Liverpool 2018/19

[Melville Red]

The FA should have an investigation if Ole starts a weak team against City. It’s united vs City. There should no way a team like united with their history should even think about tanking a game.

Don’t worry, Pogba is the first on the team sheet.
Mind you he does weaken the team.
Liverpool won again last night and Klopp just makes me angry, I turned the telly off when they scored the 3rd.
Here’s hoping Brighton beat City this evening, that will give the bitters a kick up the arse for the league.
Juventus or Barcelona for The Champions League and City for the PL, Wolves for the FA Cup.
Might have a look on the odds for that lot.

 

[GNRfan]

Agree completely. There is no way on earth Liverpool better themselves next season in terms of points accumulation. They are roughly, in most observers’ eyes, ten points better off now than their performances to date suggest and have had the largest dollop of good fortune any team chasing a title has likely ever had. It truly is incredible.

If they don’t win it this year, finishing behind a City team who’ve largely been unlucky this season (Palace and Leicester wonder goals to fluke two unlikely and undeserved wins), it will crush them. Guardiola, the greatest football manager since Ferguson and the one of the greatest of any era, is masterminding City’s safe passage home with six fixtures left to negotiate. I think we can take some solace in that fact. If it were a Sarri or a Pochettino trying to steer home that ship, I’d be very nervous but Guardiola is a serial winner and an experienced hand at this juncture of the season. The City players themselves are also well used to the pressure victory demands. For those reasons alone, I am content with how things stand. It’s just annoying that Liverpool didn’t drop as many points as they should have since Christmas. It shouldn’t even be a race at this stage but at least it’s keeping City honest. They’re well aware any slip now will be fatal and I trust their talent and professionalism to get the job done.

I agree. Liverpool should be seven points ahead.

If we don't win, then there is next year where we will be even stronger. Maybe a couple of new additions so we can field a good second side in the cup competitions.

Let's remember, City have been well-invested since 2008 and have had world class managers under strong and stable stewardship. Liverpool have had 3 and half years rebuilding the club and Klopp has been the first modern world class manager FSG have had.

 

[Treble]

City are capable of winning the remaining games. They have to avoid injuries though. The fixture list seems brutal but if you look beneath the surface it isn't impossible to handle.

Palace away - 5 days rest, more than enough to be in top form for this game
Spurs - 3 days rest but it's the same for Spurs who have fewer options to freshen it up
United away - 4 days rest for City vs 3 days rest for us, they are likely to be fresher for this game

If City win these games, they will probably win the remaining games too.

Right now it is 50/50 and the result last night hasn't changed much. Does it put pressure on City? I'm not sure about that. If City win it from here, after having bad luck with injuries to key players, being 7 pts behind at Christmas and so much going in Liverpool's favour, they'll feel like heroes. On the other hand, had Liverpool dropped pts vs Spurs/Soton, the pressure to win would be bigger as it would feel like a bottle job to miss out on the title.

 

[redman5]

Hazard is more than capable of going to town on that Liverpool defence. It might just be within Chelsea’s powers to show up next weekend. They were much better than Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, lest we forget, before a Sturridge fluke saved Liverpool’s arses in the 89th minute. It’s not a foregone conclusion yet. It’s in our favour actually that Chelsea desperately need the points to get into the Champions League places.

They were also in much better form too at the time. All depends on how motivated they are next week considering that winning the Europa League, & automatic qualification for the CL, is well within their grasp.

 

[AJ10]

Has there ever been a team as lucky as this pool team, seems like pretty much every game they get a decision go their way which directly results in them gaining points.

 

[GNRfan]

Has there ever been a team as lucky as this pool team, seems like pretty much every game they get a decision go their way which directly results in them gaining points.

Just ManuU in their pomp. Remember Fergie time?

We make our own luck by being in offensive positions to score goals.

 

[gibers]

Has there ever been a team as lucky as this pool team, seems like pretty much every game they get a decision go their way which directly results in them gaining points.

TBF they should have had a penalty yesterday. Last night wasn't luck though.

Soton just couldn't keep up.

It will be so much sweeter if they come second with 96 points.

 

[Thisistheone]

Almost given up and accepted they'll win it. Another off-side last night.

