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    Monday Dec 13:
     
    We should have been playing Salzburg but instead we’ve got Inter because Man United fucking ruined the draw for everyone. Pricks. Sure, UEFA are also to blame but it would be United’s ball in the wrong pot wouldn’t it. Wankers.
     
    Anyway, the whole thing had to be redrawn against because Atletico didn’t like the fact they draw Bayern and complained it wasn’t fair because when Bayern was drawn out, United wasn’t in there and that meant Atleti had no chance to draw United, which wasn’t fair because that’s an easier game than Bayern.
     
    So the whole thing got redone and Atleti ended up with United after all. They better fucking beat them now after causing all this shit. Salzburg would have been great for us as they’re like a Diet Coke version of us and they would have tried to beat us at our own game. 
     
    Now we have Inter who I know nothing about other than that they’re below Milan in the table and Milan lost to our second string. So it should be straightforward enough.
     
    Meanwhile, Everton are in utter chaos at the moment. They lost 3-1 at Palace yesterday and the fans were kicking off at Rafa after he subbed Richarlison. “fat Spanish waiter” and “red and white shite” got an airing from the away end. In typical Rafa fashion, the player he brought on in what looked like a crazy swap went on to score, but it was all in vain.
     
    Anyway, as it’s all kicking off in their fan base Calvert-Lewin posted this on his insta….
     

     
    I’m picturing the EFC press officer seeing that and furiously giving it the Jonah Hill “cut” gesture while cursing “not now Dom, fucks sake lad, not now”.
     
    Tuesday Dec 14:
     
    United’s game tonight was called off because of a Covid outbreak. I don’t like this. I didn’t like it when Spurs got their games postponed because of it. How many players need to be missing for a game to be postponed? Do we even know? Is there a set number? Last I heard the rule was if you had 14 players you had to play. United’s squad is fucking massive when you count u23 players so this is bullshit. Norwich had four starters missing tonight but they had to get on with it, so how come United don’t?
     
    We’ve played matches this season when we’ve had ten senior squad members unavailable for one reason or another, but Spurs and United can get games postponed because maybe three or four players have Covid? It stinks, especially when it’s been reported that United and (I think) Brighton have the lowest percentage of vaccinated players.
     
    I’d love to know which players have tested positive and how many of them haven’t been vaccinated. There’s no way they should be allowed to not play this game tonight. You test everyone and pick a team from those who are negative.
     
    Speaking of vaccinations though, I had my booster last night. I was fine, other than waking up in the middle of the night thinking I was going to puke. I didn’t puke, but I did fall asleep kneeling down with my head over the toilet. First time I’ve done that sober. When I woke up, I realised I wasn’t nauseous anymore and went back to bed. I’ve been lucky with all three of my jabs as I haven’t had any real side effects from them, but whatever side effects people might have, it’s nowhere near as bad as Covid.
     
    I can’t get my head around people not getting vaccinated. “We don’t know what’s in it”. So what? You don’t know what’s in half of the foods you eat, or pain killers you take or any number of other things. How is this any different? I’m just baffled by the whole anti-vax movement.  
     
    Wednesday Dec 15:
     
    Burnley v Watford is called off late due to a Covid outbreak but Leicester are forced to play on despite having an outbreak of their own. Brendan wasn’t happy at the lack of clarity, which echoes the complaints of Dean Smith last night. 
     
    Meanwhile, Richarlison is ruled out for several weeks with a calf injury. This was why Rafa subbed him, but you can’t entirely blame the Blues for jumping to the wrong conclusion as 1) Rafa has form for this kind of thing and 2) Richarlison gave every impression that he was furious about the decision. Now some of them are ripping Rafa for not subbing him earlier! 
     
    Sergio Aguero has had to retire due to a heart condition. Shame for him but I bet Barcelona are made up as they don’t have to stump up his wages each week now. He was a fucking great striker and always used to score against us. One of the greats and he deserved better than playing in front of City fans for the bulk of his career. A player like that should have been at a club worthy of his standing. He probably thought he was finally going to get that when he moved to Barca but it hasn’t worked out that way at all. Kevin De Bruyne will be in the same boat if he stays at City beyond his current deal.
     
    In other news, Big Nat says he’s open to a move in January. It looks almost certain now that he’ll be leaving and although it makes me sad, it’s the right thing for everybody. He’s too good to not play, but he’s got four players ahead of him who are better. We don’t need to replace him and we don’t really need to make any new signings in January as we’re pretty much set all over the park. So here’s a thought, the £15m or so we get for Phillips should go directly into the “new contract for Mo” pot.
     
    I don’t like the set up we have currently. Edwards is still here even though he’s leaving at the end of the season. He should fuck off now really as how can he be planning for our future when he’s not going to be part of it? Real Madrid want him, and funnily enough they also want Mo. We can’t possibly be letting Edwards have any kind of a say in this situation as it would be stupid beyond belief.
     
    This isn’t like when a player is seeing out a contract and can still be a part of things, like Emre Can or Gini, who both gave everything they had until their very last game. This is entirely different and I don’t get why Edwards is still here as it’s completely pointless. Stick him on gardening leave and let his successor get started early.
     
    Thursday Dec 16:
     
    L 3 Newcastle 1. Routine win but we left it later than we should have to completely put it to bed. I’m not sure what happened in the 2nd half but we just stopped playing. It can’t have been about conserving energy because the game wasn’t won. At 2-1 all it needs is one lapse and that’s two points gone, depending on how late the goal comes of course. 
     
    Newcastle are shite and never looked threatening but even the shittest teams can’t be given any kind of hope. Look at Chelsea tonight. They somehow drew with the worst Everton eleven to ever take the field in a top flight game. Thankfully Trent lashed one in to ensure there was no twitchy last five minutes, but if that second half lethargy was due to… well, lethargy, then that’s a bit concerning for this weekend at Spurs. 
     
    Virg and Fab have got covid so they’re out for 10 days, and by the time of the Spurs game we might have more. It feels like we’re heading for another lockdown and I can’t see footy carrying on as normal. 
     
    There was an interesting transfer rumour today. Barca, PSG, Spurs, City and us are all meant to be tracking Ait Nouri from Wolves. We don’t need a left back but if we did then it wouldn’t surprise me if he was high up the list as I thought he was class against us the other week. He stuck to his task against Mo and he’s good going forward too. City should be all over him really as left back has been a weak spot for them for years.
     
    Meanwhile, look at this…

     
    Incredible. Alba, Alves, Busquets, Neymar… what the fuck is this, 2016? But imagine picking eight forwards and somehow leaving out the best one. Takes some doing that. When people say Mo doesn’t get the respect he deserves, this is a prime example. 
     
    Friday Dec 17:
     
    Loads of games off this weekend but so far ours isn’t one of them, even though we’re without Virg, Fab, Curtis and now seemingly Hendo. Maybe more, who knows. 
     
    Klopp’s presser was interesting today. He wasn’t exactly in bad form but his patience was stretched by some of the questions, and he snapped at Moose from Talksport when he said “Hi Jurgen, how are you?” He’d already been asked that a couple of times and answered, so he just threw his arms up and said “Still ok. Still ok”.
     
    I’m surprised it’s taken this long for him to react like that because his pressers are annoying as fuck when loads of them do that shit. Just ask your fucking questions, you don’t need to be saying “Hi Jurgen, how are you?” He’s not your mate and his time is too valuable to making pointless small talk with you.
     
    It also seems like Klopp gets asked about the pandemic, vaccinations and all that stuff far more than other managers too. Probably because he actually gives well thought out answers and isn’t afraid of pissing people off. He’s just fucking great.
     
    Also today, this caught my eye from Sterling, who let’s not forget hasn’t signed a new deal yet with City.
     
    “At times, we make decisions and they might not be the right ones. Sometimes, it turns out for the better. The only thing I will say is the way it went about was the thing I am more disappointed about. But other than that, it's been so far, so good.
     
    "I said at the time, I felt like my ambitions and Liverpool's ambitions at the time weren't really aligned. The way it went about is the only disappointment I have from it.
     
    "I did [have good times at Liverpool], at such a young age with a club that invested a lot in me. It had a big part in my teenage years so they've had a massive role in my life. It's a club I hold really closely, my daughter still lives in Liverpool and I've got a lot of time for the people there.
     
    "When friends or something ask what it's like at Anfield, I always say if you have a game coming up against Manchester United or Man City, it almost felt like the fans and the city gave you an extra superpower, making you feel like you could do things you didn't think you could do, that's how it felt. It's a really special stadium."
     
    You know when you see an attractive girl tweet something and the replies are full of losers blowing smoke up her arse, and then someone will say “she’s not going to shag you. mate”. That’s what this reminded me of. The Reds are not gonna shag you Raheem (not for 300k a week anyway!).
     
     
    ….and that was the week that was.
  • The Reds overcame an early shock to record a routine home win over the struggling Geordies. Mo scored again, Trent bagged a worldy and Konate took advantage of an unexpected opportunity to fill in for Big Virg.
     
    Chris Smith is joined by Paul Natton and TLW Editor Dave Usher to go through all of the main talking points, including some tactical evolution in midfield, the potential impact of Omicron and the contentious Diogo Jota goal that almost had the eternally placid Eddie Howe show some mild annoyance.
     
     
  • Not really what I was expecting or hoping for but getting the three points is always the most important thing when you’re trying to keep pace with Man City. There is very little margin for error so you just have to win. If you can win well, all the better.
     
