Liverpool 1 Sevilla 3 (May 18 2016)

[tlw content]

So after all we’ve been through in the Europa League this season, this is how it ends? After comfortably disposing of the Mancs, producing an incredible comeback against Dortmund and then demolishing Villarreal, we have absolutely nothing to show for it when it’s all said and done. Why? Because as soon as they came up against some adversity away from the protection of Anfield, their arses completely went. 
 
Sevilla are the weakest team we’ve faced since Augsburg in the “Round of 32”. They hadn’t won a league game outside of their own stadium all season and do not travel well, yet we made them look like superstars in that second half. Ultimately, without “the Power of Anfield” helping them through, we saw this team for what they really are, and it wasn’t pretty. Let’s face it, Anfield got us this far and although our fans took over the stadium in Basel, it just wasn’t the same. 
 
If you’re looking for something upbeat and defiant to make you feel better and provide hope for next season, you may as well stop reading now as I’m just not in that kind of place. I’m in more of a “moody teenager who’s just been bin bagged by his bird in front of all of his mates and who now hates the entire fucking world” kind of place. I’m not taking this well at all. It’s not because we lost, it’s because of how we lost. The completely inept, cowardly way we lost. That’s what’s floored me.
 
I really wish I could sit here and give it the whole “we go again” “we are Liverpool” “this will make us stronger” blah blah blah but I’m just not feeling it now, the wound is still seeping and it won’t be healing any time soon. I see Klopp saying those kind of optimistic things - he has to as he doesn’t have the luxury of sulking - but rather than feel inspired I’m just shrugging and saying “yeah whatever, I heard the same crap after we lost at Wembley to City”. The pain of that defeat was supposed to be the ideal preparation for this final. How’d that work out for us then? 
 
This was another corker from Kloppo: “We will use this experience. Someday everybody will say Basel was decisive for the wonderful future of LFC”. Call me defeatist if you like, but I can’t see myself sat around with mates in 20 years reminiscing about the night we embarrassed ourselves in Basel and then went on to win everything in sight because of how we “used that experience”. Success breeds success and losing becomes a habit. Look at Sevilla, a bang average team that just dicked us everywhere because they know how to win as they’ve done it before.
 
It’s not that I don’t have trust in Klopp or that I don’t believe we’ll be better next season, because I absolutely do. I’m just not ready to be going down that “we’ll come back stronger” road so quickly. All I’m feeling at the moment is angry, pissed off, frustrated, disillusioned… Come pre-season I’ll no doubt feel differently, but this performance was just so spineless and embarrassing it’s going to be hard to forget, and even harder to forgive in some cases. All that was missing were cream suits.
 
There’s a culture of bottling it that’s becoming prevalent with this group of players now. Since we missed out on the title two years ago look what’s happened. Shit the bed at Wembley in an FA Cup semi against Aston fucking Villa, didn’t show up against City until 83 minutes of the League Cup final when we scored with basically our first shot, and now this fucking absolute horror show. It’s becoming a trend, not being able to handle the big occasions. This club used to find ways to win finals regardless of the circumstances they were in. It was rarely pretty, never comfortable, but in the end it was usually our skipper holding the trophy at the end of it. Not any more, we just can’t get over the line these days and it’s only partially to do with quality. 
 
Don’t tell me Sevilla have better players than us because they don’t. I’d never even heard of half their team, and one of the few I actually knew was only familiar to me because he played for Stoke and fucking Blackburn. If this game had been played at Anfield we’d have murdered them, like we did Villarreal who finished three places above them in La Liga. The difference is Sevilla know how to win finals and our players don’t. They kept their nerve while we completely lost ours. Maybe this group will eventually get over the hump and become winners, but I wouldn’t bet on it. I mean why on earth would I? Any time I’ve put any trust in these players they’ve shown themselves to be totally unworthy of it. Nothing has changed.
 

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[jimmycase]

Here we go!

