Topic: It should hurt.

[God's Left Peg]

That's pretty much nailed it for me. Klopp has gotten a few great performances out of this lot. When they turn up and can be arsed, with Klopp's tactics and ethos of football, they can be good. That's all, though. Just good in one offs. Never consistent, and when the chips were down, more often than not, this lot have buckled. There's a string of arrogance and delusion through this side that needs eradicated. Too often have we had the lead, the opposition scores a poor goal, and they shit the tweeds and go on to capitulate to defeat. It's not by coincidence either that Kolo was our stand out player last night. He's been a part of teams that have produced when the pressure was on. Klopp has had more than enough time to try to fix these players. They can never be fixed. A clear out is needed.

Totally nailed it for me. We really lack fight and character. Too many players content to be passengers when what they ought to be doing is digging in and taking responsibility, putting their bodies on the line.

Ah well... Klopp can now hire and fire with a clear conscience because this lot have won fuck all in a Liverpool shirt. There's now a few that never will.

And yes it hurts.

[Simplexity]

Never nice to lose an european final, especially when everything else this season has been abject horrorshow after horrorshow.

8th place in the league and no trophies, is a fact none may hide from, hopefully some of the players we have will end up paying for this season by never playing for us again.

[skooma]

If a european final doesn't motivate them, nothing will. Looking forward to the summer.

[jamescache]

I was at the game - just to the right of the majority of the Sevilla fans. I've spent the hours since in the foetal position. Only just now did some light descend. Maybe football is about the experiences - good AND bad. At the end of it all you can say I was there when we won - AND I was there when we lost. Both memories yield equally strong emotions. A full life contains pain and joy. And our team will always give us some of each. As a liverpool fan maybe we're lucky to have experienced so many extremes. Fingers' crossed, it stays that way.

Two quick points: I think Barney Ronay has redeemed himself somewhat after his Sakho piece. This helped me try to digest it all: https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/may/19/jurgen-klopp-dortmund-liverpool-europa-league-final

And maybe we should try to drink more coffee rather than beer before the game. Big respect to the Seville fans - they were outnumbered but furiously passionate and from my standpoint far louder than us throughout the game (also at 1-0 down). The lad behind me was actually ASLEEP on his stool at half time.

[Dan6times]

Still absolutely gutted today,  going to take a bit to get over this one. 

[-HH-]

Good to hear from you mate!

I may not have been as clear as I wished, I think outwardly we should be, Milner did a marvellous and proper job after the final, but to my fellow reds, I'm hurt and pissed off. So yes gracious where needed, and I do agree we should be 'big enough' to applaud the other team/fans where needed.

Please don't think I was equating showing grace with not caring. That's a wonderful thing to be able to do. Right now I can't, although its already easier than last night. You're a bigger man than I mate

I don't think it has to do with being a bigger man at all. And there was plenty to be pissed off about in that game - all the hard work to get there thrown away by 45 minutes of utter dog shit.

I think it also depends who you're talking to. I've been lucky not to have anyone winding me up afterwards, not to have anyone sticking the knife in etc. That helps when trying to at least appear gracious

[suttonoot]

I was at the game - just to the right of the majority of the Sevilla fans. I've spent the hours since in the foetal position. Only just now did some light descend. Maybe football is about the experiences - good AND bad. At the end of it all you can say I was there when we won - AND I was there when we lost. Both memories yield equally strong emotions. A full life contains pain and joy. And our team will always give us some of each. As a liverpool fan maybe we're lucky to have experienced so many extremes. Fingers' crossed, it stays that way.

Two quick points: I think Barney Ronay has redeemed himself somewhat after his Sakho piece. This helped me try to digest it all: https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/may/19/jurgen-klopp-dortmund-liverpool-europa-league-final

And maybe we should try to drink more coffee rather than beer before the game. Big respect to the Seville fans - they were outnumbered but furiously passionate and from my standpoint far louder than us throughout the game (also at 1-0 down). The lad behind me was actually ASLEEP on his stool at half time.

