Liverpool (A) Post Match Thread

[brummie blue]

Hope Erling was watching

Imagine him in this side, and he's younger than Foden! get him on a 10 year deal!!

 

[Mid Wales blue]

I knew Julian Dicks played for them, but I always thought he was an up the apples an pears, tommy steele loving, jellied eel toting, corblimey trousers, Cockernee luvvaduck wide boy.

Worst 'champions' in history.

That bastards always want to give the Dippers a record!

 

[St.Pauli support]

Was shocked at how easily Dias dragged Zinchenko by his head into place behind the wall! :)

Should have done the same with Salah after the penalty call...

 

[dronefromsector7G]

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

Had a meltdown when Gundog missed the pen, I was storming around the house like a loon swearing at the top of my voice, fuck knows what the neighbour's thought lol.

Superb 2nd half display Foden was brilliant as were Gundog and Stones, thought the latter was imperious at the back. And his reaction when he deflected Firmiho's? Shot wide was great, he punched the pitch, as it was diverted wide.

 

[Bluemoon115]

I couldn’t even dream that left foot.

I was thinking more in the abstract.

But yeah, he's like Silva in that he does things that, if you were playing and the game stopped, and you had 15 mins to think about what you would do, he does something better.

Genius at work.

 

[bluealf]

Any replays of Alisson kicking Gundogan in the face after his second goal ? Thought not.

I saw that and it was never mentioned by anybody, for me it looked like he left it in on purpose tbh

 

[BluechesterCity]

Respect to ZeeZeeTopFulham who comments in The Grauniad. This is all his.

I’ve been holding off from saying it for a while, but this Manchester City side may just be recapturing the Premier League title. Pep Guardiola sank considerable depths with the team last season, while Liverpool shattered records and stormed to the title, but a display as resolute as this demonstrates to me that the mental barriers impeding the side have genuinely been shattered.

I thought that Liverpool were going to turn up for the game, and it looked as though it was going to be that way. The scoreline conceals it but for many of the early parts of the game Liverpool commanded the ball, with Thiago and Jones in particular making excellent usage of the ball - they even managed the best chances of the first half. Alexander-Arnold and Robertson were making inroads along the flanks and when Gundogan missed his penalty, and later Salah capitalized on Dias’ mistake to score his own, I thought Liverpool were ready to resurge into champion form.

It is the mettle, steel and fire Manchester City have ascertained that prevented this from happening. The cool attitude the team have to their games persists in any situation - their heads could have dropped with their setbacks, making them potentially spurn chances and allow Liverpool into the game. Instead their relentless pressure, their ice cold composure, their technical brilliance saw them capitalize on Liverpool’s shortcomings - recognizing the chinks in the armour and forcing them into chasms.

The work Guardiola has done with this team is exhilarating. There isn’t a player that hasn’t improved this year - Zinchenko and Cancelo were phenomenal at fullback, Rodri has gone from ponderous and clumsy to a vital piece of the midfield. Gundogan looks a juggernaut in midfield and the slickest attacker not named Kevin De Bruyne. Bernardo and Mahrez are finally incorporating their skills into the attack. Raheem Sterling’s explosive pace and fantastic dribbling is no longer isolated from his teammates but a critical component of the City attack. Ederson was a titan, utterly dedicated to preserving his net while Alisson faltered in the opposite half. They control the ball, control the park and throttle the opposition, while a few months ago their possession strangled their own momentum.

And what of Stockport’s own? Foden rightfully takes the headlines with his outstanding goal (those Messi comparisons Pep was making aren’t quite as fanciful as you might think) but his tireless work along both flanks, his deft touches and dribbles, left Liverpool scrambling many times. His assist for the Gundogan goal was as good as any City have managed, and even in the moments that appeared drier for City caused serious headaches for the otherwise decent Fabinho and Henderson.

