Never Give Up

We all still remember the second leg semi-final against Barcelona FC at Anfield. It has been written into folklore as the biggest European night that Europe, let alone Anfield has ever seen. That night before the match, with Mo Salah, watching from the stands, he wore a shirt that said "never give up" and while the task seemed ominous, the team never gave up. Needed 4 goals and a clean sheet to go through, they achieved the impossible and did it. A match which both legs would be worthy of a final in itself but it setup Liverpool FC to win their 6th European title and then went on to conquer the world. Tonight, the task is very similar and while the team has every chance to turn over Madrid as they have done in the past, the task at hand is different and lacking one very special thing, the crowd. 

It was pretty evident since the restart of the league last year, Anfield without a crowd doesn't hold no fear to opponents. Liverpool are coming off their first win at home after 6 straight defeats, something that was practically unfathomable last year before Covid. While this Real Madrid team might not be of the same caliber that dismantled Liverpool in the Final of 2018, they are still worthy opponents, waiting to strike when we are most vulnerable as shown in the first leg. We didn't play all that badly, sure the first half was dire but the mistakes that led to the goals were school boy to say the least. When we did up the tempo in the second half, we had them on the ropes, so there is enough in our team to do the impossible again. 

While Anfield lacks their 12th man, the stadium is full of history and under the lights, it has its own charm. We need the players to pick their heads up tonight, look at where they are playing, who they are playing for. Channel their inner self to prove to the world, the fans and more importantly, themselves that they can accomplish the impossible. With Klopp there, I don't think it will be difficult to achieve this, Madrid will no doubt have this in mind but the team need to realise that they have the backing off not only the fans in Liverpool tonight but around the world and we will be watching every second hoping for the best, and hope that they NEVER GIVE UP. 

January Slump

Liverpool fans of days gone by won't be that surprised to what we're witnessing at the moment from our team as for years gone by, January was always our worst performing month. It was almost inevitable year on year that the team would lose form as a collective. No idea how or why but it used to happen and frustrate the living daylights out of the supporters as we would lose valuable ground on the league table. We've enjoyed a good few years under Jurgen Klopp and he seemed to have gotten us out of that terrible patch over the past three seasons but this year its come back to bite us and bite us hard! We're 22 days into the new year and we still haven't registered a league win as yet with two draws and two losses to show for it. We're 6 points behind the league leaders and in 4th position. Normally, any other club won't see this as a bad thing as we're only 19 games into the season but when you look at our position last year, where we were 13 points clear of second place at this stage, you begin to worry. What went wrong? Are we not the best team in the land anymore? Are the players tired? Are other teams figuring us out? Did someone curse the team? Well stranger things have happened as the events of the year has shown us so far but I don't see this as a massive panic for the team as certain supporters are acting like at the moment. 

It's probably a mixture of reasons for the off form, the injury list has been a long one for the team and for a long time where most players have been playing more often than normal, so fatigue is a major issue at the moment. Also teams have been studying us and figuring out our weaknesses of which they are hardly much so the next best thing to do is to kill the game off by putting more men behind the ball. Often there are times where the teams have 8 players at the back trying to fend off our attacks, now this is by no means an excuse, we're Liverpool FC, we need to find a way to break these teams down but how is it so difficult for us at the moment? Well, my assumption is apart from the tiredness of the players, it also has to do with the motivation, I know this seems a bit daft in the greater scheme of things but I noticed that the lack of a crowd has really had an effect on us, and last nights first home loss since 2016 just goes to prove that the effect of the 12th man was missed. More often than not in the past, it was the crowd that lifted the spirits of the players and got us over the line, now with the pandemic, its not possible. The playing of the fan chants is nice but that roar of Anfield was missing last night!

Whatever the reason for this slump, I hope it goes away quick because we still have much to fight for and Jurgen knows this, the players know this so its a mental game at the moment. We need one game to kick-start things and the players can grow from there. I'm not talking about another 7 goal mauling, even a dodgy 1-0 win will do for us at the moment. Next league opponents are Spurs away, no easy feat and Jose smells blood and will want to go for the kill, we need three points from that game and there's nothing else that matters for us at the moment. We can do it with the players we have so its up to them to turn things around on the field. 

