{"id":3143,"date":"2022-10-28T09:32:52","date_gmt":"2022-10-28T09:32:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fairbettingsites.co.uk\/?p=3143"},"modified":"2022-11-09T14:02:51","modified_gmt":"2022-11-09T14:02:51","slug":"exclusive-robbie-fowler-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fairbettingsites.co.uk\/blog\/2022\/10\/28\/exclusive-robbie-fowler-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive Robbie Fowler interview: Ronaldo is right to be frustrated, Liverpool should sign Declan Rice, Tarkowski should start for England"},"content":{"rendered":"
Fair Betting Sites UK<\/a> sat down with Liverpool and Premier League legend, Robbie Fowler, who shared his thoughts on the Reds\u2019 season so far.<\/p>\n Formerly playing for Manchester City too, Fowler ran out of words to compliment Erling Haaland and wishes he could see the Norwegian playing in the red half of Merseyside.<\/p>\n With his former teammates currently in manager drama, he expressed his optimism on Steven Gerrard and Craig Bellamy\u2019s coaching careers so far.<\/p>\n The ex-striker also shared Cristiano Ronaldo\u2019s pain of being consistently benched like Fowler was at Liverpool early in his career.<\/p>\n Read the full interview below:<\/p>\n Q:<\/strong> Liverpool are now through to the knockouts after a win against Ajax, can they go all the way in the champions league this season? Despite their Premier League form<\/p>\n Fowler:<\/strong> It’s been clearly documented that Liverpool haven’t had a great start in the league. At times they’ve ridden their luck in the Champions League, but you have to in that competition. Liverpool are equipped to go all the way in the Champions League, they can do it, they know what needs to be done. You look at the last four or five years and Liverpool have been absolutely remarkable in Europe. Okay, they haven’t been unbelievable this season in the group stages, a couple of performances have left a little bit to be desired, but they’ve qualified with a game to spare so it’s not all that bad.<\/p>\n Q:<\/strong> Do Liverpool need to get one back over Napoli next week or should Klopp rest players? If they win by four goals or more they could top the group<\/p>\n Fowler:<\/strong> From Liverpool’s point of view, they know the Premier League is massive as well. If it means resting a few players against Napoli for the Premier League, Liverpool have to do that. But it is massively important to go into games strong.<\/p>\n I find it funny when teams finish first in their groups and then talk about playing their B teams or resting players for the next game, it’s the Champions League! You have to play brilliant teams in Europe, for me, it doesn’t matter who you’re playing, every game will be tough. Do I want Liverpool to win the group? Of course I do, but we know how important it is to have players ready for the weekend games in the Premier League. I want Liverpool to win the game and top the group, but they’ve qualified and done the job they needed.<\/p>\n Q:<\/strong> Should Leeds be an easy win for Liverpool or do they need to be wary that it could be another Forest result?<\/p>\n Fowler:<\/strong> Regardless of what people think of Leeds, teams raise their game when they come to Anfield. You can ask questions of why some teams can get a result against Liverpool but not against other teams, it’s because it’s their cup final.<\/p>\n Liverpool beat Man City one week, the first loss City have had this season and Liverpool are nowhere near the top of the league. A week later, Liverpool get beaten by Forest. So Leeds can be a potential banana skin, we know they’re fighting for their lives, and the manager is not safe in his job in terms of what safe is deemed as in the Premier League. If Liverpool go play the way they can, then it will be a home win, but football has not been like that this year, especially with Liverpool, so they’ll do everything in their power to try to rectify that.<\/p>\n Q:<\/strong> What\u2019s gone wrong for Liverpool this season? Is it tactics, injuries, the loss of Mane?<\/p>\n Fowler:<\/strong> Sadio Mane has been a big loss to Liverpool, but you could argue that Luis Diaz has been arguably Liverpool’s best player in Mane’s position. The fact is that Liverpool haven’t had the momentum they’ve had in years gone by. Liverpool are a team that can pull out performances when they have a lot of momentum.<\/p>\n I think there could be a lot of anxiety in the team, at times their energy, drive and will have been superb, but other than the Man City game, I can’t remember a time where Liverpool have kept that dominating momentum against teams. Obviously they’ve had a few injuries, but you can’t always use that as an excuse, that’s why teams have and build squads so they can manage both the Premier League and Champions League. It’s a combination of a lot of things for their losses, their energy is gone, that’s not to say it won’t return because Jurgen [Klopp] is a fantastic manager.<\/p>\n The anxiety within the team, knowing they have to go out there and produce those great performances that have lost. We have to remember, Liverpool were two or three games away from being arguably one of the greatest club sides ever. Three or four months later, they’re having a tough time, but clubs have tough times and I think Liverpool will be okay. Man City will cruise to the title and Liverpool will be there and thereabouts near the top. Liverpool will start putting in the performances the fans and the manager wants.<\/p>\n Q:<\/strong> What positions do they need to sign players for and who needs replacing? Do you have anyone in mind?