I was also at the game lad , seems like your slating the fans , we were loud enough it's possible that because  you were stood right next to them that they seemed louder , the players were given plenty of encouragement, but we weren't getting a lot back from them , certainly later we went into the game it got quieter , but saying they were better than your own , we couldn't hear them first half only when the game swung in their favour , I certainly won't be drinking coffee before a match , and the majority of Liverpool fans never will

[Youb]

This one is still hurting for me.  I just can't get over the missed opportunity here.  This match was our springboard,  our massive stepping stone, putting us years ahead of where we should be.  The champions league,  with Klopp, and there's no looking back.  We could've attracted some big names, got some real quality in the mix and we would honestly never look back.

Now, I just can't see many wanting to play without European football.  It's a huge, huge set back.  I'm gutted,  I'm usually really positive but this was a huge fuck up,  especially after what we went through to get to the final.  I was positive,  absolutely adamant that we'd win, I would've put the house on it.  Where were you boys? Where was the guts,  the fight, the quality,  the desire? 

[TheFlyingScouseman]

Not great being in the generation that was too young to take in and understand fully about Istandbul and Cardiff (less so Cardiff), but old enough to fully take in Athens and all the failures that have come since then

Still remember that painful title run in 09, how the fuck didn't we win a trophy that season? Got a smash and grab job from Everton in the FA Cup, weakened team beat early by Spurs in the League Cup? Our defence went missing against Chelsea in the first CL QF leg. Same can be said in 2014, played great football, but won fuckall so who cares?

All too used to failure over the last 10 years or so, so I'm bloody used to nights like Basel now, only takes me a couple weeks to get over final loses now

[JJ Red]

I do agree with the OP about the clearout required. In Klopp we have an excellent manager and someone who can inspire. I think there is too many in the current squad who are beyond saving mentally speaking. He needs new players that he can mold.

[jamescache]

I was also at the game lad , seems like your slating the fans , we were loud enough it's possible that because  you were stood right next to them that they seemed louder , the players were given plenty of encouragement, but we weren't getting a lot back from them , certainly later we went into the game it got quieter , but saying they were better than your own , we couldn't hear them first half only when the game swung in their favour , I certainly won't be drinking coffee before a match , and the majority of Liverpool fans never will

The coffee jibe was more tongue in cheek mate - it was great to see so many of us in Basel. Was bloody shocking to see this lad behind me dosing off though.

[cornelius]

Look it's the end of a cycle for this team. Of course it won't be totally binned overnight but the upward curve starts here I'm certain of it. Lick our wounds, refresh and recharge ourselves over the summer and be ready to go big again next season. It's been a strange year to say the least but we need to wash our hair of this one quickly and move on, we don't want any hangovers like we had after 13/14. We all saw what happened and we all know what's coming so let's just relax and enjoy the ride under Klopp.

[cornelius]

This match was our springboard,  our massive stepping stone, putting us years ahead of where we should be.  The champions league,  with Klopp, and there's no looking back.  We could've attracted some big names, got some real quality in the mix and we would honestly never look back. 

Won't be a long wait for that mate. 12 months in fact.

[Mighty_Red]

It's been 36 hours now and I'm still fucking devastated. It is the manner of the defeat that kills, being 1 nil up at HT, the collapse that followed and the fact we never recovered to even attempt a comeback.

At least in 2007 we had the consolation of playing well and only just coming up short. In both instances the hurt is magnified when you think of the triumphs we had to get to both finals (Barca, Chelsea, Utd, Dortmund) were ultimately in vain.

Things we have let slip in last 11 years: 2 league titles, 1 CL, 1 Europa League, 1 FA Cup, 1 Capital One Cup. Could have been so different. Optimistic for the future but we have to start winning things again. Too often the nearly men now.

It's now 3 cup finals in a row that we've lost and it does feel a little alien - for 6 years we seemed to win most of the finals we were getting to but we've lost that.

