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  • TLW
    Andy Robertson feels that Trent -Alexander Arnold will be stronger for the scrutiny that he has faced this season.
     
    With the drop-off in form by the Reds compared to their exceptionally high levels in recent years, there barely seems to be a week that goes by when a pundit looks for key reasons other than the long-term injuries to Virgil Van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip.
     
    That has led to the Liverpool and England Right-back being put under the spotlight and the fact that he was not picked for the national team for the two World Cup qualifiers last month only added to the scrutiny.
     
    It was only last year that the 22 year-old was rightly seen as one of the best full-backs in Europe.
     
    But as a professional footballer knows, you have to take the good with the bad and while this analysis can be difficult to hear for a player, in many ways it is a sign of how far Alexander-Arnold has come in such a short space of time. 
     
    Speaking ahead of the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid, teammate and close friend Andy Robertson put it in eloquent terms as the Official site reported. 
     
    “For me, I know it’s hard for Trent but he should take it as some sort of compliment, the fact that so much noise has been made about him. 
     
    “But for me and the teammates and for somebody that’s close to him and that cares for him, it’s just about trying to keep his confidence at the highest level because when it’s like that, you know, nobody touches him. 
     
    “I thought on Saturday he put in a very good performance, I thought against Arsenal he was excellent. 
     
    “Of course he struggled against Madrid in midweek but we all did, not one of us played well but more gets said about Trent’s performance than anyone else’s. 
     
    For me, he’s a strong character, he’s always been that since he’s been a young age and that’s why he is where he is – that’s why he’s at the top of the game at a very early age and he’ll come over all the criticism. 
     

     
    “But it's just about trying to not let it affect him and trying to do what he does on the pitch, because when he does that then I don’t think anyone can touch him.”
     
    Speaking of the task that faces Liverpool this evening, the straight-talking left-back knows there is a sizeable mountain to climb, but the confidence and relief of winning a game at home for the first time since the middle of December will be of benefit to the team.
     
    “Our run at home has not been good enough since Boxing Day in terms of the points that we’ve dropped [and] the defeats that we’ve came to.
     
     “It’s simply not been good enough and to then get our first win of the new year there, it always makes a difference and then when you walk on that pitch tomorrow you get good feelings instead of negative ones, which have maybe been the case the last couple of weeks [with] the performances and the results we’ve had here. But we’ll go into tomorrow full of confidence.
     
    “Of course Real Madrid are hot favourites and so they should be with the aggregate [lead] they’ve got.
     
    "But it’s up to us to leave everything on the pitch, give a better performance than we did last week and give ourselves the best possible chance to progress because we don’t want to give up on our chances of getting through and we won’t do that until the last whistle has been blown. 
     
    "We know how hard a task it’s going to be and we know we probably need an as-close-to-perfect performance as we can."
     
    Parallels have been drawn between the task that Liverpool face tonight and the miracle at Anfield against Barcelona two years ago.
     
    While the Reds are better placed in terms of how the tie is placed with an away goal to their name, the lack of fanatical home fans helping push the team over the line makes this an incredibly difficult task to overcome as Robertson conceded.
     
    “Barcelona that night obviously was an incredible night and it wouldn't have been possible without the 55,000 fans in there, that's a fact. The noise at the start, the noise they made when we scored the first, it just carried on and they got louder and louder as the night went on. 
     

     
    “Unfortunately, tomorrow night we won't have that. But we're coming up against the team that's the most experienced in this tournament, won it the most times in the short history and the long history. 
     
    “They're a fantastic team full of quality and it's a big task for us. It's not the same as the Barcelona game and we can't rely [on] the fact that we came back from that game, [and] that we're going to come back from this one.
     
    “We've got to aim to win the game, first and foremost, and once we do that then let's see what the aggregate score is and let's see what we need to do. Our determination is to take our chances, to keep a clean sheet and hopefully make it as uncomfortable a night for them as possible.”
     
     
  • That was a looooooong time coming. Not just a win at Anfield, but a win of THAT type. You know, the type we used to pull out of the bag all the time back in the ‘mentality monsters’ days.
     
    I don’t remember the last time we did anything like this but it felt good. Very satisfying, especially given the way this game went. We fell behind, got slapped in the face by VAR yet again, responded superbly, equalised but then seemed to lose our way until a last, late flurry that brought us the winner.
     
    If we manage to sneak into the top four come the end of the season this is definitely the game we’ll look back on as being pivotal, because had we not bagged that late winner I think it would have been all over for us. Psychologically, failing to win yet another game at Anfield would have been too much to come back from.
     
    The performance itself did nothing to suggest we have what it takes to break into the top four but that can change. The main thing is picking up points while you wait for the performances to pick up, and we did that.
     
    I don’t feel especially encouraged or happy about where we are but it was such a relief to win this game. It was a great feeling when Trent lashed in that winner, especially as it was obvious that there was no way they could disallow this one. I actually celebrated it, which is rare these days.
     
    Still no first half goal for us though. It’s just getting really fucking weird now isn’t it? We never score in the first half anymore. And when we do, it doesn’t count, but I’ll get to that shortly.
     
    As expected, Sadio was benched and Bobby came back in. Milner was also recalled, which again, I think we all expected too. We started ok but typically we weren’t sharp in the final third. We were completely dominant though.
     
    At one point the graphic came up that we’d had 10 attempts on goal but the only one I could even remember was a sitter that Mo missed. What were all the other ones? There was a Jota header from a corner as well, that was pretty close, but I can’t remember anything else. 
     
    I never really had the feeling we were going to score even though Carragher kept talking about how we looked so more dangerous than we have been in other home games. I didn’t feel that way, mainly because their keeper wasn’t having to do anything.
     
    That miss from Mo was bad though. Mings made a mess of it and although the keeper was out quickly it looked like Mo could have skipped around him and finished with his right foot. Instead he took it early with his left, but that was an almost impossible finish with the outside of his boot and it was always going to go wide.
     
    We were well on top though and Villa didn’t look dangerous at all. There was a Konsa header from a corner that went straight at Alisson, but they really weren’t offering much. And then they scored. Out of nothing.
     
    Kabak got in front of Watkins to make a challenge but the ball went to a Villa player and now Watkins was goal side. The ball was played to him and although Kabak got back at him, the striker got his shot away and Alisson somehow let it go under him. Shite that again, but at least he’s ditched the tash now.
     
    We’ve been in this situation a lot over the last few months and we’ve rarely been able to respond. This time it looked as though we’d hit back fairly quickly when Bobby finished from close range jut before half time. 
     
    I didn’t celebrate but there wasn’t anything specific that I’d seen that made me think it might be disallowed. It’s just a general thing now. I’ve almost become attuned to not celebrating, just in case.
     
    And as soon as I saw the first replay I knew it was getting disallowed. I’m not saying it was or wasn’t offside, but it was close enough that there was no way those lines were going to be drawn in our favour. Whenever it’s that tight and there’s enough wiggle room for them, it’s going to come down against us. It always does. 
     
    The only hope was that the replay would show that Cash got a touch on the ball before it reached Jota. He made a play at it and it probably brushed him, but the replay was inconclusive, so then out came the lines and we all knew what would follow. 
     
    I don’t know how long it took from the moment the ball hit the net to them ruling it out, but it felt like three or four minutes. It’s just a fucking joke really. They’re just always so fucking desperate to disallow goals. Especially ours.
     
    I’m not even saying they got this wrong because there was no visible proof as to whether Cash played the ball (I hate that shit rule anyway) so you can’t give that, and Jota’s arm may have been a fraction ahead of the last defender’s knee. Then again, it might not have been. 
     
    I’m not even blaming the officials too much for this. They’re the swelling when you have the mumps, or the scabs when you have chickenpox. The rule makers are a bigger problem than the rule enforcers.
     
    I just think the whole process is fucking killing the game and making it virtually unwatchable. If you’ve got to forensically examine it like that then it’s close enough that the attacking team should always get the benefit. 
     
    That’s how it should be, but instead we’ve got these busy little traffic warden cunts looking for reasons to disallow goals and ruin everyone’s enjoyment of the sport. I hate it now. There’s no real pleasure in football anymore because VAR has sucked it all out. If VAR isn’t scrapped at the end of the season I honestly don’t know how much longer I’m going to keep watching.
     
