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  1. That’s that then. Season over, Klopp’s going out with a whimper and a campaign that promised so much is ending in massive disappointment and anger. Ok, we’ve got a trophy under our belts but is that League Cup really offering any consolation right now? Absolutely nothing is consoling me, I’m just fucking devastated about all this. It’s not the missing out (I think most of were expecting to come up just short), it’s the way we’re missing out. I need to strike the right balance here between how I’m feeling and what I know to be completely knee jerk over the top statements. How I feel right now is not what I’ll be feeling when I’ve calmed down. At least I don’t think it will. Maybe I’ll still be feeling this way, who knows. I do know that I said a few weeks back that if these players didn’t go and win at Old Trafford I’d struggle to look at them in the same way. I also said if they allow Klopp to go out with a whimper I’d struggle to forgive them and it would take some getting over. So this isn’t a reaction to losing a derby, it’s something that’s been in my head for several weeks. And that’s exactly how I’m feeling right now, so maybe it won’t pass, I don’t know. All I know is that I don’t want to even look at this team right now. The sense of disappointment in them is something I’m not sure I’ve experienced this strongly before. They were on the brink of doing something really special and they’ve thrown it away. Ok, on the brink is overstating it, but they had put themselves in a position where it was attainable, and instead of rising to the challenge they’ve completely buckled under the pressure and what we’re seeing now is a collective mess. They ALL have blood on their hands and it’s pointless looking for scapegoats because they’re all to blame to varying degrees. Except the kids. They’ve done us proud. Everyone else? They’ve shit the bed. Everyone will have their own scapegoats and say “if he’d have done blah blah blah then this wouldn’t have happened” but honestly, when it comes to the outfield players it’s literally all of them. They’ve all contributed to this recent shitshow to varying degrees and we saw that in this game. Diaz was our best player but he missed a great chance in the first half which if he’d scored would have changed things completely. He’s been the one forward who has consistently been at it over recent weeks and he’s put most of his team-mates to shame. Yet for all of his endeavour he hasn’t delivered the quality we’ve needed either. Look at the City game for example. He was great, but the one v one he missed was decisive. Still, in terms of the forwards he’s the one I’m the least disappointed with by some distance. I’m just highlighting him to make the point that even he, the best player we’ve had over this period, isn’t blameless. He just has less blame than the rest, but collectively this has been a huge meltdown. This is the lowest point of the Klopp era by far. We’ve lost finals, missed out on titles on the last day, had some stinking times last season and during COVID but we knew we’d come through all of that and be stronger for it. And we were. Now? Fuck knows. Jurgen is leaving, which in itself is bad enough, but the ‘great squad’ he was leaving behind for his successor suddenly looks nothing of the sort. Now there are question marks about virtually everybody.
    25 points
  2. Monday Apr 15: Feels somewhat inappropriate to be as down about the Palace game as I am considering what today is. It’s always a sobering day, especially when you see some of the things posted on twitter by survivors or the families of one of the 97. To be honest, I try and avoid it, which I’m not proud of, but even now after all these years it’s so upsetting and the sense of injustice is as strong as ever, and I didn’t even lose anyone close to me. I never know what to say either, even JFT97 feels kind of hollow now because what does it even mean? There’ll never be justice, I think the only thing we can do is ensure they’re never forgotten, which of course they won’t be. The Blues had a nice banner on display at Chelsea, as they usually do at this time of year. For every shithead who sings Always the Victims there are a dozen sound Blues who know the score. One of the best was always Bill Kenwright, and I found myself thinking of him today for some reason. He was always a top fella when it came to standing with us on this issue. Everton’s support is always appreciated and maybe that’s part of the reason I didn’t take any particular pleasure in them losing 6-0 tonight. Maybe it’s because it was Chelsea beating them. I don’t know, but whatever the reason it did nothing for me. