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  • TLW
    Roy Hodgson has lavished praise on the Liverpool owner that sacked in 2011 and believes that Jürgen Klopp is the perfect manager to be in charge of Liverpool.

    Any Reds fan will tell you that they have tried to blot out Hodgson reign out of the memory bank.

    The names of Paul Konchesky, Christian Poulsen, Milan Jovanovic, and Joe Cole send shivers down the spine, and it is clear when you sign players who are either not up to the level required or best is behind them, then the poor results will follow.
     


    As well as signings and results, it was clear that Hodgson did not ‘get’ Liverpool, misreading the room on many occasions leading to increasing levels of angst in the fanbase.

    The writing was clearly on the wall and the tortuous tenure of the veteran manager was ended after just 31 games and was one of the first key decisions made by John Henry and his chief partner Tom Werner.

     No doubt it was a humiliating experience for Hodgson and in his own mind would have carried a level of resentment over the whole affair.

    But in the clear light of day, Hodgson acknowledges that having not made the decision to appoint him, FSG had a right to go in another direction.
     
    The Echo reported Hodgson as saying:

    “At that time no-one was 100% certain on which direction the club would take because of the owner, John Henry, who came in, was obviously looking at the situation and making decisions.

    "I think he’s made some very good decisions and been very good for the club.
     
    "He has certainly done with the club what the people of Liverpool want, and I just have to accept my time there was never going to work out, probably because I didn’t get enough good results at the beginning to make John Henry and his partners 100% convinced that the people who chose me – because I wasn’t chosen by them – had made the right choice.”
     


    The 72 year-old who has been a steadying influence at Crystal Palace after a difficult time as manager of the national team was just as glowing about Klopp.

    And tellingly he says that the German knows what makes Liverpool so special.

    “There’s no doubt he’s (Klopp) has done a fantastic job. 

    “I think his personality, energy and enthusiasm have been massive ingredients at Liverpool. I think the way he has worked so hard to embrace the culture, and make himself aware of not only what Liverpool Football Club is, but what it is to the city of Liverpool, and how the city of Liverpool functions.

    “He’s done a fantastic job in that respect. 

    “And of course he brought all of the skills he had at Borussia Dortmund and all the things that made him into a top-class coach, and they were the reason why Liverpool went to him in the first place and asked him to be their manager.”

    When Liverpool finally raise the Premier League trophy, Hodgson says all parties should rightly be praised for their role that they have undertaken.

    ”When Liverpool lift the title this year I think that’s going to be a remarkable accolade for him and all the players. 

    “But it will also be an accolade for the owners, Henry and (Tom) Werner,  who’ve backed him so well, and enabled him to establish his style of play and bring in the type of players he thought would be important to establish that style of play.

    “I’m sure he’d acknowledge the backing he’s needed and deserved, and it’s come up trumps because he’s produced the title, which has been 30 years in the waiting.”

     
  • Ok, the games are coming thick and fast and it’s difficult to keep up. The best way to do this I think it to do the Round Up after each round of fixtures, but because there’s no break in between this means that the next round of games will have started before I can get this out there.
     
    For example, I’m writing this while Leicester and Brighton are playing, and there’s another game after that. Those will be in the next round up, not this one, so bear with me as I’ll try to keep up as best I can.
     
    Right, to kick this one off we go back to last Friday’s game at the new White Hart Lane or whatever the fuck they decided to call it…
     
    *checks google*
     
    Hahahaha Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Fucking hell. Bet they paid a fortune to some marketing dick in a suit to come up with that one too. Christ. If that’s the best they could come up I’d love to hear the suggestions that were rejected.
     
    Anyway, Spurs took the lead against Ole’s resurgent Yernited (mad the way they’ve been talked up lately. They seemed to get better with every week they didn’t play) when Bergwijn sliced thorough the middle of the United defence and beat De Gea with a shot that was straight at him. How many times have we seen that over the last year or two? 
     
    Maguire’s ‘defending’ was a sight to behold too, as Bergwijn went round him like he was a cone on the training field, but De Gea’s blunder meant that most people overlooked that. Not Roy Keane. He wanted to murder both of them with his bare hands.
     
    Ok that’s not true. He only wanted to murder De Gea. He’d have been happy enough just slapping Maguire about a bit. I don’t care what people think of Roy Keane, I’m going to come out and say that his assassination of Maguire and De Gea is the best thing I’ve seen since footy came back. It’s an admittedly low bar.
     
    The goal wasn’t really deserved and I thought Spurs were fucking woeful. After going ahead they sat back and tried to ‘Mourinho’ a result out of it. Why are they playing like that when they’ve got talented attacking players and one of the best centre forwards in Europe? That’s a rhetorical question. I know why. We all know why. It’s who he is. He can’t help himself.
     
    Enjoy the next couple of years, Spurs fans, because this is what you can expect on a weekly basis. The football is going to be brutal but Daniel Levy won’t be sacking Jose any time soon as he’ll need to pay him off, and that’s simply not an option with Levy controlling the purse strings. 
     
    With Spurs just camped in their own half United were able to apply some pressure but it wasn’t until Pogba arrived that they looked threatening. He was good to be fair. I don’t say that often because I’m not a liar, but credit where it’s due he looked decent in this game.
     
    He played one terrific through ball that caused a collective orgasm among his army of twitter virgins. They’ll be showing the gif of that for the next decade in response to anything and everything, because that’s what the Fifa generation do. It’s not just United fans, but they might just be the worst for it. 
     
    Arsenal are bad too, you only have to see how many times that gif of Pepe sort of slightly not really dribbling past Virgil has been posted. But United fans seem to be the specialists in celebrating minor moments and making out that they’re much more significant than they actually are.
     
    When Henderson lifts the Premier League trophy you’ll see underneath a clip of Pogba playing that pass along with the comment “yeah but can he do this?”.
     
    Kevin De Bruyne will surge past three players, ping a sixty yard ball to Sterling and then race into the box to convert the cross and you’ll see the Pogba pass with the comment “My midfielder > your midfielder”
     
    I’m not even kidding. United fans have gone fucking loopy these last few years since they became shite. They’ve been spoiled and now don’t have a clue how to handle not being successful, so they’re claiming all sorts of little ‘victories’ and embarrassing themselves on social media.
     
    These absolute dangers will big up Wan Bissaka as the best right back in the world just because he slide tackled some fucking slapdick winger from Carlisle or Rotherham in a League Cup tie.
     
    They usually have names like @Tactical_McTominay, @Martialista, @Rashfordology, @Pogba-Fernandez-Goal! or some other cringey shit like that. Cunts.
     
    Don’t get me wrong, we’ve got the same type of wanker posting the same kind of shit about our players (usually Keita doing a stepover). The difference is we’re miles clear at the top of the table and we’re the reigning World and European Champs so we can do that without looking like our hard drives should be checked. 
     
    Actually that’s not true, the Keita obsessives definitely need their hard drives checking too, but I digress.
     
    So yeah, Pogba made the difference after he came on and United drew level when he skipped past the lumbering Dier and then conned his way to a penalty, which was converted by Fernandez, who is surely the most over-rated player since…well since Pogba actually. In fairness Fernandez is actually very good, he’s just been massively overhyped due to United’s midfield having been so fucking bad until he arrived.
     
    Tell you what though, Jon Moss hasn’t lost anything during the lockdown. Either in poundage or incompetence. He was fat and shit before the break and he’s still fat and shit now.
     
    He actually gave two pens to United. One was allowed to stand and the other was overturned by VAR. The truth is neither of them were pens. Pogba dived for the first and Fernandez dived for the second. Thank fuck for VAR or Fernandez would have gotten away with that.
     
    I genuinely don’t get how come more wasn’t made of the Pogba one though. Everyone other than me and Jose seems to have just said “yeah clear penalty, you can’t do that in the box”. Do what? That’s not a foul in a million years. I know Eric Dier is shit but what’s he supposed to do there? 
     
    Pogba went past him and then reached back to hold him off. Dier sort of reaches out to move Pogba’s arm out of the way and then Pogba just fell down. Dier doesn’t push or pull him, he doesn’t really do anything at all. 
     
    Still, if he had moved his feet in the first place instead of standing there leaden footed like some kind of Harry Maguire tribute act then the penalty incident doesn’t happen. 
     
    He’s terrible. Always has been. That’s why I always used to refer to him as Eric Dire until he nailed Sergio Ramos and I felt that he deserved a little bit of respect for that so I started to spell his name correctly. 
     
    So God bless him for that horrendous challenge on Ramos but the lad is a terrible football player. Remember when there was a national debate about whether he was better than Henderson? Kinell. Like arguing that (insert any band you like) are better than Bon Jovi. Absolute insanity.
     
    Spurs are now an awful shadow of the side they were under Pochettino. It’s night and day in terms of how they play, but is anyone other than Daniel Levy surprised by that? Why would you appoint that fucker? Busted flush.
     
    Still, it could be worse. They could be Arsenal. Fucking hell. I don’t even get a kick out of them being shit anymore. I’m sure I’ve said this before but it’s been such a long time since I was doing these that it’s worth repeating. I’m actually offended by Arsenal. They’re so spineless, shit and shameless about it that I don’t even enjoy them losing, I actually get fucking irrationally annoyed by it.
     
