Jump to content

Articles

Manage articles
  • tlw content
    Monday May 16:  
     
    Just when I thought I couldn’t love him any more than I already do, Klopp has gone and upset that fat, marshmallow headed cunt who is running the country into the ground. What a fucking man. In fairness he didn’t really say anything that should have justified Downing Street sticking their fucking oar in. He just refused to condemn the booing of the national anthem and said the real question that people should be asking is why is it happening because “our people don’t do things for no reason”. 
     
    Next thing, within an hour there’s a statement coming out and the tory media are putting out headlines like “Boris Johnson slaps down Jurgen Klopp”. Yeah I’d like to see the fat bubbling cunt try. Klopp would make mincemeat out of him in whatever setting you like. Physically or in a debate, Klopp would ruin the cunt. I really hope he does, but Johnson isn’t stupid enough to directly say anything to Kloppo.
     
    Meanwhile, “You never know when it’s going to be your last. You go into the dressing room after the game and all of the lads are straight on their phones. I’m saying: ‘You’ve won the FA Cup - get off your phone!’” Peak Milner. What a man. He’s right too. It bothers me when you see the dressing room celebrations and players are sat there on their phones. I get it to some extent. Naby was FaceTiming his family on Saturday, which is completely understandable. Don’t be on social media though, for fucks sake. Not until later when you can post up all the videos you’ve taken so the likes of me can waste away hours just soaking everything in.
     
    Meanwhile, Arsenal lost at Newcastle tonight. They’ll lose to Everton on Sunday too, the shit spineless fucking cowards. Not even Spurs can fuck that up now though. They only have to beat Norwich to be sure of 4th. So this is what should happen as soon as Arsenal’s fate is sealed. Julian Ward needs to fire over a bid of £40m plus a quid to activate Saka’s release clause. John W Henry should post a pic of him smoking a cigar. Then we should sign Saka and immediately loan him to Spurs. Fuck you Arsenal.
     
    *disclaimer - if they send Everton down I will take back all of the above and will happily let them keep Saka.
     
    Tuesday May 17:  
     
    Southampton 1 L 2. What a bunch of lads. We had to leave out virtually the whole team but the rest of the squad just went out there and kept the juggernaut rolling. I’m sure there are people who are fed up listening to Klopp and Hendo talking about how it isn’t about the team, it’s about the squad and that everyone is important. They constantly reference how the team couldn’t perform to such a high level without the back up players pushing them so hard in training every day. Klopp has often said that when we do 11 v 11 in training, the coaching staff and analysts always say “thank God we don’t have to play against them this weekend”.
     
    A lot of people - mostly outsiders - won’t get that and will think he’s just blowing smoke up the arse of players like Minamino, Gomez, Jones, Kostas, Elliott, Rhys Williams, Divock etc but tonight we saw exactly what he means. Nine changes, all of the star names missing and we won relatively easily. 2-1 makes it sound like a contest but really it was complete dominance and their goal should never have stood. We asked on the podcast tonight where this team would finish in the league. Third or fourth would be my guess. 
     
    Everything Klopp says about the importance of the squad is true. Milner has said it too. “You should see them in training”. That’s the thing isn’t it? Our training sessions are of such a high level that the games themselves aren’t that difficult. Without the high level of training the team wouldn’t be as prepared and as intense. So those lesser lights who hardly play, they’re contributing even when they aren’t doing what they did tonight. 
     
    But we don’t see that. We only see when they play. And when they have played they’ve been fucking boss. Taki has 10 goals. Divock averages a goal every 90 minutes on the pitch. Kostas is almost as good as Robbo. Harvey is going to be amazing and I still have faith that Curtis is going be a superstar. And let’s not forget that this position we’re in, in Europe, wouldn’t have happened without Nat and Rhys. Other than his wife, those two were the first people Klopp messages after we reached the CL Final. I love that, how many other managers think like that? We’re so fucking lucky to have this guy.
     
    We might still win the league after all. Probably not, but even if we come up short you have to love that we’ve done everything possible to make City sweat and we’ve forced them to have to win it on the pitch. They’ll have been desperate to see Southampton beat our second string tonight, but instead they now have to go out and win it themselves by beating Villa on Sunday. Chances are they will, handsomely, but it’s football and you never know.
     
    Wednesday May 18:
     
    Ok, you’re probably going to think less of me for this but I’m going to tell you anyway. I can’t get enough of this “Wagatha Christie” trial. On the one hand it’s pretty scandalous that a court is having to deal with this “mean girl” shit. On the other hand, it’s fucking hilarious. I can’t believe it’s actually a real thing that’s happening as it’s so petty and ridiculous. I do feel like it’s unfair putting any of this on the Rooney’s though as Vardy’s missus is so clearly 100% responsible for this whole thing. She’s a right fucking limelight seeking, money grabbing little shitehawk and Colleen has done her like a kipper with that sting operation. 
     
    All the little snippets that have come out of the trial are hilarious though. 
     
    Things like Rooney’s barrister saying “So the phone is in Davey Jones’ locker” and Rebekah Vardy saying “I’m sorry, I don’t know who he is”.
     
    Or Vardy’s lawyer: ‘I believe you have a private Instagram too?’  Wayne Rooney: ‘Yes that’s correct.’ Vardy’s lawyer, squinting through this glasses: ‘Is that… Wazzaroon08?’ Wayne Rooney, smirking: ‘Yes, that’s correct.’
     
    Rebekah Vardy: ‘…..if I’m being honest’ Coleen Rooney’s lawyer: (sounding exasperated) ‘I would hope you’re being honest given you’re sitting in a witness box at the High Court’
     
    And this absolute belter. “Arguing with Coleen is like arguing with a pigeon. You can tell it that you are right and it is wrong; but it’s still going to shit in your hair.” It makes no sense whatsoever, so it’s quite fitting really.
     
    This whole thing is so fucking stupid and pathetic but I can’t get enough of it. I wish I only was in the courtroom watching it all. The mad thing is it was Vardy who brought this thing to court and so far she’s 100% looking like the twat here. I haven’t seen a single thing that would make Colleen look bad here and she’s the fucking defendant!! Someone actually told Vardy this was a good idea and that she had a strong case. 
     
    This is equivalent to Boris Johnson taking someone to court for calling him a liar. He’d never do it because he’d have to sit there while thousands of lies are used in evidence against him. Yet Vardy’s missus has brought this case, knowing that they have access to all of her WhatsApp and texts. She must be the stupidest person in this entire fucking country. Actually no, that would have to be Jamie wouldn’t it.
     
    On the pitch tonight Rangers lost the Europa League on penalties. I wanted them to win and was really disappointed for them. The players I mean. It’s hard to feel too sorry for the fans when you see all those Union Jacks all over the gaff, but I did still have sympathy for them because this was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity for them. 
     
    Will they ever win a European Final? Highly doubtful so this was their moment and they didn’t take it because they relied on someone with Arsenal DNA to step up in the biggest moment and he went the full Arsenal on them. Every other Rangers penalty was fucking brilliant. They up stepped “Rambo”. He needs to change that nickname immediately as it’s an insult to John Rambo, and also to our own ‘Rambo’ who was deadly from the spot.  
     
    While everyone seems quick to condemn Rangers fans for their behaviour, I feel as though its gone under the radar a bit that those Frankfurt fans caused murder at West Ham and were kicking off all over Seville these last couple of days. We have to face them in the Super Cup next season and I think there’d have been much less bother if we’d met Rangers. They might get a shock though if they unveil that “God Shave the Queen” banner. It won’t get the response they expect as we’ll be applauding it.
     
