Liverpool FA Cup s/f (N) | Post Match Thread

[Tolmie scores]

I agree with most of that. The whole thing was quite flat.Where I was, everyone stood all game and the atmosphere was alright second half in parts, especially last 10 mins. I honestly don't blame people you highlight at the start of your post, who didn't fancy going down for the game. Apart from having a day with my two lads I wish I hadn't bothered and had saved the over £600 I spent.

I didn't mind Pep rotating and starting the line up he did. What really pissed me off was everyone could see within about 5 mins that it wasn't working and he could easily have changed things but just didn't bother. Making 1 sub as late as he did was pathetic.As poor as we were, we could have still got something out of the game if he had changed it at 1 or even 2 nil IMO.

Regarding the minute respect/silence for Hillsborough, there may have been people on the concourse who didn't realise what was going on but there were also a few already in the stands who knew what was happening and started singing, which was really poor IMO. No matter what some on here say, we have a minority of our fan base who let the club down yesterday because they couldn't show respect for 1 minute.

Agree with all of that.. but play Zak with a caveat ...tell him to get rid early fuck the possession because Mane loves that press. He's so good at it tbf...so sacrifice 10 seconds of possession and just get rid like a normal goalie. As said earlier, Pep's great at reading and playing the situation! I think the Ederson and his feet thing is a little overrated at times...OK it helps draw the opponents team up ...sometimes...meaning we can play a nice FB, CB. Goalie triangle but it's not always productive if you look back at games and see what happens in second phase. It can put us under more pressure on the edge of our box when CB is a bit slow to pass on. Lose the ball there in the PL and its a good chance the opponents shoot.We have often just cleared our lines after these little triangles anyway! Better to have a goalie comfortable with his feet for sure but for me, it should just be an add on 'nice to have' not an essential part of our strategy when selecting goalies. Ederson plays a few defense beating 60 yd passes a season..fair play...mostly its risky triangles ..that just put us under unnecessary pressure...time and a place for drawing their CM's forward...play the situation

 

[wolfie1988]

Left on 80 mins. Had to talk my mates out of not walking at half time. Once Jesus missed that sitter, I was done.

Was home by 9pm from a 3:30pm kick off and didn't have to walk through thousands of gloating dickheads as we walked back to the car. Great result.

 

[birchwoodgingerste]

They haven’t, did I need to say I hope Chelsea beat palace then the Dippers or do you think you can join the dots.

Do i need to say you can not take anything for granted or you end up being made to look a fool.

 

[Robert73]

So then. City have become a sort of “Adopted “ team by myself as it’s my daughter who is the fan. My first team is forest and honestly the fans at the city ground make more noise than us city fans yesterday. I’ve been to the ethiad with her several times and the fans get behind the team there. Totally get why lots didn’t bother yesterday what with transport issues and the costs ,so I’ll blame no one for that. City fans behind the goal were fully behind the team,but in the corner near the front where we were, it was mostly half and half scarves and to my astonishment three people in front us were sat with nachos and then popcorn , yet had all the city merch on! I was stood up trying to get some passion going in my section,but no one wanted to know. at 3-2 when Foden came over to put a corner in there was none in our section on their feet cheering the team to try to get an equaliser. The city fans we’ve met at the ethiad have been great people, passionate about their team. I’ve no idea who loads of the people in the city end were yesterday. I think the hardcore were behind the goal and up on level 5. Those people are a credit to their club. Mahrez seemed to have plenty of fight and I’ve no idea why he didn’t start the second half. Could’ve been a different game. Loved the banners the city fans had at the start of the game as there are similar displays at the city ground. Even though forest are my team ( have my picture with the European cup from when I was 8), my daughter and me follow city as it’s her team. I’m just as vocal at the ethiad and was yesterday for city as I am forest,but came away seeing a disjointed team on the pitch possibly for reasons already discussed on here,but wondering who loads of the fans there yesterday actually are. City fans are normally an absolute credit to the team and Manchester. As for the booing. Small minorty of Morons at every club unfortunately. Onwards and upwards to brighton and Real Madrid. Hope everyone got home safe.