    They’re a disgrace. They’re the most spineless, self satisfied team I think I’ve ever seen. What they’ve become is not only an insult to what went before, but it’s also an insult to my football sensibilities. 
     
    Nothing screams out “losers” more than Arsenal of the past few years. What a pitiful, gutless, cowardly, deluded, arrogant, our shit don’t stink bunch of fucking wasters.
     
    Arteta must be off his fucking head to have his cushy role at City to take that job. Other than some of the kids and maybe Tierney (if he hasn’t already been permanently doused in that Arsenal stink) there is not one player there worth keeping. Not fucking one. 
     
    Aubamayeng is the only top player they have but they need to fuck him off while they can still get money for him, because by the time Arsenal are competing again he’ll be long retired, and possibly drawing his pension.
     
    Everyone laughs at some of the Arsenal Fan TV crew and yeah, it’s funny as fuck watching their constant meltdowns. Imagine if you had to watch that team every week though? 
     
    That loss at Brighton was just as Arsenal as it gets. Leno went off on a stretcher after a clash with Maupay. He was shouting and pointing at the striker as he left the field. Wasn’t really much in it to be fair, but it was just pure Arsenal that they then went on to allow Maupay to score the winner in stoppage time.
     
    Pepe put the Gunners ahead with a beauty, cutting in from the right and lashing one into the top corner. Maybe now Arsenal fans can replace that ‘beating Van Dijk’ gif? I won’t hold my breath like.
     
    So it was looking for Arsenal but Lewis Dunk scrambled one in from close range with 15 minutes left and then Maupay won it at the death, FIVE minutes into stoppage time. Guendouzi and Mustafi kicked off on Maupay after the final whistle. Again, typical of this Arsenal team, only showing fight after the game is over. 
     
    Maupay said afterwards that some of the Arsenal players need to learn humility and he’s fucking bang on there. They do. Arsenal are FUCKING SHITE. Embarrassingly so. Yet they strut around like they’re the fucking Invincibles.
     
    Maupay said one player in particular was running his mouth all game. Turns out its was Guendouzi, who was calling Brighton players shit and boasting about how he and his team-mates earn more than Brighton players ever will. A little surprising that he’s the one doing that but he’s been there a couple of years now, which is long enough for that arrogant loser stench to get on him.
     
    That whole situation sums up Arsenal. They don’t ‘earn’ more than Brighton’s players. They might be paid more, but they sure as hell don’t fucking earn it. And yeah, Brighton’s players are shit (relatively speaking), but guess what, Sideshow Bob junior, those shit players have done the double over you this season. What does that say about YOU??
     
    This is what I’m saying. It’s why Arsenal offend me. It’s not about them not being very good. Spurs aren’t very good currently either, but I don’t find them offensive. No, Arsenal get me angry because they’re a bunch of fucking losers who for some reason still have this superior attitude about themselves. 
     
    No wonder my man Troopz fucking hates them all. And now they’ve just given David Luiz a new contract. See? This is what I’m talking about. They just reward failure. There is no hope for them at all. They’re a fucking steaming heap of cow shit that thinks it tastes like a chocolate gateau.
     
    Can’t believe I’ve written so much about Arsenal. I’m angry as fuck even typing this. This is how wound up they get me. I could easily do this for another ten paragraphs as the hate is flowing, but I’ll keep some powder dry as we’ve still got eight games left before the season ends.
     
    So, moving on. Palace looked quite good didn’t they? That doesn’t bode well for us as we take them on tomorrow in an empty Anfield. They were a lot more comfortable at Bournemouth than the 2-0 scoreline suggests.
     
    Milivojevic is something of a dead ball specialist. Usually it’s pens but he takes a mean free-kick too, and he fizzed one into the top corner to give Palace the lead.
     
    Ayew made it 2-0 when he side footed in a cross from my boy Van Aanholt, who earned that status over the lockdown period by taking on that cunt Katie Hopkins on twitter before the vile fascist bitch was permanently banned. 
     
    I liked him anyway as he seems like a top lad who has always been complimentary about the Reds, but yeah, he’s defo my boy now. Hopefully he doesn’t make me regret that by shining against us tomorrow.
     
    Interesting that Nice Guy Eddie reckons that playing at home is now a disadvantage. It’s been like that in Germany since the restart with loads of away teams winning, so it’s something to look out for over the next few weeks. 
     
    Norwich went into the restart with faint hopes of mounting a great escape. They showed signs of life before the lockdown and had a chance to make a statement with a home game against Southampton, who don’t really have anything to play for.
     
    The Saints murdered them though. They played some lovely stuff and Ingsy looked great didn’t he? On the one hand I think it’d be nice to have someone like him to bring in whenever one of the front three can’t play, but on the other you have to realise that the reason he looks so good now is because he plays all the time. He would never have had that here so he’d never be sharp enough to do himself justice. 
     
    Ings, Armstrong and Redmond all got on the scoresheet and it could easily have been more. Norwich’s defending was so bad and their tackling so non-existent they could have been wearing Arsenal shirts and you wouldn’t have known the difference.
     
    Onto Sunday now and Villa lost again. Chelsea’s starting line up was a bit weird, with Giroud and Loftus-Cheek both starting in a front three with Willian. It didn't work and it wasn't until they changed it and got Pulisic on that they looked dangerous.
     
    Villa took the lead through some guy I’d never heard of. Courtney Hause?? New one on me that. Villa seem to have come back from lockdown with half a new starting line up though. Not that it’s made any difference as they’re still shite.
     
    Pulisic then stole in at the back post to equalise and Giroud got the winner minutes later, the big handsome bastard.
     
    Games like this are the ones where you wonder if the lack of a crowd is a big factor, as Villa were standing off Chelsea and letting them play. Would they have been able to hold onto their lead better with 50,000 fans urging them on and encouraging them to press and get stuck in? There’s no way to know for sure, but I definitely think a raucous crowd can lift players maybe 5% at least. 
     
    So in relation to Eddie Howe’s point I’d say that playing at home isn’t a disadvantage, but it’s probably not much of an advantage anymore either, especially in games like this when Villa could really have done with all the help they could get.
     
    Newcastle did alright without their ‘best fans in the world’ though didn’t they? Not a result you’d expect but under these circumstances there’s going to be all kinds of mad ones between now and the end of the season. 
     
    Saint-Maximin picked up where he left off before lockdown and the Blades struggled to cope with him. He’s like a Poundland Adama Traore, and I mean that as a compliment as I like him, he's exciting to watch. He’s good on Twitter too, got a great sense of humour.
     
    Joelinton went clean through early on and fell over. Twenty odd games without scoring and it showed. He was then booked for going head to head with John Egan, who was also booked. Pair of fucking dickheads. I realise social distancing isn’t really possible in a game of football, but touching foreheads and breathing on each other is the height of stupidity. 
     
    Egan then pulled him back when he went through on goal, which was even more stupid. Red card for him, but why would you not just let him go through and take your chances that he’d miss?
     
    I’m being serious. You’ve got to know your opponent and if I’m playing against a striker that hasn’t scored since August or whatever, I’m not going to pull him back and get sent off when I could just let him go through and he'd almost certainly bottle it.
     
    So Egan was off, the Blades were down to ten and soon after they fell behind when Stephens fell over his own feet and Saint Maximin converted at the back post. Ritchie made it 2-0 and then even Joelinton got in on the act to finally break his duck.
     
    Sheffield United have looked rubbish in both games so far though so this break may well end up hurting them more than anyone. They were a win over Villa away from going 5th, which given City’s ban would secure a CL spot. But they couldn’t beat Villa, they were stuffed by Newcastle and it feels like their bubble has now burst and they’ll do well to even stay where they are, let alone finish higher.
     
    Wolves on the other hand, look like they could make a real push for the top four. My boy Adama was left on the bench (strangely, this happens a lot) but within seconds of coming on he had West Ham petrified as he was beating people for fun. 
     
    He created the opener with a brilliant cross that was headed home by Jimenez. West Ham doubled up on him but you can’t actually stop him from doing that. If he wants to go on the outside and cross, then he’s going on the outside and he’s crossing. He was involved in the second too. Showing good feet before playing it out wide to Doherty. His cross was superbly volleyed in by that little Neto prick. Great goal that.
     
    As was the goal that put Leicester ahead at Watford. What a fucking hit by Chilwell. Stunning. Hilariously, it wasn’t enough for the three points as Craig Dawson fired in an equaliser a minute later. Fair result as there’s no way Watford deserved to lose the game.
     
    Finally, as expected, City slaughtered Burnley. I didn’t watch it as there was no point. With the lack of intensity we’ve seen in all of the games so far I fully expect City to sweep everyone aside. If you don’t play at your maximum then you’ve got no chance against their possession based game. They just pass pass pass until the opening comes and someone gets a tap in.
     