    3-1 is fine though, especially under the circumstances as there was an ‘Atletico Madrid 2020’ feel about this with all the Covid stuff going on right now.
     
    I thought we would win well because Newcastle are shite and we’re in fine form. We weren’t helped by Virgil and Fabinho testing positive on the day of the game meaning Klopp had to make a couple of late changes. Not a big deal as we’re bringing in good players to replace them and we were only playing Newcastle. 
     
    Going behind early didn’t help but it didn’t hurt too much either as we were playing well before the goal and we continued to play well after it. Just a bump in the road as we got caught after a mistake, which can happen. Good strike by Shelvey to be fair. Initially I thought Alisson should have done better but having seen the replay from behind the ball I don’t think it’s saveable. He seemed to be wrong footed and may have thought it was going in the other corner. 
     
    The blame lies with Thiago really who rushed his clearance when there was no need. That’s so not like him. Usually it would be the opposite and you worry about him taking too much time and losing the ball that way, or just playing a careless pass. He did that a bit later and needed Alisson to bail him out. Sometimes when you’re that good you take the basics for granted and don’t pay them the attention you should. He spent the next five minutes apologising to everybody after that though, and I don’t think he gave it away again all night. 
     
    The Newcastle goal wasn’t exactly a wake up call as we weren’t asleep. We were looking sharp and playing some great stuff. It was only a matter of time before we equalised but when it came there was definitely an element of luck about it. More often than not the referee stops the game before the cross comes in for Jota to score at the second attempt.
     
    I’d be pissed off if one of our players was down with a head injury and the game wasn’t stopped, so I get Newcastle’s complaints. It’s difficult though because if you start stopping the game every time a player goes down holding his head, you’ll just get players constantly going down holding their heads after an initial set-piece has been cleared, as that means no second phase of play goals.
     
    That’s the problem here; players and managers are - as a general rule - cheating cunts who will look to gain an advantage however they can. Let’s take the Villa game last weekend for example. We saw all that time wasting and gamesmanship from them, so it’s naive to think they wouldn’t resort to going down holding their heads to get the game stopped any time there’s potential danger.
     
    So it’s easy to blame Mike Dean for that but he did see that the player was down so the logical conclusion here is he thought it wasn’t a genuine head injury. Eddie Howe says the player was “hazy for five minutes afterwards”. Either he’s lying or he’s completely ignoring concussion protocols by not subbing him. Not sure which is worse really.
     
    Personally I don’t think it was a head injury. Dean said he thought Murphy was holding his back and that certainly looks like where the impact was. I don’t have a perfect solution here as I don’t think there is one. If you blow up every time then a lot of players will cheat because that’s what they do. They’ll call it gamesmanship though. Like faking an injury late in the game to break up the flow and relieve pressure on a beleaguered defence.
     
    And because of this mistrust referees rightly have of players, there will inevitably be a situation when a player has a bad injury and play goes on, but instead of blaming refs for this people need to realise the problem is the players themselves, who have been feigning injury and trying to con referees for decades now. 
     
    If that goal hadn’t have stood it was only a matter of time before we scored anyway, and Eddie Howe is kidding himself if he thinks otherwise. Mo added a second when Shelvey’s blind backless went straight to Sadio, who was fouled as he entered the box. He battled to stay on his feet but as he stumbled his shot was saved by the keeper. Pretty sure it would have been a foul and a red card if Mo hadn’t pounced to bury the rebound. Goal number 22.
     
    It should have been 23 when Ox’s brilliant first time volleyed through ball sent him racing clear. It was on his right foot but you still expect him to bury that. Instead it rolled wide. Still, plenty of time for him to add to it as he’d get more chances, right? Wrong.cAll the things were did well in the first half, we stopped doing in the second. But before I get to that I want to emphasise the good things I saw from us before the break, and indeed for the past several weeks.
     
    We’re doing things a bit differently at the moment. There are things I’m seeing that seem like they’re new wrinkles in how we play. Firstly, the midfield dynamic has changed. It’s not one six and two eights anymore. It’s two sixes and then the other one (Ox in this game, but usually Hendo) is pushed much higher up. Ste Warnock highlighted this on MOTD and I also read an interesting piece on it last week, on This is Anfield I think. It’s a definite evolution in our play and it’s probably the plan Klopp had when he brought in Thiago.
     
    The other thing that struck me - in the first half especially, but also over recent weeks - is that we really seem to be doing something I’ve been wanting to see us focus on for years. Man City have been doing it to great effect and I always felt like its an area that we should be concentrating on more. You know what I’m talking about. Those overloads out wide, the little triangles to get players to the byline and in areas where they can just drill a low ball in for tap ins. It’s been City’s go to move against packed defences but it’s an area we’ve neglected I think.
     
    Not now. We’re doing it more and more. Whether it’s the Hendo / Mo / Trent axis on the right or just Sadio and Robbo doing their thing on the other side, it looks like this has been a point of emphasis for us and we’re doing it really well. In the first half of this game we were constantly looking to get in those areas and Newcastle were usually at full stretch to stop it. An outstretched boot here, a last ditch header there, it was all very desperate and our football was brilliant.
     
    So at half time I felt that we’d score five or six simply because the longer the game goes and the more tired their players get, those last ditch interventions become harder and harder to pull off. You go from just getting a toe on it to just coming up short and all of a sudden Salah or Mané is getting in. That’s how I thought the second half would play out, but it was nothing like that.
     
    We weren’t doing the things that had us so dominant in the first half and the whole thing just fell flat. The atmosphere was shite in the second half and the performance wasn’t much better. It’s easy to say now that it was never in doubt, but I was not comfortable at all watching this from about 70 minutes on. Just because Newcastle didn’t threaten doesn’t mean they couldn’t have, especially late on when jitters would naturally set in. 
     
    All it takes is one mistake, or one counter attack, or a set-piece, and that ‘comfortable’ 2-1 becomes 2-2 and you’re staring down the kind of unacceptable result that wrecks a title challenge. Because if this season continues to play out as it has so far, there’s not going to be much between us and City and dropping points in a game like this would be a potential season wrecker.
     
    It didn’t happen because of two key incidents involving Trent. One is the goal, obviously, as that made the game completely safe for us and allowed us to enjoy the closing stages without any kind of nerves. The other was the tackle he made on Fraser that had some pundits (Jenas and Cole to name two) claiming Newcastle should have been awarded a penalty.
     
    I don’t get that at all. Yes, it’s very close to being a penalty and if Trent doesn’t play the ball first then it’s a foul. But we’re in ‘aunty with bollocks’ territory here aren’t we? He DOES play the ball so therefore it’s a good tackle and not a pen. They actually tried to make a comparison with the Coufal challenge at Arsenal the night before, which is a total apples v oranges comparison as the incidents are nothing alike.
     
    What I would say though is that if Trent was a fraction later or if he’d missed the ball and caught Fraser, we could so easily have blown this game and it would have been a direct result of that poor second half. I don’t know if it was fatigue or just a case of us dropping off because Newcastle were shite, but this game could have gone pear shaped for us. Don’t get me wrong, it would have been a complete fluke result, but fluke results happen. For example, while this game was going on Chelsea were somehow being held to a draw by the worst Everton starting eleven I’ve ever seen. It can happen if you don’t put shit teams away.
     
    Thankfully we did eventually put them away and spared ourselves the nervous finale. What a way to do it as well. A fucking rocket by Trent. Usually his goals are curlers where he starts it out wide and bends it back in. This one he just twatted and it was really travelling. I initially thought it was Thiago because that’s the area of the pitch I would have expected him to be. Plus the socks rolled down and I probably glimpsed a ‘6’ on the back of the shirt.
     
    It was only when I saw Thiago standing well away from the celebrations I realised it wasn’t him, and for a second or two I couldn’t think who it was. It’s an age thing that. In my younger days I’d have known instantly who it was and if I hadn’t I’d have figured it out a mili-second later.
     
    I thought the changes Klopp made helped us. While it was surprising to see Mo brought off, Jota looked livelier on the right and it was good to have Bobby back out there. The real difference maker was Keita though who seemed to really enjoy himself in the space in front of the Newcastle defence. He carried the ball forward and was always looking to play little slide rule passes through. He looked sharp. Hopefully he stays that way, at least until his next inevitable muscle pull. 
     
    So overall I’m happy enough with the result even though it is a little annoying that we didn’t just go out and smash Newcastle everywhere, especially given how City almost wiped out our goal difference advantage with one hammering of Leeds. We could have done the same to the Geordies, who were ripe for it, but we didn’t. At least we put two more points between us and Chelsea.
     
    I’d be a lot more frustrated about the lack of a hammering if we weren’t in this shitty covid situation, but taking all of that into account I’m just relieved we got the points and that a full house was there to see it.
     
    Who knows, it might be our last game for a while and even if it’s not, will fans still be allowed in? It’s uncertain at the moment so I’m just relieved to get the points because there are bigger things to be worried about.
     
    Star man is Konate who didn’t have loads to do but looked dominant and assured in everything he did. Saint-Maximin had him in some potentially difficult situations but Konate dealt with it with the kind of composure and power we’re used to seeing from Virgil. 
     
    No-one played badly but it was a night when very few performed to their best level. We’ll need to step it up against Spurs on Sunday, assuming it even goes ahead of course. Presumably we won’t have Virgil or Fab back so we just have to hope nobody else comes down with it in the meantime. Proper shit this isn’t it? 
     