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted them to lose, of course I did, but it’s just not really getting my juices flowing anymore because it kind of feels pointless. If they ended up in the bottom three the PL would give them some points back on appeal anyway. Tuesday Apr 16: Bradley is only going to be out for 2-3 weeks which feels like a let off as it looked like a bad one when it happened. Hopefully Trent doesn’t need to be overplayed and rushed back, as this has been happening all season. We get one player back, then someone in the same position goes out. It’s been so weird. Meanwhile Keita has been suspended for the rest of the season after going home when he found out he wasn’t in the team. What a train wreck of a season he’s had. I wasn’t expecting great things from him but fucking hell, his career has gone into the toilet. It’s a bit weird in the sense that he actually seems a bit of a cunt, when despite his under-achieving here he seemed extremely popular with everyone and there were never any murmurings of him being trouble. Maybe that’s the Klopp effect? In the CL quarter finals tonight PSG went to Barca and sprung an upset to go through. I didn’t watch any of it but some of the lads in the chat did and their view on it was similar to what I saw on twitter. An awful lot of talk about a ref who looked like he’d been paid off. Now the first thing to say here is fuck Barcelona, they were nobbling refs for years so if PSG did get to this ref then you reap what you sow. The second thing to say is fuck PSG too, hopefully Dortmund send them packing and go on to win the whole thing. Meanwhile, FA Cup replays have been scrapped from next season and there’s a load of uproar about it, with Evertonians predictably leading the charge against “the sly six”. Look, I’m not in favour of replays being scrapped either, but apparently every Premier League club voted this through, it’s not just “the Super League six” or whatever. And since when did Everton become the Patron Saint of Little Clubs? These cunts were part of the original breakaway Premier League and they recently voted through that multi club loan bullshit thing too, which sure as hell wasn’t to help those less fortunate than them. Actually I’m not sure there is anyone less fortunate than them, but you get my point. And all those points they had docked? There was a reason for that. They cheated, trying to gain an advantage over the Burnleys and Leeds of this world. So they need to pipe the fuck down. In terms of the replay thing, I have zero sympathy with Premier League clubs on this issue, for several reasons. Firstly, if you aren’t good enough to beat a lower league club at the first attempt then that’s on you. Secondly, virtually every top flight club fields weakened sides in the cup now, even those who aren’t in Europe, so if they have to play an extra game then fine, pick the squad players or give kids a chance. Every PL club has enough players to put a team out without having to risk their top players. The solution to this is simple though. Let the two clubs decide beforehand if they want a replay or not. So if we’re playing Man United, both teams will want that settled on the day. If we’re playing Newport, they’ll probably quite like the idea of a potential replay, which is fair enough. Bottom line here though is that it feels like Klopp and Guardiola (Arteta to some extent too) are getting most of the blame for this shit, even though it’s got fuck all to do with them. The clubs had a vote and it was unanimous.
    22 points
  3. We live to fight another day then. Defeat here would have buried us and considering the run we’d been on it wouldn’t have been much of a shock. Fulham is a difficult place to go when they’re at it, but thankfully they weren’t and it was fairly comfortable in the end. The game was still in the balance at half time though so it wasn’t a completely stress free afternoon, but once we got the second goal it was generally without drama and the third goal made it completely safe. In terms of how we played and what it means moving forward, we played ok and no-one has a clue what it means. Winning this doesn’t solve all of our issues but it should go some way to refocusing everyone and it’s something to build on. The points are the only thing that matters now anyway. Performances are nice and all, and they make it easier to get results, but winning is all that counts now. Just find a way. Five games left, we need to win them all and even that might not be enough. But it might be, so we’ve got to find a way to win them all and then see how the cards fall. Going to Craven Cottage on a Sunday after a fruitless Thursday night trip to Italy isn’t easy, so this is a great win all things considered. Klopp made several changes but he had to really. You can make those changes based on freshness, but you could just as easily make them based on performances. The only players who should consider themselves ‘safe’ after the past week or two are Alisson, Virgil, Trent and Robbo. Every other place is up for grabs as far as I’m concerned. Some players (Endo and Macca) have looked knackered, some are finding their way back to sharpness after injury (Jota and Jones), while the others have just not been good enough (everyone else). So Klopp shuffled his pack. Konate, Macca and Salah were rested, while Nunez wasn’t selected despite not starting in midweek. Fair to say his omission was not based on tiredness, and he might not start at Goodison on Wednesday either. In fact, it makes a degree of sense not to considering Everton will be defending so deep it’s going to feel like being in the Death Star trash compactor for our forward line.
    16 points
  4. This could be Rotterdam or anywhere, Liverpool or Rome, Wherever Arne manages, He'll never need a comb... He'll never need a comb...