 

Whats the VAR?

So the new season of the Premier league is well under way with six games already been played and some or should I say a lot of surprise results since. Newly promoted Leeds United showed from day one that they were not here to make up the numbers but giving Liverpool a good run for their money in the opening fixture. The you have Aston Villa who were unbeaten until last weekend when they were well beaten by Leeds, this after thrashing Liverpool 7-2! So things in the Premier League aren't so straight and simple where you can deduce a clear favourite even after the first six games. While it did look like a straight two horse race again between Liverpool and Man City, the current table doesn't depict that at all, even Everton have raised their hand to be counted and currently sitting pretty at the top of the table on through goal difference. 

But this post isn't to talk about who we think is going to win, more rather what is going to determine the overall winner. VAR has been a major talking point yet again and while many rival supporters claim that the technology played a pivotal part in ensuring Liverpool's championship last season (I beg to differ), this year there can be no such argument with many controversial calls going against the Reds, in a number of games, most notably in the Merseyside Derby. First up was Jordan Pickford's late and rash challenge on star defender Virjl Van Djik. It was late, untimed and has ruled the player out of action for the rest of the season. Yes, there was a lot of hype made about this challenge but not because of the consequence of it but the ruling by VAR. In any circumstance, that sort of tackle would have been ruled as a red card offence, but the VAR deduced that the Virjl was offside so there was no reason to take further action because technically, play is stopped. After a major outcry. further investigation into the challenge by the FA concluded by them saying no action was necessary against the Everton goalkeeper. 

Any logical person with knowledge of the game can see what a dangerous tackle that was, I mean its got the player injured and out of action for the rest of the season and could very well cost Liverpool dearly in retaining the title. It seems the FA has taken their stance to back their VAR official instead of raising their hand and saying they got it wrong. What does that say about the integrity of the association though? Can players start fist fights when play is stopped because it "isn't part of play", where does one draw the line? The thing that got me more angry was Jordan Henderson's late winner being ruled out due to a hairline offside decision which did not make the slightest sense. Sadio Mane's elbow was adjudged to be offside in the build up. Now, with the new offside rules state that any part of the players body that can play the ball cannot be offside, last time I checked you cannot use your elbow to play the ball in football. It cost the team two vital points in the end. 

Then this past weekend, Liverpool's game against Sheffield United, Fabinho's tackle which was on the line was given a penalty, yes I understand the line belongs to the striker but it was really close, also that was a legit tackle where the defender won the ball yet in the earlier game with Chelsea and United, Harry Maguire was allowed to have a headlock on Azpilicueta in the penalty box when a corner was being taken. Clearly an offence that should have resulted in a penalty for Chelsea but again, VAR seemed there was no offence. The match ended in a goaless stale mate and cost the Blues two points. So while I'm all for technology, it does not help if you have blithering idiots in charge of it or ones that don't know the rules of the game. They say these decisions tend to even themself out at the of the season but the rate I see things going, it is only going to get worse with more dodgy decisions coming. The FA claim the strikers are given the benefit of the doubt but that was again not shown when Mo Salah scored what would have been a contender for goal of the season against Sheffield ruled out, again by a marginal offside decision. 

As it is, with no crowds these games are tough enough on the players, we don't need these absurd decisions to hinder their confidence as well. 

Project Restart 2020

This week saw "Project Restart" commence in the UK much to the joy of many football supporters worldwide which saw us go without our beloved sport for three months, that is longer than the summer break! Many Liverpool fans, like myself are breathing a sigh of relief that the English FA took the decision to try to conclude the season rather than end it prematurely in whatever fashion, be it null and void or award the title to Liverpool who look all likely to wrap the title up with just two more victories required to confirm their champion status. It's been a 30 year wait, so the additional 3 months have been frustrating to say the least, but it will definitely go down as one the most memorable league years in the history of the game.  The first game between Aston Villa and Sheffield United had everything, including a malfunctioning Hawk Eye which did not detect that the ball crossed the goal line which would have handed Sheffield United the lead and possible victory in that match. Referee Michael Oliver was not in a position to see if the ball had crossed the line and relied on the technology which failed the Blades on the day. The next game saw two heavy weights Manchester City take on Arsenal, after an injury that saw David Luiz summoned from the bench proved to be the downfall to the Gunners as the defender was the main culprit for the first and conceded a penalty and red card for City's second. A 3rd goal was added in injury time to add insult to injury to Arteta's men. While we may have to get accustomed to watching games in empty stadiums for the next 94 games, the addition of fan noises do prove to give you a semi feel of the real match day atmosphere via the tele but it definitely must be lacking for the players. With the uncertainty of the future of the virus, this could be how the 2020/21 season takes place to ensure fan safety. 