Only time will tell how this is viewed - 2014 has become worse since we never used that hurt to drive us on, instead falling apart. Klopp is better equipped in terms of his experience to not let that happen. For all the talk of how many players we need - it could be just the addition of 1 or 2 first team players of the right mentality that would be able to drive the whole team to respond in situations like in the 2nd half when we conceded. Stevie showed it many times.

[JURGENKLOPP]

It hurts a lot. And it will probably hurt til the end of my days, any mention of the 18th May 2016 will see my face sink and a grey cloud rapidly forming over my head. But then, they all still hurt, don't they? City at Wembley still hurts, the league in 2014 still hurts, the league in '09 still hurts, Athens '07, Chelsea '05. They're all there, painful memories that will always stay with us.

It's happened now, and we've got a summer to stew. A summer of crying into our corn flakes in the morning, weeping over our lunc-time sandwiches, staring mournfully at our summer barbecue sausages sizzling away while pondering the ifs, buts and maybes. It's done now. But it hurts. Sevilla won, we lost. One thing we can be sure of though is that Jurgen Klopp will be feeling the same intense anger, the same misery. He won't just be stewing, he'll be in the pot, burning at the bottom of it. And he'll be working to make sure this doesn't happen again and I truly believe that with him at the helm, it won't.

Klopp will be working every second he can this summer to get us back up there. We have reasons to be miserable and losing a European Final can never be twisted into a positive, but (BUT), there are reasons to be cheerful. We've got one of the top managers in the world. He has a whole summer now to really hone this team into his image. We'll come back stronger, fitter, better come August. Of that there is no doubt.

So let's stew, let's be pissed off, let's be angry and let's use that. Klopp will. Let's remember that We Are Liverpool, European Royalty and the most successful club in the country.

[alonsoisared]

Not great being in the generation that was too young to take in and understand fully about Istandbul and Cardiff (less so Cardiff), but old enough to fully take in Athens and all the failures that have come since then

Still remember that painful title run in 09, how the fuck didn't we win a trophy that season? Got a smash and grab job from Everton in the FA Cup, weakened team beat early by Spurs in the League Cup? Our defence went missing against Chelsea in the first CL QF leg. Same can be said in 2014, played great football, but won fuckall so who cares?

All too used to failure over the last 10 years or so, so I'm bloody used to nights like Basel now, only takes me a couple weeks to get over final loses now

My head can't quite get around that 18 year olds are too young to remember Istanbul. Christ that makes me feel old!

[Haemoglobin]

We need to get ourselves to another final sharpish, and win it, any which way. Kick the opposition off the pitch if need be, finish with 9 men forming a human shield in front of our goal, whatever, fuck it. Break the chain, because if it gets in their heads that it's always a bridge too far, they'll always have that look of resignation, of surrendering to cruel destiny.

I can't feel anything but disappointed and irritated, because the acceptance of it slipping away from us that I saw out there didn't inspire any passion in me. A desperate everything-on-the-line battle in vain might have at least been cathartic. It wasn't emotionally exhausting, because it ceased to be much of a drama after we went behind. You just don't get the sense they left everything out there, do you? That should haunt them more than anything else - magical, history-making stuff like Istanbul doesn't happen unless you give yourself the chance to redeem yourselves inside those 90 minutes, pour your very soul into banding together like proud beseiged warriors and go at them like it's your last day on Earth protecting the honour of those precious colours.


If we're gona be defeated at the last stand, I want a fucking opera, not a polite formal surrender on the victors' terms. Fuck the victors.

[Twelfth Man]

That's pretty much nailed it for me. Klopp has gotten a few great performances out of this lot. When they turn up and can be arsed, with Klopp's tactics and ethos of football, they can be good. That's all, though. Just good in one offs. Never consistent, and when the chips were down, more often than not, this lot have buckled. There's a string of arrogance and delusion through this side that needs eradicated. Too often have we had the lead, the opposition scores a poor goal, and they shit the tweeds and go on to capitulate to defeat. It's not by coincidence either that Kolo was our stand out player last night. He's been a part of teams that have produced when the pressure was on. Klopp has had more than enough time to try to fix these players. They can never be fixed. A clear out is needed.

