Topic: European Cup Final 1/6/19. LFC v THFC

[Doc Red]

Lovely Mr H.

We have faced our biggest fears already and transcended them, I think. A team that's able to play the situation in front of them with more calm and ruthlessness than any of us could muster for them while wielding a Playstation controller.

Vertonghen's got suspected ligament damage.
Kane won't be sharp.

The better side on that half of the draw went out last night. We'll find a way.

Firstly, wonderful OP!
Exactly.  We've faced the worst case scenario. We know how it feels to lose a trophy at the last hurdle.
Right now, Tottenham face the euphoria of reaching a Final, but by the time thr Final rolls in they'll be coping with the possibility of failure. You can see how much it meant to their players and especially the manager, pure emotional outburst. Start a Final all emotional and things can unravel quite quickly if things don't go your way. And the fearof losing to a domestic rival in their first Final is a  psychological mind fuck to have to cope with. Especially with the media hyping up their journeyto the Final.

we're the worst match-up for them. We've been playing must win games for 2 months now and have followed through. As Klopp said, we're mentality monsters. Tottenham have dramatically switched off in the league and out themselves in positions where they were minutes or inches from getting knocked out in the Champions League. There's only so many times you can switch off and switch on in the last 30 mins and walk away with a win.


Ajax would have been a tougher prospectivefor us just psychologically speaking, Bunch of young players withnothing to lose and all the pressure on ourend. Our mindset should be more focused and determined against a rival we already know and know what to expect.

Should be a wonderful Final, and I predict us scoring at least 3 goals, possibly all in the 2nd half.
Tactically wise, we're a problem for them. We're quick, direct, both a dead ball threat and a counter attack threat,  capable of cutting you open from the wings or right down the centre.

[Sharado]

Snip. Its a funny thing as he's deadly in the box, but the line up with Kane is definitely the one I think 'I fucking dare you to play that'.

[Skidder.]

I hope Kane plays.

He wastes a lot of their dangerous attacks with scooby shots.

As does Trippier.

[Doc Red]

If you've watched us play this season, if you understand our players and manager, if you believe, then you know.

Spurs can have everybody fit, they can continue to pray that half our team will be out injured, they can put in the performance of their lives.

But Tottenham are going to have to literally kill every single one of our players on June 1st to stop them lifting that trophy.

Well said. Our boys have a fantastic mentality. We're out to avenge a loss that still feels unfortunate we lost, and no one is going to stop us.

[redbyrdz]

Isn't Spurs on par with us fitness wise or do we edge it?

They looked a bit knackered in the league lately, also due to their smaller squad. But they'll have three weeks to recover, that should do it for them.



If we keep our composure and treat them like Barca, we should win. I hope last year's dissappointment means will keep focussed and on it. We know them better than Ajax, so that's a bonus. But they are dangerous and won't lie down, these matches against City and Ajax showed that.

[Doc Red]

In all honesty, I'm a tiny bit worried about the fight Spurs have shown to get this far, first against City, then against Ajax. Definitely feels like they'll try to give us a game, though I'm extremely confident that we'll come out on top. It's always less interesting playing against an English side too, since we play them at least twice every year.

We're better than them. And we've been through the dress rehearsal last year, we know what being in a CL final entails - all the hype and marketing commitments, and all the pressure and atmosphere. We're massive favourites to win this.

Against City, they dropped a 2-0 lead early on and were inches from getting knocked out in the Final moments.
Against Ajax, they lost their home leg and were 2-0 down by the first half, and deservedly so. They're very good when they have absolutely nothing to lose and against a team that can't handle the pressure.
We were very unlucky to lose 3-0 against Barca, we played them better than anyone has at their place in years. We also controlled the game when we beat them 4-0. We've been on must win mode for months and still persevered. Spurs are absolutely shitting themselves thinking about facing us over 90 mins with a trophy on the line.

[SweetSilverSevens]

I know we've got Wolves on Sunday, but this is all I can think about.

