Manchester United 4 Liverpool 3 (Mar 17 2024)

[tlw content]

 

What an absolute sickener. It’s an all timer for me that, just because of who it was, how it happened, and the fact that it was all so fucking unnecessary. We’ve lost here in the cup to a couple of late goals before and it hurts like fuck, but when that happened they were better than us and it would have been a great effort for us to have beaten them. It hurts but it’s understandable. That’s not how it is now. They’re shite, we should never be losing to them and I don’t feel any better about it today than I did yesterday. I'm still fuming.

 

That said, having been able to sleep on it and collect some thoughts, I can compartmentalise this to some extent. With the dust having settled on it, I’m not that arsed we’re out of the FA Cup. I’d have loved to have won it, obviously, but going out of the cup in itself isn’t bothering me today. I can easily find a positive in that because not having to play in the semi final means the Fulham game takes place at the weekend and does not need to be crammed in somewhere late in the season when we’re already going to be overstretched. 

 

We still don’t have a date for the Everton game unless I’ve missed that. So does going out of the FA Cup help us when it comes to the league? To a degree, yes it does. Is the league more important? Fuck yes is it. I’d like to still be in the cup but it’s the manner of the loss and who we lost to that hurts today, not the fact that we’re out of the FA Cup. 

 

There’s a reason quadruples don’t happen and it’s not because no team is good enough to do it. It’s because competing on four fronts takes a monumental effort and you need a huge amount of luck. Trying for four actually makes it harder to win any because the mental and physical toll on a squad is huge late in the season. And when you’ve got as many players missing as we’ve had (and still have) then it’s even more unlikely. So yeah, I can make my peace with no longer being in the FA Cup quite easily. 

 

The thing I can’t make my peace with is losing to them. They aren’t a serious football team. They do things that proper football teams just don’t do. Honestly, look at the number of screenshots doing the rounds showing countless instances of how much space we had. We don’t get that kind of room to play against anybody. Maybe that’s how they’re as high as sixth, they just lull you into a false sense of security by being utterly fucking inept tactically.

 

They’re the worst Manchester United side I’ve ever seen. If we’d been beaten by Fulham or Palace or someone of that ilk I’d be over it already. It wasn’t Fulham or Palace though. It was a shite team with cunt fans who spent all afternoon chanting about Hillsborough. We can’t do anything about that (the FA have put out a statement saying it’s not acceptable though, so I’m sure that will ensure it doesn’t happen again), but the players can. They need to fight that battle for us by inflicting misery on those cunts. Instead they gave those Hillsborough mocking lowlifes the best memory they’ve had in a decade. Nice one lads, thanks for that. Good job. *slow hand clap*

 

We beat these cunts 7-0 a year ago. Seven fucking nil. They somehow escaped from Anfield with a 0-0 draw this season but we should have been going there and spanking them and - I don’t say this lightly because they’ve been incredible and I love them - but for once the players let us down. I don’t mean in effort as they gave absolutely everything, they always do. I mean in execution, in focus. I mean in just making the right fucking decisions. 

 

You just can’t not win this game. Can’t happen. Not acceptable. Not the way the game played out. Look, if we just hadn’t been at it and they’d played well, then of course we can lose to them. Shit as they are, it can happen. We almost lost at Luton and needed a last minute equaliser to spare our blushes. You can have an off day and when that happens you can lose. This wasn’t that though. We didn’t have an off day, we dominated the game. But you have to beat them and make your superiority count, and instead we thought 2-1 would be enough. 

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[KMD7]

Great write up Dave. We really can't blame anyone but ourselves for what happened yesterday.  

[Dave D]

For most of the 2nd half United were chasing shadows…… In a way I’ve become immune to my entrenched hatred of them due to our recent success.

 

it’s back like you wouldn’t believe. 
 

Turns out this is Ten Haags “turning point”

 

I fucking hope so. I hope he lasts 5 more years the inept twat

 

 

[aws]

That second half was like those games when you’re playing ten men, completely in control, all the possession and expecting to score any second now without actually making a big effort to kill off the game because you think you don’t need to. Complacency. 

