...and we're competing in it.
There's no getting away from it. Yesterday was an absolute punch in the gut. All week pretty much all of us kept our heads together knowing that a miracle was unlikely. Yes, there was a fairytale storyline, but it was just that, a fairytale. And then, for a mind-altering hour, the fairytale was on. 0-1. 0-2...and it's Coutinho of all people. Could this actually be happening? All of a sudden we were right back on the edges of our seats. Yes, it might really be happening. Jesus fucking Christ, it's actually happening. Our own moment for the ages. Bang. Bang. Bang. All over in a flash. It's the hope that kills you.
Here we are, 5 days away from the biggest game in club football and it feels like we're on a downer. We've got two major trophies in the bag already. There is so much to celebrate. Sometimes the hardest thing in life is your heart telling your head that these are the good times and you should be enjoying them, but for some reason it doesn't sink in. Well let it sink in. We're chasing a cup treble in Paris against Real Madrid in 5 days time. 5 days.
There was a time not too long ago that we were buzzing just to have a Champions League qualifier to play. We should never take for granted what we have here at the moment. This is an unbelievable team doing unbelievable things. There should be no disappointment. Yesterday is done and it's on to the big one. You never know how long you might have to wait for another shot at the trophy that defines our club more than any other.
Yes, we're an online forum (a bloody brilliant one, mind you), and the players probably aren't sat around reading it. As far as we know, anyway. But we can't let yesterday put us in a slump as a fanbase and as a football club. Madrid will be flying heading into this final, absolutely full of belief. They're better rested, they've arrived into the final with a series of minor miracles behind them, they are the only club in Europe who can look at us calling ourselves the kings of Europe and scoff. We are a better team than them but they will have total confidence of getting the job done, and I genuinely believe it's that confidence flowing in their DNA that has been the biggest factor in their latest successes in the competition. We can't afford to come up against them flat. We should still feel invincible in spite of yesterday and carry that air of invincibility all the way to Paris. With the mood we've created in the last half of the season we have got it in us to absolute wipe these dickheads in white off the map.
We've had momentum on our side for pretty much 5 months. Everything has gone our way. Suddenly, there is a feeling of flatness. A feeling of hard luck. A feeling that things just don't seem to go our way at the final hurdle, and all of a sudden those near misses of 2009, 2014 and 2019 have had more airtime than the fact we're competing for a potential 7th European Cup in 5 (have I mentioned 5?) days time.
Yes, we were unlucky with the way things went yesterday. But the days of us being plucky underdogs and unlucky losers are gone. We've beaten Chelsea in two Wembley cup finals, in one of them all 11 of our players scored their penalties. In the other our second choice left back tucked home the winner. This team are a team of fucking giants. Fucking mentality monsters. They are absolute winners to the core. They've won everything there is to win under a manager who is second to nobody. And they're on their way to another European Cup final.
But football can change quickly. There is a danger that the disappointment of yesterday takes over. The fanbase feels flat. We all feel sorry for ourselves. We turn up at the final, players tired physically and mentally, and we let a Madrid team who master in picking at weaknesses add another scalp to their ridiculous European campaign. I'm confident Jurgen is doing his bit with the players. I do believe that the fanbase as a whole will play a part too. That's why Jurgen has always put emphasis on it. Doubters to believers and all that. Don't let the doubt creep in. This season of all seasons is no time to feel any doubt. Don't stew on yesterday for any longer. 5 days til the big one. And if we win it, nothing else will seem to matter.
These are the good times. Let it sink in. Up the fucking Reds.