    I was actually uneasy about even going to this game because of what happened to me against Atletico. I’m triple jabbed so I’m not worried about me getting sick, but I’d feel terrible if I caught it at the match again and brought it home to my family like last time. I’m being as careful as possible, wearing a mask the whole time I’m inside Anfield, and I feel as though I’d be more likely to get it at the supermarket or for Adrianna to bring it home from school, but it still feels almost wrong to be going the game and I’m really struggling with the decision to go. 
     
    Depending on how this plays out over the next few weeks I might stay away from the next couple of home games. I don’t know yet, but it has to be a consideration. I just don’t want to be responsible for catching it and passing it on again. As I said, proper shit this.
     
     
    Team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Konate, Robertson; Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Keita), Thiago (Milner); Salah (Firmino), Jota, Mané:
  • Loads to get through and I’ve got very little time to do it, so I’m not going to necessarily stick to the order of games and might end up going off on several tangents.
     
    The main theme this week is it’s been a mad week of penalties. So many games were decided by pens and a lot of them were fairly contentious to say the least.
     
    I’ll start at Stamford Bridge last weekend where Chelsea were awarded two pens, including one in stoppage time that gave them the points against Leeds, who were later charged with failing to control their players after they protested the decision. I can’t get on board with that, it feels like rubbing salt in the open wounds. Those players had given everything in a fixture where they were given no chance, only to lose it at the death to a soft pen. What are they meant to do, just shrug their shoulders and say “ah well, win some, lose some”?
     
    Leeds SHOULD be charged, however, for the pitiful showing they put up at the Etihad a few nights after. That was much more unacceptable than anything they did at Stamford Bridge. They’ve now conceded six to United and seven to City. And this is a team/city that sees Manchester as their mortal enemy. They’ve shown zero pride or fight and just allowed themselves to be humiliated. It’s pathetic. Arsenal like even. Just fucking relegate them. Send them back to the Championship where they belong.
     
    In fairness they are literally hamstrung by injuries currently. Phillips is out for a couple of months with a torn hammy and my boy Bamford is out again after doing his while celebrating a goal last week. That’s hard for a thin squad like Leeds to deal with.
     
    They were surprisingly good at Chelsea though. Raphinha put them ahead from the spot after Alonso was adjudged to have fouled James. I didn’t think that was a pen initially and it was only the replay behind the goal that convinced me. I thought Alonso made a block tackle and got the ball because of the weird angle it squirmed out, but he didn’t actually get anywhere near it. Good decision.
     
    Raphinha’s pen wasn’t convincing. He stuttered, waiting for Mendy to dive, but Mendy didn’t dive. He did really well to stay rooted to the spot, but unfortunately he stayed rooted to the spot after the kick was taken and by the time he moved it was too late. Really weird one that. 
     
    Raphinha’s good but he’s got a face I want to slap. I can’t really put my finger on why, but I think it’s the Poundland Richarlison look he has about his grid that I don’t like. Don’t get me wrong, I’d get over it in a hurry if we signed him and I’m not saying his face is anywhere near as bad as Richarlison’s, but there is a similarity there with the permanent look of a smacked arse he has.
     
    Reece James should have been sent off for a high, late challenge on his namesake Dan. He got a yellow, but that looks a stonewall red to me and I can’t believe he got away with it and I can’t believe how little was made of it on MOTD. Chelsea equalised soon after too, just to make it worse.
     
    Not a great goal to give away that one. Mount finished at the near post but it’s such a strange looking goal because when it goes in you’re thinking “where’s the fucking keeper??”. He’s actually stood in the middle of the goal just watching it, doing nothing. His positioning there was schoolboy stuff. He’s shite him though. He makes some amazing saves at times but overall he’s fucking terrible as some of the goals he lets in I genuinely think I’d save, and you won’t find a worse keeper than me.
     
    He let in seven at City and although I’ve only seen one of them (which he was partly culpable for) I’d bet there’s at least three that you can look at and say he should be doing better. He probably made three amazing saves too though.
     
    He was beaten by a Jorginho penalty after Raphinha was adjudged to have fouled Rudiger. It could have gone either way but it looked like a clumsy ‘forward’s tackle’ and I don’t think Leeds can complain that was given, even if on another day it might not have been.
     
    Joe Gelhardt came off the bench and equalised with his first touch. I’m surprised he didn’t put something on his instagram trolling the Reds for letting him go after that one. Maybe he would have if Chelsea hadn’t gone and won it deep into stoppage time with a somewhat questionable pen. On Rudiger again. There wasn’t much in it and Rudiger milked it for all its worth, but Klich did kick him on the foot and VAR definitely can’t overturn that one as there is clear contact.
     
    Jorginho scored again and the closing seconds of the game seemed to be Chelsea players doing all they could to incite a reaction from Leeds. Havertz was doing all he could to provoke trouble and Rudiger was unsurprisingly the first to go steaming in at the first sign of aggro. 
     
    He reminds me of Martin Keown. Proper horrible fucker but you want someone like that on your side. Keown was, without a hint of irony, moralising about Rudiger’s antics and saying he’s too aggressive and needs to be calmer. This is like when Souness is frowning on bad tackles. It’s like they’ve forgotten how they played the game.
     
    Rudiger’s contract is up this summer and there’s talk that Chelsea are going to give him… wait for it…. 400k a week!!! Fuck me, he’s good but he’s not exactly Joel Matip is he? (Yeah that’s right, for get Virg, I’m setting the high bar with my guy Big Bird now). If he’s getting 400k a week then we can forget about getting Mo signed to a new deal. Oil clubs fucking up the market, as per.
     
    Speaking of which, City beat Wolves with a highly dubious penalty. The ref adjudged that the ball struck Moutinho’s arm but the video was inconclusive. You can’t see if it hit his arm or if it was his armpit, and because it isn’t a “clear and obvious error” the decision stood. I don’t think it’s a penalty because if you have to examine it that forensically to see if it hits an arm then it’s not handball is it?
     
    However, why the fuck is Moutinho jumping with his arm raised like that? He was asking for trouble and he got trouble, so while I don’t think it was a pen I still think Moutinho only has himself to blame, because even if that ball didn’t touch his arm that would be through luck rather than anything else. Shit refereeing but if you jump like that then you’re giving these clowns the opportunity to fuck you over.
     
    Wolves had actually dealt with City pretty comfortably, especially in the first half where they hadn’t given up a shot on target. They were up against it after the break though because Jiminez got himself sent off just before the break with the kind of stupidity that I couldn’t cope with if I was a manager.
     
    Honestly, if I’m the Wolves manager then that cunt is on the transfer list now. I don’t care how good he’s been for the club and how popular he is. I’d fuck him off in a heartbeat after that. You can’t condone that shit. It’s one of the worst sending offs I’ve ever seen in terms of selfishness and stupidity. The first booking is for pulling Rodri back by the shirt. I’ve seen plenty saying that’s harsh, but shirt pulling like that is an automatic booking.
     
    Besides, even if it was harsh you can’t then do what Jimenez did. Standing over the free-kick to delay it was bad enough but he might have gotten away with that. Sticking his leg out and blocking the free-kick though. I mean come on, there’s not a referee in the world who isn’t going to produce a second yellow for that because he’s basically just thumbed his nose at the ref and said “what are you going to do about this? Send me off, I dare you”.
     
    Fat Jon Moss did send him off and so he fucking should have. Jimenez applauded the Wolves fans as he left the field and they applauded him back. Why? Why the fuck are you clapping the irresponsible thick cunt? His selfish act has just fucked you over and robbed you of the chance of getting something from the game. As I say, I couldn’t handle being a manager because that kind of thing would cause me to over-react and cut off my nose to spite my face. He’s their best player but if I was his manager he’d be toast. What a fucking knobhead.
     
    So City got the points without looking convincing, but they made up for that in midweek with a result that almost wiped out our nine goal advantage over them in one fell swoop. I switched it on out of curiosity and no word of a lie, within 10 seconds City scored to make it 1-0. I turned it off immediately and haven’t seen anything else from the game. I don’t even know who scored. Should have seen this coming when Guardiola was praising Bielsa in the build up. When he talks about how much he admires a team’s style, that translates to “these are tailor made for us if they play like that”. And so it proved. And of course he then praised them afterwards, with a pat on the head and encouragement to play like that next time too. Such a twat. I hate him.
     
    That first goal was shambolic though. Terrible defending, pathetic goalkeeping and then just what the fuck was Ayling doing trying to clear it on the line? That’s a routine clearance but he looked like he’d never even seen a football before. It looked like when you’re playing in school and the ball goes over to the odd ball kid who never played footy, and he tries to kick it back to you and he’s completely uncoordinated and the ball just slices off him. Complete shite. Fuck Leeds, I hope they go down with Newcastle now the useless pricks.
     
    Speaking of useless pricks, Arsenal bounced back from their embarrassing defeat at Goodison with a predictable 3-0 win at home to Southampton. This is what they do. Lose pitifully away and then beat some shite at home to make their fans think they’re actually not that bad after all. It’s a circle of shit. 
     
    They didn’t do anything prior to kick off to mark the passing of Ray Kennedy. Bit weird that, the fella scored a goal that won them the league AT WHITE HART LANE. Not sure what the fuck that’s all about but a lot of old time Arsenal fans weren’t pleased. Most of these new age fans were too busy looking for cameras outside so they could talk about “Laca” and “Auba”. Wankers.
     
