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

     
    “We've got a great squad with great players and to get out there and start again is a lovely feeling, just to put the Liverpool shirt back on and play 60 minutes. Hopefully I can get more minutes down the line, but we'll see. I am just ready for each and every moment. I've just got to keep myself fit."
     
    With Man City dropping points to West Ham last Sunday, the margin of error in their last game of the season has narrowed substantially ,thanks largely to the pure persistence and consistency of Liverpool during the second half of the season.
     
    But as the squad often discussed when facing a similar scenario at the tail end of the 2018/9 campaign,  Elliott said the the focus is not what their rivals do, but more so taking care of their own business first and foremost.
     
    “I think it's exactly that. We just need to make sure we get the three points and focus on us all really. Whatever happens will happen and obviously we need to make sure we do our job and worry about other results after.
     
    "We're not focusing elsewhere, it's all on ourselves, making sure that if we play our own game to get the points and show the fans our appreciation towards them. Hopefully they can cheer us on in the next game and we just need to keep it tight, focus and make sure we get the job done."
     
     
     
  • The best songwriter / musician of our generation penned a classic called “the more things change the more they stay the same”. Pretty apt whenever Klopp rotates his line up really. Nine changes to the side that started the cup final but this still looked just like Liverpool. 
     
    Not identical of course, we don’t have clones we can bring in when the main players are out. You can’t replicate what Salah, Mané and Diaz do. Or Thiago or Van Dijk. Or Trent. Especially Trent, who is thoroughly unique in world football. So it’s not identical, but individual traits aside the team just played the same way and dominated the game in exactly the same way you’d expect from the first choice line up. 
     
    It’s one of the more incredible aspects of Klopp’s tenure here really, and there are many of them. Imagine just being able to pick whoever you like and still be able to get the result you need. We went on a mad winning run at the back end of last season with Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams at centre back. It’s the Klopp effect. Him and his staff. They’ve instilled this belief in the entire squad and they’re so well coached that everyone knows how to play the role required of them.
     
    I saw the line up and wasn’t worried. It helped that it was more or less what I expected it to be so I wasn’t shocked or concerned by it, but I didn’t look at that team and think we’d be in trouble. I looked at it and was excited at what we might see from a midfield with both Curtis and Harvey in it. I looked at the defence and thought “Southampton aren’t scoring past those lads” and I looked at the forwards and thought there was opportunity for them to get back in the goals. Diogo and Bobby really need a goal, whereas Taki just scores every time he plays.
     
    And if something did go wrong then look at the bench. Granted, we only had three options rather than five, but when you’ve got that kind of talent to call upon you always feel confident. 
     
    I also looked at the Southampton line up and there was nothing to fear from that whatsoever. Some of their regulars were left out and other than Ward-Prowse and his set-pieces there was nothing there to worry about.
     
    And I’d say all of what I just said above came to pass. The defence were brilliant (although Southampton had one chance early one when Ali made a smart save), the midfield functioned well and the frontline posed a threat and Taki delivered his customary goal. Southampton caused us no problems. The only thing I got wrong was them not scoring, but their goal only happened because of a dereliction of duty from Martin Atkinson and especially Stuart Atwell on VAR.
     
    I may as well start with that. It looked like a foul on Jota on first viewing but you can’t always tell. I was prepared to accept the possibility that the defender got man and ball and that Atkinson let it go because he was trying to let them play. He refereed like that all night in fairness, he wasn’t overly fussy and allowed a lot of contact. That’s good, I applaud that as the game is better for it. He got that decision badly wrong though as the defender got none of the ball and a lot of Jota.
     
    I’m not pointing the finger at Atkinson there though. Yeah, he’s in a great position and should get that right, but mistakes happen and I could accept that from the angle he was viewing it from it may have looked like the defender has got the ball. I don’t know if that’s the case but I’m open to the possibility as he got most things right on the night other than that.
     
    But seriously, it’s mind boggling that VAR didn’t help him out there. I assumed that the procedure must have changed and they weren’t allowed to go back that far, but that’s not the case. VAR can go back to the start of the attack and indeed Atwell did look at it. And then decided it wasn’t a clear and obvious error. Fuck me. It doesn’t get more clear and obvious because at no point does the defender get any touch on the ball. Jota controls the ball and the defender boots him. There is no great area there, you have to tell Atkinson he’s missed a foul and to go and check.
     
    They scored a fucking goal from that foul. How can that be allowed to stand? This is the second to last game of the season and we had to win to keep the title alive, and the officials allow that to happen?? I didn’t want VAR, I still don’t want VAR but the fact is we’re stuck with it. So fucking use it then. This is the exact scenario why it exists. Imagine if we’d dropped points in this game because of that. Incompetence or something else, I don’t know what Atwell’s reasons were but you seriously have to wonder how someone who does this for a living can not award a free-kick for that after seeing all the necessary replay angles. He should be made to explain himself.
     