Winning the EL, while great, and sure we'll get a slightly higher calibre of player in, would have done nothing regarding the broad direction our club has been going barring the season we finished second. We average around a sixth position in the league. Now contrast that with Spurs who have been incrementally getting better and better. They change their manager, lose key players but slowly keep on improving (Kane is huge sure but still). You can see the club is going in the right direction. Are we? For the last month and a half we have essentially been playing the kids in the league, so I suspect we could have easily finished above Soton this season without the EL as distraction. But it is still roughly in that 5-7th range where we have been stuck for quite some while. Where is the year on year improvement? The consistency? Under Klopp we can high press every now and then for big games, but that type of mental pressing can only be done up to a point, our whole game plan goes out the window when the players lack the energy levels required (in the final nerves would have eaten up much of that energy). Without Thursday games we'll do a lot better next season, we'll out run, out 'passion' sides, but I am left wondering what happens if we do qualify for one of the European competitions the following season? Hopefully he can develop Ings/Origi and others into great players, do that and I'm sure we could nick games like Spurs do when they are not quite on their game.

[Haemoglobin]

Winning the EL, while great, and sure we'll get a slightly higher calibre of player in, would have done nothing regarding the broad direction our club has been going barring the season we finished second.

Really not sure about that. Yeah, it might have given us a false sense of having 'cracked it', but it would have been a real statement of intent in Klopp's first go at it. It would have done wonders for them mentally, as well as giving us the sense of having spectacularly leapfrogged some of the teams that finished above us in the league.

Klopp would have looked to change our direction regardless of whether we'd gone and won it, I believe.

Without Thursday games we'll do a lot better next season, we'll out run, out 'passion' sides, but I am left wondering what happens if we do qualify for one of the European competitions the following season? Hopefully he can develop Ings/Origi and others into great players, do that and I'm sure we could nick games like Spurs do when they are not quite on their game.

I personally would have took our players out-passioning Sevilla any day, even if it was very scrappy. I saw mental tiredness rather than physical exhaustion, and like you say, the nerves and that subconscious defeatism stuck in there somewhere draining them of the energy required to adequately fight back.

Klopp will obviously now look to bring in ridiculously fit footballing specimens who won't wither under his methods.


And we'll have to wait and see what becomes of Spurs; as undeniable as their gradual steady improvement has been, I wouldn't take this freakazoid of a season as particularly representative of their progress. I can easily see them doing piss-all in Europe where it matters, and finishing outside the top four next term (us too, like, but still). 

[TravisBickle]

Never nice to lose an european final, especially when everything else this season has been abject horrorshow after horrorshow.

8th place in the league and no trophies, is a fact none may hide from, hopefully some of the players we have will end up paying for this season by never playing for us again.

 This season was a lot of things. "Horror show after horror show" was not one of them. Yes, there were definitely horror shows there. The league position was grim. Losing on Wednesday, especially after Wembley, was hard to swallow. But there was an awful lot to take heart from this season.

 The Reds are coming up the hill, no doubt about that for me.

[Haemoglobin]

It's the manager, rather than our star players, who is inspiring hope in me at the end of this season. I want him to be given his own pieces to place on the board, and see a real team coming together.

My anticipation of special things to come is there, but I can see it going either way this next term (not worse, but maybe not the dramatic leap people are dreaming of). This will be the first time we're integrating Klopp players into our established mix, after all. I suspect it's gona have to be a much more patient game than many realise. And I'm prepared for that, as long as we can see the wheels in motion.

