Arsenal (H) - CC Semi Final 1st (not 2nd!) leg, Thu 13th Jan 2022 (7:45pm)

[Trumo 16,198]

The second leg of the semi final will now take place (unless another postponement is in the offing. You never know!) before the first leg, as Arsenal visit Anfield in this competition for the third year in a row. Unlike those games, this one cannot go to penalties. It’s a chance to give ourselves a platform for the return leg in London a week later.

 

Moxie. Intelligence. Luck. Know-how.

 

I don’t ask for much.

 

Last year’s game saw the Gunners ride their luck a little, holding out for a goalless draw and winning in the shoot-out. The year before that saw a right ding-dong battle and Liverpool with the more youthful and inexperienced line-up of the two sides, though Milner balanced things out a bit! Five goals apiece, a couple of humdingers from Ox and Willock, last minute heroics from Div, a penalty save from Queef and Curtis burying the winning penalty.

 

But I’m casting back to a more mundane fixture between the two sides in the quarter final of the 1994/95 competition in January 1995. Manager Roy Evans had the experience of the likes of Rush and Barnes in the line-up but he was building a team around the youthfulness and energy of Fowler up front, McManaman floating behind the forwards in a free role, and Redknapp spraying the ball around in midfield. He’d also begun a revamp of the back line by discarding Grobbelaar and going with James in goal, and with big-money summer signings Scales and Babb alongside Ruddock in a back three. Jones and Bjornebye were the wing backs. Defensively, the team were much improved from the Souness era (if not exactly brilliant considering the expenditure), and the attacking style of play gave a new lease of life to the veterans.

 

Arsenal were going through a troubled season in 1994/95. Paul Merson had been in rehab for alcohol and gambling addiction, taking away much of the attacking midfield thrust manager George Graham relied on to feed Ian Wright up front. Graham would soon find himself bang in trouble when it emerged he’d taken bribes from Norwegian agent Rune Hauge as part of signing Scandinavian players John Jensen and Pal Lydersen in 1992. It wasn’t an insignificant sum of money either. £425,000. Graham was sacked by the club weeks later with Stewart Houston taking over. The team would go on to reach the Cup-Winners’ Cup final in Paris against Zaragoza, but couldn’t retain the trophy after a late goal from miles out by ex-Spurs man Nayim. It wasn’t from the halfway line, despite what so many people keep saying. It was a good 10-15 yards inside the Arsenal half, but out wide near the right touchline.

 

Anyway, the League Cup quarter final was a scrappy affair, but the Reds came out on top after a well-worked free kick saw Rush find space behind the Arsenal wall following a free kick. He rolled the ball into the net, and Liverpool were through to a semi final against Palace. A 1-0 win in both legs of the semi thanks to goals from Fowler saw Liverpool through to Wembley for the first time in 3 years. Thanks to McManaman's brace of cracking goals, they would overcome Bolton in the final and win the first (and only) trophy of Roy Evans’ reign. For a couple of years, it at least looked like we were returning from the wilderness, but a lack of professionalism from certain members of the squad effectively put paid to that. You can see Rush's goal just before the 32-minute mark in this video.

 

 

The big box office hit in mid-Jan 1995 was Legends of the Fall, directed by Edward Zwick (director of hits like Glory, Courage Under Fire, The Last Samurai and Blood Diamond, amongst others) and starring Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins. Pitt was beginning to make a name for himself around this time, and had deliberately chosen more low-key projects to big budget fare to paint himself as a serious actor and not just a pretty boy (Johnny Depp followed this path too). Legends of the Fall is based on the eponymous novel by Jim Harrison and is about three brothers and their father living in rural Montana against the backdrop of historical events like the First World War and the Prohibition Era. It’s one of those films where you see it and will watch it as it is pretty good, but at the same time it’s not memorable enough to recall clearly years later, or want to watch again. Looking at Edward Zwick’s back catalogue, you could say the same about pretty much everything he’s done. Visually, the film makes great use of its wilderness setting, with much of it looking like a Bob Ross painting.

 

 

The semi final first leg gives the players a chance to set the groundwork to complete the job in the second leg, and reach the final for the first time since Klopp’s debut season at the club. We’ve used the competition to give young players and squad players experience and minutes since then, and our record as a result is nothing to write home about. Man City have used the competition to give their huge squads game time, and often favourable draws have seen them reach (and win) final after final in recent years. I think they are only about a couple behind our record of League Cup wins. That’s not the only reason to want to win it again. I want us to go for it because winning breeds winning.

 

I don’t know how strong Klopp will go for this one as Covid positive cases are still an issue for both players and staff, and could become an issue for those who have been unaffected up to now. Add in that we are 3 players light thanks to AFCON, and a few others out injured anyway, and we might go stronger than Klopp would ideally have liked simply because we are short of options. Whatever he does, the attitude and application should be spot on from the off. Arsenal are still a flaky side, but it’s up to us to show why that is. Get the job done.

[an tha 8,441]

Strongest possible/available 11 please.

[AngryOfTuebrook 24,511]

2 hours ago, an tha said:

Strongest possible/available 11 please.

This. We're within sniffing distance of a trophy, so we really should throw everything we can at it.

 

Just get these beat, Reds.

[Anubis 21,567]

Fuck these pie, mash and eel eating surrender monkeys.

[lifetime fan 12,598]

11 minutes ago, Anubis said:

Fuck these pie, mash and eel eating surrender monkeys.

A quip on the guardian football podcast today. 
 

“Arsenal in white looked like Spurs. And then played like them”. 

[Aventus 2,582]

Really need to be battering these, full strength. 

 

Especially seeing as we're so close to a final, and the fact these arsenal cunts have been doing my head in all week, I'd love to put the final nail into their trophyless season. 

