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  • TLW
    Tonight when Jordan Henderson leads Liverpool onto the Stade de France pitch their focus will be on one thing only and that is raising the European Cup for the seventh time.
     
    There will be difficult moments throughout the 90 minutes (and possibly beyond) that they will have to negotiate, but as a battle hardened group this squad has certainly been through plenty of those occasions.
     
    Arguably one of the most difficult periods in the modern era for Liverpool came last season amid a global pandemic, no crowds and a squad ravished by serious injury.
     
    Rather than building on the title win from the season before, Jurgen Klopp was flat out putting a fit and functioning starting eleven on the pitch, which included plenty of square pegs in round holes.
     
    But there is a saying that ‘from adversity comes opportunity’ and there is no greater example of that than Nat Phillips.
     
    In truth, the unheralded Bolton Wanderers junior and Liverpool academy graduate was way down the pecking order in a fully fit central defence. But after losing three key members of that collective in little over three months, it meant that the 25 year-old was now depended on to play a key role.
     
    Liverpool fans love a player who gives their heart and soul into a performance even if they are not blessed with technical skill like a Virgil Van Dijk style for instance.
     
    Phillips played every game like it was his last, throwing his body into every challenge and wearing bandages on his head like a badge of honour.
     

     
    In turn, he developed a cult following and while Liverpool were not playing for any honours, their quest for silverware in a metaphorical sense came in chasing a Champions League.
     
    In the run home he was teamed up with Rhys Williams and despite their inexperience, the performances they produced during the most tense of the season is a redeeming memory of that season.
     
    After spending the second half of the season on loan at Bournemouth, the next chapter in the Nat Phillips footballing journey is yet to be written, but despite being humble about his role with the Reds, he reflected to the Echo on the challenges they faced together.
     
    “In a way for Rhys and me it worked nicely because we were both going through the same thing together. Having been thrown in and having to perform and play at that level, with those expectations on us where neither of us would really have anticipated it at the start of the season.
     
    “There’s a fair amount of pressure to deal with and you’re also desperate to do well for your own benefit and for your team-mates and the staff as well because you know they’re relying on you so you want to do well for them. We were both going through that together and that probably helped our partnership.
     
    “It just meant we could communicate well with each other, we could help each other and we were just desperate to work well together and do a job in order to do the club, the fans, our team-mates and the staff proud.”
     

     
    As a professional sportsman, you get your fair share of plaudits but sometimes the greatest thrill comes from proving people wrong which is what the Liverpool dressing room set about doing at the time.
     
    But even the most optimistic Red would have been concerned heading deep into injury time at the Hawthorns last May.
     
    What happened next is something that vividly remains with Phillips.
     
    “The one that stands out and the one when the emotion came pouring out of me, I was so elated and ecstatic, was when Alisson scored at West Brom. The way the game was going, it felt worrying. You could just see the time ticking away.
     
    “You’re thinking we’ve got to get something and are desperately looking for where it would come from. Sure enough Alisson steps up and nods one in, and he managed to nudge me out of the way in the process!”
     
    Like any defender Phillips loves nothing better than challenging himself against the very best and he more than held his own when coming up against the likes of Karim Benzema and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
     
    While the Reds were knocked out by the Madrid giants last season, in a personal sense Phillips looks back at the second leg with a great deal of pride and big step forward in his football education.
     
    “That’s a game where I look back, and I’ve seen it back and seen my performance, and I’m happy with how I played. To have kept a clean sheet against Real Madrid and to have played well in that game is certainly something I do, and in future will, look back on with pride, even though the result didn’t go the way we wanted to and we didn’t progress.
     
    “That evening I certainly didn’t feel like that, I was gutted and still was in the days after. But as time passed and more time passes, it’s something I can feel more proud about rather than concentrating on the fact we didn’t progress.”
     
     While Football is a ruthless and unforgiving business, Klopp never forgets the human aspect and those who have paved the way for others to follow.
     
    On the night that Phillips was winning promotion with the Cherries, Klopp was negotiating stormy waters in Spain before guiding the Reds to this stage of the competition.
     
    Despite being involved in such a important fixture, one of the first people Klopp messaged after the win against Villarreal was Phillips.
     

     
    “It says a lot about him. It was a really nice surprise; quite a few of the Bournemouth lot mentioned it as well. It shows what he’s like as a manager and what he’s like to work for and why he gets so much out of the players because that is how he’ll treat you as a player and as a person
     
    “His text message was initially just congratulating me on the promotion. Even that, I was surprised to receive that to be honest because I was aware he had a big game that evening.
     
    “I was surprised that it had even crossed his mind that I had that game. I said “Likewise to you guys for getting to the final.
     
    "In response to that, he just said, “You played a big part in that.” It was really nice to hear and nice of him to say that. It’s something I can be proud of.”
     
    Phillips will be in Paris for the showcase event and is thrilled to witness this relentless team in action.
     
    “Anytime the club reaches a final and there’s an opportunity for success, I’m delighted for the club and delighted for all the staff and my team-mates. I see all the work that goes into it.
     
    “I’m so fortunate to be in a position where I can go and watch these games and go and support the lads. To see this standard of football and these moments first hand, I can’t wait for it.”
     
     
     
     
  • He was sitting in the stands as a fan four years ago, now Harvey Elliott is on his own quest to right the wrongs from that turbulent evening in Kyiv as the Reds get ready to take on Real Madrid in another Champions League final in Paris tomorrow evening.
     
    At the time, a 15 year-old Elliott was making exciting progress in his young career as he had already made his U/18 debut for Fulham and was a few months away from making his senior debut for the club in a Carabao Cup fixture against Millwall making his way in his football journey.
     
    The young midfielder was also on the radar of a number of Europe’s top clubs, and even toured the Bernabeu facilities but such was the distain that he felt about the conduct of a certain Real Madrid player on the evening, he declined to meet club captain Sergio Ramos, previously telling The Athletic "Yeah, that’s true. I turned it down because of what he did to Mo,”
     
    In his wildest footballing dreams, not even Elliott would have imagined that he would be in the squad for his boyhood club preparing for the re-match.
     
    And while the senior figures within the Liverpool camp have shied away from mentioning the ‘R’ word, Elliott has not hesitated in talking about his own experience per the Echo.
     
    “For myself, it’s my own revenge, I want to take that upset and disappointment as a fan and make sure I put it right at the weekend if I’m needed.
     
    “It's going to be a crazy experience to be able to say I've been there as a fan and then as a player and hopefully get a chance to play. We'll see. I'm just so excited, and hopefully we can put it right.”
     
    Regardless of whether he steps out onto the Stade de France pitch tomorrow evening, even being part of the playing squad is a hell of a achievement considering the serious ankle injury he suffered last September.
     
    Elliott has made one appearance in the competition this season, one that he recalled with a great deal of fondness.
     
    "To say I've played at the San Siro is an experience in itself. To play against Inter Milan in the knockout stages of the Champions League, I didn’t really know how to react because I hadn’t had that feeling (of starting a game) for a long time.
     