    The goal itself was jammy as fuck too, as Redmond’s shot was going straight at Alisson before it nicked off Milner and looped up into the top corner. It was the only way they were ever going to score.
     
    Thankfully it’s just a footnote on yet another Liverpool victory. The lads responded as they always do. We took control of the game again and thought we’d equalised straight away when Bobby headed in a Kostas free-kick. The offside flag curtailed his celebrations, sadly.
     
    We were playing well though and the goal wasn’t too long in arriving. Nice football, good ball by Jota and a clever run and superb finish by Taki. Such a lovely goal that. He’s scored 10 goals this season now and he’s made a massive impact on this quadruple bid. I don’t know how much longer he’ll be here, but I hope he doesn’t leave this summer as he’s such a valuable asset to have.
     
    Much has been made of Martin Tyler’s commentary on that goal. I commented on it on twitter too, because it really was something wasn’t it? Some of you will say he’s like this on every game he does and his lack of enthusiasm isn’t just reserved for when we score. That’s as may be, but there’s a large body of evidence now that the cunt sounds genuinely fucking gutted any time we score. 
     
    I’d love to know why, as it wasn’t always like that. Who could forget the iconic “Collymore closing iiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnn” line. There’s just no way you can tell me he isn’t gutted when we score though. He didn’t exactly go nuts when Redmond scored, but compare that with how he was when Taki scored. It couldn’t be more obvious. And here’s the thing, I know people will say he’s going to be more excited when the underdog scores as the neutrals all love an upset, but this is different. 
     
    Southampton weren’t the story here. Them scoring wasn’t any kind of a big deal to be celebrated, unless you specifically wanted us to get beat and ergo for the title race to be over. That’s not what Sky want. Sky want this going to the final day and Minamino’s goal was therefore the big story here. Any other commentator working on this game will have given Taki’s goal the excited commentary it warranted. It’s just Tyler. He needs fucking off, either for his bias or just his plain old lack of enthusiasm. 
     
    A commentator is supposed to add to the moment or to let the moment speak for itself. This cunt just tries to suck all of the joy and excitement out of it. Even on Matip’s winning goal his first thought was to desperately wonder if the ball had gone out from the corner. What a sour, miserable, bitter old fucking turd. Hopefully he’s nowhere near Anfield on Sunday. I expect he’ll be at the Etihad desperately hoping for another “Aguerrrooooooooooo” moment. Twat.
     
    Anyway, I’ve jumped ahead a bit there by skipping to Joel’s header. I’ll come back to that in a bit. The equaliser was no more than we deserved and the rest of the half was basically total domination from us. I think at half time we’d had 11 shots to their one or something. It may have been even more. They weren’t exactly clear chances but we were knocking on the door and at half time I wasn’t worried at all. Well I was a little worried for poor Joe who went over on an ankle and had to go off to be replaced by Hendo, but I wasn’t worrying about the outcome of the game. I just expected us to go out and find the goal we needed to get the points.
     
    We almost did it immediately when Jota collected a Tsimikas cross and fired a snapshot inches wide. It summed up his last month really. It’s just not going in for him, although I thought his form was decent enough in this one and he was pretty unlucky. He had a great effort blocked in the first half when he brought a ball down on his chest and unleashed an acrobatic volley that would have burst the net. He played the pass for the goal and generally looked quite lively, which was good to see with the two massive games we have coming up. We might need him off the bench, although frankly there’s no way I’d be overlooking Divock if the situation required an extra forward.
     
    We were enjoying almost total domination of the ball and Southampton couldn’t get out. They didn’t actually look like they even wanted to. Usually we come up against rabid opponents and crowds desperate to be the ones to stop us winning the league, but Southampton really didn’t seem that arsed. The fans weren’t particularly boisterous and the players looked like they were just waiting for the season to end.
     
    The coast coast is home to Peter Shilton and Matt Le Tissier so naturally their crowd sang the national anthem and then booed when the away end belted out YNWA at the end. If the season wasn’t about to end we’d be subjected to this bollocks at 90% of the stadiums we go to. Next season it might be like that, but chances are the banter merchants will all have forgotten and will have some other shit songs to amuse themselves.
     
    Really though, it was fairly tame. Maybe they were disheartened by how our second string completely dominated the game. Most of the noise was coming from the away end though as our boys pressed for the goal that would get them ahead. We continued knocking on the door and Jones was becoming more and more influential as the game wore on. He had a quiet start but grew into the game and I thought he was really fucking good in the second half. Great on the ball, positive, mature in his decision making and the only criticism was his shooting was shite. It used to be a strength but it’s been rubbish for a while now.
     
    Harvey was really good too. He nearly scored when he shot into the side netting and this was a nice little reminder of what he can do. We’ve barely seen him for weeks but he’s such a massive talent. I thought he was unlucky to be brought off but we needed to win the game and Klopp wanted to get a fourth forward on. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Origi time.
     