    Speaking of “Auba” though, he was absent from both Arsenal games this week and has had the captaincy taken off him. The fact he was captain to begin with tells you everything you need to know about modern Arsenal. They’re a fucking joke. An embarrassment. And somehow, they’re currently fourth. They won’t stay there but that’s not the point. The rest of the league should be ashamed about that. Not just Spurs and United either. Other teams like West Ham, Leicester, Wolves… they’re all definitely better than Arsenal. 
     
    Southampton were all over them early on but they didn’t score and they paid the price. I always rip Arsenal for that playing out from the back shit because they’re not good at it and it never leads to anything. Well this time it did. A move started with the keeper and ended with Lacazette finishing at the other end. It was a great goal and that will ensure Arteta keeps them doing this ad nauseam no matter how many times it costs them.
     
    Odegaard added a second and then Gabriel headed in a third. Shame on Southampton. Conceding a goal to a “playing out from the back” move and also allowing Arsenal to score from a corner. They deserve to go down just for that. They’re in another relegation battle this year and eventually it’s probably going to catch up with them. Probably not this year but you never know.
     
    Norwich are gonna go. They had a little mini-bounce after Dean Smith came in but they lost at home to United and then Villa and they’re bottom again after briefly leapfrogging Newcastle. They should have beaten the mancs though who were fucking crap. 
     
    Ronaldo got the only goal of the game with a penalty he won with a dive. Never a foul that, you see those in every game and they’re never given. When you have a ref who is star struck though this is what happens. Probably asked for his shirt afterwards too. Norwich had chances but De Gea kept them at bay. 
     
    Brentford beat Watford in a lively Friday night game. Friday night games at Brentford seem like a lot of fun. Sky should do a deal to have Brentford play all their home games on a Friday. Carragher and Neville wouldn’t object as they seem to have a great time whenever they go there. I’m not entirely convinced Brentford are going to have enough to stay up as they’ve been largely unconvincing after a bright start, but they’ve been refreshing and I hope they do survive.
     
    Watford are a strange team though. I think they’ve got enough goals in them to stay up but they aren’t really getting results and this one will sting. They went ahead with a towing header by my boy Dennis. Look how high off the ground he was when he met that ball. Air Dennis.
     
    Norgaard equalised and then Goddos won a penalty in the 96th minute when Okong dived in needlessly and caught him. Mbuemo was as cool as you like with the pen. Between him and my boy Toney (out with Covid currently) they’ve got two lads you’d have no qualms about stepping up if you need someone to keep their cool and convert a spot kick.
     
    Onto Sunday and Newcastle got twatted at Leicester. The 4-0 scoreline doesn’t tell the full story though. The goal that set Leicester on their way was a disgrace really. I honestly don’t know how VAR isn’t telling the ref to overturn that as it’s not a pen in a million years. It’s just a blatant dive by Maddison. 
     
    I fucking hate Newcastle and want them relegated, but that decision still angered me. Tielemans converted the spot kick and Daka made it 2-0 when he finished off a lovely move involving Maddison and Barnes. 
     
    Maddison created the third for Tielemans and he grabbed the fourth himself. He’s in a great spell of form currently but he’s such a cunt I don’t like giving him any credit.
     
    The Blues were embarrassed at Selhurst Park as the dissent against Rafa reached epic proportions. The away end were chanting Fat Spanish Waiter and red and white shite at him after he subbed Richarlison for Rondon. It did seem like the standard “Rafa’s gone crazy” sub that we saw plenty of times, but not for the first time the player he brought on scored. They still lost 3-1 so it doesn’t matter, but the key thing really was that Richarlison was injured and knew before the game he’d be brought off early to protect that.
     
    The fans didn’t know that though and understandably they took their lead from the response of Richarlison to being subbed. He did not give off the vibe of a player that was ok with being brought off and had even more of a slapped arse face than usual. He’s out injured now for weeks so Rafa is completely vindicated there, not that the fans will see it like that. That train left the station a while ago. In fact, it was never in the station to begin with. 
     
    That whole situation is the fault of Richarlison though. He’s injured. He knows he’s injured. Now he can’t play for weeks, but he did all he could to convey a message to the fans that he was fine and didn’t want to come off. He’s done Rafa like a kipper there. He’s the biggest cunt in the league. I hate his fucking face more than I can even describe. 
     
    I’m not one to make excuses for Rafa and I don’t feel sorry for him as he knew what he was getting into, but Everton being shite is not on him. They should judge him when Calvert-Lewin is available, but by the time that fucker comes back Rafa may already be toast. He’s more of an Instagrammer than a footballer these days. All he wants to do is get attention for himself by wearing the weirdest clobber he can find and troll everyone on social media with it. 
     
    If I was a blue I’d fucking hate him. When our lads are out injured they’re posting pictures and videos in the gym assuring the fans they’re fighting hard to be back. This cunt is wearing schoolgirl outfits or dressing like Colonel Gadaffi while hanging out with rappers. It’s not what you want to see if you’re a blue and your team is in the state its in.
     
    Everton are shite, they’re struggling with injuries and they’re in terrible form. Them losing at Palace was not a surprise. Them beating Arsenal is the outlier here, but only if you’re stupid enough to not see through Arsenal.
     
    That Conor Gallagher is boss though isn’t he? He impresses every time I see him and his second goal in this game was a thing of beauty. Stunning strike that. We should be keeping a close eye on him as he looks very much like a Klopp midfielder. Chelsea have got so many players that he probably doesn’t have a future with them so yeah, I hope we’re watching.
     
    Patrick Vieira was asked about Gallagher afterwards and said “He…..” zzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Sorry, didn’t even get past the first word. He’s getting even more dull by the week.
     
    Arsenal beat West Ham in a controversial, snidey game at the Emirates. Both teams were throwing themselves all over the place but it was Arsenal who did it better. Coufal was sent off for two yellows, either of which could easily have gone unpunished on another day. Not saying the decisions were wrong but they were debatable. 
     
    The first one was soft at best. The second yellow saw him concede a penalty even though he won the ball. It was a shite tackle as he should have won that cleanly and there’d have been no debate. Instead he brushes the top of the ball and then caught Lacazette with his follow through. Anthony Taylor gave a pen and he was entitled to.
     
    Fabianski saved the pen but West Ham were a goal down already through Martinelli, and Smith Rowe added a second late on. Amazingly, Moyes didn’t complain about the decisions (he said Coufal should have won the tackle cleanly but instead gave Taylor a decision to make, which is actually spot on) and insisted that his biggest disappointment was that the players didn’t perform better. That’s a first for him. What next, Eddie Howe starting to blame refs? 
     
    *Update: Yep! Moyes and Howe have some Freaky Friday shit going on at the moment.
     
    It’s starting again though isn’t it? Pundits talking Arsenal up and highlighting the promise of the young players, saying they’re good to watch and that they’re building something. When will they ever learn? We were getting this a couple of weeks ago and then they went and threw up all over themselves at Goodison. They’ll get beat at Leeds this weekend. It’s what they do.
     
    Southampton bounced back from losing to Arsenal with a battling draw at Palace. Zaha broke the deadlock after just two minutes. Willy Caballero is in goal for the Saints at the moment and he did his best Brad Jones at Old Trafford “Dodgeball” impression is flinging himself out of the way of Zaha’s shot. Awful that.
     
    Some jabroni named Smallbone had a chance to level but produced a shot that was even worse than his haircut, which I wouldn’t have even thought possible. What do you call that? Did he go into the barbers and ask for “a reverse Friar Tuck”?
     
    Ward-Prowse levelled with a goal everyone saw coming as soon as the free-kick was awarded. It’s as good as a penalty really as he’s that good. Broja lashed one in from 25 yards to stun Palace and put Southampton ahead but it ended all square when Ayew popped up at the back post for his first Palace goal. Only took him 43 games to get it. He’s a striker. That’s so shit it’s actually impressive in its own way.
     
    Patrick Vieira said afterw….. zzzzzzzzz.  Sorry, nodded off as soon as I saw his face.
     
    Brighton lost at home to Wolves. They had a load of players missing including the in form Neil Maupay. They struggle to score goals anyway but if you take their main striker out and put them up against one of the most defensive, miserly teams in the league, then a 1-0 defeat is the most likely outcome and thats what happened.
     
    Saiss got the only goal of the game after a brilliant ball by Neves found him six yards out. They said on commentary Saiss is Moroccan. Did any of you know that? I had absolutely no idea where he was from and just assumed by default that he was Portuguese.
     
    Mwapa should have equalised but put one over from two yards. I’ve got an irrational dislike of him and I think it’s just because he scored that fluke at Anfield and tried to claim he meant it.
     
    Traore put two chances on plates for his fellow forwards late on but they wasted his good approach work. That’s two assists he didn’t get through no fault of his own which feeds the narrative peddled by most of you reading this that all he does is “run really fast”. You know who you are. And I know who you are. God I hope we sign him just so I can be proved right. He’s a unique, special talent who could be amazing in the right environment.
     
    Aston Villa, sorry I mean “Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa” s they are now officially called, won 2-0 at Norwich in the Dean Smith Derby. Jacob Ramsey’s solo effort set them on their way and Watkins wrapped it up later. Norwich had four players out with Covid and Dean Smith said the Premier League wouldn’t even answer their calls about a possible postponement. Should have driven to Manchester and dialled from an 0161 number, they’d have answered it then.
     
