The Empire of The Kop

Former Liverpool assistant coach John Heitinga has left his role at Tottenham Hotspur after only 33 days in the job.

The Dutchman came to Anfield in July 2024 as part of Arne Slot’s backroom staff ahead of the latter’s first season as the Reds’ head coach, contributing towards our Premier League triumph last year before leaving to take charge of Ajax.

He lasted just five months with the Amsterdam club prior to being appointed to Thomas Frank’s coaching ticket in mid-January, but the Dane was promptly sacked by Spurs last week with the Europa League holders languishing in 16th place domestically.

Heitinga quits as Spurs assistant coach

On Monday, The Athletic reported that Heitinga has left his role at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium just over a month after coming to north London.

It was the 42-year-old’s decision to leave Spurs, choosing not to remain part of the new coaching structure under interim head coach Igor Tudor, with the Croatian instead bringing some of his former Juventus backroom staff with him to the English capital.

While Slot’s one-time assistant has departed the Premier League strugglers, another ex-Liverpool employee in Fabian Otte is expected to stay on as goalkeeping coach in Tottenham, despite the arrival of Tomislav Rogic in a similar role.

Heitinga has had a rather nomadic coaching career already

The nomadic nature of Heitinga’s coaching career continues, with the Dutchman having now left four different clubs in less than two years, either forcibly or of his own volition.

He departed West Ham along with David Moyes in May 2024 before leaving Liverpool for the Ajax head coach role a year later. Then came his swift dismissal in Amsterdam and his considerably shorter-lived association with Spurs.

The 42-year-old was involved with the north Londoners for a mere seven games, of which they won and drew two each and lost three, securing a direct passage to the last 16 in the Champions League but floundering domestically.

Heitinga at Spurs Competition Result (Spurs first) West Ham (H) Premier League 1-2 Borussia Dortmund (H) Champions League 2-0 Burnley (A) Premier League 2-2 Eintracht Frankfurt (A) Champions League 2-0 Manchester City (H) Premier League 2-2 Manchester United (A) Premier League 0-2 Newcastle (H) Premier League 1-2

What’s next for Heitinga? Will he jump into a new job as quickly as he left his most recent one? Could he plausibly return to Anfield if – as Jamie Carragher has suggested – FSG keep faith in Slot for the foreseeable future.

Given his previous association with (and extensive knowledge of) the current coaching setup at Liverpool, it’s not unthinkable that he could be offered the opportunity to return to Merseyside, should he wish to do so.

The Reds aren’t actively looking to add to Slot’s backroom staff at present, but the volatile nature of the 42-year-old’s coaching career would suggest that the possibility of retracing his steps to L4 isn’t completely out of the queston.

Liverpool reportedly fielded an enquiry from Tottenham Hotspur regarding Andy Robertson in the final 24 hours of the January transfer window.

Spurs had been actively working on a deal to sign the Scottish left-back last month, but they were ultimately informed by Anfield chiefs that the 31-year-old that they weren’t in a position to sanction an exit for the long-serving defender.

Arne Slot made it publicly clear that he was keen to hold onto the Reds’ number 26, who played the full 90 minutes in the Champions League victory over Qarabag last week but was an unsused substitute against Newcastle on Saturday night.

Spurs made a last-ditch call to Liverpool for Robertson

Michael Bridge has been providing deadline-day updates from outside Spurs’ training ground in north London, and he briefly spoke about a last-ditch attempt from Thomas Frank’s side to sound out Liverpool about Robertson.

Speaking live on Sky Sports News (via GIVEMESPORT), the reporter said: “Our information was that a check call has gone in just to see if Liverpool’s position has changed as to the availability of Andy Robertson, but that’s a no.”

Liverpool would’ve been foolish to let Robertson leave mid-season

Having been the Reds’ firm first-choice at left-back for eight years, the Scot has had to be content with playing second fiddle to Milos Kerkez for much of this season, and it’d be understandable if he felt a desire to take on a new challenge.

