« on: February 13, 2021, 10:59:38 am »
Leicester City v Liverpool
Saturday 13th February 2021
BT Sport - 1230
Referee: Anthony Taylor Assistants: Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn Fourth Official: Lee Mason VAR Stuart Attwell Assistant VAR: Mark Scholes
Forgive me for this OP, I'm going to be a little self indulgent with it if you don't mind.
"Liverpool remains one of the best teams I have seen in my entire life"
Pep Guardiola knows a thing or two about good footballing teams and said this in his press conference today for this weekend's games. A few have given up on the title, I'll admit that I have probably have as well, but the above quote is a reminder of just how good this team is and what they are capable of doing, we should remember that!
I read a stat the other day. A Liverpool team of Alisson, Trent, Matip, Virgil, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Salah, Firmino, Mane has only ever started one game together - the European Cup Final in Madrid. Of course this isn't fact checked so happy to be corrected. Prior to Thiago coming this summer you could argue, and probably still could, that on paper that is the strongest team Jurgen Klopp could field in the entirety of his time here and yet he's only been able to do it once. What he and the team have been able to achieve of the last three to four years is absolutely incredible. Someone posted this really helpful image in the Injury News Only thread a few days ago:
Look at the amount of key players who have missed more than 5 games this season through injury. The obvious ones are all three centre backs picking up season ending injuries but even when your squad players are picking up injuries it has a knock on effect for the rest of the team. Man City struggled last season without Laporte, Roy Keane called us "bad champions" in the week when in 2003 his Man Utd side capitulated at the top of the table after losing Rio Ferdinand for the rest of the season, yet Liverpool are expected to carry on as they were in a condensed season where the games are coming at them thick and fast? As Ace Ventura would say "Alllllllllllrighty then!" These aren't excuses they are legitimate reasons and frankly I think it's a incredible that Klopp, the coaching staff and the players have done as well as they have done so far this season! Yes no one has enjoyed the last month or so, it doesn't help the whole social aspect of going to the match has been taken away from us either, but this team has given us so much for so long that we really do need us to back them right now when they need us the most.
Anyway, to the game:
The reverse fixture at Anfield saw Liverpool cruise to a 3-0 win with an own goal from Jonny Evans accompanied by goals from Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino. There were a few pre-match nerves due to how well Leicester had done up to that point so far but Liverpool were at their imperious best and Foxes didn't get a sniff. The same was said about our previous trip to The King Power Stadium on Boxing Day 2019 when the away contingent (remember those?!) descended on the East Midlands in what was billed as title challenging Leicester taking on Jurgen Klopp's runaway Reds in a 1st vs 2nd battle, oh and didn't the media want Leicester to put a huge blue dent into our title tour?! Again I'll admit to feeling the nerves prior that game, especially as I'd got a last minute ticket from a mate and hadn't had the chance to calm any of my nerves. What emerged was even more comprehensive than the victory at Anfield earlier this season with a brace from Roberto Firmino, a penalty from James Milner and sumptuous drive into the bottom corner from Trent Alexander Arnold sending the away end into joyful delirium just days after being crowned Club World Champions and moving them 13 points clear of their nearest challenges. "We're Champions of the World" rang out around The King Power sending the locals into meltdown and getting louder with each goal. Most will look at the Man United game at Anfield as the turning point in people believing we were going to win the league but lets be honest it was this performance at Leicester that turned the tide, United was just the release point!
This season's fixture find the clubs next to each other in the league again with Leicester in 3rd and Liverpool 4th. Neither are in form with both only winning 2 of their last 5 games. Unusually the 3 games Liverpool haven't won have been at Anfield, failing to score each time, with their last two away outings in the league yielding 6 goals as they looked back to their best with back to back 3-1 wins at Spurs and West Ham. Leicester's last home game was the 3-1 defeat to Leeds and they've generally struggled there this season with 5 wins, 1 draw and 5 losses to their name.
It's a little early for team news right now but there's been glimpses of Liverpool's transfer deadline day centre back signings Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies on the substitutes bench the last few matches and at least one of these needs to be introduced to the team so we can get one of or both Jordan Henderson and Fabinho back into midfield, hopefully changing the tide of the season! Who's your money on?
I'll end this on a sombre note. As I'm writing this news has been released that Jurgen Klopp's mother has passed away. I'm sure everyone on RAWK passes on our condolences and best wishes to him and his family at this time. RIP Elisabeth, You'll Never Walk Alone. Lets bring home the three points for Jurgen, Elisabeth and his family! Come on Redmen!
« Last Edit: February 13, 2021, 02:12:53 pm by TepidT2O »
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