Bucket Style: Adidas Predator Mutator

DEMONSKIN is a new breakthrough technology for adidas Football, made up of a textured spike layer on the Predator 20 Mutator upper. Informed by years of data-based research and testing, DEMONSKIN is the result of a computer algorithm being used to create an entirely new interface between boot and ball. DEMONSKIN spikes have been deliberately crafted to wrap the front and side of the boot in a formation that aligns to key contact points with the ball, combining to give players enhanced control and touch on the ball, whilst also promoting spin when striking.

Since its inception, the design of Predator has been informed by nature’s most dangerous creatures - symbolic of the powerful and dynamic tendencies that the boot instils in the wearer to give them an advantage over opponents. Taking cues from the extremes of nature, Predator 20 Mutator sees the boot’s iconic shape re-imagined further, with a striking silhouette centering on a high collar and low-cut front creating a sharp and streamlined design mutation. 

The new Predator 20 Mutator has been designed with maximum movement in mind. The silo features new outsole enhancing control zones, whilst the addition of high-performance polyamide-injected layers help stabilise movement further.

The boot offers a two-plate stud configuration that reduces weight and allows a 360 design where the upper material wraps under the foot. This construction, together with the Sockfit collar that locks down and adjusts to the unique contours of the wearer’s foot, ensures anatomical fit for support. The inclusion of Hybrid studs further amplifies the boot’s level of rotation and traction.

Ben Herath, adidas Football Design Director said, “When we launched the first Predator in 1994, it changed the game. Since then, we’ve been relentless in pushing the boundaries of innovation in its design, ensuring it remains at the forefront of football boot technology. Predator is more than just a boot. It is synonymous with iconic football moments, worn by greats of the game that in their own way have become mythological figures of the sport.

“For 2020 we wanted to unleash Predator to a new generation. We knew we had to create something completely different, go beyond evolution and deliver a new innovation, something that would intimidate opponents. DEMONSKIN is at the heart of this. It truly is a breakthrough innovation for us at adidas Football - something brand-new with tangible benefits to gameplay. This was evidenced in player testing, where many spoke of the immediate difference they felt with the ball at their feet.”

Made iconic by greats of the game like David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane and Steven Gerrard, the legacy continues with a new generation of players making their mark. The all-new Predator 20 Mutator will be worn by Paul Pogba, Becky Sauerbrunn, Dele Alli, Marc-André ter Stegen and Tessa Wullaert.

DEMONSKIN will debut on Predator 20 Mutator and is also set to feature on goalkeeper gloves; empowering players with increased control and enhanced power on punched clearances. 

The Fickle Few

It's always a case of not all but a few who are the rotten ones in a bunch, but this few is growing larger and larger.  Being a supporter of a football club isn't easy, especially now in the business end of the season. Liverpool find themselves in a strong position both in the league and Champions League, with the distraction of the FA Cup not there, it gives Jurgen and the team time to concentrate and really make this final push to the end of the season one that will bare some reward. At the moment, it's City in the driving seat for the league, while we do occupy top spot, they have a game in hand and if that translates into a win for them, it would change things immediately. It's not the first time Liverpool have been in this position, it's harsh but back in April 2014, we were strong contenders for the league title and we had a home game against Chelsea that weekend, it was the same game of "the slip" and while many put that down as the deciding factor in us falling short that season, I still say it was not. I could list over ten reasons why but that will just be dwelling in what could have been while we now can chat of what could happen. 