[Tony Moanero]

So after all we’ve been through in the Europa League this season, this is how it ends? After comfortably disposing of the Mancs, producing an incredible comeback against Dortmund and then demolishing Villarreal, we have absolutely nothing to show for it when it’s all said and done. Why? Because as soon as they came up against some adversity away from the protection of Anfield, their arses completely went.

 

Sevilla are the weakest team we’ve faced since Augsburg in the “Round of 32”. They hadn’t won a league game outside of their own stadium all season and do not travel well, yet we made them look like superstars in that second half. Ultimately, without “the Power of Anfield” helping them through, we saw this team for what they really are, and it wasn’t pretty. Let’s face it, Anfield got us this far and although our fans took over the stadium in Basel, it just wasn’t the same.

 

If you’re looking for something upbeat and defiant to make you feel better and provide hope for next season, you may as well stop reading now as I’m just not in that kind of place. I’m in more of a “moody teenager who’s just been bin bagged by his bird in front of all of his mates and who now hates the entire fucking world” kind of place. I’m not taking this well at all. It’s not because we lost, it’s because of how we lost. The completely inept, cowardly way we lost. That’s what’s floored me.

 

I really wish I could sit here and give it the whole “we go again” “we are Liverpool” “this will make us stronger” blah blah blah but I’m just not feeling it now, the wound is still seeping and it won’t be healing any time soon. I see Klopp saying those kind of optimistic things - he has to as he doesn’t have the luxury of sulking - but rather than feel inspired I’m just shrugging and saying “yeah whatever, I heard the same crap after we lost at Wembley to City”. The pain of that defeat was supposed to be the ideal preparation for this final. How’d that work out for us then?

 

This was another corker from Kloppo: “We will use this experience. Someday everybody will say Basel was decisive for the wonderful future of LFC”. Call me defeatist if you like, but I can’t see myself sat around with mates in 20 years reminiscing about the night we embarrassed ourselves in Basel and then went on to win everything in sight because of how we “used that experience”. Success breeds success and losing becomes a habit. Look at Sevilla, a bang average team that just dicked us everywhere because they know how to win as they’ve done it before.

 

It’s not that I don’t have trust in Klopp or that I don’t believe we’ll be better next season, because I absolutely do. I’m just not ready to be going down that “we’ll come back stronger” road so quickly. All I’m feeling at the moment is angry, pissed off, frustrated, disillusioned… Come pre-season I’ll no doubt feel differently, but this performance was just so spineless and embarrassing it’s going to be hard to forget, and even harder to forgive in some cases. All that was missing were cream suits.

 

There’s a culture of bottling it that’s becoming prevalent with this group of players now. Since we missed out on the title two years ago look what’s happened. Shit the bed at Wembley in an FA Cup semi against Aston fucking Villa, didn’t show up against City until 83 minutes of the League Cup final when we scored with basically our first shot, and now this fucking absolute horror show. It’s becoming a trend, not being able to handle the big occasions. This club used to find ways to win finals regardless of the circumstances they were in. It was rarely pretty, never comfortable, but in the end it was usually our skipper holding the trophy at the end of it. Not any more, we just can’t get over the line these days and it’s only partially to do with quality.

 

Don’t tell me Sevilla have better players than us because they don’t. I’d never even heard of half their team, and one of the few I actually knew was only familiar to me because he played for Stoke and fucking Blackburn. If this game had been played at Anfield we’d have murdered them, like we did Villarreal who finished three places above them in La Liga. The difference is Sevilla know how to win finals and our players don’t. They kept their nerve while we completely lost ours. Maybe this group will eventually get over the hump and become winners, but I wouldn’t bet on it. I mean why on earth would I? Any time I’ve put any trust in these players they’ve shown themselves to be totally unworthy of it. Nothing has changed.

 

 

This is just a teaser, click here to view the full report

Load of shite.

[Kevin D]

I reckon Usher was pissed when he wrote that.

[stringvest]

Excellent report Dave.  I agree with every line, so it must be.

[Nightcat]

Indeed and you know why we don't have many winners in the team? Because we sold most of them, the ones with medals, experience and winning personality. Because we sold them all for profit and replaced them with Morenos and Albertos.