[Rawkybalboa]

Yes it does hurt. But with the boss we have, Klopp is far too positive to let it affect us.
For a start we can do what Leicester did. One game a week, no European cup distractions midweek.
One week to prepare between games. Just like when we nearly won the league under Brendan.
Fresh players. Also we dont now need a 40 man squad. We need to clear out a good 15 or so. Use the money and saved wages to bring in 4 WORLD CLASS additions to a 22 man squad.
If that means spending £50 milion on a proven palyer, so be it. Arsenal came second. They spent on Sanchez and Ozil and Peter Cech. World class only and they all did a good job.
We need to do same. If that means we can bid £30milion for David degea from Man utd then so be it.
If he had been our goally this season we would have 2 cups and finished at least 3rd.

[mikey_LFC]

It hurts like hell. We can take a lot from the run to the final though. It properly 100% showed the effect we can have on the team. We, the supporters, can inspire victories from the most unlikely of circumstances. So let's do it. 38 games next year. 38 cup finals. 19 home games for the crowd to go mad. To greet the coach. To intimidate the opposition. To inspire the team to victory.

Remember this pain. Remember how much you hate it. Use it as ammunition, as the drive to give everything every game next year.

With us fully behind them, just as Klopp wants, we can lift this team to glory. I completely get that on a sunny, Sunday 1pm kick off building the energy up to the levels of a European atmosphere is unlikely, near-on impossible. But if thats what it takes to win the league, to overcome this barren patch, then who out of us can't find the energy for that. Remember the last three months of 2013/14 and how incredible that winning run felt. How much taller we all were! We can reach that again.

38 cup finals. Let's give it everything.

[Rawkybalboa]

It hurts like hell. We can take a lot from the run to the final though. It properly 100% showed the effect we can have on the team. We, the supporters, can inspire victories from the most unlikely of circumstances. So let's do it. 38 games next year. 38 cup finals. 19 home games for the crowd to go mad. To greet the coach. To intimidate the opposition. To inspire the team to victory.

Remember this pain. Remember how much you hate it. Use it as ammunition, as the drive to give everything every game next year.

With us fully behind them, just as Klopp wants, we can lift this team to glory. I completely get that on a sunny, Sunday 1pm kick off building the energy up to the levels of a European atmosphere is unlikely, near-on impossible. But if thats what it takes to win the league, to overcome this barren patch, then who out of us can't find the energy for that. Remember the last three months of 2013/14 and how incredible that winning run felt. How much taller we all were! We can reach that again.

38 cup finals. Let's give it everything.

Exactly. Well said.

[fewmin' bedwetter]

Totally nailed it for me. We really lack fight and character. Too many players content to be passengers when what they ought to be doing is digging in and taking responsibility, putting their bodies on the line.

Ah well... Klopp can now hire and fire with a clear conscience because this lot have won fuck all in a Liverpool shirt. There's now a few that never will.

And yes it hurts.

Team going down with a whimper and Lucas and Hendo sitting on the bench didn't seem right to me.

[Mumm-Ra]

We need to get ourselves to another final sharpish, and win it, any which way. Kick the opposition off the pitch if need be, finish with 9 men forming a human shield in front of our goal, whatever, fuck it. Break the chain, because if it gets in their heads that it's always a bridge too far, they'll always have that look of resignation, of surrendering to cruel destiny.

This is what's freaking me out actually, before all finals, including this last one I've always been 100% confident that we would win, but after that, and when you add in the other recent ones, I suddenly don't feel confident for the next one. We need to rectify this sharpish

[Dubred]

My head can't quite get around that 18 year olds are too young to remember Istanbul. Christ that makes me feel old!

I can't get my head around you were maybe not even born when Fowler made his Liverpool debut 

Now I feel bloody old ha ha 

[Andy @ Allerton!]

Doesn't hurt for me in the slightest. It is entirely true that there are far, far, far more important things than football...

Recent events mean far more to me than this. Disappointing? Yes. Certainly.

But hurt?

Nah. Far more important things going on.