    15 points
  5. At my age watching my reds since 1971 i can get very reflective quicker after losing my shit, or worshiping at the Anfield Altar. For me the Title race is run, we will finish 2nd or 3rd. I will enjoy our run in and hope that whatever happens we give JNK something to enjoy, more moments he can look back on. Some will only want to reflect on the season once its over, for me personally that's too late,, Why? because he will be gone by then. Don't get me wrong i want us to win out and see what happens, I want to win the PL for him as much as the next fan, i am just relaxed about it whether it happens or not I look on it like this. Imagine just for a second Klopp was staying to see out his contract. Expectation and the desperation drops, we don't chase the Fairytale or the Hollywood ending, and after last seasons debacle he and the lads had to endure then deliver this: Much changed Squad, New Midfield additions Bajetic, Matip Thiago out all season. Literally EVERY player be missing through Injury for significant periods Encounter countless officiating errors that are beyond belief in key games Consistently give goals away either first or equalisers Only keep 9 clean sheets in 33 games..... Lose one of you strikers because some cunt kidnapped his father! BUT Win a trophy. You will flutter around at the top of the table, possibly winning the League, at least going close. After 33 games you will have only lost 2 Morally Discover that Kelleher is a really top class back up keepe See who this Quansah lad is that none of you had heard of, and how fckin good he is Emergence of Bradley which will see twitter virgins want Trent sold! See Dom look every inch the new Gerrard for a portion of the season when he carried us very early on. huge potential Endo after a shaky start work it out and became a cult hero and looks a fckin steal Macca at 6 now at 8 now doing what we expected him to do even though he looks knackered after a warm up! Joe Gomez being Injury free and fucking sensational every game wherever he played Robbo and Virgil getting their Mojo back The development of Danns, McConnell, and Clarke....... Just because we shit the bed twice v Man Utd (no lack of effort, just Composure and game management) and Palace at Home ("one of those that even City get") we are moping and groaning why? because Klopp is going. That is the only reason. The pressure and emotion we are putting on ourselves, its actually impacting negatively on the atmosphere sometimes when we want to celebrate a generational manager Klopp will be disappointed at the end of the season if we don't win the title, not for himself, but for us, the players, everyone he holds dear, which is why we are so desperate to win for him. I am trying to look at it from HIS perspective. If this very young squad can develop as they should, we are going to be in for a fantastic next few years, they are Klopp players he will get all the reflective glory and deservedly so. I for one am proud of the lads (still 5 to go) despite what happens, as i look around at the other Squads in the PL there is none as powerful and talented as ours, (when they are all fit). We are challenging them on their "Mentality" but they love Klopp as much as we do, we are ALL trying too hard, human nature. Take his departure out of this and what a fuckin squad we have, and what a season we have had given last season and the adversity this season. Look how thin City Squad is now, Chelsea's full of kids and big time knobheads, Arsenal, relatively lucky with Injuries but thin as fuck... We have world class players, we have young players who will be world class players. The sooner we get off the Fairytale train and get on board relishing and celebrating the young talent that is Klopp's legacy the sooner we can enjoy the last few weeks of him. We all want it for Him, but lets look at what we have achieved this season despite all the setbacks, Injuries, Officials, Finishing, Conceding... but lets celebrate what we have done, and relish what they could do in the next 5 years..... and go out celebrating the Man we will miss
    13 points
  6. Work-rate. Incisiveness. Nous. I don't ask for much. This is how it's gonna be. Build from the ground up. After a much improved display and decent result at Fulham, we move onto the second of 4 away games in succession (the first being the trip to Bergamo) when we visit the 'Grand Old Lady'. Like a grand old lady, it's seen better days decades ago and now stinks of piss. Countless times this season, Everton have come up against an equally shit opponent, dragged them down to their level and beaten them through experience. They and Ashley Young got a massive helping hand against Forest, who were denied 3 penalties. Forest's cry-arsing statement afterwards will not have helped their cause, as PGMOL don't take kindly to being called out for their shitness. They of course think they are doing a great job, and are backed up by Howard Webb's book of bullshit excuses. It seems as though every time Everton are staring at the abyss, there will either be 3 sides shitter than them, or they'll come up against an opponent having a stinker. We are absolutely not the former, and we absolutely must not allow ourselves to be the latter. Last season's fixture finished goalless, mainly thanks to the woodwork (the goalposts in this instance!) and the goalkeepers. For us, Darwin, Lucho and Mo all hit the frame of the goal, and for them it was Davies. The goalkeepers were kept busy, although the clearest opportunity fell to Everton debutant Maupay who somehow found Ali's arm when he had pretty much the entire goal to aim at. Bobby had a couple of efforts saved, and was still yet to score in a derby. Incredible really that for the best part of 8 years he was the central fulcrum of our attack yet never registered a goal in a derby. The blooshite were denied a late goal by VAR, who deemed Coady to be offside at the far post from a Maupay cross-shot. This was a far more clear-cut decision than the 'point of Sadio's elbow' decision by David Coote on VAR a couple of years earlier that denied Hendo a stoppage time derby winner (this was the game where Coote forgot that Virg had been recklessly crippled by T-Rex Arms). Fuck off Coady. We'd had a shit start to the season, especially away from home, so a point was better than nothing. Still shit though, considering Fat Frank was in the dugout for the blooshite. Our last game at Fulham saw an improvement in our general play, and more composure in attacking situations. We must do everything we can to get this game under control. Don't do anything that lets Everton off the hook or gives them a head of steam. Hopefully Everton's good fortune was used up against Forest. We should have everyone that was available for Fulham available again for the derby. I want maximum motivation, concentration, attitude and application from first minute to last. No excuses. Dominate them, control them, finish them. 3 points please. Get it done!
