Liverpool banter 6

19 Apr 2024 12:52:03


MK Scouser has written an article entitled, Will Jurgen Klopp Leave Liverpool On A Whimper?

19 Apr 2024 13:33:13
Good piece, MK. Cheers.

19 Apr 2024 13:48:21
Nice one, MK.

Plenty of sliding door moments. Some down to circumstance, some choices or even non-action that has meant Klopp hasn't been able to accumulate the silverware that he perhaps deserved.

The ones that rankle with me are the lack of change to player and coaching staff since winning the league in 19/ 20. Just last season we started a line-up of 9 players that started the CL final in 18/ 19.

Going stale became an inevitability.

19 Apr 2024 13:59:19
Great piece mk.

19 Apr 2024 14:29:56
Well said MK. Echoes my exact sentiments. The past four seasons have been a massive under achievement, though including the horror of the C.V. in 2020/ 21, which may as well be wiped from the history books of the sport, feels a bit unfair.

Ultimately however, the history books will still say that after taking his team to the top, Klopp didn't know what to do with them in the seasons that followed. The 21/ 22 season was a blip even in isolation of itself. We chucked the league in the first half of the season with stupid lazy tactics and did astonishingly well in the second half to pull it back. The champions league run was surely the easiest run of fixtures any finalist has had in recent memory.

I will grieve the loss of Klopp the man, the figurehead, the father figure, but as a manager, he has completely lost his edge. I think even the most optimistic of 'top reds' are seeing that now. Didn't have a clue what to do in that second half last night and the players look lost. They lack belief, confidence and courage that has always flowed from the manager, but that has now gone.

If we are to put some results together, it will have to come from the likes of Trent dragging us through games, not from the manager. The players need to find a way of delivering for him, because he is clearly not going to be the source of inspiration or drive in this run in. He looks finished.

19 Apr 2024 14:45:33
I just don’t get how people can think he under achieved. The fact he got to push city to within a whisker over 3-4 years is unbelievable I think he over achieved. Tiny margins against the richest clubs in the world . If mo hadn’t of been taken out in the champions league final we would have probably won that game . He had us over achieving, beating Barcelona 4-0 in a semi final without the best player in Europe at the time ( Salah) proof again. And this season too, having to use kids at times along with new midfield and still be in whisker of winning the league after winning a cup and getting to two quarterfinals whilst working his notice and being knackered. Perspective.

19 Apr 2024 15:17:57
My issue is the move away from what he believed in. What made us fall in love with his football. Yes, he has made those changes based on the statistics saying it was the percentage call to win more games and deal with the low block we always struggled with. And there is definitely some truth to that - we have, generally, worn teams out.

I’ve always just felt that the team has never fully bought into it because Klopp truly doesn’t believe in it.

19 Apr 2024 15:44:24
In fairness to klopp he was competing against oil rich city and pep on a shoe string budget compared to theirs, city breaking all sorts of records in the process, i don't know how anyone could label his time here as a failure.

19 Apr 2024 16:09:31
Us pushing them forced them to break records.

19 Apr 2024 16:20:49
The issue of money is a convenient excuse. Klopp has done an amazing job, given the disparity in resources. Doesn't change the fact he still had an amazing group of players and should have won more.

Finances don't tell you how good you are. If that were the case, United would be better than us, as would Chelsea. You don't get to herald what amazing players the likes of Mac Allister, Robertson and Salah have been, and then when it suits you, say 'well they didn't cost a lot so they can't be expected to win anything'.

Irrespective of what the differences in spending are, the team you have is the team you have. We've had the best goalkeeper, right back, centre back, and right sided winger in the world over the past four years. That's almost half of any World XI anybody could put together over that time. To say we spent less than other teams so we should be content with not winning is an equivocation fallacy at its finest, unless you genuinely believe none of the players that we have are better than those at City?

You know who loves using that excuse? Tottenham supporters. Pochettino had the best team in England from 2015-2017. How many trophies did he win? 0. What do Spurs fans blame it on? Money. It doesn't change the fact that Pochettino had the best team and won nothing with it because he is a loser.

Klopp is not a loser. His attention to detail and strive for excellence in those first five years was exceptional. He was a force of nature. That journey and expenditure of energy would knacker anybody. Nobody can take that success away from him. yet we haven't been in anywhere near those levels in the past four seasons, in my opinion.

Disagree if you want but don't try and strawman anybody who wants to discuss the manager's legacy, as if anybody is denying his prior excellence. It's just silly.

19 Apr 2024 16:28:35
Your point mk about klopp being 1st manager in 35 years to leave club in better position than when he came in is excellent. I'm supporting lfc just shy of 40 years and your exactly right on that, i hadnt thought of it like that but it's 100% correct.
The football of late has been v disapointing, bad results can happen and teams go threw bad periods but performances have been so slow and sluggish, v frustating.
Also as much as people, myself included, critisise the tactics the players have fell apart,90% of our players are massively under performing, tactics r no tactics.

19 Apr 2024 16:32:18
I’ll be honest I’m the first to admit that watching our possession based football isn’t the same excitement wise as when we played heavy metal and to start with we would almost throw down the gauntlet to opposition and say however many you score we’ll score more

Then we strengthened the defence and keeper and opposition struggled to score whilst we didn’t.

If we look back though just over this season we’ve absolutely dominated every game (except City and Arsenal say) in regard to possession and chances created.

We’ve just not been that clinical. In football it doesn’t matter if you create 30 chances and don’t score and the opposition score 1 off a few chances.

Goals win games and all of our forwards have been far too guilty this season of missing opportunities they should score.

That also extends to the midfield and defenders. In every game we’ve played we had more than enough chances to win those games but unfortunately we don’t finish them.

If we scored those chances we’re still on for the quadruple we’re putting teams to the sword and the new possession style football is keeping us awake at night with joy and Linders is the tactical genius and heir to the throne still.

There’s a fine line between success and coming up short and too many times this season we’ve come up short. But also the majority we’ve come up trumps.

Now we have 6 games to win.

19 Apr 2024 17:07:37
Yeah I was reading that and thinking all the way through I’ll post: “Klopps real legacy will be that he’s built the club from a pretty low base to an elite club” and “he’s left the club in a much better state than what he inherited” but I think you covered it well.
Take away Man Cheaty though and his record would have looked much better, and it’s sad he’s not got anywhere near the trophies he probably deserves for the job he’s done but that’s football.
The clubs in a really good place and the future looks really promising, let’s hope whoever takes the job on kicks on and gets cleans up with the trophies.
Klopps going to be remembered fondly though by all liverpool fans.

19 Apr 2024 18:04:12
Love Klopp to bits, but agree with MK. Pep would win at least 3 PL titles with Alli (GOAT), VVD (GOAT) Fabinho (Almost GOAT), Robbo and Trent (Defo GOAT), Salah (GOAT), Bobby, Mane.
Doesn’t help when FSG gives you Kabab and Davies when all 4 of your defenders are out!

