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You may have heard about people discussing “fantasy football” before and conjured up an image of Gandalf dribbling towards a goal manned by Harry Potter. While amusing, this is not what fantasy football is all about it. What is this fun pass-time and why do fans love it so much? Let’s find out. What is Fantasy Football? To put it quite simply, fantasy football allows you to step into the shoes of a football manager and dictate how a team is run. All you need to do is head to the official Fantasy Premier League website to sign up and you are good to go! The games are completely free for you to enter; all you need is an internet connection. When you sign up, you are given a budget of £100 million and the pool of Premier League players to construct your dream team and then get ready to play. You can pit your teams against friends and family, against colleagues in your office or as part of the web community. There are even certain sites where you could win brilliant prizes including new pieces of tech or VIP hospitality at a Premier League match if you submit your team into the public leagues. Why Do Fans Love It? Fantasy football is loved by so many people all over the world because it allows them to have a shot at managing a top-tier football team; a prospect many would never be able to achieve in their lifetime. We are all guilty of being armchair experts and judging how we think Klopp should manage Liverpool; fantasy football is the perfect opportunity for us to try it for ourselves. People get involved for the same reason that so many of us head to some of the best online casinos in the UK; the gameplay gives us a thrill and the chance to win. These brilliant bonuses inspire us to step into the manager’s shoes and experience something many of us have dreamt about since we were small children. Have you ever thought “I wouldn’t keep them; I’d transfer them for this player instead”? If you have, you might want to consider giving fantasy football a shot. You might have a real talent for it and could potentially win some brilliant prizes which will allow you to see your favourite players and managers play right in front of you. Fun and Football Fantasy football helps to showcase some of the best things about football. It shows how anyone, regardless of their background, can use their love and knowledge of the game to succeed where others might not. It also offers opportunities and the chance for someone to try a passion they have had since they were small. After all, not every child who dreams of becoming a football manager will get to be one. It truly helps to show how much someone can love football and all its aspects. If you are thinking about trying out a fantasy football league, take the plunge and join one today!

Pep Guardiola has seen many things in his football career, but it is highly unlikely that he has been part of a title race such as this.Man City reclaimed the upper hand on Wednesday night with a 2-0 victory in the Manchester derby that puts them one point clear at the top with three games remaining. City are now odds on favourites but if you still believe in the Reds then a dafabet coupon code 2019 will get you a good offer.While the Spaniard and his squad would have breathed an almighty sigh of relief to get the much discussed fixture out of the way with the three points, he knows there is plenty of hard work to be done.The Liverpool Echo reported Guardiola as saying:"Normally with this kind of derby victory you can it enjoy it the most but we have to be calm."We have to prepare well for all three games left."It's important to be calm. We are still not champions with three games left - it's incredible with the points we and Liverpool have."I told the players don't read tomorrow, don't watch the television, just rest and sleep a lot and go in there against Burnley."Despite being the manager of their closest rival this season, it is clearly evident the respect that Guardiola has for the job that Jurgen Klopp has done with the Reds and the squad as a whole.Guardiola says both Liverpool and City deserve equal recognition for producing a title race for the ages.And unlike previous seasons where the runner-up may look back and say 'what if' both teams should be ultimately proud of their efforts. "Liverpool and ourselves deserve the title as one."The team that is going to lose can't have regrets because they have given everything."We have come close in our last couple of title challenges, but all we experienced at the end of it was a feeling of emptiness and frustration.Somehow this feels a bit different and while the race is far but over, whatever transpires in the remaining weeks, you can only feel pride of the efforts by the Redmen on a week to week basis.

The form of Joel Matip has undoubtedly been one of the most pleasing developments in the second half of this campaign. However, there would have been times when the Cameroon international would have wondered if things were ever going to go his way at Liverpool.Just when it seemed he was ready to stamp his authority on the centre back position, an innocuous injury appeared completely out of the blue such as the collarbone injury sustained in the last minute of the final Champions League group game against Napoli in early December.Seemingly blessed with the physical attributes to be a impressive central defender, his inability to impose himself in a game sense due to his causal demeanour has consistently frustrated many fans over his time at the club.However a real opportunity emerged in the early part of 2019. After making a quicker than expected recovery from his injury, a spot in the back four opened up with Dejan Lovren who had been deputising for both Joe Gomez and Matip, suffering an hamstring strain in the FA Cup tie against Wolves.They say good fortune comes in many ways and to the great credit of the 27 year-old, he has taken it with both hands.Developing a strong bond with your fellow central defender is crucial, and something that Matip lacked in previous stints in the side.However, after linking up with Virgil Van Dijk, he has progressed to the next level.There is something a bit special seeing a central defender go on mazy runs up the pitch.Matip has always had this aspect to his game, but as his confidence has grown, his roaming trips have become all the more frequent to the great delight of the Anfield crowd.The defender explained to the Official site about his love to have the ball at his feet."I'm a defender but I really enjoy to have the ball in all situations."We have the ball quite often and I try to help my teammates and try to do something for the team to create something. "I really enjoy it. I think it's not bad if you enjoy the way you play."When I was young I tried to play from the back. I think that's just the way I am, the way I play. Sometimes it helps and I hope that it will help our team."Maybe I should not do it every few minutes but I think he [Klopp] trusts me. "If I step in and the risk is not too high and I can help the team then it's helpful." Despite having an adventurous nature, Matip knows putting the ball in the back of the net himself is not one of his strengths and he sticks to the basics in this regard."I know what I can do and shooting is not my favourite part, so I think it's better to leave the shooting for some others."But maybe one day I will be in a better position and also can score with a shot."Currently enjoying his most consistent run of games as a Liverpool player, Matip knows every team Liverpool comes up against at this time of the season is a considerable test which continues against Huddersfield on Friday night."No game in the Premier League is easy, it doesn't matter who you play against."They will fight, they will try to earn their respect and they will not come here to give us some points. It will be a tough challenge."