    Burnley started ok and looked comfortable enough until they conceded and after that they gave up. There are lots of problems at Burnley currently, and I don’t just mean the far right Brexit loons who flew a “white lives matter” banner over the stadium just after the players had all taken a knee.
     
    I feel sorry for Burnley as a club and for all the decent fans, because shit like this just re-enforces what people already think about them. They’ve got a higher percentage of far right goons than most, but the majority of their fans will have been mortified by that. Ben Mee’s interview afterwards was fantastic. He’s a credit to his club, fair play to him.
     
    They are a club in crisis though as some key players aren’t going to play because of expiring contracts and by all accounts nobody (by that I mean Dyche and the other players) is blaming them because this is a board issue. The suggestion is that Dyche wanted to keep them all and give them new contracts but the board wouldn’t sanction it.
     
    So you can’t blame those players for sitting it out as why would you risk injury to play for a club that doesn’t want you? This isn’t a Ryan Fraser situation. Aaron Lennon, Jeff Hendrick and Phil Bardsley have to look out for themselves now as Burnley haven't looked after them. 
     
    Now Dyche is reported to be unsettled too and it’s hardly surprising really. Whatever you think of him, the job he’s done there has been fantastic and if anyone has done enough to deserve a free reign with no board interference it’s him.  
     
    I sometimes wonder what would happen to Burnley if he left. It depends who they replaced him with of course but I suspect it’d be like Charlton when Curbishley departed. Would anybody miss them? I think I might, just a little.
     
    I went to Turf Moor earlier this season and I must admit I enjoyed it, it felt like a proper football ground from a bygone age. Too many clubs have soulless bowls now, so going to Burnley was actually quite nice.
     
    One of the pubs near the ground is called the Royal Dyche and has an image of him wearing a king’s crown. Will they have to rename the pub if he goes, or has he earned the right to have that permanently in his honour?
     
    Chances are it’ll be ‘the Royal Farage’ before Dyche’s office chair seat is even cold.
  • The lottery is a game of chance. Through this game, a random set of numbers are drawn. A certain prize is awarded to an individual who holds a ticket with numbers that match the random numbers drawn for a specific date.
     
    Certain states and countries prohibited lottery as they considered this as a form of gambling, but there are also those jurisdictions which regulated it instead because the proceeds generated from the lottery can contribute to the overall economy. If you are keen on trying your luck, below are some of the top games you can play to win the lottery.
     
    1.    Multi-state Games

     
    There are multi-state games that you can try to play to win the lottery. In these games, you can win lucrative jackpot prizes, but because of the number of people playing the game across many states, you will also have a slimmer chance of winning. Powerball and Mega Millions, which are available on https://redfoxlotto.com and other online lottery sites, are only some of these multi-state games. To win in the Powerball, you need to be able to pick five numbers drawn from 0 to 55, as well as correctly choose the Powerball number drawn from 0 to 42.
     
    2.    Lotto

     
    Lotto is one of the lottery games that can potentially turn you into a millionaire. In the past, you needed to visit a lottery booth to buy a ticket for this game but in this modern-day and age, you can already access lotto through online lottery sites. The mechanics are still the same though wherein you need to choose six numbers that will be indicated on your ticket. 
     
    Once your ticket is generated, make sure that it bears the correct numbers you have selected, as well as the date when you have purchased it. The reason behind this is that you will need to present this ticket to claim your prize in case you hit the lotto jackpot. The schedule of drawing the numbers is usually held twice a week, making you hold onto your ticket longer.
     
    3.    Dailies

     
    If you want to try your luck any day of the week, then play the dailies. There is a better chance for you to win a prize through the dailies because your number selection doesn’t need to match size numbers drawn. Rather, you only need to choose any random three or four-digit number from 000 or 0000 to 999 or 9999. The prize that you get depends on whether the play calls for an exact order of the digits, any order of the digits, or a certain combination of both. 
      
     4.    Instant Games

     
    Finally, there is also the option for you to play instant games wherein you can try your luck in scratching cards. There are several types of cards, each having their own prizes. Some can easily win you your bet back, while some may surprise you with a hefty sum.
     

     
    To wrap things up, you can win the lottery by playing the lotto, as well as the little lotto, which is a version of the former. You can also try your luck with the dailies or go for major prizes through multi-state games. There is also the option for you to scratch a card and win instantly should the odds be in your favour.
     
    Just keep in mind not to rely solely on luck because, sometimes, it takes quite a while before luck is finally on your side.
  • Tuesday Jun 16:
     
    As expected, the Government were forced into a u-turn on the meals for kids because of the pressure put on them by Marcus Rashford. This was always going to happen because that tefal headed cunt Hancock called on footy players to ‘do their bit’ and Rashford turned it back on to them. Great work by him by saying "well I've done this, so how about YOU do YOUR fucking bit".
     
    Of course, Johnson initially claimed he knew nothing about it until that day and that it’s a great idea and the right thing to do blah blah blah. Great idea? Making sure that kids don’t starve isn’t a ‘great idea’, it’s just basic fucking humanity. Something Johnson and his ilk have no concept of as it doesn’t line their pockets.
     
    Hancock then went on telly and got Rashford’s name wrong. So transparent this shit. Instead of people talking about why the government needed to be railroaded into making sure kids aren’t going hungry, now the discussion will be how Hancock called him “Daniel Rashford”.
     
    This shit happens constantly. It’s all about deflections. Politicians these days are like Mourinho's Chelsea when Cole and Lampard seemed to score with th ball flying in off an opponent's arse every other week. Deflect. Deflect. Deflect. Get people talking about the unimportant things to shine the light away from the big fucking massively important issue that isn’t being dealt with in the manner it should be. And it works every fucking time. 
     
    Meanwhile, footy’s back tomorrow and I can’t wait. Not just me who’s excited about it though. Funnily enough, those same pundits who were so against footy coming back are now banging the drum about how excited they are. Rio Ferdinand for example. The same cunt who wanted footy scrapped and claimed that “Liverpool fans should think about people’s health” is now tweeting “Buzzing the @premierleague back this evening.... just sorting my Fantasy Football! Who’s going up top... Aguero or Aubameyang?”
     
    How about going with “Null” and “Void” as your front two, you fucking hypocritical manc turd. 

    When they announced the fixtures and I saw that the first Saturday was basically wall to wall footy I was made up and envisaged just locking myself away in my office watching game after game. In reality what will probably happen is I’ll skip the first one because I’ll have to run the missus somewhere. I’ll catch a little bit of the second one before having to take my daughter somewhere. I won’t be arsed about the third one because it’s two shit teams. I’ll start watching there fourth one but then get bored and switch off because there’ll be something on Netflix or Disney+ I fancy watching. 
     
    Still, it’s great to have it back and for those of who who will have the dedication to watch all the games, I salute you.
     
    I’ll defo watch City v Arsenal tomorrow because it’s going to take us one game closer to the title when Arsenal win. No, hear me out. Arteta knows City like the back of his hand and he’s had months to prepare his game-plan. The three months has also given them time to get everyone fit, as you know Arsenal always have an injury list as long as a pensioner’s lockdown shopping list (those of you who’ve been shopping for parents know). This will be the first and last time Arteta has a full squad to choose from, and with City not having any motivation get ready for Arsenal to shock the world. 
     
    I’m actually mildly excited about Villa v Sheffield United tomorrow too but I daresay that won’t last. It’ll be like when German footy came back and I watched 20 minutes of Dortmund’s game out of curiosity before I got bored and went in the garden. It’s highly unlikely I’ll sit through a full Villa game, especially knowing I’ll be watching Arsenal beat City afterwards.
     
    Wednesday Jun 17:
     
    Yeah I’m a dickhead. You’d think I’d know better by now, especially as under normal circumstances the only people with a lower opinion of Arsenal’s players than me are DT and Troopz. They might have held out for a draw if they hadn’t had to send in the clown, but they didn’t deserve anything as I don’t think they even managed one shot did they? 
     
    Arteta is so fixated on tightening them up at the back that they appear to have forgotten how to attack. Then again, when you’re leaving Lacazette on the bench for that Nketia kid you probably deserve all you get. Has Lacazatte shagged Arteta's cat or ran over his wife or something?
     
    The other game was fucking dire. I managed to sit through an hour of it, although after about ten minutes it had been reduced to background viewing as I did some work instead. Yeah, it was THAT bad I chose to do some work. But yeah, footy is back which is great. I already know now that I’m only really going to be watching our games though, as well as the occasional other fixture that takes my fancy. Most of the other games I’ll just catch up on through MOTD, as I can’t be arsed watching shit teams in empty stadiums. I’ll leave that to Evertonians.
     
    Also today, there was a rumour that we want to swap Naby for Ruben Neves. Of course it's bollocks and when do 'swap' deals ever happen except in the gossip columns? Even when they do, they don't. To all intents and purposes we swapped Kev Stewart for Andy Robbo, but in reality they were two separate transfers that just happened to be made by the same two clubs in a similar time frame. Players don't get swapped like Panini stickers.
     
