JRC

Been parking on the road outside that school for 5 years now - no tickets issued at all. Always get a spot, and we rock up 30 minutes before kick off. Good for getting away as well, even if you are heading for the motorway, I guess, by swinging round through Bootle to Dunnings Bridge Rd/Switch Island/M57

This 100%. Not only was it only 7 weeks after Hillsborough, the complicit FA insisted on no League extension, forcing us to play 3 games in 6 days, one including extra time at a boiling, emotionally charged Wembley. We were brilliant against West Ham on the Tuesday, 4 goals establishing a GD lead over Arsenal (who hadn't played for 2 weeks, had benefitted from postponing games when their top scorer was unfit and had had a healthy lead in the table until we hunted them down relentlessly); but we were gassed that day as well and conceded a late one to Leroy Rosenior - that was the goal that made Arsenal's win possible. To get as close as we did before breaking was genuinely heroic.

Tbf to Konate, I thought he did well to impose himself physically on Jimenez after that dodgy first 25 minutes or so

With Sammy on this. Ended as expected. We did our job - this magnificent team is no less magnificent because Villa couldn't hold City, just as everyone thought. Was in the ground, and got a little annoyed at the exuberance at them being 1-0 down when we were not winning against a stubborn and dangerous Wolves, so had somewhat zoned out from their scoreline, and hadn't really processed the 0-2 before someone confirmed they had 'got one back'. I was as sure at that point that they would get 3 as I was that we would go on to win, a fact confirmed a few minutes later; so went all zen, enjoying our win and hopeful as I was at 4:00 of an unexpected Villa-based twist. Massively proud of what these boys have done so far and cannot be down when we have ANOTHER CL final yet to come. Worth pointing out that Villa had to play Thursday, so that they collapsed before the end (with less than 30% of the ball at that point) was hardly unexpected - see also Newcastle and Wolves against City these past weeks; we both exhaust teams, and take advantage by the end. Mings and Olsen are obvious candidates for bemoaning Villain failings, but I've got an even bigger gripe with Watkins, who has been scrawpy as f*** against us but was Iheanacho squared yesterday against them. Ah Well. Consolation? Maybe a season ending thing, but whilst we have gone 1 goal down in our last 4 league games, they have gone 2 down when it really mattered in the last 2; added to which they had multi-goal capitulations in their 2 semi-finals, so there is a vulnerability that Haaland won't fix, and it's certainly not the case that they have been limited by a lack of goals. And don't forget that we bettered them by 7 points in the League since we added Diaz in January - Title winning form over a season. Onward and upward to Paris, with not one but 2 mad Left Backs in scoring form, always a good thing. Come on you Mighty Reds!!!

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I understand the disaffection with Adrian after Atletico in 2020, but he is clearly a really appreciated squad member - by Klopp and his team as well as the other players - , and this group is nothing if not a massively cohesive band of brothers (and sisters). Given the symmetry of all 3 keepers winning penalty shoot outs against Chelsea, I'm more than happy to see him participating in full (and in full kit) in the celebrations.

Didn't Paddy Power do one of their hilarious skits about Tsimikas for massively celebrating the League Cup win when he didn't get on? Karma, f***wits

Watched the highlights reluctantly - I had got it in my head that their goal came from the Konate header which went straight to one of their midfield and put them goal side of our defensive mids, but it wasn't. As has been noted, we were still all over the place from the previous corner, Trent making his way across from the left, but what probably threw us was that the ball had gone all the way back to Lloris. I don't think I have seen a team as committed as Spurs to playing out from as deep at the back as they did (and for which we were prepared, hence the relentless intensity of our press from the start), with them always aiming to go round the press rather than through it. On a risk-reward basis it was usually to our favour, but they did manage to release players dangerously a couple of times. Tbh, it was a fascinating match up between two top coaches and teams following the tactics. BUT - for their goal Lloris went long immediately, the Wing Backs were already pushed right up - no fannying about passing to Dier or Romero(?) on the goal line. Maybe we had just got lulled into a false sense of security that we would have 20 seconds or so to regain our shape, so when it was back in our half so quickly we were totally confused? Maybe that was always part of a Conte bait and switch (much as when we are away especially we often go long and wide from Virgil a lot early on to push their line back, before playing through the gaps in the middle)? Not usually one to analyse tactics, but there was definitiely something facinating about Saturday. 2 other points. 1 - Not having we were lucky with the deflection. You defend your area like that, it's always a possibility, so keep having a pop. 2 - sad that the one generally reliable Ref has dropped off a cliff. Second shocker from Oliver in a month, really, really poor

The BBC Sport website is execrable - it usually manages to show 3 or 4 different status updates for the game at any one time which don't appear co-ordinated - Front page, Live text, scores, match header - and even goes backward in time when you refresh sometimes. At 90 minutes last night it went absolutely mental as it oscillated between 0-1, 1-1 and 2-1 and then back again. I had to go on Twitter to check what had actually happened - and the timelines there were all screwed as well - by which time it was 3-1 irl. Was all rather disruptive fun, tbh.