{Ed001's Note - FSG didn't do that.}

19 Apr 2024 18:28:17
Welcome back, Harry.

19 Apr 2024 18:50:13
I'm sorry but I don't agree with the majority of this article, it just damns Klopp with faint praise and is full of factual inaccuracies.

Remember where we were as a club before he came along, 1 trophy and 1 top 4 finish in 6 years. Since he came in 1 league title, 1 champions league, 5 other trophies and likely 7 top 4 finishes in 9 years. Add to that two second place finishes with 97 and 94 points against a team with 115 charges against them. All with a net spend of half of that spent by the teams he is competing against. No manager in the world could have done anymore over that time period unless you expect perfection.

Saying we have limped through this season is complete nonsense, we have 71 points after 32 games, we've lost 3 games, the joint least in the league, we won a trophy missing about 11 first team player. This season has been a minor miracle and to belittle it like that shows a sad sense of entitlement.

19 Apr 2024 19:19:10
I’m not sure it “damns Klopp” to say he’s our best manager for 35 years, but should’ve won more than 1 PL and 1 CL? Thought I was pretty balanced to be honest but it’s an opinion piece so you’re entitled to disagree Thunderbird. No “sad entitlement” here but think what you want, it’s a free country! I think someone else nailed it; we had Alisson, Robbo, Trent, Salah and Virgil who I think at times would’ve made most peoples best Prem XI and maybe best European XI. So we should’ve arguably won more irrespective of where we started, how much City spent and how much we didn’t spend. Overall I still say Klopp is a legend and ultimately the true measure of a good job is progressing the club forward which he’s done and then some.

Thanks for the excellent debate though everyone, thoroughly enjoyed reading the replies from you all. Too many to reply to you all individually but I thought everyone (agree or disagree) made fair points and knew not everyone would agree with everything. Like I said, Klopp’s laid the foundation and I think the next manager can build on it and maybe even take us even further on the road to glory. Just hope there is one last push to keep this season alive 🤞🏻.

19 Apr 2024 19:54:33
Can Klopp be blamed for the sh#t show Karius displayed in the CL final? Can he be faulted for coming up against a team that I think every fan knows haven’t been playing by the rules? The sheer fact that he has ran them so close is a minor miracle in my opinion. Sure I would loved another PL title and the CL we should have won but I’m not dumb enough to understand the extenuating circumstances involved.

19 Apr 2024 19:57:27
@woolback. We had a brilliant first team and that’s it. City had 2 first teams that’s where the money shout comes from. Remember the season we had no center backs? Playing our first choice midfield there. I remember city buying defenders then went out and spent another 1-200 million on more to replace the whole back 4. Last night was the first time this season we have played our first choice back four together I’m sure the commentators said. Pep wouldn’t have won 3 leagues with vvd if it was the season he got injured and the season after getting back into it.

19 Apr 2024 20:05:00
No mention of the 7-0 and 5-0 against Utd! Klopp’s done more than just win trophies. The fist pumping at end of games, the connection with the city and fans, the emotional journeys (Barcelona, penalty shoot out finals) . He’s made our club the envy of most other clubs, even our rival fans like Klopp even if they hate our club. I get that you tried to balance the article but it does come across slightly entitled. We missed the quad by 10 minutes in the league and not being able to put our chances away against Madrid which was an amazing achievement and closest anyone’s come. City came up short this week against Madrid so it’s not exactly easy. This season, we’ve already won a cup after a massive rebuild in our midfield, we annihilated Utd at there place in the first half 15 attempts to their nothing. That’s 0 attempts from Utd at old Trafford. Is it Klopps fault Nunez and Salah have lost their scoring boots and Jota is injured? Klopp has got every drop of energy from those players, except for a couple of games here and there and unfortunately they have been most recently. 9th net spend in the league and up against oil billions. The last 30 years were pretty awful. Klopp has given us back our club and in my opinion over achieved in what he has done. Of course he’s not perfect and has made mistakes but tell me anyone who hasn’t. He’s also made the right decision to go and has always done his best for this club. A 100% Legend.

19 Apr 2024 20:55:46
Klopp turned us from a perennial joke “this is our year” to winning everything.

When was the last time you heard the sneer “this is our year” from rival fans? Not in the last 4 years I bet.

That’s the difference he made, he shut the rival fans up and made us champions again.

I’ll be forever thankful for that.

19 Apr 2024 21:15:12
Do you know what GOAT means, Beekeeper?
If Guardiola was Liverpool boss he wouldn't have to face City with Guardiola as boss, would he? Klopp did have to contend with Guardiola and the Sheikh's money.
If City didn't have Guardiola I reckon we would have won two more PL titles.

19 Apr 2024 22:53:53
I agree with Thunderbird here MK and I’m surprised you are normally much better than that.

To say we have limped through this season and to use the word ‘bottle it’ is grossly unfair and incorrect. This season has been miraculous given the injuries and the fact we’ve been playing with kids for half the season.

You said the season after we won the league we had a poor first half of the season and had to rely on Ali scoring to finish 4th. We were top on Christmas Day that season and only dropped down the league when Matip got injured in a 1-1 draw against West Brom leaving us with VVD, Gomez and Matip (our only senior centre backs) all out injured for the season. We had a really poor run as we were sacrificing the midfield to patch up the defence until we settled on playing Phillips and Williams and then won the last 11 games to finish 3rd. Not 4th.

Last season we were poor but yet again you fail to mention the circumstances. We replaced Mane with Diaz who then got injured for most of the season. Jota was injured for most of the season. Thiago was in and out, Hendo was in and out, VVD had a spell injured, as did Ali. We had to play Bajcetic and Elliott in midfield before they were ready because we had no one else available. We signed Nunez to replace Bobby who is a completely different type of player and was struggling with the tactics.

All in all, given where we started from Klopp has been absolutely immense and I for one was hoping he would stay with us for the next 10 years because he guarantees we will be competitive. I can’t think of another manager in the world that can do what he’s done.

If we don’t get this right we might find ourselves right back where we started and people like you will realise just how good Klopp was.

As football fans we have absolutely no right to demand trophies. The margins between winning and coming second can be so small and we are up against teams with much more resources than we have. It can just be a Rodri handball here and a Diaz goal-no goal there and that can be the difference.

All we can ask for is that our team is competing and in with a chance then sometimes the dice will roll in your favour and you’ll win but other times it won’t. To be critical of a manager for competing against the richest club the Premier League has ever seen who are facing 115 charges for cheating is just ludicrous.

I get that you are disappointed with the last couple of weeks but let’s not try to change history to suit your agenda. Klopp has been spectacular and will go down as not only one of our greatest managers but one of the greatest managers the premier league has ever seen. The only shame is that we couldn’t have him for longer.

19 Apr 2024 23:31:38
Agree with Pecker here.

We are playing bad at the moment but it's been a good season overall.

I definitely would have taken champions league qualification and carabou cup at the start of the season. Some really good moments too with last minute goals etc. It's all good. But I do hope with pick it up.

Those 90 minutes against Atalanta was the most boring football I ve ever watched under Klopp.