    This one is clearly just nonsense anyway. A lot of fans might have given up on Keita but Klopp hasn't and is unlikely to for another year at least. And why would Wolves do that deal? They've proved to be shrewd in the transfer market and have made some great signings. They aren't going to swap a top Premier League star for a player who is usually injured and isn't the most consistent when he isn't. What's tomorrow's bullshit rumour, a swap between Adama Traore and Shaq?
     
    Speaking of bullshit rumours, the Echo are trying to talk us into a move for Ryan Fraser. I like him, or at least I did, but he's nowhere near good enough to even make our bench. He isn't as good as Harry Wilson and chances are we won't keep him, so why would we sign Fraser? The answer is we wouldn't, but the Echo has clicks it needs to accumulate I guess.
     
    Besides, even if Fraser were good enough (he isn't) he's refusing to play for Bournemouth now because he's out of contract after this month. To me that puts him a pretty bad light and if I were a club looking at signing him that would make me pull the plug on it.

    Thursday Jun 18:
     
    Richarlison says Van Dijk is not even in the top three defenders in the world. HERECY!! The fucking nerve on this tit. What makes it even worse is, get this, he didn’t have Lovren in his list of three either. He went with Thiago Silva, Marquinhos and Sergio Ramos. I’m embarrassed for him to be honest.
     
    Silva is brilliant and his performances in both games against us last season were as good as I’ve seen. Marquinhos I couldn’t even pick out of a line up, although I know PSG often play him in midfield, which you wouldn’t do with a top three centre back in the world. So that’s bollocks. As for Ramos? He was shit when he was good.
     
    I’m serious. This isn’t because of what he did to Mo (although that’s why Richarlison picked him). It’s because Lovren was right about him. You can’t get sent off that many times, leaving your team a man short, and still be regarded as a world class defender. It’s common sense. The greatest defenders rarely if ever get sent off because they read the game so well they don’t need to make last ditch tackles or show how 'hard' they are by hitting people will sly elbows and shit. 
     
    Sergio Ramos is David Luiz with an evil streak and better PR. Stick him in that Arsenal side and he’d be just as much of a liability as poor old Sideshow Bob.
     
    As for Richarlison, he isn’t even in the top three strikers in the city he plays in despite his dubious claim that “I’ve already dribbled past Van Dijk”. Yeah, he actually said that, which even if true (when did this actually happen? Does anyone know?) is hilariously lame. Still, the Blues will probably have that on the side of a bus soon. You think I’m joking, but I’m not. They’ve done worse.
     
    Remember when Merseybus came up with the idea to have one of their buses commemorate Liverpool’s achievements and then another listing Everton’s? The Everton one had, amongst other things, “First club to install undersoil heating”. So yeah, “Richarlison once dribbled past Van Dijk (maybe)” would certainly find a place on there.
     
    He’d do well to remember this piece of advice, which I believe was from Omar in the Wire. I don’t remember the exact wording but it went something like this: “If you come at the King, he’s not going to hear you if you’re in Nat Phillips’ pocket”.

    Friday Jun 19: 
     
    James Pearce reveals that Klopp’s coaching staff have been ‘raving’ about Naby Keita. I’m not surprised as in the little clips from the training matches I’ve seen on LFCTV he’s looked dynamite. Probably him and Sadio have looked the sharpest. Does it really mean anything though? I hope it does, but we’ve been down this road before.
     
    Every time he looks like he’s coming into form and is about to finally make his mark on the team, he picks up a stupid little injury that keeps him out 2-3 weeks and then the whole process begins again. I haven’t given up on him and there’s clearly a big talent there but I’m not getting my hopes up either until he can stay fit for an extended period of time until he actually proves he can. I’d probably start him on Sunday though. Not sure who I’d leave out for him, probably Fabinho I guess. Or Gini. Defo not Hendo. 
     
    Meanwhile, Roy Keane goes off on one about De Get (and to a lesser extent Maguire) as United were held 1-1 by Spurs. Now, to clarify, I’m not going to disagree with anyone saying Keane is a wanker and that all of this ‘rage’ is just something he’s doing almost as a character he’s playing. Whatever negative thing you want to say about Keane is fine by me. Defending Roy Keane is not a hill I'm prepared to die on.
     
    That being said…. That was funny as fuck tonight. He just went off and although Evra initially wanted to pull him up he thought better of it and just let him carry on. Evra did step in eventually when Keane called De Sea the most over-rated keeper ever and insisted he should have caught a ball that he spectacularly tipped over the bar.
    I’d say around half of what Keane said was accurate and the other half, although completely off the mark, was fucking hilarious. Put it this way. I’d rather watch Keane shouting and spitting than listen to Jermaine Jeans or Alan Shearer tell me that “the keeper will be disappointed with that”.
     
    Meanwhile, here’s your weekly Chico….
     
     

    What a guy. I love him.

    Saturday Jun 20:
     
    Klopp lays into the government’s handling of Covid and compares it unfavourably with how Germany dealt with it. Here’s the thing, anybody who is even remotely surprised that Germany dealt with something better than a Conservative government led by the biggest clown in political history clearly hasn’t been paying attention. These fuckers are incapable of getting anything right, because common sense and doing the right thing is completely alien to them. The only things that come natural to them are self preservation and making money. That’s it. Nothing else. That's why we're right up there with America and Brazil as the worst hit nations.
     
    This mess isn’t on Boris Johnson and the Tories though. He's just 'being Boris'. It's who he is and it's hardly a secret. This mess is on those who elected him, because it’s blatantly obvious what he is and has always been, but none of that mattered because all he had to do to get people's votes was not be Jeremy Corbyn and trot out his little "Get Brexit Done" mantra. If you needed this crisis to prove to you that he’s a fucking clueless, selfish, incompetent oaf then that’s on you. Mind you, what's even worse is there are some who STILL don't see it. 
     
    I like that Klopp isn’t afraid to speak out on these things, although he’s clever enough not to go too strongly because when you do that the message often gets lost. He seems to always know the right thing to say and the right time to say it. We’re incredibly lucky to have him and not just for his abilities as a football manager. 
     
    Meanwhile, Guardiola confirms that Leroy Sane has rejected a contract and will be sold at the end of the season if they can do a deal. Reading between the lines he’s more or less said that Sane wants to play for Bayern Munich and City can’t talk him out of it. So, there’s no chance that we could sign him which is a shame as remember last week when I said there are only a few players out there we could sign who would make me happier than if we brought Coutinho back? Well you could add Sane to that list.
     
    Other than De Bruyne, I think he’s City’s best player and he’s criminally under-rated. I could never understand why he didn’t start more games as he’s fucking brilliant.
     
    Elsewhere, best headline on news now today: Liverpool target Mbappe in £350m swap deal.
     
    I almost have to admire how brazen that is. It’s like “yeah we know how utterly ludicrous this is but fuck it, let’s run it anyway”. I mean where do you even start with that? £350m??? It was on F365 so I had a little look and forget what I said about almost admiring it. They were quoting the S*n who apparently ran a story today that we were planning on sending Mané plus £200m to PSG to get Mbappe. 
     
    When you think about it, it’s actually offensive that some cunt is being paid to write that. Not as offensive as the shit that other cunts there are being paid to write, but still, it’s offensive.
     
    There are other reports today claiming Klopp is ‘growing anxious’ about Mané not signing a new deal. Hold on, didn’t he sign one not so long ago? I’m sure he did, because I remember writing something about how it was worrying he hadn’t signed (whereas Salah and Firmino had), and about 10 minutes after I filed it with ESPN, LFCTV had Sadio announcing his new deal. So what’s this shit about then?
     
    Ok, I just googled and he signed a five year contract in November 2018, so he has THREE FUCKING YEARS left. Honestly, I know times are hard for the press but if they continually make up this kind of shit then it’s best if they do go to the wall.

    Sunday Jun 21:
     
    Everton 0 L 0. Fuck that was bad. We should have lost but we didn’t because we’ve got the best keeper in the world and lady luck was on our side. And because Everton are shite and are as adept at winning derby matches as I am at ballet dancing.
     
    The fake crowd noise was actually worse than the real Goodison crowd. Hate it, but as I watched the game on Pick TV I had no choice but to endure it, and I can’t complain too much about it because Sky did at least make the game free for everyone. It’s grim though. Almost as grim as Richarlison’s playacting. Cunt.
     
    It’s stupid to make any snap judgements based on our first game in three months, but I’m going to do it anyway as nothing I’m saying here is based solely on this anyway. It’s about what’s happened before. We simply MUST buy a top quality alternative to Sadio and Mo because nothing we currently have is worth a damn. Minamino can’t play there, neither can Ox and while I think Origi definitely has some worth he’s being completely undermined by constantly being used out wide. 
     
    What the fuck is that about? How many times does Jurgen have to see him play there to know he’s miles more effective at centre forward. Origi is actually a pretty good striker and he knows where the net is. His finishing is very good and he’s got a knack for scoring important goals. So when he’s given a run out, let him play up front for fucks sake.
     
    We looked a million miles off the pace today and I don’t think we’ll just flick a switch and start playing well again. We’re a team that relies on rhythm and sharpness and after three months off we have neither. There’s also the issue of how much (or how little) we’ll be impacted by not having fans there at home. No team has more of a symbiotic relationship with the crown than we do, so will Anfield still be a fortress?
     