    Finally, Rafa eh? Pulled out a draw against all the odds at Chelsea. The most hated man in the stadium as both sets of fans can’t stand him, but he just goes in there not giving a fuck and focusing only on the job at hand. He’s a proper weird bloke in many ways. He doesn’t celebrate goals, he doesn’t seem to take any joy from anything, he works at a club where he’s not wanted but he’s absolutely not arsed about it. He’s some kind of football sociopath.
     
    But he went to a Chelsea with arguably the worst starting eleven Everton have ever fielded in a top flight fixture, and he went home with a point.
     
    Chelsea were hammering them but the goal just wouldn’t come. Mount eventually broke through after 70 minutes but four minutes later Branthwaite stole in at the back post on a set-piece to make it 1-1. Their players celebrated like mad, so did the away end, while Rafa stood there stoney faced glancing at his watch. I don’t get him at all.
     
    Rafa had come out swinging this week basically saying “You’ve been shite for five years, I’ve only been here for five months”. They’ve been shite a lot longer than that and it’s not going to change any time soon. Still, thanks for taking a couple of points off Chelsea, much appreciated.
     
    Chelsea have been off it in recent weeks. They’re missing Kante and Kovacic and although the players who they still have in there (Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek and Mount) are still better than the starters for most teams, you’re going to miss players of that calibre. Still, we all said that Chelsea’s main strength was the depth they have so they should be able to cope better than this.
     
    They haven’t been awful by any means but they aren’t firing on all cylinders and everything seems like a slog for them right now. Last time out they were lucky to beat a Leeds side who conceded seven at City a few days later and then they couldn’t beat an Everton side that was… well just look. I mean fucking hell.
     
    Pickford, Kenny, Godfrey, Holgate, Keane, Branthwaite, Iwobi, Doucoure, Andre Gomes, Gordon, Simms. 
     
    That team got a point at the home of the European Champions. All things considered that might be the best result ANY Everton team has had since they last won a trophy. 
  • Nat Phillips may well have played his last game for the club with the central defender stating that he is open to a move in the January transfer window.
     
    Phillips won a place in the hearts of everyone associated with the club for his composed performances during the 2020/1 season when the team needed him the most due to a catalogue of injuries in the central defence position.
     
    The defender became a cult figure among the fanbase in part due to his love of a clearing header and barely a game would go by without the defender having a bandaged head as a badge of honour from the 90 minute battle.
     

     
    But with Virgil Van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez returning to full fitness, it was clear that Phillips would have to be content with a lesser role for the Reds this season.
     
    Because of this, many assumed that Phillips would move in the Summer with his stock at sky high levels.
     
     However despite links to Brighton, Newcastle and West Ham nothing eventuated.
     
    To this point of the season, Phillips has made three appearances including a stellar outing AC Milan where he got the better of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
     
    Unfortunately in the aftermath of that contest, he was diagnosed with a cracked cheekbone coming courtesy of a head clash when he was going up for one of his trademark headers and the injury will see him on the sidelines until the new year.
     
    As he is beginning to flourish at the senior level, Phillips who recently signed a long term deal until 2025 would like to play more consistently and he admitted to Sky Sports News that a move could be on the cards.
     

     
    “The manager and I agree that the best thing for me is to play as many games as possible. I think you saw last year I developed well.
     
    “I'm going to see what comes along [in January] and go from there. I think at this moment in time it's unlikely that I'll be playing lots of games for Liverpool, so if an opportunity arises where I get the chance to do that somewhere else and it suits everyone then it's certainly something I'd be interested in."
     
    The defender says that the confidence of playing for one of the biggest clubs in world in incredibly challenging and unique circumstances will certainly serve him well for the next step.
     
    “I've had the exposure and experience in the Premier League and the Champions League. So maybe those situations where you're new and nervy, I've gone through that phase.
     
    "I don't need to go through that process if I do go somewhere else. I'll be ready straight away to get involved and play."
     
    Teams in the battle for Premier League survival will certainly be on the lookout for reinforcements next month, but if a move was not to eventuate, Phillips would not get disheartened.
     
    In fact he said training with quality players in the Reds squad is priceless for his own development.
     
    “Not only defenders we have, but the attackers as well. If I'm holding my own in training against the strikers we have then it stands me in good stead.
     
    "I can't complain. The standard in training improves me every day. If it wasn't to happen I would certainly still be living a happy life."
     
     
     
     
  • After last season’s antics, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's comments might sound over-the-top. As far as retaining a title goes, Liverpool didn’t lead by example. As a result, and with Chelsea joining them and Man City at the top of the Premier League table, few people fancied the Reds this year.  
     
    So, to say the squad is better than the one that ended the city’s long wait in 2020 is a huge statement. Whether or not it's true is hard to quantify, at least at this point. But is Oxlade-Chamberlain onto something with his view on Liverpool’s campaign?  
     
    The Bookies & Pundits Don’t Think So  
     
    Concerning the football community, it doesn’t appear as if it has the same faith in Jurgen Klopp’s men as Oxlade-Chamberlain does. A sure-fire sign is the odds for this season, which, as this football betting website highlights, aren’t as healthy as they were in 2019/20 when Liverpool won the trophy. 11/4 is good compared to the beginning of the season, but City are still way out in front at 8/13 currently.  
     
    Two campaigns ago, it was a different matter. Yes, Pep Guardiola built a side that was considered favourites because of its quality and strength of depth. However, the bookies had more confidence in the Reds, expecting them to push the Citizens all the way. Due to this, Liverpool were closer to evens, and certainly not as long as 4/1.  
     
    Technically, you might point out that the bookies were wrong in 2020 and could be wrong again in 2022. Judging by the way City have dealt with tougher fixtures so far, and the fact they are top of the league, lightning doesn’t seem likely to strike twice.  
     
     
     
    Mentality Giants  
     
    Those were the infamous words Klopp used after his men fought back to beat Barcelona in the Champions League, with Divock Origi’s goal settling the tie. From there, they added the Premier League to the club’s trophy cabinet, and everything looked rosy. Until last season. Still, it’s how teams bounce back that count and Liverpool are seemingly stronger with every challenge they face.  
     
    People will point to the shed load of goals the side has scored in 2021, particularly the 5-0 thrashing of Manchester United at Old Trafford. Yet, some of the most impressive performances have been scrappy matches the squad has managed to overcome. For instance, the boys came from behind against AC Milan in the Champions League to maintain their perfect start to Group B.   
     
    In the league, Origi the super-sub bagged in the last ten minutes against Wolves to claim all three points. Then there are the moments of genius from Mo Salah, as the goal against Man City that essentially prevented their opponents from winning at Anfield. Oxlade-Chamberlain says the squad is stronger mentally after last season, and he’s hard to argue with so far.  
     
     
     
    A Better-Balanced Midfield  
     
    Even when Klopp’s Liverpool was at its best, there were questions about the midfield. Was it good enough to win titles? The answer was yes, but if there is a weak spot, it is the lack of a cultured midfielder who can open defences. At least, it was until Thiago Alcantara stepped up to the plate.  
     
    Many doubted his performances in his first season, yet he’s been immense up until Christmas. Nothing reflects this better than the progressive passes stats as Thiago is responsible for 21.1% of Liverpool's progressive passes on a per-90 basis, which is the seventh-best in the league. No other Liverpool midfielder gets close to the figure, making Thiago the key to getting the ball into the strikers’ feet as quickly as possible.  
     
    Plus, with Fabinho back in his favoured position screening the defence, and Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and Jordan Henderson playing further forward, the midfield carries more of an attacking threat of losing its structural integrity.  
     
    Is this Liverpool side better than the title-winning one? Probably not. But don’t be surprised if they run Europe’s top clubs close in the league and the Champions League.
  • Football betting is by far the most popular sports betting in the world. Millions of football fans love to bet on their favourite soccer teams. The following article is all about successful soccer betting tips and how gamblers can utilize some amazing sports betting tricks to increase their chances of winning bets online.
     
    But we want to be clear on one thing: Unfortunately, there are no guarantees that you will win. Even professional betting tips cannot automatically make you a winner. But if you follow our soccer betting tips, we’re sure that it will help you massively in winning your next bet.
     
    Tip #1: Bet with a Reputed Betting Provider
     
    Choosing the right online bookmaker is crucial, after all, bettors want to feel safe and secure from day one and not have to worry about prematurely cancelled betting slips or even problems with withdrawals at any time. Especially if you are a beginner, signing up with a trusted betting provider is essential.
     
    Serious soccer betting sites are not characterized by a high bonus and must be able to offer their new customers a high starting amount. Not every sports betting provider can present its customers with a wide-ranging portfolio of soccer bets, especially in the area of professional and amateur soccer. InfoStriker is one of the best sites in Nigeria which compares the best online bookmakers in detailed reviews. You can also explore InfoStriker to check out the latest football score and odds. 
     
    Tip #2: Build up Expertise and Understand Betting Markets and Odds
     
    Without diligence and the necessary expertise, unfortunately there will be nothing to be gained in football betting. Therefore, it is extremely important that bettors not only choose the right betting provider with the right bets, but also broaden their expertise. Thanks to various tools available, this is now child's play and should be achievable within a few minutes of research. Not only is the amount of bare data on the Internet about Soccer almost too much for the average person, but there are also many sites, forums and podcasts that deal with the matter, individual teams and leagues in great detail.
     