Another big performance from the boys. They know they have to win every game and that’s what they’re doing. Each week it’s a different kind of test, but so far they have had all the answers. Klopp mentioned afterwards that in preparation for this game they had been training on a dry pitch at Melwood. They didn’t let the groundsman cut the grass or water it for a couple of days. I love that. It’s the kind of thing that helped to set us apart from the rest back when Shanks and Bob were in charge. You’d always hear tales about this sort of thing. Take care of the little things and the big things take care of themselves etc. The performance wasn’t always free flowing but we created plenty of chances and eventually Cardiff wilted in the heat. That was the key; be patient, keep playing football and wear them down. Cardiff battled and they defended valiantly but they were just massively outgunned and in the end it showed. These games are usually straightforward when they’re played in the first three quarters of the season. When you get to this stage, when the shite teams are desperate for every point and you are also playing under pressure, they can be a lot more difficult. The scorching heat made the unwatered pitch tricky to play slick football on but that was counteracted by the draining effect the heat had on Cardiff, who spent most of the game chasing the ball or trying to plug gaps. Eventually that usually takes a toll and it’s hard for a team to be as under the cosh as Cardiff were to not get leggy after an hour or so. We’ve seen games like this countless times. As long as the underdog has something to hold onto that gives them added motivation to keep working, but as soon as they fall behind the tired legs become all the more weary. We should have scored more really as they’d completely gone in those closing 15-20 minutes and there were gaps everywhere. Prior to that it was tough, but we played pretty well and it was only slack finishing that kept the game level. We didn’t have too much trouble getting through them but Firmino and Salah both missed easy one v ones with the keeper and Mané couldn’t quite keep a shot down after doing well to get in front of his marker. We had a couple of trademark counter attacks from Cardiff set-plays too, but Mo failed to make the most of either of them. The first one he just needed to check back and play Mané in, but he didn’t see him and lost the ball. The second one was a lot like the goal he scored at Southampton the other week, only this time he couldn’t beat the last defender. The slow pitch might have contributed to that, as dribbling is probably the thing most impacted by a dry surface. Cardiff barely saw the ball but they still managed to look mildly threatening, especially with Mendez-Laing just running past Trent at will. Trent is quick but Mendez-Laing looked like an Olympic sprinter. The first time he went past Trent he crossed to the back post where it needed a good block from Robbo to prevent a goal. The warning wasn’t heeded and Mendez-Laing went roaring away again soon after. Nothing came of it but things like that lift the crowd and also the players. Cardiff were feeling pretty good about themselves at this point and because they knew they had that potential threat, it makes it less demoralising when the other team is dominating the ball, and it also makes defending that much easier. Of course if we’d have taken one or two of our first half chances then the game would have been as good as over, but we didn’t. We rarely do these days, every game is competitive and in the balance. That’s what makes what these lads are doing even more impressive really. As Jurgen said; “Fucking mentality monsters”. It would have been nice to put five past Cardiff like most of the other top sides have but that isn’t always possible, especially in April/May. This was a really good, solid, professional display though. It’s easy for me to say now, but looking back on it we were always going to break them down eventually because it’s virtually impossible for a team to hold out for 90 minutes playing the way Cardiff did, against a team playing the way we did. Of course at half time I wasn’t thinking that way. I had a really bad feeling about what was about to happen, especially because Niasse had wasted a great chance just before half time. I kept thinking of Hull away a few years ago when we lost 2-0. I don’t know why that game was in my head, probably just because of the Niasse ‘Nam style flashbacks that still occasionally haunt me even now, but I had visions of us continuing to dominate the ball only to get done on a set-piece out of nothing. Is there where it all ends? To Neil Warnock and Oumar Niasse? This title race is just doing sick things to mind, it's killing me. The great thing about these lads though is they aren’t massive shithouses like me. In fairness, there’s an excuse for me being a massive shithouse because I don’t have any control over what’s happening. It’s different for players because they can actually influence the game. Case in point; Mané said recently he’s far more nervous watching Man City than he is about playing games himself. It’s like how watching games in the stadium isn’t anything like as nerve wracking as watching on TV. Yeah, it was pretty stressful at Anfield against the likes of Spurs and the Bliueshite, when the result was in the balance until the very end, but if I’d been watching on telly it would have been so much worse. It’s daft, but at least being inside the stadium you feel like you can have even the tiniest bit of influence. Even if it’s just the comforting fact that when I yell “yer cheating baldy bastard linesman” I know that he can hear me. So anyway, while I was running all sorts of doomsday scenarios through my head and going all Han Solo and telling the group chat that “I have a bad feeling about this”, the lads were in the dressing room, cool as fuck, coming up with ways to make the breakthrough. The opening goal looked like a training ground set-piece, but we found out afterwards that it wasn’t. It wasn’t even anything the coaching staff had suggested. Gini himself had seen something in the way Cardiff were defending a specific type of corner and he knew that a low ball was on. He told Hendo to let Trent know, and the rest is history. Good ball in from Trent and a thumping strike from Gini. The technique on that strike was glorious. He was back in the number six role for this one, with Hendo now seemingly seen as a box to box man. It made sense. I don’t think Gini has ever been less than an 8 out of 10 in that role, and he’s usually higher. It’s probably his best position and he was outstanding there once again. He covers the spaces well, he’s intelligent, and he’s almost impossible to dispossess in tight spaces. Playing him there and keeping Hendo in the role he’s been excelling in of late was an obvious call, but so often we see manager’s not go with the obvious call and over-think things. Klopp rarely does that. Hendo was boss too, apart from blazing a sitter over the bar. Klopp was buzzing about that first goal and it’s easy to see why. It must be a proud moment for a manager when his players reach a level when they have this kind of maturity. He’s like a proud parent these days, and so he should be because he made all this happen. He assembled this squad, he’s inspired them, mentored them, supported them (even when the fans doubted several of them) and now they’re showing the resilience and mental strength many of us thought was beyond them. When we have the lead now it’s very rare we relinquish it. That said, Cardiff had a glorious chance to equalise when Alisson flapped at a corner and Morrison somehow failed to get his head on it. It actually hit him on the back. It was a huge let off but Wijnaldum revealed afterwards that the ref would have given a foul for the challenge on Alisson. Having watched it a couple of times I don’t think it was a foul, but Alisson might have gotten the tiniest touch on the cross which is why Morrison missed it. After surviving that scare I felt as though we’d be fine. That was their one moment and they didn’t grasp it. You could see that Cardiff knew how big that moment was too. They were knackered, they were struggling to get out of their own half and we were now even beginning to win the ball off them high up the pitch. The second goal came at the end of a spell when we kept winning the ball and putting them under pressure. Morrison was almost caught once but just about got away with it, and then he took too long to clear it and Bobby was on him in a flash. The ball looped up and Salah was away. The spin on the ball was mad though, and you have to give credit to Mo for anticipating that and not being fooled. It did slow down his run though and allowed Morrison to get back. What followed was an open and shut case. Blatant foul, clear pen. So how come there’s been so much ‘debate’ about it? I can answer that in three words. Fucking Gary Neville. That’s all it takes. One respected commentator doing the live game can often set the narrative. Had Neville just called it like it was, most of these other halfwits wouldn’t have felt empowered enough to spout the shite they have. Neville’s reaction to other penalty decisions when a defender has his hands on the striker (Lovren on Calvert-Lewin for example) is completely different to his reaction to this. Can’t think why. There are some arguing it’s not a penalty. Neville initially tried that too. When the replays exposed that for the horse shit that it is, it then became “ok it’s a soft one, but look how easily he went down”. I don’t think he went down easily at all. He has done on several occasions previously, I’m not blinkered enough to deny that. I would argue that if he’s kicked/held/pushed then staying up is pretty stupid when refs will never give anything unless a player hits the deck. He’s been punished several times in the past for trying to stay on his feet, so fuck all that. When he’s gone down easily I’ll say so, but this wasn’t that. He was being held and he made three, four, maybe even five moves this way and that. Morrison never let go of him at any point. One the final move, Mo tries to go around him towards the line. His legs are moving but Morrison’s arm is across his chest, preventing his top half from following his bottom half. When that happens, you fall exactly the way Mo did. So no, I don’t think he’s dived or gone down too easily. I think he was clever and knew that he was being held, and that by turning quickly in the opposite direction he knew he’d be brought