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  1. Think I’ve worked the BS thing out, but bear with me. Right, we enter a 32 team tournament with all the PL and the top teams from Scotland and Northern Ireland plus Wales. There are 8 groups of 7, we’re seeded ten and go into group Q, ok so far? Great! We enter a group with Jossy’s Giants, The Brick 2nd XI and Cuba. We finish fourth but qualify to the knockout stage by a combination of bribery and Voodoo. Easy so far. In the round of 16 one off ties means we play ourselves, winning comfortably. In the quarter final we meet Everton who are handicapped by having to play in Skis, a win on penalties ensues for the Reds. Semi-final time and it’s old rivals Rhyl, in a tense game Liverpool come from behind to win 9-0 with 11 goals from Joel Matip. The Final of the Bitter Imaginary Trophy will be contested by Liverpool FC and Tesco Harrogate Women’s U21s, to be held at Anfield of course, away fans banned. The game is a walkover for Tesco who decimate Liverpool 1-0. Unfortunately Tesco are stripped of the trophy after a dodgy till receipt is found, the Trophy is therefore handed to Liverpool who supplied said receipt out of a duty of honour. Liverpool FC are duly crowned inauguaral Champions and are given an extra £25 billion pound bonus from the Queen of Sheba.
    8 points
  2. To illustrate their luck. They enter a 30 man Royal Rumble, and come in at number 15 with only a Tortoise, a Washing Machine and two Kebabs left in the ring. They then times four by Squirrel and get Soap. After they defeat all comers including Idi Amin and Lester Pigott they luckily win Miss America. Bastards.
    7 points
  3. A stop start season for Big Dejan. He came back injured from the World Cup and couldn’t get back in the side due to the form of Joe Gomez. When he did get his chance he played well enough but was never able to get a long run in the team because there was always something going on. An illness here, a little hamstring pull there, just minor stuff that disrupted his rhythm. It was in stark contrast to a year ago when he was a fixture in the side alongside Big Virg and was arguably our best player (along with Robbo) in the Champions League final loss to Madrid. Lovren’s star was in the ascendancy, especially when he followed it up with an impressive World Cup campaign that saw Croatia reach the final. Poor Dejan lost a Champions League final and a World Cup final in the space of a couple of months. His reputation was as high as it had ever been though, and when he described himself as “top five” in the world it wasn’t as ludicrous as many seemed to think. He’s much derided due to that claim, but I’m one of the few who felt that his boast wasn’t that outlandish at the time he made it. Based on his form in 2018, when he performed well in some extremely high profile games for club and country, he was one of the best. Since then he’s hardly played, and he’s now number four at his own club. Things can change quickly though, we’ve seen that. Besides, being number four at Liverpool doesn’t mean he’s no longer top five in the world. It just means Matip and Gomez have joined him in that elite group. Seriously though, I like him. He’s a character, he keeps Mo entertained and his Instagram rant about Sergio Ramos after Croatia played Spain was legendary. In case you’d forgotten, after beating Spain 3-2 Lovren grabbed his phone and went off on one…. “Elbowed him good,” said Lovren, citing a challenge on Ramos during the game, while making a gesture with his elbow. “Haha! 3-2! Go ahead and talk now, buddy. Buddy! They are a bunch of pussies.” He then proceeded to cover the Spain flag on his match jersey, while pointing at the Croatia flag, and continued: “Only this side [Croatia] is worthy. Now to beat England and walk out like a boss!” Lovren also posted a picture of himself getting the better of Ramos in an aerial challenge during the game, accompanied by the message: “Good morning Croatia”. I mean come on, that’s funny as fuck. I can imagine Klopp’s reaction when he heard about it. There’s no point even getting worked up about it, he probably just rolled his eyes, shook his head and said “fuckin’ Dejan”. He cracks me up. When we beat Barca he did one of the post-match interviews even though he didn’t even play! You’d never know if he played in a game or not based on his celebrations, as he’s going to be the life and soul of it no matter what. I saw some rival fans on social media comparing him to John Terry after the way he was right at the heart of the celebrations when we won number six, but unlike Terry (who was suspended) Lovren was on the bench so was entitled to be wearing full kit (and shinnies!). Besides, the reason he enjoyed it so much was because he was part of the side that lost a year before. He referenced that in the interview he did after Barca and he also spoke about the need for those not in the team to put that disappointment to one side and be supportive. “I’m so happy for the team. I felt it last year. I saw how the guys who didn’t play were smiling. It’s my turn now to give them a boost, to give them confidence. I’m proud of them for reaching the final.” That’s one of the most impressive things Klopp has done but it’s also one of the least talked about. Everyone in that squad feels like they are important, whether they are in the team or not. It’s easy to laugh at those who didn’t play when you see them giving it the beans, but this isn’t a Josemi type situation. Klopp is forever telling them all how important they are and they’ve bought into it. It’s a squad, not a team, and they’re all in it together irrespective of who makes the starting eleven. The best part about that Lovren interview though was when he was asked about whether the team could go one better than last year. “We will. Trust me.” He didn’t even know who we playing at that point, but it mattered not. He even doubled down on it a few seconds later when the final was brought up again and he said “We will do it. Trust me”. And he was right. There was a time when a Lovren brag would almost certainly end in embarrassment (usually his) but not any more. We now have a team and manager who can back up Dejan’s bravado. Some would suggest that it’s also because he’s not playing, but that’s just mean. Rating 7 / 10 Possibly a little generous, but he celebrates like a boss and that counts for something. Best Moment: Savaging Ramos on Instagram or dragging Hendo over to the fans after the final and yelling “This is the fucking man! This is your captain!” Worst Moment: Making Rondon look like prime time Didier Drogba. The Future: Is uncertain. There’s talk that he’s available for £25m and AC Milan are interested. Maybe the Reds will want to get his 100k a week off the wage bill considering he’s fourth choice, but the smart move is probably to keep him around for another year while Ki-Jana Hoever develops. As long as Lovren is happy to fight for his place, then let him stay. He’s a big part of the incredible team spirit in the camp, as he’s often the butt of his team-mates jokes but he takes it all in good spirit and gives as good as he gets. Matip and Gomez have had injury problems, we’ve got a shitload of games next year, so for me Lovren needs to stay as he has a part to play.
