Title Details

A compelling forensic analysis of 10 key Liverpool soccer matches that have shaped the club's fortunes for more than a century

Much of the soccer news coverage these days has little to do with what actually occurs on the pitch. Jonathan Wilson has established himself as one of the sport's preeminent writers, focusing on the tactics and how events on the pitch have shaped soccer history. From the long-lost triumphs of manager Tom Watson, who arrived in 1896, to the 1977 European Cup triumph over Borussia Mönchengladbach, to the astonishing Champions League Final comeback against AC Milan, "The Miracle of Istanbul," in 2005, this book covers 10 of the most important Liverpool matches. Legendary players and managers of the stature of Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, and Kenny Dalglish populate these pages, which highlight the genius and the flaws of individuals by examining them in practice. Certain games lie on the fault-lines of history. Perhaps they mark the end of one era or the beginning of another. Perhaps they encapsulate a summation of a manager's reign. Or perhaps they mark a crossroads, moments at which soccer looked one way, and then went the other. But this is not a virtual history of Liverpool FC. Jonathan Wilson's prime purpose is not to speculate on what might have been. Rather it will try to determine why what was, was. The Anatomy of Liverpool tells the story of a great club through a detailed examination of 10 key matches looking, as a soccer history must, first and foremost, at the ball.