THERE are two pieces to be written. There is one which starts like this:
A Liverpool player hits the deck with relief on the final whistle.
We know how he feels.
I hate this: we never do anything the easy way.
I hate that because we don’t do easy things. If you want to do things that are at the very pinnacle of your profession they are going to be hard.
We’ll come back to that one. We’ve got time, after all. Getting kept in here. Let’s go with number two instead:
A Liverpool player hits the deck with joy on the final whistle. The side are overcome. Virgil van Dijk skips towards us, actively skips. Dejan Lovren explodes beyond him, the pair of them just so, so pleased.
The team want to be next to the supporters, clap with the supporters, sing with the supporters. Trent Alexander-Arnold smiles so widely.
The essence of most sporting magnificence is that it is done by young people in their 20s. It is important to bang on about this because we forget it.
The magnificence is so often precocious; we watch these young people grow in front of our eyes. They grasp a mantle.
We love them and we hate them and we get frustrated by them and we are jealous of them. And you know what? They mostly feel the same way about us.
What happened after that final whistle was the young men who are the object of our affection made it clear we are the object of theirs. They want our songs and our night out. They want to go bananas with us and for us.
Every player on that football team has had his own journey to this point and one which has been checkered. At some stage they have all been a bit dogeared. Not one of them has been immediately pretty much great. Not this season in some cases, not throughout their Liverpool career in most cases and not through their professional career in all.
For all of them a Champions League final is a personal career high point. Not one of them has been there before.
Our young men in their 20s each had their moments in front of our very eyes after that final whistle, after they went into the dressing room and decided they were in the wrong place. They decided the place to be was with us. And we saw them:
Sadio Mane bursting past the barricade that never was to lose his shit was the most animated example demanding to see the chaos and the carnage of this Liverpool end. Jordan Henderson going out of his way to get the Sean Cox banner and get his team behind it. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ben Woodburn going off their heads right in front with sheer joy.
And van Dijk. A man who lost half a season to have this second half, a man who oozes this level but who risked it all to embody it.
All this matters. It matters to us and it matters to them. They are human beings and they have had this journey and it has come to this point and there they are and there we are and that is the whole enterprise at its absolute purest. We’ve all been a bit dogeared, you know. You are in awe of pristine brilliance. But you fall in love with dogeared. There they are. There we are.
There we are. The place to be. The beginning, middle and end of the matter. You better believe it.
Where were we?
It shouldn’t be easy. That is the point of sport’s greatest tests.
Let me level with you — it was some atmosphere Liverpool had to play in tonight. It was a cauldron which needed a performance and Roma started playing like they believed they could fulfil that need.
Being fair they did. They beat Liverpool 4-2, they made it as hard as it should be to reach European football’s ultimate test. They found their way to make our lives difficult.
They played the bounce brilliantly. They caused chaos and looked to profit from it. They found their marginals and exploited them while playing on a high wire. They actually reminded me of Burnley second half — creating endless 50-50s and personal battles and hoping to win the majority of them, win the ones that matter.
They nearly did. And yet they needed to bridge a gap of three goals and only began that process on 85 with Radja Nainggolan’s unerring low drive.
So much of what proceeded that involved a combination of watching clocks and watching ricochets. Roma were committed wholeheartedly to the mixer and Liverpool were committed to the tackle. Jordan Henderson had a far better second half than first.
The end was edgy. The first half had been a series of roared songs, glorying in Liverpool’s lead both on the night and across the tie. But the second was a parent watching an eight-year-old on his first proper rollercoaster. You know it will fundamentally end alright, but it’s no fun to see someone you love be tossed and blown.
But the golden sky came, the referee blew and Liverpool triumphed. Liverpool joyful and triumphant.
You better believe it.