down. All the blame here is on the defender who thought that he could hold a striker with both arms for four or five seconds. I don’t expect Warnock to be happy about it, especially as he’s legitimately been screwed by refs so many times this season that even the most obvious call against him is going to leave a bad taste. I do take issue with all these talking heads waffling on about Salah going down too easily while at the same time saying ‘it’s a clear penalty’. If it’s a clear penalty, just say it’s a clear penalty. There’s no need for a caveat. *glares at Martin Keown* Warnock was also unhappy with Robertson tugging Morrison’s shirt as he went for a header. Sorry, but there’s no way you get a pen for that unless VAR is in play, and even then it’s a coin toss. Yes, Robbo had a little grab and then he let go immediately. Morrison won the header and it’s debatable whether the pull of the shirt put him off or not. There’s just no way a ref or linesman give a pen for that, as although technically it’s a foul it just wasn’t a serious enough offence to be punished by a penalty. Maybe with VAR, but no chance without it. Mo wanted to take the penalty but thankfully Big Games James stood firm and didn’t let him. If Milner isn’t on the field or if we’re a few goals up, let Mo have it. Otherwise, stay the fuck away and let Milner do what he does. Great penalty, great celebration. He was only on the field because Fabinho got concussed within a minute of replacing Naby. Smart move not taking any chances with concussions. Maybe if we'd taken Karius off in Kiev.... The most impressive thing about this whole season so far is how the players haven’t shown any nerves no matter what situation they’ve been faced with. The 2014 team were winning games like this 5-2 and 6-3 and it was just wild and ultimately unsustainable. These lads grind out the clean sheets and rarely give the opposition any kind of hope. Warnock said afterwards that it’s a team with no weaknesses anywhere on the pitch. The Porto coach last week said the same thing and claimed we’re the best team in the world. It’s hard to come up with a plan to play against this team because you’re basically just hoping that a few of them have an off day and you get a bit of luck. And now they’re sorting out their own problems on the pitch and don’t need to wait for the manager to fix things for them. The speed that this team has developed is incredible really. The opening goal did make me think though. All these corners that hit the first man and cause us all to go mad at the corner taker. How many of those are actually the fault of the corner taker, and how many are just a routine not working as planned? We’ve seen the likes of Trent and Milner failing to beat the first man from corners so many times and it can be really frustrating, but it must be even more frustrating for them hearing the fans groaning about it when they’ve actually put the ball exactly where it was supposed to go. I’m not saying none of those bad corners are down to poor delivery, but it’s probably nowhere near as many as we often think. We’ve scored 20 goals from set-pieces this season, which is miles more than anybody else. I think Brighton are next on 12 or 13. Much was made of the pitch before, during and after the game. You could see the ball sticking when players were dribbling and there was no zip off the turf. Warnock lied through his false teeth about it afterwards, which I actually thought was pretty funny. He said “It were nothin’ to do wi’ me. Maybe the groundsman thought there were a hosepipe ban like in the old days. I thought it slowed us down if I’m honest”. Kept his face straight too. Fair play. Here’s the thing though, why the hell should Cardiff make their pitch more suitable for how we play? It’s their pitch, they can do what they like as long as it’s within the laws of the game. They are at a massive financial disadvantage to us so they need any little edge they can get. I have no problem whatsoever with them doing this. There were some suggestions that City did similar when we went to the Etihad. I doubt that’s true, but if it were then that’s embarrassing for them. Cardiff on the other hand have nothing to be embarrassed about or to apologise for. Well, not when it comes to the pitch anyway. The Emiliano Sala thing is a different story. The Cardiff fans were singing “there’s only one Sala” in response to our chants about Mo. It smacks a little of using a dead man to point score, but that might be me being overly cynical. Besides, that’s not my main gripe with it anyway. All the fuss they’ve made over the poor lad, the tributes, the t-shirts, the chants, retiring his shirt number, yet they won’t pay the transfer fee and are trying to suggest the deal wasn’t completed. If it wasn’t completed then he wasn’t your player, so all of this stuff is a bit fucking hollow isn’t it? It’s not the fans’ fault, they aren’t the ones trying to get out of paying what they owe, but it still sticks in the throat a bit hearing them lauding a player who their owners are trying to claim was never actually theirs. Some attention seeking knob on Twitter invented a story about our fans singing sick songs about Sala. It was just one prick, probably tweeting from his bedroom while cracking off to the Paul Pogba posters on his wall, but that one tweet was used as a source for a news story by one of the big footy sites out there, and before you knew it we were being hammered for it. When they were pulled up on it and realised it never happened, they issued an apology of sorts but the damage is done then. There’ll be people out there who saw their tweet and read the story and will still be thinking now that we were taunting Cardiff over the death of Sala. All because in the race for clicks anything goes these days. Twats. Anyway, in summation this was another hugely professional, ballsy display from the lads and we continue to live in hope that eventually City have to come unstuck somewhere. Surely they can’t continue to play the way they have been without eventually being punished? Time is running out though. Star man is Gini, just ahead of Matip. Both of them were terrific but it was Gini who scored the crucial opener so he gets the nod. Sadio and Bobby were excellent too, especially considering the difficult playing surface. Team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold (Gomez), Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Wijnaldum, Henderson, Keita (Fabinho, Milner); Salah, Firmino, Mané:

He has the image of the typical dour Yorkshireman, but in reality James Milner is the master of self deprecating humour.The parody Twitter account 'Boring James Milner' has long been a favourite amongst football fans for its dry wit, but the man himself has produced some classic lines since joining the social media platform last year, which in turn has showed another side to his personality.On Sunday, the man affectionately dubbed by fans as 'Big Games James' stepped up to the mark once again, this time converting a important penalty to seal a 2-0 victory against Cardiff.In the aftermath of the goal, it seemed that Milner was struck by an sudden ailment, quite possibly a back spasm as it seemed he was struggling to stand up straight after powering home the spot-kick with all that he had.The midfielder had just come on for Fabinho, as the Brazilian a substitute himself, couldn't continue after a head knock.However on closer examination there was plenty of laughter amongst the group, and after the game Milner said it was all a bit of fun with a teammate. The Mirror reported Milner as saying:"Virgil [van Dijk] has been giving me plenty of stick for being old."So it was just one for him really." It is just another sign of the closeness and terrific mentality of this group, that there is still place for a bit of humour in what is a highly tense situation with so much on the line.Long may that continue.

They say death and taxes are the two certainties in life. But you can add a third option, a Neil Warnock whinge session after his team tastes defeat. The veteran Cardiff manager was on his soapbox once again after Liverpool's 2-0 victory against the Welsh outfit, protesting the awarding of a Mo Salah penalty which occurred when Cardiff captain Sean Morrison fouled the Egyptian inside the area with nine minutes remaining.The spot kick was expertly dispatched by substitute James Milner sealing another vital three points for the Reds, after Gini Wijnaldum had earlier put Liverpool in front with a fine first-time strike converting from a low Trent Alexander-Arnold corner.The Liverpool Echo reported Warnock as saying:"I thought it was a soft one. We gave him an opportunity, didn’t we? He’s got his arms around him and everything. "I think the end of it was a 9.9 Tom Daley job. I don’t think he could have got much higher off the diving board at the end of it. But I’m sure you’ll be saying Warnock is a moaning so and so again. "I think just after half time, the tug on Morrison’s shirt which should have been spotted when, Graeme Souness says by the letter of the law it should be a penalty because it stops him making a clear header at goal."But nothing much said about that. We’ve not had any of those. He’s been pulled from pillar to post has Morrison and we’ve not had a penalty so we’re not going to start getting them getting now."They said on TV that the sun was really bright and got in the linesman’s eyes.”Warnock also denied claims from the Liverpool camp that the pitch was exceedingly dry which Jurgen Klopp and certain squad members felt was a deliberate ploy to put the Reds off their quick passing game.“No, it wasn’t. It was watered before the game so I don’t understand. Unless the groundsman thought there was a hosepipe ban like the old days but as far as I know it was watered.”However, Warnock struck a completely different tone when questioned about the Liverpool side as a whole. “I think Jurgen should do a job swap with me. They’re doing so well that I could have a go and he comes down here and see how he gets on."They’ve done really well. We wanted to give them a game, attack them and not just sit back. "They are a good side, aren’t they? There’s not a weakness in their team or even the bench."They’ve got such a wonderful attitude. I used to watch Rush and Dalglish. The front three are great but they work their socks off for the team as well."We should be really proud to have these two teams at the top of the league - thank God we haven’t got to play them again!Confused after all that? You aren't the only one.There is only one Neil Warnock.