Hard to think of a team thats had so much go their way in a single league campaign. So many key moments in games have gone for them ever since the Sturridge wondergoal at the Bridge and the Mahrez pen at Anfield the following week.

 

[AJ10]

TBF they should have had a penalty yesterday. Last night wasn't luck though.

Soton just couldn't keep up.

It will be so much sweeter if they come second with 96 points.

Of course it will after the level of arrogance they showed yesterday (fans/players and morons on Tv) but another offside goal yesterday/the pen would have been very soft imo. Whether they would have gone on to win without that offside goal, I think don't know but goals change games and they got another one gifted to them......Shocking.

 

[redman5]

Agree completely. There is no way on earth Liverpool better themselves next season in terms of points accumulation. They are roughly, in most observers’ eyes, ten points better off now than their performances to date suggest and have had the largest dollop of good fortune any team chasing a title has likely ever had. It truly is incredible.

If they don’t win it this year, finishing behind a City team who’ve largely been unlucky this season (Palace and Leicester wonder goals to fluke two unlikely and undeserved wins), it will crush them. Guardiola, the greatest football manager since Ferguson and the one of the greatest of any era, is masterminding City’s safe passage home with six fixtures left to negotiate. I think we can take some solace in that fact. If it were a Sarri or a Pochettino trying to steer home that ship, I’d be very nervous but Guardiola is a serial winner and an experienced hand at this juncture of the season. The City players themselves are also well used to the pressure victory demands. For those reasons alone, I am content with how things stand. It’s just annoying that Liverpool didn’t drop as many points as they should have since Christmas. It shouldn’t even be a race at this stage but at least it’s keeping City honest. They’re well aware any slip now will be fatal and I trust their talent and professionalism to get the job done.

Why will it crush us ? Provided Jurgen Klopp is still manager, & can keep hold of his top players, there's no reason for anyone at the club not to go into next season feeling anything but confident. Klopp has sorted out the defensive issues that should serve us well for years to come. We have limited creative quality in midfield, but I'm sure we'll make improvements in that area for next season. & we all know how destructive our front 3 can be, but even so I wouldn't be too shocked to see another quality addition come in as back up. What we have seen in recent weeks, & throughout the season, is the great spirit we have in the camp. Yeah, luck has played a part in us still being in the title race, but it's possible we may not need that luck next season. It takes some doing for a club to achieve 90 plus points for 3 consecutive seasons, & that's what City might need to do next year. We're in very good shape at this moment in time. I can see us with an improved squad come August, so we'll be good to give it another shot next time out, regardless of what happens from here on in.

 

[Judas]

Very happy I’m not going to be in England for the end of the season, just in case Liverpool win it, it will be inescapable media nonsense.

 

[Treble]

Why will it crush us ? Provided Jurgen Klopp is still manager, & can keep hold of his top players, there's no reason for anyone at the club not to go into next season feeling anything but confident. Klopp has sorted out the defensive issues that should serve us well for years to come. We have limited creative quality in midfield, but I'm sure we'll make improvements in that area for next season. & we all know how destructive our front 3 can be, but even so I wouldn't be too shocked to see another quality addition come in as back up. What we have seen in recent weeks, & throughout the season, is the great spirit we have in the camp. Yeah, luck has played a part in us still being in the title race, but it's possible we may not need that luck next season. It takes some doing for a club to achieve 90 plus points for 3 consecutive seasons, & that's what City might need to do next year. We're in very good shape at this moment in time. I can see us with an improved squad come August, so we'll be good to give it another shot next time out, regardless of what happens from here on in.

That seems a bit delusional. Because there is every reason to not expect so many things to go in your favour next season - from long-term injuries to key opposition players to deflections and goalkeepeing howlers to referee mistakes.

The theory that you've made your luck by being aggressive and putting the opposition under pressure doesn't quite fit the fact that City are superior in every stat regarding attack but one can barely remember a howler that gifted them a winner this season.

 

[AJ10]

Just ManuU in their pomp. Remember Fergie time?

We make our own luck by being in offensive positions to score goals.

You make your own luck with offside goals/keeper errors game after game ? Always knew pool fans were deluded but you sir are on another level.

Fergie time? you mean United scored offside goals while being in a offensive positions to score goals? and when did scoring late goals become lucky provided it wasn't from a offside position or a gift from keeper etc.

