FOOTBALL makes you feel a certain kind of way.
From the depths of despair to rip-roaring ecstasy to genuine exasperation.
It doesn’t half put you through the ringer, does it? Head gone, hair declining, life expectancy shot to pieces, but isn’t that what it’s all about?
That feeling of being alive, of living vicariously through each and every player, enjoying every brilliant, painstaking moment as your own.
The philosophical. The spiritual. The sheer emotion of it all. The intangibles that make life worth living.
When Mohamed Salah arrived at Anfield on Tuesday evening, his shirt donned a clear message. “Never give up.”
It’s a phrase that perfectly epitomises Liverpool’s season; a season built on heart and desire, a genuine will and want to win within a group of players who have constantly refused to accept their fate.
Last Saturday’s valiant performance at St James’ Park was primed on not giving in. Going down swinging with defiance to remain on City’s tails.
Backs to the wall, Liverpool found a way; displaying a sheer boldness and refusal to know when they’re beaten, an unwavering determination to keep going in pursuit of glory until the very last whistle.
Jamaal Lascelles misses his header and it’s Divock Origi v Everton all over again, putting The Reds on course for 97 points in the league – a tally enough to see them top in every other Premier League season except the last.
This was next level; the starring chapter in a season that just keeps on giving.
Even as the biggest, most monumental of challenges arise, Jürgen Klopp’s side find a way. They defy the odds, bending the universe to conform to their will and want.
Three-nil down to Barcelona in a Champions League semi final. No Roberto Firmino, no Mohamed Salah, no Naby Keita and no Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Liverpool’s numbers were depleted but the defiance that has underpinned their entire campaign rang true.
The Reds had to be faultless; there was no room for a repeat of the Nou Camp, no margin for error, no outcome where a singular Barca goal didn’t seem like it would prove fatal.
This was the spectacular. The unexpected. The scintillatingly brilliant. The biggest of cojones.
The best Anfield has ever seen.
Somehow, just somehow, the impossible doesn’t seem so impossible when you’re wearing Liverpool Red.
In the absence of two of Liverpool’s most potent weapons, Divock Origi became the danger.
An early goal and Anfield believes, we all believe. This team makes you believe.
A lad who looked a certainty for the exit door just months ago now has more goals in European Cup semi finals than Paris Saint-Germain.
Maybe football without Origi really is nothing?
Gini Wijnaldum’s double in as many minutes leaves you scratching your head wondering just how serious he’s taking Klopp’s forward experiment.
Jordan Henderson leads by example in a captain’s performance that typifies the team’s heart.
Trent Alexander-Arnold continued to amaze; a 20-year-old seemingly unfazed by the biggest of occasions executing one of the most bizarre goals you’ll ever see in a semi final.
Heroes. Every one of them.
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and the Barca defence are still patting themselves on the back while Origi’s wheeling away celebrating the fourth.
The Catalans utterly shellshocked.
Luis Suarez looked helplessly resigned to defeat, rattled by the boos of a crowd who once adored him. As did Lionel Messi, who was nothing more than a bystander engulfed by the pockets of Joel Matip and Fabinho, exposed as human. Vulnerable.
This is what Liverpool and the power of Anfield can do to you. They make the safe feel insecure. The seemingly certain feel entirely ambiguous. The impossible, possible.
It’s what makes them such a joy to watch and a truly terrifying prospect to play against.
The Reds have poured their heart and soul into this campaign, with a will that has never wavered and a desire never to be questioned.
Where there’s a will there’s a way. Liverpool found theirs.
This season has been an unbelievable journey that’s brought such unbridled joy, returning Liverpool back to their rightful seat at the table – a seat they look set to occupy for the foreseeable future.
Where 2013-14 was a shooting star that emerged out of the blue and was gone just as quick, there is now a longevity. This is a good side, a great side, a side with age on their side and a manager who will go the distance. A stepping stone no more.
One miracle down, let’s hope for another at the weekend before an ultimate date with destiny in Madrid.
Whatever happens, these lads will go down in Anfield folklore for one hell of a ride.
A strong, vivacious foundation for long-term success.
We’ll see things they’ll never see.
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“This ground, this fanbase, there’s something so special about it.” ❤️
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“Whatever happens, these lads will go down in Anfield folklore for one hell of a ride.”
If we dont win the CL against Spurs, then nobody will remember this season fondly. It wont be looked at as an amazing season when we gained 97 points in the League (potentially) and done well in Europe. None of that will bother fans if we dont sign this season off with the Champions League trophy.
At the end of the day, it’s about winning trophies and this brilliant side needs to get over the line now. The final is a glorious opportunity for the manager and the boys to get rid of the stigma of being nearly men. Get over the line, deliver the trophy for themselves, the club, the fans. For once we are not underdogs in a final under Klopp. We are overall the better side and have to beat Spurs. That’s a different type of pressure than being the underdog and the manager and players need to take that pressure on. Prove that you can get over the line. Reward yourselves. Then, and ONLY then, will this season and this side go down in Anfield folklore.
Well said mate.