Was gutted when Moura got the third last night. I've been concerned about Ajax ever since the Madrid result - they reminded me of us last year, young, fearless, skilled. After 60/70 minutes of last night though I was praying they could hold on. The amount of space Spurs were finding wide and in-front of their defence was incredible. I was imagining Mane and Salah playing them with Bobby pulling the strings and feeling more confident than ever we'd be bringing number 6 home.

Spurs is, with exception of City, the worst match-up in Europe for us I think. They're the best side, other than City, to come to Anfield and, while there were reasons for us being open in that match, they were excellent in the second half and could feel hard done by with a draw, let alone the loss they got. If they go in with a fully fit squad it's going to be a real, real test. A strong CB pairing, strength and stamina in defensive midfield and a variety of attacking players with pace, guile and finishing ability. The thought of us defending a one nil lead versus Kane flanked by Son and Moura with Alli and Eriksson behind (can never spell his name) has me nervous already.

But then I remember. We have Virgil Van Dijk. We have Allison. We'll have a fit Mane and Mo. We have two of the best full backs on the planet. We have Matip in incredible form. We have strength, stamina, skill and tactical intelligence throughout midfield. We have Jurgen Klopp. We also have pain. We have a sense of a wrong to put right. Whatever I, we, you think of Spurs, this Liverpool team will be viewing them as team in the way of their main goal this season. These lads were devastated by the result in Kiev. They've been planning on putting it right all season. Spurs will be motivated, they will have desire and drive. They might match us for that, might. But they won't beat it.

A fit, motivated, prepared Liverpool team is one of the top three teams in the world. If we play to our potential, we win this match, regardless of what level Spurs hit.

We beat Man City 5-1 on aggregate last season in Europe.

[SweetSilverSevens]

I totally agree with embracing our status as favourites. I wrote this elsewhere but it obviously belongs here, too:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you’ll allow me the indulgence, I’d like to take a moment to look ahead to the final, and to tell you what I’d like to see there.

I’d like to see us be the favourites.
 
What do I mean by that?

 
I mean that I would like us…
 
 

• to believe that we are the better team.
• to use our greater experience.

• to play like the trophy is destined to be ours.

 
 
Let’s think, for a minute, about how we’ve lost finals before, and how teams have beaten us. In particular, look at what Real did to us. Real – the cynical, white-shirted manifestation of the cold reality of greater power. The instantiation of superiority.
 
 

• They stayed tight.
• They let us expend our energy.
• They did not get caught up in the emotion of the occasion.
• They were, above all, ruthless.

 
 
No matter what happens, our opponents will be not just first timers, but first timers with the added ‘what a dream to even be here’ factor that we had last season. They will have a certain freedom because of that. They will have nothing to lose.
 
So how do we take a team with nothing to lose, and make sure that they lose everything, nonetheless?
 
We become that bastard, stubborn, resolute and impossible to breach Liverpool that’s been so dominant this season. We spoil, we ruin, we let them expend their energy. We understand that the longer the game remains even, the more likely we are to win it. We understand that the more they come at us, the more likely they are to be open at the back. We realise that teams are often at their most vulnerable when they’re at their most positive – a counter attack, a cool finish, a ‘first chance of the night against the run of play’ taken, and reality comes crashing in on the power of hope and dream.
 
And then, if they have any fight left in them, we take the sting out of the game. We keep possession when necessary. Take the ball when necessary. Defend deep when necessary. Foul the young ingenue out of the game when necessary. We do whatever is necessary. And when our opponent pauses, in the flurry of his youthful intensity, that’s when we plunge our hidden knife deep, deep, deep into a heart that was just not broken enough to fight men like us.

And our hand of death, in twisting the knife, will show every bit of the hard-won skill and ability which lies behind our ruthlessness.

The crushing embrace of inevitability overcomes them. An Icarussing of our opponents: “Who were we, to reach so high? Did we really dare to raise ourselves to the redness of that Liverpool sun? How nice to have flown, but how inevitable that our pale wings should melt, and we should come crashing down into the sea, here, where it’s cool. Here, where gravity doesn’t pull us down anymore. Here, where we belong.”