Saturday Apr 13: After all their chest thumping last week when they beat Arsenal (who are shite away from home and had one win in their last nine on their travels), Everton lost at Fulham today. Ryan Babel made the first and scored the second, and they couldn’t get near him all day. I might shit a lung here. Imagine the fume in the away end as his bright red head was bearing down on their goal. Great stuff. Klopp says it might be a while before we see Ox back in the team and regrets that he got a bit carried away and said he’d be back soon when Ox first returned to training. He saw Ox in training, looking boss, and completely went against all the advice the medical staff had given him and went and got everyone’s hopes up! He’s like a big kid sometimes isn’t he? Just so excitable. In other news, there are reports that Rafa Camacho has turned down a new contract and will be sold for £10m. Wolves are among several clubs showing an interest. He probably should turn down a new deal as he won’t make it here. Demba Ba says he didn’t feel sorry for Gerrard after the slip. So fucking what? You think Stevie would want your sympathy? As if he’d even fucking care what you think. Gerrard is a legend of the game, Demba Ba was a journeyman famous for one lucky goal. Fuck Demba Ba, the prick. Finally today, Paul Merson says Hudson-Odoi is the big threat to us tomorrow, and not Eden Hazard. “They will know all about Hazard and if he plays they will make sure he doesn’t get the ball. But they haven’t faced Hudson-Odoi before. They won’t know him as well and they will try and play him one v one. Good luck with that”. I know he’s thick but even he can’t believe that? He has to be saying it just to be 'edgy' or to get attention. It’s like me saying that the best analysis of tomorrow’s game will come from Merson or Danny Murphy and not Carra or Neville. Hazard terrifies me. He could beat us single handedly if he's on it, as sometimes he's quite literally unstoppable. If Hudson-Odoi plays he won’t even get a kick as he’ll be up against Robbo. Sunday Apr 14: L 2 Chelsea 0. Massive win, especially as we had to play directly after City had won at Palace. The lads just aren’t letting any of that shit effect them so far. They just go out and do their thing irrespective of what City have done. Chelsea weren’t great and we were fairly comfortable winners, but we had to wait until after half time to take the lead. It’d be nice if we could score in the first ten minutes of every game like City do. Ok, today they had to wait until 15 minutes, which must have seemed like an eternity to them. We were great in that second half though. As soon as the whistle blew to kick things off, we were all over them and wouldn’t let them get out of their own half. No-one can live with us when we play like that. The boys were like a swarm of angry wasps. Look at the first goal. We scored that through intensity. The second goal was different, that was just sheer quality from Mo. What a fucking strike. The noise after that went in was spine tingling. We deserve this title and we’d have been crowned Champions already if there wasn’t one team ignoring all the fucking rules that the rest of us are playing by. Sarri did us a favour by starting Hazard as a number nine, but when he switched to the left all hell broke loose and he could easily have dragged Chelsea back into it. As for Hudson-Odoi, yeah he didn’t get a kick. The u23s also had a big win today. 6-0 at Leicester. Could easily have been double that as they were sensational. Camacho scored three (should have had six), Brewster got one (should have had three), Jones got one (should have had two) and Woodburn slotted a pen. Brewster is looking sharp since he came back, he might even make the bench before the season is out. Ox had another run out and Gomez played an hour or so at right back. Camacho’s future looks even more uncertain tonight though as he took to Instagram afterwards to have a moan. "I do not know whose idea it is, but I will prove that they are mistaken about my football. I'm not a right defender, I'm an attacker who scores goals. This is my DNA. Happy to score three goals and help the team in today’s win vs Leicester." Bye then. Monday Apr 15: RIP. Justice for the 96. Tuesday Apr 16: Wow, it’s been a rough stretch for Peter Beardsley. He lost his job and now he’s been made homeless by that fire last night. Thankfully he wasn’t on bell ringing duty when the Cathedral caught fire. Another thing to go up in flames was Man United’s Champions League campaign. What a fucking embarrassing showing that was from them in Camp Nou. Obviously it’s hard to legislate for Messi doing Messi things, but it wasn’t just that. They gave him possession for the first and then De Gea threw in the second. A Coutinho special rubbed salt in the wounds and I switched over to the Ajax game after that. Good decision too, as what a great second half that was. Made up Juve are out as the last thing I’d have wanted was to meet them in the final. Ajax going through was a good thing all round, because watching Juve toil away told me they wouldn’t stand a chance against either Spurs or City. Ajax just might though. There’s a fearlessness and freedom about how they play. I’d love to meet them in Madrid as that would be a proper final that. We’ve got to get past Porto and then Barca first of course. Oh yeah, before I forget. I saw Emre Can hack someone down and then yell at the ref and get booked, and I thought “I’m glad you don’t play for us anymore”. And I liked Big Sexy when he was here, it’s just that I see Fabinho play and it’s like… fucking hell, what an upgrade. Not quite Van Dijk over Sakho, but not too far off. Meanwhile, Guardiola says he wants to see if City’s fans “want to reach a semifinal”. He spoke about how every time he’s played an away game in the knockouts, the atmosphere has been incredible. Someone asked if he wants the atmosphere to be like when they played us at the Etihad last year, and he replied “better”. So, what we can draw from this is he knows City’s fans are shite too. Here’s the thing though, it was like that before he went there so he can’t complain. You can have all the money in the world but you can’t buy good support. Speaking of our fans though, we’ve been told we can’t chant “Chelsea rent boys” anymore. That’s fair enough really as times have changed. Get rid of it, and while we’re at it can we also get rid of the ‘you ain’t got no history’ song as well? It was relevant and funny ten years ago, but not so much now. Wednesday Apr 17: Porto 1 L 4. Great job from the lads. Didn’t play anywhere near their best and still cruised through because they held firm when they needed to, took the sting out of Porto and then finished them when the game opened up and they had space to play. The front three all looked great and Hendo looked like Superman when he came on. But enough of us, as let’s be honest here, it was the events at the Etihad that occupied most people’s thoughts afterwards. Not just because City lost, but because it was so damn fucking hilarious! Some thoughts: City’s fans are incredibly shit. The reaction when they thought they’d won it deep into stoppage time was utterly pathetic. Yeah, some were going mad like you’d expect, but loads didn’t look arsed at all. They’re the least passionate supporters in the country, but it’s weird because they didn’t used to be. Some of those players are genuinely special and could play anywhere. But they’re playing for City. In front of those fans. It must take the shine off their success a bit, especially when they see what we have. That’s why there are people at City (mostly in the press office, but also the manager’s office) who are completely obsessed with us. They want what we have, but they don’t understand that it can’t be bought or manufactured. Doesn’t stop them from trying though. There were reports today that they were putting crowd noise through the speakers. I don’t know if it was bullshit or not, but the fact that virtually nobody even questioned it says it all. Then there’s the pantomime they go through when the players get off the coach. Not seen it? Well enjoy…. As for VAR, leaving aside the fact it was City and therefore one of the greatest things to ever happen, this is exactly why I don’t like it. City thought they’d won it, and the players, manager and (some) fans went mental, as you would do. There wasn’t even a hint of offside at the time and none of the Spurs players were appealing. Then, what seemed like an age later, the announcement is made that there’s a review, and then after another short delay the goal is disallowed. I’m torn here because the decision was correct, and without VAR a massive injustice would have been done. And yet on the other hand, it doesn’t sit right with me because football is all about that spontaneous moment of unbridled joy when the ball hits the net. City had that, and then had it taken away. Worse than that though would be if players and fans begin to feel like they can’t let themselves celebrate until they know for sure it’s going to be given. I’ll always remember West Brom players not celebrating a goal at Anfield because they didn’t know if it would be ruled out or not. When it was given, the celebrations were just completely half arsed as the moment has gone. It’s a tough one and I don’t even know what to think anymore. I don’t like the idea of an injustice being carried out, but I also feel like football without that spontaneous moment of unbridled wild celebration just isn’t the same. This is how it’s going to be though and I guess I’ll just have to get used to it. I have to admit that tonight VAR proved it’s worth (in both games). Thursday Apr 18: Mané got the crucial first goal again last night and he seems to have made a habit of that this season. That’s probably why Carra caused a bit of a stir on MNF the other night when he claimed Sadio is the best wide player we’ve had since Digger and if he had to choose between him and Mo, he’s taking Mané. I don’t agree but it’s not such an outlandish claim given the huge impact he’s had on this season. My eyes tell me that Mané has had a better season than Salah, but the numbers say differently. This leads me to think that I’m judging Salah in the prism of what he did last season, whereas Sadio has upped his game from last year which further distorts my view on it. This time last year I felt as though Mané was very much number three on the totem pole. Salah was atop of it, Bobby was just behind him and then Mané was another few notches down. Now? Based on this season? I don’t think there is a gap anymore. Sadio is right up there on top of the pole with the other two. Meanwhile, Camacho has backtracked from his previous Instagram post, with another Instagram post saying: “Jurgen Klopp is my father in football. Boss Jurgen bet on me and chose me to be part of his team. Boss Jurgen will be a part of my life forever, because it was he who pitched me into the most competitive league in the world. Boss Jurgen will be unforgettable for me and my family. I believe in boss Jurgen, and I know he believes me, too. The boss knows better than anyone, that if he gives me an orientation on behalf of the team, I will give 200% for the boss, the team and the club. My gratitude for Klopp will be eternal.” Too little too late I reckon. Klopp was asked about him last night by a Portuguese reporter and he couldn’t have been any more non-committal about it. If we can get £10m for him, take it and run. Friday Apr 19: Solksjaer says some of United’s players need a reality check. Funny really. When he first got there he was acting like their best mate. Rashford, Martial and Lukaku all thrived and he even managed to get a tune out of Pogba for a little while. Then he got the job permanently and they’ve all turned to shit and the team keeps losing. Didn’t take long for him to go down the Mourinho route did it? He’ll be calling Pogba a twat and Luke Shaw a little fat fuck before you know it. Meanwhile, conflicting reports in the Spanish press today. One outlet has Madrid allocating €250m for the signing of Mané, while another claims Salah has had a bust up with Klopp and told him he wants to leave, with Madrid his preferred destination. They’re the absolute fucking worst aren’t they? Mo’s agent took to Twitter to rip into them, “talking through your AS again I see”, which was good to see. Unnecessary, as you’d have to be a fucking idiot to believe that story, but it was still good to see. See Barca are charging our fans over 100 quid a ticket. Of course, just like United did, we’re doing the same to their fans and using the extra cash to subsidise our fans who are travelling over. The average price Barca fans pay for home games is €17, and they’ve even admitted that they screw the away fans to make up the shortfall. Fucking pricks. More than a club indeed. Staying with Barcelona, and Mourinho has told us how to stop Messi. Did he ever manage to do it? Maybe he did, I don’t remember. Anyway, he says you need to ‘create a cage’ as that’s what he did. I do remember that, because he also had his players take it in turns to use a cattle prod on him while he was in that cage. It was brutal. To be honest though, I’m all in on that philosophy. Get the lads to take it in turns to boot him. And do the same to Suarez too for that matter. Messi won't react but it might slow him down a bit. Suarez though. Different story. Provoke him to the point he gets so frustrated that he sinks his choppers into Big Virg. Fuck me, I’m so up for this one. Can’t wait. Finally, Mo is on the cover of TIME magazine and has been named as one of the most influential people on the planet. Great to see, well deserved. Cracking fella and a great role model. While it’s quite surreal seeing one of our players on the cover of a publication like that, it still can’t touch that time when ‘atk’ off the forum was on the front of the Wall Street Journal at the height of the Gillett & Hicks shitstorm. That might be the most surreal thing I’ve ever seen. Mad times they were. That was the week that was….