Every team needs bit of luck for them to go on to win the league but your luck this season. I sure you think you make your own luck.

 

[JDoe]

Should be no contest with the squad quality gap between City and every other team in the league. Liverpool should be on the same or slightly above the level of the other top 6 clubs. They're playing well above their level and that combined with luck and their attitude makes them challengers (and they should be running away with the title if it wasn't for that City team).

I don't see them challenging next year unless they get a truly world-class creative attacker/Keita starts to gel and some depth for their front three and fullbacks. Klopp is a prick but he is working wonders currently on their players like he did in some Dortmund years but it will be very hard to sustain this level next year.

 

[An Irish Red]

Another game where they played badly and won because of an offside goal and a goalkeeper error. No other team has even came close to the amount of luck they've had this season.

 

[GNRfan]

You make your own luck with offside goals/keeper errors game after game ? Always knew pool fans were deluded but you sir are on another level.

Fergie time? you mean United scored offside goals while being in a offensive positions to score goals? and when did scoring late goals become lucky provided it wasn't from a offside position or a gift from keeper etc.

Every team needs bit of luck for them to go on to win the league but your luck this season. I sure you think you make your own luck.

Not deluded.

If our players are not there to force the situations, then there is no luck. A foot offside, a bounce in your favour, etc etc. It happens. We saw Chelsea last week get lucky with those ref decisions!

I watched a lot of Man Utd during their years, they had lots of luck as well, but because they never gave up and wore teams down they won, sometimes fortuitously.

 

[montpelier]

They controlled 80 % of the game from what I saw. I'm happy to give them as much stick as possible, but they deserved to win last night.

The offside goal did for Soton chances of hanging on I suppose.

 

[Mourinhonista]

Liverpool are going to win it, IMO. City still have difficult games, they won't get many points against Spurs, United and Palace away. Scouse on the other hand just have to beat a mediocre Chelsea side and City will be in big trouble.

Klopp's done an amazing job. Two years ago Mane was outstanding, last year he was a bit under the radar, but now he seems to be back to his best. On top of that they're most likely in the CL semis. If Klopp stays, they will remain competitive.

 

[redman5]

That seems a bit delusional. Because there is every reason to not expect so many things to go in your favour next season - from long-term injuries to key opposition players to deflections and goalkeepeing howlers to referee mistakes.

The theory that you've made your luck by being aggressive and putting the opposition under pressure doesn't quite fit the fact that City are superior in every stat regarding attack but one can barely remember a howler that gifted them a winner this season.

How many of our games from this season can you recall where we've been 2nd best, & yet grabbed a flukey win via a late goal ? The only one that springs to mind is the Pickford mistake in the Derby. Who's to say that in most of the other games - last night for example - where we've benefited from luck, or a bad decision, that we wouldn't have gone on to win the game anyway ? We stood toe to toe with City in our 2 league matches against them. We got lucky with the penalty miss at Anfield, & we were unlucky that Kompany wasn't sent off in the 2nd game at their gaff. You'd have to be pretty delusional yourself not to see that our level of play, whilst not up to standard of City, has been pretty high for most of the season. & you'd have to be equally as delusional if you thought that things are going to change dramatically come next season.

 

[montpelier]

The combination of being terrified of their front 3 and how the LFC tactics work doesn't seem to give the Not Big 6 Teams much room for manoeuvre. City actually let those play a little bit more, if anything.

Table says City & LFC are streets ahead & then there's a similar gap between the next 4 and the rest. And all the Next 4 have their weaknesses most of us can see I think.

They've been lucky at times fair enough, but I'm not sure this ''Liverpool are crap'' narrative sustains particularly well anymore.

 

[Wulfric]

Another game where they played badly and won because of an offside goal and a goalkeeper error. No other team has even came close to the amount of luck they've had this season.

We dominated the 2nd half since Hendo and Milner came in and scored two decent goals. we were denied a clear penalty too, which somehow compensates the offside goal.
Goalkeeper error? what are you on about

Fair enough we don't play as beautiful as last season, we also can not dominate the whole 90 mins unlike city, but I find it pretty weird you guys have been labeling each of our wins as 'pure luck', it's getting a bit annoying tbh. last night we completely deserved the 3 points, I don't get how you find it based on luck.

