The Liverpool Thread

So here we are. The start of this absolutely unique, and utterly disgraceful, situation we've been placed in having to play 2 games, in less than 2 days, in 2 completely different competitions on, 2 different Continents.

Still mind-blowing that the EFL can have absolutely ZERO respect for the integrity of their marquee competition. Which they've made a complete and utter mockery of this season by refusing to reschedule tonight's quarter-final at Villa.

Which is getting worse by the day with Brewster battling a training injury, Adam Lewis still out, and Jones and Neco Williams already out in Qatar for the CWC. We'll do well to have a starting XI with an average age over 18 and a half tonight. With most of the 18 all eligible for the U19's/ 18's/ 17's and 16's. We were looking at a really decent chance of thinking of winning the League Cup this year. But we're now left with facing a far stronger, experienced Premier League side in Villa with what will be the youngest and least experienced competitive team in Liverpool Football Clubs illustrious 127-year history. The players that could well appear tonight at Villa Park have a combined total of 18 first-team appearances between them. Of which after Chirivella's 7 games, you're down to the next most experienced being on 2! With 17-year-old Ki-Jana Hoever the only player to score for the first-team!

That's the reality of the absolutely scandalous situation the EFL have put us in that these kids are going to have to deal with.

I'm anticipating getting beat. But I don't fear any heavy defeat as we've been placed in a ridiculous situation so all we can do is deal with the hand they've dealt us and go out, give everything we have, and come out the other side having given a good account of ourselves regardless of the final scoreline.

If they do somehow make the semi's however, it would surely go down as the biggest upset not only in the League Cups entire history, but the most embarrassing defeat Aston Villa will have ever suffered in their long 145-year existence.

Do us proud boys and have the night of your young lives representing Europes best.

Oh, to just add to the utter madness of this mess, they'll be managed tonight by the U23's manager with the first-team staff all being out in Qatar preparing for tomorrow's CWC semi. This was his first time in front of the cameras for a 'first-team' presser yesterday-

 
paul joyce
@_pauljoyce
Takumi Minamino set to have a medical at Liverpool today. Barring no hitches, he would join from Red Bull Salzburg on January 1and his first game could be the FA Cup tie versus Everton on Jan 5.
 
That was the worst referring I have ever seen. That is all. Also ok with never having to play a south American side ever again.
 
dilakh2 said:
That was the worst referring I have ever seen. That is all. Also ok with never having to play a south American side ever again.
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Honestly I'd love to see more competetive games with South American sides. In theory you'd expect they would get trashed given that European clubs steal all the best talent every year, but in reality these games are never easy.
 
Tyton said:
Honestly I'd love to see more competetive games with South American sides. In theory you'd expect they would get trashed given that European clubs steal all the best talent every year, but in reality these games are never easy.
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Kudos to Flamengo made it hard but it's not football I like to watch myself. Constant rolling around from the slightest touch and Gk getting a cramp then pulling a save out of nowhere come on. I know its the dark arts of the game but it can infuriate you if it's against your team.
 
Congratulations to Liverpool, our son is a Liverpool supporter and he was sitting here last night watching the match, sitting beside his mum (my wife) and when they scored he let out an almighty " YYYYEEEEESSSSS, GET IN THERE..." and he leapt off the sofa, he scared the almighty christ out of the wife and she nearly chocked on a Pepsi she was drinking ?
 
HOLA! You go away for week and DON'T come back to a thread full of L'pool 'officially' being the best team in the whole wide World?!!!!!

We'll soon put that right! ;)

But there was another superb display to catch up on first before that .....
 
dilakh2 said:
Was hoping for a loss not because I want out of the comp but the young lads will learn so much more in defeat. Credit to Villa who were professional and further credit to Dean Smith and his staff who went into the lfc dressing room and told the lads they should be proud.
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I really hope that was a mistake and you typed without thinking mate. NEVER hope for a loss! Not least for a group of young lads who deserved FAR better than what they ultimately got in this cruel, cruel game.

I've just finally caught up on the Villa game this morning. (Another thing to HATE the EFL for. Flying at the same time as the scandalously arranged tie at Villa Park you'd have just loved to have been at.). And WOW!!!!!

That was the best 5-0 defeat you've ever seen.

Villa had NO right to be 4 up at half-time. They had three shots on goal. Had a massive slice of luck with an utterly mad deflection the second. Whilst their goalie (the MOTM by a Country mile BTW which tells the main story of the game), made a string of superb saves. The young lads were exceptionally unlucky to have even been behind at half-time. Just the difference between veteran experience and a massive dollop of luck going their way.