    We scored straight away. You might say he had nothing to do with it but I could argue that Southampton shit their pants when he came on and our lads all got a lift. There’s a feeling of inevitability when he comes on that a goal is coming. The goal was a fluke as Matip and Diallo both headed the ball at the same time and it looped into the top corner leaving the keeper helpless. Maybe that’s what Joel needs to do all the time now to keep his headers on target?
     
    Konate went close from an identical position soon after, but for the most part we weren’t too bothered about trying to force another goal and the performance after we went 2-1 was very much safety first. Lots of possession but very sensible. We saw the game out with no drama and ensured that if City are going to win the league they’ll need to do it on the pitch because we aren’t making anything easy for them.
     
    That’s one of the most satisfying things about this. City’s players will have been gathered somewhere, watching, social media team at the ready waiting to capture all the footage of us not winning and handing them the title. When we fell behind you can be sure there will have been celebrations. It’s just a shame we’ll never see any of it, or their reactions when Taki and Joel scored. Actually we don’t need to see that, just play Tyler’s commentary as that will capture their mood perfectly.
     
    So a big three points from a team that just refuses to go away. It’s still highly unlikely that we will win the title, but it’s more likely than it was a week ago so that’s something to cling to I suppose.
     
    I’m not even dwelling on it too much. If Villa do something at the Etihad then great, but I’m not holding out much hope for it and I’m not even really thinking about it much. I’m just looking forward to going to Anfield and seeing us do our thing. Just beat Wolves and then see how the chips fall. If City win there won’t be any sulking at Anfield, we’re having a party at full time no matter what this Sunday.
     
    Two cups to celebrate and the opportunity to show our appreciation to the lads for all they’ve done this season. And the small matter of seeing them off before their date with Real Madrid.
     
    Note to any mischief making African journalists reading this. I did not just call the Champions League final “small”.
     
    Star man is difficult because there are half a dozen strong contenders. Bobby got it on Sky and I did think he was very good, especially in the second half. I think we had better though. Milner was so fucking good in the first half in that number six role. He had to go to right back when Gomez went off and he was solid there too.
     
    Harvey was really good, Curtis was even better and Kostas was quality again. I think I’m going for Konate though. I probably didn’t think that at the time but having slept on it and thought a bit more about the game, the big lad was just so fucking dominant. His form has been unreal since the turn of the year and he’s had much more of an impact on this season than I thought he would. There’s no bigger Joel Matip fan than me (other than Virgil) but it’s really hard to even contemplate not picking Konate now isn’t it?
     
    Klopp is often asked about how hard it is picking a team and he says that’s the easy part. The hard thing is leaving lads out of the squad completely. Taki might not even make the bench this Sunday, and if he does then it might be at the expense of Origi. Harvey probably won’t make it either, or if he does then it will be Ox missing out. The depth is just unprecedented, along with a lot of other things we’ve seen this season.
     
    Not least this; we might actually win the fucking lot!
     
     
    Team: Alisson; Gomez (Henderson), Matip, Konate, Tsimikas; Milner, Elliott (Origi), Jones; Minamino, Firmino (Keita), Jota:
     
     
     
  • Nine changes, all the stars missing but you'd never know as the Reds produced an impressive performance to see off the Saints and ensure the title race will go right down to the final day. What a team.
     
    Chris Smith is joined by Julian Richards and TLW Editor Dave Usher to reflect on another highly satisfying night in which several of the lesser lights in the squad took their chance to shine brightly.
     
    Up the still quadruple chasing Reds!
     
     
     
  • A delighted Jurgen Klopp has praised the impact of squad members who have been lacking first team opportunities in recent months as the Reds defeated Southampton 2-1, and take their quest to win the Premier League into the final day of the season.
     
    After a gruelling and emotionally sapping 120 minutes plus penalties in their FA Cup triumph against Chelsea , the Liverpool manager made the understandable decision to rotate his squad with another major fixture looming on the horizon in Paris on Saturday week.
     
    Klopp has been realistic in his responses when asked if his team can take the League trophy out the hands of Man City and echoed that line after this triumph saying  "It is possible, not likely but possible. That is enough."
     
    However in typical Klopp fashion he wanted to look at the bigger picture and in this case it was the contribution of the likes of Taki Minamino, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott that delighted him.
     
    Elliott made his first league appearance since February (against Leicester) and first start since his season was disrupted by a serious ankle injury against Leeds in September.
     
    It has also been three months since Minamino last made a league appearance (vs Norwich) and he celebrated his first league start of the season with his 10th goal in all competitions.
     
    Speaking after the win, Klopp started with a sincere apology as the Echo reported:
     
    “It’s a crime! I apologise! Crazy! People ask me if it’s hard to pick a line-up,”
     
    “Takumi Minamino, it’s a crime he’s not playing more often."
     

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

     
    Klopp was just as thrilled with the reaction to conceding a early goal, one that he believes should not have stood.
     
