Leaderboard

Not the most convincing of scorelines but at no point did I ever feel that this result was in doubt. It always felt like just a matter of time before we eventually broke through their eleven man defence and it never looked like they were going to score. It was top versus bottom and the it was the biggest points difference ever at this stage. That says more about how great we are than it does about Norwich being weak in my opinion. They’re probably the best bottom placed club I can remember in years. They deserve credit for making us have to work for the result but I was a little surprised at how they played. I’ve enjoyed watching them this season and I thought they were boss at Anfield. They got hammered though so presumably Daniel Farke decided that all out defence was the way forward this time. They only lost 1-0 so I guess he’ll view that as being worth it. I did think they might have seen this as a free swing and thrown everything they had at us, but it was clear from the first minute that wasn’t going to be the case. It’s not like that approach works against us anyway, but defending doesn’t work either. It’s a case of pick your poison I suppose. If they’d attacked us it wouldn’t have ended well either, but that’s how they play and I expected them to play their football and go down swinging, like Southampton a couple of weeks ago. It was a good time for them to play us though as it feels as though we’re never any good when we come back from a break. I don’t have the stats to back that up and it might not be true, but the impression I have is that we’re always lacking sharpness when we’ve had a week off. The performance against Norwich was fine for the most part, but there was a distinct lack of sharpness in the final third. We dominated the game, looked strong at the back, passed it around well, but the clinical edge just wasn’t there until Sadio came on and transformed the game. The first half wasn’t that good as I don’t think we adjusted well enough to the weather conditions. You can’t hit those long passes over the top of defenders when the wind is as strong as that, but we kept trying it anyway. Klopp said the problem was that the midfielders weren’t expecting the defenders to hit it long and as a result they couldn’t get in position for the second ball. That changed after the break and we looked much more cohesive as a result. I’ve said before that’s one of the least talked about impressive things about us. The ability to analyse what isn’t working and how to fix it during the game is massive. It literally is a huge game changer because it’s changed countless games. We always seem to play better in the second half of games and this is a big reason why. It’s also because we just wear teams down. It’s hard to keep us at bay for ninety minutes as eventually the tiredness keeps in and the pressure we exert usually pays off. Norwich looked relatively comfortable in the first half but the longer the second half went the more you could sense a goal coming. I was getting impatient and frustrated but I always believed we’d score. It felt like we were just waiting for Mané to come on and win it for us, and that’s what happened. We could have scored prior to him coming on but we just weren’t sharp enough. Tim Krul didn’t have too much to do really. He tipped a shot over the bar from Keita, made a decent stop to deny Salah after some magic footwork from him, and he produced a great follow up stop to deny Keita from the rebound. Naby has to score there though. At the other end Norwich were rarely able to even get near our goal but they did hit the post through Tettey. Alison had that covered though, you can see he has his hands behind the post and was there if he needed to save it. It was only after Sadio replaced the ineffective Ox (love him as a midfielder but really not a fan of his on the wing) that we really looked like we had Norwich on the ropes. After that we were always going to win and we should have scored more than one. Bobby missed a sitter after an absolute killer cross by Trent. It came at him pretty quick but he’d expect to score that. I’m just glad he wasn’t looking the other way like he usually does with tap ins! Norwich managed to create one chance when Pukki shot straight at Alisson, but overall it was comfortable for us defensively. The only criticism of the performance would be the amount of times we got in or around the box and played a poor pass or cross. Norwich had so many players in there at all times though that it was like trying to thread needle with a shoelace. Bottom line is we found a way. Again. We’re so good now that it’s boring to everyone else. That explains the way commentators and pundits are clinging to irrelevant little things as talking points. Take the Alisson save in the first half for example. Great save, but anyone talking about that as being an important moment and proof that Norwich could have taken something from the game are missing one, pretty important detail. IT WAS OFFSIDE!! I’m fairly sure that wouldn’t have counted even if they’d scored as the replay made him look a fraction off, and if you add the VAR lines to it then he’d defo have been off. I guess they didn’t want it to be seen as offside as it would have taken away one of their few talking points. It’s barely been mentioned that it was offside by anyone other than Klopp. Why? Because otherwise there are no real talking points other than us winning yet another game. It’s understandable really, and it’s a backhanded compliment. It is boring for everyone else, I completely get that. Same reason there was hardly any mention of the stonewall penalty we didn’t get when Virgil was wrestled to the floor. I just don’t know how anyone can look at that and not give a pen. Fair enough that the ref may not have seen it as he can’t be looking at every player in the box, but VAR saw it and did nothing. Apparently there has