19 Apr 2024 23:35:41
Well said Becker. In my opinion Klopp has had one bad season, last season, every other season has been fantastic in it's own way. One bad season out of nine isn't bad especially for a club that doesn't have the financial resources to dominate. I hope I am saying the same thing about another manager in 9 years time but I doubt it.

19 Apr 2024 23:47:58
Beckers, what agenda is this exactly? The one where I said Klopp had 6 good years in 8 so far, 3 building us up, and 3 of which yielded success? Or the part where I said he’s the best manager we’ve had in 35 years? Or the part where he said he’s leaving our club in a solid position to go do something even more special?

Thanks for the patronising response about how much “better” you think I am but I’m honestly not interested in engaging any further in a football conversation with people who clearly just want to start an argument by completely focusing on the negatives and pretending like it wasn’t a net positive post about Klopp’s time here. It’s a waste of my energy, frankly.

19 Apr 2024 23:44:01
A good read that MK, nice one mate. Keep them coming.

20 Apr 2024 06:44:24
Rigsby, I think you’re right and if we look back at those 2 seasons we came 2nd by one point the margin for error was so fine because we definitely deserved to win the league with those points tallies.

Cheers Salah. I’m not going to stop posting over a few people looking for a fight mate. It’s just weird how desperate people are for confrontation that they’ll basically reimagine what I wrote to take out all the gushing over Klopp. Imagine comparing the guy to Bill Shankly and being told you are entitled 😂

Davey Sulls, appreciate your capacity to disagree entirely without just being a troll. It’s a fair point. Cup and top 4 probably would’ve been seen as success pre-season. I think it’s more just how we’ve done it though. Going behind in 21/ 32 league games frankly, isn’t good enough. Going out the FA cup to United when we twice had the game in our hands with not much time left just seemed lazy as well. Finally the 2 Atalanta games were just the peak of our underperformance the last few weeks/ months and in the end we didn’t even really fight for it in that 2nd leg. I think we can all agree that Klopp deserves to go out on a high and I really do believe that if we win 6/ 6 this City team will blink. They’re not the same without Gundogan, and also with De Bruyne struggling to grab a game by the scruff like he used to. But a fair point well made. And as I said, if we do maintain the title challenge to the last day I think we have to consider this season a net success. Right now we just don’t look like doing that, but never say never.

20 Apr 2024 10:35:34
MKS, I agree with you overall except for the "bottling it" part cos really, with the level of injuries we have had (up to 13 senior players out" at some period in Feb), we have shown immense charactler and "bottle" to remain in the hunt for 4 trophies (never belived in th quad) up until a few weeks ago when things went south for multiple reasons. Remember the way we won the EFL Cup v Chelsea? If you ain't got bottle then, you can't win it the way Klopp, the players and the kiddies did, fact.

If someone had told me that we would be in the hunt for the title up until March/ April with Allison (let a lone the rest) out injured and Kelleher playing lights out to keep us there, we would have told the person to eat their veggies rather than smoke them. So the whole "bottling" it stuff is a bit over the top.

Now that being said, I see rival fans saying our season woulg go down in a whimper and I get the feeling for sure. However if these people thought we would achieve and win nothing this season, they cannot come back and say "Oh, you must be trash cos you didn't win it ALL". Sorry, that's not a thing.

Also, people need to stop conditioning their opinions (not you) babout our club, players and legendary manager based on what rival fans (who cannot hold a candle to us or Klopp trophies-wise) think. I've seen that a lot and it does my head in. Peace, my guy.

20 Apr 2024 10:52:17
Yeah that’s fair enough Oli. Can see why you and a few others have said “bottling it” is harsh. Just the way I personally see it having been top and in our hands with 8 games left and had we beat Palace at Anfield we’d be top and in our hands with 6 games to go. Whatever terminology people may opt for it is undeniably frustrating that we’ve hit such a bad patch of form at the worst time possible. I personally think they’ve lost focus and that has coincided with a lack of energy. To me that is bottling it but maybe that phrase is more negatively charged in some people’s minds. To me it just means throwing it away, which I think we have. Not really worth splitting hairs over our subjective understanding of what is bottling it and what isn’t though. You are right, pre season we’d all have taken being in this position after what happened last season. But once we got into such a strong position, I came to believe we could do more. It’s the hope that kills you!

20 Apr 2024 18:46:46
MKS, I fully agree with you and even with the "bottling" stuff, I can fully understand why you feel that way cos that is exactly what it looks like at first view and I fully understand why and how your frustration got you and many to that point. It is what it is.

At the end of the day like you and I agree on, we simply weren't ready to win the title going into the season. Now when the facts changed, we gave it a right go and in spite of the injuries and inconsistencies in our play, we held the fort and Klopp and the boys get credit for all they had done. I believed we could definitely do it cos it wasn't like City and Arsenal were battering teams for fun, were they?

What is actually frustrating to me was that the problems we all knew we had was NEVER addressed over the course of the season. Our inability to defend properly and spotting the oppo. a goals 21 out of 29 goals conceded will burn you at some point and the staff knew it yet kept acting as if it was NO big deal. Also Klopp knew that not addressing our flaws would cost us and he did nothing. That is the "killshot" for me and that will ALWAYS be his fault, simple as. Peace and Love.

20 Apr 2024 18:56:21
I agree, Scouse John.
How I see it is that since Klopp took over we have been the second best side in the PL. We all know who the best side is and they too have a brilliant manager but he has had more money to strengthen and refresh his squad.
Even since we won the League- a period that many see us as not kicking on- I still see us as the second best side in the PL.
Klopp turned us not only into challengers; he turned us into the best and most consistent challenger.

19 Apr 2024 11:07:56
With the likes of matip, Tiago, and maybe Salah and a few more must be saving some on wages there. I'm looking forward to what happens in the summer. New manager different approach ynwa.

19 Apr 2024 11:58:54
Lets not forget Klopps wage (est 15 mill a year) will also be off the books.

With all of those wages saved I'm glad to see that next seasons ticket prices have gone up and I'm like a kid at Christmas waiting to see what next seasons inflated kit prices will be in the store.

And before FSG's fan club come to their rescue this is tongue in cheek aimed at all Football clubs not just ours.

I'd imagine they would pipe up if FSG announced they were investing in measures against streaming football games.

19 Apr 2024 12:22:02
I'm glad Michael Edwards is back because, bar a couple of exceptions, it feels like the standard of player we have been bringing in isn't what it was 2016-21. In addition, it feels like Klopp isn't really enhancing individuals' games anymore which is what he was known for. Diaz, Nunez, Gakpo, Szoboszlai, Elliott, Gravenberch haven't taken off like we would have hoped. I used to say that Klopp could turn water into wine. I think it is a combination of both recruitment and Klopp losing their touch a bit.

