NO-ONE on this site needs any help working out the permutations – we all know what the chances are and what circumstances need to prevail for Liverpool to take their chance to be League winners for the 19th time, and the first in over two decades.
No-one on this site needs help in understanding how amazing an achievement it is for Liverpool to be part of the “conversation” about the league title halfway through the last week of the season.
When asked at the start of the season about objectives, Brendan Rodgers chose his words very carefully. He talked about Champions League being the goal, and at least being part of the “conversation”. He explained that we had not even been that in the previous campaign.
Rodgers and Liverpool smashed that goal weeks ago, when the “conversation” about fourth place ended and a guaranteed minimum of third place – and automatic qualification for the group stages of the Champions League – was secured.
Our very recent setback against Crystal Palace led to our fans having to endure appallingly poor use of language – even by the broadsheets – to describe our efforts at Selhurst Park. Some were so far wide of the mark it is untrue.
ca·pit·u·late [kuh-pich-uh-leyt]
verb (used without object), ca·pit·u·lat·ed, ca·pit·u·lat·ing.
1. to surrender unconditionally or on stipulated terms.
Capitulation (Latin: capitulum, a little head or division; capitulare, to treat upon terms), an agreement in time of war for the surrender to a hostile armed force of a particular body of troops, a town or a territory.
We did not capitulate on Monday night – capitulation involves a conscious decision to give up, or to collectively agree that our best interests are served by stopping this campaign, this war on the Premier League.
In fact our determination to continue to pulverise perceived weaker opposition is the precise opposite of capitulation. The decision to pursue goal difference erosion as being a more likely route to the league title than placing faith in Villa or West Ham United employees is the very antithesis of capitulation.
The faces on our talismanic players at full time suggested that they felt a big chance has gone. But belief is a funny thing – you can win it back as readily as you can lose it.
I was too busy on Monday night enjoying watching Luis Suarez wrestling the ball from the Crystal Palace defender who had retrieved the ball from their net after the third goal to look at the bet in-play odds. Mercifully Ray Winstone’s decapitated avatar was not prompting me.
I can only imagine the odds I would have been offered for 3-3 draw at that very moment. Certainly longer than the 16/1 currently offered by Betfair for a Villa win tonight. (70/1 for a Villa 1-0)
This season has been mad – a beautiful and wonderful madness – but mad. Those watching in the relentless cacophony of sound within Selhurst Park on Monday night – Palace fans or Reds – can attest to the madness of this season.
We saw at first hand the crushing effects of pressure – and how it paralyses some and strengthens others. I was delighted to see that Joe Allen was definitely someone who is in the second category. Manchester City strike me as a team that are yet to prove their steel. The most expensively-assembled sports team in the world should win its domestic competition. Easily. That brings pressure. If Villa can hold out for an hour it will be interesting to see how that pressure manifests itself. Sadly, they will be playing their final home matches to below capacity crowds. Imagine that?
City should win the league.
Liverpool should beat Crystal Palace from 3-0 up.
Journalists who study their craft should know the meaning of the word capitulate.
But one thing is for certain – this season has been absolutely fantastic. The very best of times. Ninety-nine goals so far for the Reds and some of them absolute belters. Whatever happens in the next few days this is the start, not the end. We are very much still in the conversation for the League title with four days to go.
PS: I have heard a rumour that there is another league season being played from August, and Liverpool are planning to participate, how lucky are we?
Agree up to the 70th minute not sure anyone has played Pulis at Palace better this season, they got back into the game purely through us becoming more caviliar at 3-0 than before.
The problem was at 3-1 we kept the same apporach which was overly optimistic and the manager and players should have spread the word that we just get the 3 points now, as at that stage the goal difference was not really on.
The next goal happened because we commited to many men forward and Palace launched a brilliant counter attack one we would have been proud of.
The third is a team error but the first 2 only came in the context of us trying to score…. however at 3-1 it was a mistake to still go for goal difference.
It’s worth remembering that against Chelsea we were simply unlucky. Up to the slip it was 0-0 and, even given Chelsea’s spoiler tactics, we were looking good for a draw at the very least. Crystal Palace was a different matter.
Footbal is full of ‘yeah- but- you-know-what-I-mean’ talk. “He hit it too well” is a classic. So is “They wanted it too much” but that appears to have been Liverpool’s weak spot for the Crystal Palace game.
All or nothing. When you gamble and win it’s great but as any honest gambler knows you lose more often than you win. And you have to play the odds.
The red tide was pushing forward for more goals needed because of goal difference and it left us open to the counter-attack sucker-punch. Fair enough, it was likely to happen. But as others have said at 3-1 it really should have been shut up shop and batten down the hatches, see the game out. Play the odds.
Rodgers was as much a spectator as any in the ground when we got carried away at 3-0. Leadership on the park was needed, most certainly in defence. A calming influence, someone to get a grip and rally the troops. Turns out it’ll be someone we need to transfer into the club in summer.
Half full / half empty. Yes we scored 99 which is brilliant but we also conceded 49 – waaaaay too many.
It seems each year summer transfers get more and more important for clubs as the money paid goes through the roof. Transfers are essential for us this year when you weigh up the teams around us. A few decent transfers-in though, with Rodgers a wiser man and a team with a new belief that we most definitely CAN win the league next season and it’s game on. And a Champions League run in the pipeline too. We’re to be envied.
Absolutely spot on. CHALLENGING for Champions League football was always the goal for this season and to have achieved that so comfortably means this season is a huge success. Added to that, the title isn’t even decided yet, so I’m hanging onto every tiny shred of hope that this beautiful game so cruelly gives and takes that we can still win this league. But, regardless of our position at the end of game week 38, I couldn’t be more proud of what the lads have done this season. This is the beginning of a great new era for Liverpool Football Club.
Dr Peters has a busy week, not only with the Liverpool players, to get em to ‘Go Again’ but also the ex Reds contingent at West Ham, needs to give Big Andy, Stewie and Joe a call and make them feel ten foot tall, remind them of their jobs and pay back some of the money which they didn’t earn while at Liverpool.
Fat Sam’s ego is bigger than his head and he will love to decide title, can you imagine if We were playing them last game of the season for the title, under constant aerial bombardment as they lump balls up to Big Andy, couldn’t handle watching it, that’s what City will face..
Come on you Irons!
I still believe… again!
Counting your chickens, after the echo’s of we’re gonna win the league, and now your gonna believe us. Stop. We’ll not quite. You have had a terrific season you took it to the wire but was clipped at the end. Doom and gloom, or maybe not. Finishing second is no mean feat the battle now begins. Can you stay there? Or get better. The set up is there, the team is there, just need to boost the squad a little. The future is looking great for you. So no more tears please.
2nd is secured yet. Failure to get a point will probably mean Chelsea pushing us down to third. I’m also amazed how close Arsenal are. Just think if they won just one of their games against us we’d be 4th right now. I’ve had it in the back of my mind they were miles off the pace.
But it’s not all over, beat Newcastle and Fat Sam getting a win would make a mental end to this season.