not been a single penalty awarded by VAR in that scenario so it must be an agreement between the refs that they don’t over-rule on those incidents. It’s bizarre though isn’t it? No-one is arsed about the Virgil pen but there are some crying ‘foul’ about Sadio’s goal. “LiVARpool” again, eh? Thing is, Sadio’s goal was not given by VAR. It was given by the referee and VAR saw no reason to overturn it. Norwich didn’t complain, it’s just the mental element of fanbases like Everton, City and United. The theatrics from the Norwich defender when he misjudged the ball and felt a hand on him was just embarrassing. But they were doing that all day, especially that Cantwell cunt. We’ve been linked with him today. Fuck that, I don’t want that massive fucking fanny anywhere near us. I’ve been telling you in the round ups that I don’t like him. “Eton educated Jack Grealish” I’ve been calling him. Except Grealish is miles better and far less of a twat. This lad has that James Maddison vibe about him, and that’s not a good thing. He was throwing himself to the floor any time one of our lads went near him. I like this Norwich team (Buendia and Pukki especially) and I’d love for them to stay up, but Cantwell is just a shithouse and I have no time for him at all. It was hard for the referee and it seemed to me that he was falling for their gamesmanship constantly in the first half. After the break he let a lot more go and their fans started getting on his case. Overall he did ok but some of the jobsworth shit he was pulling on free-kicks and corners was irritating. Trent was booked for fuck all too. Cantwell again. Cuntwell. The finish from Sadio though. Wow. This fella has just come back from a hamstring injury, and here he is leaping high into the air, stretching his right leg to control the ball, and then immediately landing and lashing the ball in with his left. He’s ridiculous. Mind you, Bobby almost did something similar in the first half when he too plucked a Hendo pass out of the sky but before he could finish it a defender took it off his toe. The ability and agility of players these days is something else. I don’t remember many players back in the day being able to do shit like that as a matter of routine. Some could, but they stood out a mile because of it. The ability we see nowadays is off the scale, and not just from the top players. Which kind of brings me to another point that has been heavily discussed recently. How good (or bad) is the league this year? I think it can be best summed up like this. There is only one great team in the league, but the bottom teams are probably stronger than ever. Norwich are bottom but they’d have survived most years because they’re decent. The teams at the bottom are all packed with full internationals. The league as a whole isn’t weak, it’s probably as competitive this year as it’s ever been. The one outlier is that we’re the greatest side to have ever played on these shores and that is skewing things in the eyes of many. Take us out of the equation and the narrative would be totally different. The talk would be about what an exciting season it is and what a strong league it is. But because there is one team beating everyone and breaking records, some see it the other way. I just think that instead of bemoaning the poor standard of the league they should just laud what Klopp has done in turning this team into the greatest side in English football history. In terms of how we played, most were ok and some were very good. Not everyone will agree, but I thought Keita had a good game even though it was masked somewhat by the amount of times he gave the ball away in the final third. I agree some of his passing was sloppy but he is the one taking responsibility to try to play those difficult eye of the needle through balls in and around the box, so the success rate of those is always going to be low. He also missed a sitter which will is something else that will be held against him. I was pleased with him though, he did a lot of great work without the ball, he seemed to be popping up all over the pitch and I like that he’s taking responsibility. On another day a couple of those passes find their target and he has two assists and people are raving about him. I’ve just got a sneaky feeling that he’s going to do be a really significant player over the next few months. Hendo was the star man though. He was brilliant once again. His passing was sensational considering the conditions and he was always there picking up the pieces and winning the ball back. Even in the final seconds when Norwich were trying to force an equaliser it was Hendo back there on the edge of the box making the all important tackle. His standards are so fucking high this season. I could easily have given it to Mané though as he transformed the game and from the moment he came on I knew we’d find a winning goal. He’s just so good and so confident these days. It took him a while to go from very good to great, but he’s there now and you can tell that he knows it himself. There’s not an arrogant bone in his body, but he just looks so relaxed and comfortable in his greatness now. So on we go. The title was all but wrapped up long ago so now we turn our attention back to Europe. I know nothing about Atletico these days as from what I can gather half of the team has changed over the last year or two. I fully expect massive levels of shithousing from them though and therefore it’s going to be tough. I’d back us to beat anyone though so I’m looking forward to it. Team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Wijnaldum (Fabinho), Keita; Salah, Firmino, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Mané):

