IT’S a phrase that has long since fell into cliché, and for many the name of the man that delivered it will mean little in the modern day.
But retro, clichéd, or otherwise, Jimmy Greaves still had it dead right when he routinely described football as a “funny old game” to Liverpool legend Ian St John on 1980s show Saint and Greavsie.
Because it is, isn’t it?
Take yesterday for example. Across the 90 minutes at Old Trafford, Liverpool didn’t play well. The team, the tactics, the substitutions – all can be caned and criticised (and have been). Liverpool could and should have done this, should have done that. The manager got it wrong, the players underperformed, the attacking threat was virtually non existent. And on we go.
Throw in a rash of injuries on the day that left Manchester United playing the full game with a player in pain in Marcus Rashford and the match switched in many a mind’s eye from Liverpool’s toughest remaining away fixture to a game that they could and should have won with ease. Come the final whistle, it felt like an opportunity missed.
For many, Liverpool had no longer come away from the scene of just 16 wins in 85 attempts in the league with a decent point. Instead, because of the performance, because of the circumstances during the match, it was another disappointment to bolt onto the recent draws with Bayern Munich, West Ham and Leicester City.
And yet The Reds are still top of the Premier League with 27 games played and just 11 more to come, a position all too rare for those that have passed through the turnstiles of Anfield for the past 29 years.
Funny, eh?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel where we preview, immediately react to and analyse every Liverpool game…
What seems to irk so many, judging by the latest round of fan fury unfolding online, is that one person’s accepted “truth” about Liverpool FC isn’t someone else’s.
Some are too “positive”. Some are too “negative”. And even trying to find the in between can draw criticism.
Some people are freely throwing the towel in, it seems. It’s done, it’s gone, it’s Manchester City’s title to lose and we may as well all go home and forget it. A roaring trade on crystal balls has been done somewhere. Including around and about the Sky Sports studio.
This assumes so many things that no one can possibly know: that Liverpool will definitely drop points again (because if they don’t, they’ve won the league). That Manchester City will definitely win all available points from here on in. The twist and turns are many to come. Yet so many see a straight road.
City, already defeated this season by Newcastle United, Leicester City, Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Lyon, drew a match and performed unconvincingly themselves at the weekend. And had to endure extra time. Plus they are now shorn – like Liverpool with Roberto Firmino – of a key player in the shape of the injured Fernandinho.
Yet a penalty shootout win over Chelsea in the League Cup final has widely been bolted on to the idea that Pep Guardiola’s side are now full steam ahead for an unprecedented quadruple.
And again, we should all step away, right? Give up. Throw our hands in the air. Accept the inevitable.
Yet the funny thing is Liverpool are still there. Despite an unbelievable standard, a ridiculous bar, Liverpool are still there – top. Looking down. Better than any other side after 71 per cent of the season gone.
— The Anfield Wrap (@TheAnfieldWrap) February 24, 2019
And that after a point at a place that has so rarely yielded victory and so often resulted in heartache.
It’s frustrating, it’s annoying, it’s stressful that Liverpool have failed to stretch a lead to more than a single point when opportunities have presented themselves.
It’s worrying that the patterns of play, the flow of the football, the touch of the best players, has been too regularly missing since the turn of the year.
And yet Liverpool remain defiant. The what ifs can be positive if you want them to be.
An absolute does not need to be found from whether it was a good point at Old Trafford or a wasted opportunity. It can be both. Four from six versus United this season would have been snapped up at the start of the season given our recent record against Manchester United.
That they have started badly, changed managers and become the form side in the top flight doesn’t alter the fact they have remained strong at home, losing only once in the league.
Another funny thing. Given the level of performance from Liverpool yesterday, how the game went, how Manchester United were lifted by remaining in the match, how the crowd produced an atmosphere worthy of the number of people in there for once and lifted their team, isn’t there an argument to say Liverpool got away with one, and in fact the point is a good point?
This isn’t to spin for the sake of spinning. It was clear the manager wasn’t happy with the performance. The team, and the individuals that make it, can’t have been happy either.
But if Liverpool win on Wednesday, and are victorious in the Goodison Derby, both of which they are more than capable of, and remain top by at least a point next week (because nobody knows what City will do against West Ham), do things seem so bad?
It’s all about how you perceive it, what you choose to highlight and what you choose to push away. What could have been has gone. What can be remains. And remains in Liverpool’s hands.