    “It was butterflies, “I played as well as I could – I didn’t really have my best game – but just the experience alone was very good for me.”
     

     
    Jurgen Klopp and his staff have taken a extremely cautious approach with one of most exciting young talents post injury, and the 19 year-old wanted to pay tribute to that particular collective as well as his loved ones for keeping his spirits high through the difficult times.
     
    “I don't think the coaching and fitness staff here get enough credit,” says Elliott. “You look at the likes of Virgil van Dijk’s injury and Joe Gomez’s injury, and they got them back playing and now they are absolutely flying.
     
    “The credit often goes to the player on returning, but at the end of the day it’s the (fitness) coaches who are here every day, working longer hours, planning extra sessions for us and planning drills in the gym and different opportunities and situations on the pitch to help players get back playing again.
     
    “Credit also has to go to my family to help me get through it, they helped me out when I was looking down, even when I wasn’t showing it they were always there to keep me going and keep me motivated to get back stronger and quicker than expected.”
     
    Having been through his share of ups and downs, Elliott knows the kind of position he is in presently and does not want to waste this opportunity.
     
    “The amount of kids out there wanting those kind of experiences of playing in a final for Liverpool, I can’t take it for granted. As a fan, to dream of those experiences and then to have them, you just need to take the opportunities. I’m very happy I can do that.”
     
     
     
  • The double winning Reds are looking to make it a treble as they bod for a seventh European Cup this weekend in Paris. Standing in the way are a familiar foe.
     
    The last time the sides met in Paris it ended with Alan Kennedy securing number three. Four years ago in Kyiv it was Real who emerged victorious. To discuss who will triumph this time, Chris Smith is joined by Julian Richards and TLW Editor Dave Usher.
     
    Allez les Rouges!
     
     
  • On a rollercoaster day of emotions filled to the brim with high drama, the Reds fell just short of clinching the Premier League title. A hard-fought 3-1 victory over Wolves at Anfield on the final day was not enough to deny rivals Manchester City. In the end, the quadruple was not meant to be but the opportunity for a treble of major trophies is well and truly alive.
     
    Jurgen Klopp and his men have enjoyed an immensely successful season thus far and still have the chance to add the Champions League trophy to their list of honours for the campaign. What this group of players has achieved this year is nothing short of remarkable but to ensure they carry that momentum forward into 2022/23 and pip Pep to the Premier League title they will need to bolster their ranks this summer.
     
    The Reds look to strengthen midfield
     
    Liverpool faces a pivotal Summer transfer window in a number of positions, but the midfield should be the priority despite garnering little attention. Klopp has a number of options at his disposal but with Oxlade-Chamberlain looking set to leave and James Milner and Jordan Henderson entering the latter stages of their career, those options are thinning.
     
    Klopp is already on the move in the transfer market having recently secured the services of Portuguese winger Fabio Carvalho from Fulham and looking to add further to his ranks. Liverpool is also in the race to sign Monaco star Aurelien Tchouameni alongside Champions League final counterparts Real Madrid. The French defensive midfielder has emerged as one of Europe’s top rising stars over the past two seasons and has agreed on personal terms with both Liverpool and Los Blancos. Where he will end up we shall have to wait and see.
     
    One choice available to Klopp should he fail to obtain Tchouameni in the Summer is Borussia Dortmund youngster Jude Bellingham. The 18-year-old has commanded games at the highest level and maintained his form in the German Bundesliga throughout his spell at the Westfallenstadion. 20 goal contributions this term shows just how he is developing as a player and given the right time at Liverpool and he could be terrorising Premier League defences for years to come. He has poise in attack well beyond his years and demonstrates maturity in his play that marks him out as a truly generational talent well worth the £83million price tag. Those wanting to bet on whether Jude Bellingham will sign for Liverpool this summer can get free bets in the UK using these sites.
     
    An outside-the-box choice should both those targets fall through is Ivorian international Ibrahim Sangare. The PSV midfielder has played a crucial role in the Dutch outfit’s charge to the Eredivisie title this season, no doubt catching the eye of several interested onlookers hoping to lure him away from Eindhoven. His strength and power have led to impressive performances throughout the season for the Eredivisie champions and proved that the 24-year-old is more than capable of slotting straight into Klopp’s side. He will have to fight for him though as other Premier League clubs such as Newcastle and Aston Villa are also in the hunt to lure him away from the Netherlands and onto English soil.
     
    Keeping hold of stars is just as important as bringing them in
     
    The need for Klopp to freshen up his squad is readily apparent with the likes of Divock Origi, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and perhaps Joe Gomez looking set to depart the Reds this summer, the impact of the gap left by each varying drastically. Oxlade-Chamberlain hasn’t played for a couple of months now, while Origi leaves with a cult-hero status amongst the Kop having scored a number of iconic goals for the club since his arrival in 2015.
     
    It goes without saying that replacing these assets to maintain Liverpool’s strength in depth is important, but it will be crucial and ultimately season-defining for Liverpool next year if they can manage to retain the services of Mo Salah and Sadio Mane.
     
    The Egyptian has been in stunning form for the Reds this season in their quadruple chase securing the Premier League golden boot alongside Heung Min Son and making significant contributions throughout their various knockout competitions as well. Since arriving in 2017, the 29-year-old has scored 156 goals in 253 games for the Anfield outfit and is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world right now. He is a talent that Liverpool simply cannot afford to lose if they are to mount another challenge to Manchester City in the coming seasons.
     
    However, contract negotiations with the star have been turbulent and stretched all the way back to the beginning of this season. Uncertainty has persisted throughout the year regarding his intentions as the clock ticks down to the summer of 2023 when his current deal expires. Having said that positive steps have been made as of late despite Liverpool’s very strict wage structure; if there was one player to make an exception for it is surely the ‘Egyptian King’.
     
    Another vital cog in the Liverpool machine is Senegal’s Sadio Mane. The 2019 African Footballer of the Year joined the Reds in 2016 and has been critical in their success ever since contributing 116 goals to the sides that claimed the Champions League and Premier League titles in consecutive years. The front man is out of contract in just over 12 months’ time and has been quiet as to whether he will stay on Merseyside up until this point.
     
    In light of Mane stalling on putting pen to paper, Europe’s elite are hoping to capitalise with clubs such as PSG and Bayern Munich looking to get his signature this summer. The 30-year-old has made 28 goal contributions in 50 games this term and would no doubt add more if given the opportunity beyond 2023. Much like Salah, Mane is another player Liverpool can ill-afford to lose.
  • Given the situation we were in and the drama and emotion of it all, I didn’t even catch up on most of the other results until the day after. I wasn’t looking forward to Match of the Day because I knew I’d have to skip through our game and City’s game due to them doing that thing where they show both at the same time so you can see “how it unfolded” Fuck. That.
     
    Other than what happened with us, it was a decent enough final day in which most results went the way I’d want them to. In fact, if Aston Villa weren’t so…. well, Aston Villa… this would have been the absolutely perfect day. No top four for Arsenal, Leeds saved themselves (I’m glad, most of you probably aren’t!), Everton got battered, United lost yet again. The only slight blemish was West Ham didn’t win and push the Mancs down into the Europa Conference where they deserve to be. How have they finished above West Ham? That European run really torpedoed the Hammers' league campaign didn’t it?
     