433 also feels incredibly stale now. The midfield isn't working as hard as it used to and the full-backs aren't providing the same width and overlapping runs. You also need quick, explosive wingers who are a goal-threat for it to work well. I don't think we have those players anymore and I don't think there are many wingers like that on the market. The era of Messi, Ronaldo, Salah, Mane, Robben, Ribery, Neymar, Bale, Hazard, Reus, Sanchez, Son and others seems to be at an end for whatever reason. In fact, the calibre of footballer seems to be generally down. I feel a switch to 4222 or 4231 where we play with attacking midfielders could be beneficial to some of our players like Szoboszlai, Elliott, even Clark and Carvalho. There's also some potentially decent options on the market over the next couple of years like Wirtz and Kubo.

19 Apr 2024 12:58:15
@Jk
And I have seen the same fans selling their tickets for £200 to a tourist. Inflation is at what, 8% globally and so does everything goes up mate. the world is about to end soon lol.

19 Apr 2024 12:50:18
Some big decisions for the club and players to make over the summer.

Salah future needs resolving.
Virgil and Trent contracts need renewing.
Matip needs replacing.
Kelleher and Tsimikas likely to move on and need replalcing.
Salah would need replacing if he does go.
Diaz rumours not going away. Would need replacing if he does go.
We still need a defensive midfielder.

That's potentially 6 changes in senior playing staff.

And then it will be interesting to see what the new technical staff will think of Endo, Gravenberch and Gakpo.

19 Apr 2024 13:14:59
YorksRed - I agree up to a point but I'm cautious of throwing the baby out with the bath water. If it's all change this summer and a new manager who wants to go and sign half a dozen new first team players, my concern would be that it would take us back before we go forward again.

With a team that has come close (and could still win) the league this season and with a number of players who we might feel frustrated with right now but who we were thrilled about earlier in the season, plus many of them being young still, I don't know that we need more than a couple of new first team players.

For me, one of the requirements of the new manager will be to get the best out of Szoboszlai and Gakpo, to get Nunez performing consistently, to continue the development of Quansah, Bradley, Clark and Danns, to have a plan to reintroduce Bajcetic, a plan for how to best use Trent and a succession plan for Salah.

19 Apr 2024 13:26:54
If we get a new manager will we be paying him magic beans?

I imagine that the staff / player salary will be more than this season - it seems an economic inevitability.

19 Apr 2024 13:41:53
Wdw I’ll put £20 on it it’s not.

19 Apr 2024 14:03:52
Babbitt, I agree with this comment from your more than any comment I've read on here this week, a major factor in our faltering season for me
"Klopp isn't really enhancing individuals' games anymore which is what he was known for. Diaz, Nunez, Gakpo, Szoboszlai, Elliott, Gravenberch haven't taken off like we would have hoped". You could argue all have regressed this season or since they came in, that's the biggest worry.

19 Apr 2024 14:20:17
@JK, I knew you'd be all over a 'wages' post, brilliant 😂😂😂😂.

19 Apr 2024 14:36:52
McGoveb I don’t know why any fan of any football club would be for, rising ticket costs.

You only have to look at tickets in other countries (Germany prime example) to see you don’t have to price fans out of watching games lives.

But I suppose for the supporters it doesn’t effect then Why should they care.

19 Apr 2024 18:27:37
We could bring in a lot of money from sales too. Kelleher will probably move on to be first choice we can replace him with Jaros or one of the Eds mentioned Patterson from Sunderland.
Tsimikas I think may move on. Robertson Gomez and Beck all able to play LB Gakpo Gravenberch Diaz Nunez we’d surely listen to offers for then some youngsters like Carvalho and Morton would bring in good money too. I think we should be extending Salah Alisson Trent and VVD. Bringing in a CB midfielder and two forwards to all go in the starting 11.

20 Apr 2024 00:01:17
@JK23. We’ll get rid of a big earner in Thiago and a medium wage earner in Matip and possibly a high earner in Salah.

Given any new manager will want his squad so say two or three big names on reasonable length contracts sort of cancels out the two or three ‘bigger earners’ mentioned above and any new contracts will almost inevitably cost more.

Not sure what JK earns but our next manager is going to want a fair amount too. Also, I suspect some of the youngsters will be pushing for ‘better’ contracts now that they have had ‘breakthrough’ season.

I’d say that we are a reasonable chance to have a higher wage bill.

20 Apr 2024 07:07:41
Wdw you might be right mate but personally I can’t see us signing players and putting them onto Thiago and Salah kind wages or even the manager on Klopp ones.

When I said £20 wager. I wanted to add as in a friendly bet to a charity of our choosing.

Klopp is the 3rd highest paid manager in the world with online reports saying 15-16 mill and Amorim reported as 2.15 mill a year.

If true even if the club doubled Amorims wages that’s still a huge saving.

Yes it might not be Amorim but that’s the manager we are being linked to and are not currently being linked with any of the managers in the top 10 earners.

We still have players like Kelleher, Jones and Elliot on their original low contracts so I can’t imagine any of the breakthrough players this season holding FSG to the fire to have theirs improved.

Anyways my main point in the original post was to sarcastically point out that it’s going to cost match day going fans more next season despite record profit, sponsorship and attendances etc.

For people who stream the game for free then it doesn’t matter ever who we sign or what wages we pay because free stays free.

Anyways if you would like to have a friendly bet over it let me know your charity of choice and I can ask Ed next time I’m on live chat how we can sort a payment.

20 Apr 2024 10:40:59
I think that the Thiago wage was too much when agreed but that was a few years ago and has been by-passed (for top level players at least) in the intervening years.

I’m not saying I’m happy with the wage bill getting ever bigger or that I even think we should be paying what we will undoubtedly have to pay. But the increase in wages for players and fees for the parasite agents is inevitable if we want to stay in the elite group in world football.

20 Apr 2024 12:39:39
Wdw I wasn’t intending to say that you were implying you were happy with the wages.

Was a to and fro of different opinions. I only asked if you fancied £20 as im confident and skint and if I list I’d just change my user name like the SF Redmeister that used to troll these pages.

But in all seriousness we’ll say let’s stick a pint on it.

I have no issues with player wages as they have zero effect on us fans.

If I pay £60 for my ticket next season with this current squad then it’s £59.

If the club decides to sell 3 of our best players and replace with lesser players then I’m still paying £60 a ticket. Although wages are blamed on wages they actually have no relevance.

If we could afford (guesstimate) 2.7 mill in wages a week with 47 thousand fans jn the crowd then surely now with 61 thousand in there that should bring in extra revenue for the same wage bill paid prior.

19 Apr 2024 09:30:43
"I liked the game a lot tonight with the desire and power the boys show. It was incredible from them. " ""We won the game and that was the reaction we wanted to show. "
I must have watched a different game.
Thank you Jurgenn for all you've done, sad it seems to all be ending with a whimper.

19 Apr 2024 09:56:24
Damage limitation imo. He was definitely watching some old youtube highlights :) He knew how atalanta plays and still managed to play into their hands. Genius :)

19 Apr 2024 10:12:25
Seriously? I guess these days, no matter what you did, just one stumble enough for you to get all the bashes, sarcasms, the disrespect and all.