    Something I hadn’t even thought of until I read it on the forum (credit to Niallers), but there hasn’t been one incident when the lines overlapped to show that it was level. That in itself shows that these close calls are completely at the discretion of the VAR because there has not been a single ‘level’ since they introduced this shit, even though there has to have been incidents when the players are indeed dead level. 
     
    So given that some of them will have been level but were not called as such, we know beyond any doubt that they are moving the line one way or another to avoid a scenario where it’s ‘level’. So how do they decide which way to move it? If there is a default ruling where they have to allow (or disallow) the goal then why haven’t we been told? It fucking stinks this doesn’t it?
     
    What’s the point of football if you can’t celebrate goals? There is no point. None whatsoever. May as well not bother watching it live anymore and just watch the highlights later. The big thing with football was always being in the moment. The euphoria of a goal. It doesn’t exist now.
     
    The one saving grace was that it happened just before half time and not just after. We had 15 minutes to get over it and channel the anger from it, and we did just that. 
     
    The response was great. We started the second half looking really lively. There was a purpose about our play and we were moving the ball much quicker. The equaliser came from a flowing move and even though it was a little fortunate in how the ball eventually fell to Salah (Robbo shooting from an unlikely angle and the keeper parrying it straight at him) it was a deserved goal and credit to Mo for getting in there.
     
    You’d have thought that would have given us a real lift and we could have taken advantage of it and put Villa to the sword, but if anything it had the opposite effect. The urgency we’d shown to get level seemed to just ebb away and Villa were quite comfortable. That’s as concerning as it is disappointing. 
     
    Maybe that’s one of those effects of no fans? Anfield would have been rocking after the equaliser and Villa would have known there was a storm coming. Without fans momentum just isn’t as big a factor though. Goals don’t really change games that much now.
     
    Klopp sent on Thiago for Gini and then Sadio for Firmino. I didn’t like that second change because Bobby was doing alright and I’d have preferred Milner to have gone off instead. We needed a winner so why not go with the four forwards?
     
    What did my head in even more was Shaq being given two fucking minutes at the end (plus stoppage time). At least give him five or ten minutes. Sending him on after 88 minutes seemed absolutely fucking pointless, yet it actually worked as he was involved in the winner.
     
    As the clocked ticked into stoppage time I’d pretty much given up, especially given the lack of urgency on show. Thiago, Fabinho and Alisson knocking it around in their own half as time was running out really wound me up.
     
    Then it happened. Trent had sort of ambled forward into space and collected the ball in the centre. The ball ended up out wide with Robbo and his cross was just too high for Mané. Shaq and Thiago worked something between themselves and Thiago met Shaq’s return cross with a powerful volley that looked sure to go in. I was on my feet for that, but no, fuck off, it’s too close to the keeper who made a good save. 
     
    Oh well, that’s that then. More points thrown away at home. But no, it ended up at Trent’s feet on the left edge of the box. He shifted it to his right peg and bent one into the corner. Get the fuck in!
     
    Villa had been time wasting for most of the second half but now all of a sudden they were in a hurry. They threw men forward and put plenty of crosses in the box, but Big Nat’s head was on the end of most of them.
     
    We held out comfortably and should have made it 3-1 when Shaq slid a ball through for Mané to get himself a much needed goal. The keeper stood up well and won the battle, but the finish was just weak as fuck though and really showed just where Sadio’s confidence level is at right now. He’s normally great in those situations.
     
    It didn’t matter as it was the last kick of the game but that could have been a real morale booster for him ahead of the Madrid game. Instead he goes into it with his confidence on the floor. I probably wouldn’t start him but I think Klopp will and I reckon it’ll be Jota who makes way. Maybe all four will start though.
     
    I have zero expectation for that game but if we were to score first then you never know. I just can’t see us keeping a clean sheet, especially with Alisson in this kind of form. We’ll see though.
     
    Star man isn’t easy but I’m going for Phillips who was rock solid all afternoon. I can’t remember him putting a foot wrong and it was a good response to a difficult night in Madrid.
     
    Robbo was better than he has been of late and Fabinho was good too, but the big fella deserves it.
     
     
    Team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Phillips, Kabak (Shaqiri), Robertson; Fabinho, Wijnaldum (Thiago), Milner; Salah, Firmino (Mané), Jota:
  • Rafa Benitez says that Liverpool should not panic despite being down 3-1 after the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie with Real Madrid.
     
    While the Reds will not have the benefit of the usual passionate Anfield crowd to help them get over the line on this European night, they received a much needed confidence boost by recording a first win on home soil since the middle of December after defeating Aston Villa 2-1 on Saturday.
     
    Madrid come into the game also full of confidence after claiming a 2-1 victory over arch-rival Barcelona which saw them move to the top of the La Liga table ahead of Atletico playing their game in hand on Sunday.
     
    Benitez who is currently on the lookout for his next managerial job is one of the most astute minds when it comes to planning for a two-legged European cup-tie having tasted success in the Champions League with Liverpool and the UEFA Cup/Europa League with Valencia and Chelsea respectively.
     
    The vastly experienced manager documented his thoughts-per the Mirror:
     
    "The way the tie is, if you score once, you are back in it. Even if that takes an hour, so be it.
     
    “For me, the key will be not to get too anxious – for them to manage that anxiety – don’t rush it. Maintain concentration levels and keep focused.
     
    “With quality players, a goal will come.
     
    “But Liverpool have to be in a position where they can keep a clean sheet – and they will have to be more aggressive at Anfield and play with greater intensity over 90 minutes than they did in Madrid.
     
    “Sadly, they cannot rely on the crowd to provide the spark for that.
     
    “In my experience, the supporters at Anfield have been a huge factor in those European nights. I don’t think you can dispute that. It has been one reason for their success. One hundred per cent.
     
    “Now, that drive will have to come from within.”
     

     
    Benitez says despite the widely held view that Madrid are on the decline, they have a number of excellent individual talents that are worthy of respect, but there are vulnerabilities that the Reds can attack more than they did in the first leg.
     
    “Real Madrid are a balanced side. Casimero does that really well for them. He allows Toni Kroos and Luca Modric to move around. And to win football matches, you need a balance.
     
    “He also allows the full-backs to move forward. But the reality is that they weren’t exposed too much.
     
    “Nacho is a very good team player. 
     
    “I don’t have any doubts about his quality in the absence of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane but Liverpool didn’t put him under too much pressure, either.
     
    “I would also include the full-backs in that and Mo Salah and Sadio Mane have it in them to cause problems in the return leg if they can find that intensity to their play.”
     
     
     
     
  • Monday Apr 5:
     
    You can tell West Brom won at the weekend as Allardyce was on Talksport breakfast this morning telling everyone how he masterminded it. You can set your watch by him. Any time the Baggies have a good result he’ll be on, Monday morning, talking about how ‘he’ did it. 
     
    I was in the car so I caught most of it and he’s amazing. He’s a total parody of himself these days. He says that they identified the Chelsea keeper as a weak point because he always does mad things. The lack of respect for an opposition player was staggering. I’m sure these kind of things are pointed out in team meetings but how many managers would actually come out and say it just to make themselves look clever, especially when the keeper didn't even do anything wrong? Honestly, I think he’s the only one. Not even Mourinho would single out an opposing player like that.
     
    The best thing about Fat Sam though is how he can take credit for wins and pass on the blame for losses. They’ve lost loads of games since he went there but he put that down to “players not putting away their chances”. Because obviously his gameplan was flawless. He’s one of a kind. Thankfully.
     
    Meanwhile, we’ve got Real Madrid tomorrow! How cool is that? It’s shit that fans aren’t going to be at either game, but springtime, big European nights against the top sides, this is what we live for. It’s not the same because we can’t go, I know that, but it’s still the most excited I’ve been about footy since…. actually since Atletico a year ago I think. Defo the most excited I've been for a game this season anyway. I’m genuinely looking forward to tomorrow night.
     
    Tuesday Apr 6: 
     
    Real 3 L 1 Well fucking hell. Wasn’t that a massive damp squib? Remind me never to look forward to any game without fans there ever again. It just isn’t the same. It's awful, especially when we lose.
     