    I tell you something, I’m so fucking glad we built up such a massive lead because I genuinely don’t think I could cope with the next few weeks if this title race was close. We only need five more points, assuming City win all their remaining games, which they probably will. I totally misjudged that situation as I didn’t think they’d be that arsed about the games they have left. 
     
    Even if they aren’t fully motivated they’ll still win most of them easily because based on the games we’ve seen so far there’s just no intensity and these are like training games. And no-one is more suited to that type of game than City. I expect them to win every game, including when they play us next weekend. But we only need five points so thank fuck for that.
     
    Meanwhile, on the rumour front we’re still being mentioned as one of the suitors for Arsenal youngster Saka. I just can’t see this happening as I doubt he’d go anywhere. Kids who are getting a game at the big clubs rarely move. Saka is getting a lot of playing time at Arsenal. Would he get that here? Doubtful, although there’s every chance he’d have started at left back today. I like him, he’s talented, but I won’t get my hopes up on this one.
     
    Monday Jun 22:
     
    City smacked Burnley around at the Etihad. No surprise there. They’ll beat Chelsea on Thursday too, but at least Chelsea might offer some resistance. Burnley were totally disinterested from the moment they conceded the first goal.
     
    The Koulibaly link resurfaced today with rumours of a £60m bid that ‘insulted’ Napoli. It has to be bollocks as yesterday confirmed what we already knew. The priority if we’re spending big has to be a world class wide player who we can rotate in and out with Sadio and Mo. 
     
    Who that is I don’t know, but there’ll be someone out there who we can get and we need to do it. Koulibaly is fucking awesome but spending that much money on a position where we already have Gomez and Matip would be completely reckless and irresponsible.
     
    And if there’s no-one who we can get at the right price, then fuck it, just get Coutinho back on loan. From what I hear the main stumbling block is Klopp and some of the players are still sore about the way he left. Fair enough, I get that completely. But unless there’s a better option out there then fuck all that shit and get it done.
     
    Put it this way, he’s miles better than any other option we had to bring in for Mo yesterday. If there is a better option out there then great, I’m all in, but otherwise just get him back here. 
     
    Aldo agrees with me, he wrote a column today calling for the club to bring him back because it makes sense for all parties. So that’s Aldo and Stevie Nicol agreeing with me. Hmmm, right, yeah I see it now. Not done myself any favours there have I? All I need now is Dean Saunders and I’ll have the set.
     
    Finally, Antonio Rudiger reckons he convinced Timo Werner to snub the Reds to sign for Chelsea. Ok mate, whatever. Fact is, Werner was hitching up his skirt and flashing his drawers at Klopp for months, but for whatever reason Klopp decided not to pursue it. 
     
    Maybe because he finally realised that Werner is just a Harrods Danny Ings. A little bit more high end than you can buy on the high street but more or less the same product at a vastly inflated cost.
     

    …..and that was the week that was
  • Harry Kewell believes that Sadio Mane has been the best player in the Premier League this season.

    Always seen as a talented footballer, the Senegal star took his game to a new level last season as the Reds went agonising close to ending their league title drought.

    Mane along with Mo Salah and Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were joint winners of the Premier League Golden Boot with 22 goals.

    But In many ways, Mané has developed his game even further during this campaign, still grabbing his share of goals (14 in the league so far) but also contributing seven assists which is a clear sign of a team-first mentality.

    The former Liverpool winger has observed the progression of Mané closely over the years, and feels that the 28 year-old is finally getting his just recognition.
     


    Metro via (Stadium Astra) reported Kewell as saying:

    "He’s had to work very hard to get to where he’s got to.

    “I always knew he was a special player but when you talk about players progressing and you look at the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, they’ve always progressed. 

    “When you look at other great players that have played, they progress and then they drop whereas Mane just seems to keep on plugging away. 

    “This season he’s been phenomenal.
     
    ‘Mohamed Salah has been their talisman for a couple of years and Mane has kind of lived in his shadow but he’s had that respect and I just think this year he’s taken that throne which is fantastic because that’s made a little bit of competition for Salah to go past him again. 

    “And if they can get that kind of connection it’s just going to be unbelievable.

    While Kewell says that Mane and Salah get the headlines, he also said Roberto Firmino plays a vital role in getting the best out of them.

    “They both have a wonderful player that players alongside them in [Roberto] Firmino. 

    “He gets the best out of both of them, supports them and allows me to turn around and say that Mane is the best player in the Premier League at the moment”.

    The former Australian international also paid tribute to the leadership and general improvement in the game of Jordan Henderson.

    But while the consensus view is that he will take out the Player of the season honour, in an all-around footballing sense, he gives the nod to Mane.

    Is Henderson in contention?

    “As a leader, yes, there’s no question about it.

    “Let’s go back to last year when he wasn’t playing and I remember watching the game where they played at Southampton and they were losing 1-0 and he came on and turned the game just with his hard work and good work ethic. ‘

    “And from then he’s just blown away and gone to another level himself. 

    "But in terms of Player of the season, for me it is Mane."
     
  • We waited three months for THAT?? Jesus. Even allowing for rustiness and the fact that Goodison derby games are usually dire, this was unexpectedly woeful. Suddenly the whole ‘scrap the season and decide it on points per game’ doesn’t seem like the worst idea in the world.
     
    Seriously though, I don’t know what I was expecting but obviously it must have been too much because this was a really tough watch. I was far too wound up about it considering how far ahead we are and that there really wasn’t too much riding on the result. I’ll be honest, I was fucking fuming for most of this game even though I can see that's not a rational or fair reaction.
     
    I thought we’d batter them without their rabid home crowd hissing them on and dragging every last ounce of effort from their players. We always twat them at Anfield but at their place it’s a different story. I put that down to their crowd. Turns out that has fuck all to do with it.
     
    There was very little difference between this game and other recent Goodison derbies. We usually create one or two clear chances (this time we didn't) but generally the pattern of the game has been exactly like this one. 
     
    I’ve always put it down to their players getting energised by their baying, frothing at the mouth, consumed by hating the redshite fans, but now we know different. For whatever reason, we’re just shite at Goodison. It’s the same at Old Trafford too. Why I have no idea, but the evidence is there for all to see.
     
    Of course there are mitigating circumstances for this performance, not least the three month lay off that makes this and the next few games almost pre-season fixtures. “Our identity is our intensity” said Pep Ljinders earlier this season. If that’s true then we’re going to look like imposters for a while, because it’s next to impossible to achieve our usual level of intensity after such a long lay off and without a crowd to provide the adrenaline.
     
    This is completely understandable, yet I didn’t think it was just the lack of intensity that was our problem at Goodison. It was more a lack of quality and of ideas. Jordan Pickford barely had to extend his little arms all night. He made saves from two free-kicks and I think that was it.
     
    In open play we created absolutely nothing. Ancelotti clearly knows how to set up against us as any time Klopp has faced his teams it’s been a war of attrition. I don’t know what he does that makes it so difficult as my eye isn’t trained enough in that area. He plays with two up front and two banks of four behind, but other teams do that too and have been swept away by us.
     
    Whatever Ancelotti does seems to work though. He’s a wily old fucker and obviously being Italian he knows about blanket defending. I give credit where it’s due but I also think the way we played was equally if not more responsible for how easy it looked for them. 
     
    A central defensive pairing of Keane and Holgate managed to restrict us to virtually no shots on goal in open play. That's criminal. Ancelotti is good, but that’s as much on our failings as it is anything else as those two are fucking woeful, especially that donkey Keane.
     
    The game started in farcical circumstances with our lads having to change in a porta-cabin in the car park and then walk onto the pitch from a side entrance. The Blues, meanwhile, had their usual dressing room and came out through the tunnel. Imagine Wimbledon making Roger Federer take to centre court by climbing through the crowd after getting changed in the bogs. It’s not acceptable. We’re the World Champs. 
     
    Fucking tramps with their shitty old rickety stadium. Our lads resembled a Sunday league side as they walked onto the field. Little did we know they’d then play like one afterwards.
     
    Then we had the kick off and everyone taking a knee. Everyone except Mané that is, who on the whistle took off sprinting into the Everton half and then had to sheepishly run back before kneeling! 
     
    As it turns out, these farcical scenes were a sign of what was to come. Maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised but I was. Hugely. This wasn’t how I expected it to go at all. All week I’ve been thinking that we’d batter Everton. I’d talked myself into a 4-0 or 5-1 win. 
     
    My reasoning was sound enough I think. 
     
    Firstly, we’re like a million points ahead of them and are clearly a much better side. 
     
    Secondly, they wouldn’t have their fans there which in theory was a big disadvantage for them (in reality it made zero difference). 
     
    Thirdly, and this one was probably a stretch on my part, I thought we’d be miles fitter than everyone we faced because of how professional we are. I figured that the forensic attention to detail from Klopp, his staff and the players would give us an edge over most if not all other teams.
     
