Topic: Watford FC v Liverpool FC @ Vicarage Road, WD18 0ER. Monday May 1st 20.00

[Redsnappa]

They've won their last three Home games.

We've discovered a new strength and organisation - a never-say-die attitude to boot - away from home since the Leicester debacle.

They're bang on at Home, we're bang on away. Something's got to give. We're also looking for an element of revenge for last season's embarrassing shambles ... Bogdan ffs.

That's all you need to know. You can ignore the rest ... it's just a ramble down memory lane for an old arse.

We moved to that London from the One-eyed City in 1966. Strange new world, I was 10. Thanks to the Beatles, Tony Booth, Tarby and our Cilla, our accents weren't entirely incomprehensible but the downside was every soft twat constantly imitating Alf Garnett and giving it 'Lazy Scarse git' or attempting a Liverpool accent that usually ended up as a sort of Brummie/Geordie with a soupcon of Welsh tossed in for good measure. Can't do accents cockneys, fucking shit at it.

So, what about football? What's a lad to do. Too young to make the trek to Anfield and back. Bit of a blow to a lad used to getting to the game when the arl feller was home.  But, I soon made friends. They didn't know half the stuff I'd picked up as a lad knocking round the jiggers of Laird Street. I think local chemists sold out of Sulphur once I'd showed them how to make rivers of molten fire in a gutter and down ant's nests.

My mates supported Watford. So it was there I spent my early teenage years, every Home game - both Liverpool Cup games there - 1966 and the legendary, end-of-Shanks's-first-great-team defeat on the world's most dreadful pitch in 1970. Make no mistake, this was earth-shattering, a harking-back to the miserable Cup defeat to Worcester City a decade or so earlier that eventually brought Shanks to Anfield in the first place.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/NHmraLZlRqI" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/NHmraLZlRqI</a>

I'm there - in the Rookery, their Home end, the stand on the right - surrounded by my 'mates' and a jubilant crowd, a fucking picture of misery. Every time we've been beaten by Watford that awful day flashes back. Worse than that bad, bad day at Wembley when Charlie George broke our hearts.
 
So I don't like getting beat by Watford - like us all, I'm not keen on getting beat by anyone - but a Yernited or Bitters defeat (rare though the latter may be) may hurt for a while, but they don't sting like a loss to the fucking Hornets does.

So come on Reds, batter these and make an arl arse happy 

Oh, and if you're going the game, as you walk from town past those shops just before the ground, shout some abuse at the flat above the Bookies - it's my lad's gaff and he supports the Plastics 

[Red_Irishman]

Nice one, good write up.

[Caligula?]

I still feel queasy when I think about the 3-0 there last season. Ighalo and Deeney absolutely destroyed our defense that afternoon. Yet we still had more possession, shots, and corners.

Luckily they've been incredibly inconsistent this season. They get one good result then have a few bad ones, then another good one, and so forth. We have to be economic and take any chances that come our way like against Stoke and WBA, which obviously means creating a lot more than that pathetic performance vs Palace. Luckily they've conceded a healthy amount of goals so I feel we'll be allowed plenty of opportunities to score. It might just be a case of outscoring them given how crap we are defensively.

[Sheer Magnetism]

They'll be out for revenge after the 6-1 earlier in the season but just looking at that squad, we should be able to win this easily. I wouldn't mind giving Harry Wilson a chance to run at that defence but really, I don't care how we do it, just three points will be enough.

[Lolo]

Make no mistake......this is a high-pressure game. Everybody around us will already have played (TWICE), so all eyes will be on this one.

Probably the same starting team, but please Fowler a decent bench. Lallana and Sturridge sitting on it would be a huge plus (or one of them even starting)!

3 points....anyway you like.....just 3 points please.

[free_at_last]

Yeah , I was at that game - the end of an era. I remember they had a decent sized, noisy  "Kop" and they greeted our  team as they ran towards their end for the 2nd half with "EV-ER-TON, EV-ER-TON" - we did look nervous. Apart from their goal I can pretty much only remember that Geoff Strong half-chance.
 We can probably look forward to another nervous night. Time to stand up - if we can't stand up to Watford then we don't
deserve to try and stand up at Bayern, Barca, PSG....but I think we may scrape it.

[Caligula?]

Make no mistake......this is a high-pressure game. Everybody around us will already have played (TWICE), so all eyes will be on this one.

Probably the same starting team, but please Fowler a decent bench. Lallana and Sturridge sitting on it would be a huge plus (or one of them even starting)!

3 points....anyway you like.....just 3 points please.