[Euskadi]

It hurt, it hurt really bad but that's okay. I have never been to a game so early, that was partly due to the pretty shitty organisation from the Swiss and also due to the sheer excitement as I was so confident that we were going to win this. It was quite a nervy affair and I think that you could sense the shakiness coming from both the fans and players. Walking out of there was hard but singing YNWA along at the end of a 3-1 defeat for me is why I love our club so much and as both a French and Spanish speaker I could hear neutrals and Sevilla fans around us waxing lyrical about our traditions of supporting our club through thick and thin, I felt really proud at that moment. We will be back and we will win it, we have a habit of it, and I for one cannot wait.

[deano2727]

I've come around a bit from the disappointment of our second half no show, though Maybe not so much the 90 minute horror show from that excuse for a ref. How people can question those who questioned that refs performance, I don't know. Yes, we were bad, but surely we are entitled to a fair chance of winning the game by the ref. He gave them everything and us nothing. We should have had 2 clear pens, whatever way you look at it. That first One with firmino borders on corruption how it wasn't given. Between our second half capitulation and that ref, we were never winning it.

It's shit, but we dust ourselves off and go again next year. Some perspective is very Important. We have made 2 cup finals in our new managers first season with a young team that isn't his. Next year we can go all guns blazing in the league and I'm quietly expecting a challenge at the title , whether that means we finish 1st or 4th I expect we will be up there.

Least we forget, the biggest victory this club could have imagined has been achieved a few weeks ago. Well done lads, unlucky and here is to next year.

[Solomon Grundy]

I've come around a bit from the disappointment of our second half no show, though Maybe not so much the 90 minute horror show from that excuse for a ref. How people can question those who questioned that refs performance, I don't know. Yes, we were bad, but surely we are entitled to a fair chance of winning the game by the ref. He gave them everything and us nothing. We should have had 2 clear pens, whatever way you look at it. That first One with firmino borders on corruption how it wasn't given. Between our second half capitulation and that ref, we were never winning it.

It's shit, but we dust ourselves off and go again next year. Some perspective is very Important. We have made 2 cup finals in our new managers first season with a young team that isn't his. Next year we can go all guns blazing in the league and I'm quietly expecting a challenge at the title , whether that means we finish 1st or 4th I expect we will be up there.

Least we forget, the biggest victory this club could have imagined has been achieved a few weeks ago. Well done lads, unlucky and here is to next year.

The 2nd one was worse for me. The defender actually slows the ball down with his hand. How the fuck that was never given? What a twat of a ref. But then again, he seems to have a bit of a history with English teams, so perhaps we shouldn't of been surprised. The lino on that side was just as bad as well.

[Alf Garnett!]

UEFA Europa squad.

No Lovren?

http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=2366628.html#uefa+europa+league+squad+season

[cowtownred]

UEFA Europa squad.

No Lovren?

http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=2366628.html#uefa+europa+league+squad+season

No Reus/Gundogan/Mikhitiryan?

[Twelfth Man]

Doesn't hurt for me in the slightest. It is entirely true that there are far, far, far more important things than football...

Recent events mean far more to me than this. Disappointing? Yes. Certainly.

But hurt?

Nah. Far more important things going on.

Concur.. Football has essentially become a way for Mega Corp to advertise shit. Tyrants/Oligarchs to legitimise their ill gotten gains, and like reality TV programs a perfect way to keep people from thinking about the important stuff, like the NHS, TTIP, income inequality, house prices, the cost of university (I could go on...). Would a Liverpool victory on Wednesday done anything to help alleviate child poverty in Merseyside? No.

[Dan6times]

Not getting any easier this, I'm trying to put my finger on why I feel so shite. I think it was a very emotional campaign, we all bought into it, the comebacks, United, the Dortmund story, the pyro, meeting the team bus and so on. As fans we put a lot of energy into it and we proved when up for it we are by far the best in Europe, so basically Im exhausted and deflated that we couldn't get over the final hurdle, im sure it'll get easier in time but it just feels we have left it after us big time. Just gutted like.

[Always_A_Red]

Got back last night after a 13 hour drive home and I’m still absolutely gutted about what I saw on Wednesday. Sat in work today just totally disinterested and pissed off – I must have snapped at least 4 people, so I have a few apologies to make on Monday morning. I think they’ll understand what I’m going through though.