There’s a third piece. It’s about Rome and it’s beauty and how it is just right that History FC triumphs here. How round every corner you can fall in love, have your imagination run away from you, be overwhelmed with its tastes and decadence. Rome has heft. So do Liverpool Football Club. We can just do this, do this in a way our peers ache with jealousy about. We can do what they cannot, we find ourselves in yet another European Cup final when they have been in so few.
A fourth about Rome thus far at the time of writing embracing us prior to matchday. A fifth about this manager and how his philosophy underpins 4-2 defeats that are simultaneously wins. A sixth about Liverpool doing the business when both Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah were off the boil. A seventh about Liverpool being gnarly and Andy Robertson pushing people over. An eighth. A ninth.
There is too much to count, too much to see, too much to know. Football will never cease.
But know this — Liverpool are in the Champions League final.
Kiev. May 26.
We’re never going to stop.
You better believe it.
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Dubious calls went our way and their way and evened out.
We were tired, and also lacked depth.
We made mistakes, etc, but this is for another time.
It’s going to take something very special to beat Real Madrid.
We made it to the finals and that is what I care about right now.
Somehow we got there, and credit to Jurgen, staff, the players and all the supporters, especially the away supporters.
On to the next game. We have business to sort out this weekend and it’s not over yet.
So come on you Reds!!!
What a night (early morning here in Aus) for the Reds.
Loved the scenes post match, what a celebration. A European Cup final for this team is just incredible. You look at similar scenarios here, reaching a cup final eg League cup, FA cup…you’d be telling the lads “don’t lose your heads, we’ve not won anything yet”.
But this IS a great achievement already. This is surely now the high point in most of these young player’s careers. Nothing can detract from this cup run we’ve had. Look at the numbers. The results. Liverpool Football Club has quite comfortably been the best side in the competition, the most entertaining. What can happen in Kiev now? We get beaten by an absolute powerhouse of the competition, winners in the last two consecutive years? Fair play to you.
But fucking hell, all the best to them. Throw everything at Real Madrid and they will crumble like the rest.
It’s certainly will take something special to best Real…..Klopps Liverpool.
Fantastic article. Best writer on the planet
Well said Neil – seriously we are in the final that’s mental, what’s even more mental is I was slightly disappointed as felt we should have done them on the night, that says a lot!
Seriously must stop conceding two goals at the end of every game though
Liverpool Football Club, Champions league finalists 2018.
Just think back to the dark days of Hodgson, Hicks & Gillet and let that sink in.
Regardless of the outcome,we are back. Thank you FSG. Thankyou Herr Klopp.
Absolutely. 100%.
Has anyone ever done a statistical analysis of LFC in this competition? We’re in our 8th final, but how many times have we qualified for this comp? I would guess that our final-reaching percentage is above 25%, and that is absolutely mental. Organise the tattooists lads, they’re gonna be doing a roaring trade in stars after Kiev.
Twenty two campaigns , eight times finalists 36.4% i think.
Amazing !!!
Tremendous Neil to hear about the celebrations after the final whistle- love the feeling of togetherness between these lads and the travelling support which you are relaying. Heros the lot of you. I live in N.Z. and just a bit jealous but so happy for Liverpool folks.
What a mad, weird, Kaiser Sozé of a match. We fell over the line but the most important thing is we got there. I adore Trent but he was run ragged, Karius was erratic, it was all a bit messy and panicked but individually – Mane, VVD, Robertson, the midfield – and collectively, we did it. What a feeling.
We need loads more A grade strength in depth for next season, pretty much everywhere, but that’s for later. Don’t get beat at Chelsea, get the second string to despatch Brighton and give the first 11 the next three weeks off – sun loungers, the lot. Madrid will fancy it, Madrid will be favourites, Madrid will be full of their usual hubris, and Madrid have never played a side quite like us before.
Like nothing I’ve ever seen. The most mental sports team ever to have been.
Firstly, it must be said that Roma are a really good side. I don’t even know why they’re good, they just are. Dzeko is a horrible striker to watch your side play against. Only Virgil had him matched physically. Just give them all full marks.