    Thursday May 19:
     
    It was going so well wasn’t it? I knew it was too good to be true but still allowed myself to get swept along with it. 2-0 down to Palace, Burnley leading at Villa, could it happen? No, it couldn’t. And I’m fucking gutted about it. I have no right to be. We’ve won two trophies, we’re in a Champions League Final next week and there’s an outside chance we win the title this Sunday. I shouldn’t be bothered by anything that happens at Everton and yet here I am, sulking because Everton have survived with one game left. 
     
    By the time Sunday rolls around I’ll be over it and won’t give it another thought until they struggle again next season, but tonight I feel pretty fucking down. I can’t be too angry at Palace because they’re responsible for City having 5 less points than they might have, but that tonight was still fucking shameful. That said, it’s mostly Chelsea’s fault and I’ll never forget that. I hope they go bust.
     
    Fuck Arsenal too. And United. Shit bottling bastards.
     
    Friday May 20:
     
    Remember when we lost in Kyiv and Klopp was in his kitchen with his mates singing about how we'll do it next year? That was me this morning, on my own.
     
    "We saw the relegation cup, 
    then the bastards fucking stayed up
    but next season they’ll be going down
    coz fat Frank is a tory clown”
     
    Needs work like, but it’s the sentiment that counts. In all seriousness though, I’m really low today because of what happened last night. We’re chasing a quadruple and I’ve got a proper cob on. I know I’m just being greedy but this was so close. It was within our grasp but it slipped away and those scenes on the Goodison pitch last night have really pissed me off. If you can look at that and laugh at them for the sad cunts they are, then good for you. That’s the best way, no question. Others will look at them with pity, because it really is a fucking wretched existence being a Blue. Invading the pitch, carrying on like a little club that has just won promotion, it’s absolutely cringeworthy shit and I can’t relate to it at all. 
     
    These people come from the same city as us. They’re our family, friends, yet I look at that and can’t relate at all. I can’t imagine ever being in a situation where I’d celebrate such absolute shitness. In that position I’d have breathed a massive sigh of relief, applauded the effort from the players to come back from 2-0 down and then I’d have left the stadium resenting just how fucking shit my team is despite the club breaching every FFP rule in the book for the last few years.
     
    I’m sure plenty of them did do that, but there’s just no self awareness there though with loads of them. That pitch invasion and the joyous scenes of celebration were just fucking appalling. I don’t even have words for it. Then you’ve got that arrogant little pigeon faced cunt Richarlison throwing shade at Carragher. I’m sure Carra found it funny and he won’t be the slightest bit arsed about it. 
     
    Me though? I’ve said for years Richarlison the biggest cunt in the league and he proves it on a weekly basis. I’m not arsed about him having a go at Carra, but I am arsed at the reason for it. What did Carra do to upset him? He said that every time he watches Everton, Richarlison goes down three or four times a game pretending to be injured when he isn’t. That’s just a fact. There’s no disputing that so what’s his fucking problem? 
     
    Carra should be getting onto the producers at Sky and slipping them a few quid to go through the archives and compile a video of Richarlison diving and feigning injury game after game. It will be a long video but it would completely nail that prick to the wall. I think the country as a whole aren’t really aware of how bad he is because Everton are so shit that nobody pays attention to them. Putting a video out there of all his embarrassing shit would be fucking ace. 
     
    Speaking of embarrassing, PSG are giving the keys to the farm to Mbappe. Basically letting him write his own cheque and giving him total control of decisions and transfers. I dread to think what his salary is going to be if he’s turning down Real Madrid. I don’t know what to think about this. 
     
    The easy thing is to say he’s taken the easy option and put money ahead of his football career. He’s better than PSG but it’s the team he supported and they’re offering him such eye watering wages it must be hard to turn that down. Ultimately I don’t really care because as soon as it became a dick measuring contest between Real Madrid and Qatar, it was none of our concern anyway. 
     
    We’ll just do what we do. Find cheaper options and turn them into superstars. See Diaz. A player who isn’t just hungry, he’s fucking starving. As talented as Mbappe is, could you see him showing the same passion, enthusiasm and general delight to just be here than Diaz has? Maybe he would, I don’t know enough about his personality and you can never overstate the Klopp effect. 
     
    PSG are a clown show though aren’t they? These fucking oil clubs have completely distorted the market and while the likes of the Premier League allow these cunts to keep buying our clubs then it’s going to continue. What we’ve done in the face of all this rampant cheating is incredible. 
     
    Speaking of which…. Burnley and Leeds are threatening to take legal action against Everton and the Premier League. Quite right too. One of them will be going down even though they’ve played by the rules and Everton haven’t. They can cook their books as much as they like, but it couldn’t be more apparent that they’ve completely disregarded the FFP regulations. They haven’t even been sneaky about it like City, they’re openly declaring fucking massive losses, three times the amount allowed.
     
    Best case scenario is they get points deducted either now or next season. Even if that doesn’t happen though, they aren’t going to be allowed to spend any money and their squad is dogshit. There’s nothing to suggest that they’ll be any better next season, so I’ll console myself in that. Their demise is inevitable.
     
     
    ….and that was the week that was
     

  • If Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is hoping for a fresh start away from Liverpool this summer then that could now be in doubt with the club reportedly weighing up what valuation they put on the midfielder.
     
    The 28 year-old is coming out of contract at the end of next season and with the likes of Mo Salah and Sadio Mane in the same boat, it seems unlikely that his re-signing shapes as a priority.
     
    Additionally to that point is that Oxlade-Chamberlain would be fully aware of the logjam for places in the Liverpool midfield and would be closely assessing what his next step would be.
     
    After making 43 appearances and scoring eight goals in all competitions during the 2019-20 campaign, in the last two seasons combined he has made just 46 appearances despite being fully fit for the last 18 months.
     
    His last appearance this season came in the FA Cup quarter-final clash against Nottingham Forest and despite Jurgen Klopp making a number of changes for the midweek clash against Southampton, Oxlade remained on the bench.
     

     
    ESPN reports that Liverpool are prepared to listen to offers for Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer but the club will assess how much interest there is in him before setting a valuation on him.
     
    Oxlade-Chamberlain came to the club in the summer of 2017 from Arsenal for £35 million but it his highly unlikely that the club get close to that figure.
     
    And the club have shown in recent years that they are not afraid to hold on to players for their final year if they do not get the valuation they are after with some examples being Gini Wijnaldum and Adam Lallana.
     
    In a position such as what Oxlade-Chamberlain faces, you weigh up the balance between professional ambition and being part of a successful squad.
     
    Some like Divock Origi have been more than happy to put his own career progression to one side and become the perfect role player for the big moments, but others like Wijnaldum decide to leave despite being a first team regular.
     
    So while there is a chance that Ox may have to see out his final year at the club, he would have to admit that there are far worse places to be. 
     
     
     
     
     

  • Adam Lallana has sent a message of support to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain with the midfielder on the outside looking in as the season of Liverpool reaches a thrilling conclusion.
     
    Jurgen Klopp shuffled his pack against Southampton on Tuesday night due to the intense schedule and gave opportunities to the likes of Harvey Elliott, Takumi Minamino and Kostas Tsimikas while Curtis Jones had his first 90-minute outing in the league since playing against Crystal Palace in late January.
     
    One player who has also been on the periphery of late but was not called upon despite being one of the substitutes on the evening was Oxlade-Chamberlain.
     
    It has been a common theme for the former Arsenal and Southampton player as his last appearance for the Reds came two months ago against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup quarter-final clash with his last league outing coming against Norwich in the middle of February.
     
