TIME to turn the lights out. Exit, The Reds, stage left.
What a performance. The boards drenched in floral tributes. The bows could go on all night. No dry eyes on Wednesday evening after that trophy lift. What a season. What a team.
So, the point of Newcastle, nominally away, this Sunday? It’s hard to fathom, really. Who gives a shit? It will be a game that’s remembered only by the purists. I’m a purist, though . So are you. There’s never been a Liverpool game I didn’t give a fuck about.
What’s your motivation for this one? Mine is 99 points. Mine is the strong finish. It’s about Liverpool goals, Liverpool winning. That’s always reason enough to get out of bed.
I’ve never not given one about a Liverpool game. Ever. They all matter. Wrexham away pre season. Newcastle last day when the race is run. There’s always a story to be told. Mo could score a hat trick. Minamino or Curtis could star. We could be embarrassed. It’s possible. Every football match is a party that has a potential to be gatecrashed by misery.
Jürgen Klopp will want to send his boys away for a short summer break in as satisfied mood as possible. We all bathed in those goals and that trophy lifting spectacle on Wednesday night and it would be good to cut loose again.
For his final selection of the season, the manager will be torn between wanting that strong finish and the curiosity of seeing some of his emerging young players tested in a top-flight game.
I think Klopp will bench in-form Naby Keita and bring in Curtis Jones alongside Wijnaldum and Fabinho in midfield. There’s even a chance Bobby Firmino is also asked to take a break and for Takumi Minamino to start.
Our final opponents of a legendary season are not in good fettle. No wins in five games for Steve Bruce’s team, Newcastle have nothing to play for, not even the pleasure of giving St James’ Park’s faithful a good send off.
Liverpool will look to dominate the game from the off and I’d expect Klopp to use his bench fully to ensure the correct result. The likes of Firmino, Keita and Chamberlain, all among the goals against Chelsea, should all get decent minutes despite possibly not starting.
The race is run, won in such style that we can now just kick back and enjoy the rare luxury of a game with no great meaning in the wider scheme of things.
Enjoy yourselves, Reds. Whatever is good with you, you’ve achieved so much more than we ever could have dreamed of.
Predicted 11: Alisson, Trent, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Jones; Salah, Minamino, Mane
Is right. 99 points is the call. Let’s do it.
At least Liverpool have a 7 week break between seasons, Man City might still be training and playing until August 23rd if they get to the CL final, ditto Man Utd in the EL too.
So the reds will be soaking up the rays on holiday, Dejan Lovren will be off to Zenit? and Lallana off somewhere too.
Lovren £11m & £5m wages saved and Lallana £6m wages saved. Maybe Nat Phillips is ready to become 4th choice CB after winning promotion at Stuttgart this season?. Or do we use Fabinho as a CB and sign Thiago Alcantara for midfield?, (Fabinho can play both roles).
Marko Grujic is on his way back to Melwood so could he slot into the Fabinho CM role having done well at Hertha Berlin for 2 seasons. Harry Wilson will probably be sold and Rhian Brewster 10 goals in 20 games for Swansea has a real chance to shine in pre-season……….interesting summer but we must not stagnate!!!.
How could i forget?, Thiago Alcantara has a Nike boot deal, I wonder if we are waiting to announce him in a Nike kit rather than a NB balance kit?…….kind of makes commercial sense as a ‘Galactico’ first Nike era signing!.
Let minamino and Jones have a run out to see their place in the curve.
Thiago would be great…. I’d push fab into cb role like mascherano….. I think we’d be awesome then.
John!……..Fabinho and Grujic can both play as CB’s if need be (4th choice), that would allow Thiago Alcantara to play CM in rotation with the others……….5 subs allowed next season too, lots of rotation in a packed season of football.