We do that not because we are cruel – but because this is not a game to us. This is not a beautiful journey. This is who we are. This is what we do.
 
This is our destiny.
 
Dreams are beautiful. Dreams give you wings.
 
But destiny is the sun.
 
And the sun is red.

To play like the trophy is meant to be ours.... exactly. Which is why it annoys when fans keep going "what if we lose...?"

FFS. If we don't show the same belief we did at Anfield on Tuesday, forget it!

If the worse happens we'll deal with it then, but why toture yourself now with three weeks to go?

[Bobinhood]

Allison > Hugo

TAA >> Rose
Matip >> Alderhay or Sanchez
VVD >> Vertigo
Robertson >>Trippier or Davies

Beckys Husband > Ali
Hendo >> Dire
The Windjammer = or > Erickson   Ericksons a decent playmaker who doesn't really sweat the Windjammers a much better 2 way player

Mane> Son
Firmino>Moura
Salah>Kane

LFC bench > THFC bench

Klopp > Poch

Red >> White

Melwood Kitchen staff >> Cheeseroom sales vendors

LFC away fans >>>>> anything London ever produced ever

LFC history >>> spursy spurs spursing



So ya, 50-50 fpor sure. 50% chance we win a laughter, 50% chance we win a close one. Right up in the air this. Go ahead, call me overconfident and worry that the fates will strike us down. Better than bricking it and swearing a team we have handled easily this year already that are 24 points off our pace will find a new gear we dont have and beat us in a one.

one of the anything can happens in a one-off is that we smash them. i choose that option as my default position.

[Red_Rich]

On a side note, just heard an Arsenal fan on SKYsports in Valencia say "I'd willingly throw tonight's match if it meant Spurs didn't win the CL!"

Really?!  Is that the day and age we're living in now where you'd rather your own team win fuck all as long as it meant your rival didn't win a bigger trophy?  Ridiculous social media/Twitter/banter-ridden culture we're living through.  Cowardly as well.

[SweetSilverSevens]

I've not even been able to look at BBC sport website since Spurs won. Absolutely disgusted with Ajax, just keep the ball in the corner a la Milner on Tuesday.

The leading story is "Inspired by Liverpool" 

[Qston]

On a side note, just heard an Arsenal fan on SKYsports in Valencia say "I'd willingly throw tonight's match if it meant Spurs didn't win the CL!"

Really?!  Is that the day and age we're living in now where you'd rather your own team win fuck all as long as it meant your rival didn't win a bigger trophy?  Ridiculous social media/Twitter/banter-ridden culture we're living through.  Cowardly as well.

A lot of fans are going Full Everton in the last few years. Perhaps it isn`t restricted to Everton after all

[lamonti]

Absolutely mad we're in the final again

[Sharado]

A lot of fans are going Full Everton in the last few years. Perhaps it isn`t restricted to Everton after all

Practically all of London, including Chelsea, wants us to win. Proper odd.

[SweetSilverSevens]

You might be looking at only the final games, but that doesn't actually affect any probability numbers. If you want actually calculate or assess it, you might want to collect data (whichever cup tournaments you want to consider as relevant to UCL) and see how many upsets have been over the years in different knock-out rounds (single game - not two legged) of different competitions. There'd be a lot more such upsets than what you seem to present in your post and whenever there is a probability of something, it always means there is a chance. And, when there is a chance, the most we can do is to do whatever on the pitch to not to give the opposition their chance. Odds don't matter in one-off games. Any result CAN happen.

Plus, this is a game between a PL Top 4 side vs another PL Top 4 side. Instead of considering it as a final, if you think of it as a league game, then, none of the possible results is an actual 'upset'.

Nobody can be surprised if this will be a close game. We will prepare for a closely fought game. That means, do our best, and the rest will take care of itself.

Liverpool have only lost one PL game this season and Spurs have lost 13. So even in a PL context this season, a Spurs victory would be a shock.