I already know that I should never come here whenever we lose games or trophies. And yet here I am. What's wrong with me?

19 Apr 2024 10:22:17
We were really good for the first 15 minutes with quick progressive passing and good movement and then as the game went on we reverted back to players taking too many touches and our slow pointless passing. 20 passes along the back line 30 yards from our own goal before somebody turns back into trouble or tries to dribble through 3 opponent players.

The second half was dire. No passion, no urgency and no plan.

3 games now without a goal from open play and after Salah unforgivable miss half way through the first half I can't remember us creating another decent chance.

19 Apr 2024 10:31:21
Klopp also said Trent was incredible in the first half which is mind blowing to me. Even my missus who knows nothing about football asked who was playing right back because there seemed to be nobody stood there every time we tried to attack or play out from the back. He played a few really good passes but he won the penalty on the one occasion he actually made a run down the right side.

19 Apr 2024 10:47:40
Maybe his man management is better than yours? Instead of making headlines trashing players and deflecting blame he is still taking it on the chin and doing his shouting behind closed doors .

19 Apr 2024 11:42:16
MK that made me chuckle.

You should have married Gareth Southgate. He knows all about right backs and has around 13 of them in every squad.

19 Apr 2024 11:48:43
Time for trent to stick in the deep lying playmaker role with McAlister further up and Bradley RB then we might actually have some width as well as players who can find them.

19 Apr 2024 12:24:56
I thought we were really good early on.
But second half was slow and crap again.
TAA I thought showed some class with his passing but you could tell he wasn’t fit and he was subbed off far too late. I hope he gets fit soon because he does bring something else to the team.
Tactics though again were shocking.

19 Apr 2024 12:31:00
Klopp sayin we played well etc . he got to find some positive spin on it . we need to find our spirit from somewhere, ya never know, the players might actually belive him n put the performances in. league is still there for us. hard I know but possible.

19 Apr 2024 12:41:48
@DirtyMic2ElectricBoogaloo, If you think Klopp will bash the players by calling them out name by name the way you would then, I fear that football analysis is simply not for you.

19 Apr 2024 13:09:35
It's pretty disrespectful to a really well drilled Atalanta team to just say we were cr@p. I genuinely don't think I've seen a team so successful at cutting down all passing lanes and pressing to make simple passes difficult. They were 3-0 up, they played the perfect gameplan to make sure they went through overall.

Only thing that could have made a bit of a difference would have been some more direct running through the middle of the park, try to disrupt the man-marking and create some space, but it was a very difficult team to play against.

19 Apr 2024 09:15:25
My humble opinion is when Klopp announced his departure we were still in 4 competitions. But realistically with our squad at that time you would expect us to be still in those competitions. I think we have been carried away with the potential of a fairy tale ending to a glorious period for our club, unfortunately fairy tales are just that. That said at the beginning of the season with the summer squad turnover, if you had said come April we would still have an albeit stuttering chance to win the league, would be pretty much looking at a return to the champions league next season and would win a cup, whilst considerably reducing the average age of the squad and seeing the emergence of some real quality prospects emerging from the academy we would of not of been that disappointed. So whilst a fairy tale ending to a memorable chapter is fading fast, the chapter was special and that's set in stone. so having a pretty fully fit squad and 6 games left, let's get back to the reality of trying to win a football match at a time 6 times and see where we end up. and then a new chapter begins and we are in pretty good shape to start it. ynwa Klopp is leaving but so did Shankly, Paisley and Dalglish before.

19 Apr 2024 09:34:20
He shouldn't have been allowed to record a 10 minute video of his departure. doubt any manager would be allowed to do it today. the club failed there. Amirom would move in the summer but the man has put an end to all speculations and want everyone to cherish and focus on the remainder of the season.

19 Apr 2024 09:52:13
Usually I'd be in full agreement mate and good post by the way - one I wish I could be onboard with but the way I see it at the moment is you can't sugarcoat sh*t mate. The way we're playing is utterly shocking, we're embarrassing ourselves at this point and it's really getting on my nerves. They clearly aren't thinking about the fans who attend the matches, paying good money (I'm not one of them) . Klopp I love to death but for gods sake man, sort this sh*t show out. It's almost like he's given up, knowing he's off. No matter what he'll always be a legend in my eyes but this last period of his is doing him no favours. We all wish it was a fairytale ending but it's turning out to be a nightmare.

19 Apr 2024 10:32:07
But the point is, I think, winning the league wasn't a fairy tale ending; it was very much a realistic ending. We were top of the league with eight matches to go. Could have gone top again with six matches to go if we'd been capable of beating Palace (who hadn't won in almost two months) at home. No fairy tale needed; just some half-decent football would have done it.

For similar reasons, I can't take consolation from the "if we'd been offered this at the start of the season" point of view. It may well be true; I don't think many expected us to get back into a title challenge so quickly after last year but we did and because of that, and because we were top so late in the season with our destiny in our own hands, the expectation has to be redrawn.
Regardless of what we might have been willing to accept at the start of the season, when we got to April top of the league, my expectation was that we would go on to win the league from there.

If we don't pull this out of the fire in the last six matches, it will, for me, be a huge disappointment and an undeniable damp squib ending to Klopp's time at Liverpool.

The way that there is almost always one team that falls apart in a title race fascinates me. The lazy conclusion is to put it down to tiredness or say the players are exhausted. I've never bought that. Why would that only effect one team? And it can't be that the players just aren't good enough; they wouldn't have got so far into the season at the top of the league if they weren't. So is it physchological? That seems most likely to me, but again unpicking that is fascinating. Experienced professionals who have played at the very top of the sport and suddenly they are all overtaken by the same malaise, not one of them can break out of it and drag the team forward.

19 Apr 2024 10:34:35
I don’t think it was a fairytale it was possible to win everything this season. The reason it’s never been done before is because it’s extremely hard and you need a huge amount of luck to go with the talent and hard work.

We did well to stay in all 4 as long as we did with all the bad luck with injuries and some really poor refereeing decisions. Eventually we lost a few games. Not the end of the world and certainly no reason for us to turn on the manager or any of the players. They are human and they are fallible like all of us.

For me the recent form has been down to the players coming back from injury. It happens more often than you think. We’ve had loads of injuries to key players so everyone knuckles down to get through that period then when the players return, psychologically they think it’s job done and take their eye off the ball. It’s not intentional it’s just human nature.

Hopefully we’ve now had our wobble and we can now refocus for the run in, starting on Sunday.

19 Apr 2024 10:37:49
Only a few weeks ago people were waxing lyrical about the spirit in the group who were fighting for Klopp’s last season. Now the results have changed it’s because of Klopp leaving.

People have a real issue with displacing anger and emotion on here lol.

19 Apr 2024 11:31:08
RR it’s 100% psychological and it happens in all walks of life every single day.

It’s much easier to chase the dream when it’s in the distance but as it looms large you start to picture it in your mind and you tense up. Then you start to doubt whether you can get there. You start to fear not getting there and that then makes you even more tense and before you know it it’s gone.