Which is why the team, more than ever needs every ounce of support from their fans, whether you're at the ground or at home watching them play. But while we are winning games and getting results, I've found a number of fans, especially online being highly critical of players and in other words, talking a lot of shit. This needs to be cut out, if you don't know what you're saying, don't say it at all. I've seen our captain, Jordan Henderson catch a lot of flack for merely just being on the starting line up. These fickle few want other players to start every game, like they have not heard of player management and fatigue. Also if the manager deems it good enough for a player to start, you go with it, if in the case like last week against Southampton, things are not working out, the manager and his coaching staff will change things to try and gain an advantage. After Jordan and James were brought on at St Mary's, the entire team dynamic changed, Jordan was playing in his preferred forward position, made life difficult for the opposition when they had the ball. Many cheered Salah's goal that broke the tie but not many realise that it was Henderson's header, that make the break happen in the first place. 

Then his goal, to seal the deal was the icing on the cake, you could see the emotion in him after he netted, what it meant for him, what it meant for the team and more importantly what it meant for the fans. The players go out there every week and give it there all, for the fans and this is how the fans return the favour? By slagging them at every opportunity online? Facebook groups, Twitter, comments on the clubs Instagram pictures?! When I see these comments I feel embarrassed being grouped with supporters like these. Those who only have negative comments, who see Salah missing one opportunity and want him subbed, those who see Jordan pass the ball back on more than one occasion and feel he isn't good enough, those who criticize Bobby for not scoring in more than one game, it's like they just started watching football recently and haven't a clue how this game works or how our team play. It's one of my biggest fears that we get glory hunting fans that only support the team because we're winning, the type of fans became synonymous with Manchester United, Chelsea and Man City. 

We don't need that crap at our club, we want fans that devote their passion of support to the team, those give of positive energy and not negative bile at every disappointment we see. Our club have achieved a points total that would be worth of winning the league 5 seasons ago, but yet here we are with still 5 games to and the league undecided. While Liverpool have the supposed "easier run in", every game from now on will be a final for the team and judging from the past few games, nothing is going to be handed to us. This weekend, we face Chelsea again, a battered giant, a team that started the season strong but found themselves coming up short after the turn of the year but the same team that provided a massive stumble in our challenge back in 2014. Some of their star players are looking to move away in the new season so they'll be here to perform till the end of the season. We already saw Hazard steal the show on Monday night and you can bet your bottom dollar he'll be ready to go again on Sunday. 

The team say a number of times, they're here to do their job not for themselves, not for the club but for us, the fans. The least we can do is show them support and not be a bunch of fickle idiots on the internet by moaning and groaning at any chance or slating players. Lets back them, as this is the time, more than ever they need us. 

My Captain

This post was a long time coming, its dedicated to all of those who said he was no good, the ones who said he doesn't have what it takes, he doesn't have the mentality, he doesn't have the passion, the desire, the stomach to lead such a big club, echoed in history such as Liverpool. This is for those who said Jordan Henderson wouldn't cut it, well, I'm here to tell you to go and look at him now.

When Steven Gerrard left Liverpool, it was more than just a player leaving, he was the club because for so long he was at the forefront of everything, in defeat and in victory he was there. When we were down, he lifted us up, he was the heart beat that gave the team life. He was formidable in attack, partnered well with many superstars who joined the club, he was the one constant we became used to and when he left, he left a huge void that many felt that could not be filled. Hence when the arm band was passed down onto young Jordan Henderson, many felt he wasn't the right man for the job. After Stevie, could there be anyone that would have been right? No!

There was a divide, some who trusted the decision by Brendan Rodgers and those who slated it. He was just 24 years at the time, only been at the club for about 4 years, not even from the parts, how could he be captain of one of the greatest football clubs of the world? Well, I was part of the divide that welcomed him, there was just something about him that I liked. He gained my respect as a player as he challenged for a place in a hotly contested midfield since he got to the club in 2011 to instill himself as a regular in the starting 11 and he gained my respect as a person, when he was pictured in the crowd of Sunderland supporters, at Wembley in 2014, watching his boyhood club Sunderland, take on Manchester City in the Capital One Cup. That is passion and love for you, opting not to sit in a corporate box, or the FA allocated seats, but being there as a fan.