    I’ll start at the bottom with Burnley and Leeds. I strongly fancied Burnley to stay up because they were at home to Newcastle while Leeds had to travel to Brentford. Newcastle had nothing to play for, whereas Brentford were looking for payback on Leeds because of a video that circulated after Leeds beat them in the playoffs a couple of years ago. 
     
    The Leeds players were singing about Thomas Frank and Brentford had been waiting for their chance at payback. My boy Ivan Toney tweeted it out a few weeks ago so you know Brentford were relishing the chance to put Leeds back in the Championship. So yeah, advantage Burnley I thought.
     
    Leeds had a kid making his debut in midfield and Gelhardt leading the line as my boy Bamford was still not ready to return. I didn’t like their chances of beating Brentford at all so fair play to them. It wouldn’t have mattered what Leeds did if Burnley had won though, but they shit the bed completely.
     
    The first goal they gave away was unbelievable. Nathan Collins just punched the ball off the head of a Newcastle player. Not one of those, hand above the head inadvertent handballs either. He deliberately did it. It was like watching a kids game when the ball comes within range of the hand and they can’t help but instinctively reach out and touch it. Wilson buried the pen and Burnley never really recovered.
     
    Burnley got relegated because Ben Mee got injured. It’s that simple I think. If he’d been available during the run in they’d have been fine. That Collins is terrible, I have no idea where they found him but they should send him back there. Unless it was the Championship, in which he’s headed back there anyway.
     
    As this was happening, Leeds thought they’d taken the lead with a smart finish by Gelhardt. He had just strayed offside though. They did eventually go ahead when Raphinha won and converted a pen.
     
    Things got worse for Burnley as Wilson added a second to make it 2-0 but Cornet pulled one back to give them hope and when Sergi Canos brilliantly headed Brentford level with 12 minutes to go it was game on. Especially as Canos was booked for taking his shirt off and then picked up another one minutes later for a foul. That’s why if I was a manager I’d fine any player who takes off their shirt unless it’s right at the end of the game. It's fucking stupid and serves no purpose.
     
    The situation was on a knife edge now and Weghorst was inches away from scoring the goal that - at that moment at least - would have saved Burnley. Cork had an effort cleared off the line too as the Clarets threw the kitchen sink at Newcastle.
     
    A goal then would have been enough, but then Harrison won it for Leeds with a deflected shot that found the bottom corner, sparking wild scenes of celebration in the away end. Bye bye Burnley then.
     
    You know what always shocks me? Hearing Ashley Barnes talk in his southern accent. He’s got Burnley stamped through him like a stick of rock and I always expect a Lancashire accent when he speaks. Then he’s all “yeah up the apples and pairs, guv’nor”. Freaks me out. 
     
    After Everton stayed up I didn’t really care who went down and had it been Leeds and not Burnley I wouldn’t have been arsed in the least. Yet when I heard they’d stayed up, and I then saw the video of Jesse Marsch huddling with his players in the dressing room afterwards, I have to admit I felt pleased for them. I feel no joy at Burnley going down though.
     
    I know loads of people can’t stand Burnley and I get it. Yet I think there’s something endearing about a club like that managing to come up and hang around for as long as they have without spending any cash. I also feel bad for them because of the ownership situation. It’s staggering that kind of leveraged buy out shit is still happening. The Premier League are just complete fucking cunts aren’t they?
     
    So I take no pleasure in Burnley’s demise but Leeds just bring more to the table. They’re fun to watch, even after Bielsa. I was critical of the decision to not let him see out the season and I didn’t think Marsch would be able to make any noticeable difference. He has though, I got that one badly wrong as they were clearly not getting out of it with Bielsa in charge.
     
    Right from Marsch’s first game in charge Leeds just looked like a more solid, organised unit. They lost that game (at Leicester) but you could see they weren’t going to be conceding six or seven every other week under the new guy. And they haven’t. They’ve been much more competitive while still playing attacking football with great energy. 
     
    Marsch is always going to get the Ted Lasso jibes and he won’t get the respect he deserves because, let’s face it, when Americans talk about footy it just doesn’t sound right and is a lot like when Brits talk about the NFL. Even if they really know their stuff it’s hard to take seriously because it sounds funny hearing an Englishman talking about “offense” and “de-fense” and “route trees”. It’s the same when an American is using footy terms. It shouldn’t be, but it just is. It sounds unnatural.
     
    But Jesse Marsch knows his shit and he’s performed a mini miracle keeping them up, especially with all of the injuries Leeds have had to deal with. They’ll be fine next season I think. There’ll be no relegation battle for them. Can Everton say the same? Can they fuck.
     
    The only thing that I took solace in last week when they secured their Premier League status is that I’m sure they’ll be even worse next year. They’ve gotten away with all of the financial doping but because Burnley are taking legal action that means the PL can no longer turn a blind eye to it and cover Everton’s tracks. Maybe there’ll be a points deduction but even if not you’d have to assume the PL are going to force them to get their accounts in order and to start balancing the books.
     
    The only way they can do that is by selling players and lowering the wage bill. There’ll be no big spending spree this summer, which is a shame in a way as they usually throw massive sums at shite players. They’d actually get a better return on their cash if they had just set fire to it. How is that? Well a pile of burnt cash can't shame the club by getting caught noncing.
     
    Everton are pathetic. Everything about them just screams out “LOSERS”. All season they booed and abused their players. Then when the situation got desperate they rallied around the team, gave them fucking rabid support and turned Goodison into a fucking war zone. It worked because they got the results they needed to stay up. Then they started patting themselves on the back for their great support. Where was that support all season then?
     
    The irony is that it wasn’t until they started doing what they’ve always sneeringly referred to as “Kopite behaviour” (supporting the team and greeting the coach etc) that they managed to create any kind of atmosphere. And it worked for them.
     
    They actually think Lampard is good, which is great news really because he’s shite and if he stays he’ll take them down next year. He won’t stay though. He’s already started laying the groundwork for his departure. Talking about how tough it’s been and how he can’t wait to go back down south now and spend time with his family because he’s hardly seen them. That’s his get out of jail free card.
     
    He won’t want to stay there with the financial mess they’re in. His stock is currently as high as it’s going to get because he kept them up. He’s a Tory and self preservation is second nature to them. He’ll desert that sinking ship like the fucking rat that he is. Same with Richarlison, the biggest rat of them all. If anyone comes in for him this summer he’ll be gone like shit off a stick, and he’ll convince the fans he’s done it to help them because the club needs the money. They’ll lap it up too.
     
    He’s played them like a fiddle, playing up to their rabid hordes with his stupid little jibes at us on social media. He thinks it winds us up but all it does is make me fucking cringe. He’s one sad, pathetic fucking loser with so self awareness whatsoever. Laughing at us for narrowly missing out on the title minutes after his team just lost 5-1 to finish 16th. I mean, it takes a special kind of fucking moron to not see what a terrible look that is. He even had a Newcastle fan in the replies rightly telling him “have some shame”. A Newcastle fan talking about a lack of shame!! That's when you know you're in the wrong.
     