    I’m not saying no fans is the sole cause for what’s happening to us but it definitely makes it less enjoyable to watch these games. I’m at the end of my tether with it now and just don’t know how many more of these games I can sit through, especially when we're playing like such fucking losers.
     
    This was fucking abysmal. I can’t believe we performed like that in such a massively important game. Every single player was shite. Every one. No exceptions. That’s what has really shaken me here. Even players that we can always hang our hats on, the likes of Fabinho, Gini and Robbo, they were shite too. Everyone was shite. Klopp was shite too.
     
    He got the team wrong by picking Keita then he took him off three minutes before half time, creating a story and putting an unfair spotlight on Naby (he was shite, but no worse than anyone else), and our tactical approach to the game just seemed wrong from the start. Why were we playing so slow? Why defend with the high line when we weren’t pressing them? Whose idea was it to let Toni Kroos have as long as he wanted to pick out balls over the top? 
     
    I just feel really deflated after this because we’re a shambles right now and we can’t keep blaming injuries. Other than the centre backs and Hendo we basically had everyone available tonight. Klopp said post match that the goals didn’t concern him as they were mistakes and mistakes can happen. It was how we played that was the worry for him. I agree 100% with that.
     
    We’re going out there with our 6th and 7th choice central defenders so being vulnerable in that area is almost to be expected. The first goal I can live with completely because Nat Phillips is playing against Real Madrid in a Champions League quarter final. He isn’t supposed to be here. I have nothing but love for Nat Phillips. This isn’t his fault.
     
    The second goal is a brain fart from Trent, who was also partly responsible for the first and third goals too. Alisson was shite on the third. But like Klopp said, I can live with all of that as long as we’re playing well and creating chances. Remember when we used to score three or four to compensate for those mad games when we gave away a load of stupid goals? We just don’t have that in our locker anymore.
     
    Fuck Real Madrid though, the arrogant, entitled cunts. This was supposed to be the night when we shoved it right up their arses for what happened in Kiev. If we’d played them last season or the season before it would have been carnage and we’d have utterly humiliated them. Instead, we get to play them when we’re in this fucking sorry state, and we humiliated ourselves. The ref can go fuck himself too, falling for so much of their shit but not giving our lads (especially Sadio) anything when they were fouled. The booking for Trent when he didn't even touch that Vinicius bellend was outrageous (although that was more the fault of the linesman than ref).
     
    Usually I’d be the first one banging the drum about how it isn’t over and we can turn it around in the second leg. Not. A. Fucking. Chance. Anfield with no fans isn’t Anfield. It's a field. The only thing left to hope for now is that someone can stop City from winning it.
     
    Wednesday Apr 7:
     
    Speaking of City, just catching up on their game from last night. I hadn’t seen the disallowed Dortmund goal until now but I did see Sancho’s tweet saying the ref “needs checking”. He’ll surely be in trouble for that but having now seen the incident he’s got a point.
     
    We know European refs are always trigger happy with the whole ‘foot up’ thing but this was taking the piss. The kid Bellingham did nothing wrong at all and it’s a disgrace that VAR didn’t overturn that. 
     
    The worst part of this wasn't City winning, it was seeing Haaland and Foden cosying up to eachother at full time, hands over their mouths whispering like teenage girls. The two most punchable faces on the planet and they'll be teaming up soon as I'm now 100% convinced Haaland is joining City. You could just tell. He'll score 50 goals a season playing in that team.
     
    As for tonight, PSG and Bayern were involved in a cracker but I didn’t watch any of it as I can’t face it. It’s probably 50% about empty stadiums and 50% the Reds sucking away any enthusiasm I have for watching any footy whatsoever. Hopefully Bayern turn this one around in the second leg as they’re the best hope of stopping City winning it.
     
    Meanwhile, what the fuck is going on with all this racist shit? Every week now we have footballers being subjected to racist abuse on social media. Today LFC had to put out a statement after Trent and Naby were on the receiving end. The other day it was Callum Robinson after he scored two against Chelsea. Rashford has been getting it all season and the list goes on and on. 
     
    It’s just fucking weird. Obviously these cunts have always been out there but they are just so brazen about this shit now. Loads of them aren’t even doing it under the mask of anonymity, they’re doing it from their own account with their own name on. And fuck all gets done about it. I remember someone got sent down not so long ago for this kind of thing, and there have been others who have lost their jobs because of sick stuff they've said or done. So how come it’s happening more then ever? Just expose the fuckers and ruin their lives.  
     
    The likes of Twitter and Instagram could stop this if they wanted to but they don’t seem to give a fuck. Watch how quickly they act when someone posts a video of a Premier League goal though. Racism = ok. Copyright breach = delete & ban.
     
    Thursday Apr 8:
     
    Lots of talk about this Konate lad from Leipzig. Given that for about four months the only teams we’ve looked like we could score against are Arsenal and Leipzig, I’ll be honest, I wouldn’t be touching any of their players with a shitty stick. If they make our forwards look dangerous then that’s a massive fucking red flag, surely?
     
    Not sure I like the rumblings apparently coming out of the club concerning Sadio’s slump. The Athletic have done a typically long, in depth piece on what different sources at the club are thinking and there’s some bollocks about how this stems back to Guardiola’s throwaway line last season about “sometimes he’s diving”. The implication being that refs have been influenced by that and this is why Sadio is getting fuck all from them.
     
    What a crock of shit. I hope that’s not what people inside the club are thinking because that’s proper Man City behaviour that. Any time something doesn’t go their way they’d be pointing the finger at Liverpool because they were utterly obsessed. We better not start with that shit. There’s not a chance in hell that the ref the other night wasn’t giving Sadio free kicks because of something Guardiola said well over a year ago (and subsequently apologised for).
     
    It’s certainly true that refs have had it in for him though. He’s been criticised for not going down when fouled and then he’s been criticised for going down when apparently not fouled. One source at the club said "He can’t win" and the comments made by Michael Owen were apparently referenced in the article, suggesting that Sadio is aware of it.
     
    I’m not having it that this is the reason why he’s completely forgotten how to play football though. There’s way more to it than that because there’s no way he’s that mentally fragile that he’d allow refs to torpedo his form like that.
     
    Having said that, getting all this out in the public domain does maybe put refs under some pressure the next time he's brought down in the box and they want to wave it away.
     
    But let's be honest here, the horse is long gone and closing the stable door now is a fucking waste of time. The time to have made a huge stink about unfair treatment from refs was after Goodison. We just accepted it and we've been a punchbag for officials ever since.
     
    Friday Apr 9:
     
    I just thought of something. Where the fuck is Ben Davies? I’d completely forgotten about him because of the international break but as far as I’m aware he hasn’t even been on the bench lately has he?
     
    He’s gonna be a modern day Frank McGarvey. I only know McGarvey was a Liverpool player because he was in my Panini sticker album, and even then he was wearing a St Mirren kit. If Ben Davies is in any Panini album he’s probably in his Preston shirt. McGarvey left us to join Celtic without playing a game. There's every chance Davies will go the same route.
     
    The u23s lost 3-2 at City tonight. I don’t think I’ve watched a full game of theirs all season because there’s just no point. There isn’t one player in the regular line up that has any hope of making it here, even though I did enjoy watching Cain and Clarkson play when they were in the u18s. It might just be me, but u18 footy is boss and u23 footy is dull as fuck. It feels like all the best kids we have are in the u18 set up, while there are players like Woodburn, Moyes and Gallagher in the 23s who are just treading water until they are released. 
     
    And we’ve got about a hundred keepers, most of whom I’ve seen play a few times but there’s one fucker I’ve never seen play any games yet somehow he keeps getting named on the bench for Champions League games. Just who in the blue hell is “H. Davies”???
     
    We’ve got Villa tomorrow. I have no idea what’s going to happen because that Arsenal game last week has thrown me. That’s the outlier here. We looked good in that game and it’s muddied the water because it made me think we’d turned the corner. Then the Madrid game happened and I’m back to just having no idea what we are anymore. 
     
    If I had to bet on it, I think I’d pick us to lose. But then that would be seven straight losses at ‘Anfield’ (I don’t even like calling it that without fans) and statistically the odds against that must be pretty big. Playing the odds would mean a win, so how come I can see us toiling away and losing to one of only two or three shots Villa have?
     