    12 points
  7. Good stuff, Dave. For me, Gakpo has really stepped up. His speciality is picking up the ball on the edge of the attacking third, turning and bursting forward through tight spaces. We need to use that better with the movement ahead of him. He can then install himself as the Bobby replacement, linking the last phase of attack. On your excellent point (made on the pod, too) about the "moment" the ball is played during a VAR check, this is absolutely crucial. If my memory is correct, there are 24 frames per second in digital video. If you filmed a foot kicking a ball, the "contact" will cover virtually all 24 frames - and sometimes more, depending on the type of strike. Now, when two people are running (sometimes in opposite directions, so, unscientifically "twice" the speed!) the offside line shifts massively in a split second. So, the moment the "pause" button is pressed is VITAL. Yet, pundits and journalists never seem to talk about it! There is an arbitrary "press pause there" mumbled by the VAR, and then the lines are the only thing that is analysed! But if a few frames are rewound of moved forward - the boot will still be in contact with the ball ("the moment the ball is played") yet the lines will be in completely different places. VAR is a shambles and it has had a detrimental effect on the sport. Lastly, I just wanted to mention that Alisson corner. My mate used to referee in a Christian league. He loved it. Yes it was physical and competitive, but when it came down to contentious decisions, it was so easy because nobody cheated - if you touched the ball last you admitted it. Sometimes they'd be so honest that there's be a disagreement: "Mate, I did touch it, it's a corner." / "No, you didn't, I did, it's a goal kick..." I couldn't help but think of that league when I saw Alisson touch that ball over. Everything about him wanted the ref to give a corner. So, I think almost subconsciously, he took the goal kick he never wanted to a daft place when our players weren't even in the right positions. I'm not saying he wanted it to result in a goal, but he was defo uncomfortable with gaining an unfair advantage and was prepared to conceded possession. His heart belongs to Jesus, and there's nothin we can do about it!
    12 points
  8. Wife and daughter are out, so made souvlaki and chips for me and the boy. Slow cooked lamb leg and various accoutrements.
    12 points
  9. I don’t want to do this round up to be honest. Not after the derby. Would have been ok if there were no midweek games and I was just writing about the weekend, but midweek has proper put a massive downer on it all and made me want to just forget all about footy, as much as its humanly possible for someone who writes about it for a living anyway. You probably don't want to read about it either, which is fair enough. Watching these other games and writing about them isn’t going to be much fun so I wouldn’t be expecting the usual fun and nonsense this week, although I’ll try. I’ll start at Goodison where the Blues overcame Forest with considerable help from Anthony Taylor to all but secure their safety. They followed it up with a win over some other bum team in midweek to put the seal on their survival, but the less said about that the better. The game with Forest was frankly ridiculous. I understand Forest’s anger but can’t get on board with the response, or who they directed their anger at. All three of those were penalties, and two of them were absolute stonewallers. But Stuart Atwell isn’t the villain of this story. No, it’s the baldies who are to blame here. Taylor failed to give all three, which is very weird as to keep turning down penalty appeals is unusual. Generally if you’ve not given one close one then you’ll give the next close one. And if you’ve turned down two then you’ll definitely give the third. Atwell supporting Luton has nothing to do with him not intervening though. That’s on Chief Inspector Baldy and what he’s instructed his goon squad to do. Overturns on penalty decisions are very rare, VAR rarely interferes (unless it’s Oliver helping out City) and Atwell’s allegiance - which I agree should have ruled him out of the game - was irrelevant. You could have had Stuart Pearce and Des Walker in the VAR room but if they were acting how Webb wants them to then they’d stay out of it. Ashley Old got away with murder, and being the twat that he’s always been he couldn’t help but gloat about it afterwards. Smirking in his MOTD interview and saying they weren’t penalties because the ref didn’t give them, and then posting “Cry me a river” on Instagram the next day. Like I say, always been a twat him. Forest’s owner is a fucking moron though. The tweet was embarrassing. Even though there was a legitimate cause for complaint in there, the way they did immediately turned a lot of people away from their cause. The statement they put out the next day is what they should have done to begin with, but the owner is a hothead and you know that came from him. The rumour doing the rounds is he wanted to do it at half time and was talked out of it by the social media team. Clattenberg is a tit as well, but his poacher turned gamekeeper thing (or maybe the reverse actually) is interesting in the sense that he knows these refs, he knows how they think and he knows what goes on. He seems convinced Forest are being fucked over and I do wonder if he’s got some sort of inside track on that. Or maybe he’s just Pat Garrett with a whistle. If Forest are so concerned about corruption though they might want to start by checking their keeper’s bank account for payments from Evert… actually no, scratch that. Everton don’t have enough cash to pay their own staff let alone someone else’s. The keeper’s attempts to stop those two long range pea roller goals though was pathetic. Went down line a roll of lino.
