G Richards

Not doing yourself any favours with that post Rev.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I wondered whether to even say anything, given the limitations of the written word on a message forum. It didn’t seem right after being here over the years to just vanish. I wish we were all just in the pub having a pint because writing stuff down can seem formal and weird.

 

But I am concerned about the increase of disrespect and lack of fair play with that.

Thanks for responses folks, and the pub bit is making me second guess the wisdom of including that analogy. It’s definitely not the same scale, obviously.

 

The part about needing to be liked feels wide of the mark to me. It’s more a matter of fairness and respect. I may have an overdeveloped old fashioned British sense of fair play, but there you have it.

Just wanted to give a final comment on this, having taken a few days to reflect.

 

From my perspective it wasn’t a disagreement. It was an attack. To the best of my knowledge I had never even spoken with King Emlyn or exchanged any ideas before he took it on himself to aggressively have a pop at me.

 

After we lost to Chelsea we were all gutted. I tried to look on the bright side and point towards the last day of the season, anticipating that we would beat Brighton, secure top four, have a nice send off to the final, and Chelsea would be gutted, having put in a late season surge and gone close to top four.

 

For that King Emlyn said I was talking shit. It’s not the world’s worst insult by any means, but I asked him to show me how, and he couldn’t. Instead he said he didn’t like me (laughable to take that stance towards someone on here really, as we are not 14 year old girls). Then he added more by saying I was condescending, and also acting the big bollocks towards Chelsea.

 

It was all rather odd, so I stepped back for a few days to reflect, both on whether or not there was any merit in what King Emlyn was saying, and also whether or not I would continue to post here.

 

I came back a while later and read through the thread again. I was hoping there might have been a softening of heart, or some sort of sign that the aggression towards me was a regrettable mistake -and we’re all capable of that, but there was no sign of contrition. In fact, it looked like it was getting worse, as King Emlyn added to the insult by also calling me a phony.

 

I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean. I am who I am. A red. It’s why I’m here. Originally from the Wirral. Married to an American girl. I’m a minister. Served churches in Bromsgrove, Leicester and Northampton, before moving over here. Nearly losing our daughter triggered the decision to move. I never had any desire to live anywhere apart from that he UK, but Mrs G wanted to be close to her family, which was understandable, so I backed my bride and we moved.

 

I wasn’t 100% sure what I would do over here when we made the decision to move, as it’s different - I’ll leave it at that. But a door opened for me professionally, and I continue to serve as a minister. I’m a fish out of water sometimes, but I do use the small platform I have to occasionally challenge the status quo in the Midwest that says (it’s an exaggeration, but there’s a grain of truth in it) to be a good Christian you have to love Trump, love guns and hate the gay community.

 

Anyway, I don’t know why I’m writing this, other than possible catharsis. I don’t know why someone who doesn’t know me would call me a phony.

 

As I reflected on what King Emlyn said to me, it occurred to me that if he spoke like that to someone in the pub he would get a smack and it would regulate itself that way. But apparently it’s OK to talk to people like that on here, without provocation, when you’ve never even exchanged words with them before?

 

The internet has no shortage of loons, and it is easy to dismiss if they are some no mark who is up to no good. But apparently, King Emlyn is a respected poster. He is a member of the site and has been here for many years, and some of the longstanding “pillars” of this community vouch for him.

 

So that troubles me enormously, as clearly this isn’t some loon or no mark. So I find myself in the new situation where respected posters can just decide, one day, to go at you.

 

Now, you could say the attack wasn’t that bad, but to the person on the receiving end it was. Let’s go back to the pub. If someone punched someone out of the blue, and then claimed it wasn’t that bad because they weren’t hospitalized or permanently marked, it would not be appropriate to say to the fella who got punched, “It wasn’t that bad. It was only a little slap. You need a thicker skin. People get battered worse than that all the time.”

 

As far as the notion of being bullied is concerned, that doesn’t factor into it for me. I’ve never backed down from anything in my life, if I felt the fight was worth it.

 

But this isn’t, or at least shouldn’t be, a fight. I come in here to pass the time and talk football with (mostly) people from back home. At its best it reminds me of where I’m from and provides a forum to while away some lazy moments doing nothing much. I find that it helps me unwind in an increasingly hectic life, and so it serves its purpose well.

 

With that said, my concern is this place has become overly savage, when even respected posters are happy to treat other longstanding posters so aggressively, out of the blue, with no context of previous exchange between them.

 

I will plan to maintain an account as I might come back, but for now I am bowing out. For all those good posters who have challenged and stimulated interesting discussion on here over the years, thank you.

 

There’s no strop on my part. No flounce. Just a sense that it’s time to move on. Peace and love.

It's ethically wrong and therefore you should have requested the labels.

 

There's no half-way house here, G.

