PODCAST: Real Madrid 1 Liverpool 0 - Match Reaction

Usher was hoping we’d get beat, so he can be the only one fronting up the podcast.

I do agree with Usher on one point, though. 
 

It was better to play Madrid now and that’s who I wanted when the draw was made.

Getting to Istanbul and being turned over by them in the final, again, would have me phoning Dignitas.

Im sure the 1% talk didn't galvanize the team- however true. I wonder what our percentage chance was of beating Bournemouth 

My type of pod. Lots of downbeat moaning making me happier that others feel the same (even though I know they do) while picking the bones of a weird two legs. 

As was said, one of the odd things was when Ox came on.  I also immediately thought that’s Jones done.  I think Curtis will be used to raise a couple of quid for the summer, and I'm fine with that.  Jota is also now playing for his Liverpool career I think.  He needs a big last 10-12 games. 

The Carragher comments were interesting, but not for a footballing reason. I think if any other pundit had suggested Trent had peaked at 24 after one poor season it'd be called out for the utter knee-jerk nonsense that it is.  Put those words in Gabby Agbonlohor's mouth and we'd all be ridiculing them.  Trent’s norm is excellence. Judging him as possibly finished at the top level as a result of this season is daft.  Poor from Carragher.

And I also don’t get the Fabinho chat?  He's brilliant for years, has a terrible 6 months, then starts regaining form again (I thought he was very good first half) and people still want him out the door first (from the established guys)? He's only 29?  It is much more likely he keeps this upwards trajectory and plays well for another 2 seasons than not?  Relying on Bajetic to step in, or the idea Fabinho might hold him back, is crazy.  If Fabinho plays here for another 2 full seasons, Bajetic would still only be 20.

Finally, I was picking up my 5 year from school earlier this week and he moaned that a kid he'd had a few issues with now wanted to be his friend and he told me he said very strongly "I don't want to be your friend".  Imagine my surprise at hearing those exact same words from a fully grown man at the end of a football pod.

6 hours ago, Kevin D said:

I do agree with Usher on one point, though. 
 

It was better to play Madrid now and that’s who I wanted when the draw was made.

 

Getting to Istanbul and being turned over by them in the final, again, would have me phoning Dignitas.

The last people to get so badly and repeatedly fucked by Franco's mob were fleeing the shrill whine of the Condor legion.

1 hour ago, JohnnyH said:

The Carragher comments were interesting, but not for a footballing reason. I think if any other pundit had suggested Trent had peaked at 24 after one poor season it'd be called out for the utter knee-jerk nonsense that it is.  Put those words in Gabby Agbonlohor's mouth and we'd all be ridiculing them.  Trent’s norm is excellence. Judging him as possibly finished at the top level as a result of this season is daft.  Poor from Carragher.

 

And I also don’t get the Fabinho chat?  He's brilliant for years, has a terrible 6 months, then starts regaining form again (I thought he was very good first half) and people still want him out the door first (from the established guys)? He's only 29?  It is much more likely he keeps this upwards trajectory and plays well for another 2 seasons than not?  Relying on Bajetic to step in, or the idea Fabinho might hold him back, is crazy.  If Fabinho plays here for another 2 full seasons, Bajetic would still only be 20.

I'll post the Carragher clip underneath as you need to hear the full thing to get the proper context of the points he's making. 

With Fabinho, the worry for me is we have no idea why he was so shit for six months. It was unexplainable how he aged overnight. Now he looks like he's back, but for how long? I'm just saying I don't think we can just say "ok he's fine again now, nothing to see here". Maybe we should be getting in someone younger, more mobile, hungrier etc and having Bajcetic back him up rather than be third in line. Plus the finances come into it. 

It's all well and good fans talking about three new midfielders, a centre back and a right back (which I think is what most of us think we need) but that means an awful lot of wages sat on the bench if no big names move on. Will we do that?

The discussion me and Chris were having was whether it needs 'breaking up' and whether an established name or two needs moving on. Fabinho came up because it's an easier call than getting rid of Van Dijk, Henderson, Trent or Salah for example. I'm not against the idea of keeping him around while signing his successor now, but I'm not sure we'll do that for financial reasons, and also because of blocking Bajcetic.

2 hours ago, dave u said:

 

I'll post the Carragher clip underneath as you need to hear the full thing to get the proper context of the points he's making. 

 

With Fabinho, the worry for me is we have no idea why he was so shit for six months. It was unexplainable how he aged overnight. Now he looks like he's back, but for how long? I'm just saying I don't think we can just say "ok he's fine again now, nothing to see here". Maybe we should be getting in someone younger, more mobile, hungrier etc and having Bajcetic back him up rather than be third in line. Plus the finances come into it. 

 

It's all well and good fans talking about three new midfielders, a centre back and a right back (which I think is what most of us think we need) but that means an awful lot of wages sat on the bench if no big names move on. Will we do that?