    “I can ask for a lot but the boys have to do it. They did it exceptionally well. Some incredible performances tonight. I saw a group reacting to a blow. I didn’t see the situation [Redmond goal] back but I thought it was a clear foul, there could have been nerves but the boys on the pitch, not all. We just kept going.
     
    “We controlled the game, we know how Southampton wants to play, and we played in all the spaces where they couldn’t get us.
     
    “Last 10 minutes, this group didn’t play together 500 times so you could see now the changes. We have to work on how we can play time down without getting in trouble. But in the end, Ali was there and we deserve the three points. Fantastic.”
     
     
     
     
  • Online gambling is a popular pastime for many people all over the world. But with so many different sites to choose from, it can be difficult to find the ideal one for your needs. That's why we've put together a list of top tips on how to find the ideal online gambling site. Follow these tips, and you'll be well on your way to finding the perfect site for you!
     
     
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  • A picture paints a thousand words, etc., etc. Fear not, this shouldn’t take more than 300!
     
    The background: Fair play to all those in our end who still seem to be going ecstatic! I was shaking like a shitting dog at the point, a good few down the road (it was about 8:15pm in France and I had been drinking for about four hours). 
     

     
    Trent: This means more. Probably even more to him. Such intensity, yet he’s also saying to Kostas, ‘You’ve got this, la.’ And he had.
     
    Bobby: It’s a photo so we can’t tell if he’s dancing or not. Probably is. But again, he’s saying, ‘You’ve got this, la.’ And he fucking had.
     
    Hendo: Remember that game away to Atalanta? Nobody in because of COVID so you could hear Hendo all the way through. Always there. Encouraging. Haranguing. Look at him here. He’s clapping for him. Saying he believes in him. He’s saying, ‘You’ve got this, la.’ And he fucking had.
     
    Joel: Clenched fist. A knowing look. Joel knew he was going to slot it. He’s saying, ‘You’ve got this, la.’ And he fucking had.
     
    James and Jota (comes as a package): Diogo is thinking, ‘Da, give me a hug, I need you here!’ James is thinking, ‘Kinell, Diogo, I’m not yer Da.’ 
     
    Konaté: ‘Vas-y, mon gars, tu gères de ouf.’
     
    Kostas: ‘Give me the ball so I can be done with this, go home and smoke 40 Marlboro Light and have a fucking nap.’
     
     
    John Brennan
  • James Milner has experienced the full gamut of emotions throughout his playing career spanning the best part of two decades however he has not lost any of his competitive edge.
     
    Rewind to the very start of Milner’s career and just like Trent Alexander-Arnold he was living the dream of every talented young Footballer in playing for their boyhood club in the Premier League.
     
    But while the full-back has steadily ticked off a number of honours both on a team and personal level, Milner was in a team that was in a fair bit of trouble both on the pitch and in a financial sense.
     
    Eventually and inevitably relegation came for a Leeds team which at one stage had neutrals captivated with their rise and young talent at their disposal, but the end came just as spectacularly leading to a fire sale of their finest assets including Milner.
     
    The life of a Footballer is often shown to be one of flash houses, fancy cars, fashionable events, glamorous partners and the list goes on.
     
    The stories of their exploits attract the headlines and clicks, but what is often forgotten are the grafters, the ones willing to do the hard yards away from the bright lights to achieve their main goal.
     
    Personal success didn’t come easy for Milner who spent a number of seasons at Newcastle and Aston Villa before joining the cashed-up version of Man City where the silverware flowed.
     
    But despite that, Milner wasn’t satisfied, he wanted to be part of a new project where he could pass on his years of knowledge to.
     
    That club was Liverpool.
     
    Now 36 and having won the full slate of honours, one of the most astute thinkers in the game today reflected on that time as he told The Independent.
     

     
    “When I went to City they hadn’t won anything for a long time and it was great to be part of that, the start of their success, winning leagues and cups. Liverpool is an incredible club with incredible history, but it hadn’t been as successful [in the recent past], hadn’t won the Premier League, which was baffling. 
     
    “That was the aim, and if we could do that, win a Premier League here, that would be special. It’s a process, and the process has been incredible.”
     
    Having ridden the rollercoaster of highs and lows throughout the years more than most, the veteran is in a perfect position to speak to the stars of the present (and future) and advise them to enjoy this moment but not to take it for granted.
     
    “ I said to Trent, ‘your cabinet is pretty full, but don’t get bored of it.
     
    “What an incredible player he is, but he’s lucky that he’s come into a team that is so good. He deserves it because of how good a player he is, but you never know when things are going to change, so you have to enjoy it while it’s here.”
     

     
    Despite seeing it all throughout his playing career, Milner still is as passionate as he was when making a debut for Leeds as a 16 year-old 20 years ago.
     
    And he still loves the elements that makes the game great, such as the unbridled joy of fans when victory is achieved.
     
    The midfielder explained why he didn’t see the decisive penalty in the shootout on Saturday.
     
    “I wanted to watch our fans’ reaction.
     