     Klopp has often bemoaned the lack of the five-substitute rule in the Premier League which would allow him to give more minutes to fringe players.
     
    The other opportunity for those kind of players comes through injury to regular first teamers, but Liverpool have had very few absentees in the second half of the season and the ones that have missed games have returned in a short period.
     
    Klopp was apologetic to his squad players after the 2-1 win on the South Coast.
     
    “Harvey, not sure when he last played. Curtis, no rhythm. Takumi Minamino, it’s a crime he’s not playing more often. Oxlade didn’t even play and he’s in outstanding shape.
     

     
    “It’s really tough for the boys but whatever happens this year, happened because of this group. It’s exceptional, and tonight they showed that again.”
     
    This is the time of the season that any player lives for, when there are cups and titles on the line.
     
    But when you are on the outside looking in, it would test even those with the strongest resolve.
     
    Lallana was part of the Champions League and title winning squads, but only played minor roles in both successes, and he therefore saw the need to look to greener pastures for his own career.
     
    As the Express reported, the veteran spoke about the difficulty of the situation that Oxlade would be in at this point of time and the ability of striking the right balance on a team and individual scale.
     

     
    “It has been a tough few months for Chambo. Not being involved. I have been there myself. It’s hard to manage your own ego at times because you want to be playing. You feel sorry for yourself.
     
    “At times, you do have to act. When you are down, you have to put a brave face on to support your teammates. And you can be proud of doing that.
     
    “Come the end of the season, he has contributed. When the lads were at AFCON’s in January, he put in some unbelievable performances. He scored some important goals, so he has contributed massively. It was great to see him on the bench and celebrate with his players (on Tuesday.)
     
    There is little doubt that Ox is a player that splits opinion in the fanbase, much in the way that Lallana did.
     
    But losing a year out of your career when you are in your prime is a crippling blow for any player and you have to be made of strong character to bounce back.
     
    That is exactly what the midfielder has done, and in truth while he has not approached those levels of individual brilliance that he displayed in the second half of the 2017/2018 season, he has certainly played his part in this golden era of Liverpool.
     
    And if Ox does move on in the off-season, there will be plenty of goodwill towards him
     
     
     
     

  • We won a trophy, City finally slipped up, Everton were dragged back into the relegation mire and Arsenal went the full Arsenal to gift wrap a Champions League place to their most hated rivals. I’ve had worse weekends!
     
    I’ll start at Goodison because that’s where most of the fun was. It started with their fans pulling that stupid “fireworks outside the team hotel” shite. They did it against Chelsea and won the game, so they figured they’d do it against when Brentford came to town. You shouldn’t provoke Bees because when they get angry or feel threatened they sting. 
     
    Evertonians have spent years mocking our support. The banners, the chants, the pyro, the greeting of the team coach before big games… “Kopite behaviour” they called it while they scoffed. Now look at them. They’ve embraced all of it. 
     
    Frankly it’s hilarious. We’re greeting coaches before we play in massive European games or league fixtures that could decide the title. They’re doing it against Brentford as they look to stay out of the bottom three. It’s world’s apart isn’t it. I almost pity them. Almost.
     
    How can you pity them when they carry on the way they do though? Going to the Brentford team hotel in the early hours of the morning is just embarrassing. What’s worse is how many of them were bragging about it like it was some kind of achievement. 
     
    Still, it all adds to the comedy, especially when they lose the game, have two players sent off and then Brentford’s official twitter account (as well as their captain) trolled them on twitter. This shit only ever happens to Everton.
     
    What makes it all the more amusing is they were ahead and well on top. Calvert-Lewin deflected in a feeble shot by Richarlison to put them ahead and it was all going swimmingly. Richarlison ran off celebrating while Calvert-Lewin was telling anyone who would listen that it was his goal. 
     
    Then, the Premier League led conspiracy to send Everton down reared its ugly head again. How are people not seeing this? It’s so obvious that everyone is conspiring against the Blues. Frank should write another letter. Or maybe get his mates in the cabinet to order an inquiry.
     
    The Gwladys Street howled for a penalty as Richarlison tussled with a defender. Michael Oliver waved it away and Brentford launched a ball over the top where Branthwaite accidentally tangled with Toney and brought him down.
     
    It was completely inadvertent and unavoidable, but it is a red card. I don’t agree with it and if I made the rules it wouldn’t be a sending off, but that’s just how it is. He denied a goalscoring opportunity and more often than not you’ll get sent off in that scenario. 
     
    A disconsolate Branthwaite made his way off the field, with Calvert-Lewin there with an arm around his shoulder and what looked like a comforting word in his ear. Bet it wasn't. No doubt he was saying “that was my goal you know, it skimmed my chest”. Tit.
     
    For the red card to come seconds after them not getting a penalty just made them even more rabid. Oliver apparently has it in for Everton because he’s a…. wait for it….  Newcastle fan. What’s that got to do with Everton you may ask. Well, apparently Newcastle hate Everton so Oliver wants them down.
     
    Do Newcastle hate Everton though? I know Everton hate Newcastle because Gary Speed thought the Geordies were a bigger club than them, but is that hatred reciprocated? As far as I can tell, the only thing about Everton that sets the Geordies off is that Pickford tit, and let’s be honest that’s something we can all relate to.
     
    Ask Newcastle fans who they’d rather beat, us or Everton, and I’d be staggered if any said the Blues. Yet Michael Oliver is apparently on a mission to get them relegated because of this long standing Newcastle / Everton bad blood. 
     
    So they’re down to ten men but they have the lead. Not for long. Wissa equalises but then Everton are awarded a soft pen when Richarlison was sandwiched between two defenders. The foul was committed by some big lolloping dope I’ve never seen before. He’d already been booked and Everton wanted him sent off for that second one. 
     
    No way was that a bookable offence though. There’s not much in that, even though that Richarlison cunt was rolling around like he had broken ribs. He recovered quickly enough to convert the pen and restore their lead.
     
    Brentford soon subbed that big shit centre back before he was sent off. Beck I think he’s called. What a loser….
     
    Quick point of order here. If Michael Oliver wanted to screw Everton why did he give them that penalty?
     
    Wissa’s brilliant near post header from a corner drew Brentford level and minutes later Rico Henry flew in at the back post top plant a header past Prickford. 
     
    So just like that Everton went from safety back to trouble. Two quick goals conceded and then another red card, this time for Rondon who launched into a two footed challenge.
     
    While this was happening, Leeds were scoring a late equaliser to secure a point that may yet prove vital. Probably not, I still think they’re fucked but you never know. 
     
    Here’s the potential twist in this tale. Leeds end the season by facing….. Brentford. A team who now have genuine beef with Everton. What better way to troll the Blues than by losing to Leeds? Come on Brentford, you know it makes sense.
     
    Leeds are dangling on the edge of the cliff and they almost slid off it by losing at home to Brighton. That would have pretty much condemned them but they just about managed to reach up and grab hold of a rock. Now hopefully this weekend they can pull themselves to safety and send Everton catapulted over that cliff instead. I know I shouldn't do it to myself but I can't help it. It's so tantalisingly close.
     
    Leeds started brightly in this game but didn’t score. Less than two minutes in Gelhardt saw a goal bound shot hit his team-mate in the face on the line and rebound to safety. That’s when you know it’s not your day! Then they conceded a goal to Danny Welcrap. That’s when you REALLY know it’s not your day. Well taken goal to be fair, but the sun even shines on a dog’s arse somedays.
     
