LIVERPOOL CONFIDENTIAL: The mystery surrounding false team news leaks – and the 70s soundtrack to the Reds' title charge

‘In the know’ accounts on Liverpool Twitter have had a bad few months with multiple false ‘leaked’ teams being shared around before matches.

There is no suggestion that Liverpool are deliberately leaking wrong XIs to catch a mole – it is seen as more of a coincidence at this stage – but Sunday was another example of several so-called experts publishing a completely wrong team in the build-up to the match.

Many accounts like to put their neck on the line for attention on social media but look like fools when they get the wrong team. The official XI is published 75 minutes before kick-off on Liverpool’s official channels.

Of course, it does not benefit Arne Slot to have his line-up revealed earlier than necessary as opposition managers could alter their plans to counteract a certain player, especially if the Liverpool boss has a surprise up his sleeve.

Ahead of some games this season, Confidential has been sent the apparent XI up to 24 hours before kick-off. Many times it comes before we have even woken up in the morning before a game.

Manchester United have stepped up their pursuit of leaks and moles and one source, who was leaking the Red Devils teams, tells Confidential: ‘Ruben Amorim lost his s*** so I have to lie low for a bit.’

Liverpool are not yet at the stage of officially trying to find out who the moles are but it is noticeable that many so-called XIs have been wrong in the last few weeks. For example, Kostas Tsimikas and Darwin Nunez were said to be starting on Sunday against Wolves. They did not.

‘It is 100 per cent deliberate to try to catch out the leak,’ reckons one insider. There is no suggestion from the Liverpool camp that this is the case but it would certainly be no surprise if they were keen to stamp out the leaks.

Valencia verdict… is Mamardashvili a future Reds No 1?

Liverpool’s apparent replacement for Caoimhin Kelleher, or maybe even Alisson, Giorgi Mamardashvili, is statistically one of the worst goalkeepers in La Liga this season.

The Reds signed Mamardashvili in a £29million deal last summer and he will officially join at the end of this season.

He had an impressive 2023-24 campaign, peaking with some show-stopping performances at the Euros with Georgia, and was named as the world’s seventh-best goalkeeper at the Ballon d’Or gala.

But Mamardashvili, 24, is having a tough season. He has the second-lowest save percentage of any goalkeeper in La Liga (61.5 per cent), the fourth-most goals conceded per 90 minutes (1.60), and has conceded 2.6 more than expected, the seventh-worst total. He has also made two errors leading to goals, a number just six goalkeepers have reached.

Contrast that with Kelleher’s heroism this season, conceding just 15 goals in 17 games and saving 75.9 per cent of the shots he has faced, and justifying the Irishman’s expected exit this summer has become more awkward. 

Speaking to Confidential, observers in Spain vary in their opinions on Mamardashvili’s season. There is an acknowledgement that his performances have declined to a ‘disappointing’ degree. However, one still believes Liverpool have underpaid for a man who could end up being Alisson’s successor for the next decade.

There are mitigating factors. It does not help that Valencia are floundering in the relegation zone, a demise for which the outfield players are blamed more than the Georgian. Fans have also staged several protests against owner Peter Lim’s absence and even clashed with police in January.

The flash floods which killed more than 220 people last year have had a profound effect on the club. Valencia did not play for almost a month after the disaster. Squad members saw their homes flooded and some could not get to training. Their Mestalla Stadium was turned into a centre for essential supplies.

Sources downplay the direct impact of these events on Mamardashvili, but it has clearly been a challenging environment to thrive in. It should be far easier to excel under Arne Slot’s serene regime at Liverpool.

Kelleher wants to be a No 1 goalkeeper and appears resigned to the fact it will not happen at Anfield. He admitted in September that ‘it looks like they (Liverpool) have made a decision to go in a different direction’ by signing Mamardashvili.

Based on the pair’s contrasting seasons, it is fair for fans to question that decision.

Slot breaks from tradition

Arne Slot will not be doing his usual Friday morning press conference this week – and instead he will talk to the media on Thursday at 10.30am.

Thursday pressers at Kirkby always remind one of the time Jurgen Klopp did so to preview an FA Cup game against Norwich. ‘Ah, a nice Friday off work,’ I remember thinking at the time. How wrong I was.

When getting ready for a relaxed day – few and far between in the relentless job of covering this club home, away and abroad – the phone started pinging with news that Klopp was set to announce his departure from the club.

Plans were cancelled and I was back on the road to Kirkby for a second Klopp presser in two days.

Fear not, Liverpool fans, Slot is not going anywhere just yet…

New signing spotted at Anfield!

Who said Liverpool couldn’t make a mid-season signing to get fans talking? The lack of additions to Arne Slot’s squad in January continues to be a hotly-debated topic, provoking strong opinions, but there was a light-hearted edge to Sunday’s chatter.

On Saturday, before the Anfield clash with Wolves, a state-of-the-art vending machine was installed on the Kop’s concourse, giving fans a new way of quenching their thirst.

This vending machine sells freshly poured Kronenbourg, at £6 per pint. Workmen on the ground ensuring it was ticking over smoothly before kick-off and at half-time there was a healthy queue taking advantage, even being given the option to buy four drinks at one go.