    “I had faith in Kostas, I know he’s got a wand of a left foot. Obviously you’re nervous, because you know there’s a good chance it could be over, but how many times do you get to play at Wembley and experience that? It was amazing. You see everyone experiencing what you’re feeling yourself; relief, joy, everything.”
     
    Professional to the very end, the tee-total explained he celebrated the victory with “ a Coke – “full-fat, because Diet Coke is worse for you,”
     
    And while he knows he is coming to the end of a illustrious career, his hunger for success shows no signs of slowing.
     
    “You’re very lucky to play in any final, you’re lucky to be a footballer in the first place, and to play in finals and win 10 medals,”“If you said that at the start of my career, I’d have taken it.
     
    “But 10 could become 12 on successive weekends. Each seems to mean more. “Yeah, it does, because you don’t know how long is left, do you?”
     
     
     
         
  • I could just copy and paste large chunks of the League Cup Final here as it was basically the same game. Some of the minor points are different but essentially it was a highly entertaining 0-0 that we shaded but that could have gone either way as both teams had plenty of good chances.
     
    Extra time and pens once again. *sighs* Thankfully the outcome went in our favour once more but I feel another few months have been taken from the end of my life. Of course there's nothing surprising about the stress and drama of it all. It’s Liverpool in a final, it’s never straightforward.
     
    Plus Chelsea are a really strong side on their day. Forget the inconsistent shite they’ve been serving up, like losing at fucking Everton for example, when Chelsea are focussed they’re dangerous because they’ve got quality all over the park and a top manager. They even wore their magic yellow kit which was supposed to bring a change of luck for them as they keep losing finals in blue. Can't believe that foolproof plan didn't work.
     
    Four games we’ve had with them now and neither side has won any of them. We got two trophies because we were marginally better at penalty kicks, but that’s four draws with them now. We were the better side in this one but they were dangerous and even when we were well on top they still created chances. Not as many as we did, but with better finishing they could have won in normal time. So could we of course.
     
    We started the game like we wanted to blow them away in the first 10 minutes and with better luck we could have. We were absolutely dazzling early on and Diaz was running all over them. They’d left out Azpilacueta and included Chalobah, and that was so obviously due to being scared of what Diaz could do. With good reason. He was sensational all day.
     
    He must have had five or six near misses. It’s not like his finishing was bad, but the ball just wouldn’t fucking go in no many how many times he tried. We've had the "Owen Final" and the "Gerrard Final" and It's such a shame because this could have been "The Diaz Final" if he'd been a bit more precise.
     
    The only one where I thought he really should have done better though was the one that Mendy just about kept out. That really frustrated me because of what we were denied. That would have been the best Wembley goal ever scored and would be right up there with any goal we’ve ever seen.
     
    It started with an outrageous outside of the boot pass by Alisson. Then the ball comes to Trent and he repeats the feat with an even more sumptuous ball to send Diaz clear. That pass was like the Gerrard to Sturridge one at Fulham all those years ago. The difference was that Sturridge finished it off, Diaz didn’t.
     
    Virtually everything we did had him at the heart of it though. He was brilliant in the League Cup Final but he was even better in this one. What a player he is. He’s fucking relentless.
     
    He’s so good that I wasn’t even that concerned when Mo had to go off. I was concerned about him potentially missing the Champions League Final, but I wasn’t worried about how it would impact this particular game as I thought we’d be fine.
     
    Mo didn’t actually look in too much trouble and seemed fairly relaxed as he applauded the fans on the way off. He didn’t give the impression he was worried about the final so it just seemed like a precautionary measure. 
     
    Virg later went off in similar circumstances and I reckon Klopp and the sports science team had already come to the decision that anyone that felt anything was going to be subbed because we have five subs in this game and there’s no point risking anyone ahead of the Madrid game.
     
    It’s mad though when you think about it. This is a cup final but it’s not our biggest priority because we’re so fucking boss that we’ve got even bigger fish to fry. Imagine being us!
     
    But anyway, the fast start we made didn’t exactly fizzle out as I thought we still played well for the most part, but Chelsea settled themselves and began to look a threat on the counter. Alisson made a fine save from Alonso as the game went end to end. Jota volleyed over from a Robbo cross when he should have done better. There were no shortage of chances and the parallels with the League Cup Final were obvious.
     
    The second half starts and Chelsea flew out of the traps. We were on the ropes for a few minutes but then we regained control again. The ball just wouldn’t go in though. Diaz hit the post as well as seeing other efforts go inches wide. Robbo hit the post too. It looked like a bad miss but I’m fairly sure that a defender got the tiniest touch on it to take the ball off his boot and onto his shin.
     
    He was unlucky there and he’d earlier missed a similar chance when the ball dropped over a defender and he was unable to react to it and it bounced off his shins and went wide. 
     
    I think it was around the 70 minute mark or so when I resigned myself to it going to extra time and pens. It was like watching a re-run of the last game. You just knew a goal wasn’t coming.
     