    10 points
  10. 1988 – The Dollywood Foundation Parton originally launched the organization in her home county of Sevier County, Tennessee, with the goal of decreasing high school drop out rates. She then started the Buddy Program, in which Parton gave $500 to every seventh and eighth grader who finished high school. According to the organization, the initiative was successful and the dropout rate declined from 35 percent to just 6 percent. 1989 – $500 scholarship Parton offered a $500 scholarship to every student in Sevier County who wished to attend Hiwassee College. 1991 – Eagle Mountain Sanctuary at Dollywood The 30,000-square-foot aviary managed by the American Eagle Foundation shelters the largest collection of “non-releasable” bald eagles. Parton’s efforts to preserve the bald eagle earned her the Partnership Award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2003. 1995 – Imagination Library The Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library began sending one book per month to each enrolled child in Sevier County from birth until their first year of school. The library was founded in honor of Parton’s father, who was unable to read. As of now has given away 224,000,000 books. 2000 – The Dolly Parton Scholarship Every year, the $15,000 college scholarship is offered to five high school seniors in Sevier County, Tennessee. According to the Dollywood Foundation, the scholarship is awarded to those who “have a dream they wish to pursue and who can successfully communicate their plan and commitment to realize their dreams.” 2007 – Benefit concert for new Sevier County hospital The concert raised $500,000, and both Dollywood and Parton’s Dixie Stampede dinner theater pledged $250,000 each to the project, for a total of $1 million. LeConte Medical Center, the new hospital and cancer center in Sevier County, opened in 2010 and features a 30,000-square-foot Dolly Parton Center for Women’s Services. 2016 – Telethon after devastating East Tennessee wildfires The Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund, which aimed to help residents hit hardest in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, raised more than $13 million. Chris Stapleton, Chris Young, Kenny Rogers, Lauren Alaina, Alison Krauss, Reba McEntire, Cyndi Lauper and more appeared at the event. 2016 – My People Fund To continue her wildfire relief efforts, Parton launched the My People Fund, which provided $1,000 a month for six months to families whose homes were completely destroyed amid the natural disaster. The fund also donated around $8.9 million to those in need. The initiative still helps residents pay for rent and utilities, plus food and mental health resources. 2016 – Special Merit Scholarship Parton awarded a $30,000 scholarship to two-year-old Evey Johns in celebration of Imagination Library’s accomplishment of shipping out one million books per month. 2017 – $1 million donation Following the release of her I Believe in You children’s album, Parton donated $1 million to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in honor of her niece, who was treated for leukemia at that hospital. 2020 – Coronavirus efforts Parton donated $1 million to coronavirus research at Vanderbilt University, which helped fund Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna’s vaccine is 94.5% effective against coronavirus, according to early data. 2021 – Middle Tennessee Flooding Relief Parton and her Smoky Mountain businesses raised $700,000 to help residents impacted by the catastrophic flooding in Middle Tennessee in October 2021. Parton chose United Way of Humphreys County to receive and distribute the donation at the suggestion of her friend and fellow country music legend Loretta Lynn. 2022 – Dollywood Education Coverage The Dollywood Co. announced in February 2022 that it will cover 100% of tuition, fees and books for any employee who is furthering their education. The investment in employee education was made via Herschend Enterprises, Dollywood’s operating partner. The program is available to all seasonal, part-time and full-time employees at Dollywood Parks & Resorts. Herschuend’s GROW U. offers more than 100 fully funded diploma, degree and certificate programs with 30 learning partners in areas including business administration and leadership, culinary, finance, technology and marketing. The company also provides partial funding — up to $5,250 per year — for 150 additional programs in fields including hospitality, engineering, human resources and more. Employees can enroll in the program on their first day of employment. 2022 – Pediatric Infectious Disease Research Donation Parton made yet another $1 million donation to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville in June 2022, this time aimed at helping pediatric infectious disease research. The donation will aid Vanderbilt’s Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases to continue its effort in understanding how viruses and bacteria cause disease, understanding and preventing resistance to antibiotics, diagnosing and treating infections in children with cancer and more. 2022 – Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy Parton received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in 2022. The award, presented by the international family of Carnegie institutions to honor innovative philanthropists, debuted in 2001 and is normally awarded every two years. It was not issued in 2021 due to the pandemic. And many, many more. Fell free to add your own. She could also knock up a decent tune and sing a bit...
    10 points
  11. This team is done and probably has been for some time. It's tragic that what was an absolutely magnificent side, probably one of the best ever put together, with Mane, Firminho and Salah, didn't win more because of the oil cheats. This lot have given up, part of that is on Klopp, he looks checked out to me too, and he's lost a lot of authority over lads like Salah it would seem. I can forgive a Liverpool side a lot, fuck knows we've seen some shite ones down the years, but putting in these kinds of performances against the mancs and the shite is unforgivable frankly.