[No2 1,722]

The athletic are reporting that the EFL are under pressure from some clubs to investigate the circumstances of last weeks postponed game after Klopps comments yesterday. 

[Pete 2,032]

26 minutes ago, No2 said:

The athletic are reporting that the EFL are under pressure from some clubs to investigate the circumstances of last weeks postponed game after Klopps comments yesterday. 

Fuck them. Cunts the lot of them

[Scott_M 6,740]

Arteta being a little mincer suggesting Arsenal might not be able to muster a side together now.

 

I hope we play our best side available and wipe the fucking floor with the soft twats.

[El Rojo 10,757]

On 10/01/2022 at 00:49, AngryOfTuebrook said:

This. We're within sniffing distance of a trophy, so we really should throw everything we can at it.

 

Just get these beat, Reds.

I think Jurgen's decision to make three big changes at half-time against Leicester was telling. I reckon we'll go all out for it from tomorrow. 

[Pete 2,032]

59 minutes ago, Scott_M said:

Arteta being a little mincer suggesting Arsenal might not be able to muster a side together now.

 

I hope we play our best side available and wipe the fucking floor with the soft twats.

Lets get out there and twat them.

[TheRedMachine 175]

51 minutes ago, Pete said:

Lets get out there and twat them.

Nice Lister reference there. 

[Section_31 25,143]

I really hope we take this seriously, we need a final and a trophy, bollocks to this 'as long as we make top 4' shite.

 

'oh but that's the only way we'll be able to attract those big name players like that 16 year old lad from Charlton and Dimitrius Popazogalu from sporting fuck '

[an tha 8,441]

I want a day out at wembley.

I want us to win this cup.

 

So best available team please and lets take a big stride towards Wembley and towards doing what this football club solely exists for....To win trophies...

 

 

[Babb'sBurstNad 12,122]

Sporting Fuck are my second team.

[Bjornebye 33,769]

Snap back to reality with the realisation that the UK chart number 1 at the time of the above mentioned victory over FC North London Gun Nonce was this love ballad, Cotton Eye Joe by Bros tribute act Rednex. Fresh from a sell out tour of Arkansas, Rednex were embroiled in a legal battle with Bernie Taupin over song-writing royalties over the use of the verse...

 

"He came to town like a midwinter storm
He rode through the fields, so handsome and strong
His eyes was his tools and his smile was his gun
But all he had come for was having some fun"

 

.....Which according to Bernie's lawyers were stolen from a bootleg version of Better Off Dead. Further scandal was to hit the duo when Telly Savalas accused their tour manager of lighting a fart in his trailer and setting fire to 12 handmade wigs. 

 

 

 

 

[LFC 6 Times 971]

No idea how we’ll line up here offensively. Jota and Bobby have to start, want Ox in midfield too. Probably go Fab, hendo, Ox, Jota, Bobby, Jones 

[Total Longo 3,648]

I reckon it will be....

 

Kelleher, Neco or Trent (if fit), VVD, Matip, Kostas or Robbo (if fit), Fab, Hendo, Ox, Jota, Taki, Bobby. 

[MegadriveMan 1,280]

Klopp has hinted that we will play a strong team for this. We've only got five players ruled out, Thiago and Origi due to injury and the three lads away at Afcon. 

 

Alisson,Trent, Matip, VVD, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Ox, Jota, Bobby, Minamino.

[AngryOfTuebrook 24,511]

Gutted that we're still Divless. This month should be his best chance to get a run of games, but he's got "a little issue".

[dockers_strike 4,130]

10 minutes ago, AngryOfTuebrook said:

Gutted that we're still Divless. This month should be his best chance to get a run of games, but he's got "a little issue".

Yes, so am I. Div's problem is the same as any player who doesnt play regularly in the modern game. When they go to playing a full 90 minutes, they pick up little niggles so they miss the next couple of opportunities to play.

 

We need something like the old Central League where these players can play regularly. I guess 'modern' players wouldnt be too happy playing in it though due to the 'stigma'?

 

Wasnt the last game he played at Milan where he got a kick on the ankle or something?

[DalyanPete 1,240]

14 hours ago, Bjornebye said:

Snap back to reality with the realisation that the UK chart number 1 at the time of the above mentioned victory over FC North London Gun Nonce was this love ballad, Cotton Eye Joe by Bros tribute act Rednex. Fresh from a sell out tour of Arkansas, Rednex were embroiled in a legal battle with Bernie Taupin over song-writing royalties over the use of the verse...

 

"He came to town like a midwinter storm
He rode through the fields, so handsome and strong
His eyes was his tools and his smile was his gun
But all he had come for was having some fun"

 

.....Which according to Bernie's lawyers were stolen from a bootleg version of Better Off Dead. Further scandal was to hit the duo when Telly Savalas accused their tour manager of lighting a fart in his trailer and setting fire to 12 handmade wigs. 

 

 

 

 

If ever there was a "cunt of a song" this is that cunt.

[Jordy Brouwer 746]

3 minutes ago, DalyanPete said:

If ever there was a "cunt of a song" this is that cunt.

Catchy and memorable though. 

[Total Longo 3,648]

9 minutes ago, Jordy Brouwer said:

Catchy and memorable though. 

It's got nothing on the follow up, Old Pop in an Oak, which i have to say sounds absolutely nothing at all like Cotton Eye Joe. As @Skidfingers McGonical can testify,  I soundtracked Salah's belter goal against Chelsea (from 19/20) to it on twitter and it was way better than the bogstandard Titanic theme ones....  

 

 

[dockers_strike 4,130]

Will be a bit tough on Kelleher if he doesnt play tonight but can see Jurgen's point that Alli needs a game after missing a few.