    5 points
  4. Inside Liverpool's transfer policy: how patience helped them become European champions Towards the end of his seven-year stint as manager of Borussia Dortmund, Jürgen Klopp would often wonder "what if?" What if Nuri Sahin, Mario Gotze, Robert Lewandowski and Shinji Kagawa had remained on his team instead of being seduced away by Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester United respectively? What if that supremely talented, young and cohesive team he constructed were able to develop together for a few more seasons? It was natural for Klopp to wonder because to him, the answer was obvious: BVB would have celebrated at least one Champions League triumph having lost the 2013 final to Bayern and counted more Bundesliga titles than the two they won in that period from 2008-15. While the 52-year-old has a larger-than-life appreciation of the chaos created by football through its unpredictability and emotional pull, what the Liverpool manager truly covets is much more sensible: consistency and continuity. At Anfield, those two things are crucial to a side that registered a club-high 97 league points last season before winning a sixth European Cup by overcoming Tottenham in Madrid, the first trophy under Klopp. While Dortmund could never quite shelter themselves from football's mega-spending predators, a powered-up Liverpool have been able to tie down their major assets with minimal fuss. Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson, Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson have signed new, extended contracts with Liverpool over the past year. Virgil van Dijk wants to agree a new deal and Divock Origi has been offered new terms, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Joel Matip and James Milner among those expected to be next in line. In a market where many of the game's chief forces like Real, Bayern, Barcelona and Man United have to spend considerably to reconstruct their squads, the Merseysiders have prioritised a policy of retention. As one source explained to ESPN FC: "Those clubs would happily trade places with Liverpool. We have stability at a time when so much is left up in the air around Europe, especially with regards to the future of some big players [Neymarand Paul Pogba to name just two], which makes the landscape volatile." Liverpool's security is a product of the collaborative relationship between Klopp, sporting director Michael Edwards and Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon. It's made the club an easy sell to top targets and a place where their existing superstars believe they can achieve their ambitions. It's also in sharp contrast to the previous regime, in which former captain Steven Gerrard would literally be texting the names on Liverpool's wishlist to encourage them to move. (At one time, with a mix of hope and embarrassment, he reached out to Toni Kroos, Willian and Alexis Sanchez in this fashion.) The legend was the club's biggest draw but given that the Reds weren't consistently in the hunt for top honors at home or in Europe, lining up alongside him was not a viable reason for high-calibre players to join. Since his appointment in October 2015, Klopp has made Edwards' job easier through his clear vision for the on-field product. Liverpool have a stylistic profile to recruit for, and Klopp has made the sales pitch and negotiation process smoother. Their mutual respect and trust -- Edwards and Klopp have an "open-door policy" at the office -- allows the club to enact a unified strategy: there are no competing egos or agendas at play. Where politics, a lack of transparency, flaws in structure and no coherent plan can reign supreme at an elite level -- Man United being a case in point -- there is one vision at Liverpool that everyone subscribes to. Gordon, owner FSG's main representative at the club, can therefore underwrite the pair's transfer plans with complete conviction in their process. Along with Klopp and Edwards, he believes Liverpool's roster is one of the most valuable, harmonious and enviable in Europe. The key pieces have been acquired steadily over time, but the past two years have seen the majority of players arrive as Klopp's vision for the on-field tactics has taken root. Left-back Robertson, signed from Hull City for £8 million in July 2017 -- the bulk of his cost settled by squad player Kevin Stewart moving in the opposite direction -- would now fetch over £65m given the valuation of Man United target Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Firmino, Salah and Mane, brought in for less than £100m combined, are among Europe's most feared and productive forwards. Liverpool made Van Dijk the world's most expensive defender at £75m but could demand nearly treble that for him if a team made inquiries. Both midfielder Fabinho (£43m) and his countryman goalkeeper Alisson (£65m), pivotal in winning the Champions League, were recruited at a fraction of what they'd be worth in 2019. Pundits and fans have cited the purchases of the Brazilian pair and Van Dijk as a reason for the club to reach deep into their pockets again but in each of those transfers, they did not spend for spending's sake. Alisson and Van Dijk were Liverpool's top targets in goal and defense, and the club were prepared to wait before securing both of their signatures rather than moving on. There was a long-held need to secure an aerially dominant centre-back, comfortable in possession and defending large spaces, as well as a pedigreed goalkeeper and a progressive midfield anchor. All three players signed were Liverpool's premier targets in those respective positions, their prices offset by the departure of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona last January for £142m. Those ins, and one substantial out, marked a sea change for the club compared to the recent past, when they would be paralysed by big sales. Inadequate replacements were signed when Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano and Luis Suarez left. These days, they're ready to fortify once their