 

I phoned them up to say they had re-sent the whole order, and not just the one bottle that was smashed. They presented me with two options, so I took the free wine. I’m not sure what’s unethical about that.

 

Anyway, if you’re ever in these parts, let’s discuss over a glass of wine!

I’m not aggressive, I don’t need a chill pill thanks, not everybody’s going to get on are they, it’s no biggie.

It is to me.

 

Imagine you’ve been going to a pub for fourteen years. You just hang out, chat a little football, have a quiet drink, go home. It’s something you like to do, most days. Now imagine someone else in the pub decides to have a go at you. To your knowledge you’ve not even spoken to them before, but one day they take it on themselves to have a pop at you.

 

After they unload on you they say, perhaps imagining themselves to be a fair-minded person, “It’s best we avoid each other.”

 

That’s what this feels like to me and to be honest it’s not what I come here for.

 

I’ve tried to reflect on what I said that could have prompted the attack from you. I was cack handed in the Chelsea comment, but basically I was saying that their disappointment will be all the more sweet if they fall at the last, having got so close to us in the final stretch here.

 

But you decided to insult me, partially quoting me in an unfair way and saying I talk a load of shit. I asked for some insight on that, but you were not able to give a football opinion.

 

Then you took it further and said you’ve never liked me (are we 13 year old girls now or something? We’ve never even spoken on here before, to my knowledge) and you said I was acting the billy big bollocks towards Chelsea (never mind that from time to time there’s a culture on here calling the troops to rally, saying “believe”, “hands in the bucket” “we’ll win the CL” etc.)

 

You said I was condescending towards others and called me a sneering tit (that’s the infamous insult I called Captain some time ago, who took exception to my overly optimistic Liverpool prediction and insulted me about it. The reason I called him the name, which I regret, is that he wouldn’t even bury the hatchet after I offered him an olive branch after he insulted me. I tried to bend over backwards to meet him way beyond halfway, but he wasn’t having it).

 

Anyhow, I’ve posted on here since 2004. You are not far behind me in that. I also see that you are a member of the site.

 

I genuinely don’t understand why a good red who is a member here would have a go at another, especially when they’ve had no relationship before to speak of, and over what, exactly? I’m at a loss to know why you turned on me so personally.

 

I reported your post to Dave. It’s the only time I’ve ever done that, as to me it’s just not on. I’m gutted that it gives Dave something to deal with that he shouldn’t have to.

 

These days, like most people, I’m too busy with work and various responsibilities. I come on here for a bit of respite from all that, and to be in touch with a sense of ‘home’, all around a common interest with fellow reds.

 

I’m going to police myself and take a break from the forum. I may be back, or I may not. I understand some will laugh, and call it a flounce and so on, but I’m genuinely at a loss as to why a fellow red, a member of the site, should have a go at me, in such a personal way, when we’ve not even spoken before.

 

To be honest it’s crap, and it’s not how I am going to continue to spend my pleasure/leisure time.

We were in a wine club back in the UK and have been very happy that Laithwaites have established themselves over here in America in the last few years. We just ordered two cases of wine, and the cost tipped over a price point to mean that we got some free gifts: 4 Dartington crystal red wine glasses and a magnum of lovely Zinfandel. Jobs a good ‘un.

 

When the wine was delivered we noticed the magnum of Zinfandel wasn’t delivered. It was smashed en route. I phoned Laithwaites USA and they said they would send a new bottle.

 

On Friday the WHOLE order arrived again. Two cases of wine, four wine glasses, and the magnum of Zinfandel, this time thankfully intact.

 

I half thought about keeping the wine but that would be ethically wrong, so I phoned Laithwaites to say that we were just expecting one magnum bottle of wine, but they had resent the whole order. The lady on the phone said it was their mistake and I had two options.

 

1. She could send me shipping labels via email to return the two excess cases of wine

2. I could just keep it, as it was their mistake

 

I said if it’s all the same, we’ll just keep the wine. It’s worth about $300!

and for what it’s worth I do think we’ll beat Brighton.

We’re on the same page with that much, at least. I hope we do too, and I think we will.

Anyway, I’m puzzled and a bit gutted by the aggro to be honest. It’s just a football forum.

 

Peace.

It’s just a football forum. I’ve never had crossed words with you but for some reason you took offense at my Chelsea comment. All I’m trying to say about them, possibly in a cack-handed way, is that I will enjoy their magnified disappointment if they fall short, as I think they will when we beat Brighton, after closing the gap to us at the end of the season.

 

I could be wrong, and it all could come crashing down and we collapse on the last day of the season. It’s certainly more in vogue on here to revel in what we think could go wrong, rather than what could go right.

 

Beyond that I’m not sure why you are picking me out or saying these things.

 

You made a personal post and said I was talking shite, and intimated that I often do. Then after that you took it a lot further and were much more personal in your last post. That disappoints me.