    Hopefully I’m worrying over nothing because if we do win this one it does set us up nicely for a run at getting fourth. It’s hard not to be shaken by that horror show the other night though.
     
    and that was the week that was…..
     
  • Jurgen Klopp says that Sadio Mane is going through a phase that all top forwards go through in their career and there is no physical hinderance affecting his game.
     
    While Mo Salah has often taken the headlines due to his goalscoring exploits throughout his Reds career, the all-round game of Mane has been greatly underrated.
     
    Those who see the Senegalese star play on a regular basis will say that he is the individual that gels the front three together.
     
    But just like many of his teammates, this campaign has been a significant struggle for the 29 year-old.
     
    After starting the season in his customary style scoring three goals in as many league games, Mane tested positive for COVID-19 after the Arsenal game which saw him have to serve the customary two weeks of self-isolation and saw him miss the 7-2 humbling at Villa Park, his next game for the Reds against Everton saw a return to the scoresheet.
     
    Since that fixture in the middle of October, Mane has scored just three league goals with his last coming against Tottenham at the end of January.
     
    While it is worth noting that he did score in both fixtures against RB Leipzig, Mane is well below near his usual strike rate (12 goals in 39 games) and faces a significant challenge to reach the 20 goal mark (in all competitions) for the fourth consecutive season.
     
    As research steadily increases into the lasting impacts of COVID-19, more and more individuals who have had the illness say that they continue to have lingering symptoms many months down the track.
     
    We may never know how much  this has been a major factor for Sadio, or if it is a matter of wear and tear beginning to show after a extremely heavy workload over the last couple of seasons and a compressed schedule during this season.
     
    According to his manager, it is nothing different to what most elite players in his position have had  to deal with  and he is not duly concerned as the Official site reported:
     
    “We all know how good Sadio Mane is, what a player he is. 
     
    “And what he did for us. Obviously the numbers, scoring-wise now, are obviously not great at the moment – he knows that. It’s always for a player and for a player with the mindset of Sadio, he wants to do extremely well then in these moments and that’s the situation he is in. 
     
    “Each striker in the world knows these kinds of situations. But I’m not concerned, but I see it as well. That’s clear. We work on it – that’s the only answer I can give. 
     
    Klopp conceded that the schedule may well have played a role, but the more likely reason would be a lack of confidence in front of goal which is something that is only natural.
     

     
    “The schedule of the last three years was for a lot of players in world football a tough one – for him as well, that’s true. But I don’t think that’s the reason, there’s no physical problem for Sadio, not a real one. 
     
    “We all need breaks from time to time, that’s clear, but it’s not a general problem or whatever. It’s just a situation.
     
    “If you don’t score for a while then strikers start thinking and there is a moment when you start thinking exactly the right things again and then it will be fine again. We have to make sure this time is not too far away.”
     
     
  • Only eight more weekends and then this is over. Who knows, we might yet salvage something from this complete catastrophe of a season.
     
    A couple of weeks ago it had an 8th or 9th place vibe about it but as shite as we are, others are in the same boat. And that boat may as well be named the Titanic as everyone seems to be sinking fast.
     
    Everyone below third is shite. I still think Chelsea are probably the least shite, but losing 5-2 at home to West Brom probably flies in the face of that. Are they as untrustworthy as us? They might be. 
     
    They hadn’t conceded for 12 hours but then shipped five to one of the lowest scoring teams in the league. That result was one nobody could have seen coming. Nobody except for Sam Allardyce that is. 
     
    It went exactly how he drew it up on his tactics board apparently. At least that’s what he told Talksport on Monday morning. No-one blows their own trumpet quite like Allardyce.
     
    He actually said that they targeted Mendy because they’d studied him and he is prone to doing mad things. How much of a cunt do you have to be to publicly shame an opposition player like that? It’s not as if Mendy played any part in this defeat for Chelsea either. It defo wasn’t on him.
     
    Chelsea actually scored first when Pulisic reacted quickest after Alonso’s free-kick came back off the post, but Thiago Silva saw red soon after.
     
    Tuchel went mad at the time but honestly, how can they possibly have any complaints there? He lunged in and caught the lad after he’d got his shot away, and David Coote really had no choice but to give him a second booking.
     
    Chelsea were complaining but if he hadn’t produced a second yellow for that, West Brom would have been complaining and they’d have had a much bigger grievance than Chelsea had.
     
    The game then turned on its head. Partly because of the sending off, partly because of a freak injury situation. Ivanovic came on to replace an injured Baggie, and 12 minutes later he too had to go off injured. His replacement was Callum Robinson and he was the most influential player in the second half. Not really sure how a manager can say that was all part of his plan, but if anyone can, Fat Sam can.
     
    Before the Callum Robinson show began though we had big drama in first half stoppage time when Pereira scored twice in a couple of minutes. First he equalised with a cool finish from a long ball over the top. Mendy had started to come but knew he wasn’t getting there, and he ended up in no man’s land. 
     
    Allardyce was pretty smug about that but that goal was on the centre backs, not the keeper. Still, anything to suit the ‘tactical genius’ narrative eh?
     
    Then, with Chelsea all over the place, he fired in a low shot to give West Brom a half time lead. He’s a good player that Pereira. I just don’t think he’s consistent. If he was he’d be playing for a better team than West Brom, but when he’s on he’s quality.
     
    Had Chelsea still had eleven men I’d have fancied them to turn it around, but losing Thiago Silva and then two goals in such a short space of time gave them a mountain to climb. And they couldn’t climb it. 
     
    In fairness West Brom were sensational at times in the second half. The goals they scored were ridiculously good for what is basically an alehouse team.
     
    Robinson made it 3-1 with a gorgeous volley after a sweeping move. Most players would have lashed at it but he just guided it with his sidefoot right into the top corner. Fucking brilliant goal. 
     
    All the FIFA virgins who were creaming themselves over that shitty rabona from Lamela the other week won’t have a clue how good this goal was, but it was glorious.
     
    Diagne then finished off another length of the field move full of dummies and back heels, and although Chelsea pulled one back through Mount and briefly threatened a comeback, Robinson wrapped it up with another lovely finish to cap off an amazing day.
     
    The funny thing is, every goal he’s ever scored in the top flight is against Chelsea. Five goals, all against Chelsea. Usually it’s us on the end of weird anomalies like that. Kevin Lisbie anyone? Dwight Gayle?
     
    Lots of talk afterwards about West Brom playing like Brazil. It’s the stock comment we all make whenever a team plays exciting football but I think that’s a comparison that needs retiring now as there’s absolutely nothing magical about Brazil anymore. 
     
    They used to be the benchmark for flair, skill and dazzling football, but nowadays they’re no different to anyone else. There’s fuck all magical about a team that’s picking players from Everton. 
     
    Final point on this game. Chelsea won the XG count, which shows just what a fucking crock of shite that is. Pisses me off that it’s somehow made it’s way into mainstream analysis of games now. 
     
    Man City beat Leicester. Didn’t watch any of it and don’t care who scored, but I did hear that there was a five minute spell when Leicester had 0% possession, which is almost impossible to do. Reverse Rodgeball.
     
    Moving on. I knew Chris Wilder had been sacked but I had no idea who replaced him. Paul Heckinbottom. Never heard of the cunt, but apparently he was Leeds boss before Bielsa.
     
    They went head to head in the Yorkshire derby on Friday night and Bielsa came out on top.
     
    Harrison had a tap in to make it 1-0 following nice play by Raphinha. He almost doubled their lead soon after but the keeper made a good save. In the build up to that a Leeds player got fucking wiped right out by a two footed lunge from Baldock, who gave himself a concussion in the process. 
     
    He tried to come back on but he was all over the place and they were forced to sub him. You have to wonder why 1) he wasn’t sent off for the two footed tackle and 2) how the Blades medical staff didn’t know he had a concussion.
     
    It was 1-1 in first half stoppage time when Osborn arrived at the back post and just about converted. It initially looked like a Leeds defender had blocked it on the line but goal-line technology intervened and gave the goal. It was actually miles over the line but the original angle was deceptive.
     