The bookies now say Manchester City are favourites to win the league. Not so long ago it was Liverpool. Spurs were once short odds. Now you can get 80/1 on the North Londoners.
A look at the fixture lists shows City with a trip to Old Trafford of their own to contend with. They also face Tottenham four days earlier.
They look the most likely opportunities for City to drop points. But who knows?
A trip to Selhurst Park can be tough. Burnley is no easy place to get points. They have both on the horizon. Throw in injuries, form, fitness, and as a Scouse singer once said on another show you likely don’t remember, “the unpredictable, that’s the surprise you see”.
View Liverpool’s title challenge through the prism of a stuttering show at Old Trafford and it’s easy to get tangled up in negativity. Widen that view, and you’re back with something extraordinary in focus.
It’s a funny old game. And only in May will we really know who’s laughing.
For more reaction to The Reds’ draw at Old Trafford, SUBSCRIBE to TAW Player…
“We were almost trying *too* hard, trying to be *too* precise, but the game just kept breaking down.
“It was a very Mourinho-esque performance from Manchester United.”
🗣 Listen to this week’s FREE Anfield Wrap show in full here 👉 https://t.co/i5kIXeM3d7 pic.twitter.com/jwTGxGQp2v
— The Anfield Wrap (@TheAnfieldWrap) February 25, 2019
Recent Posts:
[rpfc_recent_posts_from_category meta=”true”]
Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda Photo
Liverpool are still there? Liverpool has an unusuall habit of collecting ‘records’ it seems. It was said at the end of 2018 that no team having a 7 point lead at Christmas has ever failed to win the title. It would appear that Liverpool are well on the well to contradict this belief! They have , with their recent inability to score , apparently handed the title back to City.
Well said. There’s a lot at play here and to be honest, there is an element of psychological self-protection in among (some of) the doom-mongers. We could all find ourselves guilty of it – we want this so much, much, much more than the nouveau riche petro-fuelled human rights trouncers at Citeh, more than Chelsea, more than Spurs. We are the embodiment of the line “it’s the hope that kills you”. I’ve seen normally rational folk lose the plot online because we got a draw at United. It’s mad, but in a way, it’s not self-sabotage, it’s self-preservation because what if it goes wrong? What if we don’t win the league? Ultimately though, it is self-defeating, because we are *less* likely to win the league if we all act like we definitely won’t, if we lose the rag because we didn’t beat United five-nil. If we don’t win the league, we simply must try even harder next year; the danger would be that any negativity would spill into next year. We are emotional wrecks and we have to try and harness the good stuff and not let the hope kill us and get on board with the mutal idea that yes, we can win the league, and yes, if we don’t, we’re still ahead of schedule and we can win it next year. We need the hope to fuel us and the reality of the points on the board ain’t bad either. So let’s just hammer Watford so as to soothe the nerves and strap ourselves in. This is what we’re in it for in the first place.
Lost the plot yesterday. Calmed down a bit.
66 points after 27 games, 15 goals conceded. This is a truly special season. And yes, we played much better last season at OT and got beat.
11 games to go. These Reds can play much better footy. I am hopeful they will!
The draws do hurt the team in terms of points as we’ve seen in 2009 when we had the lead then. Whether it’s United, West Ham or Leicester, we dropped points these past three games. This adds undue pressure for the players, who’ve already shown they can’t handle pressure in big games.
City has injuries and still has United to play, so what?
The poor performances from being out of competitions giving us more time to prepare made us look more lethargic. Vacation-training in exotic places that has yet to show up in matches, midfield not connecting with the front three who also look out of ideas.
This frustrates me, but what is more concerning is the Reds and Jurgen failed to capitalize when we’re handed the chance on a platter before, hence why I’m not bothered about City and their injuries or schedule.
The pressure will only continue to build up heading into the final leg of this season, with CL in the mix.
So starting with Watford, I’d like to see that fair weather training that Jurgen’s been banging on about put to great use, because I still maintain that it’s out title to lose.
Yeah must admit I was well negative yesterday. If we beat Watford and Everton we really are in with a shout. But honestly feel 6 points are a must.
Man City have an awful April to contend with. As always 1 game at a time.. up the reds..