 

[Mastadon]

You have to give huge credit to Pool whatever happens. They have been relentlessly hunting down City and have matched them at every point. Whoever wins the league will have truly deserved it.

 

[montpelier]

You have to give huge credit to Pool whatever happens. They have been relentlessly hunting down City and have matched them at every point. Whoever wins the league will have truly deserved it.

One can go too far, however.

 

[Thisistheone]

You have to give huge credit to Pool whatever happens. They have been relentlessly hunting down City and have matched them at every point. Whoever wins the league will have truly deserved it.

Imagine if City do blow it due to playing too many games going for the quadruple, and pool win the title, most people could argue that the better team didn't win the league.

City seem to walk almost every game in 2nd gear while Liverpool struggle in a lot of games but somehow this season, come out with the win.

 

[AJ10]

Not deluded.

If our players are not there to force the situations, then there is no luck. A foot offside, a bounce in your favour, etc etc. It happens. We saw Chelsea last week get lucky with those ref decisions!

I watched a lot of Man Utd during their years, they had lots of luck as well, but because they never gave up and wore teams down they won, sometimes fortuitously.

Whether you're forcing the issue or not if its offside then the ref should call it offside which in pools case this season, refs are just blind so im not sure how you can say you made your own luck since its the refs who are giving you a free goal (IMO west ham game being the worst, offside goal from miles away and then potential winner which origi missed that was miles offside as well.) not sure that's creating your own luck. No one is saying players shouldn't be forcing the issue but if refs are missing clear cut offsides which are resulting in game winning goals then its just luck (pool have been getting lucky nearly every game 2019) nothing else. Chelsea were lucky last week but not every other game which is the case for your team, im sure you'll counter that with the wind being against your team.

There is a big difference between getting a favourable bounce in your direction and clear offside not being called again and again which are resulting in game winning goals.

 

[Halds]

Keep on harping the luck thing if that makes you comfortable. I know it's hard to take, that we're challenging for the league 20 points ahead of you, and I know it would be even harder if it means we've actually performed that much better than you. I know these feelings having watched you dominating the league for more than 20 years.

Yesterdays match is a perfect example of how the narrative is in here. We were gifted an offside goal, proving how lucky we were again, right?

Conveniently no mentioning that Keita wasn't offside, neither was Arnold who provided the assist. There was an offside 30 seconds before the goal. And also no mentioning of the penalty decision that should have been given to Keita imo. It certainly would have been stonewall to most of you, if it had happened in the other end. Spurs' goal last week shouldn't have stood, but again.. We were the lucky ones because Lloris dropped a ball.

But all that doesn't fit into the narrative, that we're the luckiest team ever, does it?

We've had our luck along the way, I'll grant you that. There is however some truth in, that we make our own luck. The more runs you have against your opponents goal, the more chance there is to get a dodgy offside goal. The more you challenge your opponent in the area, the more chance there is of getting a dodgy pen. And the more shots you have on target, the more chance there is of a keeper making a mistake.

If anyone looked at another team with the eyes that we're looked upon, only counting the luck that goes in our favour, I guess it would lead to a roughly similar level of luck.

 

[Jean-Philippe Jason]

Debruyne is back and Liverpool will choke... No worry!

 

[montpelier]

It could be an enormous conspiracy. Get a new name on the Roll of Honour = Even more money to be milked from the EPL cashcow.

I wouldn't rule out Tottenham getting a go at some stage.

 

[Casanova85]

Keep on harping the luck thing if that makes you comfortable.

We've had our luck along the way, I'll grant you that. There is however some truth in, that we make our own luck. The more runs you have against your opponents goal, the more chance there is to get a dodgy offside goal. The more you challenge your opponent in the area, the more chance there is of getting a dodgy pen. And the more shots you have on target, the more chance there is of a keeper making a mistake.

Surprisingly sensible, honest words.

 

[njred]

What’s with the offside moan. Thats very tight and maybe his foot was offside. There was a blatant penalty not given either. Wasn’t soft, it was a penalty right in front of the ref. What gets me is if he thought is was a dive why didn’t he give a booking. You have to call it either way. Ref was suspect in a lot moments.

 

[njred]

Debruyne is back and Liverpool will choke... No worry!