    Jagielka put through his own net to give Leeds the win. 7th own goal of his career, the Evertonian cunt.
     
    Southampton came from 2-0 down to beat Burnley on Sunday. Cracking game this one, astonishingly.
     
    Even more astonishing, Burnley actually got a penalty. Incredible scenes. The ref didn’t give it initially because it’s Burnley and they weren’t at Anfield, but after being told to take a look at it he eventually got it right and saw that Walker-Peters just scythed down Eric Pieters after he crossed the ball. How he didn’t see that to begin with though, fuck knows. 
     
    Wood emphatically blasted in the pen to make it 1-0. He had earlier gone close with a toe poke from the edge of the box. I love that. You don’t see anywhere near enough toeys in the modern game but it’s a good way of catching out the keeper. Fraser Forster actually did well to react and turn it round the post. 
     
    Vydra made it 2-0 with a route one goal. Hoof forward by Ben Mee, nice flick by Wood and a thumping finish by Vydra. 
     
    Armstrong started the comeback and Ings equalised with a beautifully taken goal. Just superbly done. He celebrated too even though Burnley is his old team. I think that’s crept in since fans have been missing. Players don’t want to celebrate in front of the fans they used to play for but in empty stadiums all bets are off. 
     
    Southampton absolutely blitzed Burnley after that and Nick Pope was in the kind of form we only usually see from him at Anfield. He was keeping the scores level almost by himself but eventually he was beaten by Redmond and the Saints picked up a rare win.
     
    They did need a really acrobatic save from Forster to deny Wood though. He moves pretty well for a big Frankenstein looking twat with bolts in his neck.
     
    Newcastle snatched a late draw at home to Spurs but they’re right in the thigh of that dogfight at the bottom. If Fulham could ever find a way to convert performances into results then Newcastle would be fucked.
     
    This was a big point for them though. They led with a first half goal from Linton. Nice to see big Joe getting a rare goal. Fourth goal in 62 games.
     
    Kane managed half that total in four minutes to turn it around and put Spurs ahead. They should have made the game safe in the second half but didn’t take their chances and got caught late by an equaliser by on loan Arsenal man Willock. A good day for Newcastle attackers called Joe.
     
    Sunderland are looking good for promotion so hopefully next season there’ll be a return of the North East derby game in the Championship.
     
    I want them to go down but I was happy for them to pick up that point on Sunday as it did us a favour. We made up two points on Spurs and Everton this week, and three on Chelsea and Leicester. But fucking West Ham are now somehow in a top four spot.
     
    If that’s still the case when the season ends then us, Spurs, Chelsea, Arsenal and even Everton would all be justified in sacking the manager and using “finished below David Moyes” as the justification for it.
     
     
    Fulham had such a great chance to pile the pressure on Newcastle but they blew it by losing to Villa, for home Grealish was still missing. 
     
    Villa’s record without their star man is shite and this really should have been a game where Fulham made a statement. As usual, they played pretty well and deserved more than they got. There’s no way they’re the third worst team in this league, but if you can’t get results then this is what happens.
     
    Villa were awarded a penalty that was over-ruled after the ref checked on the screen. Good that. Can’t blame him for the initial decision as it looked like a pen, but the replays showed that Lemina got the ball and the right decision was made.
     
    For every one of these though there are ten shit ones.
     
    Mitrovic took advantage of a Mings mistake to open the scoring but Trezeguet equalised from a Mings cross and then made it 2-1 soon after. Watkins wrapped it up from close range with a couple of minutes left.
     
    Scott ‘Scotty’ Parker’s body language concerned me. He seems more concerned with looking like a Burtons poster on that touchline. He’s stood there, posing like a statue while his team are shipping stupid goals. Show a bit of that Dunkirk spirit, Squadron Leader Parker.
     
    Elsewhere, the Mancs just about beat Brighton and look to be on course to be the worst second placed team since… actually since Mourinho somehow got them 2nd a few years ago when they were at least as bad as they are now.
     
    Onto Monday now and Everton’s abysmal home form continued as they conceded a late equaliser to Palace. Their home record of late isn’t much better than ours, and we’ve lost six on the bounce.
     
    Rodriguez opened the scoring with his right foot. He’s been out for a long time but scoring with the foot he only uses for standing on? It's like he’s come back a new man. Or woman, if you believe that WhatsApp message that was doing the rounds last week!
     
    Batshuayi equalised very late on but it was no more than Palace deserved as they had their chances.
     
    If Everton weren’t Everton they’d be miles ahead of us by now but they can’t even beat us at being shit.
     
    What was with the weird Palace away kit? Never seen that one before. Navy with the red stripe down the centre. Palace Saint Germain. See what I did there? That’s worth two quid a month of anyone’s money, surely?
     
    Finally, as already mentioned West Ham won to go into the top four. They beat Wolves 3-2 with Lingard once again proving to be their talisman. He’s had a massive impact there hasn’t he? The prick.
     
    He ran half the length of the field to open the scoring and then he was heavily involved in the second, scored by Fornals, and the third, scored by Bowen.
     
    They did their best to blow it as goals from Dendoncker (after sensational play by Traore) and Fabio Silva made it interesting but the Hammers held on to leapfrog us, Spurs and Chelsea and go fourth.
     
    If anything sums up this completely fucked up, mental season, it’s Moyes slithering his way into the top four.
  • Ryan Gravenberch is the latest name being touted as a possible replacement for Gini Wijnaldum according to reports.
     
    The ever-dependable 30 year-old is keeping his cards very close to his chest regarding where he will be playing next season.
     
     But the longer that there is no news regarding a re-signing with the Reds, the reality increases that he will depart the club with Barcelona the likely destination.
     
    There is little doubt that the club would be prepared for both scenarios and therefore would have a number of alternatives on the table if the popular Dutchman does depart.
     
    Gravenberch is seen as one of the brightest young talents on the Dutch footballing scene.
     
    Coming through the famed Ajax academy, he started his senior career with Jong Ajax, which is the Dutch giants’ reserve team which play in the second division. 
     
    His talent from a young age was clearly evident and so much so that he was quickly, promoted to the senior squad and broke the record for the youngest Ajax player to ever play in the Eredivisie at just 16 years and 130 days, breaking the 26 year club record set by Clarence Seedorf.
     
    The 18 year-old starlet has represented his country at every level from the U/16 to the senior squad.
     
    Gravenberch claimed his first first senior cap just last month in the World Cup qualifier against Turkey.
     
    Former Ajax legend Ronald De Boer gave the youngster incredibly high praise recently  saying  “(Mattias) De Ligt might have been an exception at that age, but Gravenberch has unrivalled qualities.”
     

     
    The midfielder made two appearances against the Reds this season in the Champions League group stage where he certainly did not look out of place.
     
    The Express via Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport say Liverpool and Chelsea are two of the favourites to sign the midfielder.
     
    The transfer fee is speculated to be around £30million (€35m).
     
    Standing at a imposing 6 ft.3, Gravenberch is seen as versatile, initially as a attacking midfielder, but has developed his game to such a extent where he is now seen as very dependable in the holding role.
     
    He has averaged 1.52 interceptions and 1.16 successful tackles in 25 league games this season while his performances in the Champions League (5 tackles/ 1.83 interceptions) and Europa League (3 tackles/3 interceptions per game) are even more impressive.
     
    On the creative side, Gravenberch has scored three goals in the league and recorded five assists with a successful passing percentage of 86.12%.
     
    Whether Liverpool sign Gravenberch or not, it seems like he will be an emerging star of the game  in the years to come. 
     
     
     
     
     
  • Jurgen Klopp has sprung to the defence of Naby Keita following Liverpool’s 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.
     
    It was a surprise to see the Guinea international selected in the starting line-up ahead of Thiago Alcantara, especially when you take into account that he has been on the periphery this season due to injury and illness issues.
     
    So this rare start in his 16th appearance for the season was the perfect chance for the 26 year-old to make a significant impression in a very important game.
     
    Instead as has so often happened in his Liverpool career to date, Keita flattered to deceive and was replaced before half time which barring a injury substitution, is a very rare move for Klopp to make.
     
    But speaking after the game (per the Official site), the German was at pains to explain that the 2-0 deficit that the team was facing at the time was not the direct fault of the midfielder.
     
