Liverpool 0 Stoke City 0: Minor Bumps Will Come In The Long Road To Success
by Andy Heaton | Apr 28, 2018 | Footie | 16 comments
SAVE the whatthefuckery till the end of the season, because right now it means absolutely nothing.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, me an all, as soon as Mo Salah, in the third minute of the match, revealed that actually he is in fact the product of natural evolution, of this earth and according to most classifications, human, we all had the same thought: that will cost us…
Personally I think he missed it deliberately as part of some long con to hide the fact that he is composed of another cosmic matter, like when Clark Kent throws the glasses on and that, but they're banned on the field of play.
Confirmation bias will tell you that you knew from that moment how it would end, totally forgetting the countless times it hasn't, if you look at the stats that show Liverpool are actually the best team in the league at putting the dross away you'll realise that it was, genuinely, just "one of them".
And anyway, this is no time for navel gazing, we need three points out of Chelsea away and Brighton at home assuming Chelsea beat Swansea which they may very well fail to do. We're 1-10 on to qualify, beat Brighton at home at Anfield on the last day and we're sound, chill the fuck out.
Now is not the time for worst-case scenarios, not a chance, heads up, chins out. We're a bloody good football team that will only get better over the summer. Our flaws and lack of cover are obvious and, as much as it pains me to say it, our scouting lads over the last few windows have had a blinder, add to the fact we've already signed next year's runner up to Salah in the Ballon d'Or stakes from RB Leipzig.
And to be completely honest, even if the highly unlikely scenario of us NOT finishing in the top four comes to pass, I'm not really that arsed because this is the long ride and what a ride it's been so far.
Not that that will happen, but even if it does we'll qualify as winners regardless.
Why worry about the what ifs? The Reds are on the march.
Bring on yer Roma by the score.
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Carlos on 28 April 2018 at 4:45 pm
We are one team only and have absolutely no backup if that team cannot be deployed !
Titus_Red on 28 April 2018 at 5:58 pm
Yeah well. Sometimes life gives you bad luck.
You werent humming these tunes from January till March, let alone most of the season.
Martyn on 28 April 2018 at 4:58 pm
Not arsed about finishing in the top 4?? … We miss that and it's a fucking disaster Andy, for MULTIPLE reasons …
You sound like you're preemptively trying to protect yourself from disappointment … After the season we've had and progress we've made … To play Europa next year would be the biggest hit we've taken in years … and our top players might start getting twitchy passports.
James on 28 April 2018 at 9:54 pm
You sound like fun at a party…knob.
mwolverine on 28 April 2018 at 4:59 pm
In all practically, if we draw with Chelsea next week, we're in the top 4 unless they can score more than 18 goals in the other 3 games.
Win or draw against Chelsea next Sunday means top4 done and dusted. Gaol difference is in our favour.
The next two games are like two finals for the team.
In four days, The Reds can write history. In 7 days, they can secure top4. Why wait till Brighton comes to town.
Give everything in these next tw games and everyone can put their feet up for a while!
NickW on 28 April 2018 at 9:15 pm
Like your writing Andy but some shite in this one. Not arsed about top 4? Miss out, and if we lose Salah, or Bobby, or can't sign Pulisic or whoever because we're not in the CL – that's a fucking big hole in the 'long ride'.
And why does it pain you to say the scouting guys have done well over the past few years? They've had a fucking blinder, and deserve huge credit for that.
We're well ahead of schedule, and we're suffering because the squad is not quite big enough yet to support where Jurgen has got us to. But it still would be a massive let down to fail to get top 4 after the quality of football we've played, and having been 10 points clear of Chelsea. I still think we're there, but it's getting a bit squeaky
James Dowie on 28 April 2018 at 10:59 pm
Fully comply with the optimism but Salah looks like he's salivating over that golden boot when we need to just shut this shit down and qualify. Season of his life this might be but he is us and we are he. More team focus less chi"Kane"ry . #YNWA
Blodkin on 29 April 2018 at 5:40 am
If Chelsea beat us next week all it means is we have to win our last game at home. Even if Chelsea win their last game we will finish on equalnpoints but have an unassailable goal difference. We get a draw at Chelsea next week it's sllnover top 4 is ours
Paul G on 29 April 2018 at 6:39 am
Couldn't agree more with Andy's take on life right now. The reason the squad is stretched right now is because unlike Chelsea and Spurs we are 90 mins away from a CL final with a 3 goal lead. Klopp is right to try and rest players , rotate where he can to give us the best chance of winning it. That is a gamble over how easily we make top 4 but one that has to be taken. The only point of finishing top 4 is so when we enter the CL we have a chance of winning it…?? A few of the spineless comments on here seem to forget that and show a total lack of respect for how hard the lads are working. I wonder what it takes for you to be happy. the club is making huge strides back towards the top of the game. Get behind them for the home straight and see where it takes us rather than doing a bad impression oof Woody Allen about how shit life is right now. Klopp doesn't want hear your miserable whining.
John on 29 April 2018 at 7:45 am
Whats the point in entering the CL if not to try and win it. And this year we have a chance to win it. We should be balls deep into that.
I think we draw at Chelsea and it's done and dusted but if not we have 90mins at home against Brighton who will be confirmed safe by then. Assuming Chelsea win out. Which they may not.
Riddick on 29 April 2018 at 7:52 am
Here's what's going to happen. We go to Rome and we beat them 5-2 again after going two goals down. Just to fucking annoy them. Then we go to Chelsea on Sunday and beat that shower of shit as well. They're crap, you know. Play Ings and Dom. Then we put our elite first 11 on the massage table for a week, give them two weeks of progressive training to get ready for Kiev and embarrass Real Madrid. 6-1. Six goals for number six. Easiest fucking European cup in decades.
J on 29 April 2018 at 10:24 am
I would like to believe that is a misplaced throw-away statement from Andy about not being arsed about a top 4 finish…. Well there's a majority of us who are and this will include Klopp, all the players and no doubt FSG and what they provide Klopp to spend on bringing in any additional players to improve the squad.
Equally a lot of players on the transfer market look at playing in the CL. Yes we want players to play for us because we are Liverpool FC and that should be enough, but Liverpool FC playing CL footy adds to the package.
I am arsed. I am also greedy. I am also a person who grew up when we were winning everything regularly and I want those days again… So fun footy which is amazing to watch, but I am here also in the now and truly crave end product to go with it.
Andy Heaton on 29 April 2018 at 10:27 am
Loads missing the next line…….
'Not that that will happen, but even if it does we'll qualify as winners regardless.'
Paul G on 29 April 2018 at 11:17 am
I think Andy's point is that the big picture looks more promising than perhaps anytime in the past 25 years, whatever happens between now and the end of the season. I'm totally with him. Of course if the end of season goes badly badly wrong and we miss top 4 it will be a huge disappointment and setback for all the obvious reasons. But Klopp will handle it if we let him.
Our league backstop is Brighton at home. If we need a win then the crowd has to be up for it like we were for City and Roma and then there should only be one outcome. Hopefully we won't need it but we may neeed to do our bit.
We're all greedy for success but the 80s conveyor belt of major trophies is almost certainly never coming back. The game and money behind clubs has changed too much since then. First we need to compete again and Klopp is doing that. To win the CL this year was dreamland 12 months ago when we need a a win v Boro. Klopp's ability to handle all the crisis's (in some supporters eyes anyway) through this season shows how fortunate we are to have him in the dugout. Long may it continue. All this talk of wenger's 22 years, he only made one CL final.
MH00 on 29 April 2018 at 4:33 pm
Why are you reluctant to praise the scouting lads?