It does hurt. We all saw the numbers that travelled over to Basel and make no mistake about it; it’s a fucking ball ache of a place to travel to. You really get to understand what this club is about and what it means to people when you’re stood in that square. All the banners, the singing, the hope. People spent thousands of pounds on flights and accommodation without a hope of a ticket, but just happy to be there! For our players to serve those people with that type of performance is unforgivable.

I stood there in the stadium in disbelief in the 2nd half as we completely capitulated and I was looking for a leader to take the game by the scruff of the neck and say ‘No fucking way are we losing this game! Not today!’. Searching desperately for that ‘Gerrard’, ‘Carragher’, ‘Suarez’, ‘Hyypia’ type winner to turn it around, yet they didn’t turn up, because ultimately we have none.

We have a team & squad full of passengers and losers. I’m sure some will jump all over that statement but some of these players have had chance after chance after chance, under various managers, to prove themselves and show they have the ability to perform regularly at a top class level for Liverpool Football Club yet the majority have failed time and time again.

This was exactly the same type of performance to the game against City at Wembley in February, the semi-final against Villa last season, the Chelsea away performance in the League cup Semi last year, the 6-1 hammering away at Stoke, the countless games this season where we have surrendered 2 goal leads. I could go on and on. There’s a common theme here and it’s that we have a team full of bottlers who are not man enough to stand up and be counted and win a big game when it actually matters. 

I’m not going to pick out individuals because we all know the main culprits, but I will say this; No player that played that game should be feeling like their place in the starting 11 is secure for next season. Klopp’s no mug – this will have hurt him deep and for some of those players, there’s no way back now and they will be gone. For others, they may stay, but their place in the starting 11 should be called into question because when you’re faced with an opportunity to win one of the biggest prizes in European football and you go into hiding and shirk responsibility, well quite frankly I don’t care what your name is, it’s not good enough for Liverpool Football Club.
 
We’re one of the biggest, most successful, most supported clubs in world football. Let’s stop dampening expectations and start fucking acting like it.

[nevoo36]

Got back last night after a 13 hour drive home and I’m still absolutely gutted about what I saw on Wednesday. Sat in work today just totally disinterested and pissed off – I must have snapped at least 4 people, so I have a few apologies to make on Monday morning. I think they’ll understand what I’m going through though.

It does hurt. We all saw the numbers that travelled over to Basel and make no mistake about it; it’s a fucking ball ache of a place to travel to. You really get to understand what this club is about and what it means to people when you’re stood in that square. All the banners, the singing, the hope. People spent thousands of pounds on flights and accommodation without a hope of a ticket, but just happy to be there! For our players to serve those people with that type of performance is unforgivable.

I stood there in the stadium in disbelief in the 2nd half as we completely capitulated and I was looking for a leader to take the game by the scruff of the neck and say ‘No fucking way are we losing this game! Not today!’. Searching desperately for that ‘Gerrard’, ‘Carragher’, ‘Suarez’, ‘Hyypia’ type winner to turn it around, yet they didn’t turn up, because ultimately we have none.

We have a team & squad full of passengers and losers. I’m sure some will jump all over that statement but some of these players have had chance after chance after chance, under various managers, to prove themselves and show they have the ability to perform regularly at a top class level for Liverpool Football Club yet the majority have failed time and time again.

This was exactly the same type of performance to the game against City at Wembley in February, the semi-final against Villa last season, the Chelsea away performance in the League cup Semi last year, the 6-1 hammering away at Stoke, the countless games this season where we have surrendered 2 goal leads. I could go on and on. There’s a common theme here and it’s that we have a team full of bottlers who are not man enough to stand up and be counted and win a big game when it actually matters. 