    “It was tactical, it was tactical. That’s now things I don’t like in the job, stuff like this. 
     
    "You do that and then it’s like the one player is responsible for the performance of the first half. 
     
    “Naby was not responsible for that. He didn’t play for a while, especially not from the start, and these kind of things. 
     
    “We were not good in the game, Naby was not good in the game but we all saw the game so to be honest I could have made a few more changes in that moment. 
     
    “So it was not about Naby but I did it and I am now not happy about it because we talk about it like it was Naby’s responsibility. It was not. But it was tactical, that’s it.
     
    “ I could have done a few more changes in that moment and thank God I didn’t."
     
    The Reds certainly picked up their performance in the second 45 minutes with a Mo Salah strike halving the deficit six minutes after the break, but Vinicius Junior put the game to bed fourteen minutes later grabbing his second for the game and the Reds facing an almighty challenge in the second leg.
     
    Klopp was not only disappointed by the overall performance, but that the treatment that dished out to Sadio Mane on the night was not properly dealt with by the referee.
     
    “The situation with Sadio, what the ref did tonight I have to say I don't understand.
     
    “For me that was something personal because he dealt with the situation with Sadio, which was a clear foul, like he was a diver or whatever.
     
    "From that moment on whenever Sadio went down he didn't get anything. That is not right. That is what I told him after the game, that I thought he was unfair with Sadio.
     
    "That doesn't change anything at all. He [the referee] didn't lose the game. We were not good enough to get a better result, but in these moments you need just an 'OK' ref. That would have been enough."
     
    Liverpool are certainly no strangers to coming back from seemingly impossible situations, however Klopp knows this will be a different challenge to what they faced two years ago against Barcelona.
     
    “If you want to have some emotional memories, you watch the Barcelona game back and 80% of this game was the atmosphere in the stadium, I would say. We have to do without that.
     
    “It’s not that I sit here and think comebacks are our thing and that we do that all the time.
     
    “We have from time to time, but we always had supporters in the stadium. We don’t have that this time.
     
    “I don’t know if we can do it, but I can promise we will give it a proper try.
     
    "The boys really want it. Today in the first half we couldn’t and for whatever reason we didn’t, and that’s what we will look to find out, to change, and to go again."
     
     
     

  • We waited three years for a chance for payback and THIS is what we got? Absolute fucking shite. What a massive letdown. We probably shouldn’t be surprised as revenge is not something that this team does well. You only have to go back to the insipid surrender against the Blueshite the other week to see that.
     
    With this being the Champions League though I really expected better. I had high hopes about this game because other than Porto, Real Madrid might be the weakest team we could have been drawn against. The problem is they can say the same about us, and they’d be right based on this. They won EASILY.
     
    We were fucking awful in every single area of the pitch. Not one of the players come out of it with any credit. Not a single one. Everyone was shite and it’s hard to take or understand given the importance of the game. I’d allowed myself to get excited about this one. I was really looking forward to it and believed we’d see a big performance. More fool me, I won’t be making that mistake again.
     
    We started badly and got worse. There was a decent spell just after half time but it didn’t last and we were just well beaten. It’s easy to blame it on the team selection, specifically the surprise inclusion of Keita, but that’s just scapegoating. Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending Keita and if he never played for us again I wouldn't lose a minute's sleep over it, but there was far more to this than just Naby being Naby.
     
    He did nothing whatsoever but he isn’t to blame for the rest of them making the most basic of errors time and time again. If you want to say we’re a worse team when Keita plays and that we always look more open then I’ll agree with you. This shocking performance had very little to do with Keita though. 
     
    Whether it was Fabinho and Wijnaldum simply passing the ball straight to Madrid players when under no pressure, Phillips not being aware of players running in behind, Trent ‘assisting’ at the wrong end or the forward players taking four touches to try and get the ball under control only to still fail, this was just one huge collective shitshow. Everyone was crap.
     
    When Real scored the only surprise was it had taken so long. Vinicius Jr was having his own way down the left hand side and we just weren’t dealing with him, which is infuriating because he's shite and we come up against better wide players every other week in the Premier League. The opening goal is mostly on Phillips who needless got sucked into the middle towards Benzema and allowed Vinicius to run off his shoulder onto a ball over the top from Kroos.
     
    Trent should be more aware of that though too, either by screaming at Phillips to warn him or by tracking the run himself. I didn’t think much of Alisson’s attempt to save it either if I’m being honest, although that might be harsh.
     
    The second goal was virtually all on Trent but I thought Ferdinand’s analysis of the role the centre backs had in it had some merit too. Trent’s header was shite and that’s on him, but the ease they were getting behind us with that ball over the top doesn’t bode well for next week. I’m not going to say anything bad about Kabak and Phillips though as what are they, sixth and seventh choice? They’ve done better than anyone has a right to expect from them but this was a bridge too far. 
     
    So while I don’t dispute any of the points made by Ferdinand I just can’t bring myself to be pointing the finger at those two lads when we essentially had our first choice players in every other position on the field and THEY WERE ALL FUCKING SHITE.  Kabak and Phillips have an excuse. The others don't. Well, tiredness might be one because some of them they do look fucked to be fair to them.
     
    Worst of the bunch was Sadio, who is absolutely fucking hopeless right now. Just genuinely dreadful. His performance here was hideous. He couldn’t do a thing right and it was sad to see. He’s in the mother of all slumps now and looks like a Sunday league player. 
     
    It doesn’t help that he’s getting absolutely fuck all from refs either. He was blatantly fouled just before their second goal and it’s staggering that VAR looked at that and said it was ok. I’d be annoyed about it if we hadn’t absolutely deserved to get walloped anyway. That decision stank almost as much as our performance.
     
    Klopp hooked Naby a few minutes before half time and confessed afterwards that it was tactical and Keita just wasn’t in the game. He added that he could have taken a few more off as well. I don’t question the decision at all, but I do wonder why it was done three minutes before the break. Usually you’d just do it at half time as it’s less humiliating to the player. It’s really, really unusual to see a player hooked on 42 minutes. Maybe Klopp felt let down after putting his faith in him? I know the feeling, I was predicting big things from Keita in the group chat when I saw the team. For the record, not one of the lads agreed with me and they were right not to.
     
    Klopp had said Keita got the nod because of how well he’d trained for weeks and because he wanted someone who would dribble and take the game to Madrid. He must have spotted a vulnerability in how they play and he wanted Keita to exploit that. It never happened but I don’t think that’s just Keita’s fault as we never had hold of the ball long enough to build any kind of attack. Keita was no more responsible than anyone else for that, but he was the obvious one that you’d take off. He shouldn't play again. It isn't working and it never will. I'd rather Jones or even Ox got his minutes.
     
    We did improve a bit with Thiago out there, but he was no great shakes either. He picked up another booking (harsh) and didn’t really do anything especially creative. At least he kept the ball though (other than one terrible pass about a minute after he came on) which is more than anyone else could say. Actually that's maybe harsh because the passing in the second half was nowhere near as slack as it was before the break. Gini and Fabinho were much better in the second half but given how bad they were in the first that wasn't difficult.
     
    We got ourselves back in it with a scruffy goal. Jota drove at the defence and then his shot was partially blocked. It fell to Mo who got it stuck under his feet before just about getting a shot away that hit Courtois and went in off the bar. I didn’t celebrate, partly because we’d been so bad I didn’t even feel emotionally invested in it at that point, but mainly because VAR has killed that now. I only celebrate when it’s clear there’s absolutely nothing that needs to be looked at, and this one initially had a faint whiff of offside about it.
     
    If we could have kept it 2-1 then we’d still have a chance of going through but instead we gave away another awful goal. Vinicius was given too much space in the box and Alisson’s attempt at saving a weak shot just wasn’t good enough. Just before that we’d almost conceded from our own corner when somehow we ended up with Thiago as one of only two players back. That can’t happen. He can’t run (and he was carrying a yellow card) so you don’t put him in that situation. It summed up the whole night though. Trent did well to save us there, but he undid that by not being close enough to Vinicious on the goal (Phillips should have been tighter too).
     