[Zoomers]

The boys and the manager have got their chance again, thanks to their hard work. Now let's make this one fucking count, no looking back and thinking what ifs, just fucking do it you redmen.

[Nick110581]

This is going to be an agonising wait.

They will be dangerous and be interesting to see if Kane makes it as he will play meaning one other attacker doesn’t start.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Been saying this all year, in every game, regardless of opposition. Just win, any way, any how, push one last time, everything you have, grab the prize that you've been craving all year, use the anger and disappointment and get it done lads

[LFC when it suits]

They've gone full Everton. They've lost the plot.

Watching AFTV and they're having a serious introspection on where Arsenal are just because of yesterday's result. Wish i had Troopz confidence in us winning, as much he does! Cut to 12:29 below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZHu6moduIU

Imagine being a bigger club than your rivals for decades and decades and  then in one night, spurs have the opportunity to eclipse anything that arsenal have ever done in their history. Most of us would lose the plot too.

[Yosser0_0]

I was gutted for Ajax last night, especially the manner in which they got beat with the last kick of the game but in truth it could have been over for them much earlier than that, Spurs hit the post early on and there were a couple of goal mouth scrambles. Ajax also had their own chances to seal it but were sloppy with their finishing and never really looked convincing to me after an initial whirlwind start. I’m disappointed because I think it would have been a fantastic final both from a fans point of view and a footballing point of view, now I fear it will be more like the final of ’81, a tactical chess match inhibited by the fear of losing (hope I’m wrong). Also as others have said in the run up the final, the media will be unbearable with a London team taking part. We’ve already seen that the media have placed the Spurs result as equal if not higher that our own result on Wednesday, not that I’m questioning what a fantastic result it was for them, but strangely for me it slightly took the gloss away from own triumph. Perhaps I’m just being selfish and just expect our team to have a monopoly on freak, unexpected and miracle results. Spurs have been a surprise package in the Champions League with some very impressive and sometimes comprehensive wins, very much like Liverpool last season. When you beat the best team in Europe, in Man City, there does become a point where you believe that perhaps your name is on the trophy, well we all know how that worked out for us.

I’ve no real axe to grind with Spurs as a club, their manager and most of the players, their propensity to dive is a little irritating. In terms of an opponent in the final it could have been far far worse, it could have been Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Man City or heaven forbid Juventus. It could have very easily been us out of the competition and a Barca V Spurs final? Who would we support then, a Barca team containing the likes of Suarez and Couthino or another English team containing Kane and Alli? Thankfully that didn’t come to pass and unlike the annoying situation in the premier league, the destiny of this one is in our own hands, which is vitally important. Strange isn’t it how we go from rooting for Spurs a couple of weeks ago V Man City to rooting against them V Ajax, hoping Barca, Real Madrid etc. get dumped out whilst we avoid them all. The group phases were a real struggle for us this year and it really didn’t look like we were going to progress. After that we haven’t had a bad run to the final this year, but has it really been any easier given that we’ve played Bayern and Barca? Is it just that we are a better, more accomplished team, perhaps not quite as eye catching but much more in control and more efficient. I certainly think there has been a mind-set change among the players, in that they feel that they belong at this level rather than the feeling that these are just one off cup runs like the one in 2005. Now in order to win the European cup you also have to accept that you need to beat at least one, perhaps more of those famous teams listed above and possibly Man City as well. You need to face that head on and confront it, not shy away from it and worry about the endless possibilities. Klopp is instilling this attitude into his players, in one of his early fixtures at Man City, the team was 4-1 up and he had to tell his players not to worry or fear such a scoreline – Its OK to be winning like this!