We want us to win trophies. We hope and desire we have the team capable of doing this. We have a truly great team, one that is setting records that none of our other great teams of our history have done… Yet we are up against a City team the likes of which have not been seen before. A behemoth of a team which is financial doped and full of outstanding World Class players and has a truly World Class manager at the helm. A team that for the most part of this season has been helped by some poor officiating that they have benefitted from.
In the CL. It’s a cup final and it doesn’t always go the way of the favourite. We have lost 3 before; where they forgotten? Where those team classed as being rubbish?
This is a journey and this lot of ours will win trophies, but no one can predict if we will win the CL this year. we are up against an equally determined Spurs team who can play footy and have a very talented manager of their own. Make no bones about it, they will give us a game.
I read what you put TS and totally disagree. This team of ours will go down in folklore, they already have. The first English team to amass 94pts in the EPL and reach a CL final. It has never been achieved before. In fact until City last season got 100pts and then got 95pts this season the highest total was Chelsea’s 94pts with what is still the most expensive team ever assembled (based on inflation).
So this lot are a brilliant side regardless and don’t need any extra pressure from comments you and certain others make. As it stands, we could still end up doing the most amazing double this season.
First of all I’m just a fan with an opinion. I hardly doubt Klopp or the players will read my comment and feel anxious all of a sudden.
They have far more bottle than any Liverpool fan could ever muster up.
You can stick to your journey talk all day long.
Fact is, these boys MUST win the CL on 1st of June. The pressure is very much on them to deliver, to get over the line now. Not on Tottenham! That is how it is. You can choose to ignore it. Doesnt make it less true.
@Titus_Red
Agree with you. I think it is important to win this trophy as the players have been playing together for almost 5 seasons and I think they’re more desperate than us supporters to win a trophy this season for all the obvious reasons.
At least Milner, Henderson and Sturridge all know what it feels like to stand up as a winner and get rewarded for all the hard work and efforts they put into matches. Milner even discussed it on This is Anfield in his interview. I think he knows better.
Someone mentioned the 1982 Brazil team as an example of one of the best teams from Brazil to not win the WC trophy. While I agree it was one of the greatest teams to not win the World Cup, in context to LFC, many of those Brazilian players from the 78 WC did not play in 82 and the WC takes place every 4 years.
LFC players have been together for 4/5 seasons now and have lost finals and won some great games. They have very good experience of what it is like to lose, which I think might help them win this final.
As for labels, past LFC teams earned their status as legends, greatest LFC team, conquerors of europe, Anfield Folklore, greatest manager, etc. because in the end they and the manager got over the line, after all the hard work was done. It encapsulated their run in a tournament or a league season whether we supporters thought they deserved it or not.
I always ask this question:
Do Liverpool supporters make DVDs out of 2005 CL final or the 2006-07 season’s CL loss against AC Milan??
Die hard supporters will remember every game as that is what die hard supporters do, but everyone else just remembers the winners and so will the players, as they are in the matches they win or lose.
Whatever happens I still think it will be a very tough final against Spurs, and I hope Jurgen and the Reds play them like they did against Barcelona, i.e., don’t underestimate them for any reason and just go all out from the whistle.
The last thing I want to see is that Harry Kane lifting aloft the CL trophy. We’ll never hear the end of it from the British media.
So true Titus red!
Which bit? See my comment above and yell me what is wrong with what I have put and that you won’t discuss this team that has reached back to back CL Finals and done all I have put.
Arent you the self-proclaimed born winner??
Mate you’re unnecessarily piling on the pressure when it’s not needed. Here you are having a side swipe at our magnificent Team and Manager who are no way going to let the Club down. Doesnt sound like you are a Believer yet ?? Have you noticed there’s no Karius in this team mate to rip the heart and guts from us all. This team is now packed with players who have a collective winning mentality. It’s also an incredibly improved team, especially were we needed it, in goal and defence, it bears absolutely no resemblence to last season. We have 2 full backs who contribute a ridiculous amount of assists as well as being incredibly talented at defending, I couldn’t even guess how much Trent and Robbo have improved but I’d say at least 50%
So Titus Red stop sounding like a doubting Tomas and start appreciating how good this team really is, Yes Trophies will clearly crown off this season’s success, but you’re dead wrong if you even hint at the season being a failure if our boys don’t lift Old Big Ears for the 6th time.
And do you know why we can’t allow ourselves to have defeatist losing mentalities, so that next season we carry on progressing and Win everything in sight and dont be like every other false dawn since 2001 and implode on ourselves when we didn’t progress from 2001, 2009 and 2014. Do you see the Patten and get the picture mate ??
COOOME ON YOU REDS!!!! YNWA
Mate, you are making false accusations here based on my posts, twisting a lot of what I said. You dont have to explain to me how good our squad is and what they achieved so far. I know that already ;-)
And I also didnt say I doubt this team. All I said was this side still needs to prove that it can get over the line. And they simply have to do it on June 1st. Most Liverpool fans wanted Ajax in the final because deep down they wouldnt be able to bare losing to Spurs in the final. And that would definitely diminish our whole season. Because it is Spurs! We are way better and I know you are very nervous about it and want to ease the pressure for yourself and the team… but sorry mate, the pressure is well and truly on. The Reds have to deliver the CL now. No excuses. Otherwise, what people want to do is forget this season as soon as possible.