The weekend's action kicked off on Friday night with that Ayoze Perez los… wait, I prmosied I wouldn’t call him a loser any more after he scored against City. I’ll start again. The weekend's action kicked off on Friday night with Ayoze Perez scoring the only goal of the game as Newcastle secured their safety with an unexpected win at Leicester. Although Leicester should have had a penalty they didn’t really do enough to deserve anything as Brendan got well and truly Rafa’d. Newcastle have looked half decent at times since the turn of the year and I’m already having visions of them camping in their own box against us and taking points off us with a corner that goes in off Paul Dummett’s left arse cheek. *shudders* Rondon has been in good form since the turn of the year and has suddenly become some kind of dead ball wizard. He’s had some belting free-kicks in recent weeks, so we’ll need to be wary of that. I’d also be happier if the 'worm with eyebrows' broke his duck before we play them too. He still hasn’t scored since his big money move in January and Mike Ashley will be buzzing as it means he can tell Rafa there's no more cash to spend because he wasted it on that turd. Speaking of turds, it’s not been a great week for the Mancs. They were (by Ole’s own admission) outplayed at home by West Ham and needed two penalties from Pogba to fluke the win. Of course Pogba posed and preened after both pens as though he’d actually done something befitting of a player who gets the hype he does. He’s never, ever, done anything befitting of the hype he gets. And yes, I’m aware he won a World Cup. The point stands. In typical fashion, Pobga went missing a few days later when United completely made a show of themselves in Camp Nou. They’re just shite, and it baffles me how some Reds are thinking there’s a chance they’ll take points off City. They won’t. Not because they won’t try, but because they’re shite. They’ll be lucky to hold City to three goals, although I do reckon they’ve got it in them to possibly score a couple (Rashford, Martial and Lukaku are all dangerous and Pogba is... well Pogba is quite good at pens) so they might at least make it interesting. I’ve got more faith in Burnley taking points from City than these losers though. They rode their luck during that winning run they had and some people were taken in by it, including the United board who gave the Goblin the job permanently. Since that happened they’ve lost virtually every game. Great isn't it? Last week I was taking the piss about that “Ole’s at the wheel” chant, but it’s even more ridiculous than I realised. I didn’t know the lyrics last week, only that they had a song with that line in and I was sick of hearing it. Turns out another line from it goes “We’ve got Sanchez, Paul Pogba and Fred” and - get this - it’s not a complaint, it’s a boast. I can’t even… I mean… fucking hell. Can they not hear themselves? They’re basically singing “we’ve got bunions, bad breath and piles”. Nothing to brag about lads. Still, I expect they’ll be replacing that song soon enough, just like they took down the “chosen one” Moyes banner when the truth hit them like a massive sledge hammer. Any week now they’ll be breaking out the ‘green and gold’ scarfs again and targeting the Glazers. “Green and gold, until we’re sold… or until we're good again”. Dicks. Not much has happened in terms of the title or the top four race, so the biggest situational change this week has come at the bottom, where suddenly Brighton look in deep shit. They got battered at home by Bournemouth and then lost to Cardiff in midweek. Cardiff were dead and buried but the ineptitude of Brighton has opened the door for them. Hopefully we can slam it back in their faces this weekend, but we could have done with a Brighton win there really. That Bournemouth result was a real shocker. If you lose by five at home to Eddie Howe’s side you probably deserve to go down really. That Dan Gosling jabroni opened the scoring after a lovely reverse pass from the impressive Callum Wilson. My boy Ryan Fraser then doubled their lead after another Wilson assist and Brighton's take became impossible when Knockaert had a moment of madness and launched himself at Adam Smith, earning himself a red card. Brooks made it 3-0, Wilson added a fourth and Stanislas made it 5-0. Bournemouth actually look pretty good when they have Brooks, Fraser and Wilson all on the pitch at the same time. They just haven't been able to keep them all fit. Brighton were utterly hideous though, mistakes all over the place and a complete lack of any fighting spirit. I don’t think they’ll get another point so it’s all going to come down to what Cardiff do. They were really unlucky to lose at Burnley and once again had a legitimate beef with the officials. Wood put Burnley ahead and then there was a dust up between Taylor and Barnes that ended with them going head to head like rutting stags. Then Barnes kissed him on the nose. Twice! Proper needling bastard him, I love it. Can’t wait to see him and Wood getting stuck into City in a few weeks. Refs are defo out to get Warnock now though. Mike Dean gave Cardiff a penalty and then changed his mind. Could have gone either way but you’d be livid if that went against you like that. They had another good pen shout waved away too when Gunnarsson was tripped, before Wood eventually killed them off once and for all. Cardiff deserved something from the game though and they’ve got far more fight in them than Brighton seem to have. In terms of talent Cardiff probably should be rivalling Huddersfield for rock bottom, but they’ve fought and scrapped all season and have significantly over achieved to still even have a chance at survival. Southampton are virtually safe now though after beating Wolves. Not a shock, as Nuno Holy Spirit’s side do much better against the top sides than the bottom ones and they were probably still on a huge downer following their agonising FA Cup semi final loss to Watford. Let's hope they're done for the season now and give us an easy ride on the final day. Redmond’s close range finish set the Saints on their way but Boli headed in from a corner to draw Wolves level. Redmond restored Southampton’s lead after being played in by Ings. Sims then wasted two great chances before substitute Long made it 3-1. Crazy. He hadn’t scored for nine years and then he slots in successive games. Football eh? Bloody hell. Southampton’s players tried to do one of those European celebrations at the end when the players all join hands in front of the home end and throw their arms up in the air. Needs a lot more work, as honestly it was the campest thing I’ve ever seen. It doesn’t help when half of them are squirming with embarrassment and not really throwing themselves into it. It was proper awkward, I doubt we’ll see them attempt it again. Talking of awkward, what about them Blues eh? After they beat Arsenal last week there was some classic blueshite bravado doing the rounds. They were getting all chesty, it was like last summer all over again, when Kopite heads were falling off because the balance of power was shifting. Marco’s finally got the players playing how he wants and the rest of us better look out next season apparently. Heard it all before, and it never gets old. A week later they were losing to already relegated Fulham, who hadn't won a game since January. They’ll never learn, will they? This was bad even by Everton standards. The best part of it is that Ryan Babel assisted the opener for Cairney and then scored the second himself (fantastic goal too), which was like pouring a whole salt cellar on a big fuck off cut. Don’t ever change, Everton. Mourinho was in the stands watching which no doubt had some Blues thinking Moshiri’s millions had tempted him. His stock has fallen, but not by THAT much. Andre Gomes got away with an awful cowardly stamp on Mitrovic (who screamed like he’d been hit in the chest with a spear), but the FA did him afterwards on video evidence, prompting a shitload of ‘whataboutery’ from angry Blues on Twitter, wondering why Salah wasn’t given the same treatment for an alleged dive against Chelsea. They’re more obsessed with us than Man City are, which is some achievement. The Blues put out a statement that Gomes “accepts his three game suspension”. I bet he does, he’s probably fucking made up as it means he only has to play one more game for these losers before he can get the hell out of there. Meanwhile, Spurs are well and truly back on track now after their recent wobbles. They followed up their 1-0 win over City in Europe by smashing Huddersfield at home a few days later. No biggie, as Huddersfield are crap, but Spurs had a lot of players missing and this could have gone badly for them. Wanyama gave them the lead with his customary one goal a season. Thankfully this time it wasn’t against us. It wasn’t a worldy either this time, but it was a very nice finish. Good feet for a big man and all that. Andros Moura (or should that be Lucas Townsend?) then banged in a hat-trick. He was lively against us the other week and with him and Son in the side they really don’t need Kane. Their record without the slobbering goon is pretty good, and I was honestly not surprised they knocked City out. Of course I wasn’t expecting it to go down the way it did (quite possibly