Topic: We are the favourites. Let's play like it.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

I profoundly hope not!

I may need a new heart and liver

[Mr_Shane]

Not sure about Lloris, but Alisson strikes me as the sort of goalkeeper who will be good at saving penalties

[vorsprungtorbenpieknik]

I

Not sure about Lloris, but Alisson strikes me as the sort of goalkeeper who will be good at saving penalties

I highly doubt it'll get to penalties, but it's good to have Alisson in the locker for such an eventuality.

[Red_Rich]

I
I highly doubt it'll get to penalties, but it's good to have Alisson in the locker for such an eventuality.

It would be one heck of a story if the keeper we bought because of how our keeper in last year's final played won us this year's final!!!

[El Lobo]

It would be one heck of a story if the keeper we bought because of how our keeper in last year's final played won us this year's final!!!

Almost the exact opposite 

“The Champions League final had nothing to do with us getting Alisson. Even if he had won it and Alisson would have been on the market we would have still signed him.

"And how the people reacted negatively to Karius after the final, by trying to isolate him, that almost made me not sign Alisson and rather stick it out with Karius. But we had to be professional, our job is to have the best players in every position.”

[rebel23]

I just cant see us losing.

[hesbighesred]

I
I highly doubt it'll get to penalties, but it's good to have Alisson in the locker for such an eventuality.

He's one of those 'keepers who just makes the goal look tiny. I doubt any striker relishes going against him, bar the likes of Milner (whose secret is that it doesn't matter who's in goal, he manages to focus 100% on just ball-corner-ball-corner. Something Gerrard learned to do as well).

Before this season I was yearning for us to be able to a team that can handle situations turning in-game.

It's telling that Klopp had so much praise for the TAA/Gini corner against Newcastle, isn't it? He delights in having players who can solve problems themselves, and it's perhaps one area where his more open tactical approach has an advantage over Guardiola's perfectionism. Their plan is incredible, but they don't always handle it well when things don't go according to plan. We've increasingly been able to handle whatever is thrown at us, and, if the plan has gone terribly wrong, proven well able to bounce back.

[Jon2lfc]

It makes a massive difference that all our key leaders should be fit, too. Can't see the likes of VvD letting our standards, and hence the trophy, slip in the slightest for this one.

This.
We have characters throughout the team that won't settle for second best, and are committed to improve on every setback.

It's like when you fight.

Often, it's not who the toughest on paper is, or who looks the part.

It's who wants it more.

[Red Beret]

Klopp is working damned hard to build a squad that will ensure we avoid situations like last year.  That's why I'm not worried.

[hesbighesred]

Often, it's not who the toughest on paper is, or who looks the part.

It's who wants it more.

Exactly. Especially when the fight gets real. When it's close, and it gets dirty, and the only way out of it at this point involves someone getting very badly hurt indeed.

Best never let it get to that point. Never seek it out. But what is sport other than one of the ways we try to train for, or at least experiment with, those kinds of moments?

[hesbighesred]

Klopp is working damned hard to build a squad that will ensure we avoid situations like last year.  That's why I'm not worried.

I'm hoping the kind of confidence on display from fans on here is kind of radiating through, or rather radiating from, the ground itself. Liverpool seems fucking buzzing from where I'm sitting in London. It seems like Liverpool's songs are coming back and like, just whisper it, maybe we're becoming comfortable with being favourites too? Not yet too proud or complacent, but just quietly confident about our team. Willing to mirror the kind of emotions their displaying.

Apart from when they plunge the knife, of course.

That's when we roar.

[Red Beret]

I'm hoping the kind of confidence on display from fans on here is kind of radiating through, or rather radiating from, the ground itself. Liverpool seems fucking buzzing from where I'm sitting in London. It seems like Liverpool's songs are coming back and like, just whisper it, maybe we're becoming comfortable with being favourites too? Not yet too proud or complacent, but just quietly confident about our team. Willing to mirror the kind of emotions their displaying.

Apart from when they plunge the knife, of course.

That's when we roar.

As I've said before, Spurs are in for a shock when they enter the stadium and discover that Anfield is portable.  They wont be playing this game in even a relatively neutral stadium.

[Anthony]

As I've said before, Spurs are in for a shock when they enter the stadium and discover that Anfield is portable.  They wont be playing this game in even a relatively neutral stadium.

Well, if you're looking for intangible advantages, having 24 hours' head start over Spurs in booking the travel certainly won't have done us any harm...

[hesbighesred]

...Anfield is portable.

I love that.

[Red Beret]

From one of the RAWK geniuses on here from last year.  It was going to be my FB wallpaper.  I'm saving it for this year now - just change Ronaldo to Kane.

Well, if you're looking for intangible advantages, having 24 hours' head start over Spurs in booking the travel certainly won't have done us any harm...

It's those imperceptible edges that matter.

I love that.

Anybody who has ever seen Liverpool in a European final knows this.

[hesbighesred]

From one of the RAWK geniuses on here from last year.  It was going to be my FB wallpaper.  I'm saving it for this year now - just change Ronaldo to Kane.

It's those imperceptible edges that matter.

Anybody who has ever seen Liverpool in a European final knows this.

Hahaha, that's great. Pharoah play for sharing it.

[paulrazor]

bump

[hesbighesred]

Didn't we do just exactly this though?

How many times have we been on the other side of a game like this?

"they gave their all"
"they had the most of the play"
"they were arguably the better team on the night"

Who cares?

We fucking WON.

[Chakan]

Didn't we do just exactly this though?

How many times have we been on the other side of a game like this?

"they gave their all"
"they had the most of the play"
"they were arguably the better team on the night"

Who cares?

We fucking WON.

[Perham]

Didn't we do just exactly this though?

How many times have we been on the other side of a game like this?

"they gave their all"
"they had the most of the play"
"they were arguably the better team on the night"

Who cares?

We fucking WON.

We didn't play well but our experience of last year was crucial and we closed it out.

[hesbighesred]

We didn't play well but our experience of last year was crucial and we closed it out.

Exactly. We made the key moments of the game count in our favour. I loved it, the evolution of this te has been amazing to watch and we've got the aura of hardened winners now.

[Robert_B]

Didn't we do just exactly this though?

How many times have we been on the other side of a game like this?

"they gave their all"
"they had the most of the play"
"they were arguably the better team on the night"

Who cares?

We fucking WON.

Agreed.

Experience won the game for us. That experience was earned over the last few years.

In a way, it makes it all the sweeter. Proves we are even better than we thought. We're so good we could win a game like that in that way.

[rafathegaffa83]

The heat dictated a large part of our approach. I think having scored so early, we knew Spurs had to come to us and we wanted to get counter opportunities. In some respects, the second half reminded me of parts our last league encounter with them.

[hesbighesred]

The heat dictated a large part of our approach.

Yep, that too, we conserved a lot of energy. I think it's telling that we were able to put on a bit more pressure at the start of the 2nd half and again towards the end, which one us the corner to secure it. We were ruthless.

[Malaysian Kopite]

As soon as we went ahead it the game was over. We played like favourites and overawed Spurs