Saturday Feb 8: The wives of Hendo and Mo both gave birth in the last day or so, pretty much exactly nine months since we beat Barca at Anfield. The first thing that came to my mind was fair play to Hendo considering the absolute state he was in at the end of that game. Mo had the night off so obviously he was full of beans, but Hendo collapsed in a heap at full time, his knee was in bits and he’d been pumped full of pain killers, so that’s a proper captain’s knock that. Milner took to social media to congratulate Hendo and quipped “assist by Origi” and hash tagged it #cornertakenquickly. What a man. Meanwhile, the investigation into our supposed ‘hacking’ of Man City’s scouting database has been closed. City will be livid but there’s fuck all they can say, publicly at least, because they accepted a £1m pay off with a legal binding agreement on both sides to make no comment on it. City weren’t arsed at the time because we were shite and posed no threat. Then, a few days after a meeting of the PL clubs in which some, including us, asked the PL just what they were doing about City’s blatant breaching of FFP rules, this story resurfaced in the Times, six years after the actual incident. Some co-incidence that, eh? The investigation was dropped by the FA because of the amount of time that has passed and because City had already accepted a settlement. Liverpool admitted no wrong doing, but because they coughed up a million quid that sort of implies guilt. From what I’ve been told, there was no ‘hacking’ and that’s a proper disingenuous way of putting it. The way these scouting systems are set up, the higher up the chain you are the more access you have. So, if you’re Michael Edwards for example, you’d be able to log in and you’d have access to all the scouting reports from everyone beneath you. If you’re one of the scouts on the lower rung of the ladder, you only have your own reports. Dave Fallows left City but he never ‘hacked’ anything to get back in. If he could still see the reports from the scouts who worked under him, it’s clearly because they never revoked his access. It’s claimed that he was looking at the reports for players they were scouting, and I’m sure he was because why the fuck wouldn’t you? It’s unethical and you can argue it’s poor form, but it’s not exactly crime of the century is it? Which is why we gave them a million quid by way of apology. The only reason it even reared it’s head again is because we became dead good and also because City were wanting to deflect from their own cheating. Classic case of ‘whataboutery’. Sunday Feb 9: Man City’s game is postponed due to the weather, meaning we might have to wait a bit longer to wrap up the title, depending on when that game is rescheduled for. Be funny if they stick in the middle of their winter break. It’d be even funnier if they were actually in a title race and could cry ‘conspiracy’. Difficult to do that from 22 points behind, although I’m sure that won’t stop the loons on Blue Moon. Saw a tweet today from Pedro Chirivella in response to something the clubs official account had put out about him. I had a little look at the replies and saw some fella saying he’s not going to make it here because he doesn’t have the physicality and he’s a yard slower than the other midfielders. That’s probably true, but what possesses someone to be tagging the player in on something like that? If I ruled the world, I’d find out who he was and I’d send the boys around to give him a kicking. It winds me right up. If he wants to tweet his opinion on Pedro and say he won’t make it here that’s fine. No problem at all as we all have opinions and social media gives us a platform to express them. When you tag the player in though, seriously, what the hell is wrong with you? Not just any player either. A young lad who has been sensational for us when he’s been drafted in for these cup games. I had a look through his account and Pedro often replies to fans who message him, so that tells me he reads his mentions and will have seen what this goon was saying. I’m sure it won’t have bothered him, but it bothers me as there’s just no need for it. So many people in this world are just fucking turds. Monday Feb 10: Bernardo Silva says Man City gave up on the title too soon. "I think we got to a point one month ago where we gave up a bit too soon and that's why we're twenty-something points behind now. We shouldn't have done that and it was not on purpose. It was in our head, everyone was disappointed to be already ten or 15 points behind and our heads went a bit down. It's difficult because we're a team used to winning and last season we won everything in England.” First thing I thought when reading that was “Mentality Midgets”. "In the important moments we’ve not been as lucky as in past seasons,” he said. “We always concede in the last minute, Liverpool always score in the last minute. These little details in football make the difference." They’ve let in a couple of late ones and we’ve scored a few late ones, but it doesn’t account for 22 points worth of difference. You keep telling yourself it’s just bad luck though. Another day, another bullshit transfer rumour. Bayern want to sign Bobby for £75m. That would barely even pay for his teeth. Even if they doubled that I reckon Klopp would tell them to fuck off. Tuesday Feb 11: Published an article from my mate Chris on the site last night. It was a piece inspired by the Owen interview on Carra’s podcast last week and it was very much pro-Owen. As soon as I tweeted out the link for it I decided I wasn’t going to look at my mentions as I knew what to expect, especially when Carra and Owen both put it on their Twitter too, which always attracts way more of the lunatic fringe. Not liking him is fine, but it always makes me squirm when I see the words “Judas” and “Rat” thrown around. It’s what I expect from United fans. It’s the same mentality that has them booing anyone who has had any connection to us, no matter how small. If you don’t like Owen, that’s your prerogative, but the whole “once a manc never a red” thing just makes me cringe. Leave that bitterness to them. I