 

Look who were our best players in the Final, Toure, Milner, Sturridge and Lallana. The most experienced and those who have won trophies (apart from Lallana). It's not a coincidence.

[jimmycase]

Spot on piece that Dave. Think you summed up everyone's thoughts about the game and the team.

 

Those handball incidents were spot on. I thought Firmino was fouled during the game for te first handballbut it wasnt picked up by anyone so thought I was maybe overacting. But that clip clearly shows the defender wasnt letting firmino pass by hook or by crook. That 3rd one is an absolute stone waller.

[Trumo]

Should one performance really alter a perception of a team so much?

 

Rafa took the view that the real Liverpool team in 04/05 was the one that was desperately poor in the league and lacking in quality and depth to such an extent that the kids and reserves were getting extended runs in the team, and not the one that triumphed so heroically in Istanbul. The result in Istanbul wasn't going to prevent him from completely revamping the squad. Klopp is probably looking at things in exactly the same way even though we don't have European football next season.

[Pureblood]

Should one performance really alter a perception of a team so much?

 

No, but several of them will.  We're becoming Henmania chokers and it needs sorting.   

[William_Ulsterman]

I could have put it better even if id necked some NZT. im still in shock. only id forgotten, briefly, until i read this. 

[Kevin D]

It's the same team that gave away a 3 goal lead to Crystal Palace when they were chasing the title. Moments like that don't go away easily.

[aladdinsane]

It's the same team that gave away a 3 goal lead to Crystal Palace when they were chasing the title. Moments like that don't go away easily.

and froze against Chelsea. Even last season we went on a good run in the middle to catch United for top 4 then bottled it as soon as any pressure was on. Then bottled the villa semi. Until that mentality changes we're fucked. Liverpool is a club with big expectations and ambitions and for the last 25 years we've bought more players that can't handle it than can.

[Arl arse]

No surprise the bottlers bottled it, Klopp can only do so much with the shity hand he's been dealt. I've had enough of being negative now, 24 hrs sulking over a bunch of players with testicles the size of pea's and hearts to match is enough.

 

I'm looking to the future, I'm excited to see what Jurgen can do with his own players bought to fit his style, not someone else's cast off's being shoehorned into a system that's out of their depth and beyond their brain capacity.

 

I want men on the park, men with courage and a burning will to win at all costs. I don't even care whether they're the most skilful players in the world or not, I just want them to work their plums off every time they cross the white line and leave everything on the pitch, I want honest men.

 

What we got last night was a bunch of man-child shithousery*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Kolo is exempt from all of the above.

[KopOut]

We mustn't forget, when we came back against AC Milan in 05 to win No.5. we had a cadre of players who had experienced success and big finals under Houllier. That was the difference.

 ​That cadre has never been replaced, because the team has not progressed to big match days regularly enough. That was our first Euro final for NINE YEARS. Take away the league cup under Kenny and we haven't won a trophy since the FA Cup 06.

​The reality is, we have a young inexperienced squad who didn't think they had to make an effort to get that cup.​They simply thought they'd be carried along on the Kop chariot all the way to victory.​You know what? As much as I'm not convinced of the quality of the squad, I'm also of the opinion, we don't build family by casting out family members.

 

​Klopp will be aware of that fact as well. Don't expect wholesale change.

​Leicester have done it, and so can we. It's The Liverpool Way.

[Kevin D]

and froze against Chelsea. Even last season we went on a good run in the middle to catch United for top 4 then bottled it as soon as any pressure was on. Then bottled the villa semi. Until that mentality changes we're fucked. Liverpool is a club with big expectations and ambitions and for the last 25 years we've bought more players that can't handle it than can.

When we played and beat our most hated rivals off the park and stuck it the best team in the competition, in extremely trying circumstances, I thought we had turned a corner.

 

However, there was this feeling that swept over me as Sevilla were putting it to us.

 

I felt like I had been hoodwinked.

 

The way the volume in the stadium dissipated, I don't think I was the only one.

