HOW do you play against a proud team who are so far behind in a two-legged tie their only mission is to not be humiliated further?
Factor in the small matter of a game against Manchester United at the weekend with lungs and legs to protect, Liverpool, despite naming a strong lineup, were faced with an interesting conundrum, hell for leather at risk of injury, or play out the game, stretch some legs and let the cards fall as they may.
But regardless of the deadest of rubbers, Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk aside, could any of the changes really be perceived as weakening despite the insipid, conservative performance?
In the grand scheme of whatever, that the first Champions League knockout game at Anfield in nine years was nothing more than a ceremonial exhibition should be the biggest compliment that you could pay Liverpool.
That Liverpool could have scored a three or four despite the lacklustre nature of the performance is telling, and the reality is that Liverpool have progressed to the quarter finals of the European Cup with five goals in one column and a big fat zero in the other one.
Despite the most impressive part of this evening’s proceedings being the indefatigable Porto crowd, tonight was a landmark in the reign of Jürgen Klopp.
To bring the result into context, we’re at the business end of the European Cup for the first time since Christian Purslow decided to swap Rafa Benitez for Roy Hodgson, never mind let that sink in, more look at what was viewed as being acceptable having been dragged to the absolute depths by a catalogue of mismanagement and ego-driven cuntery.
A slight aside, Ian Ayre was in the audience tonight, no doubt made up with his decision to jib the last manager who won us a European Cup, but let’s not hold grudges. New beginnings and that…
And with Man United in our sights and a Champions League quarter final to look forward to (read that back, sounds ace, I promise) and despite all the ego-driven fuckery over the last decade, all is finally looking up for Liverpool Football Club.
And despite having heard it a million times, maybe a little patience might not go amiss.
That hill ain’t climbed in a day, up the getting there Reds.
SUBSCRIBE to TAW Player to listen to our post-match show…
“I think about Kiev every day.” 👀🏆
🗣 Subscribe to #TAWPlayer and listen to our immediate post-match reaction show 👉 https://t.co/UqnoxWIzVf pic.twitter.com/YkrbelOrcF
— The Anfield Wrap (@TheAnfieldWrap) 6 March 2018
Recent Posts:
[rpfc_recent_posts_from_category meta=”true”]
Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda Photo
Lfc needs to get quality cover for our front 3 . Ings aint the one.
Ings wouid have scored against an ‘ordinary’ goalkeeper, and I thought he was quite good when he came on. Motm though, was undoubtedly Milner. I’m not sure how much ground he covered in total, but he popped up all over the ground throughout the game. if Can had half Milner’s urgency and football nous he’d be a champion, which he is not. Only the likes of Beckenbauer are entitled to stroll around. Not that Can had a bad game, but he’s just too casual fir me.
Give the lad a chance FFS
think you need to lighten up mate
Good job, Andy. Reason, calmness and perspective. I started following LFC when I was 9. That was in the 1972-73 season. Liverpool were in the EUFA CUP, which they went on to win, of course. Of course! But was I to know that when I started following this wonderful team, wonderful club? No. I hadn’t a clue about the football at that age. But I loved everything that the club stood for and the poetry of the names of the players. Because, you see, it’s not just a matter of style, tactics, techniques. It’s as much as about heart and soul. That’s always carried me through the good times and the bad and we’ve had loads of those. But like you say, Andy, it’s looking good. We’re on our way back to our perch. YNWA.
I think we can take anyone in this year’s competition, we can win it, but I hope we retain this level of perspective if we end up getting diddled out of it by an OG or a non existent penalty or something in the quarters. Because if we don’t win it this year, we will win it soon.
I really hope at least 2 of Sevilla, Juventus and Barcelona can get their particular jobs done.
I cant be doing with a greater than 50% chance of getting an English club. Its simply not Europe if we could end up with a PL club in the quarters, the semi and even the final.
To take issue with a very small part of this piece, I’m not sure exactly how much of a role Ian Ayre would have played in the decision to sack Rafa. He was the commercial manager at the time and wouldn’t have been involved in football decisions.
He was however the CEO who sacked Hodgeson so perhaps Andy should evaluate his opinion*
* he also appointed and sacked Kenny, Brendan, and merely appointed Jurgen.
It’s great to be back in the quarters of CL with a proper football team and a world class manager behind it.
Yes, we are a match for any team out there. But it is also a game fo fine margins and if we should miss out on the semis, then the mood should remain very positive.
We are progressing nicely and playing brilliant football. We can build on that next season and hopefully a title challenge will be on.
It causes me excruciating physical pain to hear the words: “swap Rafa Benitez for Roy Hodgson” and should thank everyone if it was never written on here again. It’s an absolute catastrophe that this was allowed to happen at our football club.
We are sitting at the top table. Again. Europe. It feels right. That this comes as no surprise is no surprise. This is why we were Euphoric over Klopps arrival.
We are back competing again at the highest level. Klopp deserves huge credit and full backing come what may this season. The doubters are quiet for now. let’s hope this is just the beginning of greater things. How may many times in the CL era have we managed both a strong league and CL performance in the same season? Not many.
All still to play for. Talk of ‘bare minimums’ is futile in my view when there are so many financially strong teams in the PL and Europe, all with the same ‘bare minimum’. Question for me is do we have a manager that looks like he can take us forward over next 5 years. I am convinced answer is clearly yes. the cosy days of Rafa where Top 4 was a 4 horse race are long gone. Every season is tougher than ever before. 6 into 4. It’s a hell of a fight and we are now the underdog out there trying to claw our way back from years outside the so called ‘bare minimum’.
Loved Moreno’s commitment last night to keep the ball in. Give the lad a break. Reminded me of McMahon in 80s v Arsenal I think.
Paul – against Forest in that famous 5-0, I think.
Comrades – I don’t know how you feel, but I despair of BBC radio 5 Live. They spent a couple of minutes on our triumph v Porto but an HOUR (!!!!!!!) discussing Spurs defeat to Juve. What’s that all about? Right from beginning of season, Radio 5 Live has featured stupid ex-player pundits writing Liverpool off for anything and they’re still doing it. And as for the so-called “Liverpool fan” who called into BBC Radio 5 live and called for Jurgen to be sacked and replaced with…prepare the sick bag…Tony Pulis (I can hardly type at this point!) …all I can say to that is this: get in the sea!!!
Sorry! I’m a bit beyond myself tonight but hey. Spurs out. LFC onwards and upwards!
Greg I used to listen to 5 Live when I lived in the Midlands, it passed the time driving back from the match but was generally puerile and 606 attracted wools to comment on our club. Since moving back home it never warrants a listen, I mean people who phone up a radio show to speak to complete strangers are an odd breed. Do yourself a favour and ditch it.