Let’s see how half happy you are Chelsea have given themselves a chance next week if we go into our shitting our undies act, a ridiculous post.

Not sure why you are picking me out. Football fans routinely make predictions. I’m feeling positive about our prospects at home to Brighton and think we will secure top four and send the team off to the final. It will be a good day. That’s what I think will happen.

 

If we don’t do it at home to Brighton then obviously I will have got it wrong. I will have overestimated what I thought the team would do on the last day of the season. We might yet collapse. Thin squad, exhausted players, etc. It is tetchy.

 

With that said, I’m backing Liverpool to come through, at home, on the last day of the season, in a do or die game against the mighty Brighton and Hove Albion. I find your sense of panic to be unduly alarming, and I’m thankful our manager is not cut from the same cloth.

 

Since apparently saying “no offence” negates what comes afterwards, then I’ve a message for you:

 

No offence, but grow a pair and back your team to beat Brighton at home on the last day of the season.

PS - of course I would have rather we put this to bed weeks ago, but we didn’t.

 

Every man and his dog has commented on the shallow squad. We have a few injuries and we are managing our resources. I’m made up we are in the final of the CL. The Premier League is tetchy, for sure, but I still think we’ll be fine.

I half like the fact that Chelsea have closed the gap and given themselves a chance, as their disappointment will be that much greater next week. We will play with clear heads and freshness, and absolutely blitz Brighton - who themselves are already safe.

It will be a lovely send off for the CL final.

Believe.

King Emlyn, please take my post in full and don’t be so rude.

 

You took a small part of this, quoted in full here for reference, and negged me because of the Chelsea bit. For those who are not able to appreciate what I’m saying about Chelsea I’ll try to make it more clear: I am saying that it will be all the more sweet when Chelsea’s disappointment is magnified when they fall short, having gone close to catching us, as I fully expect that to happen when we beat Brighton.

 

I’m not sure why else you would be rude about my posting about football. I know the game, love the game, played the game and also coach the game to serve in the community where I live.

 

If you have a specific point you disagree with, make your case and show me the light.

 

The forum is on a bit of a downer after Chelsea today, understandably so. My post was ultimately intended to say we will be alright, and I see Chelsea being gutted come next weekend after daring to hope themselves.

I half like the fact that Chelsea have closed the gap and given themselves a chance, as their disappointment will be that much greater next week. We will play with clear heads and freshness, and absolutely blitz Brighton - who themselves are already safe.

 

It will be a lovely send off for the CL final.

 

Believe.

Just finished watching and didn’t know the score.

 

First of all, if we were fit and fresh, playing a Chelsea side at Stamford Bridge with their tails up, we could just as easily have had the same result as today. I’m not going overboard on today’s result in isolation, as it’s a tough place to go, and today they had a point to prove.

 

They outmuscled us, mostly illegally, but the ref let it go. Mo was manhandled the whole game and should have had a penalty. But apart from that Chelsea were strong and had a bit of zip about them. We are a quality side and were well on top in the first twenty, but after they scored we didn’t really get close enough or apply enough pressure to hurt them. We huffed and puffed but it wasn’t really there in the final third.

 

Mostly that was down to fatigue on our front three, but Chelsea also did all the pushing and pulling and so on, and besides that, they are a good side (underachieving this season). Kante had a good game and was everywhere.

 

On our side we needed to win that header with Giroud. Lovren wasn’t tight enough for me.

 

On our side I also thought Trent had a bad game. He usually has a lovely right foot on him, but I thought he hit a number of poor crosses today.

 

Now we have no room for error and must win at home against Brighton on the last day. I think we will do it, but unfortunately we are somewhat limping over the line in the top four race. Mind you, I would take limping to fourth and a CL final over finishing second and being nowhere in Europe.

 

As for Chelsea, they are putting a decent run together to give themselves a real chance of top four. Therefore, it will be all the more sweet when, with hope returning for them, they fall short at the last.

 

Oh, and Conte - get in your box lad! He did more runs down the wing for them than Heighway used to do for us. I saw the fourth official have a word in the first half, but clearly in the second half staying in your technical area wasn’t a requirement.

May 26th is their final too.

 

Imagine being so inconsequential that that’s all you’ve got?

Nice article Dave. A bit flatter than normal, but you are right, we haven’t won anything yet. You gave credit where credit was due to the players, fans, etc. but then confessed that you weren’t fully feeling the joy. That’s fair enough. Hopefully we all will be on May 26.

 

If we don’t win, I think aws said it well, it’s still massive for the club, as we have served notice that we are dining at the top table now. Everything gets better - money, exposure, recruitment possibilities...

I'm thinking back & it used to be a team pot didn't it ?

 

The Yanks probably signed the £750k per man agreement while sniggering behind their hands.

I am assuming they actually know we are in the final , can you get Flashscore in the US , Rev ?