I think Sturridge's season - and maybe his time with us - may be over mate. Don't think he'll feature anymore this season. If Lallana's fit, he should start. I'd rather we have him on from the start and have some sort of lead to protect before taking him off around the 60-70 minute mark if he can't complete a whole game, as opposed to needing him for 20 or so odd minutes chasing a winner. It's that time of the season and we need to to take some risks and throw the kitchen sink at getting into the top 4. No use in currently protecting players or easing them back in when they'll have the whole summer to recuperate if they were to get injured again between now and the end of the season. Throw everything at it.

Lallana replacing Origi in the starting XI would be the logical choice, with Firmino back up top centrally.

[Lycan]

So frustrating we've put ourselves in a position were we have to win every game now. That's massive pressure on a set of players who are on their last legs. So annoying. We should have been home and hosed by now. 

Really don't know what to expect on Monday either. We didn't react well at all to playing after Utd had beaten Burnley. We knew we had to win and yet we shit out. Now, I believe we can still do it but, we're going to have to dig really, really deep to win our next four games. I'm just hoping we can get it done.

[sms1986]

Think Lallana will make an instant impact on his return, hopefully we get the three points but our rivals for top four don't have it easy themselves.

[Johnnyboy1973]

I reckon the return of Lallana will see Origi drop out. The same as when Mane was at the African Nations.

[Zlen]

Maximum pressure game.
There will be nothing comfortable about it, just  a grueling, grinding shitfest we'll hopefully somehow win.

[Funky_Gibbons]

I reckon the return of Lallana will see Origi drop out. The same as when Mane was at the African Nations.

That didn't exactly work out very well.

[bobadicious]

I reckon the return of Lallana will see Origi drop out. The same as when Mane was at the African Nations.

Yeah i agree. With the limitations in our squad at the minute its either Lallana in for Origi or Lucus or even Can. Think Origi is better suited to coming off the bench than as a starter so hed be the one to get the hook for me. Also means Firmino goes back in the middle where hes best.

[Felch Aid]

Very nervous after that last result and not playing till chuffin Monday put's all the pressure on us.

They're safe but that means absolutely nothing. They'll be well up for it and like the rest of the world they know our fragilities.

Can see Lucas keeping his place in a back 3 and Origi dropping to the bench with Lallana coming in.

[SinceSixtyFive]

All three points absolutely essential.

Nothing else will do.

[Grobbelrevell]

The very definition of a 'must win'.

No room for error now.

[Qston]

Well over the over used "must win" is now really, well er not being over used. This is a must win if we want to finish top 4. We need to show a real mental and physical toughness and my fear is that we don`t have much of either. Lallana coming back into the side does provide some additional creativity but it is a lot to expect of the lad to come in and make a huge impact immediately.

I am feeling unusually pessimistic about this game and right now I need two positives as someone famous once said.

Nice OP as well. Many thanks

[pyroparty]

These are shit and being in mid table takes the competitive edge off, not that they deliberately wont try but it does take off a little something mentally, human nature! Still, they only need to throw 2 crosses in and will probably have 2 goals!

Interesting game either way, we'll either be reacting to a disastrous few results of the Mancs or Arsenal winning an away derby and needing a win just to stay in with a shout or once again the ineptitude of our rivals lets us in and we'll need a win to put ourselves in a great position! We could really do with hammering someone as well, Arsenal could clear that gd in one game v some of the shit they play and the Mancs are closing in, not sure we've got it in us without Mane though.

[HeartAndSoul]

Still have nightmares of Deeney and Ighalo giving Skrtel and Sakho a torrid time in that 3-0 game.

We can't afford any more defeats from here on in if we want top 4. It'll be hard but I think we'll likely need 3 wins and 1 draw to get top 4 after the fuck up this past weekend.

Doubt Lallana will start after being out for 5-6 weeks? Wouldn't be surprised if it's the same team that played against palace.

[Upinsmoke]

Nice OP

Just please fucking win someway, anyway, or its season over

[Buck Pete]

Nice write up mate.   Interesting story and it seems they chose the right man for the job this week.

Other than the terrible result last year when the camera honed in for a good 5 seconds on my miserable face when Ighalo scored, it was a good day out. 

A highlight was the Watford fans berating a half/half scarf seller and telling him to take his shite wares elsewhere.  Respect to Watford and maybe not as small time as I may have once thought.

[redk84]

Nice OP

This won't be easy. They'll want revenge for the earlier season defeat, will remember how they beat us last season and as it under the lights will be "bang up for it". No doubt they'll see us as a soft touch and get in our faces....I'd expect a few solid tackles to rattle our lot early doors

So ride the storm and let our quality show

Or get in the middle of the storm, battle it out and then come out on top

However we do it just win the fucking thing. Not having anything but a win here due to the calamity against Palace as it is now owed to us....do it Jurgen. Do it reds

[WaterfordRed]

I was at the 1970 game too.