I’m not going to pick out individuals because we all know the main culprits, but I will say this; No player that played that game should be feeling like their place in the starting 11 is secure for next season. Klopp’s no mug – this will have hurt him deep and for some of those players, there’s no way back now and they will be gone. For others, they may stay, but their place in the starting 11 should be called into question because when you’re faced with an opportunity to win one of the biggest prizes in European football and you go into hiding and shirk responsibility, well quite frankly I don’t care what your name is, it’s not good enough for Liverpool Football Club.
 
We’re one of the biggest, most successful, most supported clubs in world football. Let’s stop dampening expectations and start fucking acting like it.

Great post that sums up Wednesday evening for me, stayed out of the post match thread cos was so fucking angry at that second half bottle job.

[KevLFC]

Got back last night after a 13 hour drive home and I’m still absolutely gutted about what I saw on Wednesday. Sat in work today just totally disinterested and pissed off – I must have snapped at least 4 people, so I have a few apologies to make on Monday morning. I think they’ll understand what I’m going through though.

It does hurt. We all saw the numbers that travelled over to Basel and make no mistake about it; it’s a fucking ball ache of a place to travel to. You really get to understand what this club is about and what it means to people when you’re stood in that square. All the banners, the singing, the hope. People spent thousands of pounds on flights and accommodation without a hope of a ticket, but just happy to be there! For our players to serve those people with that type of performance is unforgivable.

I stood there in the stadium in disbelief in the 2nd half as we completely capitulated and I was looking for a leader to take the game by the scruff of the neck and say ‘No fucking way are we losing this game! Not today!’. Searching desperately for that ‘Gerrard’, ‘Carragher’, ‘Suarez’, ‘Hyypia’ type winner to turn it around, yet they didn’t turn up, because ultimately we have none.

We have a team & squad full of passengers and losers. I’m sure some will jump all over that statement but some of these players have had chance after chance after chance, under various managers, to prove themselves and show they have the ability to perform regularly at a top class level for Liverpool Football Club yet the majority have failed time and time again.

This was exactly the same type of performance to the game against City at Wembley in February, the semi-final against Villa last season, the Chelsea away performance in the League cup Semi last year, the 6-1 hammering away at Stoke, the countless games this season where we have surrendered 2 goal leads. I could go on and on. There’s a common theme here and it’s that we have a team full of bottlers who are not man enough to stand up and be counted and win a big game when it actually matters. 

I’m not going to pick out individuals because we all know the main culprits, but I will say this; No player that played that game should be feeling like their place in the starting 11 is secure for next season. Klopp’s no mug – this will have hurt him deep and for some of those players, there’s no way back now and they will be gone. For others, they may stay, but their place in the starting 11 should be called into question because when you’re faced with an opportunity to win one of the biggest prizes in European football and you go into hiding and shirk responsibility, well quite frankly I don’t care what your name is, it’s not good enough for Liverpool Football Club.
 
We’re one of the biggest, most successful, most supported clubs in world football. Let’s stop dampening expectations and start fucking acting like it.

To be honest some of our better players went hiding. The best player on the pitch for us was Toure and he was trying everything. Also the guy has been there and done it. The only other guy you could say is Milner. The rest looked nervous and overwhelmed by the occasion.  If you actually watch the first 20 mins we were poor but forunatley at the time Sevilla didn't look much better

[dobbouk]

Just home from Basle after a ridiculous journey back. That was the most a cup final defeat has ever hurt for me but as the rain continued to pour and the stadium emptied with Sevilla celebrating in the background, it felt like a moment. It felt like the start of something big; a watershed moment. Struggling to put it into words really but I can't get the scenes at the final whistle out of my head.

[Mumm-Ra]

Concur.. Football has essentially become a way for Mega Corp to advertise shit. Tyrants/Oligarchs to legitimise their ill gotten gains, and like reality TV programs a perfect way to keep people from thinking about the important stuff, like the NHS, TTIP, income inequality, house prices, the cost of university (I could go on...). Would a Liverpool victory on Wednesday done anything to help alleviate child poverty in Merseyside? No.

Haha, Christ, the stuff people come up with to take the sting out of a tough loss.