    Other than researching individual bets, successful gamblers should also be able to identify any trends in advance. This becomes easier when you have sufficient game knowledge and stay up-to-date with the recent team news or a headline in the local media. You can figure out how it will develop on the odds in the future game or event.
     
    Tip #3: Practice Smart Money Management
     
    When the research starts to bear fruit and the first sports bet is won, the first winnings will naturally start to accumulate. This is a crucial point that separates successful sports bettors from unsuccessful ones. While some bettors are careless with their first winnings and immediately strive for the next possible profit, successful gamblers are anxious to build up reserves and be able to make withdrawals. 
     
    This is where bankroll management comes into play. A smart funds management is not only a high starting amount that a bettor brings for his sports bets, but also the reserves that have been built up over weeks and months. Financial goals should be set and adhered to. If a certain amount is won, it should be secured and not casually reinvested. Making withdrawals symbolizes securing the gains and a fresh start that allows new strategies to be made and in turn new financial goals to be set. The urge for more money must be decisively restrained here.
     
    Tip #4: Make long term Profits and do not focus only on Bonus Offers
     
    Gambling on sports does not mean making short-term profits. If bettors approach the matter with this mind-set, sooner or later, this will end in a financial fiasco. The focus is on long-term profits, regardless of whether these can be achieved through draw tips or other strategies. Therefore, it is not worth jumping from one bonus offer to the next once you have found the ideal betting provider. 
     
    Constantly making sports bets under the time pressure of various turnover requirements is not healthy and without a doubt will lead to mistakes that definitely could be avoided. If you win a good amount of money on a platform, then you should stick with that betting site instead of searching for another one. 
     
    Tip #5: Use different types of bets and new features 
     
    Over time, it is not easy to maintain excitement, which is why it is important for bettors to stay up to date and follow the latest trends in the betting market. This applies not only to different bet types, which are essential to know, but also to all new betting features. 
     
    Especially the betting type is one of the topics which is discussed intensely among sports bettors. Of course, a safe bet should minimize as many probabilities of loss as possible, which is why single bets are a good choice, but potential winnings should also be achievable.
     
    This applies especially to games in which there is a clear favourite. The odds can drop so low that classic single bets on a win are hardly profitable. The respective bet types must also be understood. As with functions such as cashout, all the little tricks should be understood and figure out how the various types of bets can be combined and profitably exploited.
     
    Conclusion
     
    While there are no tips and tricks for football betting that can guarantee a sure win, there are still many useful tricks that can significantly increases the chances of winning a bet. At a time when a lot of data on players, the teams or even the referees is collected and can be researched for free on the Internet, it is valuable to rather invest five to ten minutes longer in a detailed analysis on the upcoming game instead of blindly running after the next best sports betting bonus. 
  • Yep, that’ll do. The only thing I’m relatively unhappy about is that the scoreline makes this seem close. It really wasn’t, or at least it shouldn’t have been. We played really well and absolutely dominated Villa but we didn’t convert that into goals and because of that the last 15 minutes became a bit mental. We should have been out of sight by then though.
     
    This is close to a 1-0 hammering as you’ll ever see. It was close because we didn’t convert our dominance into goals and because the referee was pitiful and missed two clear penalties in the first half. Granted, he hasn’t been helped out by whichever dickhead was on VAR either, but Stuart Atwel did his level best to ruin this game.
     
    On top of that, Villa were fucking horrible. It felt like we were playing Atletico Madrid. Time wasting, shithousing, playacting, surrounding the ref, it was fucking grim. It’s ironic really. When Stevie became a manager he spoke of how he’d take bits he’d learned from all the great managers he played for and implement them into his own style. And it turns out that the manager who influenced his ‘style’ the most is the one he nearly played for. Twice.
     
    I didn’t like how Villa approached the game but the bigger problem was the useless cunt with the whistle who did absolutely nothing to stop it. Teams like Villa (and by that I mean 80% of the league) will do that shit if they’re allowed to because the less time the ball is in play the less time we have to put it in their net. 
     
    Gerrard had clearly instructed his players to take the piss as much as possible, and the inclusion of Ashley Young as one of their front three was all the proof I need. Young in a front three? What is this, 2014? In fairness he was too busy refereeing the game to pose any threat to our defence. But while Villa’s tactics did nothing to improve the spectacle, Gerrard is entitled to set up his team however he likes and the real issue is the referee doing nothing to stop it.
     
    Atwell is one pathetic fucking weasel. His performance was an absolute disgrace. He got so many decisions wrong but the worst thing was how weak he was with Villa’s gamesmanship.
     
    The keeper was taking an age over every goal kick in the first half and Atwell did nothing. Our players were telling him, the crowd were going mad about it, but he did fuck all. Eventually, early in the second half, it looked like he would finally produce a yellow card for the keeper. But he didn’t. Instead, he delayed the game about 30 seconds while he made his way back to the keeper to give him a jolly good telling off. No card, just a lecture that wasted even more time than the keeper himself could have done.
     
    Incredible. When Villa made a sub the lad walked off and stopped along the way to get a big hug from Ashley Young. What did Atwell do? Nothing. Absolutely fuck all. When we had the lead and subbed Thiago though, he made a point of escorting him off and telling him to hurry up. And when Sadio was subbed he wouldn’t even let him leave the field in the normal way! He forced him to go off at the nearest point and then walk all the way around the side of the pitch. Which I’m fine with normally, but it sticks in the throat when he didn’t give a fuck about time wasting until it was Villa’s time that was being wasted.
     
    The worst thing about Atwell’s display though was how he allowed Villa’s players to try and disrupt the taking of the penalty. The keeper did it initially but that wasn’t too bad. Nothing you don’t normally see really. But after that was sorted and literally everyone else on the pitch was ready for the penalty. Mings just walked over and stood over the ball. And Atwell did nothing. 
     
    In the end Hendo had to go over and try to drag him away, but Mings still didn’t budge. And again, Atwell did fuck all. That’s as clear a yellow card as you’ll ever see, as you just can’t do what Mings did. Atwell did nothing though, the spineless little fucking turd.
     
    I’ll get to the penalty in due course though. I’ll start with the line up Klopp went with. 10 of that side pick themselves but with Jota not fully fit and Divock rules out, Klopp elected to go with Ox as the nine ahead of Minamino. I was a little surprised by that as Taki looked like he was being groomed as a natural understudy for Bobby’s role.
     
    I said on the pod earlier in the season that there are certain situations where I would be fine with Ox playing the false nine. Specifically away games when there’s space to run and counter attack. Not, however, a home game against a blanket defence. Taki seemed like a more obvious choice for this type of game but maybe Klopp just wanted to get Ox in the side somewhere because he’s been playing well of late.
     
    It didn’t work though. For me, Ox didn’t do anything wrong especially. It’s not that he had a bad game, because he didn’t. He just made very little impact but that’s because it isn’t his position.
     
    The difference between him and Jota (and Taki for that matter) is that when we have the ball Ox comes short or he hangs back wanting a cut back, whereas Jota (and Taki) will run in behind and when we reach the byline he’s looking for tap ins. That just isn’t Ox’s game.
     
    It didn’t impact on our build up and general play, with or without the ball (the pressing was brilliant all day), but we had less of a cutting edge because of the lack of a number nine. I actually thought we played really well though and on another day we’d have given them the battering their shithousery deserved. 
     
    Sadio and Robbo were great down the left and between them they seemed to be able to get to the byline to cut it back whenever they wanted. Somehow we were never able to get on the end of the cut backs and it was incredibly frustrating. That’s where Jota would have been filling his boots.
     
    Our pressing was relentless and Villa couldn’t keep the ball and stem the flow of attacks. I thought we were good in the first half but then there was a 15 minute spell at the beginning of the second when we really ramped it up and we were fucking brilliant. We had them penned in and it was wave after wave of attacks. Somehow we didn’t score but eventually the pressure told and we got the penalty. 
     
    On first view it looked like a stonewall pen to me. I’ve got a decent view from my seat and I’d have been shocked if that hadn’t been given. I didn’t think VAR would overturn it either simply based on the reaction of Mings. Other players were complaining but he just put his head down and walked away. That told me he knew it was a pen.
     
    So it was surprising to hear Gerrard’s take on it afterwards. I had a look on twitter when I got home as I wanted to see if I could find a clip of it. I did, but having searched “Salah Mings” I was also subjected to all manner of bollocks being spouted by Villa fans. No surprise there, the fucking bad weapons. Before the game some of them were walking in front of the Kop singing their new Gerrard song.
     
    Oh yes, that’s right. After years of singing that Demba Ba shite they suddenly love Stevie now. “Steve Gerrard Gerrard, he loves it at Villa Park, he says that the City’s ours, Steve Gerrard Gerrard”. Lame as fuck, just as you’d expect from these pricks. 
     
    Anyway, I eventually found a clip and it is a pen and Gerrard’s take that “Salah fouled Mings first” is bollocks. What actually happens is Mo is going round him and Mings knows he’s in trouble, so he puts his arm out and across the chest of Mo. Not enough for a pen but outside the box you’d concede a foul for that.
     
    So he’s putting his arm across Mo, and Mo is fighting to get in front of him and puts his leg across him. There’s a coming together, but Mo now has the step on him and Mings stumbles and brings him down. Not the most stonewall pen you’ll see but it is a clear pen for me.
     