Not since McDonald’s once had a stall on the Kop, in the mid-1990s, has there been such discussion about the refreshment possibilities. If games remain as edgy as the one with Wolves, it’s a fair bet to say the new vending machine will do a roaring trade.

Silva service for Kirkby guest

Liverpool were happy to welcome a title ‘rival’ into their inner sanctum ahead of their game at Aston Villa.

Arsenal Invincible Gilberto Silva was a guest at the club’s Kirkby training ground on Tuesday working for TV network ESPN, who were on Merseyside to tour the site and interview manager Arne Slot.

World Cup winner Gilberto will be forever associated with The Gunners, who are Liverpool’s closest title challengers this season.

He won the Premier League title and two FA Cups during his six seasons in north London and is now regarded highly as a commentator and pundit for the broadcaster.

The 48-year-old is making the most of his trip to England, also visiting Wolves for a piece with fellow Brazilian Matheus Cunha.

Nervous wait for Reds fans

Thursday will see thousands of Liverpool supporters receive the ballot results which determine whether they’ve been successful in getting a ticket for next month’s Carabao Cup final against Newcastle at Wembley.

‘Ballot Day’ has become somewhat of an annual tradition amongst match-going fans with the game against Newcastle set to be Liverpool’s sixth trip to Wembley since the pandemic hit in 2020.

Confidential is aware of fans whose superstitions extend to only allowing those who have previously been successful to register for the ballot. The day itself sees supporters constantly refresh their emails and WhatsApp groups are then flooded with screenshots of those emails from the club, before the hunt for spares begins for those who are unsuccessful.

For last season’s final where Liverpool beat Chelsea, the club confirmed after the ballot that there was a 60 per cent chance of being successful for those supporters who qualified.

Similar to last season, qualification depends on attendance at EFL Cup games this season which saw Liverpool play at home twice and away three times. The few thousand with three or more games registered to their name are guaranteed a ticket while those with two enter the ballot for the remainder of the allocation

Newcastle have undergone a similar process though they had four home games and just the one away game on their road to Wembley.

Both teams have been allocated approximately 32,000 tickets each. 

Dreams for Liverpool players 

‘What you had, and what you lost…’

Last season Liverpool had the Premier League title well within their reach – certainly not a ‘one hand on the trophy’ situation but they were in the fight – until their hopes crashed and burned.

The sound of Dreams by Fleetwood Mac, with those lyrics from above, coming from the Anfield tunnel after their win over Wolves felt rather significant.

Seven points clear going into the final stretch. Dreams indeed.

Anyway, suggestions on a postcard for Fleetwood Mac-related Liverpool puns, please. Fleetwood Mac Allister? Silver(ware) Springs? Seven (European Cups) Wonders? Yep, I’ll stop there.

Carvalho out of favour

The £27.5million fee Liverpool managed to get for Fabio Carvalho looks more of a steal each week as the former midfielder struggles to settle in at Brentford.

Carvalho, who spent last season at Hull City on loan and looked promising in pre-season for Liverpool, was allowed to leave in the summer for Thomas Frank’s Bees, who also signed defender Sepp van den Berg from the Reds.

He has played just seven league minutes in 2025 and was consigned to a place in Brentford’s B Team on Tuesday.

Confidential understands he is not injured but simply not in the plans of Frank at the moment.

Women’s watch: Reds’ Canadian star

It comes as no surprise that Olivia Smith has been voted Liverpool Women’s player of the month for the third consecutive month.

The 20-year-old Canadian youngster joined from Sporting Lisbon last summer for a club record fee of £210,000 and has been the standout player during an otherwise underwhelming season for Matt Beard’s side, who sit seventh in the table and 15 points off third-placed Arsenal in the final Champions League spot.

Smith, who is Liverpool’s top-scorer in the WSL this season, was forced to miss out on her side’s heavy 4-0 defeat at Manchester City at the weekend due to her serving a one-game ban, and coach Matt Beard rued a ‘frustrating’ evening where they lacked an end product in front of goal.

Smith’s natural finishing ability as well as her work off the ball was greatly missed at the Joie Stadium, and the Reds will be looking forward to her return for their trip to Crystal Palace on March 2.

In the meantime, Smith will be linking up with former Manchester United head coach Casey Stoney, who takes charge of her first games as Canada women’s national team for a three-match series in Spain at the Pinatar Cup. And Beard and the rest of the Liverpool contingent will be hoping that their attacking star can avoid any injury problems over the next couple of weeks.

Red Riddle!

It’s Red Riddle time again. Last week, I asked you to name thirteen players to play for both Liverpool and Sunday’s opponents Wolves. Yes, it was a tough one.

You could have picked: Diogo Jota, Conor Coady, Ki-Jana Hoever, Paul Ince, Paul Jones, Robbie Keane, Mark Kennedy, Sheyi Ojo, Jermaine Pennant, Darren Potter, Jack Robinson, Paul Stewart or Mark Walters.

I’ll be honest, a couple of them are before my time… goalkeeper Andy Lonergan has been on the books of both clubs but technically not played for Liverpool so he doesn’t count.

This week, I’m sticking to the same lines: can you name every player to feature for both Liverpool and Sunday’s opponents Manchester City. There are 18 – I reckon anything in the teens represents a very good showing…