The Liverpool Thread

  • Thread starter Thread starter Steve*
  • Start date Start date
  • Replies Replies 45K
  • Views Views 4M
Save for Bournemouth being a surprisingly decent night out, that was another dog of a day in this miserable league season.

Yesterdays admin-

Title Defence Countdown:
10 wins down/ 15 to go. (Adjusted from pre-season target of 27 wins.).
36 points down/ 45 to go. (Adjusted from pre-season target of 89 points.).

Football 99% of the time summed up in 4 days.

Brilliant on the Wednesday. Abysmal on the Sat’day. L’pool are superb on the biggest stage of all Wednesday.
L’pool, and Bournemouth come to that, are abysmal in absolutely horrid conditions the Sat’day in an absolute dog of a game neither side deserved to win. And not one single player on either side comes out with any credit. But L’pool yet again find a way to throw it away at the death in yet more self-inflicted nonsense that is beyond inexcusable now. Too many games this season have become a coin-toss. And given the disparity in squad finances between them and the likes of Bournemouth, that just shouldn’t be the case.

The manager is naturally going to get the bullets. He’s in that front and centre position for a reason and naturally takes the criticism. But it’s so much more far reaching than just him. The goalkeeper and captain having shockers of a game. The latter’s amateur, lazy mistake costing not only the opener. But another key injury, and the knock-on to the quick second as we couldn’t make a change. To then throw it away, again, after getting back into it. And worse, to be outdone, at the death, by a set-piece, AGAIN!!!!! 🤬, just encapsulated this sorry league season. As soon as the lad was winding up for the long throw you knew what was coming. And one of the biggest culprits of all, are those who gambled on settling for nothing less than top quality additions over quantity the summer. That has left the squad threadbare and a manager with very limited options. Even now, in January, they are about to weaken us even further with no help in sight. Little sympathy for Slot there as he’s killed telling everyone they are all aligned on transfers. But it’s no less of a disgrace on those above him that they have left him so short on players and a now, proper goosed looking squad.

The only positive through ‘till May, as has been the story countless times through football history, is the cups saving the season. They are patently now FAR more up for Wednesday nights under the European lights than they are for Saturdays in grim conditions at the likes of Bournemouth. And having hit upon the perfect set-up for playing away in Europe, with the power of Anfield in your back pocket, you’d be very naive to rule them out of being in Budapest in May. Or Wembley for that matter. We’ve had FAR worse sides than thus, in FAR worse seasons, end with the memories of the Reds picking up a cup. Not least the greatest of all in 2005. This season has the feel of similar. It’d be folly to rule it out anyway the mad, mad way football goes so often.

To round up, from a supporter standpoint, as I type this from the third hotel room I’ve woken up in over the past 5 days, it’s beyond a disgrace that we should have to travel to the other end of the Country, with no means to get home unless you drive both ways in one go/ are on a coach, or take the extra financial hit like we and a good few other lads out last night did and stay over. All after 2/3 days in Southern France midweek. What is the point of a football regulator, if he isn’t going to stand up for supporter welfare and stop S like this? 🤷‍♂️😡 F the players and short turnarounds to two long trips. It’s beyond time they started thinking about those of us without whom there is NO game! A big part of the said regulators remit. People just don’t appreciate the S you go through and have to endure.

If that was to be AndyRobbo’s last game, and the way he was the last man off the pitch clapping us longer than normal as he got serenaded suggests it was, what a sad way for well arguably the best left full this football club has ever employed to go out. In an absolute dog of a game. In horrid conditions. Losing at the Vitality. To self-inflicted mistakes. Again.

Proper, proper sad end that to an all time legend.

I’m going back to sleep before another 4/5 hour drive home. The S you do for this football club. But we are the ‘problem’ apparently. 🤦‍♂️

Up the Reds!
 
Last edited:

Praise the Lord for that. 🕺🕺🕺

Without knowing if they had someone lined up, on the face of it, it was absolute madness that we even entertained the idea to start with. 🤦‍♂️
As I said, he deserves the chance to end his Liverpool career how he sees fit, but we gotta be selfish as we are bare bones at the back and it's not looking like any defensive reinforcements are coming through.
 
This shouldn’t have to be said, but …..