    Leeds gave it a right go in the second half but the Brighton keeper Sanchez was quality. I like him, he’s good. Brighton should have finished them off but Welcrap reverted to type and headed wide from five yards out, the absolute bum.
     
    And then in the third minute of injury time Leeds finally scored. Brilliant footwork by Gelhardt and then Struijk calmly headed in at the far post. They might have my boy Bamford back for the final game too. Imagine if he scored the goal that sent Everton down. We’d all be going Wild in the Streets.
     
    Already doomed Watford had a new manager in the stadium for their game with Leicester. The Hodge was still in charge of the team though, which seems a bit pointless, which co-incidentally is what Watford are for about the last fucking three months.
     
    They also had about eight new players. Or at least that’s how it looked when I saw their team sheet. I’ve made this point before so it shouldn’t really surprise me, yet it always does. How is it that every time Watford play they manage to wheel out two or three players we’ve never seen before? 
     
    They must have a squad of about a hundred fucking players. Even that Dan Gosling jabroni plays for them now. Did any of you know that? Where’s he been all season?
     
    Ismaela Sarr has had a shit season after a bright beginning and this week he threw his support behind his homophobic team-mate Idrissa Guaye at PSG. Yeah that’s one lad we won’t be signing any time soon. He’ll probably end up with the Mancs and they’ll pay about £60m for him, because that’s what they do. They buy shit cunts for lots of money.
     
    Leicester fell behind to goal from a corner, because that’s what they do. And then Watford conceded five goals to lose the game, because that’s what they do.
     
    Maddison, Barnes (two) and Vardy (two) gave Leicester a rare win and merely made me loathe them even more after they let Everton beat them last week. All these Everton enabling cunts like Leicester, Arsenal, United and Chelsea can get to fuck.
     
    Nice to see Vardy with something to smile about though. It’s been a rough week for him because of his fucking lunatic wife dragging his name through the mud and subjecting him to the embarrassment of being drawn by the court sketch artist.
     

     
    Back to the top of the table now. For weeks now the two games I’d been looking at as possible banana skins for City were Wolves away and West Ham away. They were likely to win both but there was definitely the potential for them to drop points in those fixtures. I didn’t see any other games where it might go wrong for them and I still don’t. I’m not relying on Villa as I never would, but you never know.
     
    The reason I thought those fixtures could be tricky for City is because this league is made up of two types of teams. Those who are beaten before they even take to the field, and those who are prepared to give it a go. Wolves gave it a go but came up well short so that just left us with West Ham. And they delivered. 
     
    The first half was a great demonstration of what teams who aren’t us need to do to have success against City. Defend well, but don’t obsess about it and look to counter any time the opportunity arises. 
     
    That’s how you can hurt them. It won’t work all the time because City are really fucking good and a lot of the time they’ll just win anyway. But you can give yourself a chance by playing with your heads and your hearts.
     
    West Ham did it, probably just because it was Mark Noble’s swansong and they wanted to see him off in style. 
     
    Bowen scored twice in the first half as City were all at sea defensively. Two very good finishes from a player who has had a great season. You can see why Klopp likes him, but I can’t see any place in the squad for him as we’re already top heavy in the forward line. Even with Div leaving and maybe Taki too, is Bowen going to be happy at being sixth in line? Maybe if one of the others unexpectedly leave then we’d look at it, but personally if that happens I’d be throwing £40m and a quid at Arsenal to activate Saka’s non-CL release clause. I wouldn’t be unhappy with Bowen though.
     
    West Ham led at the break but you knew City would come back at them and therefore seeing out the first 10 minutes of the half was crucial. They didn’t even see out the first one!
     
    Grealish scored right after the restart with a deflected shot (these cunts are turning into Mourinho’s Chelsea with all these deflected goals) and the second half was mostly City pressing for an equaliser and the Hammers holding on. 
     
    Mind you, Antonio had a great chance to make it 3-1 when he latched onto a woeful Fernandinho back pass. He did what I’ve been advocating for months, he chipped the keeper. That’s good, but the execution was fucking pitiful. Getting the ball over the keeper is the difficult part. Once you’d done that you have the entire goal to aim for. Antonio got it over the keeper but put it miles wide. The tit. His 'my boy' status is revoked. Not sure he ever had it, I think at one point he did but whatever, he’s out of the circle now.
     
    Coufal then headed into to his own net to draw City level as we all just awaited the inevitable City winner that would put us out of our misery. West Ham were still having a go though and Bowen was close to a hat-trick only for his goal bound shot to be deflected just wide.
     
    And then it happened. Dawson clumsily tripped Jesus in the box and although Anthony Taylor waved it away, as soon as they showed the replay you knew what was coming. It’s a definite pen.
     
    Mahrez stepped up and Fabianski made a great save. It didn’t look anything special from the side angle, but when you see from behind the goal it’s fucking boss. It’s not a great height for a keeper as it’s quite high and he’s at full stretch to reach it. But reach it he did, and City dropped two points. What that means for us we’ll find out on Sunday, but at least we’ve been able to take it to the last game.
     
    It’s funny because at the end of this game I was disappointed. A little deflated even. If only they could have held on. Then, the next day, I realised that they didn’t need to hold on for the win. 2-1 or 2-2 made absolutely no difference to us. A draw was as good as a West Ham win because the goal difference thing was problematic.
     
    If we had to go to Southampton needing to win by five or six we may have ended up making a bollocks of it and not playing our normal game. Klopp may have been tempted to play some lads who shouldn’t be playing because they need a rest. It would have been a futile chase so West Ham drawing actually took that scenario away, which for me is a good thing. 
     
    So all of a sudden that Mahrez penalty miss started to look like it might be significant. Probably not, but whatever happens fair play to West Ham for having a go. 
     
    They beat us too let’s not forget. And reached a Europa League semi final. It’s been a good season for Moyes and his team and they deserve to finish 6th so hopefully that works out for them this Sunday.
     
    Noble ends his career sixth on the all time appearance lists for West Ham but it wasn’t a good weekend for him because we booed the national anthem. “Nobes” loves his dear awl mum and the only thing that comes close to that is his love for Queen and Country. Him and Scott ‘Scotty’ Parker fought and died for this country in WW2 don’t forget.
     
    Joking aside, I like Mark Noble. Always have. Good player, good pro, seems like a decent fella who loves his club (and her Majesty, Gawd bless 'er). Good luck to him in his retirement though.
     
    Spurs looked like they had something of a hangover at home to Burnley. Understandable as the North London derby a few days earlier will have taken a toll and Burnley aren’t a team you want to face when you’re not at full throttle. At least they aren’t since Dyche left.
     
    Burnley did alright and Ashley Barnes hit the post with a great effort. He’s a guilty pleasure of mine. I like watching him but I totally get why loads of people hate him. He just epitomises Burnley for me, he’s a throwback to the 80s.
     
    The only goal of the game came from the spot after the ball hit the outstretched arm of my boy Barnes. Technically his arm is maybe in an unnatural position but I really don’t like seeing pens given for that. Especially when it helps Everton. 
     
    Kane scored, he always does. If there is one player in world football who I’d want taking a penalty if my life depended on it, it’d probably be him. Partly because he’s so good, and partly because I hate him already so if he missed I could yell “See? You’re a cunt, I always said you were”. I wouldn’t want to think badly of Mo or Milner or any of our lads, so Kane would be perfect.
     
    Two teams I’ll be supporting this weekend met at Villa Park as Stevie’s Villa (who play City) took on Vieira’s Palace (who play United).
     