That might well come later this year, seeing as his contract at Anfield expires in June, but thankfully the 31-year-old is set to see out the remainder of this campaign at Liverpool.

Considering the injuries to several other LFC defenders, and Robertson’s ability to play at centre-back if required, the Merseyside club weren’t in a position to sanction a January exit for our number 26, whose leadership qualities make him a crucial figure in Slot’s squad.

The fee that the Reds would’ve received for him wouldn’t have been worth losing him mid-season, and even if he is to depart as a free agent in the summer, his availability between now and then could be vital in a campaign which has seen our defensive options continually affected by injury issues.

In truth, Spurs would probably have been expecting another rebuttal from Anfield before making their latest enquiry for Robertson. Why would Liverpool alter their stance in the final hours of the transfer window, having already erected the ‘not for sale’ signs a few days previously?

Andy Robertson now looks set to remain at Liverpool for the time being, with the Anfield hierarchy pulling the plug on a proposed transfer to Tottenham Hotspur.

Last week, The Athletic‘s David Ornstein reported that Spurs had been actively working on a deal to sign the Scottish left-back, and as recently as Sunday morning, Fabrizio Romano claimed that negotiations between the two clubs were ‘still ongoing’.

In the aftermath of the Reds’ 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth on Saturday – in which the 31-year-old came on as a substitute at half-time – both Arne Slot and Virgil van Dijk made it clear that they’re yearning for the long-serving defender to stay put, and it now seems that they’ll get their wish.

Liverpool pull plug on Robertson move to Spurs

Just before 9pm on Sunday night, Paul Joyce reported for The Times that Liverpool have informed Spurs that they’re not in a position to sanction an exit for Robertson as things stand.

The north London club had been prepared to pay £5m for the Scotland captain, whose contract at Anfield expires in the summer, with Thomas Frank down to just one natural senior left-back in Destiny Udogie.

While the Reds have considered Spurs’ offer, they ultimately decided against proceeding with the move due to a sparsity of alternatives. Our number 26 hadn’t been agitating for a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and ‘will continue to have a role to play for the remainder of the season’ under Slot.

Liverpool weren’t in a position to let Robertson leave mid-season

Having had Crystal Palace intervene at the 11th hour to block Marc Guehi’s move to Merseyside five months ago, Liverpool have now acted decisively to ensure that they don’t lose Robertson on the cusp of the transfer deadline when defensive options are already threadbare.

It was the only course of action that FSG could realistically contemplate, especially with Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley sidelined by long-term injuries and Joe Gomez being forced off at Bournemouth on Saturday.

We completely understand that, after so many seasons of being a fixed starter for the Reds, it must be frustrating for the 31-year-old to be playing second fiddle to Kerkez, having had just four Premier League starts so far in the current campaign.

However, after a year of substantial flux at Liverpool, Robertson provides a crucial presence in the dressing room with his longevity and leadership, helping to drive standards behind the scenes just as Jordan Henderson and James Milner did in the past in L4.

While we can breathe a sigh of relief for now that the Scot won’t be leaving before next Monday’s deadline, the possibility of a summer farewell remains very much plausible unless he pens a contract extension in the coming months.

FSG may be merely delaying the inevitable, but at least at a time of crisis for the Reds, the hierarchy have taken affirmative action and vetoed a mid-season exit for a player who’s long since secured legendary status at Anfield.

Tottenham Hotspur had reportedly been eyeing a move for a Liverpool first-team regular before pivoting to an alternative target.

While the Reds have yet to enter the January transfer market, Spurs seem poised to complete their first signing of 2026 after agreeing a £34m deal for Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher (Sky Sports).

Aston Villa had reportedly been in formal talks to sign the England international in recent days, but the ex-Chelsea and Crystal Palace midfielder now appears set for a return to London after Thomas Frank’s side hijacked the deal (Ben Jacobs).

Spurs had been eyeing a move for Curtis Jones

Renowned Spurs insider Paul O’Keefe was asked by one of the club’s supporters on X if the Europa League holders are ‘looking to add a progressive midfielder’ in January, in addition to Gallagher.