By the way, for me, there wil only be one winner in Madrid. The Reds. I have no doubts. I’m backing this team to deliver. But the pressure to do it is here now and fans have to cope with that. Gaffer and players will do anyways.
Unfortunately TS, re-read what you have put, it comes across as John Clark has put. I hadn’t read his post when I put mine in reply to yours and also to Mark’s underneath it. It really doesn’t read as a positive for our team who are truly outstanding and have to be considered in the top 4 teams in the World at present for what they are achieving.
Brilliant John Clark, I fully concur with what you have put.
HI Titus Salt, Again I disagree. negative comments and comments with pressure regardless of the Team reading them are read by others who then feel they need to buy into such things.
Our team is a team capable of so much as Klopp makes his players all buy into one ethos, one philosophy and he also ensure us as supporters do the same.
However you are still stating the same regarding the MUST win the CL on the 1st of June. We know the lads will give it everything in an effort to win it, like they did in Kyiv (only then we had Karius who had been attacked by Ramos). Any decent ref and he’d of been sent off and then we’d of been playing against 10 men.
whether you like or not, this is a journey that is not over, it is only just beginning and as I have mentioned, if we don’t win a trophy, then most of us will still believe in the lads and as Gerrard once said, “We go again!”… There is no need or must in us having to win a trophy, this is just your demands in an effort to justify something that really doesn’t need justification. this lot are truly great as where Holland in 74 to 78, Brazil in 1982 and at team I never saw but heard people talk of for years the Mighty Magyars from the 1950s.
As mentioned we will win trophies. Have some faith that this will happen and that we have real foundations in place this time round.
You really trying hard to misunderstand by points…. on purpose or?? And I am far from salty mate. I am the sweetest human you’ll ever meet ;-)
Ha, ha, Titus Red, soz about the Titus Salt. That the gadgee who built Saltaire, a place that’s like Port Sunlight and is over in West Yorkshire… Not sure how I put that instead of your moniker on here.
I promise I am not trying to misunderstand, I do understand the points. Trust me, I too am desperate for us to finish the season with at least Old Big Ears and being able to have a number 6 on are shirt sleeves for next season’s UCL Campaign. This lot do indeed need a trophy to crown a fantastic season. Unfortunately though it doesn’t always work that way, just ask Arsenal and even Spurs themselves. Both have had campaigns were they have done many wonderful things and ended up potless. however even if we end up with nothing, this team is truly amazing and have given us a fantastic season already.
But you do agree with me that this Liverpool side is superior to Spurs??
Soz, but I expect us to lift the trophy. We debate it if something mad should happen in the final that prevents us from winning it. But solely from a performance standpoint, regarding tactics, fitness, battle, physicality, dsire, hunger.. we MUST win this cup. You know that I am right about this.
Holland 74/78 and Brazil 82 are great parrallel egs. where it was ok for them to not win the WC because they played glorious football so much so that those Teams are often plucked from our own memory banks when referencing the beautiful game, when remembering Ziko, Eder, Falcao or Cruyf, Nezkins or Repp in our Pub conversation over a beer or 2.
To emphasise the point how many Teams won Trophies with ugly football and are NEVER remembered forget fondly rememembered, I can recall plenty. Very few if any have history steaped on Glory like LFC. And the most beautiful thing about it is it’s not contrived it’s all natural. Yes, it doesn’t happen every year but maybe that even adds to the Drama or the occasion. Because that means there is even more at stake. People talk about the other great Euro Clubs who win their domestic league every year or every other year but what is the atmosphere like on any given game at the Bernabau or the Camp Nou, the Allianz or San Siro. Not very good I can tell you. There is a lack of intensity which is distracting.
As we know Klopp loves that ferral intensity of Anfield, he feeds off the raw emotion and has indeed referenced it on many occasions. He has even been so brazen to singularly challenge the Anfield crowd if he feels they are not properly supporting the Team and tberefore creating a negative and not positive atmosphere, because he recognises all the individual parts or coggs which need to be positively engaged before ultimate success can be achieved. Commonly referenced by Liverpool born fans as The Holy Trinity (Google it) And right now moving forward these 3 key coggs are currently positively engaged, Anfield, the Team and the Club are together like no time since our former glory days. Thinking about it as i write I suppose that goes back to before 1989 and the Hillsborough disaster.
My mind is reeling whilst im writing this and some amazing coincidences are dawning on me. JURGEN KLOPP has been sent to us as the Messiah, it is indeed a message from Almighty God. I have known for some time that there is a purity about Jurgen that helps bring the best out of everything and everyone he touches. Now although i was born a Catholic I’m defo not a religious kinda person but this has started to freak me out. Will the miracle happen, will it appear on Sunday afternoon.
COME ON YOU REDS!!!!! YNWA