    Fourthly, and this one is ridiculous on reflection, I’d been taken in by the hype of all the training videos on LFCTV and the reports about how sensational the likes of Keita and Minamino have been.
     
    So yeah I expected an easy win, but in my defence I did reassess that when I saw that there was no Robbo or Mo in the starting line up. I looked at the team we’d picked and suddenly I was thinking 1-0 rather than 5-1.
     
    That may show a lack of faith on my part in the players not normally in the first eleven, but really my concern was only about one position. I’m fine with Milner at left back and I was fully on board with the selection of Keita (I’d have left Fabinho out rather than Wijnaldum but that’s neither here nor there). It was the absence of Salah and the inclusion of Minamino that was largely responsible for the complete disappearance of my bravado, and I’d say the way the game went justified how I felt.
     
    Minamino has been getting rave reviews for what he’s done in training and I was made up when we signed him as he looked brilliant when he played against us for Salzburg. He’s a boss little player but I’m struggling to see what he’s ever going to bring playing wide in the front three. He’s virtually the complete opposite of Salah and Mané.
     
    We’ve got a way of playing that is very successful and a massive part of that is the thrust and threat in behind we have from the two players either side of Firmino. It works so well because Bobby likes to drop off, and we then have two players who can burst into the space behind, while the full backs then utilise the space vacated out wide. 
     
    Minamino isn’t that type of player. He’s a nice little footballer but where does he fit into this team? He spent all of his time in this game coming short to get the ball and link up with people, and the contrast with what Salah does couldn’t have been more striking. 
     
    I wouldn’t say Minamino had a bad game. He didn’t do much wrong and he worked hard, but there was nothing he did that a kid from the Academy couldn’t have done. Neat and tidy, kept it simple, ran around a lot. Offered virtually no goal threat. To be fair no-one else did either.
     
    I’m just struggling to see what we’re going to get from him though, as while he’s clearly a good player can you ever see him dislodging anybody from this current team? I don’t even know what position he’s suited to. The only spot that looks like it might suit how he plays is Bobby’s.
     
    I actually think he might be a better midfielder than forward but we’re so well stocked in that area he’s unlikely to ever get a chance to prove it. Most of his opportunities will probably come in the wide positions because when you delve beneath the first choice players there’s not really anything there.
     
    This is why I didn’t want Timo Werner. If you’ve been reading the diary then you’ll be as bored of reading my views on that that topic as I am of writing them. The point is though, we desperately need another top quality player to compete / rotate with the current front three, but to me it needs to be someone who plays wide. 
     
    I don’t want a centre forward who can ‘do a job’ out wide (like poor old Divock who is always shunted out there), I want a specialist. Someone of a similar standard to Salah and Mané. I’m aware that’s not an easy thing to find, but that is what we need. I don’t think Werner is an accomplished enough footballer to play that role, which is why I’m glad we didn’t sign him. Time will tell if that was a mistake or not. 
     
    We need someone though, as you can see the fucking monumental drop off whenever one of the front three isn’t available. It hasn't held us back because the front three have stayed largely injury free, but that won't go on indefinitely and it needs addressing this close season.
     
    Like I say, Minamino did next to nothing but Ox came on and somehow managed to do even less, which was quite an impressive feat. Ox is shite in a front three though. Always has been. I don’t expect much more than what we got from him as he just isn’t a viable option to play there. Shaq is a good quality back up for that spot but he’s had the longest calf injury in the history of the world. Perhaps that’s a result of him having the biggest calves in the world?
     
    We missed Salah so much in this game. Even when he’s shite he offers that threat in behind and can stretch teams. Everton’s defenders won’t have had an easier game all season. All they had to worry about was not letting Mané run at them, and they surrounded (and usually fouled) him every time he got the ball, rendering him largely ineffective.
     
    I’m trying to think of anything good we did in attacking areas and I’m struggling. There was one nice little run from Keita in which he played a couple of one twos. I think that ended with Minamino having a shot blocked, but I might be wrong. I also remember a decent move that ended with Bobby scuffing a left foot shot wide when he should have rolled in Keita.
     
    Matip put a free header wide from a corner and Trent had a free-kick saved by Pickford but other than that there was nothing. And speaking of free-kicks, I was irrationally fucking seething when Trent opted to cross it to nobody rather than taking on a shot with the first free-kick of the game.
     
    I can’t even tell you how pissed off I was about that, as taking a shot was just common sense to me. It was the obvious thing to do. With a slippy pitch and a shit goalkeeper who has a history of making mistakes against us, you try a fucking shot and make him save it. 
     
    Hendo was stood right there over the ball and I blame him rather than Trent for that debacle, as he should have been telling him to have a go and see what happens. We didn’t shoot anywhere near enough all game. Pickford is shite, put him under pressure until he cracks.
     
    Anyway, I was a lot angrier about that free-kick than I had a right to be, but I felt like that virtually all game. I don’t know why I had a such a cob on as with a 23 point lead I certainly can’t justify it, but I found the whole experience to be utterly infuriating. And the longer the game went on the more pissed off I became. 
     
    The only period of the game when I was relatively calm was in the opening exchanges of the second half when we looked to be in total control and ready to turn the screw. We had a little spell where we were knocking on the door but then the subs started coming on and it killed any momentum we may have been building.
     
    It’s not like we were creating any real chances but it did feel that maybe we were about to, if that makes sense. We certainly seemed to have a bit more urgency at the start of the second half.
     
    There was one lovely move when Matip ambled forward into the right wing area and picked out Keita on the edge of the box. He popped a ball into Firmino who chested it back into his path. I’m not sure if Keita was going for goal with his volley or if he tried to find Mané at the back post. Whatever, he did neither as he managed to get caught between the two. It did come to him at an awkward height though.
     
    I think that might have been the last time we even remotely threatened until Fabinho saw a decent free-kick tipped over by Pickford. We don’t usually see him on set-pieces but that was a decent effort. Maybe he’ll get another chance, as I do feel we all vastly over-rate how good Trent is at free-kicks. He’s alright like, but he’s not the lethal dead ball specialist he’s portrayed as (here’s hoping I’ve reverse jinxed him there and he pings one into the top corner against Palace or City).
     
    Other than the defeat at Watford this was comfortably our worst performance of the season but after a three month break it is entirely understandable and excusable. The anger I was feeling during the game was not justified at all just based on that fact alone. Three months is a long fucking time and my expectations were not in sync with that. 
     
    Shit, for this team three weeks is an eternity. We were shite against Spurs in the Champions League final after a break and we’re always off the pace whenever we have any time off during the winter (usually after warm weather training camps during FA Cup weekends). So three months? 
     
    On reflection, it was completely unrealistic to expect any different really. And it might be several weeks before we start to look anything like our usual selves. The good thing is that with Alisson and Van Dijk back there we should still be fairly secure in defence but it might be a while before the goals start flowing, especially as I expect we’ll see a lot of rotation over the coming weeks as Klopp tries to avoid injuries.
     
    We’re already suffering on that front. Salah and Robbo have hardly trained all week and missed this one, Milner did his hamstring early on and Matip also had to go off later on after having his toe stepped on.
     
    We’re soon going to have a spell of four games in nine days, so by that point we’ll probably have the kids out there and at least one of those games might resemble an FA Cup line up. Before that though we will ideally have picked up the points we need.
     
    One thing I didn’t get about this was why Mo was even on the bench. If he can’t get on when we’re allowed five subs that tells me that there was never any intention to use him. That being the case then leave him out altogether, as with Robbo. Seeing Mo sat there while we looked to the likes of Minamino, Ox and Origi for inspiration was pretty deflating. 
     
    The five sub thing will take some getting used to and I thought some of Klopp’s changes were a little odd. Gomez for Milner was enforced and we had no better option available. That was fine and I thought Joe did as well as could have been expected. Can’t be expecting him to replicate what Robbo does but he at least tried to offer us width and got forward regularly.
     
    Ox for Minamino I didn’t like. I had no qualms with Minamino being replaced as it was an obvious call, but as I’ve said countless times I don’t see the point in putting Ox in the front three as the performance we got from him is similar to what we usually see. The good games are the outliers. Generally he stinks there.
     
    Wijnaldum for Keita was another one I didn’t get, although I can put that down to fitness reasons and them wanting to ensure Naby doesn’t tweak something. There was no footballing reason to make that change though as he was our most dangerous player, although that’s damning him with the faintest of praise given how shit the rest were. It’s like being the smartest contestant on Love Island.
     
    Origi for Bobby seemed a bit like change for changes sake to me. Divock is the Everton slayer. They’re petrified of him and he obviously feels good about facing them. He should have started. Failing that, he should have been the one to replace Minamino. 
     
    In fairness he was shite in the time he did get, but yet again he was put out wide and Sadio was moved to centre forward. WHY? Just fucking why? Origi is a goalscorer. He’s a finisher. He’s got limitations but that’s the thing he’s good at. Why maroon him out wide and ask him do what Salah or Mané do?
     
    Bringing him on for Firmino and then sticking him out wide just fucked up what little attacking shape we had and after that we were just completely disjointed. 
     