    On a completely unrelated note, I wish Alisson would shave that fucking muzzy as I don’t like keepers drawing attention to themselves. I just think it makes them look a cunt when they make mistakes, which Alisson has been prone to doing this season. When you’re winning you can do whatever you like, but with the run we’ve been having I want the players being low profile, not swaggering round like fucking Magnum P.I.
     
    Anyway, at 3-1 we had a fair bit of the ball but did nothing with it as Madrid just saw it out without really breaking sweat. That’s the thing that bothers me. They’re not that good and if we’d played them in either of the previous two seasons we’d have fucking pummelled them. Instead, we play them now and make them look like…. well, Real Madrid. This is the worst side they’ve had in decades but we made them look like Galcticos.
     
    But then we’ve lost to Villa, Everton, Burnley, Fulham, Southampton and a load of other deadbeat teams so it’s hardly surprising that the worst Madrid team in years had their way with us. 
     
    We’ll now have to listen to all the “its only half time” and “second leg at Anfield, you never know” rallying talk but I’m not putting any stock in that whatsoever. If Anfield was going to be full I’d still back us to go through, but nah, it’s not happening. We’ve been horrendous at Anfield for months and there is absolutely nothing whatsoever to suggest we have any chance now. It’s over. 
     
    I’d like to think we’ll make a fight of it and give them a scare but we’ll get done on a counter attack or by a moment of quality and that will finish us off because our forward line in its current state is not scoring the three or four goals that we’ll need. Not without a packed Anfield roaring them on.
     
    So after next week all that will be left is a demoralising ‘fight for fourth’. I know how important that is and obviously I hope we can do it, but I can’t get excited about it. It’s actually depressing that this is where we find ourselves again, so soon after it looked like we’d be top of the mountain for a good while.
     
    Half the team just looks completely fucked now. Mentally and physically. The hope is that they can recharge their batteries in time for next season and then with crowds back things will return to ‘normal’. It is by no means certain though, especially as some of them will have to play in the Euros. 
     
    By the time Robbo comes back for pre-season I’m expecting his legs to be worn down to little nubs as he’s played so much football. As for Sadio, we may as well just let his rest start now and hope he can be back at his best next season, because the way he is right now is no use to anyone. I'd pick Firmino over him now, which says it all.
     
    One thing I do want to see next week though is Milner starting. He needs to play as he brings the intensity that we don’t have without him or Hendo in there. In hindsight, he should have played this game.
     
    Star man is nobody. Easiest decision of the season.
     
     
    Team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Phillips, Kabak (Shaqiri), Robertson; Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Keita (Thiago); Salah, Jota (Firmino), Mané:
     
  • Kind of feels like maybe the tide has turned a bit now doesn’t it? That horrific run we had looks like it’s in the rear view mirror and we’re looking more like ourselves again. We aren’t out of the woods yet but things do look a bit more…. dare I say, normal?
     
    This was actually a pretty big test for us. Not because it was Arsenal (they truly are pathetic), but because Chelsea’s shock loss to West Brom earlier had opened up the door to the top four. We started the day five points behind them and with them facing the Baggies and us away at the Emirates. To end the day only two points back is unexpected and feels significant.
     
    I’d given up on the top four but now it’s definitely within reach again, especially with Spurs also dropping points . This win feels like a statement of intent that we’re fighting back and ready to end the season strongly. Time will tell, but it does seem like we have a bit of momentum going at last. Even disregarding the potential impact this win could have, it feels good regardless because this is what is SUPPOSED to happen when we play Arsenal.
     
    When we lost away to them last season I was seething way more than I had a right to. We were having an incredible season, the title was all but wrapped up (we may have already clinched it, I can’t remember) and the defeat didn’t mean anything other than it ended the chance to get to 100 points, which in itself irritated me but nowhere near as much as losing to them fucking bums. 
     
    Why was I so angry? Because Arsenal are shit. It offends me that we could ever drop points to them because they’re weak, spineless, and an absolute fucking embarrassment. This is the worst Arsenal team I’ve ever seen. I despise how pathetic they are. They were even shit in that game last season but somehow we let them win and it took some getting over just because I saw it as a personal affront. 
     
    I’ll be honest, I was having some flashbacks of that night at half time in this one. We’d played well, completely dominated, looked in no trouble whatsoever but we hadn’t created enough chances. It was all set up for Arsenal to score with the one chance they would inevitably get while we continued to waste promising situations. And then I’d be in foul form for weeks at the embarrassment of it all. Losing to Everton was bad enough, but if we let these fucking deadbeats turn us over again I’d probably be wanting half the squad sold on the spot. That was my fear at half time but thankfully it proved to be completely unfounded. 
     
    For one thing, Arsenal didn’t actually even get one chance. They offered nothing at all. We completely shut them down all over the park and as Arteta said afterwards they “couldn’t put three passes together”. This was men against boys. 
     
    But we’ve seen that before and often it has counted for nothing because we didn’t convert dominance into chances and chances into goals. This time we did, although it needed the arrival of Jota to change everything. On the one hand it’s great that we have him, on the other it does disturb me a little how toothless we look with the front three that was once the envy of Europe. 
     
    The difference Jota makes to us is massive. Look what happened to us when he got injured. We were actually doing fine up until then and we look fine again now he’s back. That period when he wasn’t there, it all went to complete shit. That isn’t a co-incidence.
     
    As well as we’d played prior to him coming on for Robbo (who looked like he was toiling under the weight of games he’s had to play), we hadn’t scored and I never really had the feeling we were likely to. He comes on and then within minutes… BANG… thumping header 1-0.
     
    That first goal just changes everything for us as it removes the pressure and tension. Too often we haven’t been able to get that first goal (and we hardly ever score in the first half) and the stress levels just go up and up and up and the decision making in the final third goes to shit, especially if we concede and end up chasing it.
     
    You go a goal up though and everyone has that bit more confidence and it just relieves a lot of pressure. That’s what happened here. We had more swagger after we broke the deadlock. Then Mo then makes it 2-0 with a superbly executed finish and then Jota pops up again to wrap it up. 
     
    It wasn’t even a surprise. It’s what he does. His injury fucked our season and without it he’d be our player of the season. He’s an absolute menace and I feel like he’s going to score in every game. He’s just hungry for goals and he scores all different types of them. 
     
    When the team was announced and Jota wasn’t in it I think everyone was disappointed. I was too, but as frustrating as it was I understood that it was the sensible thing to do as he’d had busy couple of weeks with Portugal and we’ve got Real Madrid on Tuesday. I agreed with the decision but any time he isn’t starting it effects my enthusiasm and confidence. With justification as we’re now a much better team with him in it than when he isn’t there.
     
    I said to my Dad at half time that Jota will come on and do more in his first five minutes than Bobby will have done in an hour because that’s always the case now. Jota just seems to make things happen and has three or four goal attempts every time he plays, even when he only comes on for half an hour. 
     
    I don’t want to single Firmino out too much on this occasion as he played ok. He was no worse than Mané for example, but my point is more about how Jota just changes the dynamic. He’s just so much more dangerous than anyone else we have other than Mo, and even that might be doing Jota an injustice.
     
    Maybe teams have figured out how to nullify Firmino and what he does? Too often these days we just see him drop deeper and deeper and offer little or no goal threat. And on his bad days he just gives the ball away constantly.
     
    Jota is the polar opposite. Everything he does is direct and positive. He runs at people, he gets shots away, he’s always popping up in dangerous areas. Maybe there’s a way that all four can play but if there’s only three playing then it’s Salah, Jota and then probably Mané, although Sadio has been in a slump for months now so you can make a case for leaving him out. 
     
    I wouldn’t, because even on a bad day he occupies defenders and strikes fear into them. Does Bobby do that? Do you think any defender wakes up on the morning of a game and thinks “ah fuck, I’ve got to mark Firmino later”. No chance. Sadio still has that even when he’s playing like shit.
     
    It’s not even Bobby’s fault entirely. He’s just become too extreme a version of himself. The falsest of false nines. Maybe he can re-invent himself playing behind the front three but it just feels like this is the beginning of the phasing out Firmino stage doesn’t it?
     
    As I say though, he wasn’t bad. He was involved more than he has often been this season and he did play one great through ball to Salah who then shot too close to Leno. Nice play that though. We had quite a lot of nice play. Mostly after we got the opening goal and started to play with more freedom, but even in the first half we had our moments. 
     