the maddest game ever seen in this country), but honestly, Spurs going through was kind of what I expected because Pep always shits the bed in the knockouts. Personally I think it’s great, but not everyone agrees, which is baffling to me. As Reds we’re overthinking things massively at the moment though. Every little thing is being analysed and put through our internal “what’s best for the Reds” scanner. So much so that there are people out there who didn’t fully enjoy what happened to City because they’re worried that them going out will result in a backlash that sees them win all of their remaining league games. Apparently, Spurs have less chance of getting something on Saturday because they went through at City’s expense. Even if I believed that (which I don’t, and I’ll explain why shortly), this was still one of the funniest things ever to happen on a football field. I mean come on, if you can’t enjoy this then you must be dead inside. As for how it will impact on the title race, I get the concerns some of you have but I don’t share them and here’s why. Let’s say that Aguero had not been given offside and that goal had been allowed to stand. City would be on cloud nine, feeling indestructible and about to face Ajax in the CL semis. Spurs on the other hand, would be broken. They’d be devastated and in no state to go and play another game at the same stadium against the same opponent a few days later. Before this game I wanted City to go out in the most psychologically damaging way possible. Ideally I wanted them to win the game but lose the tie after conceding an away goal in the dying seconds of extra time, as that would have left them with tired legs as well as broken hearts. That didn’t happen but this was maybe even better. Even my twisted mind hadn’t thought up a potential ending like this. They actually thought they’d won it and had a good 45 seconds of celebrations before they realised something might be up. That’s actually way better than if they’d just conceded a late goal to lose. How do you get over something like that in just a few days? Spurs will go there relaxed, confident and gloating. The odds on them getting a result have increased I’d say. City having two games less to play isn’t ideal, but if they are dropping points it’s almost certainly going to happen in the next three games anyway, so the semi finals wouldn’t have impacted on that at all. They got through a potentially tricky game at Selhurst Park without any real problems on Sunday. Palace were dire but it's hard to criticise them too much when they've taken more points off City this season than we have. For me, what happened on Wednesday night was the best outcome for our title hopes and it also removes the possibility that we’d have to play City in the Champions League final. I’d have made that a 50/50 shot for us, but it wouldn’t have been an enjoyable experience so I’m just glad the cunts are out. Fuck them, the financial doping scumbags. I may even need to rethink my VAR hatred after this. Finally, Arsenal managed a rare away win on Monday night at Watford. I watched most of it and Watford were very unlucky. My Boy Troy was sent off early on so they played virtually the whole game with ten men, yet they still outplayed Arsenal. They trailed even before Deeney saw red after Foster took too long to clear and Aubameyeng was able to block the clearance into the net. Dean Saunders said the next day “This is going to sound stupid, but that’s the goal of the season for me. I enjoyed it more than Salah’s against Chelsea”. Deano lad, you should start every sentence with the preface of “this is going to sound stupid but…” It was good play by Aubamayeng but it was dreadful from both Janmaat (who spurned an easy clearance down the line and cut back inside and played a weak backpass to his keeper) and Foster (poor touch and lack of awareness of who was closing him down and how quick he is). Goal of the season? Fucking hell. Anyway, back to the Deeney sending off. He barely touched the lad, he just brushed past him and caught him the faintest of blows with his forearm. Torreira sold it beautifully though and made it look like he’d been clobbered with an elbow. A linesman, 40 yards away, drew the refs attention to it and Deeney’s night was over. I thought the Watford fans were a bit mean to Torreira though as he only did what every single Uruguayan on the planet would do. It’s like the scorpion and the frog. Why did you do it? “I can’t help it, I’m Uruguayan”. I mean, as if he’s not going to collapse in a heap in that situation. May as well ask the poor lad to stop breathing. As much as I thought it was a poor decision by the linesman (I don’t blame the ref, he can only act on what he’s been told) I don’t think ol’ Time Travelling Troy can have too many complaints about it given that he’s made it clear what his plan is when he faces Arsenal. He told us all live on TV a year or so back when he said “Arsenal lack cojones. Let me whack the first one and see who wants it”. The lino was probably waiting for it. Much like Torreira though, Deeney shouldn’t really be judged for his actions either, as it’s beyond his control. He’s from the 80s, that’s how the game was played back then. At least he won’t miss the cup final. If it’s going badly, here’s hoping he clocks Kompany is his big bulb head, or tries to strangle the bald fraud with his stupid cardie. Better yet, let’s hope he scores the winner and City end up with just the League Cup. Pricks.

If there is one Liverpool player who would love to get one over Barcelona more than most it is James Milner.Part of the Man City squad who were eliminated by Barcelona from the Champions League in back to back seasons (2013/4/2014/5), Milner does not want to make it a hat-trick of defeats.While the Spanish giants are many people's favourites to win the competition, the versatile veteran believes the Reds can pose them plenty of searching questions of their own.The Liverpool Echo reported Milner as saying:"I've played against Barcelona a couple of times before in the knockout stages and not had the greatest success."They are a strong team and it is a tough place to go, but I don’t think they will have played too many teams like us.“It will be difficult. They are a team full of great individual talent and a great side too.“The Nou Camp is a fantastic stadium and a fantastic place to play with a great atmosphere. "It will be very tough and we will have to be at our best."But over the last couple of seasons, with the teams that we have beaten in the Champions League, we should go there with confidence, no matter how tough it is going to be.” The win over Porto on Wednesday evening saw the Reds progress to the final four of Europe's elite club competition for the second consecutive season.It is the first time they have achieved such a feat since Rafa Benitez's tenure (2006/7-07-08).Milner believes it is a sign of all-around improvement by Jurgen Klopp's men."It’s great. Doing it back-to-back shows that we are improving as a team and getting to where we want to be.“It’s not easy. The teams in the semi-finals are completely different to last year but it’s a great a place to be and mission accomplished.”Milner said he expected a real challenge from Porto in the second leg, but the pleasing thing is that it showed a resilience that has been a real trademark of this squad this season."The pressure they put us under from the start, we knew it would be tough but we just ground it out. We defended, we got the chance and once we took it, that helped in terms of the tie."We showed different sides to ourselves, defending and showing what we can do depending how the game is. "You are not going to play well in every single game. It says a lot about the character within the team."In the second half we got some great goals – a great ball from Trent Alexander-Arnold for the second. We are scoring different types of goals as well, from set-plays."Virgil (van Dijk) is getting a few now. He was getting a fair bit of stick earlier in the season for not getting enough, now he can’t stop scoring.Milner is a perfect man to have on board at this time of the season as he has lived through the pressure of a title race.He knows that his former club will quickly put the disappointment of their heartbreaking Champions League exit behind them and focus on the league which includes getting revenge over Tottenham in the early kick-off on Saturday.While for Liverpool it is about keeping their mind on the job at hand."City are Premier League champions for a reason and I am sure they will react like champions.“They will go again, but Spurs will have their backs up and will want to go again after getting such a great result to get through. "They are two top teams and it will be an exciting game for the neutral."We will keep one eye on it but all we can do is influence our games. There are big games coming all over the place, the first thing we have to do is recover for Cardiff."There are a lot of tough games coming up and it won’t be easy. We are used to a game every three days and when the pressure is on towards the end of the season, it maybe takes a bit more out of you."But the team has been fantastic in terms of how we have dealt with it all. We have got a big game of our own at the weekend that we have to get a result in.”