    The worst change made though was Lovren for Matip. That made no sense to me at all. Obviously ol’ Big Bird couldn’t carry on, but drop Fabinho back there and get Salah or Elliott on and try to do something a bit different in attack. Alternatively, move Gomez inside and let Neco have a go at left back to see if he could make something happen.
     
    Instead we got Lovren coming on in catastrophe mode and he immediately handed the initiative to Everton. Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison had barely had a kick since the opening ten minutes but all of a sudden they both came into the game and Everton began getting chances. 
     
    Prior to that all I can remember is Richarlison getting in on the break a couple of times. The first occasion saw him fire one across goal from a tight angle. I think Alisson got the slightest touch on that and if he hadn’t it may have been on target, I’m not sure. The second time he got in he shit himself and ballooned it miles over the bar into the top tier of the Gwladys Street. Virgil probably had a little chuckle over that.
     
    When Matip went off though our composure seemed to go with him and really we ought to have lost this game. That wasn’t solely on Lovren as others began giving the ball away cheaply which put him on the back foot, but nevertheless he was fucking brutal. 
     
    Everton’s front two had gotten no change whatsoever out of Van Dijk and Matip (whose passing out from the back was impeccable) but then Lovren arrived and just like that Everton had two great chances to score. 
     
    Three actually, as Calvert-Lewin could have done better with a back post header after Lovren had been beaten to a corner by Mason fucking Holgate. *shakes head*
     
    The other two chances though were much clearer. First, Richarlison got in down Lovren’s side and put in a cross for his strike partner who back heeled it goalwards, forcing Alisson into a smart save.
     
    Then Richarlison got in again and left Lovren on his arse before getting his shot away. Again Alisson came to the rescue but Davies seized on the rebound and seemed certain to score. Gomez threw himself at it and got the slightest touch which diverted it onto the post.
     
    I defend Lovren more than most but it was not a co-incidence that the game turned completely on its head from the moment he came on. He more than anyone in the squad relies on rhythm and regular games and when he comes in from the cold he usually struggles. 
     
    He was so rusty you could hear him creaking even over the shite fake crowd noise used by sky. Turns out that booting your kid in the back garden isn’t good preparation for facing Richarlison as the toddler cries less and is more difficult to put on the floor.
     
    Everton had barely even been in our half all night yet they could have scored three times in the brief period Lovren was on. Thankfully they didn’t and so their ten year wait for a derby win goes on. That’s just about the only positive thing to take from this shitshow. That and the fact we’re one point closer to the title.
     
    It’s good to finally have the Reds back but the next game can’t come quickly enough for me as I want to just completely forget this one ever happened. Palace isn’t going to be easy though, especially if we play anything like this. Unless we improve significantly they’ll beat us because they’re better than Everton.
     
    Winning the title is the main thing of course but I did have my sights set on the highest points total ever. I don’t think that’s going to be possible now as we’ve been completely derailed by this break and the rest of the season may well resemble a load of pre-season friendlies, with changes galore and no atmosphere at any of the games.
     
    This is better than nothing of course, but it’s not the same and the sooner we can all get back into Anfield the better. The whole experience was very unfulfilling and it’s not just because we played shite (although if we'd beaten them 4-0 I doubt I'd be dwelling so much on this). What is clear beyond any doubt is that football without fans is nothing. Even when it’s Everton fans. 
     
    The games I’ve watched so far just haven’t been the same. So far I’ve watched with the fake crowd noise switched off, but I had no choice but to suffer it this time because that was only service offered on Pick TV. I absolutely hate it though, I’d rather listen to the nothingness of the empty stadium as this fake shit is terrible.
     
    At least they knew to add booing any time a decision went our way, but it’s just shit. And what was with the Everton PA announcing the subs on and off? Whose benefit was that for? Presumably the handful of journalists in the stands, but give them some fucking credit here. They cover these teams for a living, they know who the players are. Are we going to have George doing that? Hope not, let the poor guy have the rest of the season off.
     
    I thought I’d be happy that football is back but the main thing I’m feeling is relief. I'm relieved that they can’t take our title away from us and relieved that we will be able to win it on the field. It’s hard to be happy about football in its current guise though. Or maybe that's just me? 
     
    Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about how any of it is being handled as the football authorities are making the best of the awful hand that’s been dealt. It’s good that they’ve been able to get things going again and I don’t think there’s anything else that could be done to make ‘the product’ any better. I'm not pointing fingers or being ungrateful.
     
    I’m just saying, it’s shit without fans and it’s hard for players when they’ve not played for three months. It isn’t the same but I accept that there’s no way it could be. Hopefully the quality gets better when the players get their match legs under them, but the sooner things get back to ‘normal’ the better.
     
    There was some argument afterwards between the Sky pundits as to whether Everton deserved to win the game. Interestingly, Tim Cahill (and Calvert-Lewin) both said a draw was fair, while Carragher said Everton deserved to win.
     
    I see both sides of this really. We had most of the ball but we did fuck all with it. And we only had so much of the ball because they didn’t want it. It’s not like we were just so good they couldn’t get a kick. They were happy to sit back in their two banks of four and play for a clean sheet. 
     
    So does a team with such a negative approach ‘deserve’ to win a game? It really does depend on how you look at it. I’d say a draw was a fair result because both teams were fucking awful going forward, but in terms of carrying out their gameplan Everton were miles better than us.
     
    Everton didn’t try to win the game, they sat back and frustrated us and hoped to nick something on the break because they believed that was their best chance of getting a positive result. And it so nearly worked.
     
    When it comes to carrying out their manager’s instructions they did a hell of a lot better job than our lads did. Those instructions were so negative though that it’s hard to say they deserved more than they got. 
     
    Given how shite we were maybe they should be looking at this as an opportunity missed. Perhaps if they’d shown a bit of ambition they’d have won but I doubt they care because they’ve got another famous draw they can celebrate for a few months like they did last season.
     
    On reflection, a derby was not ideal for the first game back after such a long lay off. Facing Ancelotti’s blanket defence is not what we needed. It’s a shame we didn’t have an easier fixture, like facing the likes of Arsenal or Norwich to ease ourselves back in.
     
    It doesn’t get any easier either. Palace are one of the last teams I’d want to face in the current circumstances with no Anfield crowd to spur us on. If they score first it’ll be a long fucking night on Wednesday. 
     
    Then it’s City, which is always tough but will be even more difficult while we’re still in pre-season shape. I thought City would struggle due to a lack of motivation but I think I’ve misjudged that one. 
     
    The pace of these games is nothing like normal and nobody is more suited to this than City who can just keep the ball and keep probing and probing. City’s fans haven’t contributed anything to their success, whereas our lads are definitely helped by the crowd and the little bit extra we give them when they need it. A lack of atmosphere doesn't hurt City as it's business as usual.
     
    The success we’ve had against City has mostly been at Anfield and it’s largely due to our high tempo, adrenaline fuelled heavy metal football which is helped massively by the turbo charged atmosphere. We haven’t played as well at the Etihad but our high energy style has still given City lots of problems. Can we produce that after such a long lay off? We’ll see I guess. This is uncharted territory for everyone so we don’t really know anything yet. 
     
    Thankfully the stakes are nowhere near as high as they might have been. Imagine going into the City game with a five point lead or something? I shudder even thinking about it. At least we only need five more points from eight games, so it should be fairly stress free even if the next couple of games don’t go well.
     
    Star man is Matip, just ahead of Keita. As for the rest, I thought Hendo was ok, so was Virg, Fabinho overcame a terrible start to have a decent game and…. actually that’s it really. Oh, credit to Alisson for being there when we needed him.
     
     
    Team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip (Lovren), Van Dijk, Milner (Gomez); Fabinho, Henderson, Keita (Wijnaldum); Minamino (Oxlade-Chamberlain), Firmino (Origi), Mané:
  • Virgil Van Dijk feels that the 0-0 draw against Everton on Sunday evening is a point gained in their march towards the title.

    In a Derby high on effort but low on overall quality it was the home team which came closest to breaking the deadlock when Alisson was forced into a smart save deep into the second half from a Dominic Calvert-Lewin flick with the follow-up from midfielder Tom Davies hitting the post.

    The Reds came closest deep in injury time through a fine free-kick by Fabinho which was tipped over the bar by Jordan Pickford.

    Other than the double chance for the Toffees, the main drama for Jürgen Klopp came through injury with James Milner (who was filling in for Andy Robertson) and Joel Matip forced off with hamstring and toe injuries respectively.

    Those reshuffles added to the disjointed nature of the contest and after taking all that into account, Van Dijk was happy to take the point back across Stanley Park.

    The Mirror reported the Dutchman as saying:

    “I think it was very intense, I think both sides created small opportunities – obviously they had maybe the biggest one [from Tom Davies] off the post. 

    “Apart from that, I think at times we created some small opportunities, we had the ball quite a lot, and unfortunately we couldn’t find the breakthrough of course, which would have been the most important thing.

    “But I think everyone is just happy to be back. We didn’t lose and it’s another step closer to our goal as well.

    “It was tough for them to find the breakthrough and for us as well, and I think it was a very intense game.”
     