[Code]

Agree with most, but for me its Elliott who gets in the way of Endo, not the other way around. 
 

 

[DalyanPete]

I'll post before reading, dreading this report, fanny that I am.

[DalyanPete]

5 hours ago, Dave D said:

Turns out this is Ten Haags “turning point”

It's what happens when you're shite, we where on the five ways roundabout for years before Klopp. As you said, hope he stays.

[DalyanPete]

Well the report was as damning and truthful as expected. Didn't know someone was sent off until now as like you the TV went straight off and I had a day off from bbc and Sly sports.

I can't excuse Mo's performance though, not being fit shouldn't stop you from making one decent pass, don't think he even threw a tantrum like he normally does when subbed?

Gapko at this time looks like he would slot straight into this United side. When he's breaking on goal I'm thinking, don't shoot.

We can just all dream of Ingurland now as I guess they'll be playing? If they are it's a re-run of tipping points best finals for me.

[Fallen Angel]

That was sadly quite predictable - as the game entered the last 10 you knew it would come. 
 

Individual errors aside, we looked complacent - they wanted it more. They won’t make that much effort again until our league game - dropping points in that is not an option. 

[Anubis]

I’d love to have five minutes with the players to point this out to them as I’m not sure they actually realise it. I’m 

Dave….

 

 

 

As for Darwin, I’m sorry, but I don’t care if he was goosed, feeling his hamstring, or had both legs amputated, that was brain dead and you just don’t do it.

[Supremolad]

Utd are shite, that's true. And we really should be picking up 3 points from there in April. However, it really has to be acknowledged that there is a weird dynamic at play between Liverpool and these dirty Mancs. What should happen often isn't what actually happens.

 

When we were great leading up to the Ferguson era, we didn't always beat them at Old Trafford even though we were on another level to them. Vice versa when they became very successful under Ferguson, they generally found Anfield a tough place to come. Even when we won the league in 2020, winning 26 from our first 27 games, where did Liverpool drop their only points in that run of games? Old Trafford. And they were shite then too, we finished 33 pts ahead of them!!

[Kevin D]

I’m still angry.

[razor]

If you've ever played 5-a-side with a lad who's never played before, you understand that you're actually better off with 4 players - they are so wrong all of the time, they make you worse than having a player less.

 

Likewise, if you've ever played against a team that are just chucked together and don't have a clue what they are doing, they are so unpredictably wrong, they can actually end up doing well. 

 

That was the mancs on Sunday.  So clueless and unco-ordinated they are almost impossible to play against.

 

"Surely someone is going to close me down here.  No, they're not.  I'm not sure what to do, then.  I've never been here before..."

[JustTosh]

Hopefully they'll play us with the same brilliant high press low block tactics on Apr 7th. I guess they will. After all they've turned a corner haven't they?

 

If we don't win that by 3+ goals, gap sticks for the players must be reinstalled in the city centre.

 

[s(k)aturation]

 

I just don't get the "we'll beat them because they're shit" thing.

I mean, yeah, we're the better team at the moment, but when we play each other all bets are always off.

There's always the chance of an unexpected result.

And anyone who thinks they won't be going crazy to fuck up our season in a couple of weeks... brace yourself.

We should win.  I really really hope we do.

But it's no guarantee.  Against them.  Ever.

 

 

[Fiona Southworth]

I shouldn’t have read this …..had just about calmed down …fuming again now !

[Supremolad]

37 minutes ago, s(k)aturation said:

 

I just don't get the "we'll beat them because they're shit" thing.

I mean, yeah, we're the better team at the moment, but when we play each other all bets are always off.

There's always the chance of an unexpected result.

And anyone who thinks they won't be going crazy to fuck up our season in a couple of weeks... brace yourself.

We should win.  I really really hope we do.

But it's no guarantee.  Against them.  Ever.

 

 

Exactly. You would have thought people should know this by now. But I guess what has skewed our expectations is the 5 nil win at Old Trafford and 7 nil win over them at Anfield. Since the 7 nil especially, too many of our fans have gone into games against Man Utd with the mindset of "we're battering them".