    We actually had three penalty shouts and that was maybe the weakest of all three. I can’t believe VAR didn’t tell Atwell to have a look at the other two. Sadio was dragged back by the shoulder and Robbo is clearly kicked on the shin. The Robbo one you can argue he wasn’t going to reach the ball anyway, but that one on Mané is blatant. Disgraceful they didn’t ask him to take a look, because in Atwell’s defence he probably can’t see the hand on the shoulder from his angle.
     
    Gerrard was also complaining about one they didn’t get, but there are two reasons he’s wrong on that one. Firstly, while to naked eye it does look like Alisson fouls Ings, you can see on the replay he gets the ball so therefore it’s not a pen. Secondly, Ings shoves Matip in the back which is why Alisson’s clearance hits him. So if anything it’s a free-kick to us.
     
    Anyway, Mo won a penalty and we then had all the gamesmanship bollocks as they tried to put Mo off, but as usual it didn’t work. The keeper was bouncing around on his line (fair enough) and also pointing to his right to suggest he knew where the pen was going (again, fair enough). It was all bluffing and second guessing and he didn’t even dive that way. He dived to his left. Which was where Mo put his kick.
     
    That pen needed to be perfect to go in and it was. Right in the corner and just away from the keeper’s reach. It would have been boss if Mo had then pointed to that corner to celebrate but that’s just not how he rolls is it? He didn’t even taunt the Blueshite after they tried to assault him.
     
    I still can’t believe Atwell let Mings do what he did though. It’s just rank incompetence and he’s such a fucking jellyfish. Refs need to have some authority. They don’t need to be officious little pricks like Mike Dean, but you have to let the players know you’re in charge and you aren’t going to let them run the show. Atwell letting Mings do that is shameful. He should be embarrassed.
     
    Anyway, 1-0 and assive relief all around the stadium, but I definitely didn’t think it was over. I was worried actually, because our intensity had been relentless in the second half and I felt we needed to keep that up and stay on the front foot. But my fear was that we’d sit off and protect the lead. Do we stick or twist?
     
    As it turned out, we didn’t really do either. We got caught in between wanting to attack and thinking we should defend and the last 10-15 minutes were a mess. Villa suddenly didn’t want to time waste anymore and actually sent players over the half way line. They posed a threat without creating anything clear cut, but all we had to do was put one counter attack together and we’d kill them.
     
    The chances were there to do it and twice we had three against one situations. Both times Mo fucked them up. The first was when Sadio led the charge through the middle and had Jota to his left and Mo to his right. Understandably he elected to play it to Mo but the defender was back in position and the shot wasn’t on. Normally you’d expect Mo to cut back onto his left and score, but he unselfishly tried to squad it through the legs of the defender and they cleared it.
     
    The second time he tried to play Jota in but just slightly overhit the pass and forced him wide. We had a third opportunity as well when Hendo did brilliantly to set Mo clear. He went himself, messed it up and then Jota blasted the loose ball over the bar. That’s two games in a row now where we haven’t been clinical but it’s two games that we won regardless, so that’s a good thing. 
     
    The Ings penalty appeal incident set nerves jangling around the stadium and it highlighted just how unsettled Alisson had been all day. He was uncharacteristically hesitant and had two jittery moments in the first half. The first was when he slipped when coming out to deal with a routine through ball. The slip almost allowed Young to get in but Matip (I think) dealt with it.
     
    Then there was another weird one when Trent was shepherding a ball back and wanting Alisson to come and pick it up. Usually he’s all over that shit, but again he hesitated. He had virtually nothing to do all day, thankfully, but then he’s smashing a clearance straight into Matip (who had been fouled) and all hell is breaking loose. Anything could have happened there but it came out of nothing and it’s all because Alisson just wasn’t himself. 
     
    Still, if he’s going to throw in a game like this, better it comes when we keep a clean sheet and win. He’s saved us enough times so if his team-mates can bail him out once in a while then it’s all good.
     
    It’s mad that the top three all won with penalties and it’s given the mid-lower table loonies further fuel to their “Premier League favouring the big clubs” conspiracy theories. There was a shocking penalty awarded to Leicester against Newcastle on Sunday. What’s the Premier League’s angle on that one?
     
    *checks twitter*
     
    Right, ok. That’s part of a vendetta the PL have against Newcastle because of the takeover and they’ll stop at nothing until the Geordies are relegated. I love a good ref conspiracy theory as much as the next man, but there’s nothing untoward going on here, it’s just that some of them are not very good and they make mistakes.
     
    Atwell could have given us three penalties if his brief was to help us out. Still, let Stevie have his little moan and let the Villa fans lap it up. I don’t give a fuck, none of it is our concern. I know a lot of Reds were disappointed with Gerrard’s tactics and some were even disappointed at the lack of enthusiasm from him when his name was chanted.
     
    Get over it. He’s Aston Villa’s manager and his loyalty is to them now. He acknowledged the reception he got from the Kop but he made sure most of his attention was directed towards the knobheads in the away end, as it should be. They pay his wages, he works for them and the only thing that should be on his mind is making them successful
     
    This wasn’t an audition for the Liverpool job and his tactics are irrelevant to how he will be in the future when he has a better team with better players. He might turn out to be Mourinho MkII for all I know but this particular game doesn’t give us any indication of what he’ll be like.
     
    I’m bored of the whole “future Liverpool manager” narrative anyway. It was a distraction all week and it leaves me cold. I’ll always love Stevie the player and Stevie the person. To me he’s our greatest ever player. Stevie the Villa manager means nothing to me though. I can’t want Villa to be successful because I just don’t like the fuckers. Even if my Dad was managing them I still wouldn’t want them to do well. 
     
    I think part of my disinterest in Gerrard’s managerial career and my resistance to the idea of him one day being our manager stems from the fact I just don’t want to entertain any notion of Klopp not being here. I know it will happen one day but I’m not going to sour my enjoyment of what we have now by worrying about what happens when he leaves. The thought terrifies me to be honest. 
     
    I just want to savour every moment we have with Klopp and this team because even on days like this, when it’s scrappy and a game that won’t live long in the memory, some of the football played is still just fucking sensational. As much as I want the title for us, the fans, I think I want it more for Klopp and the team, because they were denied the parade last time. They deserve that parade and let’s hope they’ll have it next summer.
     
    Star man is Big Bird but I thought Sadio had his best game in a while and Robbo was great too. Newcastle next and I really hope the ruthlessness in front of goal returns for that one as I’d dearly love to fucking royally stuff the cunts, as other than Everton, they’re the only set of fans who are worse than Villa.
     
    Come on Reds, put ten past these fucking wankers.
     
     
    Team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Thiago (Milner); Salah, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Jota), Mané:
     
     
     
  • A hard fought but thoroughly well earned win at Anfield as the Reds ensured Steven Gerrard's much hyped homecoming wasn't a successful one.
     
    Mo Salah won and converted a penalty to settle the contest but it was a decision that didn't best please Gerrard who also felt aggrieved at Villa being denied a spot kick of their own late on. Did he have a case?
     
    TLW Editor Dave Usher is joined by Paul Natton and John Gallagher to discuss Gerrard's complaints, some fine individual performances from men in Red, a horrific refereeing display and much more.
     
     
  • Monday Dec 6:
     
    I watched the Blues tonight. I usually wouldn’t bother but I was curious to see what would happen with the “walk out” on 27 minutes. I didn’t think many would bother but I needed to see it. As it turned out, less people walked out than did on 20 minutes the other night. They can’t even do protests properly.
     
    It was shaping up to be another evening of epic comedy too as Arsenal went ahead and Richarlison twice thought he’d scored only for VAR to twice deny him. It was all going so well, but then Arsenal went the full Arsenal. They’re a fucking disgrace. I hate them, even though I shouldn’t really be arsed. I can’t help it, they’re so fucking shit it just offends me.
     
    My dad on the other hand, wasn’t having any of my Arsenal shaming. His ire was 100% on “that dirty shower of bastards”. I mentioned last week how he said we shouldn’t have gone out for the 2nd half of the derby because Everton were so dirty and the ref didn’t protect our lads. He rang me at half time tonight using the first half as further proof of why managers should take his advice and refuse to play if Everton are overly physical. He said Arsenal shouldn’t go out for the second half because their lad could have lost an eye when Godfrey stood on his face.
     
    I mean, I can’t say I’m completely with him as he’s overstating things massively, but he’s not totally wrong about them being dirty bastards is he? That Godfrey could have had at least two red cards tonight, possibly even three (they didn’t show a replay of one potentially iffy challenge he put in early doors because the Arsenal lad got up immediately and did him a favour). That Gordon kid was a bit lucky to get away with one too. 
     
    None of this justifies how fucking meek and shit Arsenal are. Who’s the biggest fraud in the Premier League? It’s a toss up between Arteta and Aubamayeng I think. Arteta is somehow pulling the wool over the eyes of Arsenal fans and convincing them they’re building something when they clearly aren’t. He’s hiding behind the ‘youth’ of his team and somehow he’s getting away with it. Their fans should have seen through him by now but they haven’t. Arsenal are as shit as they’ve ever been and they disgust me.
     
