Carabao Cup Final: Liverpool 1 Newcastle United 2 (Mar 16 2025)

[Kepler-186]

Cathartic read.  

[TheSire]

11 hours ago, Smell The Glove said:

After the initial shock at losing so meekly, Joelinton became the focus of my anger.

 

How can 10 outfield players just let him get away with cheering every fucking tackle he made. Surely one player thinks I'm getting a yellow for this cunt. We just let him think he owned the place and the sad thing is, he did. Imagine Souness or Gerrard letting Joelinton cheer every tackle.

Juiced up cunt

[Red Shift]

Really hope Federico is here next season. He’s a breath of fresh air.

[Arnaud]

That’s a bloody good report, Dave, and thanks a lot for writing it because it must have been painful.But writing and reading help to get over it though, it’s cathartic really.

 

Slot has been very good and has surprised us nicely, but there have been many reasons to be worried lately. The lack of rotation obviously, the use of an unfit Gakpo twice (????), the set up in corners vs Burns, the use of Elliott, the treatment of  Chiesa etc.

 

This new narrative that we are top of the league because  we have not rotated players is bullshit, bad crisis communication it is. Rotation is not switching from the A team to the B team. It’s about making one or two astute changes so the shape and driving force of the team remain but you can rest some players. There are many games we could have played Endo and Elliott for instance and that won’t have weakened the team. So stop that sheer nonsense. As you wrote, Slot has his protégés and that won’t change. 

 

12 points are a great lead, and I’m confident we’re going to make it. But it’s not about maths, it’s about momentum. Let’s see how many points we have after the next 2 games. 
 

Let’s see as well if Elliott or Chiesa will play more. 

[suzy]

13 hours ago, BeefStroganoff said:

 

Because this team has a weak underbelly. And it rears its head every season except when we had Milner.

Yes I was thinking of Milner, he wouldn’t have accepted their behaviour.

[Dapower]

Excellent match report we will win the league I reckon we only need 3 or 4 wins so it’s done but I know I’m going to flash back to this final and go fucking hell shakes head

[Red Shift]

12 hours ago, Arnaud said:

That’s a bloody good report, Dave, and thanks a lot for writing it because it must have been painful.But writing and reading help to get over it though, it’s cathartic really.

 

Slot has been very good and has surprised us nicely, but there have been many reasons to be worried lately. The lack of rotation obviously, the use of an unfit Gakpo twice (????), the set up in corners vs Burns, the use of Elliott, the treatment of  Chiesa etc.

 

This new narrative that we are top of the league because  we have not rotated players is bullshit, bad crisis communication it is. Rotation is not switching from the A team to the B team. It’s about making one or two astute changes so the shape and driving force of the team remain but you can rest some players. There are many games we could have played Endo and Elliott for instance and that won’t have weakened the team. So stop that sheer nonsense. As you wrote, Slot has his protégés and that won’t change. 

 

12 points are a great lead, and I’m confident we’re going to make it. But it’s not about maths, it’s about momentum. Let’s see how many points we have after the next 2 games. 
 

Let’s see as well if Elliott or Chiesa will play more. 

If Elliot and Endo were started, who would they replace? Same personnel every time, or a variety?

[etho]

One key difference between the peak Klopp team (one of the best teams of all time and an almost unfair bar to be measured against) is the number of big games winners. The mentality monsters.

 

We have Virg, Alli, Mo and maybe Mac from the current bunch.

 

we had Virg, Mo, Alli, Sadio, peak Henderson, Milner, Wijnaldum, Peak Robbo, Fabinho from that side.

 

I’ve excluded robbo as while he still has the mentality he can no longer match it on the pitch consistently sadly. We saw our mentality monsters become midgets once their performances couldn’t match the will to win

 

We either need players who do have that dead eyed mentality or some of our current bunch need to raise themselves up to become that.

 

I have a big question mark about Dom being capable of that. I think Gravenberch could as he’s young. Beyond that I don’t see many other candidates from our current bunch. Too nice.

 

 

[sir roger]

A lot of that comes with age and experience of the club though, so it is hard to buy in if we don't like buying anybody over 26 or so.

[Code]

1 hour ago, etho said:

One key difference between the peak Klopp team (one of the best teams of all time and an almost unfair bar to be measured against) is the number of big games winners. The mentality monsters.

 

We have Virg, Alli, Mo and maybe Mac from the current bunch.