Yes, he was not born and raised in Liverpool, but he's English and that counts massively now in the league. He was given a raw deal under the Rodgers reign and this came to show as it was exposed recently how Rodgers told Jordan that the door was open for him to leave, which left the captain devastated and even said he was in tears later that evening. While he was at a top level, he always had age on his side and I'm glad he chose not to take that option and continued to push with the club. I didn't think much of Rodgers, especially since he had a hand and forcing Gerrard out, still a few years from him calling it time on his career. I think Stevie could have managed another season or two with us. The good thing was during that time, Gerrard helped mold Hendo into the player he is today. 

Since taking over as captain, he didn't have it easy, as I said many doubted him, it was tough but he knuckled down and kept at his job. People don't seem to take notice of the hard graft he puts in because he's not always on the score sheets or not making that telling run down the line or tricking the defenders, he's in the middle, keeping things tidy. Making sure the front players get supplied and the defence doesn't get any unwanted surprises. He's the sweeper, the guy doing the dirty work and never was this more prolific than the opening 20 minutes at Anfield during the first semi-final against Roma. The opponents tried to beat us at our own game, hard pressing, fast pace and all out attack. This did catch us off guard, especially the youngsters, but you could hear Jordan commands his troops, yelling at Robbo and Trent, making sure things were tight in the center with him and Milly. It was because of him we overcame that storm and went finally could get our game into gear. The rest is history. 

So while many might still ponder his abilities, let me tell you now, that if you are a true supporter, a genuine supporter who watches the games, the players, you will know that Jordan has every right to. Come Saturday night, whether he lifts ol big ears up or not, he will have nothing to prove to the faithful, as we know the quality he has, and the trust the manager has in him. Next season will be interesting though, with new signings coming in to bolster the midfield, it might see the shape of the team change and players sitting out some games, bringing back the old rotation which minimizes the fatigue come the crunch end of the season. The future only looks positive though, with Klopp and owners both happy, the players happy and most importantly, us the fans being happy!

Why, Phil?

This past weekend, many Liverpool supporters were left asking themselves this very question, why Phil? Why did you leave us? I, like many others were angry, but also it wasn't the best kept transfer secret and everyone knew it was bound to happen but for us Liverpool supporters there still remained that glimmer of hope the Philippe would see the bigger picture and stay with the club a little longer but alas it wasn't to be. The rumour mill started from the new year with his sudden thigh strain which kept him out of 2-1 win over Burnley and then the 2-1 win over Everton in the FA Cup, concerns were growing, all eyes were on Twitter to see the latest in terms of the on goings of this transfer. When news of him having not traveled with the rest of the squad to Dubai for some summer training, the writing should have been on the wall for us but yet, like the blind some of us refused to speculate. Then the news came, late Saturday night, Liverpool have accepted a bid from Barcelona for Coutinho. It was done, he was leaving us for Spain, for a club that is no stranger from hijacking our star players, as they did not so long ago to Luis Suarez. But why? Did he not see the bigger picture that was unfolding at Anfield? Was he fed up with the cold miserable weather? Did he not get enough hugs from Klopp? What was it? Why did he leave?

Well, I have a theory, well not so much of a theory but it makes a lot of sense. Hailing from South Africa, we for some odd reason love the English Premiership, and hold it in high regard as on of the best, if not the best leagues in the world. Many other countries share the same sentiments even though 90% of the die-hard supporters will never get a chance to see their team play live, we still cherish the weekends when they play. Much like how our fanfare with the English league is, down in South America, they love the Spanish League. Perhaps it has to do with the culture, the language, the style of football. The appeal is there and and there's many a kid in the street playing football with a dream to play in the La Liga. Philippe was one of those kids, Born and raised in one of the biggest cities in South America, Rio de Janeiro, he showed great promise in Vasco da Gama's youth system and was eventually signed by Inter Milan, he didn't have an easy time in Italy but it was a stepping stone into Europe and a step closer to achieving his dream of playing for Barcelona. After a few seasons being loaned out to various clubs, eventually in 2013 he was signed by Liverpool. Under the guidance of Brendan Rogers, he didn't take that long to settle down and fans saw glimpses of what the kid could offer. 