Along with Man City, Spurs have probably given us one of our toughest fixtures this season at Anfield. It was a strange one as we started really well, scored early and could have had a lot more, they started with three at the back and really struggled but when they changed tactics they took control of the game. Fair play to Pochettino, he spotted it wasn’t working and changed it, however I noticed he also went three at the back in the first leg against Ajax and the pattern repeated until the change. One wonders why he adopts the tactic as it clearly doesn’t seem to work for them? I think the game will be won and lost in midfield and who can take control there, in the games I’ve watched Sissoko has really impressed me especially at Anfield. He’s strong, powerful and direct, and with his defensive capabilities, he compliments the attacking midfielders really well. However one glaring omission from the Liverpool team at Anfield that day was Fabinho , when he came on we gained more control, he’s become a massive player for us and I would suggest first on the team sheet. They are a strong powerful fit team, good defensively and effective in attack, especially on the break. Not dissimilar to Liverpool in a lot of ways, we need to be on our game, another similar performance to the Barca game would be great, let’s start in the same manner from the first whistle.

[Indomitable_Carp]

I've only ever met one match going Spurs fan and he was sound. Otherwise I've met few if any other Spurs fans (match going or otherwise). Don't know where some of their fans (and a few of ours) have worked up this hatred. Too much time on the internet I suspect.

I'd rather have had Ajax in the final. Not because they would've been easier, it just would make for a much better occasion and proper European clash. But Spurs have done well to get there, so fair play to them. Be arsed with an All-English final though. Hope they get absolutely twatted.

[Zlen]

I can’t see a scenario where any other team in the world wants it more than us in this game. We’ll outfight anyone. There is no stopping us.

[mikey_LFC]

Only one champions league finalist has ever got more points than us, 2010-11 Barcelona got 96. Win our last game and we take that record.

[Mr_Shane]

I can’t see a scenario where any other team in the world wants it more than us in this game. We’ll outfight anyone. There is no stopping us.

Same here. We were fighting tooth and nail and virtually sweating blood to get the result we wanted against Barcelona. For all Spurs results, I never got that impression.

[Fiasco]

I can’t see a scenario where any other team in the world wants it more than us in this game. We’ll outfight anyone. There is no stopping us.

Definitely. Yosser that's a cracking post as well and the point you make about the players feeling like they belong now will be crucial. There wont be any complacency, just a simple revenge mission to win that trophy. Spurs have to be collateral in the eyes of the players. Respect them yes and prepare accordingly, but we are a juggernaught and we can't fall at this hurdle now.

[David in Edinburgh]

I wanted Ajax so we could get revenge for 66!

[Red Being]

While it is true that I fear them and they are dangerous, I am damn sure they will be fearing us more than we fear them. And if we play the way we handled Barca, barring some very unfortunate serving of misfortune, there is only one winner in this.

[jepovic]

Spurs have been very uneven, both between games and within games. You would expect them to play at their best in a game like this of course. We will be favorites in a CL final and they can be a bit more relaxed.
There will be chances and we have to be efficient.

[So… Howard Philips]

I wanted Ajax so we could get revenge for 66!

I was a 14 year old believer on the Kop that night. Genuinely we believed we could overturn a 5-1 deficit. It was lashing down outside and in the Kop the usual crush caused a huge cloud of steam to rise, followed by dozens being passed over our heads down to the St Johns Ambulance staff.

I got home pissed off at the result to be met by my mum who'd seen the crush on theKop thinking I'd have a few broken ribs. No mobile phones then. My dad just shrugged.

[Wingman]

Only one champions league finalist has ever got more points than us, 2010-11 Barcelona got 96. Win our last game and we take that record.

Is there a prize for it? Nope, it means fuck all.

[Butter Keks]

Spurs are very dangerous, one of the few sides that can match our intensity, work rate and physicality. I mean they are in the final on merit, they deserve to be there but after last season we seriously have unfinished business with this trophy. Getting ratted by Sergio fucking Ramos, Karius throwing them in the net, all that work undone in ridiculous and unprecedented fashion. If last seasons final isn't the biggest motivation possible then I don't know what is.

[PoetryInMotion]

Liverpool have only lost one PL game this season and Spurs have lost 13. So even in a PL context this season, a Spurs victory would be a shock.

Again you're going to the points table. I'm talking about a one-off match.

Which part of that is confusing?

To make it simple, if we have a game against Spurs tomorrow that we 'must' win to stay in the title race/win the title, would you be overtly confident that it is a done thing?