Gloves are off now and its do or die.

[fowlermagic]

Just need a wee mini run to top off a pretty good season. We seem to never do it the easy way as you only have to look back at our recent (well last 16 years haa) cup wins against the likes of West Ham, Milan, Birmingham, Alaves....the topsy turvy rollercoaster that's LF FFFFF C. Cmon lads a wee hiccup wont stop us from the ultimate goal of this season so lets go out there, give 110% and even when that's given scrapped the barrels and get the job done.

[Anfield Kopite]

So frustrating we've put ourselves in a position were we have to win every game now. That's massive pressure on a set of players who are on their last legs. So annoying. We should have been home and hosed by now. 

Really don't know what to expect on Monday either. We didn't react well at all to playing after Utd had beaten Burnley. We knew we had to win and yet we shit out. Now, I believe we can still do it but, we're going to have to dig really, really deep to win our next four games. I'm just hoping we can get it done.

I dont get these type of posts. Why should we  be home and hosed ? Its not like we have suddenly lost 4 games on the bounce. We have picked up 17 points from our last 8 league games. That type of form is top 3 or 4 form and if we get 8 from our last 4 we will get 4th in my opinion.

[Roarin-red]

So Troy Deeney comes out after losing to 10 man hull and issues a war cry to his team mates. 3 days ago this was a banker to me. Now i'm shitting it. It all comes down to the psychology. As usual we're back to giving teams belief. Watford will be well up for this, while last week it looked like they were on the beach.
However when looking at the Palace result they have been on great form so right now no real shame in losing to them (with our injuries) Watford however do not have the players they have and are not playing as well. There are no excuses for this one. None. If we let the mancs back into this we are the biggest bottlers to play the game. I will be baying for blood. Liverpool please rip these bastards from limb to limb.

[Crosby Nick]

Still have nightmares of Deeney and Ighalo giving Skrtel and Sakho a torrid time in that 3-0 game.

We can't afford any more defeats from here on in if we want top 4. It'll be hard but I think we'll likely need 3 wins and 1 draw to get top 4 after the fuck up this past weekend.

Doubt Lallana will start after being out for 5-6 weeks? Wouldn't be surprised if it's the same team that played against palace.

They were helped by Bogdan gifting them a very early opener as well which never helps.

[sms1986]

They were helped by Bogdan gifting them a very early opener as well which never helps.

Wasn't that the goal where the ball was knocked out of his hands?

[Crosby Nick]

Wasn't that the goal where the ball was knocked out of his hands?

That's the game. Was it or was he dropping it anyway?  Remember him getting grief for it anyway. Twice that Ake has profited against us.

[Titi Camara]

Snip

Top Bananas! Cheers for that Snappa, cracking OP, always appreciate a spot of original writing

[lfc79]

Yeah it was knocked out of his hands but you need to your goalkeeper to be confident to get those kind of decisions, bit like when you see defenders looking a bit lost when the ball is padded and then getting hassled on the ball, often they get fouled but the ref plays on because they looked like they were fucking it up themselves.

[amirani]

Lallana just posted a picture of him in training.

[Theoldkopite]

Yeah, I was at that 1970 game too. 'We are the men from the Anfield Spion Kop' song was just taking off around that time and I didn't know all the words. Got some funny looks when I joined in with 'shite,shite, shite' instead of 'sight, sight, sight'! Mind you, thinking about it we were shite that day! 

Edit: upon reflection the above incident could have taken place at the cup game down there in 1966-67!!

[TheShanklyGates]

Just win. Don't care who plays, don't care how we do it, just fucking win.

[jillcwhomever]

Lallana just posted a picture of him in training.

He appeared to be moving quite freely as well, fingers crossed he plays a good part.

[TepidT2O]

Palace were a blip.  They've just beaten Chelsea and Arsenal.

Let's believe folks...

[princeoftherocks]

Palace were a blip.  They've just beaten Chelsea and Arsenal.

Let's believe folks...

burnley was a blip.  sunderland was a blip.  bournemouth was a blip....  our defence is shite.

[TepidT2O]

burnley was a blip.  sunderland was a blip.  bournemouth was a blip....  our defence is shite.

You have several blips in a season..

Ours come as a result of our defense, all the sides we are competing with have weaknesses.  Defeatism like this is self fulfilling.

[Oberyn_Martell]

Lallana in for Lucas. Can Wijnaldum Lallana in Mf. We'd be too slow if we put Lallana in the front three.

[Garnier]

This will most likely be another grind out job like WBA and Stoke. Hope we win so the giddyness can come back.

Also, Manchester City beating their city rivals would also be massive. And Swansea getting points from Old trafford too. You get the drift