    The only thing I will give Richarlison credit for is that unlike most of his team-mates he clearly does care and always puts a shift in. I despise everything about him and have done since he was at Watford, but one thing I can’t level at him is that he doesn’t work for the team. Give me that over the complete disinterest from his tone deaf strike partner who sat around watching his team struggle and after humiliating defeats would then go on instagram posting pictures of himself dressed as a woman from the 1950s. But then he came back for the last few games, scored a couple of goals and that will be enough to make the Blues forget just how much he’s taken the piss out of them. Another one who will leave at the first opportunity.
     
    If he really wants to make them think he cares, he should dress up in a Real Madrid kit and post it before kick off on Saturday. They’ll build him a statue then. I’m not even kidding. It doesn’t take much to get tributes from the Blues. Lest we forget that Dele Ali and Donny Van Der Week were put on a mural alongside Pickford, Coleman, Richarlison etc before they’d even kicked a ball. Alli still hasn’t kicked a ball for them has he? I know he's played, but has he touched the ball? Can anyone recall him doing ANYTHING for them? Still, at least he got a haircut and removed that red dreadlock eh?
     
    They define themselves by what we do and that’s why they’ll always fail. Forget about us, concentrate on getting your own shit together. It’s fucking mental when you look at how giddy they’ve been the last couple of weeks. They’re acting like they’ve achieved something this season. They’ve been dogshit for virtually the entire season, they survived by the skin of their teeth yet they’re strutting around, dicks swinging, like they’ve got something to be pleased about. They're fucking mental.
     
    Being a Blue is quite literally the most miserable existence of any fanbase in whole of football. There’s no joy in it whatsoever so they have to manufacture joy where there really isn’t any. Like invading the pitch and celebrating like Scots who’ve won at Wembley just because a team that spent more money than anyone outside of the two manc clubs just about survived relegation with one game to spare. They’re a different breed. It’s going to be great next season when they finish bottom.
     
    Speaking of bottom, Norwich ended their season fitting style by getting fucking leathered 5-0 at home by Spurs. Son scored twice but thankfully Mo got one to ensure the Golden Boot was shared. I didn’t like their little bro fest on twitter congratulating eachother though. Whatever that contract offer is, knock ten grand a week off it just for that shit. Urgh.
     
    Then you have Lineker furthering the tiresome “nice guy Son” narrative with “look at him smiling, you can tell he’s such a lovely guy and his team-mates love him”. Fuck that shit. He’s a little twat and I’ll die on that hill. 
     
    Spurs fully deserved top four as even if they did their best at times to blow it, they’re miles better than anyone other than the top three and it should never have been as close as it ended up. Arsenal are exactly who I said they were though and they proved it by twatting Everton when it meant absolutely nothing. They were smelling themselves too, especially Arteta giving it loads on the touchline, the smug cunt. Pure unadulterated Arsenal that. 
     
    Martinelli got the first from the spot, Nketiah quickly added another before Van Der Beek pulled one back. Cedric, Gabriel and Odegaard put Everton to the sword in the second half, but the travelling Blues didn’t care as they were too busy cheering Manchester City goals. City have well and truly overtaken United in their affections now. Sad cunts.
     
    Arsenal fans are now trying to talk themselves into "5th is a success" because they’d have taken that at the beginning of the season. What a crock of shit that is. At the start of the season they wouldn’t have been expecting Chelsea, Spurs and United to have the problems they’d had. Arsenal had a top four spot virtually sewn up and they threw it away. To Spurs. Losers. 
     
    Speaking of losers, United lost again. This the worst side they’ve had in living memory and they’re a million miles away from being good again. They may even be worse next season as their best player is going to jail and they basically need seven or eight really good signings to get anywhere near challenging. 
     
    Zaha got the only goal of the game to cap off a satisfying season for him and Palace. 14 goals, probably half of them from the spot but I can’t be arsed checking. Meanwhile, this was United’s worst season since 90/91 but it was actually much worse than their points tally suggests. They finished 6th and that flattered them massively.
     
    Palace finished 12th but I don’t think that reflects how they played either. They were better than that, and they were certainly a lot easier on the eye than they usually are. There’ll be no more Vieira disrespect from me after Palace's heroics against City and with him decking that little scrote who taunted him at Goodison. Shame Benteke didn’t do the same, the placid twat.
     
    I didn't actually realise when I wrote last week's round up that the Everton pitch invasion wasn't just at full time. They did it when they scored the third goal and there were still five minutes left. It wasn't just a joyous thing with them celebrating either, they were intimidating and abusing the Palace players while there was still time left. The Benteke video is appalling.
     
    Burnley should be putting in a complain about that too because there's no doubt that something like that will have had an influence on the Palace players. Palace had nothing of note to play for and they knew exactly what was happening when the full time whistle went. They will have just been wanting that game over and any motivation they had to try and get an equaliser will have gone as their personal safety will have been the priority. That's really not a level playing field is it? Action needs taking there. Some games behind closed doors next season is the least they should get. Same with City, who assaulted the Villa keeper after their game on Sunday. They should have been thanking the shit cunt.
     
    Anyway, United’s loss opened the door for West Ham to grab 6th sport and when Antonio smashed them into the lead at Brighton with a left footed thunderbolt it was looking good. Brighton hit back through Veltman and won it with a lovely finish by Gross late on and a stoppage time header by Danny Welcrap.
     
    Top ten finish for Brighton and well deserved too. Give them a good centre forward and they’d be pushing for top six. They lost only one of their final ten games, which was a stat that surprised me. That wretched run they had a couple of months back (seven losses in a row I think) really killed their chances of Europe but if they keep Graham Potter they might be able to climb a couple more places next season. 
     
    Watford took on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in what will hopefully be their last Premier League game for some time. We’ve seen enough of them and Norwich now. Please don’t come back any time soon lads.
     
    That Kenedy fella was playing for Chelsea. Where the fuck has been? On loan presumably, but how come he was allowed to play in this game? He was really good too. He set up the opener for Havertz and created a few other chances too. 
     
    Chelsea’s fans were having a great old time singing about Steven Gerrard as Villa handed City the title with that collapse, but just as the Chelsea fans were reaching full volume that Dan Gosling jabroni headed Watford level.
     
    It’s a shame it didn’t stay that way as it would have been a fitting end to Chelsea’s season. They’ve been mostly shite since the turn of the year and Tuchel has work to do there this summer, especially with all of his defenders fucking off, Kante starting to look old and them having no reliable goalscorer. 
     
    I mean fucking hell, they needed Ross Barkley to score the winner in this game. That’s not something you can count on, the breeze block headed cunt hadn’t scored all season. The sooner he goes back to Everton the sooner balance will be restored to the universe. They’re made for eachother.
     