star players are sold. With the Klopp-Edwards-Gordon triumvirate, Liverpool have been measured rather than manic in the market. They didn't get flustered when Southampton accused the club of tapping up Van Dijk in the summer of 2017, which forced them to publicly apologise and withdraw interest. While there was overwhelming pressure for the Reds to move on from the embarrassing saga and secure any other centre-back that summer, they chose instead to patiently work behind the scenes on successfully repairing the relationship with Saints at the highest level in order to make the transfer happen. Liverpool were ridiculed for not bringing in an alternative in that window, but the transfer of Van Dijk last January has arguably been the most significant signing of the Klopp era. This new-found patience has been applied to other business. When Roma looked to take advantage of Loris Karius' errors in the Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in Kiev just over a year ago, demanding £90m for Alisson that May, they did not blink. Liverpool refused to operate out of desperation, negotiating to seal a total package £25m below the asking price in mid-July. As Nabil Fekir's £53m move from Lyon crumbled at the final stage during the same window due to a medical that flagged the extent of underlying damage to his right knee, Klopp was not panicked into sourcing another expensive playmaker, despite Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain being expected to miss nearly all of 2018-19. Xherdan Shaqirijoined for £13m from relegated Stoke City to provide squad depth as the manager rotated his front three throughout the season, while the fullbacks were empowered to become the team's key creative source. Liverpool are undoubtedly an attractive proposition given their continental success, upward trajectory and the feel-good factor around the place, but it is the no-waste approach that allows them to strike if another "transformer" -- the word used at Melwood to describe Van Dijk and Alisson -- is within reach in the future. Klopp does not feel "the best squad he has worked with" is greatly in need of a blockbuster buy in 2019. Summer business expected to be minimal, largely centred around squad depth and dependent on exits. The club are equipped to act should opportunities arise that blend into their long-term picture, but the manager is convinced there is automatic room for improvement within the existing group. Fabinho and Naby Keita, who needed months to adapt at Anfield after moving from Monaco and RB Leipzig respectively, don't need a settling-in period again this summer. Oxlade-Chamberlain, restricted to just four matchday squads last season as he recovered from multiple ligament damage, is close to optimum condition and is a major feature of Klopp's future plans. The performances of Gomez and Matip alongside van Dijk have created proper competition at centre-back, where Dejan Lovren has fallen to fourth choice. The Croatian, valued at £25m, wants to be a regular starter, but Liverpool have fielded no concrete offers for him as yet, and he could ultimately decide his best option is to remain and fight his way back up the hierarchy. Simon Mignolet, too, could stay as backup to Alisson if no suitable club emerges for his services. More can be expected from Shaqiri and Adam Lallana, who suffered an injury-plagued 2018-19, and stayed behind at Melwood after the Champions League final to do extra fitness work. The midfielder has opted for a shorter offseason break in order to return to peak physical state, with Klopp and assistant manager Pep Lijnders informing him his versatility will be an important asset during a packed schedule. Origi, scorer of several defining Liverpool goals last term, like the 96th-minute winner against Everton, a double in the phenomenal Champions League comeback against Barcelona and the decisive strike to seal the Champions League final, will not be sold in this window. The highly rated Rhian Brewster, 19, will step up after striker Daniel Sturridge's release, and there will be no blockage to the pathway of exciting prospects like 17-year-old defender Ki-Jana Hoever. Liverpool had hoped to sign Lloyd Kellyfrom Bristol City to deputise for Robertson at left-back but were trumped to the £13m deal by Bournemouth, who could guarantee more minutes. There is still a necessity to strengthen there, even though James Milner and Gomez can both fill in. Nathaniel Clyne could cover both fullback positions but is primed to depart permanently after having spent last season on loan at Bournemouth. With City planning a £120m push for Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodri and full-back Joao Cancelo from Juventus after their domestic treble, there has been a demand for Liverpool to match their rival's spending. But the champions of Europe aren't about to copy and paste the approach of others. Liverpool have faith in their processes, and Klopp has complete confidence in his squad. A month before the Reds departed the Allianz Arena with a 3-1 win over Bayern in March, the Bundesliga giants arrived at Anfield for the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie with an obstructive approach, aiming to contain the explosiveness of Salah, Firmino and Mane rather than underscore their own strengths. Klopp felt it was the highest compliment they could pay Liverpool, likening it to the respect Man City had shown his side at the same ground in a goalless Premier League draw earlier in the season. "We have to start looking at ourselves like how other teams see us," he said. "They have a lot of respect for us, but I am not sure we always have the same amount of respect for ourselves." After Liverpool were crowned Europe's best in Madrid, Klopp told his backroom staff that the team believing in themselves was one of the most fundamental and enjoyable development processes he had overseen during 18 years of management. Now he will hope everyone sees what the opposition and the squad themselves do, regardless of the money that changes hands in this window.