"Little Magician" as he is fondly called, he started making his way into the league, with some acute passing, masterful trickery and that deadly curling shot at goal. He soon became a fan favourite and won numerous awards with the clubs but sadly no trophies, In his 5 year spell at the club, he became a fan favourite one player that we hoped started every game. Just before the 2017/18 season could start, speculation came in that a bid for him was received from Barcelona. With him being integral to the squad, you could understand the clubs decision to turn down any sort of bid for the player but for Philippe, this was his moment. That kid playing in the dusty streets of Rio, dreaming of playing for Barcelona one day was now a reality. Hence he submitted a transfer request, which the club also shot down. Now, whether or not the he could see it, Liverpool are on a long term building program with the manager and the owners for the first time on the same page. They both trust each other and they both want success, while I understand the player must be frustrated for one, not winning and silverware in his time, and two, finally having his dream move in place only for the doors to be shut, which made him oblivious to the bigger picture at hand. 

While for him at that time as a kid, LaLiga was the be all and end all of football, times have changed and English football is highly regarded in Europe and it shows on its center stage with all 5 teams now in the knock-out phase of the Champions League. But I suppose if you have to take into account the language barrier, the weather and the style of football, you can see why his mind was still dead on making the move. After what seemed to have been ages for the summer window to close, he still remained at the club. Whether he was unhappy or not, we couldn't tell as he still played well for us, scored some amazing goals, none more so than what proved to be his last for us against Swansea. What a pearler that was and just the right way to remember him. 

His decision to leave the club in January may be odd, we're not sure what sort of agreement he made. maybe if the club were still challenging for the title he would have stayed till the end but whatever the case is, he's gone now and with that he became the second most expensive player in world football. That burden of the price ta won't bother him though, he's going to shine at Barca, with Messi and former partner in crime Suarez its only evident that he will. At the same time, while over the last 3 games, we've proved we can win without him, and we no doubt have the fire power, he still will be missed for created chances out of nothing and scoring some cracking goals. 

Bye Philippe. 

Silly Season is Over

As the door slammed shut on the summer transfer window last night, it brought much relief to many clubs out there who were trying their hardest to hold onto their star players. Over the years the game has changed and the money has escalated, I mean it's quite ridiculous in some cases. This transfer season saw the record price for a player being smash, previously it was held by Paul Pogba who's transfer from Juventus to Manchester United cost the English club a cool £89 million but a year later saw PSG come in to shatter that price by triggering a release clause in Neymar's contract with Barcelona to lure the Brazilian to the French side for a whopping £198 million! With clubs prepared to fork our insane amounts as those, it just blew the costs per players out of proportion. 

Smaller clubs who had players who gained interest from bigger clubs had exorbitant price tags slapped to them, just so the club could make a great profit from the sale but what that actually did in most cases was scare the prospective buyers away, ultimately ruining chances for the players. Then in certain instances you get players who wanted a change, and tried forcing moves but were unsuccessful. One case which is close to home is of Philippe Coutinho wanting to switch to Barcelona. Understandable it was a life long dream for him and I agree with the player that he tried to be reasonable and respectable about it with the club but when Liverpool didn't budge, he played the transfer request card which didn't go down well with the club nor the fans, thereafter faking injury to make matters worse. 

While we might be livid with the player and can't understand why he would want to move away from what seems like an exciting future for the club, we can't tell what his ambitions or aspirations are. Like Stevie Gerrard said in an interview, it might have been a dream for him to play for Barca as a kid and they could have threatened him and said this would be his one and only chance to join. So you can sort of understand the predicament he was facing. It's quick for supporters to get angry at situations like this but this where football teachings come into it, there is no player bigger than the club. For me, it was a tough pill to swallow when I heard it but if he doesn't want to stay, let him go. Virgil van Dijk faces a similar fate with Southampton but yet with just 2 hours to go in the window, both Coutinho and van Dijk still remain servants to their club, whether it be loyal ones remains to be seen. 