    Finally, Leicester thumped Southampton in a bad tempered game. Maddison put Leicester ahead in controversial circumstances. There was a drop ball and Southampton through they were getting the ball back. It was booted towards their keeper and everyone stopped. Except Vardy, who chased it and put pressed on Lyanco who fluffed his lines and let Vardy in. The keeper saved but Maddison pounced on the rebound. Southampton were fucking furious and rightly so.
     
    Vardy then made it 2-0 with a lovely finish. Ward-Prowse pulled one back from the spot but that loser Ayoze Perez then converted a brilliant Maddison pass to give Leicester a cushion again. He then added another one to make it 4-1.
     
    Leicester finished 8th, which on paper is probably not too far over par all things considered. They’ve had loads of injuries yet I still feel like they’ve had a really disappointing season. Maybe I’m judging them overly harshly because of the points they gifted to Everton and because the cunts somehow beat us, but I don’t think they’ve been good enough considering the squad they have. They should be 5th or 6th really.
     
    Maddison has had a sneaky good season though. 18 goals he’s scored, which is really impressive for a midfielder. The fact that Leicester have been so disappointing means no-one is really talking about him though. I reckon he’s got Newcastle written all over him. The Saudis will be looking to make a big splash this summer and he seems like exactly the type of cunt who’d jump at it.
     
    So there we go, another season in the books and they seem to go quicker every year. It starts in August, then you blink and suddenly it’s May. Overall it’s been amazing. It didn’t result in the title and I’m not going off on one again about the injustice of that.
     
    The thing I want to say really is that too much emphasis seems to be being placed on the end result. The final outcome. All this talk now that we need to win the Champions League to ensure the season is a success. I’ve been thinking a lot about that these last few days and frankly it’s bollocks.
     
    A season isn’t just about what happens at the end of it. It’s about the journey, the fun you have along the way. The joy of winning games and the anticipation of the next one. In fairness, maybe that's why Arsenal see their season as a success? I don't deny they have made progress, but still, they're such fucking bottle jobs aren't they?
     
    For us though, this entire season has been un fucking real. We’ve reached every final and the league title was still a possibility right up until the final whistle went at the Etihad. 
     
    Yet we have fans of other clubs trying to banter us about ‘not winning the league’ and saying if we don’t win a European Cup it isn’t a great season. None of those cunts, NONE of them, have ever done what we’ve done. This is something 99% of other clubs in this country have never even come close to and never will. 
     
    Look at Everton, wildly celebrating because they’ve won a few home games to stay in the league. They’re acting like they’ve had a successful season when they’ve been thoroughly miserable for nine months of it. We’ve had great fun from August until May. The result of one game doesn’t take that away. A footy season is 10 months long and we’ve had 10 great months. Other than City, who else can say that? 
     
    And judging by their half arsed title parade even they don’t seem to have enjoyed themselves that much. Fuck everyone who isn’t us. 
     
    So as is tradition, here's some end of season awards
     
    Player of the Season (excluding LFC or MCFC)
     
    1) Son Heung Min (sorry mum)
    2) Jarrod Bowen
    3) Conor Gallagher
     
    He could play for us
     
    1) Harry Kane (sorry mum)
    2) Kevin De Bruyne
    3) Conor Gallagher
     
    Manager of the Season (non LFC)
     
    Graham Potter
     
    Goal of the Season:
     
    1) Salah v United (h) 
    2) Salah v City (h)
    3) Thiago v Porto (h)
     
    Twat of the Season
     
    1) Richarlison
    2) Frank Lampard
    3) Pep Guardiola
    4) Anthony Gordon
    5) Ben White
     
    Flop of the Season
     
    1) Everton
    2) Romelu Lukaku
    3) Bruno Fernandez
    4) Marcelo Bielsa
    5) Jack Grealish
     
    Worst Fans
     
    1) Man United
    2) Everton
    3) Newcastle (guaranteed number one next season, mark my words)
    4) Leicester 
    5) Wolves
     
    Best Opposition Fans
     
    Palace.
     
    Best Opposing Player Performance Against Us
     
    1) Kevin De Bruyne
    2) Mateo Kovacic 
    3) Conor Gallagher 
    4) Gabriel Martinelli
    5) Leandro Trossard
     
    Worst Opposition Player Performance Against Us
     
    1) Geronimo Rulli (twice)
    2) Paul Pogba (twice)
    3) Harry Maguire
    4) Zach Steffen
    5) Ben White
     
    The Jason Puncheon ‘My Boy’ Award
     
    In the absence of Bamford, I’ll go with Allan Saint-Maximin just over Ivan Toney and Marc Cucurella.
     
    Premier League Team of the Season:
     
    Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Thiago; Salah, Mané, Diaz:
     
    Best of the Rest (exc LFC & MCFC):
     
    Martinez; James, Thiago Silva, Rudiger, Cucurella; Rice, Gallagher, Maddison; Bowen, Kane, Son:
     
    Massive Cunts XI:
     
    Pickford, Azpilacueta, White, Mina, Walker; Holgate, Bernardo, Fernandez; Gordon, Richarlison (c), Greenwood:
     
    Subs: Ramsdale, Mings, Maguire, Coleman, Coady, Son, Kane
  • I often find writing match reports can be somewhat cathartic after setbacks. Usually those are when we’ve lost games though or put in a terrible performance. This is different. I don’t want to be writing this at all as I just feel really flat today. It’s a weird situation as I couldn’t be happier or more positive about our team and where we are at, but it’s really fucking galling that it isn’t enough to be winning titles because of things that are beyond our control.
     
    Three years ago we picked up 97 points and didn’t win it. This year it’s 92. It should be enough but it isn’t because of a fucking abomination sports washing project up the road. It’s galling and as cheated as I feel for myself as a fan, I feel even worse for Klopp and his players. They’ve put everything into this season and what they’ve done is truly incredible. To be able to still top the ninety point mark while going all the way in every other competition is unheard of. They deserve to be Champions but modern football is just so fucking corrupt it’s harder than ever to win anything if you’re playing by the rules. Cheats usually prosper, and without us fighting the good fight City would have five titles on the bounce and probably another FA Cup to add to their tainted collection.
     
    I’ll bounce back in a day or two, especially with a Champions League Final to look ahead to, but I’m just pretty gutted today and struggling to motivate myself to do anything really. I didn’t think I would be. In fact I said going into this game that I’d made my peace with missing out on the title and that this game was going to be a celebration of what the lads have given us already, as well as a rousing send off for next week. It didn’t really turn out like that though, mainly because I broke the golden rule I have lived my life by for decades - never rely on Aston Villa.
     
    In my defence, even when they led 1-0 I didn’t get my hopes up. I fully expected them to go on and lose the game. My only focus was on us. I badly wanted to win our game to at least make City have to win their game to beat us. I also wanted the win to keep up our incredible home record over recent years. Last year doesn’t count as there were no fans. Anfield with fans is a fortress and we’ve just completed a fourth successive unbeaten season at home (as I said, last year doesn’t count).
     