    5 points
  5. The Gorst of Transfers Pierced
    5 points
  6. Probably a more realistic scenario than Toffee Dan’s.
    4 points
  7. I've just come across this thread for the 1st time. Some tough stuff to read on here, although I've not read it all. I was diagnosed with terminal/stage 4 bowel cancer around a year ago and was put on palliative chemo to try and help control it. With all the luck the world can muster, after 2 rounds of treatment I'd reacted to an extent that they wanted to operate. This was still not to be a cure as some of my cancer was inoperable, but it was to extend my life. However, after having my operation, they're hopeful that the chemo has got the cancer in those inoperable areas. I'm now back on chemo, but they're classing it as adjuvant now and the hope is this is the last round with a view of giving me the all clear in the autumn. I'm not out of the woods yet, but what a fucking difference a year makes. I'm not too comfortable sharing the experience (hence why I've never posted about it before and not talked about the journey I've been on), but really I posted this as I know speaking with people who are going through or have been through a similar thing can be really helpful. I'm sure everyone's situation is very personal, but I think parts of the journey can feel similar. If there's anyone who's going through this shit or has a loved one going through it and just wants a chat, please PM me.
    4 points
  8. I love Jordan Henderson. Not to the extreme where I'll tell you he's the best midfielder in the world. I may love him, but I'm not blinkered to the point of delusion. He's really good though, much better than many give him credit for. Some of our own fans are the worst for that too. Hopefully that might change now he's a European Cup winning captain, but I won't hold my breath on that. I googled Hendo's name just then as I was looking for some stats on appearances and stuff. When you do a search it comes up with a box that says "people also ask". The top one said "What does Jordan Henderson do". What does he do? WHAT DOES HE DO???? He captains the European Champions, that's what he fucking does. To be fair, I couldn't care less what fans of other teams think of him. If Spurs fans want to convince themselves Eric Dier deserves to be ahead of Hendo in the England pecking order, have at it. I'm not arsed. If Everton fans think Andre Gomes is better, good for them. I don't care if the rest of the country can't see what he brings to a team. When our own fans are among the critics though, that's a different matter. The unwarranted sneering about our skipper just makes me feel overly protective of him. I expect it from rival fans and it's fair game. With the amount of piss taking I do about rival players, it would be a little precious of me to get upset about them throwing shade at Hendo. It irks me when I see the lack of respect towards him from our own fans, although it's almost exclusively on social media it should be said. It’s a weird phenomena because barring the occasional moan and groan here and there, he doesn’t get that kind of treatment from the matchday crowd. The 'LFC family' on Twitter though? Different story entirely. Usually the overall perception of a player doesn’t vary too much from stadium to social media but in Hendo’s case the difference is huge. I don't think anyone has ever split opinion more, and I genuinely don't get it. I mean how can you watch Jordan Henderson play and think he's not a good player? Just how good he is comes to down to personal opinion. I probably rate him more highly than most but there will be others who think even more of him than I do. It blows my mind though that there are people who watch Henderson and think he's just an average player who only passes backwards and sideways. I know he's not Souness or Gerrard, but if that's the bar being set for all of our midfielders now then they'll all fall short. Those of you who don't spend too much time on social media probably think I'm exaggerating here, but I'm honestly not. Have a look at the replies to this tweet from This is Anfield. That's typical of any Henderson related tweet. The replies to this official announcement by the club were even worse. When he signed that new deal earlier in the season, I looked at the replies to the above tweet and I wanted to go on a fucking killing spree. People were reacting like he was Christian Poulsen or Salif Diao. I used to think the criticism directed towards him was basically because he isn’t Steven Gerrard. Now I think it’s just that some people are clueless. Jordan Henderson is a damn good player and is a much better leader than he’s generally given credit for. He wouldn’t still be captain if he wasn’t. Unless you think Klopp is an idiot. It's true that he got the armband more or less by default because there was no-one else even remotely qualified at the time, but there are plenty who are qualified now. We’ve got leaders all over the place, but listen to how his team-mates (and manager) talk about him and it’s clear how well respected he is. He’s grown into the captaincy. Many fans would like to see Van Dijk given the captaincy, but Big Virg has been as complimentary about Hendo's leadership as anybody. The players know more than we do. They're in that dressing room every day with him. During the on-pitch celebrations after the final, Van Dijk and Lovren walked Hendo over to the fans and Lovren was screaming "This is your captain, this is the fucking man". It would be nice to think that some of the entitled wankers who were ripping Hendo in the above tweets will have come around now, but it's wishful thinking. As soon as he has a poor game next season they'll all crawl out of the woodwork again. No matter, there are more than enough Henderson fans to drown out that noise now, and he's got a Champions League winners medal to point to any time he wants to silence his critics. He wouldn't do that though, it's not his style. I do feel that he's validated his captaincy now though. Lifting the European Cup and captaining a side that finished with 97 points is surely enough to end that discussion now? The only problem for Hendo moving forward is that he’s not guaranteed to start every game anymore. That’s not even a reflection on him either, it’s more about the competition for places and Klopp’s policy of rotating his midfield more than any other area of the team. The demands on the midfield lads are huge so Klopp will often freshen things