 

Yes, we should expect to beat them because we are far better than them but too often, our games against them don't go by that reality. It's just the way it has been for a long time even when they've been better than us they struggled at Anfield most times. We've only won twice at Old Trafford in almost 9 years of Klopp's reign. People need to acknowledge the unique thing this rivalry brings with it.

[Section_31]

3 hours ago, razor said:

If you've ever played 5-a-side with a lad who's never played before, you understand that you're actually better off with 4 players - they are so wrong all of the time, they make you worse than having a player less.

 

Likewise, if you've ever played against a team that are just chucked together and don't have a clue what they are doing, they are so unpredictably wrong, they can actually end up doing well. 

 

That was the mancs on Sunday.  So clueless and unco-ordinated they are almost impossible to play against.

 

"Surely someone is going to close me down here.  No, they're not.  I'm not sure what to do, then.  I've never been here before..."

 

Haha that's spot on that.

 

They're like the quiet kid in Primary School who doesn't say boo until you step on their Lego, then they come at you in their noise cancelling headphones swinging both arms and making Chewbacca noises, there's not even a karate or Krav Maga defence against it because it's too unwieldy. 

[JustTosh]

11 minutes ago, Supremolad said:

Exactly. You would have thought people should know this by now. But I guess what has skewed our expectations is the 5 nil win at Old Trafford and 7 nil win over them at Anfield. Since the 7 nil especially, too many of our fans have gone into games against Man Utd with the mindset of "we're battering them".

 

Yes, we should expect to beat them because we are far better than them but too often, our games against them don't go by that reality. It's just the way it has been for a long time even when they've been better than us they struggled at Anfield most times. We've only won twice at Old Trafford in almost 9 years of Klopp's reign. People need to acknowledge the unique thing this rivalry brings with it.

Mid feb 2020 we had won all our league games but one - the away game at Old T (1-1)

[El Rojo]

Good if depressing reading, Dave.

 

Disagree completely on our set-up for the 120th minute corner. Van Dijk would probably have bad the same threat level if Tsimikas or Quansah were back a bit outside the box. Then it’s penalties, which Kelleher specialises in. Insane that Bradley was left so exposed.
 

I think we all want Danns as our fourth choice right now with Jota out.  He won’t be any worse than Gakpo at the moment.

 

I also think them not winning the trophy will take the edge off this one in the near future.

 

Finally, despite everything, I can’t see us winning there in the league. Just can’t see it happening. Hopefully we’ll get a point there. 

[BeefStroganoff]

Theres just no excuse for a bunch of elite professional footballers who kick a ball 24/7 to not know how to pass a final ball and utilise the space afforded to them by a gang of plebs.

 

Its just pure arrogance on our part. Its like the guy in five a side whose the best on the pitch and knows it and instead of being clinical and putting away his chances he tries to backheel it in or walk around the goalie and nod it across the line.

[Peter Cormack]

Great report on a disasterous game Dave. The subs baffled me, mo should have been off at half time bradley a straight swop for Joe clark came on too late to have any impact and as you say Nunez should have been replaced probably before their second goal. Why Dannsey didn‘t get on was a criminal act considering Gakpo‘s non performance. The 77 cup final, the worse result against these ever, robbing us of the treble, is on a par with this. I still have the scars from 77.

[Tj hooker]

Great report Dave absolutely bang on , I'm just getting over losing to those bums we absolutely need to put it right in a few weeks. 

[Barnesey]

My lad said to me at HT, it feels like Brighton. Result turned out that way although that was due to our negligence. 
 

Very frustrating but may be best in the long run (I’m telling myself that anyway)

[Supremolad]

47 minutes ago, JustTosh said:

Mid feb 2020 we had won all our league games but one - the away game at Old T (1-1)

Yep. I mentioned that in my earlier post in this thread.

 

We won 26 of our first 27 league games in our title winning season. The only game we dropped points in that period was at their gaff. We struggled in that game too and needed a late Lallana equaliser to avoid defeat iirc.