    The best chance fell to Milner after he was well picked out by Trent. Should have scored but completely missed the target. Sadio had a headed opportunity from another right wing cross (think this one was by Fabinho) but for all our dominance and good situations we didn’t work the keeper enough. An all too familiar story this season. When Jota isn’t playing that is.
     
    As I said though, everything just got much easier after the opening goal. Lovely goal it was too. Stunning ball in from Trent and a good header from Jota. I also liked the way Trent got himself back onside quickly after his initial run wasn’t found, and the way Mo waited for him to get back onside before giving it to him. The cross though. Fucking hell. Stunning.
     
    Trent’s celebration defo had a whiff of “fucking have some of that Southgate” about it. If him being left out by England fires him up even more for us then great. He’s been playing well for a couple of months anyway and should never have been left out, but I’d be happy if every international manager decided to drop our lads.
     
    The second goal was good too. Clever ball in behind by Fabinho and although Mo didn’t reach it first he put the shits up Gabriel and forced him into diving in to try and clear the danger. He didn’t clear it and Mo calmly went through, waited for Leno to commit and then rolled it through his legs with his right foot. Class finish.
     
    Jota’s second was an emphatic finish that he took off the toes of Sadio, who had turned in the box after being fed by Mo. I don’t think Sadio was scoring from there so it’s a good job Jota was steaming in hunting out more goals.
     
    I thought he’d go and get himself a hat-trick after that but we eased off on them and played a lot of keep ball. It would have been nice to smash them everywhere but with Madrid coming up in a few days it was sensible to conserve some energy. Klopp made another couple of substitutions when he sent on Wijnaldum for Firmino and Williams for Kabak. Bit of a strange one taking off Ozan, who looked a little puzzled before Klopp explained it to him.
     
    I’m not sure whether we should have had a penalty there at the end though when Alisson sent Mo clear. It looked like he was fouled on first view, but first view is all we had because the final whistle went and they didn’t show any replay. Mo certainly seemed to think he’d been fouled. We don’t get decisions like that when they actually matter so I was a little bit surprised we didn’t get this one. Good chance to even up the numbers a bit and cover their tracks. Maybe because the final whistle went immediately VAR couldn’t get involved, not unless it’s to hand United three points anyway.
     
    So a good win and yet another clean sheet for the new look back four with Fabinho in front of them. I like Kabak, he’s really growing on me now. He just quietly goes about his job and him and Nat have been brilliant together. We have no right to expect this level of performance from them. The Madrid game is going to be a big test for them and we may learn more about them on Tuesday night, but we know they can play against most PL teams.
     
    They probably won’t have an easier game than this one but they still had to maintain their concentration and not make mistakes. There was only one awkward moment for them when Nat had to deal with a tricky bouncing ball. He headed it back and it may not have reached Alisson, but Kabak was there covering for his partner as any good centre back should.
     
    He’s a weird one because if you ask me what he’s good at I couldn’t tell you. He isn’t big, he’s not especially fast, he isn’t physically dominant and he’s nothing special on the ball (by that I mean he’s good, but he’s no Alan Hansen). So he doesn’t have any specific attribute to hang his hat on yet somehow he’s getting the job done for us. 
     
    Big Nat did well again and Lacazette didn’t fancy it at all did he? Phillips just dominated him and Lacazette looked like he quit. He was crying to the ref all game and milking any contact like he’d had his leg broken. We saw him the other week on MOTD screaming and he was at it again. 
     
    There was a weird one when he went down holding his face after a tangle with Nat. The replay showed there was minimal contact at most, but when Lacazette eventually got to his feet he had blood coming from above his eye.
     
    If I didn’t know better I’d say he pulled the old Ric Flair juicing trick. Razor blade in the sock, little nick of the eyebrow, blood everywhere. Obviously that didn’t happen but it just shows you how you can’t always judge contact based on replays. How many times have we said “he didn’t touch him” on incidents like this one? And if there’s no blood we just assume the player is faking it, but there was absolutely nothing in this at all yet Lacazette was busted open.
     
    So all in all everyone played a part in this but star man is Fabinho just ahead of Jota, with special mention to Trent and to Milner who did a good job in two positions for us and completed a rare 90 minutes. Thiago looks more comfortable with Fabinho there as a safety blanket too. He’s not doing anything particularly eye catching but he’s playing a part and growing into the team now. We need a big performance from him against Madrid as that’s the stage he’s used to playing on.
     
    I’m actually really looking forward to that game now that we aren’t the quivering fucking wreck we were a month or so back. Shame Ramos isn’t going to be involved as it would have been nice to settle that score, but then at least we don’t have to worry about him putting any of our lads on hospital this time. Twat.
     
    Final word has to be on Stuart Atwell. Not for his performance (which was adequate enough), but for his haircut. Fucking hell fella. Comes to something when Aubamayeng can come out with a head like that and not have the most ridiculous haircut on the pitch. This wasn’t as bad as when Michael Oliver had tramlines shaved into the side of his head but it’s up there.
     
     
    Team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Phillips, Kabak (R Williams), Robertson (Jota); Fabinho, Milner, Thiago; Salah, Firmino (Wijnaldum), Mané:
  • Nat Phillips has expressed his delight in claiming the Standard Chartered Men's Player of the Month for March.
     
    The Central defender claimed the award ahead of Mo Salah and Ozan Kabak in the most recent fan poll. 
     
    Phillips spent last season on loan at Stuttgart - who at the time were in the German second division - and at the start of this campaign was not even in the conversation for a place on the bench, such is the quality and depth in the central defensive position.
     
    But as the injuries started to build, the reality hit home for the 24 year-old that he would indeed have an important part to play.
     
    Incredibly, he has now become an integral part of the team and is set for an extended run as we enter the business end of the season. His partnership with Kabak has yielded three consecutive clean sheets and a win over Arsenal this weekend could be a springboard to mounting a charge at overhauling Chelsea in fourth place.
     
    The reigning Champs are still underdogs with the bookies to finish in the top four but with stability returning at the back and Diogo Jota back from injury to add more goals at the other end, now might be a good time to take advantage of premier league betting offers.
     
    Speaking to the Official Site after collecting the award, Phillips, who has now made 11 appearances for the Reds this campaign, admitted that he never expected a season like this.
     
    “It didn't cross my mind for a second and obviously I'm really happy that things have gone the way that they have done. 
     
    “But if someone would have told me at the start of the year that this would be happening, I wouldn't have believed them. 
     
    “We've been going through a bit of a difficult period after Christmas, so it's taken a lot from all of us to group together. 
     

     
     
    The 24 year-old said after all the adversity and difficult moments that the side have been through, it has been important to get results, no matter how they come.
     
    “There's been quite a few games where we've got results where we've had to group together and dig in as a team and just get the job done – for example, the Wolves game, the Sheffield United game as well. 
     
    Phillips says as one of the more inexperienced members of the current first team squad, he has lent on his more senior teammates for support and could not ask for any more.
     
    “I couldn't have won this award without them [his teammates] and it's been nice to have seen that from all the boys. 
     
    “It was a nice surprise for myself and it's obviously a huge compliment that the people who voted thought that I'd deserved it. 
     
    “It's really nice to feel that sort of love and I'm hugely appreciative of it. 
     
    “But at the same time, I try not to pay too much attention to it and just concentrate on the job at hand that I've got for myself, and carry on doing what I was [doing] to get myself into this position.
     
    “We've just got to carry on and keep going with performances and getting good results.”
     
    One person who is not surprised by the progression of Phillips is assistant manager Pep Lijnders who said the Bolton-born defender has a level of determination that is incredibly admirable.
     
    “Nathaniel is an example where determination and respect can bring you, and an example how collectively this team and staff is working.
     
    "He puts his head where other players don't put their feet. He has a heart like a lion. Probably if I need to survive in a jungle, the first two people I'd choose are Nathaniel and Millie! 
     
    “It's not the first time this (Nat’s journey to the first team) will happen in our club and not the last, for sure. The passion, the ambition, the love for the game will always make or break you. 
     
    "Luckily, we have many stories like that already. The willpower and character was the base of many of our boys to win with us. That gives me confidence that we will be back."
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