 

we had Virg, Mo, Alli, Sadio, peak Henderson, Milner, Wijnaldum, Peak Robbo, Fabinho from that side.

 

I’ve excluded robbo as while he still has the mentality he can no longer match it on the pitch consistently sadly. We saw our mentality monsters become midgets once their performances couldn’t match the will to win

 

We either need players who do have that dead eyed mentality or some of our current bunch need to raise themselves up to become that.

 

I have a big question mark about Dom being capable of that. I think Gravenberch could as he’s young. Beyond that I don’t see many other candidates from our current bunch. Too nice.

 

 

Not sure I would describe Milner as a game winner in any shape or form.

 

Making a few mistimed tackles giving away free kicks is not exactly how you win games. 
 

His last seven seasons for us he scored two goals in Europe combined.

 

In five of his last six seasons in the league he scored two goals combined. 
 

To highlight it even more five if his seven goals in 18/19 was penalties and three of his four goals in 19/20 were penalties.

 

Penalties certainly need to be scored, but his contribution from open play in attacking sense was almost non existant for his six last seasons. 

Shocking numbers really from someone with so many games to his name. 

 

[dave u]

Pretty sure at this point Code has been taken over by A.I.

[Total Longo]

3 hours ago, Red Shift said:

If Elliot and Endo were started, who would they replace? Same personnel every time, or a variety?

Endo for Grav and Harvey for Dom or Macca. Every so often is all it needs, not never. The Southampton game was crying out for it, where you are playing statistically the worst team in the league and have a big European game a few days later.  Chiesa should categorically have had more minutes, and Slot has wound me up massively over that, particularly when you consider that Mo has been weakened by eating fresh air during the fasting period, Gakpo has been injured, Nunez and Jota can't locate the goal between them and Diaz has just been massively cack. I just don't see how he could have been any worse. 

[stringvest]

31 minutes ago, Total Longo said:

Endo for Grav and Harvey for Dom or Macca. Every so often is all it needs, not never. The Southampton game was crying out for it, where you are playing statistically the worst team in the league and have a big European game a few days later.  Chiesa should categorically have had more minutes, and Slot has wound me up massively over that, particularly when you consider that Mo has been weakened by eating fresh air during the fasting period, Gakpo has been injured, Nunez and Jota can't locate the goal between them and Diaz has just been massively cack. I just don't see how he could have been any worse. 

in hindsight, they could not have been worse.  

[deiseach]

2 hours ago, dave u said:

Pretty sure at this point Code has been taken over by A.I.

How can we tell?

[aws]

2 hours ago, dave u said:

Pretty sure at this point Code has been taken over by A.I.

You’ve noticed the improvement too.  

[A Red]

3 hours ago, Code said:

Not sure I would describe Milner as a game winner in any shape or form.

 

Making a few mistimed tackles giving away free kicks is not exactly how you win games. 
 

His last seven seasons for us he scored two goals in Europe combined.

 

In five of his last six seasons in the league he scored two goals combined. 
 

To highlight it even more five if his seven goals in 18/19 was penalties and three of his four goals in 19/20 were penalties.

 

Penalties certainly need to be scored, but his contribution from open play in attacking sense was almost non existant for his six last seasons. 

Shocking numbers really from someone with so many games to his name. 

 

I think that the point about Milner is more to do with him not accepting the poor performances around him. Remember when he bollocked Van Dijk for his lack luster defending?

 

Milner wasn't there to win games but to help make sure we didn't lose them.

[DalyanPete]

30 minutes ago, A Red said:

I think that the point about Milner is more to do with him not accepting the poor performances around him. Remember when he bollocked Van Dijk for his lack luster defending?

 

Milner wasn't there to win games but to help make sure we didn't lose them.

Spot on.

[beejay]

Like it or not, Slot - while loving the team left by Klopp - does not regard some of the squad he inherited as his own. Every new manager wants to stamp his identity onto the team but that just didn't happen last summer and Arne has been applauded for taking Klopp's side and seamlessly chasing titles. 

 

But in doing so, he has clearly shown that he trusts in a smaller group and whether any of us agree or not, it's probable that he doesn't fancy certain players and intends to build a team in his own image. 

 

That's part of what makes a manager rather than just a coach. Slot has been ace so far, exceeded all our expectations, but we have yet to see his true style with the players he wants to fit his philosophy. 

 

I doubt he wanted to use the same tight squad and next year will be different. For better or worse we have not seen a full-on Arne Slot side and as always it may depend on the club giving him the backing that he deserves after his first season. 