said my piece on all of that last week so I’m not going to go over it again, but there was one point made by Chris that I hadn’t really thought too much about and now that I have it’s really pissed me off. How come the club’s social media account acts as though Michael Owen doesn’t exist? As I say, it’s not something I’d paid any attention to but Chris took issue that they’re more than happy to tweet Happy Birthday to Suarez or Torres or do one of those “on this day (insert number) years ago (insert player) scored this incredible goal” posts, but they never do anything like that for Owen. It’s actually fucking weird when you think about it. I mean look at today for example. They were posting “Happy Birthday to Steve McManaman” which is fine, as whatever people think of Macca and how he left, he was a great player for us and gave us some great memories. He also won two trophies for us, almost single handedly. Just like Michael Owen in fact, but where were his birthday wishes from the club? I’ve heard people saying Owen is a bit of a whiner and seems to feel sorry for himself. I agree, he is occasionally coming across like that when he talks about Liverpool and his legacy, but can you really blame him when he’s seeing the club try to airbrush him out of their history? Why not go the whole hog and remove some of those trophies he won for us from the trophy wall they’re so keen to keep showing us all? I get why some people don’t like him. I get why a lot of people are completely indifferent to him. What I don’t get is why the club are treating him differently to other ex players who left. If it’s because he played for Manchester United then that’s utterly embarrassing, smalltime, manc behaviour. We should be better than that. Wednesday Feb 12: Timo Werner rumours are really gathering pace. He’s been lighting it up in Germany this year apparently, averaging a goal a game and looking like a superstar. He’s a good age (24) and by all accounts is seen as a good fit for how we play. So why am I not excited by this in the least? Mbappe, that’s why. I’m setting myself up for one big disappointment this summer when he ends up going to fucking Chelsea or somewhere. Still, you just know Jurgen will end up bringing someone in who ends up being fucking incredible. It might even be Werner. Thursday Feb 13: Or maybe it will be Sancho? We’re said to be one of the teams to have contacted Dortmund to express an interest. I think I’ve written before that I’ve seen virtually nothing of him as I don’t watch England or Dortmund. I can’t actually remember ever watching him play at all in fact, although I’ve seen some highlights posted on social media. The price for him seems like something we wouldn’t pay. I could see us pushing the boat out for Mbappe, but going over £100m for Sancho when Werner is available at half that isn’t really our style. We’ll go big when it’s a hole that desperately needs filling (Virg and Alisson) but when you’ve got the best front three in the world it seems a bit silly spending that much on a player who isn’t better than what we have. Of course Sancho is really young and might soon become better than what we have, which is why I wouldn’t rule it out entirely. Friday Feb 14: Oh my God, this season is just too good to be true. City being banned from Europe for two years would be the biggest game changer I can ever remember. It would finish them. They’d lose Guardiola, half the players would fuck off, no top stars would want to join them and they’d just be damaged goods. And it would be 100% deserved, the arrogant cheating cunts. Still, it’s not all bad for them, as when everyone fucks off then at least boy wonder Phil Foden might actually get to start the occasional league game. And of course Raheem will still be there, as he’s always shown such incredible loyalty to his previous clubs. Seriously, as soon as this news broke I bet Aidy Ward was on the phone to potential new clubs. You know where I reckon Sterling is going to eventually end up? Old Trafford. Don’t ask me why, I just have a gut feeling. He’d have no qualms about going there and I don’t think anyone else would pay the asking price. A two year ban from the CL would be fucking catastrophic for City. They’d lose around £150m, which is a problem when you’re already struggling to comply with FFP rules. If they’re £150m down, they have to make that up somehow, and they can’t just concoct some fake sponsorship that comes out of the Sheikh’s pockets. And that’s even without the PL and FA getting involved. They may have sanctions of their own yet. I’ve said all along that it’s up to the clubs really. If everyone puts pressure on the PL to do something about it, they’ll have to. The thing that’s done my head in is that City’s cheating is seen by many as being ok because it only impacts the other big clubs. It doesn’t though, it’s fucked it for everyone. City have hoovered up all the domestic cups, meaning no-one else has had a chance. Look at what happened to Watford in the cup final. They were humiliated. Or Burton Albion in the League Cup semi. Had City played by the same rules everyone else is playing by then maybe some of the smaller teams would have stood a chance at winning a cup. This shit affects every club, not just the ones like us and United that have missed out on titles because of their cheating. It’s hard to shake the feeling that they’ll somehow wriggle out of it because money and power always wins. It wouldn’t shock me but then I think if UEFA didn’t believe they had a watertight case why would they come down so hard on City? If this decision isn’t upheld, then FFP may as well be fucked off completely as it’s utterly pointless. And if that happens, City will spend double, treble, what they did before because there’ll be nothing to stop them. The funny thing is though we’ll still be better than them as long as Klopp is here. and that was the week that was….