 

It seemed like a collective air of " Fuck, I should have known. I should have fucking known."

[Stickman]

The worrying thing for me is why didn't he change anything .?

You could see what was unfolding in that second half minute by minute and yet nothing was done to try and at least slow it down or break up the play , just something to maybe get a foothold back in the match .

Im not saying Allen or Lucas on would have won us the game but at least it would have made us hard to go through , I I think Allen in particular has been criminally underused by Jurgen at times. You watch when England play Wales next month he'll be the best player on the pitch.

[Kevin D]

I agree.

 

Klopp had 3 central midfielder on the bench and waited until Sevilla did what they were fixing to do, run through our midfield and score the 3rd. I think it was bad management, not to send for any of Allen, Lucas, or Henderson on, much, much earlier.

[Section_31]

I don't think it's a case of bottling it, I just think many of them are of such limited ability they can only overcome good sides when their tails are up and the other side is floundering. We're good at kicking the school bully in the bollocks when someone else has got him in a headlock, but when he comes after us we're straight to the staffroom with brown pants and a packet of Murray mints for the teachers.

[ZonkoVille77]

We're Fuckin shite

[Paul]

I don't think it's a case of bottling it, I just think many of them are of such limited ability they can only overcome good sides when their tails are up and the other side is floundering. We're good at kicking the school bully in the bollocks when someone else has got him in a headlock, but when he comes after us we're straight to the staffroom with brown pants and a packet of Murray mints for the teachers.

Nah, it's deffo bottle. You don't twat good sides if you've got limited ability. I'm not saying they're an amazing squad in terms of talent but they're not shite. This capitulation and Leicester's title win tell you everything you need to know about the importance of mental strength in football.

[RobbieOR]

It's the same team that gave away a 3 goal lead to Crystal Palace when they were chasing the title. Moments like that don't go away easily.

 

It's nowhere near the same team. Only Sturridge, Coutinho and Mignolet played that day.

[Kevin D]

It's nowhere near the same team. Only Sturridge, Coutinho and Mignolet played that day.

Doesn't change a thing, for me.

 

If anything, it just makes me hate them even more.

[RobbieOR]

I don't think it's a case of bottling it, I just think many of them are of such limited ability they can only overcome good sides when their tails are up and the other side is floundering. We're good at kicking the school bully in the bollocks when someone else has got him in a headlock, but when he comes after us we're straight to the staffroom with brown pants and a packet of Murray mints for the teachers.

 

They were on the ropes so I don't think that's true. In the last 12 months in finals or semi finals this team has lost two finals and two semi-finals. They can't get over the line.

[KMD7]

When we played and beat our most hated rivals off the park and stuck it the best team in the competition, in extremely trying circumstances, I thought we had turned a corner.

 

However, there was this feeling that swept over me as Sevilla were putting it to us.

 

I felt like I had been hoodwinked.

 

The way the volume in the stadium dissipated, I don't think I was the only one.

 

It seemed like a collective air of " Fuck, I should have known. I should have fucking known."

Nailed.

[Section_31]

Nah, it's deffo bottle. You don't twat good sides if you've got limited ability. I'm not saying they're an amazing squad in terms of talent but they're not shite. This capitulation and Leicester's title win tell you everything you need to know about the importance of mental strength in football.

 

I think there's a 'smattering' of ability, notably among the three attackers, but that's about it. The Milners and Hendersons of this world are hopelessly out of their depth against high class opposition. 

 

If you're naturally gifted at something you don't need to play at your maxium to make an impact, someone like Mascherano is boss because he's naturally genetically boss, he just stroles through a match instinctively breaking up play and doing his job. 

 

our present squad have to play to their maximum, full concentration and full lung busting play to get those wins against decent sides. It's impossible to keep that up all match or for every match, so for every flag-waving fist pumping success there will be a sucker punch and a damp squib at the other end of the scale. 

 

I say it all the time but it's Roy Evans-era esque. Mediocre players can keep it up in short bursts or in big matches, but they can't keep it up long term - they just don't have it in their locker.