    When extra time came along we had the disconcerting sight of Virgil going to take a seat on the bench as Joel came on to replace him. I mean, we’re fortunate to have such a world class replacement but the bottom line is we went into the game without Fabinho and then lost Salah and Van Dijk during it. That’s three absolute mainstays of the team.
     
    But the replacements aren’t bad are they? When Mo was injured in the 2018 Champions League Final his replacement was a midfielder, Adam Lallana. When he went off this time, Klopp had to choose between Jota, Firmino and Origi. When Virg went off, it was Matip or Gomez. The squad is incredible now. We need it to be, because everyone will be fucked and this Tuesday night will see mass changes.
     
    We’ve seen Mo and Virg narrowly avoid injury and we’ve no doubt got a load of lads in the red zone now. The title is still just about alive but highly unlikely so we can’t send out Trent, Hendo, Sadio, Diaz, Thiago etc at St Mary’s this week. It would be reckless and stupid. We’ll need to rely on Kostas, Joe, Curtis, Harvey, Milner, Div, Taki and the rest. They’ve served us well so far.
     
    Extra time was something of a non event. As soon as Diaz was replaced that was our attacking race run really. Chelsea had the better of it but didn’t threaten much either and penalties seemed inevitable.
     
    I didn’t like the decision to take off Diaz because unlike in the last final he still looked full of energy. However, I don’t think we can second guess these decisions too much because we don’t know who is at highest risk of injury. 
     
    They knew Diaz was playing great but subbed him anyway. There had to be a reason for that so although it was disappointing I’m ok with it because let's face it, they know what they’re doing. You know what I didn’t really like though? Bobby coming on and not Divock.
     
    Was anyone surprised that Bobby looked like a man who hadn’t played for a month? He was shite but I expected nothing else. It wasn’t a game for him and it baffles me how Klopp keeps ignoring the Origi narrative. I know Bobby is a better player and I know in other games, such as Spurs, we may have had better tactical options to call on, but Divock is so much more than logic can quantify. Fucking get him on the pitch and just let him do his thing. 
     
    Anyway, we get to pens and Chelsea win the toss for ends and for who goes first. Not great.
     
    They score with their first pen too, through Alonso. So did we, but only just. Milner’s pen wasn’t his best and Mendy got a hand to it. Thankfully he couldn’t keep it out.
     
    Next up, that tit Azpilacueta. He hit the post. Yes. Game on now. Up steps Thiago and he hits the post too, but the inside of it and the ball nestled in the net. Advantage us.
     
    Reece James scored. So did Bobby. Again though, only just as Mendy got a hand on it. Barkley scored for them. Then up steps Trent, cool as you like and a nice little strut back to halfway. Nearly there.
     
    Jorginho needed to score to keep it going and did. So it’s all on our fifth taker to win it. I thought it would be Jota, who has been nails for us in shootouts. But no, it’s Sadio. I didn’t like it. Firstly because I don’t think he’s good at pens at all. Secondly he’s up against his international team-mate, which always makes me uncomfortable as no-one will know Sadio's penalties better than Mendy.
     
    So I didn’t like his chances but then I also didn’t know about the unintentional mind games from Klopp that fucked him right up. Asking him which way he was going and then telling him to go the other way? What the fuck, Jurgen??? Sadio’s penalty lacked any kind of conviction and now we know why. Mendy saved and at that moment I thought we were screwed. 
     
    Ziyech had to wait a long time to take his pen because the Chelsea fans had thrown a flare on the pitch. If he’d missed because of that it would have been pure unadulterated Everton that. He didn’t miss though, he held his nerve with a great pen.
     
    Now Jota has to score to keep us in it. He did. Probably the best pen of the lot and proof he should have been on the fifth.
     
    At this point I’m getting annoyed with Alisson for not even looking like saving any of them. “Come on Ali, you need to fucking do something here or we’re not winning this”. He did. Great save to deny Mount and as soon as I saw who was taking our seventh pen I knew we’d won.
     
    Why was I so sure? Because it was just perfect wasn’t it? Of all the people to get the chance to hit the winning pen there was just no-one better than that mad little bastard. He’s always the first one being happy for everyone else, he’s an incredible team-mate and all of the players seem to love him, but now was his moment to be the hero. 
     
    Great penalty and then wild celebrations. What a moment. What a guy. I fucking love Kostas, he’s just the best isn’t he? Such a sound lad and this couldn’t have happened to anyone more deserving.
     
    Quick word on Alisson here though. He only saved one penalty but his contribution was more than that. Remember in the last final when that Kepa knobhead kept trying to put our lads off by walking out with the ball and then trying to psyche them out?
     
    I don’t know whether Mendy would have pulled that shit or not, but he wasn’t able to because Alisson just took command of the whole situation by going to get the ball and walking to the edge of the box to hand it to his team-mates and given them a word of encouragement.
     
    It might not have made any difference, we’ll never know. I mean, we scored all of our pens last time despite the shenanigans from their keeper, but I just think it highlights how well we do things.
     