    After three months without the intensity of a league game, it was only natural that there would be a fair bit of rust.

    Van Dijk believes that there was just a feeling of happiness that they were back on the pitch once again and the strong performances are bound to follow.

    “[I feel] A lot better.

    “Obviously everyone didn’t know really what to expect, the whole procedure before the game and how things will go, and it was just good to be back out there and I think it’s a fantastic game to be playing, your first game after so long, and hopefully we can keep the good things for Wednesday and do well at home.

    “We’re a step closer. Obviously we wanted to win, we wanted to get the three points today, but we’re another step closer. 

    “We’ll try to improve every time and we’ll see how that will develop over the next couple of weeks.”

    For his part, Jürgen Klopp was quietly satisfied but also admitted that his team were lucky with the missed chance.
     
    “It was a real fight.

    “Both teams showed they understand it's a derby even without a crowd. It was intense, physical, and all players were really involved and really in the game.

    "I liked our defending and high midfield press but we didn't have enough chances for the possession we had. 

    “We were dominant but they had the biggest chance and that's how it is.

    "We were lucky in that moment. In the end, Everton defended really well and we were not smart enough to use the space we had."

    The manager had special praise for Alisson who was a spectator for the large majority of the contest but came to the fore when required.

    "It says a lot about him.

    "We should not take him for granted. Absolutely outstanding. 

    “That's what a world-class goalie is, nothing to do for 90 mins pretty much, then he's there."




     
  • Jürgen Klopp has taken a major swipe at the response of the UK Government when it comes to their handling of the coronavirus.

    The German spoke recently about his fears that all the hard work that his side did in putting them in prime position to end their 30-year title drought would count for nothing when the pandemic hit.

    But more importantly, the German was worried how the pandemic would affect the general population and has been quite staggered to see the lax efforts that the Johnson government have produced to protect the nation.

    The Mirror reported Klopp as saying:

    “I didn’t vote for this Government. 

    “This Government was the choice of other people. 

    “And the problem I had was that I got the news from England and the news from Germany.

    “If aliens looked at us both from the outside, they would think we came from two different planets.

    Klopp said simple measures should have been in place from the start of the outbreak.

    “From a personal point of view, I don’t understand why we started wearing face masks in closed areas on June 15 when five or six weeks ago all the other countries were doing it.

    “You can argue about whether it makes sense to wear them, but all countries who started wearing face masks earlier have smaller casualty numbers than here in England. That’s the truth.

    “Look, it’s not perfect in Germany, people have died and have been ill. 

    “But, in terms of living your life, it is completely different.

    “If you want to enter a shop in Germany, but don’t wear a face mask, then you aren’t allowed in.

    “With a face mask, you can go in all the shops you want. You can go to the hairdresser, wherever.

    “They wear a face mask, you wear a face mask, and sometimes the people in the shop will have even more protection like a screen.
     


    Despite much contention over the last few months, the manager firmly believes that Football is a safe environment. 

    “We had to have it back and the truth is that the environment we have created inside the clubs now makes football safe.

    “Outside the clubs? Yes, there are a few yards still to go.

    “When I go to the petrol station in England, I am the only one wearing a face mask and I’m the only one with gloves – I feel like an alien.

    “I will not stop doing that until someone tells me it’s over. 

    But inside the club, we are safe. We are tested twice a week and it is a safe environment.”


     
  • Everton director of football Marcel Brands says that they should look no further than the team across Stanley Park as a source of inspiration in their quest to take the next step.

    Brands is the man who has been given the task to build a team as they prepare to make the move to their new £500million stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

    When owner Farhad Moshiri took charge in 2016, Man City were the team that others looked to emulate in terms of a building a successful side and Toffees fans in particular look forward to being big players in the transfer market for years to come

    But in the advent of FFP regulations, it has become evident that just throwing big money around, does not solve a problem, instead it it can become a serious issue.

    Instead Brands feels that Everton need to take a measured approach and take a close at the work of Jürgen Klopp, Michael Edwards and co.

    The Mirror reported the Dutchman as saying:

    “Liverpool have a great team and they are an example for many clubs when it comes to building your way to success.

    “But the turn around at Liverpool did not happen overnight or in one transfer window.

    “The manager has been there for five seasons now and every year the team has improved with a couple of really specific transfers.

    “Last year they were close to the title, but Man City were a little better. 

    “This time they have been even more stable in the league.”
     


    Brands says that the appeal of Man City to the Court of Arbitration over their two year will be watched extremely closely by clubs across Europe.

    “It is true that City’s CAS case can have massive consequences for football, even if FFP has been thrown overboard for the time being by the coronavirus crisis.

    “But as a club we have to work with the financial parameters set by the Premier League.

    “A club owner cannot say ‘I am putting £50million or £100million million extra into the club.

    “It is all about balance.”

    The idea of emulating the Liverpool model will undoubtedly cause ripples of angst amongst the Everton fan base as their clear hatred of anything to do with the Reds is well known.

    But the more astute members of that fanbase will know that there is a fair bit of sense in what Brands is saying.


     
  • Jürgen Klopp has revealed that he feared that Liverpool’s outstanding season would count for nothing due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

    The Football world came to a grinding halt in mid March when leagues was halted and life as we knew it had changed.

    This unprecedented situation threw up a number of different scenarios on what would happen next.

    Every day seemed to have another proposal, from deciding the league on a points per game basis, neutral venues, expanded top flight with no relegation and the dreaded option to void the whole 2019/20 campaign.

    While voiding the league seemed the most ludicrous option, it seemed to have the loudest voices using their own platform to air their grievances, along with opposition fans who could think of nothing better than to deprive the Reds of their deserved triumph.

    Klopp was a very dignified presence throughout the hiatus, making it clear that human life was much more important than a game of football.

    But speaking ahead of the clash with Everton on Sunday evening, it was clear that the scenario was playing on his mind.

    The Mirror reported Klopp as saying:

    “I didn't think when we went to lockdown.

    “Oh my god, that is our season, we are so close', because it was not important in that moment.

    "I became worried in the moment when people started talking about 'null and void' this season because I was like 'Wow'.

    “I really felt it physically.
     
    That would have been really, really hard.
     
    "We don't expect to get it as a present so we didn't want to have a points-per-game basis so we were really happy when it was decided we could play again.

    “There were moments when some people brought it up from time to time for different reasons but when it was off the table I felt quite relieved.”

    While the points per game option was more desirable than voiding, Klopp is just happy that the league is getting decided where it should be, on the pitch.

    "If they had done points per game and we couldn't have played then we would have been champions but now we aren't and we have to play for it and that is great, that is how it should be in sports. 

    “And now we go for it."

    While the null and voiders didn’t get their way, their next crusade has been making sure this season carries an asterisk.

    The German says despite not known the term at first, he has viewed it in a positive light and will carry it like a badge of honour.

    “My feeling that came up in that moment, more than ever, is that I had to Google the word ‘asterisk’. I only knew the word 'asterisk'.
     


    "This is the most difficult year and season to become champions. 100 per cent.

    "Whatever it is, it is an interrupted season like has never happened before and whoever will be champions at the end, it will be historical because it is a year that we will never forget.

    "Hopefully it is the only year we ever have like this as human beings and as a society because I hope we will find solutions for this kind of stuff in the future.

    "It is historic now more than ever. Give us an asterisk. Yes. Do it. 

    “Because it is the most difficult season ever and the only difference is there is quite a points gap between us and other the team.

    An emphatic response to the naysayers if ever there was one.




     
  • Everton star Richarlison has added a extra level of spice to the Derby on Sunday evening by saying that he does not place Virgil Van Dijk in the top three defenders currently in World Football.

    Van Dijk has had a transformative impact on the Liverpool defence since his arrival in January 2018, making those around him better players while taking his own game to the next level.

    In his time with the Reds, Van Dijk has won the PFA player of the year, UEFA Men’s Player of the year, UEFA Defender of the season and good judges believed he was the best player in the world in 2019, but was pipped to the Ballon d’or prize by Lionel Messi.

    Add to that list the number of team honours that he has played a big part in over the past two seasons but despite this, the Brazilian forward does not place Van Dijk in the top echelon of defenders.
     


    Metro via Desimpedidos reported the 23 year-old who has scored 12 goals for the Blues in 2019/20 as saying:

    “People talk a lot about him, yes he is a great defender but I’ve already dribbled past him. 

    “He was chosen as one of the top three in the world as he had an excellent season.

    “But yes, for me there are better defenders.' 

    When asked to name those players, Richarlison said:

    ‘Thiago Silva, Marquinhos and Sergio Ramos.’ 

    Perhaps there is a bit of bias in that two of those players mentioned are countrymen of Richarlison.

    No doubt some Blues fans would relish that kind of confidence in one of their players, while at the same time trying to downplay the impact of a key rival.

    But it remains to be seen if Carlo Ancelotti would think the same as the veteran manager will realise that you don’t need to give great players any extra motivation before meeting in a big game.

    In terms of what Big Virg would think about it all?

    Probably a rye grin and a shrug of those imposing shoulders.

    As cool as you like.


     
     
     
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