The best way to get through it is through experience. Experience gives you perspective as you know you’ve been there before and even though it went wrong the world didn’t cave in and the sun still came up the next day. That then helps you stay calm and see it through.

We have players who haven’t been in this situation before and it only takes 3 or 4 of them to tense up and have a muddled mind and that feeds through the team.

I said earlier I think the players coming back has actually had a negative impact too as other players who have taken on the mantle in recent months like Macca and Endo for example, have now stepped off the pace a little thinking the others will pick up the batten. It’s not a conscious decision it’s just human nature.

One thing I do know for certain is that we as fans have a huge job to do in keeping the players positive. If we moan and whinge and criticise every time they do something wrong they become fearful and tense up even more. They need to know we are behind them regardless as that gives them the best platform to succeed.

19 Apr 2024 12:42:36
@Faithinworks, exactly. Same old hindsight crap. Im over it.

19 Apr 2024 13:02:13
There’s only so long you can keep repeating the same mantra to players. After a while the impact of your comments lose effect.
I think Klopp’s reached that moment.

We’re literally treading water as a team now, we need to secure top 4 and then hope for the best.
Either way, a reset with Champions League is what is needed.

19 Apr 2024 13:29:31
Has the season finished?

19 Apr 2024 22:52:29
Why is the team treading water? We won last night you know?

20 Apr 2024 00:05:15
Arsenal and City lost their last match, we won ours. I’m pretty sure that if you score more goals than the opposition it means you won, even if some of the fans don’t like the way it happened. For all those wishing for the season to end, just be careful what you wish for.

20 Apr 2024 06:24:12
Scouse John - if you think we were winners in Atalanta, look at the players at the end of the game.

Treading water is kind to LFC right now.
We’re certainly NOT improving
We could easily be described as sinking

Treading water is being generous.

20 Apr 2024 07:23:52
It's down to emotions, WDW.
I remember we won the CL in 2005, everyone was celebrating but I sat down and thought 'yeah, but we're fifth in the League and the second best team in Liverpool' 😂.

19 Apr 2024 07:03:32
"It is that I am, how can I say it, running out of energy. I have no problem now, obviously, I knew it already for longer that I will have to announce it at one point, but I am absolutely fine now. I know that I cannot do the job again and again and again and again. "

And the last three games have proved how right he was.

Last night was desperately disappointing.

We started exactly as we needed to. Quick movement, quick passing and aggressive. Trent in a wide position and we win a penalty. Brilliant, the early goal we needed. Now kick on. And the kick on never really came. Passing mistakes started to kill the flow and as the first half went on the lack of width and slow pace returned the threat we posed started to fizzle out and when Mo misses that chance, so does the game. Atalanta defenders could play the second half with their slippers on. Two shots in the second half simply isn't good enough when you need to stay in a competition.

This has been a magnificent era for the club but it really felt like the end of an era last night. Compare that performance to some of the greatest nights under Klopp and the difference couldn't be any more stark.

Until it's impossible I will still hold out hope he can do one more miraculous feat in dragging us to the title but right now the thought we can win six on the bounce, which we will almost certainly need, couldn't look any less likely.

Why does this season hurt because it's the hope that kills you. And why did we have the hope and belief? Why did we believe that a quad was on? A quad! Because a great manager turned us from doubters to believers. Because this squad had taken us places none of us really thought he were likely to reach, Whatever the reason for the drop off, we have six games left with one of our greatest ever managers. Let's just enjoy him being there.

19 Apr 2024 07:24:45
Great Post wassa, every point made spot on.

19 Apr 2024 07:27:50
The way we are playing it will be a fight for 4th place and am not even joking.

19 Apr 2024 08:09:05
Take Salah out the side and start playing more direct instead of 18 passes round the back, we look exactly like we did before Rodgers and Rafa left, last night that space behind defense first half was crying out for us to go long more.

19 Apr 2024 08:22:52
It’s been an amazing journey with Klopp. So many great moments and so much great football to enjoy. All things come to an end and we should be thankful that we had him for so long. I don’t buy into the team being under stress to achieve just for him. Prior to going out of the cup we had taken 22 from 26 points in the league. Pressure grows on any team towards the end of the season and particularly when in the hunt for trophies. We don’t know why his departure was announced when it was but it may have been leaked if he didn’t come out and say it and also it would have been difficult for him to look his players in the eye knowing he was holding something back. Let’s enjoy the last six games and see what it brings. Thanks for the memories Jurgen and all the very best with what the future brings. Time for a change it feels like but thanks so much for everything. YNWA.

19 Apr 2024 08:34:37
Nice Post Wassa. Summed it up. We wouldn't be so hopeful and so expectant if it hadn't been for these last great years that Jurgen gave us. It's a great shame the way it seems to be ending at the moment but let us not start bemoaning the guy who got us back here in the first place. Particularly when we know he's leaving and we know why. The players need to look at themselves for me. Giving possession away over and over. No movement, no imagination, no urgency and woeful finishing. Yes Klopp looks out of ideas atm but at least he has the self awareness to have known this and made the announcement. It can't be Klopps tactics or lack of energy that make the players forget how to pass the ball forward. There seems to be a bit of fans rejecting him before he leaves to make themselves feel better that the best manager we've had in decades has decided to leave us. We're better than that. He deserves a legend's send off even if we lose the last 6 games.

19 Apr 2024 09:20:44
"It is that I am, how can I say it, running out of energy. I have no problem now, obviously, I knew it already for longer that I will have to announce it at one point, but I am absolutely fine now. I know that I cannot do the job again and again and again and again. "

And what happens if he picks up another job in 12 months time? You say he would miraculously bring back his mojo and lost energy? I think Klopp is done with this group. he is what? 3 years older to Pep who seems to have absolutely no issues at City.

19 Apr 2024 09:31:32
Apart from Man City, every other team in the 4 divisions would be happy with adding the League Cup to the trophy cabinet. That is how high Klopp has set the bar, that we are talking about being disappointed with just one trophy.

The quadruple has never been done, that we have come so close under Klopp is amazing. To be in that position twice is nothing short of spectacular. I will always be thankful to him and the team for that.

It may be time for a change but I am going to remember his tenure with the fondness and admiration he deserves. Thank you for making us believe again.

19 Apr 2024 09:33:09
To be honest last night looked like 11 guys on the pitch with no game plan. Frantic at best, disorganised and playing with very little thought into what they were actually trying to achieve.
Ah well, what can you do 🤷‍♂️.

19 Apr 2024 23:03:39
I don’t care where we finish in league as long as klopp leaves in good health.

18 Apr 2024 10:23:58
Not much evidence lately to suggest that we're capable of doing this, but I am going to say that if we win our next three matches (Fulham away, Everton away, West Ham home), we'll be top by the end of April.

Significant point to note is that City would have a match in hand at that point but Arsenal now have Wolves away, Chelsea at home and Tottenham away. That's a tricky run on the back of two defeats and a draw in their last three matches; I reckon they will slip up somewhere there.

