Liverpool 1 Chelsea 2 (Sep 26 2018)

[tlw content]

 

Report by

Dave Usher

 

It’s not nice losing any game but it’s especially galling losing to Chelsea. It stings a little right now, but my head tells me this was probably the perfect outcome. Good performance, some positive contributions from fringe players, but ultimately we’ll have some free weeks to help prepare for league games.

 

I know beggars can’t be choosers and that we need to start winning trophies again, but the team has developed to such an extent now that winning the title and / or the Champions League is a realistic hope. We might not do it, but we’ve got as good as a chance as anybody.

 

So while I wouldn’t have turned my nose up at winning the League Cup, I’m much more upset about losing to Chelsea than I am about being knocked out of the cup. I’m not arsed we’re out, I just don’t like losing and I like it even less when it’s Chelsea. 

 

I’m sick of them coming to Anfield and turning us over. I don’t remember the last time we beat them here, but I’d be willing to bet I still had dark hair. Sick of it, and Hazard can fuck off too, the little prick. Fed up of him reserving his best performances for when he comes to Anfield. Still, Eden Hazard didn’t win this game for Chelsea, Kevin Friend did.

 

Call it sour grapes if you like, but I lay the blame for this loss squarely at his door. I hate the bastard. Always have. Some think he’s got it in for us, but that’s not how I see it. It’s not an anti-Liverpool thing; it’s a pro-Chelsea thing.

 

I’ve been commenting on his Chelsea bias for years and it was on full show in this game. Foul by Liverpool player = yellow card. Foul by Chelsea player = play on, or if it’s really obvious, a free kick. And only Kevin Friend could incorrectly award a goal even after seeing it on VAR. I’ll get to that in due course.

 

Within the first ten minutes or so I was already pissed off with him. I hate his stupid fucking face, the Chelsea loving twat. He should have just done away with the entire pretence of impartiality and just put on a blue shirt and waved a plastic flag while singing some fucking shit song by Madness (there’s plenty to choose from, those bums were the worst thing about 80s music).

 

We didn’t start the game too well and Chelsea looked very slick in the opening stages. Moreno was being given the runaround by Victor Moses, which puts him in an exclusive club of… erm…one. I mean seriously? Moses hasn’t been an effective winger since he first left Palace. Yet Moreno made him look like Luis Figo.

 

 

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[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

All I worry about in the next game is the official.

[aws]

Excellent read.  Agree with Chris 100%.  

[RobbieOR]

Don't want to piss on your Friend hating rant (cos he's shite and a dickhead) but he wasn't watching the replay of the goal. He had someone in his ear.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

Marriner at the weekend.

[El Rojo]

Good report Dave.

 

No surprise that we conceded two though with your Mate playing at centre half.

[johnsusername]

I like Madness.

[Section_31]

I agree with Dave U to such an extent, this is actually me right now. 

 

 

[StevieMax]

1 hour ago, El Rojo said:

Good report Dave.

 

No surprise that we conceded two though with your Mate playing at centre half.

Good spot - Dave will predictably blame it on predictive text (or just re-write it)

[JustTosh]

Nice read. Fully agree on the VAR/offside situation. If there ever was a reward for bad refereeing Kevin Friend would be unbeatable.

 

Strange competition this league cup. Best thing is to win it. Next best thing is to be out of it ASAP.

 

Must add I've waited close to 30 years for a new league title. To me that's the only holy grail - the one thing that matters, nothing else.

[StevieMax]

From the BBC post  Spurs round up:

 

Were referee Michael Oliver and his officials right? Here is the guidance from the Premier League Match Centre:

Sadio Mane is in an offside position as James Milner crosses the ball into the penalty area. The ball deflects off Firmino and Toby Alderweireld into the net. Mane, still in an offside position, clearly attempts to play the ball and impacts the goalkeeper’s decision making and ability to make a save.

 

Just saying........