 

The discussion me and Chris were having was whether it needs 'breaking up' and whether an established name or two needs moving on. Fabinho came up because it's an easier call than getting rid of Van Dijk, Henderson, Trent or Salah for example. I'm not against the idea of keeping him around while signing his successor now, but I'm not sure we'll do that for financial reasons, and also because of blocking Bajcetic.

 

 

Ok, that adds better context to your comments and Carraghers.

I've wondered a few things with Fabinho - long covid that remains undiagnosed? Or you know when a golfers wife has a baby and the golfers game goes to shite for a few months, did that happen to Fabinho?

Anyway, the idea of giving up on such a good footballer seems counterproductive to me.  

8 minutes ago, JohnnyH said:

 

Ok, that adds better context to your comments and Carraghers.

 

I've wondered a few things with Fabinho - long covid that remains undiagnosed? Or you know when a golfers wife has a baby and the golfers game goes to shite for a few months, did that happen to Fabinho?

 

Anyway, the idea of giving up on such a good footballer seems counterproductive to me.  

If he was 24 then yeah, but he'll be 30 next season and given the need to get younger and hungrier (eye of the tiger) some older players are going to need to be moved on. If not Fabinho, then who? Hendo is going nowhere, Milner is being offered a new deal.... so do we look to move Thiago on instead? Van Dijk? Salah?

As I keep saying on the pod and in the reports, I wouldn't want to be the one making these decisions, but some tough decisions will need to be made.

I blame Paul for going all Braveheart after the United game, 

5 minutes ago, Skidfingers McGonical said:

I blame Paul for going all Braveheart after the United game, 

 

 

He went to bed on the final whistle last night. Left me and Chris to face the music.

He's the equivalent of the footballer walking through the mixed zone after a defeat pretending to talk on his phone to avoid speaking to the press. Riise used to do that all the time apparently, and one time his phone rang while he was pretending to talk into it.

Ha, ha, ha!!! You fucking rat, Usher!
 

So you’ll all be surprised to know that Dave is the least organised person in the world. All he had to do was let me know before the final whistle that he wanted me to do it. But no. Radio silence and so you assume he’s got others lined up.
 

You’re tired and pissed off. You want football out of your head, so you put your phone away and head up to read for a bit before going to sleep. 
 

The following morning you pick up your phone, respond to some bits in the group chat and then see there’s a separate message off Dave from 10.11pm. And I quote: “Pod?”  
 

For reasons I won’t get into here, I’m more available for pods than I’ve ever been currently but soft arse can’t get his arse into gear to tee people up before hand (although I assume this doesn’t apply to Chris). I would’ve had lots to say on the need for a summer shake up, but no. Because I’m not fully attuned to “Usher time”, I’m JAR in this scenario!!!
 

So Dave’s the equivalent of whichever Sunday League manager tried to pick his team after kick off (must’ve happened at some point!). 

So far fetched. No-one is going to believe that.

14 hours ago, dave u said:

So far fetched. No-one is going to believe that.

Don’t make me go the full Oakeshott and post the WhatsApp screen shots. 

I always pictured you lads having a season long schedule of who’s appearing on what pod decided moths in advance, and then a half hour pre-pod meeting where you review the full agenda of items you’ll be discussing on the pod before hitting record. Not this haphazard mess. 
 

Never see behind the curtain…

The spontaneity is the magic. 

A disappearing trick by Dave in Paul’s case. 

6 hours ago, JohnnyH said:

I always pictured you lads having a season long schedule of who’s appearing on what pod decided moths in advance, and then a half hour pre-pod meeting where you review the full agenda of items you’ll be discussing on the pod before hitting record. Not this haphazard mess. 
 

Never see behind the curtain…

“Moths in advance”. Sounds about right. 

On 18/03/2023 at 06:52, Paul said:

Don’t make me go the full Oakeshott and post the WhatsApp screen shots. 

Surely it’s in the public interest. 

On 17/03/2023 at 07:10, Paul said:

Ha, ha, ha!!! You fucking rat, Usher!
 

So you’ll all be surprised to know that Dave is the least organised person in the world. All he had to do was let me know before the final whistle that he wanted me to do it. But no. Radio silence and so you assume he’s got others lined up.
 

You’re tired and pissed off. You want football out of your head, so you put your phone away and head up to read for a bit before going to sleep. 
 

The following morning you pick up your phone, respond to some bits in the group chat and then see there’s a separate message off Dave from 10.11pm. And I quote: “Pod?”  
 

For reasons I won’t get into here, I’m more available for pods than I’ve ever been currently but soft arse can’t get his arse into gear to tee people up before hand (although I assume this doesn’t apply to Chris). I would’ve had lots to say on the need for a summer shake up, but no. Because I’m not fully attuned to “Usher time”, I’m JAR in this scenario!!!
 

So Dave’s the equivalent of whichever Sunday League manager tried to pick his team after kick off (must’ve happened at some point!). 

Tension in the camp, I love it. I assume Chris is Pep Linders? Dave spoke about Klopp needing to make big decisions, he's not the only one. Dave needs to cut a big name too, guarantee you his phone will be hopping next year when we limp out of the Europa league to Getafe.