IMG_2623.webp


Onto the most important thing this week. Winning Wednesday and avoiding the playoff round.
 
Last edited:
Biggest game of our season by a Country mile tonight.

Win, and we finish top 4. Finish top 4, and you are guaranteed the second leg in both the round of 16 and quarter final at home. And when that second leg is at Anfield, under the European lights, a place where magical things happen on a consistent basis that just don’t happen in European football at most any other Worldwide postcode, that gives you an exceptionally great chance of being in the semi-final. And from there …..

Finishing top 2 would be even better as that guarantees being at home the second-leg of the semi. But that’s probably just out of reach. So finishing top 4 is imperative and could well turn EVERYTHING for the rest of this season.

Win tonight. Box the best possible chance of progression to the semi’s. Avoid two extra playoff games for a goosed squad. And then we can put Europe to bed and concentrate on cementing the top 4 with a great run of home games that will have Anfield rocking.

Starting tonight where I can’t wait to play my part in having the arl’ place wild again doing what we do best. EUROPE!!!!!

Up Arne’s Red Army!
 
It was so nice to see everyone, supporters, players and manager, so happy again last night. Mad how something as routine as Liverpool just doing what was expected, a comfortable home win against a side they should, lifts the burden off everyone. What was a very anxious, annoyed and fractious place to be Burnley, was once more, the early Frmpong injury aside, a joyous, fun ground to be in again as the weight on the players backs was lifted, confidence flowed, and the dam broke to big European win.

Salah back among the goals. Ekitike with outstanding goals and assists. Wirtz continuing t be the dreamboat, generational super star he is. Big Dom as ubiquitously brilliant as ever. Virgil back to his imperious best. Players being afforded long rests. And the kids on showing excellently in massively valuable experience for their development at Europes top table. Chiesa bagging. And just being able to enjoy your flowing team once more at Anfield and not have to worry about them or any other results. And it’s no coincidence either that we are now a scoring threat once more from at-pieces since Briggs was released.

A perfect night that everyone sorely needed. Not a corner turning one. There’s still the small matter of returning to the league slog Saturday evening. But one which put a much needed smile back on everyone’s face and had everyone walking out with a spring in their step knowing Liverpool are a VERY serious threat to go all the way and win a 7th European Cup. With as big a chance as anyone left in the completion. That’s not going overboard on one game against weaker opponents. That’s just the fact of the matter and you know full well NO other team will want to play us over 2 legs of knock-out European togger with the Anfield factor to face. Thats what being bona fide European Royalty with a European heritage up there with most anyone does for you.

Europe. It’s what we do!

When the draw was made for the league stage, it was more or less universally agreed L’pool had as tough a draw as anyone. Real Madrid at home and the best team in Italy, Inter, away from pot one. The always relentless Atletico Madrid home, and a very tricky, hostile looking Frankfurt away from pot 2. And, on paper at least, only Napoli would have been a tougher away than Marseille from pot 3. Whilst the always intimidating prospect of Istanbul and Galatasaray was the toughest away we could have had from pot 4. The manager and his players deserve MASSIVE credit for navigating their way through an extremely difficult set of fixtures and finishing top 3 in Europe. With, for a side apparently having such a poor season, only one less win than what we topped the group stage with last season. Under a much maligned manager who has now won a far from shabby 14 out of 18 European games at Liverpool.

And securing top 4 in the league phase now gives us the best possible chance to be in the semis at least with the power of Anfield under the European lights second in both the round of 16 and quarter-final. Absolutely gigantic, not least from a paying supporter perspective, we avoided the two extra games the playoff. And planning is much easier this new format so there is that bonus too. We know the dates already for the quarter final being as we won’t be playing on the anniversary. So we’ll be away April 8th and home April 14th. And no need t have to source a church away in Europe which is good. Of the 4 options, Bruges or Madrid please. The other two can do one. I adore Istanbul. But man alive has it gotten ridiculously expensive. Going twice in one season would be far from ideal. And I honestly don’t know how I’d do Turin from a safety aspect? Probably have to be the day trip in and out if I went at all. Which is far from ideal or fun

Write us off in our European playground at your peril.

Up the European Royalty Reds!
 
Back
Top