[sh#t waffle]

While I agree that Clyne was nowhere near as bad as Moreno, having been used to Trent, the way in which when in possession Clyne signposted what he was going to do three seconds before he did it was absolutely infuriating.

[jonnyp]

Fergie would have come straight out and said something along the lines of “That refereeing performance was either corrupt or incompetent, I do not want that ref refereeing any more of our games”. 

 

The FA would ask him to appear and explain his comments, and he would probably say at his next press conference “If they need me to explain what I mean then I think that the incompetence isn’t reserved for that refereeing performance”.

 

There would be a whole media furore, he would receive a fine from the FA which he wouldn’t give a toss about as MU would probably pay it and that ref would never ref MU games again or not for a while anyway, and then be treading on eggshells if he ever did get the chance again.

 

We as a club take the high road every time, which is admirable in life, but when an flagrant pattern of behaviour or bias continues against us, should we should not rock the boat occasionally?

[Creator Supreme]

You're not bothered about being out of a cup that was our personal property for a long period?

 

I fucking am regardless of the opposition!

 

You all seem to have got yourselves wrapped in a 'Klopp is the best thing since Shanks' bubble and you've got yourselves thinking the League Cup is beneath us now, and that we've got a chance of winning the League or European Cup!

 

Well it's bollocks! The tellyklopper needed silverware and that's his best chance gone!

 

We're not even on the same planet as City, nor Chelsea for that matter (and they won't be within 10 points of catching City at the end of the season!).

 

It's no wonder the blooslime call us deluded! No league title in almost 30 years, 7 major trophies since the turn of the millenium, and to listen to you lot you'd think we were Barcelona!

 

Ridiculous!

 

Neg away, I couldn't give a fuck!

[tokyojoe]

8 minutes ago, Creator Supreme said:

You're not bothered about being out of a cup that was our personal property for a long period?

 

I fucking am regardless of the opposition!

 

You all seem to have got yourselves wrapped in a 'Klopp is the best thing since Shanks' bubble and you've got yourselves thinking the League Cup is beneath us now, and that we've got a chance of winning the League or European Cup!

 

Well it's bollocks! The tellyklopper needed silverware and that's his best chance gone!

 

We're not even on the same planet as City, nor Chelsea for that matter (and they won't be within 10 points of catching City at the end of tge season!).

 

It's no wonder the blooslime call us deluded! No league title in almost 30 years, 7 major trophies since the turn of the millenium, and to listen to you lot you'd think we were Barcelona!

 

Ridiculous!

 

Neg away, I couldn't give a fuck!

 

[Pidge]

"blooslime"?

[tokyojoe]

9 minutes ago, Creator Supreme said:

You're not bothered about being out of a cup that was our personal property for a long period?

 

I fucking am regardless of the opposition!

 

You all seem to have got yourselves wrapped in a 'Klopp is the best thing since Shanks' bubble and you've got yourselves thinking the League Cup is beneath us now, and that we've got a chance of winning the League or European Cup!

 

Well it's bollocks! The tellyklopper needed silverware and that's his best chance gone!

 

We're not even on the same planet as City, nor Chelsea for that matter (and they won't be within 10 points of catching City at the end of tge season!).

 

It's no wonder the blooslime call us deluded! No league title in almost 30 years, 7 major trophies since the turn of the millenium, and to listen to you lot you'd think we were Barcelona!

 

Ridiculous!

 

Neg away, I couldn't give a fuck!

Get a fucking grip. If we all thought like that we'd give up breathing and die.  Anyway Dave is right that in the grand scale of things the League Cup would / could have harmed us. I am more pissed off that we lost to those Russian money laundering cunts and a ref who should be put up against a wall, given his last fag and last request and then fucking shot.

[TheBitch]

51 minutes ago, Creator Supreme said:

You're not bothered about being out of a cup that was our personal property for a long period?

 

I fucking am regardless of the opposition!

 

You all seem to have got yourselves wrapped in a 'Klopp is the best thing since Shanks' bubble and you've got yourselves thinking the League Cup is beneath us now, and that we've got a chance of winning the League or European Cup!