Arsenal? Probably, less likely they reached the final

Tbf, Sheffield Wednesday reached both domestic Cup Finals in 93, I believe, but were not in any European competition - so technically played all the games they were qualified for at the outset

Don't imagine there is anything he can't do

Having for years argued about that Gerrard penalty at Sheffield United, I can't dispute the fact that TAA flying in like that caused Gordon to have to take evasive action, so still a foul

Thought the Ref dealt 'OK' with that. Doucoure's hack on Fabinho was poor, but the way they escalated that quickly to a full scale melee was pretty premeditated (as was, I suspect, the goading of Mane). Felt all the way through that getting someone sent off was part of their plan.

Enjoying the fume, really. Stubbs on Radio Merseyside was peak bitter. A couple of points - firstly, have PGMOL really come out and said what has been claimed? Doesn't sound like their way of working BUT if they did it really isn't the slam dunk being claimed - it's being spun as equivalent to the apology over the City handball, but my take is they saw it in the 'not obvious mistake' category. Despite Blues anger, VAR did look at it and decided there wasn't enough to overturn the Ref's decision; but nor would they have overturned it if he had given it. That is how VAR is meant to work, like it or not. Secondly - apart from the obvious hypocrisy of everyone screaming the Gordon having been booked for diving shouldn't impact the Ref's decision (the hypocrisy being that the same voices will almost certainly have been happy to justify Salah or Mane or Suarez never getting penalty decisions because of their perceived history of simulation) - but what should the Ref think when he makes this decision - was there contact, was it overly physical...*did the other player make a meal of it*.... then of course in that part of the decision-making process, the already sanctioned, serial offender will not get the benefit of the doubt, and that is not in any way unreasonable. (Loved the City fan on BBC last night trying to argue that it was deffo a foul because Gordon is about 7 stone wet through and Matip is about 13 stone...) As to 'not getting them at Anfield, I believe the Penalty ratio at Anfield in the Klopp era is LFC 0 - EFC 2 - both of them soft. Waiting on a tediously detailed (but true) analysis from Tomkins on how few penalties, or fouls even, that Salah gets at all BTW - Gordon is a through and through Red, apparently. We should nick him when they go down, Klopp could make a decent player out of him. Cue Barmby levels of fume.

3:40

Dirk Kuyt

Changing to an AI model for the World Cup aren't they?

The finish is great, but that first touch - especially from the behind the goal view - is pure filth.

Surprised if they really thought that claim was nonsense. City's run in us 'easier' of course, but they tend to drop their points against mid and lower teams

If Leeds get a few points boost - like Brentford have done, and of which they are capable - I can see this quickly getting to be a 3 from 4 going down situation. And given that Burnley and Watford have managers with experience of escaping a relegation scrap (and while I think Norwich are done for, they are not without some quality at times - and of course Smith has also been a last day escapee with Villa), I suspect Everton will get caught up in it with the least quality and capability to get out. Ironically, with Newcastle Rafa had also become one of those managers experienced in escaping in a relegation scrap, and I would have backed him from here in more than Lampard. When those games in hand have gone, the nerves - and boos (Goodison is already flipping from a positive boost to a toxic negative) - will really kick in

The League Cup final in 81 was brutal, although I suspect every firm in London turned up. I think that was the game I saw bricks being lobbed off the top floor of a multi story car park by Wembley, until mounted police rode up the ramps and chased them away. I was certainly saved from a beating on the train in from Stanmore until a senior copper stretched in through the closing doors, grabbed the main man (who was relatively normal in a gang of about 10 psychos) by the throat and told him to f*** Off. At that point I recognised those nutters were just 14 yo wannabe hard men, and they all drifted away sheepishly. The replay at Villa Park was even worse if possible. Very lairy beforehand, simmering. But after, one of the main streams of fans coming away got ambushed from the side roads about 50yds from the ground, and there was absolute carnage for ages until the police waded in. Happy days, eh!

Really encouraged by that. Only 3 regular starters, but we still played clever, controlled and confident football. Some really crisp passing and good energy. Virtually everyone showed some quality - Minamino and Jones most obviously, but no-one was poor; if anything, 2 of the regulars - Jota and Alisson (with his feet) - had less convincing shows. I thought Chamberlain did perfectly well and took on responsibility as the adult in the (Engine) Room when he had the kids club alongside him. (It is also clear now that Klopp rates him and is happy with his contribution, notwithstanding forum and Moan Stand received opinion) Gomez had a couple of passing ricks (suspect pitch level conditions were worse than appeared from on high - as per Alisson) and should have dealt with the goal better, but he also brought out a couple of those 'Rolls-Royce with an afterburner' runs, where he crushes the spirit of any striker who mistakenly believes they have a chance of getting to the ball but end up a yard behind him. Yes we lost a bit of focus, but even the last 15-20 mins after the goal were nowhere as nervy as could have been expected. Didn't panic, took control again, could and should have scored more. As evidence of our new-found 'squad depth', it was pretty convincing and massively encouraging. Of course, it wouldn't be the Moan Stand without some berk pontificating about how rubbish it was, and how you could see why 'they' never got picked for the first team.

It is only in the context of interfering with play when offside, not a foul

Schmeichel tried the same tricks in the quarters - and was allowed to by the Ref. And he still lost as well. Also didn't like the way Kepa was allowed to wait for the next Chelsea pen taker to come up and toss them the ball. Could pass on some technical advice about Kellehers keeping (go low, left etc). Ref was weak.