Congrats to all you Scousers… well done, another trophy!
It’s a shame the dream of a quadruple doesn’t look like happening despite the Hammers giving Pep Guardiola a little scare.
But you can always match your domestic cups with 2022’s Charity Shield possibility and pretend you did something a bit more important. Of course the Champions League remains a 50/50… if you win that it’ll be considered an “historic season”.
For me, Liverpool are the best team in the world. Could be argued that City are better, but bringing in the enjoyment aspect of watching the Reds, I’d much prefer to sit at Anfield than the Etihad. My praise isn’t there as a prefix to my next statement! Chelsea are as good as Liverpool… but only against Liverpool.
On the field you cannot separate them. That’s the fourth fixture between the sides this season, the second draw after 90 minutes and second after 120 minutes.
At Wembley on Saturday there was an even spread of good goal opportunities, possession was shared and Chelsea had a 20-minute spell in the second half that matched Liverpool’s dominance in the first 20. Unfortunately for us Blues, penalties are rarely kind and I had that sinking feeling before the shoot-out began.
After the game I was baffled to read (and hear) comments referring to a “boring final”? What do you think? For me it was a fascinating tactical battle that was on edge for the best part of 90 minutes. So tense.
Do the people who make these comments just want half a dozen goals? Anyway, the worry for Jurgen Klopp must be the visible leggyness of his players and the ease of niggles.
Chelsea need a point to qualify for Champions League football next season with two to play. Liverpool still need to give 110 percent tonight against Southampton (and Wolves on Sunday) for the slight chance of a City slip and meet Real Madrid in 11 days!
If the Premier League and Champions League are lost, despite the two domestic cup successes, this season will be seen as a complete disappointment. Good luck!
Talking about good football… I have to say, under Marcelo Bielsa, Leeds really were a pleasure to watch, non-stop attacking energy, more often than not producing great games. It faded, they got found out and there was an inevitability about his sacking following a run of huge defeats.
But nothing could have prepared us for where they’ve ended up. Well, they are known as Dirty Leeds, but the tactics of trying to badly injure opponents just doesn’t have a place in today’s game.
It all reached a head when a desperate performance was thrown into the gutter with a stupid potential leg breaking tackle on Mateo Kovacic by Dan James. No one could argue the red card (except Leeds fans) who screamed and swore at ‘Kova’ as he limped off the field.
In a fight for Premier League survival, players like James are not just a let down to the club, but a f*****g disgrace. The hatred between Chelsea and Leeds goes back more than 50 years.
I understand the venom on and off the pitch, but when the game was halted due to a Chelsea fan having a cardiac arrest, chants of “you fat bastard” and “let him die” echoed around the stadium, it was totally off…
Hope they go down and good riddance.
Meanwhile, Man City announced the signing of Erling Haaland… how we all wish our clubs would have grabbed him! A natural-born finisher, he appears to be the real deal, scoring for fun in the Bundesliga.
However (maybe designed to make us all feel a bit better) several reports have been sowing doubt ahead of his arrival for the 22/23 season. Will he adapt to Pep’s style of play which doesn’t necessarily rely on an out and out No.9?
Chelsea scouts also raised concerns about whether the kid’s style of play would be suited to the Premier League at all because there’s less space for forward players to attack and run into compared to what he’s used to in Germany. That is a slightly strange comment seeing as the Blues signed Romelu Lukaku (who’d been running rampant in space in Italy) and has struggled since his arrival back in England.
In Spain, recruitment staff at Barcelona reported that they had reservations about his “personality and character” and Real Madrid took issue with his injury record. Of course we’re all hoping it doesn’t work out!
Final day of the season is approaching… then that huge Champions League final to look forward to.
Be safe people, chat next week…