[dave u]

Agree with all of that.

[Bjornebye]

It’s a match I’ll forget the detail of in a few months same as the 96 final and a few of the Chelsea finals in the last 20 years. Oh and Athens, Paris, Kiev and that dreadful semi final against Villa. 
 

We were outplayed. We allowed them to play and win with pure emotion. We were fucked. Big players didn’t show up. They got the breaks. They deserved it and that’s that. It fucking stings but I surely won’t be thinking about it when we’re parading title number 20 in a few months. 
 

If someone offered us exactly where we are now back in August I’d comfortably suggest 99% of the forum and fanbase would rip their arm off for it. 
 

The contract stuff is a cloud hanging over us. I dare say Arne should have rested 5 or 6 against Southampton and the situation could well be a lot different but we’re top of the league. By a long way.

 

Get that sewn up and all will be forgotten. 

[Dave D]

9 hours ago, Code said:

Not sure I would describe Milner as a game winner in any shape or form.

 

Making a few mistimed tackles giving away free kicks is not exactly how you win games. 
 

His last seven seasons for us he scored two goals in Europe combined.

 

In five of his last six seasons in the league he scored two goals combined. 
 

To highlight it even more five if his seven goals in 18/19 was penalties and three of his four goals in 19/20 were penalties.

 

Penalties certainly need to be scored, but his contribution from open play in attacking sense was almost non existant for his six last seasons. 

Shocking numbers really from someone with so many games to his name. 

 

Weird you would start compiling stats on Milners goal scoring? It’s one of the least important attributes he brought to the team. 
 

When Jurgen Klopp trusts a player like he did Milner you know you have a gem of a player/man 

[sir roger]

10 hours ago, Code said:

Not sure I would describe Milner as a game winner in any shape or form.

 

Making a few mistimed tackles giving away free kicks is not exactly how you win games. 
 

His last seven seasons for us he scored two goals in Europe combined.

 

In five of his last six seasons in the league he scored two goals combined. 
 

To highlight it even more five if his seven goals in 18/19 was penalties and three of his four goals in 19/20 were penalties.

 

Penalties certainly need to be scored, but his contribution from open play in attacking sense was almost non existant for his six last seasons. 

Shocking numbers really from someone with so many games to his name. 

 

 

Hijo de Puta

[Code]

2 hours ago, Dave D said:

Weird you would start compiling stats on Milners goal scoring? It’s one of the least important attributes he brought to the team. 
 

When Jurgen Klopp trusts a player like he did Milner you know you have a gem of a player/man 

Milner was awful the last few seasons. He was a midfielder contributing with nothing going forward. 
 

Defensively he usually gave away loads of free kicks in dangerous positions because he was extremely slow and always a second to late. 

 

[TheBitch]

“I’m going to wrap it up there as I think this might be one of the worst, most long winded, rambling reports I’ve ever written. It's shite and I apologise for it as I'm all over the place here. It’s probably quite fitting though in a way, as its entirely in keeping with that wretched performance served up yesterday.”

On the contrary Dave, this was your best report of the season in my opinion, and summed up mine, and most peoples feelings too.
A true horror show of a performance.  
 

[Paul]

12 hours ago, beejay said:

Like it or not, Slot - while loving the team left by Klopp - does not regard some of the squad he inherited as his own. Every new manager wants to stamp his identity onto the team but that just didn't happen last summer and Arne has been applauded for taking Klopp's side and seamlessly chasing titles. 

 

But in doing so, he has clearly shown that he trusts in a smaller group and whether any of us agree or not, it's probable that he doesn't fancy certain players and intends to build a team in his own image. 

 

That's part of what makes a manager rather than just a coach. Slot has been ace so far, exceeded all our expectations, but we have yet to see his true style with the players he wants to fit his philosophy. 

 

I doubt he wanted to use the same tight squad and next year will be different. For better or worse we have not seen a full-on Arne Slot side and as always it may depend on the club giving him the backing that he deserves after his first season. 

This gets to the heart of a fundamental problem I have with the way he’s handled the squad this season. If you are first team coach, your job Is literally to coach the players you are given. If you effectively wash your hands of some of those players without giving them much of a chance, that’s not my idea of coaching. His job is to teach them to be better, not just fuck them off. 
 

I realise that is a gross exaggeration of what’s happened, but it illustrates my point.