And what made the young Reds performance on the night that much more ridiculous was they never caved at half-time down 4 and if anything got even better the second half. A real testament to everyone on the clubs staff that the youngest side the clubs ever fielded in a competitive game in its entire 127-year history embodied everything the first team does on a weekly basis. Total fight and commitment for the full duration with the same style (pressing/ the shape/ passing triangles all over the park et al) that runs right through the football club at every level.

The stats speak for themselves-

A L'pool 18 containing three 16-year-olds, with no less than 8 players making their senior debuts, in a starting XI that wasn't even a U23 side. But the youngest of young combined U23/18/17/ 16 eligible side, the youngest the club has ever fielded (the average age of the starting XI's was 19.5 years Liverpool's young guns compared to Villa's International filled, experienced side averaging 28.09 years), and a starting XI with the fewest combined first-team appearances in Liverpool's entire history (16); TOTALLY out-playing an Aston Villa side to the tune of-

Possession: 57.2%- 42.8 %.
637 passes to Villas 469. (550/392 accuracy.). 11 key passes to Villas 8.
15 shots to Villas 11. (8/7 on target.).
7 corners to Villas 2.

In context, that was an absolutely phenomenal display from Critchley's charges in the furthest thing from a 5-0 defeat imaginable. The natural difference being Villa's vast experience in taking their limited chances. With most all the luck and bounce of the ball in the game rolling their way too.

As you mentioned d, no wonder Smith and Terry went out of their way (props to them for that) to go the changies and applaud the kids for how well they played and just what a tough game they gave Villa.

Massive kudos to the 5,000 strong away contingent too who not only made the journey to Villa in such numbers for no-win situation game, just before Chrimbo. But who never stopped supporting the young kids for the full 90 with an outstanding display of vocal those young boys will NEVER forgt. (Sidenote- LOVED the destroying of Boris and the Torries too which came over loud and clear.).

Strange to say after exiting the competition with a 5-0 defeat, but you couldn't fail to be prouder of the young lads and just what they displayed on the night which made it worth talking about now.

And I didn't even get into just a genuine phenom Harvey Elliott is ......
 
Of course, the ridiculous situation of the Villa game was just the pre-cursor to the main event in Qatar .....

I honestly didn't think you could get a better high than being Champions of Europe. Something I've been exceptionally fortunate to experience 3 times in the flesh. The absolute ultimate in a football fans experience. And I've been exceptionally privileged, with this magnificent football club, to have seen my team live in 6 European Cup/ Champions League finals now. What I've always thought of as the single biggest football game on the planet ..... but honestly, having experienced Qatar and the absolute mind-blowing buzz of being Champions of the whole F World, I'm not sure that I've ever been to a bigger football game involving my team. Not just Champions of your Country. Not just Champions of your Continent But Champions of the whole ****** World!-

https://twitter.com/x/status/1208495391068577793

World ****** Champions. Just can't say that enough without splitting your face smiling. What can honestly top that? A full year of getting to wear THAT badge on your shirt that signifies you're the best in the World-

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HEAVEN!

Absolutely mad how people, in the insular English way, tried to decry the MASSIVE global significance of the CWC and vainly tried to put the League Cup as being more important ...... Let's see, where would I rather be? Freezing my bollocks off in Birmingham to get to a League Cup semi. Or winning one of the highest prizes on the game in Qatar? (Which, for all it's human rights issues, was a wonderfully welcoming, friendly experience. They need to up their match organisation game will come. But anyone going out the International WC will have a belter of a time.) ..... Exactly! There is NO comparison.

How did it go? 'Klopp couldn't win finals/ trophies' wasn't it?

Well now he's won the three European/ International majors in a row and in so doing become the first manager of a British side to hold all three at the same time-

80115883_10156971812942737_1911093101909245952_o.jpg


'We've conquered all of Europe, and then we didn't stop ...... '

Up the best in the World Reds!
 
To tidy up the admin-

Our first World Chamionship now puts us two major trophies clear of Utd as Englands most decorated football club. (47- 45.).

Something about a perch ..... ?

And we are now only the 5th club, after Milan, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid to hold all three UEFA/ FIFA majors (UEFA Champions League/ Super Cup. FIFA Club World Cup) at the same time.

And would anyone bet against these historic Reds being in all three finals again in 2020?
 
The historical Reds-

www.fifa.com

Liverpool’s year in stats

European kings, runaway Premier League leaders and, as of Saturday, champions of the world: Liverpool have had quite a year. As the Reds’ silver-laden 2019 draws to a close, we look back on some of the numbers behind their incredible achievements.
www.fifa.com www.fifa.com
 
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