The reply was: ‘Not really progressive but they had Curtis Jones on their list. Presumably they scrub that now – 1 year left on his deal.’

Understandable that Spurs would’ve wanted Jones

We can see why Spurs would’ve been seeking to bring in the Liverpool midfielder, but even had they opted to pursue him instead of Gallagher, the likelihood of the transfer happening would’ve been remote.

Hailed as ‘fantastic‘ by Phil Thompson, Jones has grown into a regular starter under Arne Slot, having been in the line-up for six Premier League games in a row prior to last week’s draw at Arsenal, along with starting four of our six Champions League fixtures so far this season (Transfermarkt).

His versatility makes him a vital asset for the Reds – he can play in any midfield role and has even been deployed at right-back on occasion – and O’Keefe was mistaken in suggesting that the 24-year-old isn’t a ‘progressive’ player (something he subsequently acknowledged).

As per FBref, the Liverpool man ranks among the top 6% of midfielders in Europe over the past year for progressive passes per 90 minutes (8.27) and the top 11% for progressive carries per game (2.52), while he’s also in the top 18% for successful take-ons with 0.94 per match.

One pertinent point that the Spurs insider did raise, though, was Jones’ contract situation. With only 18 months remaining on his current deal and the Scouser coming into his prime footballing years, we expect Richard Hughes to commence negotiations over a renewal in the summer, if not sooner.

The Reds’ number 17 is a player who LFC need to keep hold of, and if any other prospective suitors were to go one step further than the north Londoners and make an approach for him, the Anfield hierarchy’s answer must be a firm no.

The fallout from a dramatic Premier League win in north London has taken an unsettling turn for us as a key figure now faces time on the sidelines.

Liverpool have confirmed that Alexander Isak has successfully undergone surgery on the injury he sustained while scoring against Tottenham Hotspur, via liverpoolfc.com.

The Swedish international was forced off immediately after opening the scoring, a moment that initially looked like a turning point for us before quickly becoming a source of concern.

The club statement confirmed that the striker suffered an ankle injury involving a fractured fibula, with rehabilitation now set to continue at the AXA Training Centre and no return date yet established.

Isak injury update leaves Liverpool facing uncertain timeline

While the club have understandably avoided placing a timeframe on Isak’s recovery, external injury analysis has offered a more sobering projection.

According to Physio Scout on X, the 26-year-old is likely facing a lay-off measured in months rather than weeks.

“Alexander Isak now confirmed to have surgery on his ankle/lower leg,” the analyst wrote. “Included a fractured fibula.”

The report added: “Timeline is uncertain, but reports are stating he’ll be out for a ‘few months’, more likely in the 2–3 month range.”

It was also noted that fractured fibulas typically require between six and ten weeks post-surgery, with any syndesmosis damage potentially extending recovery towards 12 weeks.

That uncertainty will be a concern for Arne Slot, particularly after seeing how well the former Newcastle striker linked up with Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike for the opening goal at Spurs.

It was a rare glimpse of attacking fluidity that we have not consistently been able to build upon this season.

Liverpool injury blow revives wider Isak concerns

There will also be questions over the moments immediately after the challenge, with Isak initially walking from the pitch despite an injury that later required surgery.

Tim Sherwood described the setback as “a huge blow” for both us and the player, referencing his own experience of a similar leg break.

Clinton Morrison also highlighted how sharp Isak had looked, saying it was “pleasing to see Alexander Isak get a goal” before describing the injury as “very frustrating” given his stop-start campaign.

Liverpool will now hope history can offer some comfort, with Djibril Cisse famously returning from a broken leg during the 2004/05 season to play a decisive role in the Champions League final.

For now, though, the priority is clear.

We will have to navigate the coming weeks without a forward who was just beginning to rediscover his rhythm, while hoping this setback does not define his season.

Dermot Gallagher has given his verdict on one of the major talking points from Liverpool’s latest victory.

The Reds’ 2-1 win away to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday could politely be described as tempestuous, with two red cards, some needless behaviour from Richarlison after his goal, and a challenge by Micky van de Ven on Alexander Isak which has left the Swede with a suspected broken leg.