18 Apr 2024 10:40:20
RR - I think the West Ham game is also away, so 4 away games on the trot - very difficult to get maximum points from those. In fact, I think we have the toughest run in of the top 3.

The one for me is Everton, because I can see them turning us over next week, especially if we play like we have in the past 3 games.

18 Apr 2024 10:47:42
RR, West Ham is away.

18 Apr 2024 11:02:45
Villa away is also tough. They're going for top 4. I just fear that even if we win all of our 6 games, which is a massive ask, we will still fall short. That's why losing to Palace was gutting.

18 Apr 2024 11:59:29
Not beating United. Drawing with all the top 4 sides. drawing with Luton and countless others.

18 Apr 2024 12:20:49
I can't see us winning many of them unfortunetly. it feels like that that time we lost six in a row. We look dead oN our legs.

18 Apr 2024 12:22:29
Love the optimism lads but it's done now I'm afraid, the United game was always going to be the one and for whatever reason we blew it. Maybe it's Klopps bizarre choice to go back to slow down Pep ball, or the fact the forwards couldn't finish. Same with the Palace game and that was the final nail.
Still been a very good season with an entire new midfield and to win the cup with the kids shouldn't be scoffed at.
But once again City are too strong, now u could point to the VAR in the Spurs game, not getting pretty blatant penalties against Arsenal or City but lifes too short.
Fingers crossed for a minor miracle tonight in Italy, the team is capable of it but as he's already admitted I'm not sure the manager is anymore.

18 Apr 2024 12:23:36
I'm worried about Fulham away. They always seem to give us a game. In our last 6 games against them we've only won 3, drawn 2 and lost 1.

18 Apr 2024 12:42:26
In some ways I was hoping that city would win last night but now they only have the league to really focus on I don't expect them to mess up. Very frustrating but I still think we've done brilliantly to keep on their heels. We really are just a consistent striker short this season, needs to be addressed. Hopefully new tactics might resolve that under a new manager either that or we can unearth another Salah-like gem from somewhere!

Different topic, I wonder if the likes of Madrid would still be interested in Haaland given his all round contribution this season. My guess would be no.

18 Apr 2024 12:53:47
I love how when things go wrong for us Pep gets the blame, though no one was praising him when we were winning every week. The only person to blame for tactics is Klopp.

18 Apr 2024 13:04:56
Time for Klopp to let the brakes off and full throttle heavy metal football again geothermal full backs rampaging down the flanks for width and bin the hybrid full back role for good
Up the pool.

18 Apr 2024 13:21:32
Geothermal full backs? That may well be an autocorrect issue but I love it! 🤣.

18 Apr 2024 13:28:21
Have people seen how majority of teams are setting up to play against us.

Its extremely hard to play heavy metal rampaging football when the opposition put 11 men behind the ball in 30 yards of space and you've got 75% plus possession.

City and Chelsea didn't at Anfield and both nights we looked exceptional. Then we go up against a Sheff utd and Palace and look a different team.

18 Apr 2024 13:37:34
Jesus lads, wouldn’t want some of you boys in the trenches 😂. I know it’s difficult and we’re going to need a degree of luck but let’s not chuck in the towel yet 🤷‍♂️. Anyway, ebbed if we can’t win I still want that second spot 👍.

18 Apr 2024 13:39:17
Wishful thinking I'm afraid mate, we're not winning the league, we can hope but it's not happening and we all know it.

I just wish to Christ tactics would be changed but that's not going to happen. We're pretty doomed this season. Gutted but there's more important things in life. We move on.

18 Apr 2024 14:08:04
No! Salah not u too, you're the king of positivity on here. Don't listen to me I'm just a cynical grump haha.

There is always hope, maybe just a fools hope.

18 Apr 2024 14:45:16
I’m not saying that we’ll win or not, but, we have been to Atalanta in a Champions League game at their place and pumped them for five goals with no response in recent memory. So it’s entirely plausible that we can do it again. We’ve nothing to lose but going for the jugular.

18 Apr 2024 17:00:32
I can’t see where our next Goal comes from never mind Win 🤣
On a serious note I hope we give it a good crack tonight.

18 Apr 2024 17:15:03
I agree with jk23. We have always struggled against teams with 11 men behind the ball. ( wasn’t that the reason we got Thiago? To unlock defences ) there is not a team out there I’m wary of we have had a wobble and most of you are saying it’s game over, klopps finished he has run his course . Think you need to remember he turned us from doubters to believers. In klopp we trust.

18 Apr 2024 17:38:36
AAR91, there's a method in my madness mate lol I'm always wrong so if I say we won't win it, we probably will :) - we can hope mate.

18 Apr 2024 18:04:00
That's a good point, JK. We can't press teams that don't have the ball. But when we have it we need to move it quicker, use more of the pitch and try and pull teams out of their shape. When Salah, Diaz, Gakpo cut inside- without a fullback overlapping- it does my head in.
It's the same with players having an extra touch or look when we are building attacks.
I think we've also suffered because the front three have been weaker with their backs to goal. Diaz is no Mane, Salah has been injured and out of sorts and it's not what Nunez is good at. Nunez is a big lad and his hold up and link up play does need to improve.

18 Apr 2024 22:01:22
we would struggle to win a raffle.
Klopps clearly checked out mentally, no way a teams form could turn this bad, we've fallen off a cliff.

It's like they've given up.

18 Apr 2024 22:07:01
Excellent support. Just may as well not bother playing the remainder of our games.

Do any of you even go the match?

18 Apr 2024 22:21:36
Secure top 4.

If you win the league - brilliant - but others would have to capitulate.

18 Apr 2024 22:21:50
Have you watched the games cooler? Or do you think anything that's been said is unjustified?
Or do you think it's the forum that's causing us to not be able to pass the ball in the final 3rd?

18 Apr 2024 22:37:47
Don’t forget the flag protest Dean.

18 Apr 2024 22:57:19
I am more confident now Salah, ha. I had just about given up.

18 Apr 2024 23:20:10
We won the game. Not by enough goals, but it’s a scruffy win hopefully it builds some momentum for last few games.

19 Apr 2024 00:26:43
Looking forward to seeing a new manager and a new system to be honest.

19 Apr 2024 05:58:19
Taking off my red tinted glasses and based on the way we are playing, I think we finish third or 2nd at best, we aren’t playing great atm or for a while now .
Loved to be proved wrong but I don’t think I will be.

19 Apr 2024 07:05:27
What are the odds for us to misss out on Top4. 6 games to go. 11 behind spurs, 8 behind Villa. 4 away games. I can't see us winning anything tbh.

19 Apr 2024 07:31:24
Sadly I'm a bit worried about top4, we could realistically drop a lot of points if these performances continue.
I thought we had a bit of chance for 2 trophies this year, now we have to worry about CL places.

19 Apr 2024 09:31:05
That is what's concerning me dean, if we continue playing like this we won't win an arguement, imagine if we didn't get top 4? that'd be disastrous.

