Episode Details

[print_link] | Subscribe Our main listening practice report this week sees Damon give his thoughts on Liverpool's first half of the season. Damon is a Liverpool fan and talks about the manager, best players, flops, highlights and more. You can listen to the report by clicking on the link above, and you can also read the transcript of the report (below). There are also explanations of key vocabulary (in bold) at the end of the post. Listening Report: Liverpool - half term report card We are nineteen games into the English Premier league season and just about to start a new year, 2016. So, now is a good time to take a look back and give some reactions, as a Liverpool fan, on my teama€™s performance. The manager The biggest story for Liverpool, perhaps, was the sacking of Brendan Rogers, the man who so nearly brought the league title to Liverpool in 2014, and the appointment of the charismatic German, Jurgen Klopp. To be honest, I would have kept Rogers, simply because the managerial merry-go-round is getting tiring: Ia€™m quite envious of Arsenal and the way they have kept faith with Wenger. But on the other hand, ita€™s also good to have such a crazy, enthusiastic, and successful manager in charge. Star players To be honest - none. But Ia€™ve been happy with our two full backs, Moreno and Clyne since Klopp started. Nothing spectacular but quite solid with lots of pace. Can in midfield has bags of potential, but there are others I wish I could have seen more of - Sturridge, Ings, Flanagan have all had long term injuries but may have brought quality and drive in their positions. Flops Ia€™m wary of calling players flops, as Ia€™m trying to be more patient - as my comments about the manager before hinted at. However, Firmino and Benteke were bought for a lot of money and neither has looked like shining yet. Also a concern is the goalkeeper Mignolet - good shot stopper but always likely to make a mistake. Highlight Ia€™d say the 4-1 thrashing of Manchester City. It was like 2013/14 again. We destroyed them in the opening half with pace, passing and fast pressing. Firminoa€™s goal after a neat back heel from Can to Couthino to square it was sublime. Low Losing to Newcastle, who were struggling, after Liverpool beat Southampton 6-1 in the league cup was a real let down. Wea€™d just won 4 in a row, including the win over Manchester City and were on a real high, but could find no way past a defensive Newcastle. This loss has highlighted a huge problem with Liverpool: if a team decides to defend, it seems we cana€™t break them down. What do I want to see in 2016? Winning the league? Top four? Ia€™m not even thinking of either of those. I would like some silverware, though A dream would be the Europa League but Ia€™d settle for the League Cup. Ia€™m also keen to see what the new stand looks, and sounds, like. More atmosphere at Anfield would be great but often with new developments the atmosphere can be changed in a negative way, so Ia€™m hoping that more sound and noise is generated and Anfield can be a fortress again! Oh, and one more thing. Ia€™d like to see more patience from fans for our new manager and young squad!   Vocabulary kept faith with: trusted; given time to do a job; believed in bags of : lots of; an abundance of drive: passion; power; energy flops: a failure: a player who doesn't live up to potential to shine: to play very well; to stand out; to be a star player a neat back heel: a skillful back heel; a clever back heel a let down: a shock; a depressing loss; an upsetting thing break them down: get past a team's defence Ia€™d settle for X: X would be good; I'd like X even though it isn't the best thing Links Soccerway.com's page on Liverpool Listen to Languagecaster.com's football podcast There are different ways of listening to our football podcasts: Subscribe to the show and receive automatic downloads every week Subscribe through i-tunes here Click for the latest shows here Click download