All in all, not much in the way of festive goodwill in north London, and plenty to keep John Brooks and the officials on VAR occupied throughout the evening.

The first dismissal came in the 33rd minute when, having inititally been shown a yellow card, Xavi Simons was sent off for raking his studs down Virgil van Dijk’s calf.

Gallagher: Xavi Simons red card was justified

Gallagher felt that, while the Spurs forward didn’t go into the challenge with any malicious intent, the eventual decision was justified, telling Sky Sports‘ Ref Watch on Monday morning: “I want to make clear that I don’t think Simons has any intention to do this, but he has done it.

“Once you see the replay, you can’t unsee it. When VAR sees that, in modern football, it is always going to be a red card. He’s unlucky, but he is always going to see red. You can’t make challenges like that anymore.”

Jay Bothroyd (who was alongside him) aired a similar view, saying: “By the letter of the law it is a red because he has caught him high on his calf, but there’s no doubt he didn’t mean it. The players didn’t swarm around him; there were no big reactions or arguments.”

Red card for Simons was warranted

While Simons subsequently apologised for his challenge on Van Dijk, it was still a crude and reckless one, and he could have no complaints over Brooks’ decision to upgrade the initial yellow card to a red.

That sort of tackle on the back of a player’s calf is liable to cause serious injury, but thankfully that wasn’t the case here, and we would hope that the Spurs forward will learn from it and refrain from such rashness in the future.

Unfortunately, Isak was rather less fortunate after being brought to ground by Van de Ven, an incident which has left the Liverpool striker facing numerous months on the sidelines and reduced Arne Slot’s available playing pick even further amid several other injuries.

Football is a contact sport and we don’t want to see physicality being taken out of the game, but we also don’t want to see players being ruled out for many months with a serious injury.

Liverpool extended their unbeaten run to six matches and climbed back into the top five of the Premier League table at the weekend, but their latest victory came at a massive cost.

The 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur has been overshadowed by news of a suspected broken leg for Alexander Isak, who was on the receiving end of a wild challenge from Micky van de Ven in scoring the opening goal on Saturday.

The Swedish striker had only been on the pitch for a matter of minutes, having replaced Conor Bradley at half-time after an injury scare for the right-back.

Rather than counting the number of days left until Christmas, Arne Slot is left totting up how many players he’ll be without for the fixture against Wolves at Anfield next Saturday.

Liverpool injury list and expected comeback dates

Florian Wirtz: The German appeared to be feeling his hamstring as he was substituted in stoppage time on Saturday, with Trey Nyoni duly coming on for a very brief Premier League debut. However, the change appeared to be precautionary, and the 22-year-old could be cleared to face Wolves next weekend, as per The Standard.

Cody Gakpo: The Dutch forward has been sidelined for our last three matches since suffering a muscle injury in the 3-3 draw at Leeds earlier this month. While his issue isn’t as serious as first feared, he’s looking at an early January return, possibly in the New Year’s Day fixture against the Whites.

Wataru Endo: The Japanese midfielder is currently laid low with an ankle injury, with Slot indicating that our number 3 will be out of action for a few weeks. The earliest we can expect to see him involved once again would appear to be sometime in January.

Joe Gomez: The defender was forced off just 25 minutes into the recent win over Brighton with an unspecified injury. Slot ruled him out for the Spurs game, and it remains unclear exactly when the 28-year-old will be passed fit to return to action.

Conor Bradley: The right-back went off at half-time against Spurs after appearing to tweak his hamstring while pursuing Djed Spence. No projected comeback date has been cited, but it’s hoped that the 22-year-old isn’t seriously injured.

Alexander Isak: The striker has suffered a suspected broken leg after Van de Ven’s challenge on Saturday. If those fears are confirmed, he’ll be sidelined for several months, and his season would almost certainly be over.

Giovanni Leoni: Three months have now elapsed since the defender suffered a horrific ACL injury on his Liverpool debut against Southampton in the Carabao Cup. Slot hinted that the teenager could be out for a full year, so it could be September 2026 before he returns.