While there was plenty of drama, there still was a lot of sales going on, so who do you reckon did the best business in the Premier League? Many say City, getting their players in before or during preseason, they spent a lot, got in some quality players, prices on some of them remain questionable but at the same time you got to see how the market reacts. Chelsea made some clever purchases but would it be enough for them to defend their title? I personally don't think so but they should still be putting pressure on whoever is. Spurs, finishing second last year and still have a squad which is probably the same as last years may find things a bit different this season, as it is they haven't had the greatest first 3 games but I feel their lack of desire in the transfer market may come back to bite them. Arsenal? The less said the better, for them it's all about holding down the gates and making sure there isn't a max exodus. So far Oxlade-Chamberlain managed to break-out and sign for Liverpool. A signing which confused me a bit seeing that we didn't really need him but who am I to judge. 

I personally think the cleverest deals were done by Jose, he's a shrewde guy and gets what he wants. Signing Lukaku and Matic proved to be the last pieces in his jigsaw puzzle that is Manchester United. They have been unbelievable since the first kick of the ball this season and really look like the United of old, with Zlatan declaring himself fit again and rejoining the Red Devils for one more season for "unfinished business", who knows what this team who looked destined for 6th place again can achieve. My only concern if I was a United fan, is what happens if players get injured, what then? We saw how sides could frustrate United last season and we saw how United could frustrate teams by not wanting to play football in fear of losing. Overall, this Silly Season has been one that certainlly riled up emotions from many and most of us are glad to see its over so we can concentrate on the real matter at hand and that is the football!

The End is Nigh

No, the world isn't ending, well for some of us it feels that way. Every year millions of grown men around the world bemoan this weekend that is coming, it signals the end of weeks of anguish, excitement and glory, it's the last weekend of the English Premier League. While this year saw Chelsea secure the title with 2 games to spare, it wasn't plain sailing from the 5 times winners of the trophy. They started off the season on a bit of a shaky note with loses at home and dropped points against silly teams but Antonio Conte and his men then put their heads down and while focus wasn't so much on them anymore went about their business notching up 3 points every weekend and slowly started building momentum for their title charge. While many tried but fell away, there was no denying that Chelsea deserve their title. After a small stumble towards the end of the season, well more like a sudden surge from fellow London club Tottenham Hotspurs but a loss to Westham a week ago saw that one put to bed.

While Chelsea will are in celebrations mode, it will have to be cut short for the final league game as well as the final of the FA Cup which they will be facing another London rival, Arsenal. While on the subject of the Gunners, over the last decade, Arsenal's claim to fame is finishing in the top 4, in fact in the 2015/16 season they celebrated finishing in the top four as though they won the title. This year however saw many other clubs push their way into their seat, with the resurgence of Liverpool and Mauricio Pochettino men making progress from last season to nudge into second place, this season could see Arsene Wenger's team finish outside a Champions League place. There is however a small chance that Arsenal still could get fourth place, with the Top 3 places almost already decided with Manchester City's win over Westbrom last night, Liverpool have to win their last game against Middlesbrough to guarantee they Merseyside club a return to Champions League football. 

Having had a terrible second half to the season, most of the damage was done in January, Jurgen Klopp's men have found a last bit of fight in them to end the season on a high, following a triumphant rout at Westham over the weekend, spirits are high in the camp and they hope to transpire this onto the field on Saturday when they end their campaign at home in front of the Anfield faithful. Anfield normally being a good hunting ground for the reds was the scene for many disasters this season, goalless draws against minnows and even defeat from teams who were fighting relegation. The Reds have found themselves being complacent at times and other times, looked like the best team in the world. It's a Jekyll and Hyde complex that Klopp needs to figure out and fix before the start of the new season as this team has potential to go on and win trophy's. Obviously there needs to be some changes in the team, our defence isn't the best and it's become a problem for us with teams knowing how to exploit this issue.

One can't do a season wrap up and not talk about the teams from Manchester, lets give the Red side a break and talk about the Blue side for a bit. There was much fanfare at the start of the season with the appointment of Pep Guardiola as their manager, he is undoubtedly one of the best in the world and given the kitty City have at their disposal, we were all expecting big signings and a strong City challenge but Pep quickly learnt that the English league isn't like the Spanish or German one, he didn't make any notable signings apart from Jesus in January who gave his team that spark which kick started them and helped finish 3rd, I feel if he didn't get injured City would have been there with Spurs fighting Chelsea for the title but alas it wasn't to be. 