    Meanwhile, our lads are in Milan and there have been quotes from Mo and Klopp about his contract. Mo basically re-iterated how happy he is and how much he wants to sign a new deal, but that the club have to sort that out and there’s nothing he can do. Klopp on the other hand, usually just refuses to discuss it point blank but today he did say a little bit. 
     
    "We are talking. Extending a contract with a player like Mo is not a thing you do over a cup of tea in the afternoon and find an agreement.
     
    "This is completely normal. There's really nothing else to say. Mo speaks about it when he gets asked about it. I can say only a few things because the rest is not for the public. Mo is fine, I'm fine. What we all want is clear and things like this take time. That's it."
     
    I think I’m a little bit encouraged by that, but I’m not sure.
     
    Tuesday Dec 7:
     
    Milan 1 L 2. That was great wasn’t it? For a game that I didn’t care about beforehand, it’s mad how much I enjoyed it. I was buzzing afterwards as we rested eight first choice players and beat the Italian league leaders in the San Siro. 
     
    These are genuinely halcyon days. We went to the San Siro and beat Milan with Phillips, Williams and Morton in the starting line up and it wasn’t even lucky. We absolutely bossed the game. Those three were all class but Konate was the best player on the pitch. Really dominant from him.
     
    Mo was class, as you’d expect. 20 goals for the season already and we’re barely in December. And who got the winner? Divock of course. Something else to add to his roll of honour. This was his first CL goal since the final. He just doesn’t bother unless it means something.
     
    That Milan midfielder who Nat sent for the Echo (how cool was that by the way? One of the best things ever). We’ve been linked with him as I think he’s out of contract next summer. I thought he was shite and there’s no point signing him as he’d be about 10th in line for a spot in our midfield.
     
    Nice to see Zlatan hasn’t lost it even at 40 years of age. Still as shite and anonymous as ever other time I’ve seen him play. Steaming pile of Zlatan.
     
    Wednesday Dec 8:
     
    “Nat Phillips is not a Premier League centre-half,” Agbonlahor told Football Insider . “I’ve watched a bit of him now at Liverpool and he’s not good enough. For me, he’s a Championship player at best, he’s not good enough for the Premier League, especially at the top end.”
     
    You take his name out of your cunt mouth. How dare he!!! West Ham don’t agree as they’ve targeted big Nat for January according to multiple reports. I’m not going to like wherever he ends up as basically I hate everyone, but if he ends up at West Ham I think that’s a good move for him as they’re going well. I just want him to have the best career he can, the big fucking hero.
     
    Similarly, Chris Sutton is talking about Divock. You want to play. I’m not saying he could go to Chelsea, I’m not saying he could go to an Arsenal. An Aston Villa, a Norwich City, where he would play regularly. A team like that where he could play week in, week out.”
     
    First of all, Origi is waaaaaaay too good for Arsenal. He’s a winner. Why would he associate himself with the stench of losing you get when you put that Arsenal shirt on. And Norwich??? As if you’re giving up what Origi has to go there.
     
    I’ve done a massive u-turn on this since the summer. I felt that at 26 he really shouldn’t be wasting his career with us because he’d hardly done anything for 18 months. But then I look at the way he’s started this season and how engaged he’s looked, and I think why the fuck wouldn’t he want to stay here? Sure, he won’t start too often but as long as he’s involved enough to feel like a part of things then that’s way more satisfying than playing every week for some mid-table jabronis.
     
    Speaking of which, across the park Rafa has fallen out with Digne now. This comes after he’s seen off the Director of Football and the head of Sports Science. Who could possibly have foreseen this? It’s so not like Rafa to go in somewhere and cause complete fucking murder and fall out with everyone.
     
    Digne does seem like a bellend and I can’t imagine it would be too difficult falling out with him, but there are no prizes for guessing who their fans will side with. 
     
    We now know who we can get in the last 16. My preference would be Sporting or Salzburg. Wouldn’t mind Benfica either. I want the easiest possible game, but my gut feeling is we get PSG. I’d expect us to beat them handily as we’re a team and they’re a bunch of individuals, but some of those individuals are incredible so there’s always a danger with them.
     
    If we get them then so be it. It’ll be nice to spank Messi’s arse again and maybe we can do some tapping up of Mbappe while he’s here. Mind you, given Divock’s resurgence he probably wouldn’t be up for coming here now and being behind the legend in the pecking order.
     
    Speaking of the last 16 though, I really hope City or United end up facing Simeone’s horrible lot. It’ll be nice to root for my boy Luis again.
     
    Meanwhile, mark this down as it’s a first for me. I’ve never said this before but I agree with Trevor Sinclair, who said. “I think Liverpool and Man City is the biggest rivalry in English football. I know it doesn’t have the history of Liverpool v United but over the past 5 years they have been the biggest rivals.”
     
    United might be the bigger fixture because of the historical aspect of it, but the most important fixture every season now is when we play City. Basically since Klopp made us good this has been the rivalry that matters. City will never truly be classed as Liverpool’s biggest rivals but they are for the time being. No doubt about it. That’s the game I’m most up for and you can tell it’s the same for the players.
     
    Thursday Dec 9:
     
    So they reckon Gini is going to be available on loan in January. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I wouldn’t be interested. Don’t get me wrong, if Klopp went ahead and brought him back you’d hear no objection from me, but if it were my decision I wouldn’t do it. 
     
    Why? Well firstly, we have our injured players back now (or will have very soon) so we aren’t desperate. Would Gini be useful? Yeah, of course. But do we want him taking minutes away from others when he’s only a temporary solution? No.
     
    Gini coming back takes opportunities away from Ox, Milner, Naby (don’t laugh), Curtis, Harvey and even Tyler Morton. 
     
    There’s talk that Arsenal want him. If I’m Gini I’d rather sit on my arse picking up my wage in Paris until the end of my contract than go and play for those losers. Imagine if he ends up there though. What better bargaining tool for the club when it comes to new contracts. 
     
    “Oh you think you can leave and thrive somewhere else? Go and ask Phil and Gini how that worked out for them.” If Gini ends up at Arsenal I’m probably going to Mo’s agent with a contract that’s the same as he’s on now.
     
    Friday Dec 10:
     
    Klopp opened his presser with a joke about refusing to talk about Stevie. He was joking, but he probably wishes he could have avoided it. I know I do. I love Stevie, always will, but I’m already bored with him being at Villa and all the “he’s a certainty to be future Liverpool manager” talk.
     
    Klopp even said it today, but what else is he going to say? He’s not going to disrespect Stevie or cause any unnecessary headlines, but I’m sure he doesn’t believe this narrative about how it’s Gerrard’s destiny to manage us one day. It might happen, but if it does it’s a long way off.
     
    I don’t have it in me to wish him well because I don’t want Villa fans having anything to feel good about and I don’t want this “future Liverpool manager” thing rammed down our throats any more than it already is.
     
    Meanwhile, turns out Nat broke his cheekbone in that clash he had with Zlatan the other night. He still finished the game and conducted his post-match interview like, because that’s how he rolls. I watched the “Inside Milan” video the club released today and as Nat comes off the pitch he’s greeted by Robbo yelling “WHAT A PLAYER! WELL DONE BIG MAN!” The most Robbo thing ever. He’s right though.
     
    I also watched a video with Konate today where he’s playing FIFA and generally just shooting the breeze. He seems like a big personality and his English is better than I expected. Won’t be long before LFCTV get him doing some fun videos. I think we need to see more of Kostas too as all the other players are always mentioning him and how mad he is.
     
    That video this week with Alisson setting up the meeting for the girl who had leukaemia and the lad who donated his bone marrow to save her life, fucking hell that was a tear jerker. Alisson is such a lovely fella. Just a genuinely good person. Can’t believe some Everton twat tried to chin him last week.
     
     
    ….and that was the week that was.
     
  • Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain believes that this current Liverpool squad is in the best shape it has ever been in.
     
    When you consider what the Reds have achieved over the past few seasons, it is a rather revealing insight into the confidence level of this current squad along with the benefit of being together for a long time.
     
    Oxlade-Chamberlain is evidence of a player who has ridden the rollercoaster between personal heartbreak due to long term injury, and then working his way back and finding confidence in his game and body again.
     
    The Mirror (per the Official site) reported the midfielder as saying:
     
    “I think the team is in the best shape it's (ever) been. I think we're a better team than we have been (up to) this point in time.
     
    “And I think that comes with playing together for years, having moments of success, understanding what we needed to do to get that, the levels we had to set and how relentless we had to be to achieve those things.
     
    “I think that just stands us in good stead every game going forward.”
     

     
    Liverpool just like any team depends on their key core group, but Oxlade-Chamberlain said the game against AC Milan proved the depth at Jurgen Klopp’s disposal and the faith he has in them.
     
    “We can be proud of the fact that the whole squad is important and the whole squad is moving forward and developing together because that is crucial.
     
    “We've had moments where we've had a lot of injuries and players need to step up and fill the shoes of some really top players that play a lot of football for this club.
     
    “So moments like (Milan) where young lads come in and prove their worth, and all of us as a group continue the high standards and get a result, I think that shows the team is in a good place.”
     
    But Oxlade Chamberlain stated that one strong performance is certainly not enough to keep your place in the starting lineup as you have to display a consistent level of excellence.
     
    “The lads that play regularly, they set the standards high, all of us in training set the standards high.
     
    "And if you want to be part of this team and this football club, you've got to have that between your teeth and the desire to work hard, show what you can do, take your chances when they come. And they have done that so well.”
     
     
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