Liverpool heavily depleted going into Wolves clash

At least Wirtz and Gakpo aren’t long-term casualties, while we remain hopeful that Gomez and Bradley might be back before long, but the injury list is nonetheless frightening for Slot.

On top of the stricken septet, Mo Salah is away at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Dominik Szoboszlai will miss the Wolves game through suspension after picking up a fifth Premier League booking this season for apparent dissent towards a typically provocative Richarlison on Saturday.

It means that, at the time of writing, Hugo Ekitike and Federico Chiesa are the only senior attackers definitely available for Liverpool’s next match, and that’s assuming they don’t suffer any setbacks themselves in the coming days.

Rio Ngumoha may duly find increased responsibility thrust upon his 17-year-old shoulders during the festive period and into January, and while the youngster has shown that he’s a phenomenal talent, Slot will also be wary of asking too much of him at such a tender age.

Forget the presents; all the LFC head coach wants for Christmas is a reduced injury list for the Wolves match next weekend.

Liverpool have been dealt a sickening blow with the news that Alexander Isak has suffered a suspected broken leg, and the manner in which it arose has left one journalist fuming.

On Sunday night, it emerged from reports by Paul Joyce in The Times and David Ornstein for The Athletic that the 26-year-old is set for a lengthy injury layoff after being on the receiving end of a wild challenge from Micky van de Ven in scoring the Reds’ opener against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

There were seven yellow cards and two reds dished out by John Brooks in that fixture, and although the Dutch defender was one of those booked, it wasn’t for the tackle which has now had serious consequences for the Sweden international.

Journalist fumes over lack of sanction for Van de Ven

As the news of a suspected leg break for Isak emerged late last night, Liverpool-focused journalist David Lynch was left seething at how the Spurs centre-back got away unpunished for his challenge on our number 9.

The reporter posted on X: ‘There’s an unwritten rule in football that, if an attacker gets a shot away, the defender is given carte blanche to challenge them how they like. That was a really poor and late one from Micky van de Ven yesterday and this is the consequence, yet it wasn’t looked at.’

Isak now faces a long road to recovery as Van de Ven unpunished

Lynch raises a quite pertinent point in the wake of Isak’s devastating injury blow, and Frank Leboeuf on ESPN FC also called for the Spurs defender to receive some punishment because of the repercussions of his wild lunge.

Liverpool fans have drawn parallels between that incident on Saturday and Jordan Pickford’s cowardly tackle on Virgil van Dijk in October 2020, an atrocity for which the Everton goalkeeper went unpunished as the passage of play was rendered moot by the Dutchman being offside in the build-up.

Footballers are obliged to show a duty of care to one another on the pitch, and when a player makes a leg-breaking challenge, they shouldn’t get off scot-free because of a technicality or a misplaced belief that the incident is deemed irrelevant because of a goal being scored, as was the case on Saturday.

We don’t want to advocate a witch hunt against Van de Ven, who may well be feeling huge remorse over his lunge on Isak, but at the same time it’s not right that he’ll get to play in Spurs’ next match and Dominik Szoboszlai is suspended against Wolves because his fifth booking of the Premier League season was for apparent dissent after childish provocation by Richarlison.

Lynch and Leboeuf are right to be appalled over the lack of any sanction for the perpetrator in this incident, with Liverpool’s number 9 now facing a long road to recovery because of one reckless action for which the culprit will bear no punishment.

We can only wish the Swedish striker well in his convalesence over the next few months, and his eventual return to the pitch will be a welcome sight whenever it happens.

Liverpool’s post-Spurs momentum has quietly created space for something rarely afforded in the modern Premier League calendar, with Virgil van Dijk offering insight into a decision that says plenty about where we are heading.

The Reds followed up a hard-earned 2-1 win away at Tottenham Hotspur by being granted Christmas Day off, a call made by Arne Slot as reported by BBC Sport.

For a squad used to festive fixtures, travel and training, the Liverpool captain made it clear just how unusual the moment feels.