    Palace had the better of it but couldn’t convert their chances into goals and they fell behind when Watkins slid home at the back post.  Palace deservedly levelled late on through Schlupp though. Vieira is on the shortlist for manager of the year. It’s not often I get something wrong but I’ll hold my hands up on that one, he's been good. And whisper it, he might be a better manager than Stevie.
     
    That’s an interesting discussion I think. All those legendary midfielders from that era have dabbled in management. Keane had some success and some failures and now seems completely unemployable. Didn’t Scholes manage Oldham and wasn’t he pure shite? Or did I dream that? Lampard is turd, so that just leaves Stevie and Vieira. Unless you count Scott ‘Scotty’ Parker, which unless you’re Stuart Pearce no-one does. It’s too early to judge between Vieira and Gerrard but they both look like they’ve got enough about them to be around for a while.
     
    Wolves ended their home season with a disappointing 1-1 draw with Norwich. Not good that. Wolves have been an utter irrelevance this season. Not good enough to matter, not bad enough to ever be in trouble.
     
    Tell you who has been shit this season though. Timo Pukki. He’s scored 10 goals but he should have had 30. There’s a lot to like about his game and his movement is great. He finds space and gets chances all the time, despite playing in an awful team. His finishing is risible though. Every fucking week on MOTD I see him missing chances. 
     
    He missed two great chances in this before finally scoring. Even then he needed a deflection off Coady to do it, otherwise he’d have probably missed the target again. He’ll score 25 next year in the Championship though. He’s Finland’s Rob Earnshaw.
     
    Onto Arsenal now. Did anyone expect them to do anything except lose at Newcastle? Few results this season seemed more certain than that to me. After they lost at Spurs you just knew Arsenal were bottling it and their performance at St James’ Park was pitiful.
     
    Or as Jules described it on the podcast - “Pure distilled Arsenal. If you’d opened your window and sniffed the air you could smell that Arsenal performance all the way from St James’ Park”.
     
    Arsenal are exactly who I said they were. Flaky, spineless, shithouses who are nowhere near as good as they think they are. All the hype around them this season was laughable. They play some fancy footy, have some players with a modicum of talent, but when the heat is on they melt like snow on a sunny winters morning.
     
    And yet they may still get fourth because would it really be that shocking if Spurs found a way to lose to Norwich? In fact, the more likely scenario this weekend is that Spurs and Arsenal both lose.
     
     
    Update:
     
    Thursday night.
     
    For fuck’s sake. Fuck off Palace you bottling cunts. Only for the fact you’ve done well against City I’d be on my way to Selhurst right now to burn the fucking place down. You absolute pricks. Fuck off. Bottleless gets.
     
    The pitch invasion by the Blues was just the cringiest thing you’ll see all season though. They’re such embarrassing fucking cunts it’s hard to believe we share a city. They couldn’t be any more different to us, it’s just completely bizarre. We come from the same families, the same circles of friends, but Everton just turns them into some kind of weird fucking mutants. I can't ever imagine acting like they do and if i did I'd quickly just give up football altogether.
     
    I don't know why they bother, it brings them nothing but misery and even the moments when they're happy - like tonight - are still really fucking shit because they're celebrating just about not being one of the three worst teams in the league. It's a pitiful, wretched existence and relegation - and a winding up order - would be doing them a kindness.
     
    But they’re safe now and I’m not gonna lie, I’m fucking gutted. I really got my hopes up on this, especially when Palace went 2-0 up and Burnley took the lead at Villa. I don’t even know how Burnley ended up and I don’t care as it doesn’t matter now. I don’t give a fuck who goes down out of Burnley and Leeds either. Not arsed. Fuck both of them. If they’d won more games Everton would be down.
     
    I still blame Chelsea more than anyone though, That was the game that really fucked everything up as they were five points adrift that day until Chelsea rolled over for them. I hope Abramovich screws them for every fucking penny they owe him and they end up going out of business now, the Everton enabling fucking bell ends.
     
    One thing I learned from tonight though, I won’t be getting my hopes up on Sunday no matter what happens. If Villa went 3-0 up at the Etihad I’d still be expecting City to win 4-3. It’s the hope that kills you so I’m going to be a hope free zone this weekend. I wanted them down so badly I’d willingly hand back the FA Cup in return for it. Probably the League Cup too. Gutted.

  • This isn’t the first time concerns have been raised about the future of Mohamed Salah, nor will it be the last, as the most prolific forward in recent Liverpool history heads into the final year of his contract. The club has until 30th June 2023 to agree new terms with the player, at which point he will be a free agent. But of course, amidst protracted ongoing negotiations, the aim for all concerned will be to have agreed his contract extension long before then.
     
    Let’s face it, attacking players boasting the quality and consistency of Salah don’t grow on trees. Only a handful of leading footballers throughout Europe can boast the kind of numbers he currently produces, and has continually produced throughout the five years this Egyptian dynamo has worn the famous red shirt.
     
    Only once during the last five seasons has the Premier League scoring tally of Salah fallen below 20 goals, during the 2019-20 campaign when he still found the back of the net 19 times. That was also the same campaign when Salah registered his lowest number in all competitions, bagging 23 in 48 appearances.
     
     
     
    Within the same timeframe that Salah has been strutting his stuff at Anfield, he has been the top scorer in the Premier League in two of four seasons, while finishing just one goal behind Harry Kane last season at the top of the pile. Indeed, the only player who matched the consistency of Salah was Sergio Aguero at Manchester City, who they will finally replace with Erling Haaland next season.
     
    Given how costly the deal to sign Haaland will be for Man City, which includes an escape clause that hardly speaks of any loyalty from the Norwegian, it only serves to underline why locking down a long-term deal for Salah is imperative for Liverpool. After all, getting a replacement capable of producing similar numbers would be hugely expensive, not to mention finding someone who could immediately dovetail with the technical and tactical style of the team.
     
    Salah remains hugely popular amongst the Liverpool fanbase, while his consistent scoring feats make him a firm favourite amongst football punters, always looking carefully at his odds ahead of games and throughout each season. Some even look to take advantage of the best free bets and offers, seeking an edge that Asiabet covers in their latest online betting guide. They also explain the different kinds of promotions available, accompanied by detailed reviews for the most trusted bookies.
     
    Due to having just one year left on his contract, while considering the quality that Salah can continue to bring this Liverpool team, there is genuinely no good reason why the club should gamble on potentially losing him. Sure, the current stance of the Salah’s representatives is quite firm with their demands, seeking to make their client the highest paid player at Anfield. Yet finding a replacement would probably cost Liverpool inordinately more.
     
     
    According to Transfermarkt, the current market value of Salah is €100 million, so what’s the bigger gamble for Liverpool? Considering how crazy the transfer market is these days, even for anyone half-decent and nowhere near the same level as 29-year-old Salah, what price would anyone genuinely equivalent cost the club? Add agents commission, signing on fees, plus the inevitably sizeable wages, there would be no sensible saving from an economic point of view.
     
    This coming June will be when Salah celebrates his 30th birthday, an age at which he can continue to thrive at the very peak of his game. He clearly wants to stay at the club and has even indicated, numerous times, that money isn’t the be all and end all of negotiations. Yet money does talk in modern football and like any top professional, he undoubtedly wants a salary which reflects his current level of importance, both to the club he represents and in the sport itself.
     
    The sooner the whole situation is resolved, the better. Financial stability does matter and in many respects, the club is quite correct to play hardball when it comes to balancing the books. However, given what Liverpool has managed to achieve in recent years, and can continue to achieve by retaining their very best players, there must be willingness towards flexibility in exceptional circumstances. And there’s no doubting that Salah is an exceptional player the Reds can’t afford to lose.

