The OFFICIAL Liverpool FC thread - Jurgen walks - Stallion vindicated

[TabClear]

Did nt see that one coming! Vital that Liverpool win tonight and keep the pressure on City for the Chelsea Arsenal games. Hopefully VVD is fully fit after illness.

City can feel slightly hard done by on the disallowed goal. Fair enough if the  ref told KDB not to take a quick one (and the Newcastle players heard this)  it was probably right to rule it out. However, as far as I am concerned he (the ref) had no reason to restrict a quick free in the first place given where the free kick was from. Booking KDB  harsh but that was evened out by not awarding the second yellow.

City had the problem that Liverpool have had this year in that it is very difficult to break down well marshalled defensive teams who get two lines across the pitch in their own defence and sit deep. Having a decent strong targetman who can hold the ball up is important to give the team some options for a long clearance.

Thanks Rafa!

[J70]

These teams will be doing the same against Liverpool. Starting with Leicester tonight. Vardy has always  done well on the break against them, so it's vital Van Dijk is fit. Long way to go in this race.

[Esmarelda]

City must still be favourites?

[scout]

Sitting in Belfast airport as 3 hours, with the runway in Liverpool closed. Any fear that the game may be cancelled tonight?

[Hound]

Sitting in Belfast airport as 3 hours, with the runway in Liverpool closed. Any fear that the game may be cancelled tonight?

Pitch will be fine with the heating. Only issue would be if they there was enough snow/ice to make it dangerous for supporters making their way to their seats. Postponement unlikely I'd have thought, albeit I haven't seen the exact conditions in Liverpool

[laoislad]

City must still be favourites?

Of course they are. They are the current champions and have a far better and bigger squad than Liverpool.
Not one Liverpool fan thinks this is even far from over yet. City won the league a few years ago when they were 8 points behind with only 5 games left.
If Liverpool win this league it will be the greatest underdog story of all time. Bigger than Leicester City,  bigger than Greece winning Euro 2004. It will be even bigger than the time Emilio Estevez and his Mighty Ducks team won their State Peewee Championship...

[Esmarelda]

City must still be favourites?

Of course they are. They are the current champions and have a far better and bigger squad than Liverpool.
Not one Liverpool fan thinks this is even far from over yet. City won the league a few years ago when they were 8 points behind with only 5 games left.
If Liverpool win this league it will be the greatest underdog story of all time. Bigger than Leicester City,  bigger than Greece winning Euro 2004. It will be even bigger than the time Emilio Estevez and his Mighty Ducks team won their State Peewee Championship...

[johnnycool]

City must still be favourites?

Of course they are. They are the current champions and have a far better and bigger squad than Liverpool.
Not one Liverpool fan thinks this is even far from over yet. City won the league a few years ago when they were 8 points behind with only 5 games left.
If Liverpool win this league it will be the greatest underdog story of all time. Bigger than Leicester City,  bigger than Greece winning Euro 2004. It will be even bigger than the time Emilio Estevez and his Mighty Ducks team won their State Peewee Championship...

Wise up Laoislad, it surely must be in the bag now, especially with the next few games looking all the more likely Liverpool will open up the gap to double figures.

[TabClear]

Taken from Football365-Liverpool lose tonight and you can expect another flip flop

Black and white
'We are 15 games into City's defence of the title and they have won 13, drawn two, racked up a goal difference of 38 and maybe, just maybe, they can emulate Arsenal's Invincibles this season and go the whole campaign unbeaten – John Cross, Daily Mirror, December 4.

'This was surely the night when Manchester City surrendered their grip on the title. The night when it all went wrong for Pep Guardiola as the champions blew it in one of the most unlikely results of the season. The night when they effectively handed the title to leaders Liverpool' – John Cross, Daily Mirror, January 30.

From potential Invincibles to a 'self-destructed' title challenge in the space of just nine games is genuinely quite impressive.

Not every win has to mean that City 'simply look unstoppable'. And not every defeat should leave their 'title defence in tatters'. There is a middle ground. Find it.



Obit much
But that is nothing compared to the king of the U-turn.

'[Sane] brought the house down, with 50,000 Manchester City fans daring to dream it is all on after his sensational winner. The title race is back on.' – Neil Ashton, The Sun, January 4.

'Manchester City, beaten by second-half goals from Salomon Rondon and a Matt Ritchie penalty, look dead and buried' – Neil Ashton, The Sun, January 30.

City were 'right in the thick of it again' when they closed the gap to four points. Liverpool can go a maximum of seven points clear on Wednesday, yet Pep Guardiola 'can expect a few obits'. Sensational(ist) stuff.


In terms of the odds Liverpool are rightly favourites at about 2/7 compared to about 13/5 for City. However, I do expect Liverpool to drop more points than City between now and the end of the season which is why a win tonight is crucial. United/Everton away and Chelsea/Spurs at home will result in lost points which is why they cant afford any dropped points before City get two of their most difficult remaining fixtures out of the way in the next two games.

Those games and the derby aside its entirely feasible City string a run of 7+ wins together.

[Over the Bar]

Near bankrupt club coming from nowhere to win the League title having been bankrolled by billionaire sugar-daddy is hardly unusual.  No different to City and PSG in that regard

[Main Street]

I'd say a written off Leicester will be well perked up for this game considering how most everybody last night were assuming Liverpool to be 7 points ahead in the EPL and the game had still to be played.
And bizarre stuff from Klopp as reported in the Guardian, making a reference to Vardi  diving in to win a penalty but would not call him a diver, therefore his boy Salah is 100% innocent.
https://tinyurl.com/y7jtrj6m
"The Kopp defence",  not even Joe Brolly has a defence strategy named after him.

[Gabriel_Hurl]

Looks like Wijnaldum at RB

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Wijnaldum, Matip, van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Keita, Mane, Firmino, Shaqiri, Salah.

Substitutes: Fabinho, Lovren, Sturridge, Lallana, Mignolet, Origi, Camacho.

[gawa316]

Looks like Wijnaldum at RB

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Wijnaldum, Matip, van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Keita, Mane, Firmino, Shaqiri, Salah.

Substitutes: Fabinho, Lovren, Sturridge, Lallana, Mignolet, Origi, Camacho.

Liverpool TV saying Hendo

[trueblue1234]

Great start. Should be 2.

[laoislad]

Balls to that. Just knew they were going to score when Robertson made that tackle. Was like something Moreno would have done.