up and bring in fresh legs. That means someone is always going to miss out. In the Nou Camp it was Hendo. In the return leg it was Wijnaldum. In the final it was Milner. It’s not a reflection on the players, just a necessity based on how we play. It's going to be even worse for them next season with Ox now back in the fold and Naby hopefully up to speed after a season of transition. Henderson at least has his versatility to fall back on. Being able to play more than one role helps, but unfortunately for him he isn't the only flexible option Klopp has. Wijnaldum and Milner are like Swiss army knives. Fabinho will almost certainly start all the big games, so that leaves two other spots up for grabs. Right now, for me at least, it's Henderson plus one more. That could change, but based on the way he's played in the last few months I don't think you can leave him out in the bigger games. I wonder if we have seen the last of him in the holding role though. He has spent most of his time under Klopp playing in that role and generally did a good job there. Most of the time he was excellent but there were occasions when he wasn’t, and on those days when he wasn’t at his best Twitter would be awash with the Hendo bashers calling for him to be moved on. I like him in the holding role, but I like him more when he's got licence to run around and make things happen. Fabinho won't play every game but when he is rested it may not be the skipper asked to fill in for him now. Wijnaldum is great in that role, and using him there allows Hendo to continue doing what he does best. It seems like Jordan has spent his entire career fighting to prove people wrong, and that's why it was so satisfying seeing him lifting the trophy. I was happier for him than I was for anyone else (other than perhaps Klopp). He was probably doubted even back in his Sunderland days but certainly from the moment he walked through the door here he was having to deal with criticism and questions as to whether he was good enough. For a long while those questions were justified, but they haven't been for some time now. It took him a while to win over the fans and in some cases he still hasn’t and probably never will. That's on them, not him. Tell you what else is boss. He's a hero in Sunderland too. Their fans are buzzing for him and apparently he's in line to be awarded the freedom of the city. That's great, brings a warm glow to the soul. Usually when a player leaves a club for bigger and better things he's not too popular, but Hendo is such a top lad they still have a place in their hearts for him up there. Managers love him too, because he’s utterly selfless and it’s ‘team first’ all the time. Rodgers tried to get rid of him when he first took over but by the end of Brendan’s time here Hendo was his captain and very much in the ‘he's a wonderful boy, a beautiful human being’ category. Klopp feels the same. He fucking loves Hendo. You can always tell just how much disdain Klopp has got for Henderson’s critics by his reaction whenever he is questioned about it. “Jurgen, Jordan Henderson has come in for some criticism lately, but…” Cue Jurgen pulling that baffled ‘what the fuck are you on about?’ face. Klopp even apologised (tongue in cheek) a couple of months ago for having played Henderson out of position for so long. For the most part it worked, but any time the midfield unit didn't function as well as it needed to, it was usually Hendo who took the brunt of the blame. For me though the problem was more about the balance of the players selected rather than any individual. Klopp often went with the tried and trusted trio of Hendo, Milner and Gini, and at times it worked brilliantly, usually because the forwards were all on fire. Other occasions, when the forwards weren't on it, the midfield looked one paced and lacking creativity. Draws at Old Trafford and Goodison spring to mind, as well as some woeful Euro aways in the group stages. In games like that, it's easy to point the finger at Henderson for not providing any drive or creativity. It became even easier to do it when we discovered how great Fabinho was. Even Hendo himself saw that, which is why he went to see Klopp and discussed a change of position. He knew Fabinho was better than him as a six, so he asked Klopp to allow him to go back to being what he was before. Klopp agreed and the box to box, chase around like a dog in a park Hendo that played such a big part in the 2014 title challenge was back for the closing months of this season and he just so looked so much happier. There was a real enthusiasm about his play and he was hugely influential. It started when he came off the bench to score and assist in a win at Southampton. We'd been struggling a bit and his arrival changed the game completely. After that he was on fire, and looked so much more energised and refreshed than when he was playing as the six. That was not a natural position for him but he’s the type of lad who just does what is asked of him without complaint. He sacrificed his own game for the good of the team which is part of the reason why I’m often so protective of him. Being a great lad doesn’t mean you can’t be questioned, but it does mean you should be granted a certain level of respect from your own fans. This season has been massive for Henderson's reputation and standing in the game, and it showed the character he possesses. I mean come on, let’s be honest here. When Fabinho and Keita joined last summer, Hendo was as much under threat as anyone. They hadn’t been signed to sit on the bench and if they turned out to be the players we thought they’d be then that only left one midfield spot up for grabs and Hendo, Wijnaldum, Milner and Lallana (Ox too when he returned) fighting for it. Not for the first time, Henderson was being written off. Not for the first time, he rose to the challenge. Having been at the World Cup with England, he was given extra time off and wasn’t due to report back until just before the season. He was having none of it though and Klopp had to force him to stay away. In the end he came back early anyway as he was so insistent. I think he had two weeks off, and even that was more than he wanted. He wasn’t in the starting line up on the opening day, but he came on in the second half and was like a man possessed. He was on the bench for the next three games too, and each time he came on he played with the intensity of a man who wanted to show his manager he was ready to start. Klopp handled