You can point to the obvious caveats - Liverpool are enduring their direst form since Klopp took charge, they have still fielded midfielders in defence, the morale at the club is faltering. But what should take centre stage is that Manchester City were not anywhere close to their best, and Liverpool gave their most spirited home display in over a month… and the scoreline is 4-1 to Manchester City. They pulled together as a team, refusing to capitulate at similar moments last season, finally piecing together a clinical display up front (how many times have you seen Sterling and Gundogan ruin opportunities like ones they scored from today?), eroding Liverpool and perhaps putting an end to Liverpool’s chances of retaining the title.

My proverbial hat is in my head. Manchester City are back - Guardiola et al have convinced me. Congratulations, blues of Manchester - you have a phenomenal football team.

Wow - he's been going strong on the Guardian for years that guy - good for him, always had good things to say about City. Thanks for posting it mate.

 

[crazyg]

City: The Next Generation

Make it so.

 

[give it to gordon]

Respect to ZeeZeeTopFulham who comments in The Grauniad. This is all his.

I’ve been holding off from saying it for a while, but this Manchester City side may just be recapturing the Premier League title. Pep Guardiola sank considerable depths with the team last season, while Liverpool shattered records and stormed to the title, but a display as resolute as this demonstrates to me that the mental barriers impeding the side have genuinely been shattered.

I thought that Liverpool were going to turn up for the game, and it looked as though it was going to be that way. The scoreline conceals it but for many of the early parts of the game Liverpool commanded the ball, with Thiago and Jones in particular making excellent usage of the ball - they even managed the best chances of the first half. Alexander-Arnold and Robertson were making inroads along the flanks and when Gundogan missed his penalty, and later Salah capitalized on Dias’ mistake to score his own, I thought Liverpool were ready to resurge into champion form.

It is the mettle, steel and fire Manchester City have ascertained that prevented this from happening. The cool attitude the team have to their games persists in any situation - their heads could have dropped with their setbacks, making them potentially spurn chances and allow Liverpool into the game. Instead their relentless pressure, their ice cold composure, their technical brilliance saw them capitalize on Liverpool’s shortcomings - recognizing the chinks in the armour and forcing them into chasms.

The work Guardiola has done with this team is exhilarating. There isn’t a player that hasn’t improved this year - Zinchenko and Cancelo were phenomenal at fullback, Rodri has gone from ponderous and clumsy to a vital piece of the midfield. Gundogan looks a juggernaut in midfield and the slickest attacker not named Kevin De Bruyne. Bernardo and Mahrez are finally incorporating their skills into the attack. Raheem Sterling’s explosive pace and fantastic dribbling is no longer isolated from his teammates but a critical component of the City attack. Ederson was a titan, utterly dedicated to preserving his net while Alisson faltered in the opposite half. They control the ball, control the park and throttle the opposition, while a few months ago their possession strangled their own momentum.

And what of Stockport’s own? Foden rightfully takes the headlines with his outstanding goal (those Messi comparisons Pep was making aren’t quite as fanciful as you might think) but his tireless work along both flanks, his deft touches and dribbles, left Liverpool scrambling many times. His assist for the Gundogan goal was as good as any City have managed, and even in the moments that appeared drier for City caused serious headaches for the otherwise decent Fabinho and Henderson.

You can point to the obvious caveats - Liverpool are enduring their direst form since Klopp took charge, they have still fielded midfielders in defence, the morale at the club is faltering. But what should take centre stage is that Manchester City were not anywhere close to their best, and Liverpool gave their most spirited home display in over a month… and the scoreline is 4-1 to Manchester City. They pulled together as a team, refusing to capitulate at similar moments last season, finally piecing together a clinical display up front (how many times have you seen Sterling and Gundogan ruin opportunities like ones they scored from today?), eroding Liverpool and perhaps putting an end to Liverpool’s chances of retaining the title.

My proverbial hat is in my head. Manchester City are back - Guardiola et al have convinced me. Congratulations, blues of Manchester - you have a phenomenal football team.

What records ?