For many Liverpool fans, a special place in their heart is reserved for Rafa Benitez. The Spaniard brought with him a tremendous managerial pedigree when he arrived on English soil from Valencia in 2004. While Liverpool had made important headway under Gerard Houllier, Benitez elevated the squad to a new level, famously winning the Champions League in his first season.It was not only his tactical nous along with the quality of player he was able to sign which won him plaudits, it was his ability to connect with the supporters which is so important in modern football.So it is for that reason that when the current Newcastle manager gives his nod of approval to the current man in the Anfield hot seat, you have to give a whole lot of value to his comments.The Liverpool Echo (via Marca) reported Benitez as saying:" Klopp is doing a great job at Anfield. "They are in that position because they deserve it."Last weekend I watched the game against Chelsea and they play with an intensity and an impressive level.“They are a clear contender to win both titles and have the potential to do it." Benitez was a master of getting the right result in Europe over two legs, be it against the almighty Barcelona and Real Madrid or Juventus and Inter Milan.Since his acrimonious departure at the end of the 2009/10 season, the Reds fell off the radar in terms of top flight European football for quite a few seasons.It has been a methodical build with the German in charge, culminating in back to back Champion League semi final appearances.While last year's path to the final was captivating and thrilling, the ability to get to the final four while also having a title challenge on their plate adds that extra bit of merit to the achievement.Rafa's priorities are quite rightly with his Newcastle side at this time, however you get a real sense that his trademark grin will appear if the Reds manage to lift some silverware at the end of this season.

Looking for some betting strategy tips for the upcoming English Premier game between Cardiff City and Liverpool? We bet you are, and if you are a first time online punter you may want to read our ultimate sports betting guide for the Liverpool fan. Here are some helpful sports betting strategy tips you may find helpful before getting those bets in. The Difference Between In Play Betting and In Game Betting Before you go head first into the water you need to learn to swim. The basics of live online sports betting lies within knowing the difference between the wagers. In play is far more active as bets are continuously changing throughout gameplay. This is because punters can adjust their bets as the game reaches half time or there is an ad break. Live in play betting has been said to be the most exciting as players only have a few seconds to make bets and adjust them. In game betting is when you bet on the outcome of the game. It is betting on teams and players and predicting the odds. This method of wagering is tailored more to novice punters than seasoned sports bettors. It is much easier to make less irrational wagers as you have time to consider all possible outcomes and even discuss them amongst likeminded bettors. Betting on Odds Betting on the odds of a game is another form of the most popular live sports betting strategies. You can get the latest football odds at Novibet and look at past wagers to get an idea as to how you want to place your bet, how past bets were wagered and what the odds outcome was on predicted odds of top matches. Currently, with the English Premier underway, most punters are already getting their bets in and this is on the odds of the game. Sports Betting Tips, Forecasts and Predictions A very important piece of advice is to look forward to professional sites for forecasts and likelihoods. These calculations are based on previous stats, game plays and player’s strengths and weaknesses. Keep in mind there are professional punters who make these predictions and then there are amateurs. It is best to follow up on these punting tips before placing real cash wagers on them as they could very well be set up to trick wagers. Luckily there are forums dedicated to discussing these odds and predictions, where you can rely on your source of information. Understanding Sports Betting Terms Finally, and this we should maybe have begun with, but live sports betting speaks a language of its own. To know what you are betting on you should understand the terms used. The internet does provide a glossary, so make use of it. Get your sports bets in before one of the biggest matches of the year begins. Learn both teams strengths and weaknesses, how to bet on the teams and discuss it amongst other players for the best possible winning outcome.

It’s not supposed to look this easy.... 6-1 on aggregate in a CL quarter final after scoring four in the away leg. The mad thing is we didn’t even play anywhere near our best. "We know we didn't play well" said Milner, while Klopp also made some remark about how we can play better. When you're this good you don't always need to play at full throttle and clearly we had plenty left in the tank here. That bodes well for the weekend as unlike City we didn’t have to expend too much physical or emotional energy. It doesn't mean we'll definitely beat Cardiff, but it increases our chances and all in all this night couldn't have gone any better for us. We scored three in Munich and four in Porto. The away day struggles that plagued us in the group stages are well and truly a thing of the past now and those wide open spaces of Camp Nou should have our front three licking their collective chops. They’re looking sharp again now. Sadio has been fucking incredible since the turn of the year but Mo and Bobby are in the groove now as well. Porto must hate us mustn't they? They’ve actually given a decent account of themselves each time, yet over the course of four games they’ve lost 11-1. I reckon they’ve probably had as many chances as us during those games too. We’ve been clinical, they haven’t. It wasn’t like they were missing sitters in this game but they had some decent openings that they did nothing with. The opening twenty minutes was all Porto. They were bang up for it and played at a frantic pace. They were averaging a goal attempt every 90 seconds or so in that opening period. Shots were raining in from everywhere. Only one of them forced Alisson to extend himself though, and if I remember rightly it was offside anyway. We couldn’t keep the ball so it kept coming back at us. Corona was really lively and we struggled to deal with him in the opening stages. Robbo and Trent probably had difficulty concentrating as they may have been too busy laughing at the absolute state of the fucking lipstick mark neck tattoo he had. What a twat. Good player though. Marega was making a nuisance of himself too but he wasn’t as much of a danger as he had been in the first leg. I thought Virgil started the game quite shakily and it was Matip that was holding down the fort in the early exchanges, but as soon as Virgil settled down Porto’s threat receded. It helped that we scored too, which took the air out of the stadium. It was a weird goal as no-one seemed to think it was going to stand. My first thought when Mané put the ball in the net was that there was going to be a flag, and there was. My next thought was that I wanted a replay as I expected it was a lot closer than it initially looked. Sadio is as quick over a couple of yards as anybody I’ve ever seen (on a par with Owen) so although he looked miles off, he probably wasn’t. The replay didn’t come though, which was a bit weird. Instead, the camera remained on the ref. I clearly saw him saying “it’s a goal” so I jumped up and celebrated. Then he carried on yapping into his headset. What the fuck’s going on here then? I sat back down, waiting. And about 30 seconds later I see Mo’s arms go up in the air and the ref signalled for a goal. I didn’t bother jumping up this time, the moment had gone. And that’s my biggest gripe against VAR, and yet I’m torn because without it that goal wouldn’t have stood (and we'd have been denied that side splittingly funny ending at the Etihad). Sadio's goal meant it was game over because Porto were never scoring four. Hell, given how shite they’d been in front of goal I wasn’t expecting them to even get one. All of the intensity had gone out of their play now and I knew we’d get the opportunity to hit them on the break. I was hoping to see Origi get himself a goal in the second half but he was hooked at half time for Bobby, who was absolutely fucking sensational when he came on. Poor Divock though. He got a start based on being boss in training, but he had very little chance to do anything as we were on the back foot for most of the first half. He tried to be positive when he had the ball and a few times he knocked it down the line and tried to use his pace, but they stopped him easily enough. He also got laid out by an outrageous WWE style shoulder block by the notoriously snide Pepe. I’m rooting for Big Div and really want him to do well, but you could see the massive difference in our play when Bobby came on. Hopefully Divock doesn’t let his head go down after this though as he’s still got a significant part to play in this run in. We’re going to need him as we can’t just keep wheeling out the same front three twice a week. Keep your chin up