it well though, resisting the temptation to rush him back and treating the first few weeks as a pre-season of sorts for him. That careful approach paid dividends as some of his performances in the latter months of the season were as good as anything we’ve seen from him. He’s in the form of his life and particularly shone on the big European nights. He was great in those games last season too actually. European sides can’t cope with the speed and intensity we play at and Henderson is a big part of that. Barca at Anfield is a perfect example. That was probably the finest display of his life, a performance to sit alongside those of any of the legendary names of the past. A real career defining game that was. He was immense, especially as he was injured early on and had to stock up on painkillers at half time just to get through the game. Seeing him collapse at full time and then struggle to get back on his feet because he had nothing left... I mean how can you not love this lad after that? Then of course there was the final. The scenes with his Dad at full time would bring tears to a glass eye, but it was also revealed later that he asked Milner and Klopp to lift the trophy with him. They both rightly refused, but that’s just about as Jordan Henderson as it gets. Even in the most defining moment of his career he’s still thinking “there’s no I in team”. Captain. Leader. And now, finally, Legend. Rating 8/10. Had he played the whole season in the more advanced role he ended it in, he'd have been a 9. Still, overall a fine effort from the skipper and a season he can be proud of. Best Moment: Lifting Big Ears. I don't know if anyone has ever done it better. Years of practice in front of the mirror had gone into that, you could tell. Worst Moment: For him personally it was probably being left out in the Nou Camp, but he ended up playing most of the game anyway after Keita was hurt early on. Maybe going off injured early away at Bayern was a low point for him, but thankfully it wasn't as serious as it looked. The Future: I expect next year to be a lot like this one. He'll play more often than not but be left out more than he'll like.
    3 points
  9. I think people are more concerned that the club will sit back when we are in the best position we have been in for 30 years. We need to take advantage of it.
    3 points
  10. The narrative coming out of the club has been one of quiet summer for a long time. Yes I trust Klopp, no I will not be happy if we stand still having just won the European Cup. We didn't exactly shoot for the moon in the summer of 2005 either. I get that our squad is good, but it can be improved and unlike 2005 we have a lot of money to spend. If we don't sign at the very least full back cover and another forward, I am going to be really disappointed. I want to see Brewster get his chance in Carling Cup games, not coming in if/when we have injuries or fatigue kick in. I want a creative midfielder as well but I can understand that not being a priority. With Salah and Mané at the African Cup of Jabronis and Firmino at the Copa, we are going to have another fragmented pre-season and those players won't be back in early July. Firmino has barely been fit since the end of April either and will likely have a longer pre-season than everyone else. We are inviting ourselves to be really short come the start of the season with this strategy. We made hardly any mistakes last season and still finished second. We don't have a margin for error where we can bring the front 3 off the bench as they ease their way back into competitive football. I get signing another forward isn't easy but we need one. I get that a reserve full back sits behind the two best in the league if not Europe and in Robbo's case, if not the world. But we can't stand still. We are one of the most attractive propositions in the world at the moment with a manager everyone wants to play for. This should be the summer where we put our foot down.
    3 points
  11. The plan is the same as it always is. Spend if we sell. As our main exists up to now are frees, there's no money to spend. If Salah was to go, we'd go and buy a couple of players. It's like last year, karius was deemed redeemable until we realised fekirs knee was made out of spaghetti and we still had a few quid to splash.
    3 points
  12. Setting up to be flat track bullies is considerably better than what we used to be. We were negative and shit. I just think the next step is being able to have a plan B of sorts. India do it well. Vince is shite, frankly. Root should open, or recall Hales. Or fucking anyone else, but Vince just isn't an international cricketer. I still think the middle order requires someone slightly more conservative (or simply adaptive really) to break up all the hitters. If you think we often have Morgan, Stokes, Buttler, Ali from 4-7. None of them regularly anchor an innings well enough. Personally I wouldn't pick Ali. I don't think he's quite good enough at either discipline.
    3 points
  13. Looks like a fucking burst sheep. Plus he's a prick. Does he make buses so he can put lies on the side of them.
    3 points
  14. Spurs don't have to win the cup to celebrate Spurs winning the cup but Spurs didn't win the cup.
    3 points
  15. His coiffure proved he was a Red, Den Berg, Den Berg...
    3 points
  16. Was a about to show the missus that, then realised I had a snout in my hand & would get a bollocking.
    3 points
  17. Yes. But only by Duckworth-Lewis.
    3 points
  18. If ISIS build a stadium heads will be falling off.
    3 points
  19. John Power and Lee Mavers (The La's)
    2 points
  20. Do they make breakfasts?
    2 points
  21. We've got 50 matches next season if we don't win a cup match. 57 if we repeat this seasons performance in the cups, where we didn't win a domestic cup game. It's madness if we think we can get as lucky again, especially as our front 3 are playing right through the summer. People rubbished that ornstien fella off the BBC "what the fuck does he know the arsenal cunt" was the general theme. Except he was spot on and on it before all the propaganda began from all the jounro's around the club got onto this "the genius thing to do is nothing" routine. By the day there's another article that comes out to say we've been that clever we don't need anyone. The mad thing is they've got everyone on board and in many cases the same people who were into the the idea of the owners "doubling down" when the season finished.