  • Harvey Elliott has admitted that his inability to get first team minutes under his belt after recovering from a long term injury is down to him.
     
    On Tuesday night, the 19 year-old midfielder made his first league start since that fateful day at Elland Road in mid September where he suffered a fracture dislocation of his left ankle following a challenge from Leeds defender Pascal Struijk. 
     
    While the injury was undoubtedly a serious one, what was more cruel was the timing,as Elliott who had returned to the club full of confidence after a stellar campaign on loan at Blackburn, had made a strong start to the new season with the Leeds fixture his third consecutive league start.
     
    As a Footballer you have plenty of ups and downs and it is how you respond to the setbacks which ultimately decides your career path.
     
    Speaking to the Echo after playing an hour in the win on the South Coast, Elliott admitted that he needs to be at his very best physically to be in the plans of the manager.
     
    “I know myself that I am fit but it's down to the manager to make the decisions. We're all 100% behind his decisions and we all take it on the chin. So I haven't been playing that much but it's been all down to me really.
     
    “There have been some training weeks where I haven't really been at my best and it's down to me to make sure that I am showing the gaffer that I am able to play and I am ready for the opportunity like today when it is given to me.
     
    "But like I say, we're all committed and we're all 100% behind the gaffer. So whatever team is put out or whatever subs come on, it's best for us and best for the team, so we're all for it as a team.”
     
    After a physically and emotionally sapping FA Cup victory over Chelsea last Saturday, Jurgen Klopp shuffled his pack, giving stars such as Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Luis Diaz the night off, while Mo Salah and Virgil Van Dijk sat out with minor injuries.
     
    It was a calculated risk but it gave a real sense of responsibility to the likes of Kostas Tsimikas, Takumi Minamino and Harvey Elliott to help keep the title hopes alive.
     
    And Elliott said he relished the opportunity to play his part.
     

     
    “We've got a great squad with great players and to get out there and start again is a lovely feeling, just to put the Liverpool shirt back on and play 60 minutes. Hopefully I can get more minutes down the line, but we'll see. I am just ready for each and every moment. I've just got to keep myself fit."
     
    With Man City dropping points to West Ham last Sunday, the margin of error in their last game of the season has narrowed substantially ,thanks largely to the pure persistence and consistency of Liverpool during the second half of the season.
     
    But as the squad often discussed when facing a similar scenario at the tail end of the 2018/9 campaign,  Elliott said the the focus is not what their rivals do, but more so taking care of their own business first and foremost.
     
    “I think it's exactly that. We just need to make sure we get the three points and focus on us all really. Whatever happens will happen and obviously we need to make sure we do our job and worry about other results after.
     
    "We're not focusing elsewhere, it's all on ourselves, making sure that if we play our own game to get the points and show the fans our appreciation towards them. Hopefully they can cheer us on in the next game and we just need to keep it tight, focus and make sure we get the job done."
     
     
     

  • The best songwriter / musician of our generation penned a classic called “the more things change the more they stay the same”. Pretty apt whenever Klopp rotates his line up really. Nine changes to the side that started the cup final but this still looked just like Liverpool. 
     
    Not identical of course, we don’t have clones we can bring in when the main players are out. You can’t replicate what Salah, Mané and Diaz do. Or Thiago or Van Dijk. Or Trent. Especially Trent, who is thoroughly unique in world football. So it’s not identical, but individual traits aside the team just played the same way and dominated the game in exactly the same way you’d expect from the first choice line up. 
     
    It’s one of the more incredible aspects of Klopp’s tenure here really, and there are many of them. Imagine just being able to pick whoever you like and still be able to get the result you need. We went on a mad winning run at the back end of last season with Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams at centre back. It’s the Klopp effect. Him and his staff. They’ve instilled this belief in the entire squad and they’re so well coached that everyone knows how to play the role required of them.
     
    I saw the line up and wasn’t worried. It helped that it was more or less what I expected it to be so I wasn’t shocked or concerned by it, but I didn’t look at that team and think we’d be in trouble. I looked at it and was excited at what we might see from a midfield with both Curtis and Harvey in it. I looked at the defence and thought “Southampton aren’t scoring past those lads” and I looked at the forwards and thought there was opportunity for them to get back in the goals. Diogo and Bobby really need a goal, whereas Taki just scores every time he plays.
     
    And if something did go wrong then look at the bench. Granted, we only had three options rather than five, but when you’ve got that kind of talent to call upon you always feel confident. 
     
    I also looked at the Southampton line up and there was nothing to fear from that whatsoever. Some of their regulars were left out and other than Ward-Prowse and his set-pieces there was nothing there to worry about.
     
    And I’d say all of what I just said above came to pass. The defence were brilliant (although Southampton had one chance early one when Ali made a smart save), the midfield functioned well and the frontline posed a threat and Taki delivered his customary goal. Southampton caused us no problems. The only thing I got wrong was them not scoring, but their goal only happened because of a dereliction of duty from Martin Atkinson and especially Stuart Atwell on VAR.
     
    I may as well start with that. It looked like a foul on Jota on first viewing but you can’t always tell. I was prepared to accept the possibility that the defender got man and ball and that Atkinson let it go because he was trying to let them play. He refereed like that all night in fairness, he wasn’t overly fussy and allowed a lot of contact. That’s good, I applaud that as the game is better for it. He got that decision badly wrong though as the defender got none of the ball and a lot of Jota.
     
    I’m not pointing the finger at Atkinson there though. Yeah, he’s in a great position and should get that right, but mistakes happen and I could accept that from the angle he was viewing it from it may have looked like the defender has got the ball. I don’t know if that’s the case but I’m open to the possibility as he got most things right on the night other than that.
     
    But seriously, it’s mind boggling that VAR didn’t help him out there. I assumed that the procedure must have changed and they weren’t allowed to go back that far, but that’s not the case. VAR can go back to the start of the attack and indeed Atwell did look at it. And then decided it wasn’t a clear and obvious error. Fuck me. It doesn’t get more clear and obvious because at no point does the defender get any touch on the ball. Jota controls the ball and the defender boots him. There is no great area there, you have to tell Atkinson he’s missed a foul and to go and check.
     
    They scored a fucking goal from that foul. How can that be allowed to stand? This is the second to last game of the season and we had to win to keep the title alive, and the officials allow that to happen?? I didn’t want VAR, I still don’t want VAR but the fact is we’re stuck with it. So fucking use it then. This is the exact scenario why it exists. Imagine if we’d dropped points in this game because of that. Incompetence or something else, I don’t know what Atwell’s reasons were but you seriously have to wonder how someone who does this for a living can not award a free-kick for that after seeing all the necessary replay angles. He should be made to explain himself.
     
    The goal itself was jammy as fuck too, as Redmond’s shot was going straight at Alisson before it nicked off Milner and looped up into the top corner. It was the only way they were ever going to score.
     
    Thankfully it’s just a footnote on yet another Liverpool victory. The lads responded as they always do. We took control of the game again and thought we’d equalised straight away when Bobby headed in a Kostas free-kick. The offside flag curtailed his celebrations, sadly.
     
    We were playing well though and the goal wasn’t too long in arriving. Nice football, good ball by Jota and a clever run and superb finish by Taki. Such a lovely goal that. He’s scored 10 goals this season now and he’s made a massive impact on this quadruple bid. I don’t know how much longer he’ll be here, but I hope he doesn’t leave this summer as he’s such a valuable asset to have.
     
