(30-07-2019 19:26 )GMach1 Wrote: [ -> ]I think it is best that you don't believe everything you read in the papers or online-it's a bit like the Daily Mail saying we're in for the worst snow in centuries when there is hardly any snow at all. No-one can know what will happen in advance so it is best to keep your fingers crossed and if it's not officially shown on the BBC etc then it is merely speculation. Enjoy the game Sunday I'll be listening and hoping and then we play our first league game Friday against Norwich City.
The only thing I tend to believe in the papers is the date but when the Klopp story about fielding a 'weakened team' surfaced in a fair few papers it definitely drew my attention.But when I saw the very interview on the LFC website it had me wondering if Klopp is being serious or winding City up (hopefully the latter) but Firminho,Allison, Salah,Mane etc seasons only ended a few weeks ago after International duty & haven't had the holiday break the rest of the players have had.Saying that Allison & Firminho did feature in the 3-1 win against Lyon but perhaps playing them may have been forced on Klopp just to get the win on the last friendly on the back of 4 friendly games without a win.
Regarding transfer speculation I seriously hope Dybala turns down United as he is the player I've been urging us to buy as the replacement for Countinho ever since he left.The thought of Dybala at United does rankle on me.A few weeks ago a few of my mates (who are Liverpool fans as well) & I was debating the whole not replacing Coutinho scenario where they asked if I'd like Countinho to come back.In a nutshell he's a fucking mercenary who downed tools & refused to play just to get his 'dream move' to Barcelona.He was struggling for game time at Inter Milan when Brendan Rodgers scouted him (whilst watching Wesley Sneider) & we elevated him (like Mascherano) to become the fantastic player he was for us.If he parted us on more amicable terms instead of the petulant school-kid stamping his feet he became then I'd say possibly but he can rot in the Barcelona reserves.If he had his head turned when he originally played for us then if he came back you'd have to wonder he'd pull the same stunt again to get a move again.
So this is it, the traditonal curtain-raiser to a new season, the Community Shield. Of course we would love to win it, but the UEFA Super Cup is also coming soon and it is possible to do BOTH. We shall see today, this is the first big League test against Man City. Come on you Reds!
Hmm is all I can say for the minute after that first half. Liverpool had the chances but just not able to find the net, can it be they are a little rusty? Sounded like Allison did well but you can't make any errors with De Bruyne and Sterling on the pitch. Sterling would have to score against us and if he thought he was being booed too much last season, just wait until he comes to Anfield next time-it will be double jeering I reckon. Listening to the game it sounds like Man City are more up for this game than we are, but the second half will show which team are the fitter. Pep was booked for his own-pitch antics and De Bruyne escaped a second yellow card. Let's hope for a better second half.
GOAL! Joel Matip! Liverpool equalise
Come on boys have at them now.
SMEG!! Lost again on penalties 5-4 the Mancs will be insufferable for weeks. So that is out the way, now on to the UEFA Super Cup against Chelsea. Mind you why on earth didn't Henderson take a penalty-after all the Captains are usually first or second on the penalty list! Wijnaldum a penalty taker? When did that happen?
I'd say you was a little unlucky yesterday mate had the goal bound shot gone in that would have shut the Mancs up!!
Mind you going to have a female ref for that Super Cup game according to reports, then you have the nightmare of the Club World Cup as ell to juggle
Bounced off the crossbar and down but half the ball was over the line, and the other on the line and that apparently is not a goal! De Bruyne should have been sent off for a second offence and Salah was unlucky. I hope we play a bit better against Chelsea in the Super Cup soon and of course this Friday against Norwich City in the first League game.
We were so poor in the 1st half I nearly walked out of Wembley Stadium with my nephew in tow yesterday,over-run in midfield poor passing & very little creativity in the final third (the same old problems resurfacing) & when Allison flapped over Sterling's goal (his 1st ever goal against Liverpool) I feared we might get a bit of a turning over.But Klopp must have gave them a half-time bollocking because in the 2nd half we were a completely kettle of of fish & finished a lot stronger of the 2 teams. Salah was our biggest threat but at times has that blinkered look about him when he prefers to go it alone & score that wonder-goal instead of passing to key players who are in better position to score.Salah should have scored the winner in the 92nd minute heading a deflected shot only for Kyle Walker clear the ball off the line.I reckon we'd have won the game if a fit Mane was playing instead of Origi (he's more of an impact sub than match starter).I got speaking to about half a dozen fans seated around me during the game about the lack of transfer activity & I told them Klopp should have ditched the old loyalty to players act & sold Jordan Henderson & bought a more creative midfielder like a David Silva or De Bruyne type player.I mentioned to them Henderson was bought as an understudy to Gerrard whilst learning his craft playing alongside him but never fulfilled that potential to the point I've never understood his true position in the team.Is he a defensive midielder or a creative one but one thing for sure he goes missing for large parts of the game to the point I wonder if at times if he's on the pitch or not such as his ineffectiveness. I feel Henderson is only the de facto skipper because he is Liverpool's longest serving player not because of his leadership qualities (Van Dijk the real vocal leader for us).
Wishing Simon Mignolet all the best & thanking him for his service to the club as he has moved back home to Belgium joining Club Brugge.Liverpool took very little time in finding his replacement in acquiring former West Ham keeper Adrian (who was released by West Ham).
Surprised we bought a goalkeeper(or rather got him on a free) and not another quality striker/midfielder etc. I agree about Van Dyke. Yesterday was the first time he had been beaten by another player for 65 games, which is quite some achievement for a defender.
So here we are, the start of the Premier League proper, with the opening game going to Liverpool against newly-promoted Norwich City. It sounds an easy game but nothing is ever that simple in football and Norwich have been a thorn in our side for years so we cannot underestimate them, but we have enough firepower up front, on the bench and in Virgil van Dijk, the world's best defender(as he has been dubbed) so we should win that game. Harder games will follow. After that next Wednesday Chelsea looms large in the UEFA Super Cup final-be nice to win that.