Brilliant post. As for social media warriors… Fuck them and burn their clothes
Listen fellow Reds, we have to keep the positivity indeed, but looking at our recent performances since coming back from these so called warm weather training camps has really destroyed our rthyem and performance levels. We have had numerous chances to open up a good gap with City and ended up passing it up. Thats never a good sign, as we know with Liverpool sides of the past, mainly 08/09 and 13/14 season we were not able to finish the job and win the League Title, this season we have had a great season so far, but as I mentioned before we have not taken our chances in critical moments to put doubt and phycologically deflate City by going 7 points, or even at the Etihad on the 3rd of Jan 2019 10 points ahead would really have pushed us on to win the Title and mentally were not good enough, we seem to fall at the most important part of the season, or even in Cup Finals. League Cup lost, Europa League lost and then last May Champions League lost. If we do win it this season, those ghosts will be laid to rest and then we can become winners again. Anyhow no point in looking to the past we have 11 Cup finals to go, need to win probably 9-10 games out of 11 to win the League, City with there morale and confidence high even though they won that mickey mouse Cup on pens, will believe they can catch and overtake us. Lets go out at Anfield on Wednesday and beat Watford showing to our fans and the entire Footballing World that were here until the end and want to win this Premier League Title. This means more. YNWA.
Hang on…you weren’t saying this yesterday!
Fair enough, but the time for talk of this ilk is now running out. Quite simply the Reds need to put a run of wins together starting with Watford. Annoying as the media agendas are – City unstoppable – Liverpool throwing it away – they become self-fulfilling unless you change them by the quality of your performances and, at this late stage, results. It is now all about winning.
Some on rawk made the point that in all the hype around Salah – more than the odd comparison to Messi etc – we’ve lost sight of the fact he’s a player with strengths, and weaknesses.
He’s not someone who’ll constantly win games from out of nowhere. He needs service and to be used as part of the team; he needs to man up and stop being so timid. He’s talked about pressure in interviews and it shows on the pitch.
All these factors have him at a point where he looks a bit wiped out – physically and emotionally. And that might explain Mo looking like he’s playing for himself a little, lately. Don’t know what the answers are but small things like regular swapping position with Mane could help. Just to get him out of the routine. He looks a bit lost at the min and Jurgen needs to find ways to get him back in the flow.
Also, like it or not but the utd supporters made a hell of a noise yesterday. They didn’t stop singing and although there were plenty of songs full of anti-Liverpool bile, the solksjaer one for the first 15/20 minutes of the second half was deafening, with the whole stadium keeping it up. It sounded like 70 thousand passionate supporters were in the stadium. We might have 20 odd thousand fewer at Anfield, with nearly as many tourists, but surely it was a good demonstration of the power of the stands. Even when the game isn’t great. We all know anfield is too quiet too often, even in the big games, but surely now of all times is when we need to turn up. Bournemouth was pretty good, against Bayern we were out-sung by the Germans and their drum. Klopp relishes a loud stadium and our players have stated it helps them thrive. Every match-goer should be spreading the word to get in early and give it our all – sing the tension away. Make it hostile. Make it loud. Show that Anfield can still bounce and boom in a manner worthy of our old ground’s name. Even when it’s not a champions league semi final.
I was fairly down about the performance yesterday, like everyone else. Not so much about the result, to be honest. Partly because we’re still top, partly because I can’t get on board with the sudden shifting of goalposts. It’s gone from ‘we need to be in the mix come March’ to ‘we should be so far clear by now that the juggernaut that is City should have already given up’. The whole merit attached to potentially winning this league is not down to how good we are and have had to be, but the level and resources of the opposition.
It seems to have been completely lost in the media narrative that we are on any analysis the underdog in this title race and increasingly some supporters are forgetting that as well.
Underdogs can win through but we need to be prepared to fight for every minute of every match, on and off the pitch.
We can still do this but if your head’s gone already and you think our race is run, stay away from Anfield and let those who want to fight on give it a go.
How long will a trophy free Jk keep his job?
That man is the only reason why we find ourselves in the position to challenge for the league in the first place. And you dare to question how long he deserves should we fail to win the league this season? Do one you cretin.
As long as we think getting to CL Finals, regular CL qualification, punching above our weight against financially stronger teams in the league, attracting top players, incredible signings such a roberstson, bringing on young players like Trent, is, in fact, huge progress and could easily unravel if Klopp was sacked.