    10 points
  12. The Reds season is still alive after a much needed win at Fulham got their title challenge back on track. Goals from Trent, Gravenberch and Jota sunk the Cottagers in what was a more comfortable win than many expected. TLW Editor Dave Usher is joined by Julian Richards and Dan Thomas to look back on this game as well as previewing the midweek trip to Goodison. There's also a heated discussion on refs, VAR, Forest's bizarre statement and the impact officiating has had on this year's Premier League. View full article
    9 points
  13. Zoned out of all this new manager stuff but I read The Athletic article today. Apparently this fella is a big personality and players love him. That’s half the battle won. You need a bit of that. Look at the league now. Klopp, Guardiola, Arteta. All dominant managers who transcend their clubs really. Even Emery and that fat twat at Spurs. Cult of personality.
    9 points
  14. 62% of teams he’s ever managed against.
    9 points
  15. 9 points
  16. This is Britain. There is no corruption here. Just 100% old fashioned British honesty and integrity.
    9 points
  17. 9 points
  18. No 'clever' wordplay now. This past month or so has been so incredibly deflating. A Saturday lunchtime game. Again. Yay. TNT Sports have had to make do with the unwanted time slot, and the problem would be solved if that rule about no live football on TV at 3:00pm on Saturdays was ditched. Whatever was the basis for that decision surely is of no relevance today, so sticking to it is like when Americans adhere steadfastly to elements of the US Constitution that were constructed for the conditions of the time but should have no bearing on society today. If they do, then that society has made no progress. The 12:30 time slot is for the benefit of the Far East TV market as it coincides with their peak time, but games in this timeslot tend to be vastly different to the Saturday 3:00pm, Sunday afternoon or any midweek evening slot. Eveything just seems more sluggish. The ONLY good thing about them is that if your team wins, you basically have a whole weekend to enjoy other things. The corresponding fixture took place almost exactly a year ago. We'd gradually started finding a bit of form, especially away from home, and looked more like the side that had gone close to a quadruple the year before. And yet it started in familiar fashion, with us being too easily opened up on our right flank. A nice move (aiding by very little in the way of closing down by us) saw Paqueta fire a fine effort past Ali from 20 yards. Trent was playing that hybrid role and picked up the ball in midfield, squeezing a pass to Cody in a central position 25 yards out. Again, very little in the way of closing down meant that he had time to turn, carry the ball and fire a low effort beyond Fabianski. Diogo had a couple of chances to put us ahead, but got underneath his shot for the first, and didn't quite have enough height to get a header on target for his second. Virg nipped in before Antonio at the far post when a goal looked almost certain. Early in the second half, Bowen was played in down the right, cut inside Virg and shot into the far corner. Virg hardly covered himself in glory with the way he tracked back, and we were fortunate when VAR came down in our favour for once, judging Bowen to be offside. Big Bird was denied a goal after a goalmouth scramble following a corner, but from the resulting corner, he absolutely buried his header into the roof of the net. West Ham argued that they shoulder have had a penalty late on for a handball by Thiago, but the Spaniard's momentum when winning the ball meant that his arm was where it was to check his fall. The ball just so happened to be under him at that very moment. Hardly the same as Odegaard at Anfield, yet that one got less attention by the VAR guys. 2-1 to us in the end. We've been so profligate in attack and so sloppy defensively in recent weeks, it's hard to pinpoint the catalyst. Some people (including Jurgen) have identified the FA Cup tie, and maybe that's true. Or maybe it goes back a little earlier, but was being papered over by the excellence of the youngsters called up. Whatever it is has totally derailed our season to the point where so many players are being questioned as to whether they are good enough. Cody might be available again for this one, and based on the lack of positive impact of both Darwin and Mo in recent weeks, Cody has done more than both to stake his claim for a starting berth. I'd have him in for one of those. I keep saying stuff about motivation, concentration, attitude and application needing to be absolutely on point from first minute to last. It's not me saying it for the sake of it, but because it is necessary. Without it, you let performances and results slip away, and it gets harder to wash off the stink. Whatever remains of this season, treat the games like there is something to gain. Winning begets winning. 3 points please. Get it done!
    8 points
  19. Never heard of the cunt, but I'm going to watch a 10 minute YouTube video about his tactics then pretend I've been following his career for ages.
    8 points
  20. If we dont win the league its not because we have blown anything. We have had this league stolen from us, simple as that.
    8 points
  21. Mourinho is a cup manager at best now. His football is dated and boring as fuck, most definitely not sustainable to get anywhere close over a league season but could win you a cup from smash and grab tactics and favourable draws. He's also an odious cunt who has absolutely no place at Anfield.