I hate what we go through watching this team play but equally I wouldn’t change it, even though I obviously would. That’s what this side does to you. They’re the business. From front to back, I love them all. Got The Beatles ‘In My Life’ playing in my head now. Those scenes at the end. In an age where footballers are called detached, aloof, superior and whatever else, they all wanted to get out and share it with the fans. Henderson grabbing that banner. What a group of lads. Our football team. Wouldn’t swap this for any other team’s situation.
i hope people can see what an amazing achievement this is by Klopp and the lads, with all the injuries and our squad stripped to just a bare 11/ 12 players and not having the same spending power (yet) of City, Utd….Paris St Germain!! He is not a chequebook Manager and has proved what a great coach he is with fantastic mana-management and a good transfer policy…this is quite unbelievable really!!! I’ve been watching Liverpool since the 80’s and seen great times and bad, my first memory was watching Alan Kennedy score the winner against Real in the 1981 European Cup Final…hopefully a good omen!! Can’t wait for May 26th!
Mad, mad, bizarre, insane semi finals. We certainly like to make it all very interesting for the neutrals.
The plus side is that in truth we spanked them and we deserve to be in the Final.
“We can do what they cannot”
Someone get this on a banner with the 5 European Cups underneath. Poetry.
What could be more Liverpool than winning 7-6? What could be more Liverpool than a European final? Doubters into believers. Let this be a lesson to every moaner the world over: enjoy the ride!
The song in my head is the same as it’s been since before the first leg of Man City. It’s by the New York Dolls covering an Archie Bell and the Drells northern soul classic: (There’s Gonna Be A) Showdown. Bring on Madrid. Allez. Allez. Allez. YNWA
Fuck it. Life’s short. If watching these boys the last year doesn’t inspire a first ever red road trip nothing will. I’m looking the bet way to Kiev from belfast or Dublin. Maybe have to do Gatwick. I’m wondering if anyone has any ideas. I’m going solo but has to be 3days max or I’ll have no job to come home to. I’ll rule very little out
Oh and a ticket
That was a great article niel , a few years ago I was at anfield watching Northampton town put us out the cup , it was raining cats and dogs that night and me and my mate remember seeing Roy with his head in his hands ! It’s been a roller coaster since then , but since klopp arrived , I’ve just tried to enjoy the ride , he’s the perfect fit for Liverpool fc , and I’m savoring every moment he’s here , because when he does leave , we will all be looking back and thinking that was the best 7 years supporting our wonderful club , and I’ve been a supporter for 50 years ! The sky’s golden and I can hear the lark singing ! Up the reds , YNWA .
Still shudder at the thought of that old fart was actually our manager…. Lets not even contemplate that for any reason. lets just wipe that from the memory and use the fact that it led us to having Jurgen Klopp at the helm and us going to our 8th European Cup Final.
That last bit just sounds so great and I still cannot stop smiling at this. :)
The most one-sided 7-6 Semi Final I have ever witnessed, no way scoreline reflects the game over 180 mins, 2 non penalties, a deflection, goals scored when cruising 5-0, up the European Cup Conquering Reds……Allez, Allez, Allez
The result, the game, the lads, the fans, the final. Klopp gets it y’know. This is nothing without the fans, without the team, without the club. To watch them go over and celebrate because of sticking by each other, travelling together, all for the same goal. To celebrate at the the end of it wherever we are. Klopp gets it. He said it from the beginning and it’s easy to understand when we’re winning. Perhaps even more important when loosing. The fans, the club, the team combine for these moments.
Our boys. They aren’t perfect, far from it, but they are ours. And we love them, and they love us.
I love that picture of Henderson too at the final whistle. This lad deserves it!
In the final, Liverpool needs to neutralise these real players ( from most important to less important) :
1- Modrich
2- Modrich
3- Modrich
4-Any one else