No we weren't. I understand why Utd fans would want us to have thought this way so that (i) you can say we're arrogant after one good season in the league and (ii) we'd be disappointed now, but let's be honest here. There's a reason why only one team has done the treble. It's insanely difficult and you need to be consistent across three competitions, two of which are knockout in the business stages. What part of Liverpool's FA cup exploits under Klopp in 4 years even remotely suggested that we have a good chance to win this thing? The only time I would think that we're on to match the frigging treble would be if we'd already won the league and were in the FA cup and CL finals.
Nah, you had everything lined up to go out and try and have the season of all seasons: You're (or were) favourites for the CL; you have the league wrapped up; all you had to do, as many are saying in here, is navigate yourself properly through the FA Cup against teams who are beatable, to have a genuine chance of the treble.
The last 4 years shouldn't be a pointer to this one: your priorities should match with what's actually going on in the here and now. The last times, it would make sense for the FA Cup to be way down in the list of 'things to do' as you had a rampant City side to chase and no foothold in Europe. This time round you have an obscene points advantage over second place, which means the league should be the least prioritised of the lot now.
If you do manage to go out vs Atleti, this will have been a season of what ifs, which is not how it should be when you're on course to win the league for the first time in 3 decades.
Can't argue with this.
Forget "couple more seasons". I'll be worried about next season with AFCON right in the middle of our favourite month of January.
Yeah, the football you play is not kind on players and that's just on the pitch. You've got a number of players now that will be getting offers all over the continent from clubs who will pay them world class rates - good luck keeping them all together if you're not prepared to bump their salaries in line with what they should be earning as top percentile in their position.
Once a group accomplish a longtime goal, the challenge is keeping them motivated, happy and buying into what the manager is selling. I think you can tick a couple of those boxes, but 'happy' basically means 'paid' the going rate.
Van Dijk is the best CB in the world, yet his wage is not in the top 5 players active, and his junior for the national team is making a lot more than him.
Mane is one of the best LWF's in the world - you are going to have to pay him what that bracket of earner is supposed to get.
Salah, I think, is starting to taper now going back to his mean value (somewhere between Roma and this season). I'm not sure if you try and cash in on him or bump his wage.
Then you've got two full-backs that are right up the street of every top attacking side in the world. It won't be long before they're getting tapped up - you'll have to pay them more than you do to stave the wolves off.
Interesting times ahead for you.