    8 points
  22. If it facilitates a photo opp of himself and Szloboszlai dressed in similar clothing that could go with a caption of, ‘Hungary like De Wolfe’, I could probably get behind it.
    8 points
  23. Kudos to those guys. Out there defending the flag against any suggestions the country might not be filled with morons. It might be a minority in London scrapping with the police but they share views, at least in the same ballpark, as way too many others. A little girl drowned in the channel today because her parents believe the UK can give them a better life. They might well be right but, given the state of these fucktards, that’s more a reflection on what they’re fleeing from, than where they hope to stay. They did not listen, they did not know how. RIP little one. This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you.
    8 points
  24. He is awful but we like him.
    8 points
  25. I love that he runs off celebrating before it even hits the net. Quite brilliant. He was class today. We've missed him.
    8 points
  26. I dreamed of negative splits. For non runners he finished in 3:37:36 So pleased for him
    8 points
  27. The Reds' ailing title challenge suffered a fatal blow in the worst place possible as Everton registered a deserved 2-0 in the Merseyside Derby at Goodison. Chris Smith is joined by Ian Brown and Dave Usher to discuss a dismal night when defensive lapses and misfiring forwards were coupled with an absence of the energy and synonymous with Jurgen Klopp's great sides. Sadly, it really did feel like the end. As this era comes to a sad close, the lads try to look to a future under Klopp's rumoured replacement Arne Slot, and address some looming decisions over the futures of the squad's biggest names. View full article
    7 points
  28. Kudos for writing this and also doing the derby podcast & report - hopefully the latter two were cathartic but I doubt it. Hate to get drawn into conspiracy-type thinking but the extremely generous refereeing Everton have benefited from in the last two games is deeply suspicious. The 3rd penalty claim is the most outrageous as it’s the very definition of ‘clear and obvious’. He indicates that Young got the ball. Factually, he didn’t and it’s incumbent on Atwell to confirm this. THIS is what Forest should have centred in on. When we’re doing well, it’s easier to overlook what a cesspool the PL is. When we’re we not, you’re just reminded of the general cuntery, the cheating on and off the pitch , the brain-deadness of the banter merchants and tragedy chanters, the buffoonery of the pundits….. and don’t get me started on PGMOL. I need the close season, and I need it NOW!
    7 points
  29. Thank you all for the good wishes - sadly I’m at work so can’t try on my new tartan rug on my knees just yet x
    7 points
  30. Disingenuous. You smear your opinions of Salah all over the forums - including in the match thread last night - like a dirty protest with the added bonus of decontextuialised screenshots of stats. Always with the subtext that you see things that we interloping amateurs just can't see. In that thread you were absolving Salah of all blame which you lay squarley at the feet of Diaz. Diaz was our best player last night, and was trying to make things happen. He received little to no support from his fellow front liners. So here we are.
    7 points
  31. I should neg this for its brazenness. But like most of our team, I just can't muster the fight.
    7 points
  32. He’s going to fuck Jason Tindall up.
    7 points
  33. The thing I like about going for someone who plays very similar football to Klopp is that we'll know fairly quickly if he's shit or not. Someone coming in and wanting to change loads immediately has the safety net of "he needs time to implement his methods" whereas this fella, if he's any good, should really be able to hit the ground running relatively quickly as the players are familiar with what he wants to do and it's just minor tweaks.
    7 points
  34. How much of a cretinous country are we that we've allowed a situation where the economy and NHS are shit, but we'll probably be voting on the glorious promise of scrapping human rights laws and withdrawing from international courts.
    7 points
  35. Don't like Slot, he looks like the fella who rapped on Barbie Girl.
    7 points
  36. Breaky from the hotel this morning. Sausages were very good beans in a pot which is good. No juice touching anything and can leave them no issues mushrooms tasty and never enough. hash brown crispy enough bacon- usual oily hotel type bread- sourdough nonsense Egg runny on top cooked further down the yolk. tomato- not cooked; just hot 7/10
    7 points
  37. That Forest owner is a hotheaded idiot. There was actually a relevant point buried in there but in expressing it the way they did they just made themselves look amateurish and small time. For none of the mainstream to be even mentioning the five massive 'errors' from Oliver that all benefited one team is negligence. They don't even need to mention the side gigs to UAE if they think that's implying something sinister, but ignoring it completely just makes them part of the problem. If there's no accountability then OLiver is going to keep doing what he's doing. Ultimately though all of this is the fault of Howard Webb. He's the boss, he's setting these low standards and it feels like he's just abandoning protocols that have been in place forever (like not appointing refs for games who are either compromised by geography or support).