 

[Damanino]

really wonder if we had not qualified for the FA semis then we would have played the Wolves away fixture today.

would he have named the same weakened line up just because of we are very tired? I highly doubt.

we used this 11 against Peterborough where Dias got injured for 6 weeks and is seemingly a stronger line up then yesterday:
Ederson, Cancelo, Dias, Ake, Zinch, Gundo, Foden, Dinho, Jesus, Mahrez, Grealish

makes no sense to to choose stronger line ups vs Champo or League 1 clubs then take our foot off the gas as soon as we reach semis second year running.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

That is a tad over the top pal. Knew nothing about this minute of silence until it was upon us and many others it appears never knew at all. We should have been more respectful but the media reaction in line with your own is excessive. The grief of those who suffered a loss that day is real and the authorities clearly fell way short of the mark but the behavior of the dipper fans also played a role and this has been airbrushed out of history.
The City support base while substantial and growing is not as large as their lot particularly in the category often termed tourists. We do not have a huge reservoir of Cockneys to fill those gaps you seem embarrassed about and for many of our hard pressed fans it was financially a bridge to far. Also because the dippers under Bingo have only this season started taking the domestic cups seriously a trip to Wembley is something of a novelty for that lot.
The team Pep selected was given the circumstances a reasonably competitive 11 but a slow start compounded by a massive error saw us out the door. We still managed to eventually get our act together and the dippers were mighty relieved to hear the final whistle.

Your attack on the players is also over the top and while I agree that Pep was yet again slow to make changes we have to respect his opinion that Delap is not ready to play more than a peripheral role yet. Yes it was not a great day for players, fans and manager alike but your hysterical rant borders on shithousery.

Eleven years ago the talk amongst our fanbase was that, for a national stadium, Wembley is too small and having the semi against United and the final against Stoke with only having 34,000 and 29,000 tickets for each game respectively was a joke.

The season after we had what must have been a record for number of tickets sold at the new Wembley for one club as we had about 3/5 of the ground against Wigan (if not 3/4).

We have 44,000 season ticket holders and tens of thousands more who used to have one. Someone on here (might have been Prestwich Blue) confirmed we’ve seen over 20,000 season ticket holders give their season ticket up since the takeover, meaning in the last few decades we’ve had upwards of 65,000 season ticket holders. Plus all the other tens of thousands who’ve never had a season ticket.

The City support base is huge and I’m not having it that it’s so little we can’t fill half of Wembley. We have the fanbase in Manchester alone to fill a 65,000 Etihad every week and to fill Wembley every trip but we just don’t do it and for me it’s purely down to apathy (there are other excuses, but it’s mainly that). I know loads of Blues who don’t go to games, loads, well over two dozen. Some haven’t been to a game for years. I’m sure there are loads of match going fans who also know a lot of local blues who never go. These are the lads who should be taking up the slack when the regulars can’t afford or can’t be arsed to go, but for some reason with our support, our non-regulars/non-attenders don’t take up that slack, whereas they do at the other clubs.

It’s alright saying that it’s Cockneys taking up the slack at Liverpool and United, but they do actually have strict sales categories for both clubs.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

I don't actually have any problem at all with Pep playing Steffen.

Me neither. Willie 'n Claudio did us alright. Just that third time lucky didn't happen

 

[waspish]

This minute silence I new nought of it until I heard the booing and the whistle ended it quickly! Was it mentioned days before? Because the way city fans pay respect usually is impeccable.

 

[Vic]

Feel sorry for Steffen, goal was his fault. Should have got rid. But really, shouldn’t have been in that position.

Can’t play the usual game without Ederson. It didn’t or doesn’t work. No slant on Steffen, he can’t help that he’s not Eddie… that’s up to Pep to figure out. I’m sure he will.