<\/p>\n Fowler:<\/strong> In football, you can go out there and buy the best players, but not all of them work out and every player that comes into a club is a gamble. What you have with Liverpool and many clubs, they can’t really afford to take that gamble like Man City can do because of the money. Of course I want Liverpool to sign players and hit the ground running, but it doesn’t always happen.<\/p>\n Liverpool have signed Darwin Nunez, don’t get me wrong he’s a fantastic player he really is, but he hasn’t hit the ground running, not yet. It might be due to him not getting a good run of games, Nunez has started a few then missed out with little niggles, he’s not had the momentum. You got the young lads like Fabio Carvalho and Harvey Elliott who are great players, we know that, but Liverpool needs those players in certain positions.<\/p>\n At Man City, they’re signing players who then become near-perfect straight away. Liverpool’s recruitment is massively important and they do need to come in and hit the ground running. I’ve always had a theory that in football if you’re not signing players, you’re not standing still you’re going backwards. Because other teams around your position who are signing players and going forwards are leaving you behind. In terms of certain areas, every club should be looking to improve every area because new signings can drive players in those positions to improve and get better. I want Liverpool to develop that squad and win games.<\/p>\n Q:<\/strong> Who would you like Liverpool to sign?<\/p>\n Fowler:<\/strong> The Bellingham link is brilliant because he’s a very good player. Another player who I really like is Declan Rice, he fits into a Liverpool mould. Whether Liverpool are looking at players to come in, they have to have a certain amount of pedigree, those players need to have lots of energy. And I do think Rice fits that bill, he’s a player who sits in the middle of the park but he can get around the pitch with his endeavour as well.<\/p>\n Rice is a player I’d like Liverpool to sign, not to be disrespectful to West Ham, but Rice will be a name on the top of many top teams’ lists whether that’s in the Summer or January. Rice has been class for a few years now and you can see why clubs want him, but for me, he fits the mould of a Liverpool player.<\/p>\n Back in your day, would you have enjoyed going up against players like Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold in their current form?<\/p>\n Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold are good players who are having a tough time. I was confident going up against anybody in all honesty, but if somebody is having a tough time then of course you want to go against them. But with good players, form can change at any moment, it could be down to a tweak in formation, maybe have a bit of patience instead of rushing decisions. I have gone through a little bit of a confidence crisis in my career, I learned to just go back to the basics, don’t be running forwards for no reason, play your way back into the game, get your passes right and then start building up to the player you can be.<\/p>\n There’s no doubt that both Joe and Trent haven’t been great this year, Trent is an absolute world-class player, and Gomez might be feeling the effects of his injuries still. But I have seen performances from Joe that are very good, like against Man City and Ajax, he was one of Liverpool’s better players. They haven’t been all that bad, they’re easy pickings because of the way Liverpool’s results have been recently.<\/p>\n Someone always seems to have to be the scapegoat, and that has been Trent more so than Joe, but they can help each other. Joe should tell Trent when to not run forward, I know Jurgen [Klopp] has a way of playing, but Liverpool need to be tight and compact, get the centre-backs talking to the full-backs and say ‘Don’t be running forward, let’s work our way into the game, then when we have a foothold that’s when you can run forward more’. I don’t think there is a communication problem, but there is a communication reaction needed from the defenders to all help each other. I have no doubt that Liverpool will get through this, Trent Alexander-Arnold especially because he is an absolute world-class player.<\/p>\n Q:<\/strong> Was Gerrard getting sacked the right call? Should it of happened earlier? Where can you see him next?<\/p>\n Fowler:<\/strong> I honestly haven’t got a clue where Steven Gerrard will go next, I think it’s a tough one because I still think it’s still a bit raw. I know Steven as a player and a person and I’ve not really been watching him closely as a manager because I have never been hands-on with him in that way. But Steven’s attitude is quite rightly what he was like as a player. He\u2019ll come back and show people how good he is. He had an unbelievably tough start in management in the Premier League and we are all aware of that. From a biased point of view, I think he should\u2019ve kept his job. I am realistic to know that football is a business and owners and chairmen have a duty to the club and to the fans of that club. If that’s what they want, then there is a need for change. Unfortunately, it happens and I think that it has got nothing to do with Steven.<\/p>\n Sometimes results are bad and they need a bit of a lift and a change. Steven has to take it on the chin but I think he’ll come back stronger. We always talk about clubs and managers leaving and being willy-nilly but whether the CEOs or the owners who run the places like Steven. It doesn’t matter. Once the fans start singing \u2018we want you gone\u2019 then there’s only one thing they can do.<\/p>\n