tuesday night.
🎧 Red Kop - Is the Anfield atmosphere becoming a problem?published at 07:14 BST 15 September
07:14 BST 15 September
Media caption,
Is there an issue with the atmosphere at Liverpool's home ground?
That is the one of the topics BBC Radio Merseyside's Paul Salt and Carl Woodward have been discussing after another flat showing from the Reds in Saturday's 0-0 draw against Fulham.
"This isn't a new thing, this has been creeping in more and more," said Salt on the latest Red Kop.
"I don't know if it's a hangover from last season, when the football was pretty ropey, but in the first couple of games in the Premier League this at Anfield this season, I feel the atmosphere is not helping.
"I'm sorry to have a bit of a pop, but I look around at about 83, 85 minutes and the amount of people leaving is incredible. It had been a poor game of football, but come on.
"I don't know why it's happening. It's getting worse."
In this week's edition of Red Kop, the pair also discuss the Reds' home form and the potential of European fatigue.
So, what do you think, especially with Liverpool having another home game later on against Spurs in the Carabao Cup? Is the Anfield atmosphere now a problem? And if so, what's behind it?
Gossip: Liverpool among clubs monitoring Wannerpublished at 06:39 BST 15 September
06:39 BST 15 September
Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are all interested in bolstering their midfield with PSV Eindhoven's 20-year-old Austria international Paul Wanner. (Teamtalk), external
Image source, Getty Images