    Much has been made of Martin Tyler’s commentary on that goal. I commented on it on twitter too, because it really was something wasn’t it? Some of you will say he’s like this on every game he does and his lack of enthusiasm isn’t just reserved for when we score. That’s as may be, but there’s a large body of evidence now that the cunt sounds genuinely fucking gutted any time we score. 
     
    I’d love to know why, as it wasn’t always like that. Who could forget the iconic “Collymore closing iiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnn” line. There’s just no way you can tell me he isn’t gutted when we score though. He didn’t exactly go nuts when Redmond scored, but compare that with how he was when Taki scored. It couldn’t be more obvious. And here’s the thing, I know people will say he’s going to be more excited when the underdog scores as the neutrals all love an upset, but this is different. 
     
    Southampton weren’t the story here. Them scoring wasn’t any kind of a big deal to be celebrated, unless you specifically wanted us to get beat and ergo for the title race to be over. That’s not what Sky want. Sky want this going to the final day and Minamino’s goal was therefore the big story here. Any other commentator working on this game will have given Taki’s goal the excited commentary it warranted. It’s just Tyler. He needs fucking off, either for his bias or just his plain old lack of enthusiasm. 
     
    A commentator is supposed to add to the moment or to let the moment speak for itself. This cunt just tries to suck all of the joy and excitement out of it. Even on Matip’s winning goal his first thought was to desperately wonder if the ball had gone out from the corner. What a sour, miserable, bitter old fucking turd. Hopefully he’s nowhere near Anfield on Sunday. I expect he’ll be at the Etihad desperately hoping for another “Aguerrrooooooooooo” moment. Twat.
     
    Anyway, I’ve jumped ahead a bit there by skipping to Joel’s header. I’ll come back to that in a bit. The equaliser was no more than we deserved and the rest of the half was basically total domination from us. I think at half time we’d had 11 shots to their one or something. It may have been even more. They weren’t exactly clear chances but we were knocking on the door and at half time I wasn’t worried at all. Well I was a little worried for poor Joe who went over on an ankle and had to go off to be replaced by Hendo, but I wasn’t worrying about the outcome of the game. I just expected us to go out and find the goal we needed to get the points.
     
    We almost did it immediately when Jota collected a Tsimikas cross and fired a snapshot inches wide. It summed up his last month really. It’s just not going in for him, although I thought his form was decent enough in this one and he was pretty unlucky. He had a great effort blocked in the first half when he brought a ball down on his chest and unleashed an acrobatic volley that would have burst the net. He played the pass for the goal and generally looked quite lively, which was good to see with the two massive games we have coming up. We might need him off the bench, although frankly there’s no way I’d be overlooking Divock if the situation required an extra forward.
     
    We were enjoying almost total domination of the ball and Southampton couldn’t get out. They didn’t actually look like they even wanted to. Usually we come up against rabid opponents and crowds desperate to be the ones to stop us winning the league, but Southampton really didn’t seem that arsed. The fans weren’t particularly boisterous and the players looked like they were just waiting for the season to end.
     
    The coast coast is home to Peter Shilton and Matt Le Tissier so naturally their crowd sang the national anthem and then booed when the away end belted out YNWA at the end. If the season wasn’t about to end we’d be subjected to this bollocks at 90% of the stadiums we go to. Next season it might be like that, but chances are the banter merchants will all have forgotten and will have some other shit songs to amuse themselves.
     
    Really though, it was fairly tame. Maybe they were disheartened by how our second string completely dominated the game. Most of the noise was coming from the away end though as our boys pressed for the goal that would get them ahead. We continued knocking on the door and Jones was becoming more and more influential as the game wore on. He had a quiet start but grew into the game and I thought he was really fucking good in the second half. Great on the ball, positive, mature in his decision making and the only criticism was his shooting was shite. It used to be a strength but it’s been rubbish for a while now.
     
    Harvey was really good too. He nearly scored when he shot into the side netting and this was a nice little reminder of what he can do. We’ve barely seen him for weeks but he’s such a massive talent. I thought he was unlucky to be brought off but we needed to win the game and Klopp wanted to get a fourth forward on. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Origi time.
     
    We scored straight away. You might say he had nothing to do with it but I could argue that Southampton shit their pants when he came on and our lads all got a lift. There’s a feeling of inevitability when he comes on that a goal is coming. The goal was a fluke as Matip and Diallo both headed the ball at the same time and it looped into the top corner leaving the keeper helpless. Maybe that’s what Joel needs to do all the time now to keep his headers on target?
     
    Konate went close from an identical position soon after, but for the most part we weren’t too bothered about trying to force another goal and the performance after we went 2-1 was very much safety first. Lots of possession but very sensible. We saw the game out with no drama and ensured that if City are going to win the league they’ll need to do it on the pitch because we aren’t making anything easy for them.
     
    That’s one of the most satisfying things about this. City’s players will have been gathered somewhere, watching, social media team at the ready waiting to capture all the footage of us not winning and handing them the title. When we fell behind you can be sure there will have been celebrations. It’s just a shame we’ll never see any of it, or their reactions when Taki and Joel scored. Actually we don’t need to see that, just play Tyler’s commentary as that will capture their mood perfectly.
     
    So a big three points from a team that just refuses to go away. It’s still highly unlikely that we will win the title, but it’s more likely than it was a week ago so that’s something to cling to I suppose.
     
    I’m not even dwelling on it too much. If Villa do something at the Etihad then great, but I’m not holding out much hope for it and I’m not even really thinking about it much. I’m just looking forward to going to Anfield and seeing us do our thing. Just beat Wolves and then see how the chips fall. If City win there won’t be any sulking at Anfield, we’re having a party at full time no matter what this Sunday.
     
    Two cups to celebrate and the opportunity to show our appreciation to the lads for all they’ve done this season. And the small matter of seeing them off before their date with Real Madrid.
     
    Note to any mischief making African journalists reading this. I did not just call the Champions League final “small”.
     
    Star man is difficult because there are half a dozen strong contenders. Bobby got it on Sky and I did think he was very good, especially in the second half. I think we had better though. Milner was so fucking good in the first half in that number six role. He had to go to right back when Gomez went off and he was solid there too.
     
    Harvey was really good, Curtis was even better and Kostas was quality again. I think I’m going for Konate though. I probably didn’t think that at the time but having slept on it and thought a bit more about the game, the big lad was just so fucking dominant. His form has been unreal since the turn of the year and he’s had much more of an impact on this season than I thought he would. There’s no bigger Joel Matip fan than me (other than Virgil) but it’s really hard to even contemplate not picking Konate now isn’t it?
     
    Klopp is often asked about how hard it is picking a team and he says that’s the easy part. The hard thing is leaving lads out of the squad completely. Taki might not even make the bench this Sunday, and if he does then it might be at the expense of Origi. Harvey probably won’t make it either, or if he does then it will be Ox missing out. The depth is just unprecedented, along with a lot of other things we’ve seen this season.
     
    Not least this; we might actually win the fucking lot!
     
     
    Team: Alisson; Gomez (Henderson), Matip, Konate, Tsimikas; Milner, Elliott (Origi), Jones; Minamino, Firmino (Keita), Jota:
     
     
     

  • Nine changes, all the stars missing but you'd never know as the Reds produced an impressive performance to see off the Saints and ensure the title race will go right down to the final day. What a team.
     
    Chris Smith is joined by Julian Richards and TLW Editor Dave Usher to reflect on another highly satisfying night in which several of the lesser lights in the squad took their chance to shine brightly.
     
    Up the still quadruple chasing Reds!
     