When the actual league game came in that situation, I knew we had a job on our hands, and we had to battle till the end to win it by an own goal past 85 minutes, it was by no means easy. And had they taken a point off us, it would've been by no means an upset in PL terms, only in title race terms. And that was at Anfield. This is at a neutral venue.

And it's not that Spurs haven't taken a single point off a Top 4/Top 6 team this season. They lost both their games to City & Liverpool (not many sides have taken points off them), but they have defeated City in the CL, they have defeated Chelsea in the league, they have defeated Arsenal in the cup, and they have defeated Man United this season. They also drew with Barcelona, beat Inter, Dortmund & Ajax. We have done better, of course, these are just examples of what can happen in one-off games.

It's not a done thing against Wolves. Spurs are better than Wolves and are in a CL final. All that I'm saying is 'don't get cocky' for your (and those with similar posts) sake. We're favourites of course, unlike last season. One thing is on paper. Another thing is on the pitch. Of course, Klopp, his staff and the team will know that they have to give their all. One thing they know is that, at this high level, small margins matter. I have full confidence on Klopp & the team to give everything we can to win the game.

[RedSamba]

people actually comparing PL and CL results? 

[deFacto please, you bastards]

people actually comparing PL and CL results? 

It's baffling, it has zero impact on this match.

[Caligula?]

We're about to hit 97 points in the league. We've beaten PSG, Napoli, Bayern Munich, Porto and Barcelona to get to the final. Embrace the fact that we're one of Europe's best sides, and probably one of the world's best sides as well. Go into this with the belief and cofidence that we'll win this full stop. That's what the best do.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Again you're going to the points table. I'm talking about a one-off match.

Which part of that is confusing?

To make it simple, if we have a game against Spurs tomorrow that we 'must' win to stay in the title race/win the title, would you be overtly confident that it is a done thing?

When the actual league game came in that situation, I knew we had a job on our hands, and we had to battle till the end to win it by an own goal past 85 minutes, it was by no means easy. And had they taken a point off us, it would've been by no means an upset in PL terms, only in title race terms. And that was at Anfield. This is at a neutral venue.

And it's not that Spurs haven't taken a single point off a Top 4/Top 6 team this season. They lost both their games to City & Liverpool (not many sides have taken points off them), but they have defeated City in the CL, they have defeated Chelsea in the league, they have defeated Arsenal in the cup, and they have defeated Man United this season. They also drew with Barcelona, beat Inter, Dortmund & Ajax. We have done better, of course, these are just examples of what can happen in one-off games.

It's not a done thing against Wolves. Spurs are better than Wolves and are in a CL final. All that I'm saying is 'don't get cocky' for your (and those with similar posts) sake. We're favourites of course, unlike last season. One thing is on paper. Another thing is on the pitch. Of course, Klopp, his staff and the team will know that they have to give their all. One thing they know is that, at this high level, small margins matter. I have full confidence on Klopp & the team to give everything we can to win the game.

Again well said

[The G in Gerrard]

Final can't come quick enough.

[The G in Gerrard]

We're about to hit 97 points in the league. We've beaten PSG, Napoli, Bayern Munich, Porto and Barcelona to get to the final. Embrace the fact that we're one of Europe's best sides, and probably one of the world's best sides as well. Go into this with the belief and cofidence that we'll win this full stop. That's what the best do.

See this alot what team's outside of European leagues are good?

[S]

Assuming Kane starts the final, that would be his first start in how many weeks? Feels like a long time to then jump straight in to the biggest game in their club’s history.

Then there’s the fact that they got here without him. He went off injured and only then did they score against City. Played no part in their game at the Etihad or either leg against Ajax.

Unlike a few on here I do think he’s a brilliant forward, but I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing if he plays.

[Butter Keks]

It's baffling, it has zero impact on this match.

Just as baffling seeing people worried that Spurs are going to have a rest period. I mean fucking hell we badly need a rest to get our players back ourselves. We've just seen Mane run his absolute bollocks off to make up for the lads we are missing.