    2 points
  22. It's not like the club have got fuck all money. Most fans realise we don't need to spend 300m each season like Real Madrid or Barcelona. We just need 2 or 3 players to fill the squad up. No way can we rely on the front 3 to play 60 games without injury or being fucked. The season before we made an 8m profit All those articles since the Champions League final are a bit smug about how good the club have been at transfers. We will still be here in 5 years time wondering when the Anfield Road end will be getting built.
    2 points
  23. They got a draw in the Derby..........and stopped us winning the League. Doesn’t get much better than that for them. Their highlights over the last 15 years has been Athens, Basle, Kiev, Fantascruff, Stevie slipping, Kompany scoring that goal, getting a draw on the Derby, the Liver Birds lit up in Blue. The fountain cunt in Barca. The ball boy ‘owning’ Klopp. Like a roll of honour for them.
    2 points
  24. Easier than Duckworth-Lewis.
    2 points
  25. If we identify who he is on here, does that make us Gorstbusters?
    2 points
  26. Howie, any chance you can edit it out and maybe replace it with that purple dildo from the sky sports news interview?
    2 points
  27. Talking of annoying cunts who make shit music
    2 points
  28. 100% with you Mr Wom. YNWA isn't just four letters round here.
    2 points
  29. I don't think Klopp would have came here if we were one of the oil clubs. We're different to other clubs, our manager is different to other managers. It's the reason why so many want us to fail, because we magnify their own failures when we succeed. Like you said, money can't buy what we have.
    2 points
  30. Toffee Dan proving you don't have to be Stevenage to be shit but Everton are shit.
    2 points
  31. That little jig would have been so much better if it wasn't for his dodgy gait.
    2 points
  32. Its good to see people with acute brain damage being given access to the internet, communications should be "inclusive"
    2 points
  33. Yeah, to be fair I forgot how few of our players could play for them. I'm surprised it's as many as 2 thinking about it. After all they have richarlison and Bernard in those wide areas and firmino isn't even a number 9, so it's obvious Calvert Lewin would get a game before him. Their midfield walked all over us twice this season. There's not a finer left back in the league than digne and Mina is a monster, did you know they've both been to Barcelona on holiday? Then there's Michael Keane, who is easily England's finest centre half and everyone always underestimates Seamus Coleman. And then the keepers. The mistakes alisson makes. There's no way he's better than Jordan pickford. What a game he had in the nation's league 3rd place play off. He took a pen and then saved one, what a character, what a keeper. Fuck knows how we finished above them.
    2 points
  34. No, I think they're the equivalent to Rapid Hardware.
    2 points
  35. We are now baby. We are now.
    2 points
  36. He must be a genius, because we finished a point off the top and won the European cup, and only 2 of our players would get a game for them.
    2 points
  37. The older Brother of N'Fingera I'd say. Possibly.
    2 points
  38. The socks on the pitch was one of the funniest things ever.
    2 points
  39. It's going to be spectacular when his pal Neymar who first unsettled him goes in the opposite direction -- they can high five each other as they are changing planes.
    2 points
  40. New opportunity are baffled to be linked with a transfer for James Pearce. It is believed to be a ploy to get him a better contract at the Echo.