    7 points
  38. VID-20231219-WA0028.mp4.220c08e94eac3270f3c079f415b69cb2.mp4
    7 points
  39. The easy thing to say here is that the damage was done in the first leg. Obviously it was, but that’s not what I want to hear today as I feel like it’s excusing the clueless, lifeless and gutless second half we saw here. This tie was not over after last week. It certainly wasn’t over when we pulled a goal back within seven minutes and I don’t think any of us thought it was over when we went in at half time with a one goal lead, primed for a second half charge. So to just say now “yeah the damage was done last week” feels like it’s excusing the inexcusable. We had a chance to still turn this around and had we got a second goal Atalanta would probably have folded under the pressure. So that second half was inexcusable, because I don’t think we even mustered a serious shot did we? Atalanta out-thought us and they out-fought us, and their defence and goalkeeper have probably not had an easier 45 minutes all season because of the job their midfield and forwards did in stopping us playing. They were terrific, I’m taking nothing away from them. Fully deserved winners and they did an absolute number on us in both games. That said, we made it incredibly easy for them last night because that was one of the least intelligent halves of football I have ever seen from any Liverpool side. Ever. We can talk about the poor form and lack of quality too if you like, but the thing that was jumping out at me in that second half was that this team is utterly reliant on having Klopp and Lijnders hold their hand through games and solve problems for them, and when they don’t have that they can look utterly lost. I’ve been saying it for a while now, usually because they’re shite in the first half and only start playing when Klopp tells them what to do at half time. There’s nobody on the pitch capable of sorting these problems. That second half has shaken me far more than anything else I’ve seen from us all season. Far worse than the United debacles or the loss to Palace. Worse than last Thursday at Anfield too, which you could maybe *maybe* put down to an off night caused by Atalanta’s unusual tactics that we’re not used to facing. We knew exactly what we were facing this time though and in the first half we clearly had a plan to try and cause them different types of problems than we did last week. The movement was fluid, players were popping up in areas we’re not used to seeing them and although it wasn’t great, you could see we were trying to do something different. It was alright and it felt like we were building up some momentum ahead of a second half push.
    7 points
  40. Honestly, Code, stop it. Salah stunk the place out, didn't get involved (apart from the "two times he had a pass in front of him"...!?). Diaz lost the ball more than Salah because he had TWICE AS MUCH OF THE BALL AS SALAH. He was getting involved and was trying to make things happen. I'd say watch the game again without prejudice but I know it's like talking to a pre-programmed robot. Will Diaz have the career that Mo has had? Almost certainly not. Is he a better player than Mo? No, he's not. Was he better in last night's game than Salah - yes, he was.
    6 points
  41. Code told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.
    6 points
  42. Neville is every fit girl's younger brother.
    6 points
  43. Gnasher and Red Phoenix.
    6 points
  44. Urgh. What a sickening weekend. Literally in my case, I missed the Palace game after being up all night spewing and shitting. I maybe could have made the game but I was worried about shitting myself. Maybe some of the players should have been as cautious as me and stayed away too. It wasn’t just our players shitting all over themselves though, Arsenal’s did too. I’ll get to them in a bit. The early game on Saturday saw Spurs get their pants pulled down at Newcastle. 4-0 flattered them in the end, they were woeful and their high line got utterly dismantled. It amazes me this doesn’t happen to them all the time, Same with Villa. I watch them defend and think they should concede three, four, five a game yet they hardly ever do. They could have actually scored first in this game which might have seen it go in a completely different direction. The stands at St James’ Park are really fucking high but the fans at the back of the Gallowgate still had to take cover from Timo Werner’s volley. The German Stuart Barlow. I’ll take all of this back if he helps them beat City, but the more likely scenario is that we let him sink us at Anfield. The first goal is pathetic. Spurs looked like they were dealing with the counter but then Udogie meekly lost out to Gordon and then van de Ven just fell over and allowed Isak to score. The second goal is even worse. Romero’s blind pack pass went straight to Gordon, who cut inside and once again van de Ven just inexplicably fell over and allowed him to score. Van de Ven looked like he was playing in his bare feet on an ice rink as he couldn’t stand up. Goal number three is him again, this time he’s trying to play offside against Isak. In the Newcastle half!! Isak ran clear and finished with ease, as he tends to do in those situations. He doesn’t miss many. Goal number four was a Schar header from a corner. Spurs have fucked fourth now haven’t they? Especially when you look at their fixture list. We need the pricks to be up for it when they play City but at this rate they’ll have nothing to play for then. And if Arsenal are still in the title race then we can forget about Spurs doing anything against City as they’ll be rolling out the red carpet for Guardiola. Not that we even have any right to complain, we can’t help ourselves so it’s bit rich to moaning about others potentially not helping us.
    6 points



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