19 Apr 2024 09:50:20
Unfortunately we just don’t have enough players playing well. Mac carried us for a good while, but he needs others around him to contribute. If Klopp goes for the same starting midfielders we will drop even more points.

19 Apr 2024 10:40:51
realistically spurs are 11 points behind, so even with a few expected losses, i would really hope we can be awful and still get top 4.

Otherwise that would be disaster!

19 Apr 2024 13:03:51
I called it after the FACup debacle.
We wouldn’t win anything else and we’d be in a battle for top 4.

Got loads of abuse for it. 🤷‍♂️.

19 Apr 2024 23:05:59
And deservedly so with statements like that.

20 Apr 2024 06:25:25
The truth hurts eh John?

18 Apr 2024 01:03:29
Glad city n Arsenal are out of champs league . I know there english teams . but let's face it they wouldn't want us to win it . so we're still 6 ahead of arsenal n 5 ahead of city . that will do me.

18 Apr 2024 04:40:01
Arsenal, I don’t care either way. They’re a good club, with an improving manager, they just got outfoxed over two legs by a wily, experienced opponent.
As for City, any time they get knocked out of the Champions League is a win for football, even if it is by Real Madrid. With the latter, you simply have to doff your hat to them - they’ve knocked City out twice now, and that’s the third time Ancelotti has beaten Guardiola in a crunch Champions League tie. No matter the opponent, do NOT make them favourites against Real Madrid. Football doesn’t work like that.

18 Apr 2024 04:51:20
That’s very magnanimous of you strom! Personally I’d have been ok with Arsenal progressing but let’s face it, they wouldn’t have won it either!

18 Apr 2024 06:14:01
Just woke up to the city result and it’s glorious.

18 Apr 2024 07:53:02
Arsenal has spend close to 600 mill euros under "Project Arteta". They splashed 100 mill pounds on one player without threatning their FFP. And they will continue to spend untill they win the CL and or league. Hardly inspiring.

18 Apr 2024 08:46:16
Going on how Bayern have been this season, that result did surprise me. RM and City was excellent to see, City just wasted too many chances, they should of won that game. Fantastic to see them go out on pens.

18 Apr 2024 09:01:41
I had both Madrid and arsenal to progress.

People often overestimate British teams and underestimate the historical experience of perennial winners.

18 Apr 2024 09:05:47
How good was Jude Bellingham yesterday. That first touch and control to set up Rodryog for the first goal. My god. He litreally took out two city players with his first touch. The boy is the best english footballer and is winning it all. You could pay to watch him anyday.

18 Apr 2024 09:10:00
I for one wanted City to win. The more hard games they have before the end of the season ends, the better for our hopes of winning the PL.

18 Apr 2024 09:55:57
I was indifferent to whether Arsenal went through or not, but City going out made me laugh, specially Silva missing that penalty so badly. That was hilarious.

18 Apr 2024 10:06:08
I'm of two minds with these results. On the one hand I'm happy they both lost so morale of the team would be at a low. As a consequence, perhaps they'll underperform and lose a game or two in the EPL.

On the other hand they could feel that now that they have one less competition to worry about and train for, they could focus more on the EPL and make it harder for us to catch up.

All depends on the players and their manager. There's the loss of the "double treble" for ManCity and "feels like deja vu" from last year, for Arsenal.

18 Apr 2024 10:09:08
Prior to our Palace defeat, I was of the opinion that it would have been good to see City-Arsenal slug it out over two physically and emotionally draining legs in the semi final, giving us a better shot at the title.

After the Palace defeat, I enjoyed their exits last night.

European 'eritage ~Jose Mourinho.

18 Apr 2024 10:16:54
VV, I watched the game too, and also laughed when he missed. Told myself "yeah bud, what goes around comes around". 😂.

18 Apr 2024 10:19:25
I wanted both to go through (not win it ) to hopefully take their eye off the league and give them those extra 2 games.

Now City are in the drivers seat and have the league as their primary focus.

18 Apr 2024 11:58:45
That defeat could also mentally and physically take its toll too though JK, plus if Chelsea take them to extra time and penalties at the weekend it could have a negative impact.

18 Apr 2024 12:48:06
Elliott - I’m sorry, man, but I can’t tell whether you’re being ironic with that well-worn and disproved theory, or you actually believe it.
City won a treble last season, winning the PL against Arsenal while knocking out Bayern and Real on the way to the final. The idea they will be slowed down by more games is complete folly.
Make no mistake, had City won last night they’d be lifting the trophy again in May. None of the remaining teams would have been strong enough to stop them.
City can hoover up as many league titles as they want. If they don’t win the league it’s a complete and utter failure. The Champions League is what they really want and need (1 win in 8 for Guardiola) .

18 Apr 2024 12:48:48
We need Chelsea to take City to 120 minutes on Saturday.

18 Apr 2024 13:21:49
LoweLFC, Arsenal got outfoxed by the team many in their fan base said where washed and they would batter w/ o question? Nah, they got exactly what their arrogance and hubris deserved going against yeah a poor Bayern team BUT one that still has experienced winners of this comp. still in their ranks.

Oh, and Arteta is not a good manager. He plays a good one on TV until crunch time and he gets happy feet and loses control and for the 3rd season in a row may well NOT meet expectations and will win nothing. Just saying.

18 Apr 2024 13:43:06
I have to admit I like Arsenal (the club) not so much Arteta tho but it would have been nice to see a great club like the Gunners win the CL. A proper club 👍.

18 Apr 2024 14:02:12
Did we get outfoxed by Atalanta at Anfield, a team most of our fans said we should beat?

18 Apr 2024 14:02:18
Olired - I don’t disagree. It was quite funny watching Arsenal get knocked out and their daft fans resigned to winning nothing again. But Arsenal aren’t City and everything else the latter entail.
However, Arteta is quite evidently a good manager. Yes, he has spent a lot of money - probably too much - but he has led Arsenal back to competing again. He isn’t as good as Klopp, but then again who is?
He probably needs one of the two big trophies next season, however.

18 Apr 2024 14:23:29
Mcgoveb that had nothing to do with either set of players mate.

That was match day fans letting down the best fans in the world at home.

I pray they forgive us.

18 Apr 2024 14:46:58
I’m still laughing about that Silva penalty. Worst penalty ever. Even worse than that Arsenal one where they tried to do that Ajax routine and failed. Couldn’t happen to a nicer bloke.

18 Apr 2024 18:46:23
Macgoveb, try to keep up. Atalanta or us has nothing to do with how much gas the Arsenal fans (many of them) put on their team as if they have 3 CL's in ther trophy room talking down to Bayern, their fans and their pedigree. Stay on topic, please.

18 Apr 2024 18:48:20
LoweLFC, I think Arteta is a good manager the way Brendan Rodgers is a "good" manager. "Let's say it like this", as Klopp would put it, lol.

19 Apr 2024 13:05:30
I always want other English teams (especially the Mancs) to lose in semis.

Exhaust the players, fans miss out on a final - perfect 👌.