“We have Christmas Day off which is very nice of the staff,” Van Dijk said. “It’s a nice change.”

The Dutch centre-back admitted it was something he had never experienced before during his time at Anfield.

“I don’t think it’s happened in my Premier League career so far,” the 34-year-old added. “I’ll make the most of being with my family and enjoy it all.”

Van Dijk reflects on Liverpool progress after Spurs win

The timing of the break feels earned given our recent run, with Liverpool now unbeaten in six and climbing back into the top-five conversation.

Saturday’s win in north London was far from perfect, something former striker John Aldridge made clear when assessing how we finished the game despite Spurs being reduced to nine men.

That criticism, however, is unlikely to trouble the No.4 too much as Liverpool continue to pick up results while improving under the former Feyenoord coach.

Van Dijk also confirmed he spoke to Xavi Simons after the red-card challenge, saying: “I don’t think there was any intention to hurt me but obviously he hurt me and the referee and the VAR made the decision.”

Van Dijk sets Liverpool focus ahead of Wolves clash

With Wolves next up at Anfield on December 27, the skipper insisted the mindset remains clear.

“The aim is to try to win every game ahead of us,” he said. “All we can try to do is get better.”

Controversy also lingered after the match, with Thomas Frank questioning whether Hugo Ekitike should have been penalised in the build-up to our second goal, a decision that ultimately stood.

For Van Dijk, though, the immediate priority is balance.

A rare Christmas at home, a squad slowly stabilising, and a chance for us to reset before pushing on again at Anfield.

Liverpool’s narrow win in north London may have delivered three points, but post-match reaction suggests the performance itself is already being scrutinised from within our own ranks.

Arne Slot’s side edged past Tottenham 2-1 to move level on points with Chelsea in the Premier League table, yet the closing stages raised uncomfortable questions about control and game management.

Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge was quick to highlight those concerns, posting his reaction on X, despite acknowledging the importance of the result.

“Well folks that’s were we are atm,” Aldridge wrote. “Who had 9 men in the last 10 mins?? it looked like it was us!!”

Liverpool concerns raised despite deserved win

well folks that's were we are atm !!who had 9 men in the last 10 mins ??it looked like it was us!!

don't get me wrong we'll take the result all day but that's not good enough for me sorry if you don't agree.Lots and lots of work to be done to get in the top 4😩🙏YNWA

— John Aldridge (@Realaldo474) December 20, 2025

The opening 85 minutes told a very different story, with Liverpool largely dominant, structured and deserving of a two-goal lead.

The breakthrough came through a flowing move involving Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, with the Swede finishing clinically before being forced off injured.

That combination had looked promising in the early stages of the second half and looked like a weapon that would continue to cause havoc, had it not been for our No.9’s unfortunate exit.

Ekitike’s header shortly after was fully deserved, giving the French forward his eighth non-penalty goal of the league campaign, a tally only Erling Haaland has bettered so far.

However, the introduction of Richarlison shifted the momentum, and suddenly memories of previous late collapses began to creep into the contest.

“We’ll take the result all day but that’s not good enough for me,” Aldridge added. “Lots and lots of work to be done to get in the top 4.”

Liverpool game management questioned late on

The finale became chaotic, with Tottenham reduced to nine men yet still creating enough pressure to test our resolve.

Liverpool have now seen opponents receive four red cards in the league this season, more than any other side, yet the inability to fully kill off games remains a talking point.

It also framed the context around Thomas Frank’s complaints about Ekitike’s goal, with the Spurs boss claiming: “That’s unbelievable, it’s a huge mistake,” over the decision to allow it to stand.

Equally, Match of the Day analysis pointed elsewhere, with Joe Hart stating Spurs “totally lost control”, particularly during an incident involving Milos Kerkez late on.

This was a match Liverpool controlled for long spells, deserved to win, but very nearly complicated unnecessarily.

Aldridge’s comments may feel harsh, but they underline a truth this squad will need to address if we are to turn wins like this into something more sustainable over the course of the season.