lad, you can still be a hero. Bobby though. Fucking hell. The impact he made was massive. Whether he’d have had the same kind of influence had he started is open to debate, as like I said, Porto had us under the cosh and that only really changed after we scored. What we do know is that Firmino came on and completely ran the game. The second goal started because he won the ball in the left back position, didn’t panic despite being pressured, and managed to switch the play to where the space was. Wijnaldum collected and fed the overlapping Trent, and he produced a slide rule Gerrard pass that took out the last defender and reached Salah without him needing to even break stride. Casillas came flying out and made up Mo’s mind by leaving a big space for him to roll the ball into. Mane was square for a tap in, but Mo is always taking that himself and rightly so. Now Porto needed five. They did at least get one back. Disappointing from our point of view to concede from a corner like that, but sometimes when the ball is right and you have a big man that has timed his run well, it’s virtually impossible to stop. The lad who scored had a cracking game. You can see why Madrid have snapped him up as he looks like a big talent. Strong, quick and skilful. Like a Portuguese Joe Gomez. Speaking of Joe, he was back in action having replaced Trent immediately after the second goal. Hendo was brought on as well to give Robbo a bit of a rest. Tell you what, the skipper was fucking sensational from the second he stepped onto the field. Like a Mackem Kevin De Bruyne. His first involvement was a perfect through ball to send Mané clear. Sadio’s first touch was incredible and he did everything right to race through and go around the keeper, but he just couldn’t wrap his foot around the ball as he moved at full speed and it sailed wide of the open goal. It looked like a sitter but I reckon that was much more difficult than many seem to think. Gomez looked good. Strong in his defensive work and positive in his forward running. He was involved in the third goal when he made a challenge and got the ball to Hendo who carried the ball forward, waited for Gomez to make an overlap and distract the defender, and then curled a ball right into the area that Firmino had pointed to. Bobby buried the header, meaning all three forwards had scored. I know I’m probably reflecting on this through rose tinted glasses, but it felt like that happened every other week last season. I remember writing how it would upset me if one of them didn’t score. It doesn’t seem to have happened anything like as often this year, so I enjoyed this immensely. I love it when all three of them score in the same game, not least because it means we’ve scored three and have almost certainly won the game. There was time for Big Virg to get in the act too, heading in emphatically after Mané had flicked on a Milner corner at the near post. Loved that one, we should see it more often as Sadio wins so many front post headers from corners that if the delivery is right we could be scoring these type of goals regularly. We could have scored more but four was just fine. What could easily have been a really difficult game ended up in a stroll because of the resilience of the lads to defend and resist the early pressure, and then the quality to strike when the opportunity arose. The perfect old school away performance really. This team has matured massively over the last 12 months, but they’ll need all of that calmness and professionalism in the next month or so as every game is fucking massive. Reaching the semi final stage two years in a row is a fine accomplishment. Of last season’s final four we’re the only ones to get there again this time, which says a lot. We’ve actually had more trouble getting out of the groups than we have had negotiating the knockout stages, because knockout football suits us. We’ve never lost a knockout tie under Klopp but we might be about to face the biggest threat to that record in the next round. Maybe City last year was a tougher game, but this is certainly more glamorous because this is a proper club we're up against. Fellow European royalty. Real Madrid have the most European Cups but a tie with Barcelona has that extra little bit of magic about it for me. They’re just a little bit sexier and therefore it’s more exciting playing them than anybody else. They’re also clearly beatable. Messi is on another planet but the rest of them don’t scare me. We know as well as anyone how good Suarez and Coutinho are, but we regularly face players of their level domestically (Aguero, De Bruyne, Silva, Hazard). There is no-one like Messi though. There never has been. This is a new and unique test for us. It’s a fucking massive test for Barcelona too though. They don’t face anyone like us in Spain and they haven’t faced anyone like us in Europe either, because there is no-one like us. They will HATE the intensity and speed we play at. They won't get a second's peace on the ball and we can make life very uncomfortable for them. The second leg is at Anfield, which in the past is something that I would have seen as being a massive advantage. We’re so dangerous on the break away from home though that I don’t think it actually makes any difference to us where the second leg is. It probably makes more of a difference to Barca, as no doubt they’d want to be at Camp Nou for the second leg. For two years I’ve watched them play and always found myself thinking “we’d fucking destroy these”. Now we’ll get to see if I’m right. I can't wait, this is what it's all about, the games where legends are made. Star man is Sadio, just ahead of Fabinho the destroyer. Firmino and Henderson were both phenomenal in the time they were on the pitch but Mané played the full game and looked full of confidence and swagger. Team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold (Gomez), Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson (Henderson); Fabinho, Milner, Wijnaldum; Salah, Origi (Firmino), Mané:

Liverpool can look forward to a mouth-watering semi final Champions League tie against Barcelona after overcoming Porto 4-1 on Wednesday night and 6-1 on aggregate.The home team came out with all guns blazing with a clear plan to put the Reds on the back foot, looking to shoot at Alisson's goal wherever possible, and with their vocal crowd in full voice it seemed we could be in for quite a second leg.But while the Liverpool team of old may well have crumbled under the pressure, this team is made of strong stuff, and were able to weather the early storm.When Sadio Mane put the ball in the net after 26 minutes after some VAR intervention, there was always going to be one winner.The second half was certainly a less frenetic affair with the visitors well and truly in control.Jurgen Klopp even saw a opportunity to give Joe Gomez a run-out, the first time he has seen minutes since he sustained his untimely injury against Burnley in early December.The other members of the front three added their names to the scoresheet in the second half, with Mane, Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino now sitting alongside Ian Rush with 14 Champions League goals for the Reds.The fourth goal was a header by the leader of the defence in Virgil Van Dijk.The Dutchman was naturally asked after the game about the fixture on the horizon against the Catalan giants, and specifically how are they going to combat arguably the best player in World Football in Lionel Messi.Metro (via Viasport Futbol) reported Van Dijk as saying:‘I don’t know, we’ll see. It’s going to be a great match-up for all of us. ‘ "Obviously we’re very happy to be in the semi-final again and that’s the only thing I can say. Van Dijk said how the Reds defence combat a key attacking threat is through a complete team effort.‘It’s about doing it all together, it’s never 1 vs 1, it’s never just me against a particular striker. "It’s always us against everyone and I think that’s the only way we can defend well."And it’s going to be very hard and I think he’s the best player in the world but we’ll see."Jurgen Klopp is also looking forward to facing one of Europe's elite teams at such an important time of the competition, especially as it will the first time he has come face to face with Barcelona in a competitive fixture.But first things first Sky Sports reported the manager as saying his thoughts are firmly focused on Cardiff this Sunday."We are in the semi-finals and on Sunday we play Cardiff, that is in my mind and will be in my mind 100 per cent when I wake up tomorrow, not how we play against Barcelona."We have time for that. I am looking forward to it and it's brilliant, but not tonight."We have to get ourselves ready for another intense football game. "Cardiff are back in the race after the result yesterday (a 2-0 win over Brighton) so they will fight for it and I don't think it will be less intense than tonight. That's the next job to do."The fact there is a proper game between Liverpool and Barcelona is really good news. I am really proud of the boys, it is brilliant what they did. I am really happy."There is sure to be endless questions asked of both Klopp and the members of the squad in the next week or so.However as they have done all season, you will back them to keep a intense focus at the job at hand.And for the next two fixtures, that remains the title race in the Premier League.