    So that was my focus, nothing else. But then Villa went 2-0 and everything changed. Now all of the stars seemed to be aligning. Coutinho even got the goal. So, more fool me, I started to believe. The Gerrard factor, Coutinho scoring, it was going to happen. Fucking hell. We just needed to find a goal ourselves as we were drawing 1-1 and facing the nightmare scenario of losing the title on goal difference. At least that didn’t happen, so that’s something I guess.
     
    Not that it makes me feel any less shitty. Today is a tough day and I’m sure most of you feel as low as I do. There are all sorts of emotions flying around and I’ve been trying to isolate them to see which is the most prevalent. One thing I know is that I’m not disappointed, I’m mostly just pissed off. Not with our lads mind. I couldn’t be prouder of what our team has done this season. Even if the title had found its way here I couldn’t be any more proud of them. So much so that I’m not even going to reference THAT game which I’ve been banging on about for months as the one that would cost us the title. I no longer see it that way. 
     
    Yes, we absolutely should never have dropped points that night, but look at all the games we’ve won since when you could argue we shouldn’t have. By that I don’t mean ‘shouldn’t’ as in didn’t deserve to. I mean shouldn’t have been able to because we were playing twice a week every week for months and on occasion had to make five, six, seven changes. We still kept on winning. 
     
    So no, I’m not going to pick holes in it with “if only we hadn’t done this or if only we’d been able to do that.” Fuck that. 92 points while going all the way in every single cup competition we played in is incredible. Unprecedented. I have no regrets from our perspective.
     
    So why I am pissed off? It’s the injustice of it all really. The cruelty of it. We’re up against Ben Johnson FC only if/when they eventually get found guilty their honours won’t be handed to those who deserved them (which isn’t just us, it’s United as well). They’ve gotten away with the cheating irrespective of what future punishments may or (more likely) may not be handed down. They’ve been getting away with it for years and the media - a few noble souls fighting the good fight in the written press and on social media excluded - don’t give a fuck about it.
     
    So there’s that. An opponent doesn’t play by the same rules as everyone else but there is no recourse to their actions and hardly anyone seems to care. It’s a societal problem. Rich cunts can do what they like and the bootlicking fucking peasants just bow their heads in deference and accept whatever shit is dumped on their heads. Whether it’s energy companies making big profits yet still fucking trebling our fucking bills, members of the Royal family noncing, the Met turning a blind eye to Downing Street parties or the Premier League allowing clubs to just completely disregard the rules, the bottom line is the rich do what they like and there is never any recourse for their actions. Money talks.
     
    Not just at the top of the league either. Even at the bottom Everton have got away with fucking murder and Burnley are down because of it. The injustice and corruption in the Premier League is fucking rife. And it will only get worse now that they’ve let the fucking Saudis in despite the majority of clubs being against it. Money talks you see. That’s also why we’ve got a World Cup in mid-season in fucking Qatar. I’m getting sidetracked here though so back on topic.
     
    I’m also pissed off because I think back to a referee from Salford missing the most obvious handball of the season and a VAR official from Greater Manchester looking at it and going “nah it’s alright our kid, no handball. Come on Citeh, mad fer it”. Don’t dare try and tell me that’s just one of those things because there was nothing more blatantly corrupt this season than that decision. It was even worse than when the same pair of mancs stiffed us at Tottenham.
     
    So yeah, I’m pissed off. Disgusted too. At Aston fucking Villa and at myself for briefly allowing myself to believe they might do something worthwhile for once in their pitiful fucking existence. Ok, they did win a European Cup back in the day, but since then they’ve been a joke. I lost count of the number of times they gifted points to Ferguson’s United when they had the chance to stop them winning titles. That’s where my “never rely on Aston Villa” mantra originated.
     
    I expected them to do nothing against City and ultimately I was right. For a while though they were making me look like a twat and I couldn’t have been happier. As I sat there desperately wanting us to get that decisive goal against Wolves I had my Villa apology all worked out in my head. What I’d write in this report and what I’d say on the pod. I was even going to sing that God awful “Yippy aye ay” chant of theirs. And then they went the full Aston Villa. Three goals in five fucking minutes??? Spineless, bottling fucking cunts. Three goals in five minutes? Seriously? You fucking cowardly shitbags.
     
    What does that say about Stevie by the way? I know loads of Reds won’t want to blame him for that and in fairness he wasn’t on the pitch. Maybe I’m lashing out because of the hurt I’m feeling but to me it speaks volumes of him as a manager that his team can not only wilt like that, but not have the game management savvy to break up the game, fuck shit up and generally just take the wind out of City’s sails for a bit. No balls and no game management. Fuck off Villa you absolute shit cunts.
     
    I should never have allowed myself to contemplate the possibility that they’d get something against City but with a 2-0 lead and the clock ticking it’s impossible not to dream. The worst thing about these situations is the fucking false alarms that go around the ground. They usually start in the far corner of the Anny Road. The same thing happened three years ago when some soft cunt started cheering that Brighton had gone 2-0 up. This time it was a massive cheer that Villa had equalised to make it 3-3. 
     
    Anfield was rocking like fuck briefly. Pretty sure we were still 1-1 at that point but we scored soon after and the players probably thought Villa were still level because their celebrations were much more intense than most of the crowd’s. Word had filtered around that it had been a false alarm but there’s no way the players would have picked up on it by that point. I expect they will have soon after with the somewhat muted reaction of the crowd and the defiant chanting. 
     
    They’ll certainly have known that Villa’s lead had been wiped out by the cheers from the away end, although initially I didn’t really know what was going on because the goals came in such a short space of time I didn’t know if they’d scored one, two or three. Then word went around it was 3-2. I felt sick. So near and yet so far. It’s shit being in this situation where you’re needing another result to go your way but because you’re in the stadium you don’t really know what’s going on. Whoever started that cheer for the fake Villa equaliser needs to never set foot in Anfield again though. 
     
    Klopp said he didn’t understand why Wolves were cheering City’s goals. I reckon he knows full well but was feigning ignorance to make a point. They will say it’s because “shit on the Villa” but they cheered City’s goals against Brighton too remember, so it’s not that. I’m not taking it personally though. They weren’t cheering City’s goals for any other reason than they think they’re the fucking banter kings. Midlands clubs are notorious for that shit. 
     
    If they’d been playing at the Etihad they’d have carried on the same way, rooting against City and taunting them if it had gone our way. And if we’d won the title I’m fairly certain that the away end would have been full at the end and they’d be applauding our players. They just live for the ‘bantz’. That’s why they were singing God Save the Queen. This is why I basically hate everyone. Palace are the only set of fans I can remember this season not being knob heads and just supporting their own team. There may have been one or two others but none spring to mind.
     
    Nevertheless, in the situation we were in I’d say Wolves would be right up there with the worst possible fans we could encounter. Obviously Everton would be the worst (you only have to see Richarlison’s shamelessly embarrassing tweet aimed at us after they’d been dicked 5-1 at Arsenal), then you have Wolves, Villa and Newcastle. The worst kind of “banter merchants”.
     