If we lose this it’s not a choke. No matter how far we were ahead in December the amount of points we picked up in the last 15 minutes of matches and the way we’ve picked them up in a title race against the best team the league has ever seen rules out any idiot calling the 2nd place team at the end of the season a choke job. It’s an amazing race.

 

[Hoof the ball]

If we lose this it’s not a choke. No matter how far we were ahead in December the amount of points we picked up in the last 15 minutes of matches and the way we’ve picked them up in a title race against the best team the league has ever seen rules out any idiot calling the 2nd place team at the end of the season a choke job. It’s an amazing race.

Agreed. But for the most fortuitous of happenstances to have befitted their title run, Liverpool would harbour no realistic title credentials to choke, if you will.

 

[Stocar]

Fair enough we don't play as beautiful as last season, we also can not dominate the whole 90 mins unlike city, but I find it pretty weird you guys have been labeling each of our wins as 'pure luck', it's getting a bit annoying tbh. last night we completely deserved the 3 points, I don't get how you find it based on luck.

It's not how football usually works though. Over the course of season you are bound to draw/lose from time to time, sometimes even in matches where you're playing much better. And there is definitely no sense in winning more than 90% of more or less tight matches. For example, City have immediately dropped points in matches where they conceded few more chances than usual, with their opposition being very efficient and scoring wonder goals. Liverpool have had many more of these matches, and almost every time got away with 3 points, sometimes being literally gifted a win. It's some sort of magic.

 

[JDoe]

Whether you're forcing the issue or not if its offside then the ref should call it offside which in pools case this season, refs are just blind so im not sure how you can say you made your own luck since its the refs who are giving you a free goal (IMO west ham game being the worst, offside goal from miles away and then potential winner which origi missed that was miles offside as well.) not sure that's creating your own luck. No one is saying players shouldn't be forcing the issue but if refs are missing clear cut offsides which are resulting in game winning goals then its just luck (pool have been getting lucky nearly every game 2019) nothing else. Chelsea were lucky last week but not every other game which is the case for your team, im sure you'll counter that with the wind being against your team.

There is a big difference between getting a favourable bounce in your direction and clear offside not being called again and again which are resulting in game winning goals.

Yesterday's goal wouldn't have been ruled out even if VAR was applied according to the rules tbh. They also didn't get the penalty call which I'm sure they would with VAR so that's that. They've been lucky a few times this season, but yesterday was legit and they deserved to win, IMO.

 

[Halds]

It's some sort of magic that won't be there next season.

You think they will leave?

 

[An Alone Wolf]

We conceded a goal to Shane Long and people still call us lucky...

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Resigned to them winning it this year. The last two results have been very good for them. City have the harder fixtures now with is and spurs to go. Advantage Livepool.

 

[Che Guevara]

I just resent oil-money clubs and the way they have cheated their way to success, so I would rather Liverpool won the league as a reward for the way they have developed their way up.

 

[Speedy30]

What’s with the offside moan. Thats very tight and maybe his foot was offside. There was a blatant penalty not given either. Wasn’t soft, it was a penalty right in front of the ref. What gets me is if he thought is was a dive why didn’t he give a booking. You have to call it either way. Ref was suspect in a lot moments.

I was reffing a match last weekend and a similar thing happened. Tackle in the box, player went down and everyone starts shouting for a pen. I didn't give it as in my opinion (which let's face it is all referee's can use), the player had lost his footing before the tackle came in and he was already going down. He appealed for the pen and said, "if that's not a pen, you should book me for diving." I told him it was neither and he accepted the decision.
Sometimes (actually 99.9% of the time) the angle makes all the difference and I can understand why I wasnt given from whee the ref was stood.

 

[deadrevelz]

Congratulations to Liverpool. Had to happen some time. At least it stops City from winning the quadruple.

Also disagree with people saying Liverpool will be weaker next season. They only need to strengthen in one area this summer - midfield. And unlike last season, they haven't even relied on a 'once in a career' season from Salah. Their keeper has been very good, but still made feck ups, so he could actually improve next year. 3 of their defenders are young so should improve, though that is the one area it's possible may see some drop in performance.
IF they keep all their best players, buy 2 midfielders and a forward to replace Sturridge, they are basically guaranteed another title challenge.