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Arsenal (A) - CC Semi Final 2nd (not 1st!) leg, Thu 20th Jan 2022 (7:45pm)

Trumo

By Trumo,
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Trumo Grand Master

Trumo

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I'm trying my best with these but maybe something in the mid-section needs tweaking, just like the team!

 

It’s been a while since we’ve made the latter stages of a domestic cup competition. Indeed the last time we got this far was in Klopp’s first season back in 2015/16. That year we made the final. Since then, the competition has been used to give squad players a run-out while taking a look at the Academy. Hell, one game had absolutely nobody involved with the first team at all! It’s questionable whether staging it as a 2-legged affair is a sensible decision given how many games have been called off recently as the Omicron variant runs amok. The manager’s mentality is to manage whatever the situation brings. He won’t get carried away when things are going smoothly, and he won’t shit his pants when things appear to be bleak. He certainly won’t wave the white flag.

 

Availability. Ruthlessness. Strength. Effort. Bravery. Incision. Stamina. Control. Urgency. Intelligence. Tenacity. Scoring.

 

I don’t ask for much.

 

We’ve been alright against the Gunners at Anfield in this competition generally but our record away from home against them has been patchy. We’ve never beaten them at their place, either Highbury or the Emirates. In November of the 1988/89 season, the two sides met at Anfield in the 3rd round. Arsenal had beaten us in the 1987 final (the first time Rushie had scored for Liverpool and finished on the losing side, an astonishing record) and were losing finalists in 1988, after Luton had overcome them. Barnesy got our goal in a 1-1 draw, and it finished 0-0 in the replay in London. The tie required another replay as there were no penalty shoot-outs in the competition at the time. That replay took place at Villa Park, and the Reds would be without Brucie, Big Jan and Barnesy.

 

After Beardo had found the side netting from a narrow angle after getting in behind as the game’s first real chance, Arsenal found themselves in front when Merson turned in the area and found the far corner across Hooper.

 

We turned the screw in the second half and began to dominate. On the hour, McMahon hammered a 25-yarder past Lukic on his old stomping ground. With extra time looming, Houghton turned inside the area and found space to prod the ball across the six yard box. Aldo got on the end of it and his looping header wrong-footed Lukic and hit the back of the net, to the jubilation of the fans behind the goal. We were through, but a week after this game came the next round, which ended in a 4-1 defeat against West Ham at Upton Park.

 

 

The big box office hit starred Bill Murray in a modern take on Charles Dickens’ classic tale about the grumpy miser Ebeneezer Scrooge. Scrooged was directed by Richard Donner of Superman and Lethal Weapon renown. It’s fun, and Murray is on top form playing the withered cynic who is actually a good guy behind the persona. He doesn’t play Scrooge himself, but a character that is heading the same way and requires a little supernatural guidance to put him back on the straight and narrow. I haven’t seen this film in absolutely ages but I remember enjoying it as a kid. Youthful nostalgia perhaps, but Christmas did not seem to be a cynical cash-in back in the 80s. It still had an aura that made you look forward to the holidays.

 

 

We’ve again used this competition to give run-outs to the first team fringe plus the youngsters, and I’d imagine that was the plan for the semi finals. However, with the boss and a number of players isolating following positive Covid tests, plus a few fringe players out injured, and 3 players away at the AFCON, who knows what sort of line-up we’ll go with for this one. Between now and then, we don’t know of more Covid issues will arise, both for ourselves and Arsenal. Arteta is currently isolating after another positive test, and London is a real Omicron hotbed right now. In this instance, I have no idea what we will do. I’d expect the players will work their bollocks off (that isn’t something that we’ve really been able to throw at them as lacking over the past 3 years), but it’s whether there will be enough cohesion and experience to make it count. Staying in the tie might be the order of the day, in the hope of being stronger a week later for the second leg. Try and get the job done, Pep Lijnders and co.

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Caramac
Caramac
an tha
an tha

Do it again, redmen....

m0e
m0e

Never in doubt really. Klopp wins semi finals. That's what he does.   Fantastic result and a very good performance.   Trent was brilliant. Anyone highlighting his limitations is no

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an tha Grand Master

an tha

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Not having any of the 'don't care about cups' mobs shite here....this is a big game in a big tie and one we should be balls out to try and win.

 

Days out at Wembley are memories that stay with us as fans and we haven't had anywhere near enough of them in recent times....and of course Liverpool Football Club exists for one purpose and one purpose only....To win trophies and be a source of pride for its supporters.

 

 

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KMD7 Grand Master

KMD7

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Just now, an tha said:

Not having any of the 'don't care about cups' mobs shite here....this is a big game in a big tie and one we should be balls out to try and win.

 

Days out at Wembley are memories that stay with us as fans and we haven't had anywhere near enough of them in recent times....and of course Liverpool Football Club exists for one purpose and one purpose only....To win trophies and be a source of pride for its supporters.

 

 

A chance to pull ahead of City as well as having won the most. We probably won't get a better chance to win it for a few years as well. And will add to our overall trophy haul. 

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an tha Grand Master

an tha

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1 minute ago, KMD7 said:

A chance to pull ahead of City as well as having won the most. We probably won't get a better chance to win it for a few years as well. And will add to our overall trophy haul. 

 

Yeah....the overall haul thing is pretty tight with the mancs as well isn't it...

 

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aws Grand Master

aws

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We don't need to score in this game - just keep a clean sheet and bring them back to Anfield when hopefully we can play Firmino, Origi (or Mini) and Jota up-front.  We should play a little deeper and flood midfield.  Make them work for any openings.  Most chances we concede are when we over-commit and get hit on the break because usually we have to win every game. 

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Arnaud Veteran

Arnaud

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48 minutes ago, aws said:

We don't need to score in this game - just keep a clean sheet and bring them back to Anfield when hopefully we can play Firmino, Origi (or Mini) and Jota up-front.  We should play a little deeper and flood midfield.  Make them work for any openings.  Most chances we concede are when we over-commit and get hit on the break because usually we have to win every game. 

It could be a good idea but we always play the  same way don’t we ?

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aws Grand Master

aws

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18 minutes ago, Arnaud said:

It could be a good idea but we always play the  same way don’t we ?

We do. But playing without Mane, Mo, Bobby, Origi and Mini is a completely different proposition. If we've only got one striker available we should adjust the game plan accordingly. Particularly when a draw would be fine. 

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Pureblood Grand Master

Pureblood

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2 minutes ago, VERBAL DIARRHEA said:

I’m saying he is not arsed and lazy happy to pick up his dough with little or no effort, like Joe Cole, Paul Stewart and so on. Think most know this.

Right, so you are calling him lazy.  Which is a racial stereotype.  Throwing some white names out there to even it up doesn't change that. 

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  • dave u changed the title to Arsenal (A) - CC Semi Final 2nd (not 1st!) leg, Thu 20th Jan 2022 (7:45pm)

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