    Wolves were also one of the worst possible opponents we could face too. By worst I mean difficult. They’re tough to play against and that’s why I held out hope they might do something against City last week. They didn’t, but it isn’t a particularly bad reflection on them as City will beat most opponents. Wolves at least offer some hope of maybe doing something. That also made them tricky opposition for us too of course, particularly with tired legs and the stress of the occasion.
     
    They defended stubbornly and they were really dangerous on the break. It didn’t help that we gifted them a goal so early though. Awful misjudgement from Konate but it was well executed by Jiminez and Neto. He’s a little tit that Neto. I’ll never forget him giving it the big ‘un to the Main Stand a few years after scoring a goal that was then ruled out for offside. He did similar this time, giving it the beans to the crowd. I’m fine with players doing that if they’ve been on the receiving end of stick or there’s long standing beef there. Neto isn’t Wayne Rooney though, so why the fuck is he celebrating like him?
     
    Jiminez gave us a lot of problems. He won his first three or four headers and it took us a while to fully get to grips with him. Wolves set up with their back five, solid midfield three and Jimenez leading the line on his own. Neto didn’t play alongside him, he was virtually stood on the left touchline and rarely strayed from there. When he went off injured, Hwang came on did the same thing. When Wolves were able to break, they looked for that long ball towards the left corner flag each time. With Trent usually upfield attacking it was often left to Joel to act as an auxiliary right back. We never looked comfortable defensively all day, but it wasn’t specifically down to the defenders themselves.
     
    We were just a bit too frantic. Dendoncker shot wide after a swift break from Hwang down the left, and Hwang himself went clean through and looked certain to score, but then I remembered that he was up against Alisson and - no word of a lie - I didn’t think for a minute he was going to finish that. Sure enough, Alisson saved it. I think we had drawn level by that point but I’m not sure. My head was all over the place with the stress of it all. So I might be wrong but I think that chance was to make it 2-1 rather than 2-0.
     
    Our goal was beautiful. An absolute work of art, which unsurprisingly had Thiago doing most of the brushwork. Konate rolled a ball into him and without even looking he just flicked a ball through the defenders legs to spring Mané in on goal. The finish from Sadio was quality but that touch from Thiago… fucking hell. What a player.
     
    We’d created other chances. Matip headed wide from a Diaz cross and he also headed into the ground instead of bursting the net. Diaz was denied by the keeper and then flashed a ball right across the goalmouth that eluded everyone. He was causing havoc and was clearly our most dangerous player, but Thiago was the best player on the pitch. Until he picked up a freak injury just on half time. Devastating, not just for this game but more so for next week. We can only hope he recovers but it feels unlikely at this stage. 
     
    Wolves were hit by injury too as their keeper went off, replaced by John Ruddy. Klopp should have sent his players out for the second half wearing Suarez masks just to traumatise Ruddy further. Maybe we’d have spared ourselves the 20 odd minutes of stress we had looking for that elusive goal.
     
    The second half didn’t really start too well as it was clear we didn’t have our best stuff. Wolves were resolute and full of gamesmanship. Every time one of them made a block they’d stay down and require the physio. Some may have been genuine, but not all of them. There’s a part of me that resents that because they had nothing to play for. By that I don’t mean they should roll over, I’d expect 100% effort and for them to try to win the game, but time wasting and gamesmanship seems a little over the top. But then I’m complaining that Villa didn’t do it at City so I can’t have it both ways.
     
    Mostly I don’t have a problem with anything Wolves did but I can see why a lot of Reds won’t have been happy with the antics of Coady. Regular readers will know I’ve never liked him so welcome to the club, glad to have you on board. 
     
    With Villa still holding on and then actually doubling their lead (cheers Phil, the rest of them can fuck off but you get a free pass from me) our need for a winning goal grew more and more pressing and the tension level intensified. Sadio had the ball in the net and Anfield erupted. I jumped up to celebrate but I’m in line with that and wasn’t sure if he was offside. The linesman didn’t flag which raised hope, but I watched him listening intently on his earpiece and when he then raised the flag I knew VAR had told him and that it wouldn’t stand. Shame as it was a great finish by Mané and clever pass by Jota. I’ve since seen a replay and I’m surprised the linesman himself didn’t give it as it was quite clear really.
     
    Salah replaced Jota and brought renewed hope with him. As always, chances came to him but he wasn’t clinical with the first couple. He drifted a shot over the bar when he probably should have tried to take a touch or maybe cut it back. He’d only just come on though and it came at him quickly. Soon after he was racing clear through the centre though and should have scored. It does my head in how he nearly always cuts inside onto his left foot even if it means running into traffic. Those defenders were out of the game if he’d gone right, but he brought them back into play by insisting on cutting back in. He didn’t even get a shot away. Really disappointing.
     
    Bobby was then sent on for the ineffective Keita as Klopp played his final card. Keita hadn’t been bad but he wasn’t good either. Bobby was fucking dreadful though, at least initially. He kept giving the ball away when we needed the opposite. We need to build some momentum to force the goal but he kept giving it to Wolves. It was infuriating but it was a manic, frantically paced game and Bobby’s style is always going to make it difficult to just step into that and immediately hit the ground running. When he got up to speed he was actually good, but those first five minutes or so were grim.
     
    I remember looking at the clock with around 20 minutes left and thinking we needed to score soon because I didn’t want to get to the last five minutes still needing the goal. It shows you just how cabbaged my head was that until just now when I checked, I thought our goals came at around 73 and 80 minutes. I’ve just seen that it was 84 and 89 and honestly, I’m staggered by that. I had no idea it was so late. I lost all track of time though as the stress and emotion of the occasion was just too much.
     
    Mo’s goal owed everything to Matip. He won the first header which was cleared off the line. The ball looped up into the air and he won the second header too, nodding it down for Mo to convert from close range. Wolves didn’t seem especially interested in trying to force an equaliser and we wrapped up the win when Robbo took advantage of some lovely play by Bobby to smash one in at the Kop end.
     
    So we did our bit but there was no good news filtering through from the Etihad and that was that. Gutting.
     
    But we’ve won two cups already and there’s the prospect of a third. The biggest one of all. So the mood at Anfield wasn’t one of despondency. It was appreciation and defiance. Hardly anyone left the stadium at full time as fans waited to pay tribute to the team and say farewell to the legend of Origi.
     
    I was left fairly non-plussed and even underwhelmed by it all if I’m being brutally honest. I probably say this every year, but this thing just isn’t the same since they allowed wives and kids on the field. It gets worse every year though and there were hundreds of people on that pitch at the end. It was almost impossible to pick out the players and I spent a good five minutes looking for Klopp. Eventually I spotted him but should it really be that hard?
     
    I love how Klopp makes everyone feel they are a part of the team and so by that logic it’s only natural he’d want them on the pitch, but if we’re going to have the analysts, sports science team, academy lads etc on the field then should the wives, girlfriends, kids, cousins, brothers, mates, aunties etc all be out there too?
     