     
     

  • A delighted Jurgen Klopp has praised the impact of squad members who have been lacking first team opportunities in recent months as the Reds defeated Southampton 2-1, and take their quest to win the Premier League into the final day of the season.
     
    After a gruelling and emotionally sapping 120 minutes plus penalties in their FA Cup triumph against Chelsea , the Liverpool manager made the understandable decision to rotate his squad with another major fixture looming on the horizon in Paris on Saturday week.
     
    Klopp has been realistic in his responses when asked if his team can take the League trophy out the hands of Man City and echoed that line after this triumph saying  "It is possible, not likely but possible. That is enough."
     
    However in typical Klopp fashion he wanted to look at the bigger picture and in this case it was the contribution of the likes of Taki Minamino, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott that delighted him.
     
    Elliott made his first league appearance since February (against Leicester) and first start since his season was disrupted by a serious ankle injury against Leeds in September.
     
    It has also been three months since Minamino last made a league appearance (vs Norwich) and he celebrated his first league start of the season with his 10th goal in all competitions.
     
    Speaking after the win, Klopp started with a sincere apology as the Echo reported:
     
    “It’s a crime! I apologise! Crazy! People ask me if it’s hard to pick a line-up,”
     
    “Takumi Minamino, it’s a crime he’s not playing more often."
     

     
    In a sign of a strong squad, Klopp had no qualms in his squad rotation and saw it as another indication that the whole squad can step up to the mark when called upon to do so.
     
    “I love it! I have options. Today we could have lined up differently, but we really liked it.
     
    “Making nine changes, if it wouldn’t have worked out it would have been 1000 percent my responsibility,” he said. “Now it is 1000 percent the boys’ responsibility.
     
    “The football we could play was really good. It’s hard [to leave people out]. I expect them to react like they do, but it’s not normal. It’s special. Whatever happens, happens because the group is pretty, pretty special.
     
    “Actually, I’m so happy about the performance, it was a bit touching to be honest. It was like ‘Wow, these boys!’ It’s like having Ferraris in the garage and then you let them out and they play like this.
     
    “Harvey, not sure when he last played. Curtis, no rhythm. Oxlade didn’t even play and he’s in outstanding shape.
     

     
    Klopp was just as thrilled with the reaction to conceding a early goal, one that he believes should not have stood.
     
    “I can ask for a lot but the boys have to do it. They did it exceptionally well. Some incredible performances tonight. I saw a group reacting to a blow. I didn’t see the situation [Redmond goal] back but I thought it was a clear foul, there could have been nerves but the boys on the pitch, not all. We just kept going.
     
    “We controlled the game, we know how Southampton wants to play, and we played in all the spaces where they couldn’t get us.
     
    “Last 10 minutes, this group didn’t play together 500 times so you could see now the changes. We have to work on how we can play time down without getting in trouble. But in the end, Ali was there and we deserve the three points. Fantastic.”
     
     
     
     

  • Online gambling is a popular pastime for many people all over the world. But with so many different sites to choose from, it can be difficult to find the ideal one for your needs. That's why we've put together a list of top tips on how to find the ideal online gambling site. Follow these tips, and you'll be well on your way to finding the perfect site for you!
     
     
    Read Reviews and Testimonials Online
     
    One of the best ways to find an ideal online gambling site is to read reviews and testimonials from other gamblers. This will give you a good idea of what others thought about their experience with a particular site. Look for both positive and negative reviews, as this will help you get a more balanced picture. This way, you'll find the best gambling sites that are also legitimate, which is important because there are a lot of scammers out there who are looking to take advantage of unsuspecting gamblers. So be sure to do your research and make sure the site is licensed and regulated by a reputable jurisdiction.
    Choose A Site With A Good Reputation
    Another important factor to consider when choosing an online gambling site is its reputation. You'll want to choose a site that has a good reputation in the industry and is known for being fair and trustworthy. A good way to check this is to look for reviews from other players, as well as industry experts. This will give you an idea of how well the site is run and whether or not it's a reputable place to gamble. For example, if a site has a lot of negative reviews, it's probably not a good idea to gamble there. On the other hand, if a site is highly rated by both players and experts, then it's likely a great place to gamble.
    Look For A Site That Offers A Wide Variety Of Games
    When you're looking for an ideal online gambling site, you'll also want to make sure they offer a wide variety of games. This way, you can find the perfect game for your needs and interests. Some sites only offer slots, while others may also offer table games like blackjack and roulette. So be sure to check out what each site has to offer before making your final decision. You should also look for sites that offer bonuses and promotions, as this can help you boost your bankroll and give you an edge over the house. Additionally, you'll want to make sure the site you choose is easy to use and navigate, as this will make your gambling experience more enjoyable.
    Make Sure The Site Is Safe And Secure
    You'll also want to make sure the site you choose is safe and secure. This is important because you don't want to risk your personal information or financial details falling into the wrong hands. Look for sites that use 128-bit SSL encryption to protect your data. You should also look for sites that are licensed and regulated by a reputable jurisdiction, as this will ensure they follow strict security protocols.
     

     
    Look For Safe Payment Methods
    When you're looking for an ideal online gambling site, you'll also want to make sure they offer safe and secure payment methods. This is important because you don't want to risk your personal or financial information falling into the wrong hands. Look for sites that offer a variety of payment methods, such as credit cards, debit cards, e-wallets, and bank transfers. You should also look for sites that offer bonuses and promotions, as this can help you boost your bankroll and give you an edge over the house.
    Choose a Mobile-Friendly Site
    Another important factor to consider when choosing an online gambling site is whether or not it's mobile-friendly. This is important because you want to be able to access your account and play games on the go. Look for sites that offer a mobile app or a mobile-friendly website. This way, you can gamble on the go, wherever you are. You should also look for sites that offer bonuses and promotions, as this can help you boost your bankroll and give you an edge over the house. For example, some sites offer a welcome bonus, which is a great way to get started. Additionally, you'll want to make sure the site you choose is easy to use and navigate, as this will make your gambling experience more enjoyable.
     
    When you follow these tips, you'll be well on your way to finding the ideal online gambling site for you. Be sure to do your research and choose a site that is safe, secure, and offers a wide variety of games.

  • A picture paints a thousand words, etc., etc. Fear not, this shouldn’t take more than 300!
     
    The background: Fair play to all those in our end who still seem to be going ecstatic! I was shaking like a shitting dog at the point, a good few down the road (it was about 8:15pm in France and I had been drinking for about four hours). 
     

     
    Trent: This means more. Probably even more to him. Such intensity, yet he’s also saying to Kostas, ‘You’ve got this, la.’ And he had.
     
    Bobby: It’s a photo so we can’t tell if he’s dancing or not. Probably is. But again, he’s saying, ‘You’ve got this, la.’ And he fucking had.
     
    Hendo: Remember that game away to Atalanta? Nobody in because of COVID so you could hear Hendo all the way through. Always there. Encouraging. Haranguing. Look at him here. He’s clapping for him. Saying he believes in him. He’s saying, ‘You’ve got this, la.’ And he fucking had.
     
    Joel: Clenched fist. A knowing look. Joel knew he was going to slot it. He’s saying, ‘You’ve got this, la.’ And he fucking had.
     
    James and Jota (comes as a package): Diogo is thinking, ‘Da, give me a hug, I need you here!’ James is thinking, ‘Kinell, Diogo, I’m not yer Da.’ 
     
    Konaté: ‘Vas-y, mon gars, tu gères de ouf.’
     
    Kostas: ‘Give me the ball so I can be done with this, go home and smoke 40 Marlboro Light and have a fucking nap.’
     
     
    John Brennan

×
×
  • Create New...