    That’s obviously something that was picked up on by the staff (or players) and Alisson made sure that didn’t happen again. We just do things better than everybody else.
     
    Check out this thread on twitter highlighting the preparations of Klopp and Tuchel and showing the difference. Klopp was just much more organised and our whole process was smoother. 
     
    I don’t think it made any difference as we both scored four out of the designated first five kicks, but it’s about the bigger picture. Nothing is left to chance with us now, we just do everything properly and much thought goes into every little detail. 
     
    It’s the marginal gains that have allowed us to take things to that extra level. Even things like hiring the fellas to come in and work with the players on the mental side of taking penalties and shutting out all of the noise. The throw in coach too. Some ex pros laugh at that stuff but it all adds up. 
     
    We’re not winning things because we have a throw in coach. We’re winning things because we have maybe a hundred of those little things on the go that add up to a big advantage over teams who aren’t doing all of this stuff.
     
    We’ll never know if Alisson’s actions won us the shoot out, or if it was how quickly Klopp selected and prepared the takers before setting the tone with a passionate speech and then relaxing his players with hugs and jokes. It’s impossible to know what impact it had, but we do know that we won. Again.
     
    So that’s two trophies in the bag in a season where we have reached another CL Final, will hopefully top 90 points again and have so far lost only three games all fucking season, and one of those (Inter) wasn’t even a loss as it was essentially just like losing a half.
     
    Winning in Paris would make this one of the greatest seasons in our history. If we lose that, it’s still a great season now regardless. Two trophies, we’ve played every possible game we could have played and we’ve had an incredible ride.
     
    If we can win at Southampton we’ll take the title race into the last game. It will probably be a futile chase as I’d never want to rely on Aston Villa for anything, the flaky bastards, but whatever happens I hope we can at least ensure that City have to win that game to hold us off.
     
    We’re going to basically have to change the entire team for that Southampton game. Of the starters, I’d only keep Alisson and Konate in. Keita too actually as he was subbed early. Gomez, Kostas, Divock, Curtis, Taki and the rest, its your time again lads.
     
    We got some heroic efforts from players in this game. Diaz was the best player on the pitch but Trent was fucking brilliant. It might even be the best all around game he’s played for us. His defending was unreal and I lost count of the number of times he covered around the back to make vital clearances. Reece James is a great player but he’s not in the same league as Trent. There’s no shame in that, as no-one else is either. James is the second best right back in the country but the gap is massive.
     
    Hendo had a great game and Thiago was quality (one or two stray passes aside) and I thought Keita was good too. Him being replaced was no reflection on his performance, I just think Klopp wanted Milner on. There was an interview with Milner through the week when he spoke about being left out of games and he said Klopp told him “I want you on the pitch at the end, so you can’t start”. Having his experience and know how out there in the big moments definitely helps.
     
    Konate had another great game and it’s so impressive how we get these signings right now. Everyone talked up his partner at Leipzig and he ended up at Bayern. We watched them and said “forget Upamecano, Konate is the one”. And he is. He’s fucking brilliant. He also seems like a great lad who (like Kostas, Thiago, Diaz etc) has settled in quickly and is very popular with the rest of the team. That’s important. We just don’t sign knobheads anymore do we? As I say, marginal gains, all these things help.
     
    In previous seasons if we’d beaten Chelsea in big games it would have meant more than just us winning. There was also a massive pleasure in them losing. I don’t really feel like that currently. Yeah, it’s always nice getting one over on their fans who are right up there with the worst we come across (awful Tories) but the team itself really doesn’t inspire any kind of negativity from me.
     
    Azpilacueta is the only one I genuinely dislike. If I wanted to, I could find reasons to dislike Mount, James, Pulisic etc but I don’t really have the energy for it these days. There are more than enough players in the league for me to hate that I don’t need to go looking for reasons to add to the list. By and large this Chelsea team is alright, and - whisper it - I like Thomas Tuchel. I never used to, that creepy paedo vibe he gives off made him an easy target but the more I’ve listened to him and watched how he interacts with Klopp and our players, he’s won me over. He’s alright, I’ve got absolutely no beef with him at all.
     
    These two finals could have gone either way and although we were the better side in both games, it wasn’t by much. Neither team were clinical and that’s why both games ended up going to penalties. The margins are so fine that we could easily be the ones empty handed but thankfully we aren’t and it’s Tuchel who is left cursing his luck.
     
    There is a real uncertainly surrounding them now that their sugar daddy has gone. I’d like it very much if they slid back into the relative irrelevance they were before he arrived, but I don’t see that happening immediately. They’ve got loads of really good players and a very good manager. They’ll be competitive for a while yet, but they’re a long way behind us. Not in a one off game, we’ve seen that four times this season. But they are a way behind us and long may it continue.
     
    So now we regroup, hope to get the result we need at Southampton and then see what happens at the weekend. It’s easy to be relaxed about that knowing we have a date with Real Madrid in Paris the following weekend though isn’t it? What a team. What a time to be a Red.
     