    I dunno, I guess you can’t put the genie back in the bottle but these things are a farce now. It was impossible to pay proper tribute to the lads and Klopp because the whole thing was so stretched out. Hendo had virtually completed his lap as Konate had barely even reached the Kop. We had two cups out there and I wanted to see the whole team in front of the Kop with the trophies, with Klopp whipping everyone up into a frenzy that would end in that massive roar as we send them off to Paris. We got none of that, it was shite and instead of coming out of the stadium all fired up for next week I just trudged away, fed up and annoyed.
     
    There’s no point me dwelling on any of that because it’s here to stay. Every year there are more people on that pitch and it just isn’t the fun event that it used to be. I really don’t even want to bother staying for it in the future but I will do because it’s the least we owe Klopp and the players. I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that the whole thing was proper shit though.
     
    So anyway, another season done and dusted with just the Champions League Final to go now. We’re limping to the finish line a bit. Not in terms of results as those have been great. The performances haven’t been bad either, but you can see the heavy load is starting to catch up with us now and players are succumbing to injuries. We lost Fabinho, then Mo and Virg had muscle tweaks that needed rest and now it’s Thiago. I’ve not even given any serious thought to the final yet but I know I’m not as cocksure as I was. 
     
    Fatigue and the injuries to key midfielders have shaken my confidence somewhat but I’m sure in a day or two when I’m over this weekend’s events I’ll be more bullish about it and the excitement will kick back in.
     
    Star man is Diaz, with Sadio and Robbo both running him close.
     
    Onto Paris then and another chance to make history. See you on the other side.
     
     
    Team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Konate, Robertson; Henderson, Keita (Firmino), Thiago (Milner); Jota (Salah), Mané, Diaz:
     
     
     
  • It was so close at one point we could almost touch it but the quadruple is finally out of reach despite the lads taking care of business with a hard fought win against a determined Wolves side.
     
    TLW Editor Dave Usher is joined by John Gallagher and Paul Natton to look back on an emotionally shattering afternoon at Anfield and to reflect on another incredible 90+ point season from Kloppo's boys. And of course we look ahead to next weekend's date with Real Madrid in Paris.
     
    Up the Treble chasing Reds!
     
     
     
  • There was no fairytale finish for Divock Origi with the striker watching on from the sidelines as the Reds finished their outstanding Premier League campaign with a 3-1 win over Wolves.
     
    The Reds completed their end of the bargain by winning their game against Wolves, but their title rival Man City did likewise meaning they defended their league title albeit they were pushed to the brink in their fixture against Aston Villa.
     
    While the final day carried its fair share of drama and unpredictability, what was certain was that Origi would be celebrated in fine style by the Anfield faithful. The much loved striker is joining newly crowned Serie A champions AC Milan next season but leaves Liverpool with a catalogue of fond memories.
     
    The only disappointment that there will not be a final chapter in Paris on Saturday evening as he picked up a thigh injury in training.
     
    The Belgian spoke extremely humbly about his Liverpool career as reported by the Official site.
     
    “Honestly, I feel honoured. It was an honour to be able to play here in Anfield with teammates, with staff [and] with the fans – it’s been an honour. You have to experience Liverpool. Before I came here, they told me it’s a special club and once you sign here, you experience it.
     
    “I’ve been able to see us winning so much – it goes beyond words. It’s been an honour.”
     
    The ability of Jurgen Klopp to build confidence of squad players is a remarkable aspect of his management and no matter what your role is, he values you as a incredibly important to the success of the team.
     
    Klopp called Origi a Liverpool legend in his pre-match press conference, and the striker said that it was a tag that he is honoured to have and another reason why he will continue to closely follow the club.
     

     
    “That is something you take with you and you’re grateful for. I know that I’ll come and watch games, for sure. I will follow the club, but it’s forever in my heart – it has a special place in my heart.
     
    “I just wish that the club continues to grow and keep being Liverpool as it is. For sure, I’ll be back.”
     
    In keeping with his modesty, Origi did not want to pick one particular individual highlight of his Liverpool spell, but what he seemed most proud of was his role as the ultimate team player.
     
    “When you don’t play, you feel hurt, but beyond that you always try to put the team first. I always try to transform that and know there is a higher purpose and know that we have an unbelievable coach who makes the right decisions – we need to win games.
     
    “In my time here we won so many games and being able to put the team first has been my thing. Every time I felt like every footballer. I wanted to play, but in the end, I knew there was a higher purpose. 
     
    “I feel that my purpose is done here in Liverpool.”
     
    And that is the perfect way to sum up Divock Origi.
     
     
     
     
     
  • Whatever happens come the final whistle today there is bound to be emotional scenes as Anfield farewells a player they have truly taken to heart in Divock Origi.
     
    Over the years the Belgian has struck up a truly unique relationship with the Liverpool base at large and especially those regular match goers at Anfield.
     
    Origi was signed from Lille in the summer of 2014 but stayed at the French club for a extra season.
     
    Usually when that happens, it is meant to grow more confidence and experience in a young player before making the big step up.
     
    While he did get plenty of games, being voted by local publication L'Equipe  in the 'Worst XI' of the 2014/5 Ligue 1 Season was certainly not the label that he would envisioned carrying before making his Premier League debut. 
     
    But to his great credit, he did not let that sort of critical feedback define him in his first season and under new manager Jurgen Klopp he struck up a great working relationship which has only blossomed over time.
     
    The great strikers of Liverpool just roll off the tongue over time and it is fair to say Origi is not in the same category as a Rush, Fowler, Owen or Suarez for instance.
     
    While there has been times when the languid style of the No 27 has frustrated fans especially when he is such a physically blessed specimen, every player is different in their make-up.
     
    But it is not the weight of goals that have defined Origi's 175 appearances over seven full seasons,  instead it is what is fondly called as “Big Div moments.”
     

     
    From Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona, Origi has been the player for the big occasion and will be remembered by this generation of Reds fans, players and coaching staff forever more.
     
    Jordan Henderson is one of the eloquent Footballers around, and in today’s match day programme (per TThe Mirror) he paid the perfect tribute for his work on and off the pitch.
     
    "It looks like today will be Divock’s last at Anfield for Liverpool so I hope he gets the kind of send-off he deserves.
     
    “Actually I know that he will because he has been such a special player for us, but he is also an incredible person who has taken this city and its people to his heart.
     
    “His legacy will be his achievements for this club, but it will also be the good causes he has supported, like the local students he is helping to put through university.
     
    “Today should be a celebration no matter what happens and as club captain I will certainly be celebrating Divock and wishing him all the best for the future. The big fella deserves nothing less.”
     

     
    Trent Alexander-Arnold also wanted to pay his tribute to his long-time teammate.
     
    What a guy, what a man, what a player. Definitely over the course of the stint the manager has been in, he has definitely had the most iconic moments, that will live in the memory of all the fans. He will go down in history. 
     
    “He is always putting in performances, always trying his best, always working his hardest. It’ll be sad to see him leave but he is more than deserving of a big send-off and a big farewell on Sunday or in Paris.
     
    Two more games left in this remarkable season, certainly enough time for Div to add to his legacy.
     
    You wouldn't rule it out.
     
     
     
    ·        
  • 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. 
     
     
     
     
     
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