 

Well it's bollocks! The tellyklopper needed silverware and that's his best chance gone!

 

We're not even on the same planet as City, nor Chelsea for that matter (and they won't be within 10 points of catching City at the end of the season!).

 

It's no wonder the blooslime call us deluded! No league title in almost 30 years, 7 major trophies since the turn of the millenium, and to listen to you lot you'd think we were Barcelona!

 

Ridiculous!

 

Neg away, I couldn't give a fuck!

Negged. 

[Strontium]

Friend is a Leicester fan, maybe he has a subconscious bias towards teams who play in blue.

[Scooby Dudek]

From the echo;

 

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-manager-jurgen-klopp-bemoaned-15208010

 

That set-piece then saw ball crossed into the box by Eden Hazard which Ross Barkley got his head on and angled towards goal.

 

His header is saved well by Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet but his parry falls into the path of Emerson Palmieri who slotted home the rebound.

The goal is awarded by Kevin Friend but the refereeing team are unsure if the goal is legal and so refer it to the VAR system, in place for Carabao Cup games this season, to determine if the equaliser should stand.

 

Barkley - as shown on the VAR screenshots - appears to be in an offside position when the ball is put into the area and therefore directly involved meaning the goal should not count.

However, it is tight.

So, if you're to give a real discretion to the referees for not spotting the former Everton midfielder's foot, and therefore a body part, being in the offside position then fine but what is clear is Alvaro Morata and Cesar Azpilicueta.

Both of those players are unquestionably offside and look as if they block off the run and movement of both Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip who would be up to defend the cross.

 

That is therefore a direct involvement and prevention of an opponent playing from an offside position and therefore an offence.

The long and short of it is that Klopp is absolutely right.

"If you're going to use VAR, make a decision".

 

THE FACTS

 

A player in an offside position at the moment the ball is played or touched by a team-mate is only penalised on becoming involved in active play by:

• Interfering with play by playing or touching a ball passed or touched by a team-mate or
• Interfering with an opponent by:
• Preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or
• Challenging an opponent for the ball or
• Clearly attempting to play a ball which is close when this action impacts on an opponent or
• Making an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball

[mattyq]

Neg away, I couldn't give a fuck!

 

No problem, I shall

 

[buster69]

In fairness to Hazard that was a hell of a goal he scored. Sure he only had to beat Moreno and a few others, but Maradona only went past Terry Fenwick!

[Bad Red Bull]

We battered them yet we lost. It's not like we didn't try but there are bigger priorities this season. When have we ever gone into a season virtually assured of top 4 next season? I think we have to go back to pre abu Dhabi man city times for that...Every Liverpool supporter is excited for us to have a go at the holy grail and yet we are all cautious about it because we know city are gonna be hard to eclipse. So why wouldn't you 100% prioritize that instead of a league cup. The league is our bread and butter and thats how it should be.

 

Who the fuck are Barcelona? They are  in a 2 team league where everything is skewed to help them or real Madrid. Kinda like french league now with psg and bundesliga with Bayern. 

[liverpoolsno9]

5 hours ago, Creator Supreme said:

You're not bothered about being out of a cup that was our personal property for a long period?

 

I fucking am regardless of the opposition!

 

You all seem to have got yourselves wrapped in a 'Klopp is the best thing since Shanks' bubble and you've got yourselves thinking the League Cup is beneath us now, and that we've got a chance of winning the League or European Cup!

 

Well it's bollocks! The tellyklopper needed silverware and that's his best chance gone!

 

We're not even on the same planet as City, nor Chelsea for that matter (and they won't be within 10 points of catching City at the end of the season!).

 

It's no wonder the blooslime call us deluded! No league title in almost 30 years, 7 major trophies since the turn of the millenium, and to listen to you lot you'd think we were Barcelona!

 

Ridiculous!

 

Neg away, I couldn't give a fuck!

 

[Captain Howdy]

I wish offside was just offside again, the whole thing now is a complete mess