    2 points
  41. Charles has just become President of the homeopathy society.
    1 point
  42. A couple of weeks ago I did player ratings in my monthly column for the Norwegian supporters club magazine, “the Kopite”. Even though the ratings were done the day before the Champions League Final, the ratings I gave each player in “the Kopite” will be the same as the ones I’ll be doing on here too. With just one exception - Alisson. I gave him 8 out of 10 in the Kopite, which on reflection was…. well, it was bollocks. I did him a dis-service. Like I say, the ratings were written the day before the final, but it was not his performance in that game that caused me to revise the rating I gave him. Well it was, just not in the way you’d think, but I’ll explain that shortly. So why did I ‘only’ give him an eight initially? My justification for it was that he made several mistakes that have been mostly forgotten about because either they didn’t result in a goal, or if they did, never cost us points. I stand by that point, if not the overall rating. Two examples off the top of my head are a cross he misjudged against Cardiff that Sean Morrison should have buried (the ref would have given a foul anyway, but there didn’t look much wrong with it to me) and an incident at Anfield late in the season (can’t remember who it was against) when he came out for a ball and missed it, the ball hit him in the face and then popped up perfectly for him to grab it. There were other similar ones throughout the season, which I accept is no big deal as it goes with the job. All keepers make mistakes, it’s unavoidable. The only reason I bring them up is to explain why I was ‘only’ giving him an eight and not higher. Alisson made a fair few errors but I don’t think they cost us a single point. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good, but if you can be both then that’s perfect, and finally it looks like we have a keeper who fits that description. Alisson is great, and he also seems like he has Lady Luck in his corner. Neither Mignolet or Karius could ever be described as ‘lucky’ and many wouldn’t call them ‘good’ either, although I have a lot of time for big Simon so I’ll always fight his corner. As for ‘the Instagram Kid’? Yeah, that’s not a hill I’m prepared to die on, sorry. It always felt to me like any time Mignolet made a mistake it ended up costing us a goal. The poor bloke never got away with anything. Alisson made some blunders this year that Mignolet would have been slated for, but most of the time his blushes were spared because the ball didn’t end up in the net, or if it did it didn’t cost us points. For example, he was at fault for Jesse Lingard’s goal at Anfield but no-one remembers that now because Xherdan Shaqiri came off the bench and won the game for us. Virgil bollocked him for that one, but you’ve probably forgotten that too (as I had) because we won. The one Alisson mistake people do remember was at Leicester when he was caught showboating, but even that didn’t cost us points because we held on for the win. He learned a lesson that day and promised he wouldn’t do anything like that again, and he was true to his word. He didn’t do anything even remotely like that. What he did do was make big saves on the rare occasions we needed him to. The Napoli one stands out, but there were others too, usually in one v one situations where he’s absolutely sensational. The one at Old Trafford to deny Lingard was special, and the one against Jordy Alba just before half time at Anfield was crucial. He was immense that night. Another one that springs to mind was at Burnley late on when we were holding onto a 2-1 lead. Seconds later he started the counter attack that led to us making it 3-1. There was another top save at home to Brighton that preserved a win, a cracker to deny Everton at the Kop end and he was magnificent away at Chelsea. He’s come up big in important moments and I’m struggling to think of any keeper out there I’d rather have. I don’t know if he’s the best in the world but he’s definitely in the conversation, and there’s no-one better in the Premier League since David De Gea morphed into Massimo Taibi. So all of the above explains how I arrived at a rating of eight, but the below explains why I was talking through my arse. The final made me realise the error of my ways, but not because he was my star man on the night. Yes, he had a really good game and made some fine saves, but it wasn’t one of those eye popping games when the keeper is making all kinds of spectacular saves. Virtually every save was one that you’d have been disappointed if he hadn’t made it. So what caused my change of heart? It was more of a realisation that he doesn’t often have to make ‘difficult’ looking saves because his fundamentals are so good that he’s rarely stretched. I’m no goalkeeping expert, but I’m now of the opinion that Alisson doesn’t have to make full length miraculous saves because his footwork and his positioning is so good. He makes the difficult look easy, without us even realising he’s done it. Mignolet seems to idolise him and has even publicly stated that he has no complaints about being Alisson's back up as he's one of the best in the world. This is part of what has made me think again about what makes a great keeper. If he isn't always making brilliant saves, yet people keep saying he's one of the best in the world, why would that be? Fundamentals. Things that the layman wouldn't really notice. This brings me back to the final. Some of those saves he made didn’t look anything special but for another keeper they might have been, that’s if they made them at all. Take the Eriksen free-kick for example. It was a good save but it wasn’t a ‘how did he keep that out?’ moment. If he’d been a step more to his right though, maybe it would have been. Or worse, maybe it would have been a goal. If he’d just failed to get there most of us would probably have said “the shot was too good, he had no chance”. If I had a quid for every time I've said that about a goal Mignolet let in I’d have enough to… well it wouldn’t even pay him a day’s wages, but it’s still a lot. It’s nonsense though. I realise that now. I feel like I’ve had an epiphany. For years I’d judge keepers on their great saves or bad mistakes. The mistakes part is relevant as you don’t want a goalie who’s dropping clangers all the time, but the great saves thing is overstated. Sometimes a great save only looks great because the positioning was shit. Unless you’re a goalkeeping guru (which I'm certainly not) you probably wouldn’t even notice that. Alisson has maybe made half a dozen “great” saves this season, but it's likely that a load of those routine ones are only routine because he’s so damn good. The other thing that needs to be taken into account is that even when he’s made a mistake, you’d never know it from looking at him afterwards. He doesn’t let it affect him, and his team-mates don’t let it worry them either. He just keeps on being a big, bearded, dominant sexy bastard, oosing machismo. All of this has brought a sense of calm to the position that we haven’t had since before Reina tacked on mass and sacrificed flexibility. Alisson knows he’s boss, his team-mates know he’s boss, and the crowd knows he’s boss. The best thing is there’s still room for improvement. We’ve got ourselves a great one here. Best Moment: The save against Napoli. Without that, there’s no ‘number six’ and even worse, we’d have gone into the Europa League. The damage that would have done to our morale might have torpedoed the entire season. Worst Moment: Only being given 8 out of 10 by some divvy writing in "the Kopite". Other than that, probably the mistake at Leicester, although it was a blessing in disguise as it knocked the cockiness out of him early on. Rating 9 / 10 Not perfect enough to get a ten but a fantastic first season.
    1 point



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