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Tottenham 0 Liverpool 2 - Champions League Final (Jun 1 2019)


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Report by
Dave Usher

 

I’m going to start the report on this final by rewinding back 12 months to last year’s one. Specifically, the aftermath of it and Jurgen Klopp’s reaction.

 

While the rest of us were still in a daze, trying to process the mad shit that happened and attempting to deal with the disappointment of it all, Klopp was on the ale with his mates, grinning and singing about how “we swear we’ll keep on being cool, and bring it back to Liverpool”. And he actually did it. He fucking did it.

 

Not only that, he did it while also registering the highest points tally in club history. We’ve just witnessed the most impressive season in the entire history of the club. It might not have produced as many trophies as some of the memorable campaigns of the past did, but 97 points in the league and a European Cup in the trophy cabinet is a monumental accomplishment. It can’t be over-stated what Klopp and his team have done this year, especially in light of how last season ended.

 

My memory is terrible these days but I remember how I felt a year ago as though it was yesterday. Initially it was anger and disappointment. The anger never really went away (fuck you, Ramos, you’re still a shithouse) but the disappointment was replaced by defiance and confidence within a day or two.

 

On the Monday after the final I wrote something for ‘This is Anfield’ about how I wished the new season was starting there and then because I was sure we were going to make everyone pay for what happened in Kiev.

 

I’ve just had a look back to see exactly what I wrote and here are a few snippets from it:

 

“The loss to Madrid isn’t the end of the journey, it’s just a speed bump on the road to glory. We have a young and incredibly exciting team with the best manager we could possibly ever hope for. This defeat won’t break them and it won’t break us. It will be the fuel that fires us through next season.

 

"I’m over it, and far more quickly than I ever imagined. I just wish the season was starting again this weekend because I’m raring to go again already. We were the best team in the Champions League this year and we’ll be even better next year. We aren’t going away this time; we’re going to come back stronger, better and hungrier than before. You only had to look at that video of Klopp singing with his mates at 6am after the final to know that. He’s not worried, he’s excited and confident. We should be too.

 

"We’ll be really good next season no matter what, but depending on what we do in the transfer market we might actually be sensational. I expect mayhem from us next season. The disappointment of Kyiv should fuel the players and the new signings will hopefully bring a bit of nasty with them. Add a bit of devil to what we have and…well, look out.

 

"The final is in Madrid next season, at Wanda Metropolitano, the home of Atletico. It’s a pity it isn’t at the Bernabeu because what better way of exacting revenge on Ramos & Co. than by taking their title off them in their own stadium? Beating them in their own city will have to do.”

 

It's funny looking back at that, and uncanny how it played out almost exactly the way I predicted. We didn’t get to beat Real in their own city but that’s because they just turned to shit when they sold Ronaldo. We had to make do with smashing Barca instead, but Zidane, Ramos & co should be glad that Ajax humiliated them as it saved them from getting it even worse from our lads.

 

The point I’m labouring to make here is that Klopp is remarkable. He's the reason I was so full of bravado after we lost to Madrid. He just inspires belief. If he had me thinking like that, imagine the impact he will have had on the players he mixes with every day. Actually we don't need to imagine, because we seen it.

 

There just aren’t words to do justice to what this man has done, and how he’s done it. There’s nobody like him. Nobody. He's completely unique. That night a year ago just sums up why he’s so great. He’d just lost his sixth final, he knew he’d never hear the end of it because prior to that all he’d been hearing was how he’d lost his last five. But none of it fazes him at all. He doesn’t get disappointed, he just picks himself and starts throwing punches again.

 

No wonder he loves the Rocky films so much. He lives his life by the code of the Italian Stallion. 

 

You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!” 

 

You just can’t keep Klopp down. He just takes the punishment, smiles and comes back for more, determined to go one better.

 

So I go back to that night when Klopp and his mates are singing, with beers in their hands, and then I fast forward to yesterday. Klopp once again singing, with a beer in his hand, only this time he’s hanging off the back of a big red bus doing a parade around the city in front of 750,000 fans. And he’s got ol’ Big Ears on the bus with him.

 

 

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

 

Please note that Match Reports are only available to website subscribers. Subscriptions cost just £2 a month (you need to register first) and can be purchased here. 

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Great review that, Dave.  It was such a surreal game in a sense that despite our lacklustre performance I just felt it would all work out just fine. I was in a daze for days after the madness of Istanbul. This though,  feels like a righteous justification of our standing in European footy.

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There could be a lessening of the 'bantz' from other fans next season but I wouldn't count on it. Some fans have fuck all to cheer about at their clubs except for maybe an FA Cup run, mid-table modiocrity or staving off relegation, and with the prevelance of social media it has become the norm to jump on the bandwagon and take the piss out of Liverpool. I get people of Facebook linking stuff from 'bantz' sites like YNFA (You're Not Famous Anymore), my cousin (a Leicester fan) being the chief culprit. I pointed out to him that we have been in THREE European finals since his side miraculously won the league, and had a title run than in all bar 2 seasons would see us comfortably winning the league. As miserable as you might feel after just falling short, it's a lot better than not being a contender for anything at all.

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Great reports throughout the year, Dave. Always enjoyable to read. Well worth the £2 subscription fee alone for anyone who doesn't subscribe. Should be an enjoyable summer. Think I'm actually looking forward to a break from football for a few weeks after tension filled match after match in the last few months. 

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Nice one Dave. Fully agree with the sentiment towards spurs fans. A few of my mates are and I've refrained from sending on the messages received on WhatsApp as we know what it's like. 

 

If they can sort their recruitment out, I feel they're in a similar boat to its a few years ago, some dross players but a good necleus of a team that needs a little bit of work but the experience of losing may provide them with a similar determination as us. 

 

Alisson was MOTM for me. Nice and calm as usual, saved everything that came his way, controlled his area well and is a sexy bastard. Loved the picture of him face timing his family who couldn't be there as well. 

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I think we're getting a bit too close to a Spurs love in here.  Obviously for those who traveled it's different, as they have the camaraderie of mixing with the away fans on such a great occasion.  But me personally, I'm still inclined to say fuck them.  I don't feel sorry for them.  I guess we'll never know, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have been so gracious had they got the result they wanted. 

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What’s the fuss with English people and queuing ?

 

Good to hear the fanzine is back, maybe a chance tu get the few issues I am still looking for ....

 

Your report is a bit like the Final : a long wait, not so great, but a sense of fulfillment. Je plaisante obviously.

 

klopp has changed this club, He has changed our life.  We kind of know now how it used to be for Reds in the 60’.

 

what a great time to be a red !

 

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Spot on about everything as usual.  The specific nonsense people are saying Spurs were the better team is something I’ve been highlighting myself.  The early goal set the tone of the game.  The game management from the side was perfect.  In years gone by we would have continued playing out from the back and probably conceded from a situation of our making.

 

Plenty of people were whinging about us not keeping the ball but I was happy we were doing the right thing.  Any sort of risk then you go long and clear your lines.  It’s down to them to break us down and with Kane in the state he was in, Alli continuing being completely shite and with no Moura on the pitch the only threat they had was Son and one player can’t do it all.  They didn’t get a sniff and the back 4 and keeper showed a brilliant maturity.

 

We let them have the ball.  Harry fackin Winks can play as many passes as he wants side to side it makes no difference.

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