Ake was class again. Really like the guy. Sterling had a poor game and probably should have been hooked earlier.

Gabbys miss/save was frustrating!

What is plainly obvious to me is that the three most important players in the squad and team are Walker, Rodri and Ederson. I don’t mean the best (I mean they’re not shite either ;)) but the most important due to how we play.

Wasn’t a fan of the booing the minutes silence. But where I was sat people were clapping, so I think there was a bit of confusion over that.
Still no excuse. Football is football. And surely we’re better than Leeds fans? That’s the sort of shit they do.

I think the booing was Liverpool fans booing the chanting (wherever it came from).

 

[dad1971]

What an absolutely shit day that was!

Liverpool took it more seriously than we did. We treated it like a friendly and got what we deserved.

The fans… We didn’t bother selling out, even in the blocks that were available to us, there were empties everywhere. Before everyone comes up with their excuses, I know loads of people who just couldn’t be arsed so the excuses won’t wash with me! People within my group couldn’t fill a minibus (when we’re normally turning people away), a local pub that usually runs a coach couldn’t fill a coach, people who sit around me in the ground who pulled their faces about going when I asked them last Sunday, spoke to others in the free coach on the way down yesterday who said the coach they normally go on wasn’t run because there was no interest.
Liverpool fans filled their end and some in our end.

And why the fuck are our fans so averse to getting to our seats early? Fans still filtering in in their hundreds minutes after kick off, while their end was full minutes before.

Not one ounce of atmosphere came from us. Oh apart from the shameful cunts who booed and shouted comments during the Hillsborough moment of silence. Never felt more embarrassed to be a Blue at that moment. Anyone who has a problem with Liverpool and Heysel, bring that up with LFC and the governing bodies and the media in an email or something, don’t go and fucking boo during a moment of respect for people who died you fucking disrespectful thick cunts! We deserve every bit of criticism coming our way for that.
We weren’t arsed in the stands during the game at all. Liverpool fans were well up for it. That was the best atmosphere from them that I’ve heard from any game we’ve been to Wembley (including any of ours). Their whole end stood up, even in the top tier, they were starting songs off in all areas, we just had a load of people who looked like they didn’t want to be there all sat down contributing fuck all. Fucking embarrassing from our fans! We acted like we had absolutely no ounce of belief that a treble was on the cards for us whatsoever.

The amount of our fans who left early was shit n’all. What’s the point in going all that way if you’re not going to stay to the end? As bad as we were, we very nearly took it to extra time… have some fans never learnt anything from being a City fan and the amount of come backs and late goals we’ve scored?

The team… We started like we couldn’t be arsed. Slow ponderous boring as fuck football by a team who - seemingly just like the fanbase - had absolutely no ounce of belief that a treble was on the cards for us whatsoever. Against a team who were well up for it, who responded to their fans, who looked like they believed that an historic quadruple is on the cards for them.
Okay we grew into the game a bit but let’s be honest they took their foot off the gas at 0-3 and had the rest of their season in mind, and they still looked as likely to make it 1-4 or 2-4 at any point we could have made it 2-3 or 3-3.

Why is it, that players who look good when others are around them, shrink like dying flowers anytime de Bruyne Gundogan Dias etc. aren’t on the pitch? I have never seen Sterling step up in the usual leaders’ absence and drive this team on to anything, it’s about time Foden started doing it as he’s experienced enough now, what a game for Grealish to show us that he’s worth picking for the run-in… they, along with others, were all fucking shit!

Is Pep allergic to making subs? Mahrez was his master stroke was it? He’s been stinking the place out over the last few weeks with meek as fuck performances. Get fucking Delap on, try it, it might have worked.

That was one of my least favourite days ever being a blue! Our fans were shit and some were a disgrace to the club. Our players were woeful for the most part. Manager had a poor day. Fucking wank day out, now I’ve fucked off home.

So apart from that you had a pretty decent day.