     
    Team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk (Matip), Robertson (Tsimikas): Henderson, Thiago, Keita (Milner); Salah (Jota), Mané, Diaz (Firmino):
     
     
  • The discussion over the greatest Liverpool manager is always a fascinating one with a range of opinions depending on the era that you grew up in. 
     
    The work by the managers that made this club one of the greatest in club Football such as Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and Kenny Dalglish are etched in history forever more.
     
    Modern day Liverpool fans will unquestionably say that they have never had it so good than at this point of time and the one man who has been the architect of everything that is great with the club is Jurgen Klopp.
     
    On the weekend, the FA Cup became the latest honour that the German has won with the club making it six in all and moving him alongside the late Gerard Houllier on the Liverpool managerial honour board.
     

     
    In doing so, he became just the second manager after Alex Ferguson to win the full set of honours in England (League/Champions League/FA and League Cup) as well as being the first German manager to win the FA Cup.
     
    In terms of pure numbers, Paisley sits head and shoulders in top position with 20, Shankly (11) and Dalglish (9).
     
    All three of those iconic figures won multiple league titles and in doing so got the opportunity to play in the Charity/Community Shield where they combined to win it on 13 occasions.
     
    It is debatable to say where the competition rates in the modern era, especially with the Football calendar compressed like never before and some clubs largely seeing the fixture as a glorified friendly.
     
    But still it counts as silverware and for only the second time in his tenure, Klopp will get to add to his Liverpool honours when he takes on Man City in early August.
     
    The only other time was when Arsenal defeated the Reds at a fan-free Wembley 5-4 on penalties (1-1 in normal time) in 2020.
     
    Klopp is someone who has immersed himself in club history and culture and when asked where his side should be placed, as usual was ever the diplomat as the Mirror reported.
     

     
    “If you think 20 years ahead and look back, it's really special. Jordan Henderson will probably be a pundit or something. But he will be the first - hopefully not the last - to win all four trophies, or however many it is.
     
    "We don't finish, I can't say where this team ranks and I know a few players of these teams but I cannot say how they played but I'm pretty sure they were the best at the time.
     
    "But meanwhile, we know so much more about training, so much more about sports science and all these kind of things and that's why these boys are so much fitter than the previous teams. It's nothing to do with football talent or whatever.
     
    “If the players like Rushie or Kenny had been able to train like today, that would have been crazy. We don't stop here, we just take the time to enjoy it (even) for a few minutes.”
     
    Jurgen has the opportunity to add one and possibly two more honours to his name before this season is out, but the fact that this topic is openly discussed is just a measure of the man and this squad in general.
     
    And they are not finished yet.
     
     
     
     
  • As usual we did it the hard way but just like in the Carabao Cup Final the Reds found a way to get the job done and bring home the silverware.
     
    The double is secured, the treble is still on and the quadruple is... well, let's not be too greedy eh?
     
    Chris Smith is joined by Julian Richards, Ian Brown and TLW Editor Dave Usher. Paul Natton also checks in with some thoughts from Wembley.
     
    Up the Chelsea beating, cup winning Reds!
     
     
  • Timo Werner says that Jurgen Klopp is someone that relates to everyone and that is what makes him different from a lot of other individuals in Football.
     
    Werner crossed paths with Klopp when he was just making his way in German Football and over the seasons he became one of the most potent strikers in the Bundesliga which paved the way for him to move to the Premier League.
     
    Speaking ahead of the showcase FA Cup final at Wembley this afternoon, it is clear that the 25 year-old has a large deal of respect for his countryman.
     
    Metro (via Evening Standard) reported Werner as saying:
     
    “He is one of the best coaches we had in Germany,’ ‘Not to attack our manager, but over the past years he won the most titles. He has a very nice personality – a personality that the German people love, because he seems like fun.
     

     
    “The Germans love the types like Thomas Muller, Jurgen Klopp – they have empathy. They say what they think, and that is really important in this business, to not fake something.
     
    “He’s real. He is a funny guy and also, with his power on the sideline, he tries to bring the people with him. That’s what we Germans like.’
     
    In the aftermath of a drought breaking title win, there was great speculation at the that Klopp would bring Werner to Liverpool that would have added more quality to already potent frontline.
     
    However, the striker who came very close to playing under Klopp at Dortmund chose to go to West London instead and said that he has no regrets.
     

     
    “When I was in Leipzig, I had the possibility to come to the Premier League. Liverpool were also in my thoughts and were a big possibility for me, but at the end I decided for Chelsea and I won the Champions League title last year. It was not the worst decision."
     
    To this point of time Werner has scored 23 in 89 games for Chelsea, including just 10 in 56 Premier League appearances.
     
    So while Werner says he does not regret his decision it could be said that Liverpool do not regret with going through with the transfer, especially when you compare the impact of Diogo Jota who arrived at the Reds in that same window.
     
     
     
     
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