Anfield Taken By Swifties

This is the summer of the Euros, Copa America, and the international leg of Taylor Swift’s latest tour, the “Era Tour.” While that tour didn’t finish at Anfield like the reign of our beloved Jurgen Klopp, Taylor and her band of Swifties did play at Anfield with the former boss dancing in the stands. With our new manager, Arne Slot, still a bit of a mystery, it’s fun to look forward and guess which Era this next tenure will be for the Reds. So let’s have a little fun, eh?

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Taylor Swift has released eleven full albums, not counting “Taylor’s Versions” as she takes full and absolute control of her legacy. Swifties the world over associate emotions and personalities with the different “eras” of the singer-songwriter’s life story. What album matches with which starting eleven Red? This is based on my own opinion but for any other Swifties out there, you are welcome to chime in with your thoughts as well.

Here are the albums listed below in release order:
Self-Titled
Fearless
Speak Now
Red
1989
Reputation
Lover
Folklore
Evermore
Midnights
The Tortured Poets Department

Let’s start from the earliest and move towards the latest.

Self-Titled – Trent Alexander-Arnold

Both Taylor Swift and TAA burst onto the scene full of talent and potential and both have lived up to the early hype. TAA showcases a bunch of youthful energy and creativity. His future is bright.

Fearless – Alisson Becker

Alisson is the epitome of Fearless. He is a shot-stopper and is not scared to show off his ball-handling skills, though it sometimes puts our hearts in our throats. The desire to always excel is evident, and his care for his team and family is always at the front.

Speak Now – Andrew Robertson

The Speak Now album is known for its raw and honest lyrics, and Robertson is well-known for being his authentic self both on and off the pitch. He is a determined player, who is a passionate piece to the successful Liverpool puzzle. He is willing to step up and fight for every member of his team.

Red – Mohamed Salah

Red embodies the full range of human emotions from extreme highs pushed by exhilaration to the despair of heartbreak. The story of Salah at Liverpool has been an epic coaster between these emotions. He has consistently set records and driven our hearts to “Believe” and “Never Give Up” and our hearts have broken with his with each trophy falling just out of reach. He is a passionate player who is introspective at times but rides those intense emotions to drive him towards another run at glory.

1989 – Diogo Jota

Jota is always brimming with confidence and vibrant on the pitch just like this era. He is always willing to put himself out there and his enthusiasm for the game and dragging the Reds back into it is one that the team relies on time and time again.

Reputation – Darwin Nunez

Darwin has been a lightning rod for both the positive and negative of the past season. He can score tremendous goals and often lets his energy and exuberance steal the moments of calm and composure needed to succeed. What defines him more than the mistakes though, and what makes the Reputation album so important in the development of Taylor Swift as an artist, is resilience. Both Swift and Nunez have reputations and both have the tools to see them through the criticism and doubts to achieve the greatest of heights.

Lover – Ibrahima Konate

Konate is a lover. His high-energy love of life coupled with the fact he watches anime before matches leads to a colorful vibe both on and off the pitch. Deriving inspiration from shows like Dragon Ball Z leads to confident, colorful, and flashy moments of brilliance on the pitch. While not as calm as his partner on the back line, the two personalities breathe confidence in the Red’s sails.

Folklore – Wataru Endo

Folklore is well known for soothing melodies and the feel of serenity and depth elicited by the lyrics. Endo’s addition to the Reds this past Summer brought a much-needed feeling of serenity in the middle of a surprising title run. He has never been one to talk himself up and is willing to look at and develop his own game in response to direction and criticism. His play is elegantly simple which embodies this era quite well.

Evermore – Virgil van Dijk

Stepping into the captaincy at Liverpool was always something that was going to be difficult but van Dijk has taken it in stride. While on the pitch he is a mountain guard that marshals the back line, possessing a natural talent that lends to a soothing effect on the field. We chant “Calm as You Like” for a reason.

Midnights – Alexis Mac Allister

Mac Allister is a midfield maestro who brings confidence and charm to the middle of the park. He has won the biggest awards in his career and felt the bitter defeats and yet remains steadfastly confident that he will be prepared for the next era.

The Tortured Poets Department – Dominik Szoboszlai

This is an album that strongly rejects societal expectations. It relies on the features that have made Taylor Swift a global icon. Szoboszlai is an excellent example of an unapologetic commitment to the love of the game whether the aftermath is a celebration or picking up the pieces. His play style can be melodramatic with heightened moments of energy and skill coupled with an over-the-top outpouring of emotion.

We all know that the team is more than just eleven players. There are plenty of names we could look at and sort into their albums. Harvey Elliott, Cody Gakpo, Joe Gomez, Luis Diaz, and many others are in play. Where would you put them Swifties?

Thank you for indulging me in some light-hearted fun as we wait to see what business Arne Slot will do as the new season approaches. Pre-season is fast approaching. We can only assume we will start to see the initial plan once the players take the field.