Now the Red side, well with the leagues favourite manager taking charge at the most successful club in the Premier League, you know everyone's eyes would be cast onto Old Trafford checking their transfers, results and what colour tie Jose is wearing. And Jose is one to never shy away from the media, so that coupled with his breaking of the transfer record fee by acquiring Paul Pogba at an astronomical price, he was only heaping more pressure on him and the team. Suffice to say, while they didn't do as badly as previous seasons since Alex Fergurson departed but they didn't do that great either with them pretty much cemented in 6th place, even after their long stint of unbeaten games that saw them move no where. They have a lot of work to do but are still holding on to their hopes of reaching the Champions League by winning the Europa League where they will face a very tough Ajax team. Knowing Jose thought, he'd park the bus and hope the game goes to penalties so you never know. 

Never the less, this season was great entertainment as always, it provided us with much to talk about, whether it be bad refereeing of which we saw plenty of, or great games such as Monday nights 7 goal thriller with Chelsea and Watford. One thing we can be sure of is next season is going to be a whole lot more interesting with teams back in the Champions League and competing for the title. It's going to be a busy summer and the Confed Cup coming up in Russia should seal the void that we might have over this break period. 

The Klopp Effect

The last time I spoke about Liverpool, we were five games into the season, made a decent start with 3 wins, a draw and a loss. The loss was something that concerned many at the time, it was against Burnley who are showing promise in the league and away from home so I suppose we were reading too much into it. After that loss though, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said something that proved to be profound, it wasn't about reflecting about the loss but how we reacted to it. And that was going on a run of six games unbeaten in the league and unbeaten in all competitions and now sitting on top of the table just before the untimely international break.

It's not just that we won a lot of games but the manner in which we are doing it, Klopp's high pressing style of play almost bully's the opposition and forces them on the back foot. Teams who came and tried to disrupt this type of play paid the consequences with only United showing the only way to nullify it was to be on full defensive mode with no counterattacking. It made for a real dull game that, and I for one went to bed frustrated and angry but you have to hand to to Mourinho, he knew his team were not playing at their expectations and to avoid defeat he had to play ugly football. 

Since that stalemate Liverpool have scored 14 goals in 4 games, that is  3.5 goals per game, an insane statistic in it's own right but the concerning factor is the number of goals we've leaked through. Getting a clean sheet of late has been difficult with silly errors costing us. I say costing us because although it's all good and dandy on the opposite end of the pitch, those goals we concede could come back to hurt us when goal difference comes into play. We saw that over the past few weeks 3 teams were tied for 2nd spot with goal difference separating them so come May next year, it could be a problem for us. While many supporters might be saying, "as longs as we're winning", it's really a matter of concern but Klopp recognises this and hopefully has a plan to sort this out. 

Going back to our front players, the trio of Mane, Coutinho and Firmino are proving to be a menace of note to teams. The tricks and pace these three have and combine is nothing short of sublime. Many questioned the Senegalese signing at the beginning of the season but he's proving to be a bargain for us and probably the signing of the season if he continues the way he's playing. While they may not be topping the lists for highest goal scorers in the league, they're spreading the goals amongst themselves, with Mane currently on 6 and the Brazilians with 5 each. Their number of assists are climbing up as well. It will be a tough losing Mane for International duty during AFCON but we trust there will be another player to stand up and fill his place.

Watching Liverpool play is becoming addictive, almost like a drug, even watching highlights is satisfying. On Sunday the game was so high paced and action packed that even when I switched over to watch a bit of the United game during the half time break I found it boring and dull, even though they scored 3 great goals. We just want more of it and while many "experts" claim that players of Liverpool will tire out by next year, that remains to be seen. Klopp has always had this vision for his teams so obviously he has a strategy in controlling the players fitness levels, he did at Dortmund and won 2 league titles, so it's not something he's doing for the first time. So underestimate him at your own peril.