They almost certainly would not have expected to pay out, that’s for sure. As for watching the match, they would have watched on Fox Soccer, like I did, with Warren Barton and Alexi Lalas giving the insight! (On a related note, how big does the game have to be to get the owners there in person? I know it’s not their first love, and I know it’s a bit of a trek, but come on, turn up - this was the biggest game we’ve had in years!)

 

The £750k per player bonus seems generous, but it will be received differently by different players. To the top earners it will be very nice, while to youngsters like Robbo and Trent, it will be CHA-CHING!

 

(Invest it wisely boys!)

Hope he recovers to see us lift number six.

This captures it for me. Definitely want him to recover, fully and speedily. Don’t wish any physical harm like that on anyone, so best of luck to him. And then, hopefully he will be well enough, safely at home, to watch his old player Cristiano crying a river on May 26.

 

He’s a leader and fought tooth and nail (with all that entailed, including plenty of stuff we didn’t like) for his teams. Definitely one of the best football men there has ever been, even if he did it for our rivals.

Can anyone explain how Pulisic is worth 80m-100m based on his performances? Barring in mind that Sanches, Deulofeu, Halilović, Shaw, Bakkali and Gabigol were projected to be superstars at a similar age and most of them have been barely spoken about since.

 

Signing a 19 year old for £25m, fair enough. Spending nearly £100m on one is pure insanity.

 

I think he is worth about £60M based on performances - playing in Bundesliga at a young age, holding his own, one of the best players for an upper Bundesliga team already. Good experience already for his young age.

 

Factor in the age, reasonable growth potential, money in the Prem and the fact that he’s America’s big hope and likely first proper star in the global game, and the price goes up and up.

 

I’m just guessing but I could see anything up to £100M for him. Crazy though, I know.

 

Sessegnon might be better value, but even then, he has only played in the championship at a much lower level than the Bundesliga and CL, and I would still expect to pay £50M for Sessegnon.

 

The money has truly gone bonkers.

If Wagner gets sacked or Hudds go down, anyone think Klopp might bring his mate in?

Would be an interesting shout. So long as he is strong and gives his view, and not just makes up the numbers as a friend of Klopp.

 

Salary wise, how much does a lower Prem manager make? £500k - £1M? Maybe more, especially with a bonus for staying up?

 

How much would the assistant manager at Liverpool get? I’m imagining a fair amount less.

It’s a bit of both/and for me on the numbers. We definitely want good value, and at the same time, we are definitely going to have to pay to get the manager’s preferred targets.

 

Pulisic is already a good player but nowhere near the finished article. He should cost about £60M but, in the bonkers world of football, I’d expect it to be nearer to £100M. He’s the main man at Dortmund already, so they won’t want to sell and will need to be persuaded by the money on offer. German clubs look at the Premier League riches and add to the fee as they know we have money. And finally, the American factor will come into play, as there’s a lot of money to be made as Pulisic is their star man and should be for the next decade,

 

Arguably, if Pulisic is going to cost close to 100M and Sessegnon perhaps half that amount, we might do better going for the Fulham lad. Both of them fit the bill though - young, fast, already doing well (Pulisic at a higher level currently) and years of improvement to come.

Reckon we should host a celebrity boxing match between the mayor of Kiev and the mayor of Liverpool to celebrate the event.

One of the funniest posts I’ve read in a long time! Superb.

I’m not upset with the way we’ve managed available resources. If we don’t finish top four I might revise that opinion, but I think we will do it. The CL run has been incredible. The league form has suffered, but we still, just about, have a tiny bit of margin.

 

It has proved, as if we didn’t know, that we need more players. Good ones too. Not just padding. With a usual amount of injuries, we simply can’t go strong in the league and the CL. It has been one or the other. Four or five good signings in summer and we’re well on the way. Even if it is 4/5 in and 4/5 out, I’ll take it, as the departing players (apart from Can) will have been no use to us.

 

On to Chelsea. I’m going for 1-1 and top four all but guaranteed.

 

Our defence is much better these days, and they will put in a performance. The sparkle up top won’t quite be there, and we may rotate just a little, so we are not going to blitz them. But we will dig in, be resolute, and I’m going for 1-1.

 

Willian for them, Salah for us.

If he’s fit, or even close, he comes back into the fold as we need the numbers. Klopp likes players to train before picking them, so he would probably be on the bench, but I’ve no qualms with that.

 

I’d rather the final was Henderson, Milner and Gini. Can doesn’t play well with Henderson, and vice versa. Also, that trio got us there, and there’s something not right about displacing one of them for a man with one foot out the door. But put him on the bench.

Does not deserve a medal.

Any players who have transferred out should not be eligible.

I agree with this.

 

But if the convention is to give him a medal, we all know he didn’t earn it. He helped us get through the group. It’s not nothing, but to the best of my knowledge they don’t give medals out for that.