Topic: PL: Liverpool 0 v 1 Crystal Palace Eze 14’

[jillcwhomever]

Liverpool FC vs Crystal Palace
Premier League Week 33
14/4/2024 14:00 Kick Off
Venue: Anfield

vs


Officials:
Referee: Chris Kavanagh.
Assistants: Simon Bennett and Dan Robathan.

Fourth official: Keith Stroud.

VAR: Michael Oliver.
Assistant VAR: Stuart Burt.

Managers:
Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp
Crystal Palace: Oliver Glasner

Team Selection:

Liverpool: TBD
Crystal Palace: TBD

The world is really simple when you break it down. We are born, we live, we die. Simple. It is the stuff between being born and dying, you know the living bit that is all complicated. Family life, housing, eating, school, work, and so on... and then there is the leisure activities that occupy our time and minds. Football is one such activity. Like life, football is really simple when you boil it down. 22 players kick a ball around a pitch for 90 minutes and the team that puts the ball into the back of the other teams net the most wins. Simple. Like life, football is complicated by the stuff the happens in the 90 minutes between whistles for kick off and the game ending. Margin of errors, pass completion, presses made, XG percentage, fouls committed, atmosphere, time of day, time relative to the last game, and so on...  Complicated.

It seems this season, run in, this month, is even more complicated than the game is in the 90+ minutes of each game. Klopp leaving, player injuries to the likes of Allison, Trent, Jota, Matip, pressure from opposition teams to try and be perfect, reliance on our youth/academy players, controversial decisions by the refs/pgmol/and VAR, ticket price increases.

It need not be this way. We can simplify things again.

The world, it seems, wants to complicate things for us. Pens not given for us against both our title rivals, legit goals not given, Mo finally getting injured and not starting a league game in almost four months, the complacency last night...  And then, a few months ago, a local lad gave an innocuous interview to a reporter which was blown way out of proportion. It means more to us. It simply does. Full-stop. One does not have to look hard or far to see this. You only have to look at the manner in which Liverpool have responded to their injury crisis. The way the youngsters carry themselves. The emotion in the voices of the Kop. The way the captain  inspires the side, the city, the global fanbase. It Means More To Us. It really does.

Sunday, there will be far fewer flags in the Kop, as a protest to the ticket price increase. I applaud this decision, it can not be one taken lightly. The powers that be are wrong to raise prices, supporters give so much already to this club, wither they are locals that attend week in and week out for decades or traveling Reds who pinch pennies and save pounds to visit Anfield and see the team and city we love. There are more important things than money, than a paltry few million more pounds from a ticket price increase. We have a fervent desire to see our team win the big one for the gaffer before he departs. We know how much Anfield can shape a game, can push us to the next and higher level, can seemingly propel us onto victory. Additionally we know the importance of our passion this time of year. I am not referring to the run in, but to the anniversary of Hillsborough. Games around this date are always poignant. There will be flags honoring dearly departed Reds, there will be a moment of silence, there will be somber faces in the crowd, where waving flags should be.

Complicated.

But, there will also be XI players in Red, looking to bury any doubt that we belong at the top of the league table. XI lads looking to score as many goals as it takes to ensure three points. To keep the pressure on the teams around us, those pretender clubs.

Score more than the opposition, concede less. Win.

Simple.

We have just three remaining home games in the league left with Klopp at the helm. THREE. Make them count. I know the lads in Red will.

After-all, There is a League to be Won.

UP THE REDS!

YNWA

[jillcwhomever]

Liverpool: Alisson, Endo, Van Dijk, Konate, Diaz, Nunez, Mac Allister, Salah, Jones, Robertson, Bradley.

Subs: Kelleher, Gomez, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Elliott, Jota, Gravenberch, Alexander-Arnold, Quansah.

Crystal Palace XI: Henderson, Clyne, Andersen, Lerma, Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell, Olise, Mateta, Eze.

Subs: Matthews, Ward, Tomkins, Ayew, Schlupp, Edouard, Ahamada, Riedewald, Ozoh.

[TepidT2O]

We climbed the hill in our own way.

JFT97

[TepidT2O]

An immaculately observed minute’s silence.  Thank you place fans too.

[duvva 💅]

JFT97

[TepidT2O]

[Wabaloolah]

An immaculately observed minute’s silence.  Thank you place fans too.

yep fantastic 👏

[TepidT2O]

0 underway, the reds attacking the anfield road end. Early cord into the box which Alisson punches clear from low down.  Now a shot from Eze which is easy for Alisson

[TepidT2O]

2 a very high press by Palace, we do well to beat it but Salah is hauled down on half way.

[TepidT2O]

3 good spell of pressure by the reds

[TepidT2O]

6 midfield dominance from us right now. Good to see.

[TepidT2O]

8 Good break by the reds, Robbo to Diaz..  Then a little ball to Nunez who shoots too close to the keeper

[TepidT2O]

12 largely positive by the reds. Dominant but we haven’t unlocked the door at their end yet.

[TepidT2O]

13 Alisson blasts one at Robbo and he concedes a throw.  Like Jones, he’s a bit rusty on the ball.

[jillcwhomever]

 

[TepidT2O]

14 0-1

Oh dear. 


They progress down their left. 

A cut back cross into the box and Eze is free to stroke home.  Totally unmarked

[duvva 💅]

We look so low on confidence

[Wabaloolah]

14 0-1

Oh dear. 


They progress down their left. 

A cut back cross into the box and Eze is free to stroke home.  Totally unmarked

we just couldn't get a tackle in, they knocked the ball about and just an easy goal, due due

[jillcwhomever]

We look so low on confidence

Some players look out of form sadly. It was a poor passage of play all round there.

[TepidT2O]

Over to Jill to bring us out of our misery

[duvva 💅]

Amazing Robbo, what a save

[TepidT2O]

Robbo superstar..

[jillcwhomever]

16 We build better ball on the left from Robbo goes in but Palace clear.

[jillcwhomever]

17 Then Palace break really well and Robbo makes a brilliant lunge on the line to stop the ball from going in. Who knows how important that could be?

[TepidT2O]

Need to get out of our own heads.  It’s all in your heads lads. Relax.

[Wabaloolah]

Brilliant from Robbo, should have been 0-2

[jillcwhomever]

20 We really need to be closing down Palace quicker all over the pitch, it's just too easy for them when they have the ball.

[Wabaloolah]

We look all over the place at the moment, they look by far the better and more confident side

[jillcwhomever]

21 A good ball finds Diaz who does well to push it forward towards Nunez who wins us a corner.

[duvva 💅]

Robbo trying lead the way at the moment but everyone else seems on a different wavelength

[jillcwhomever]

22 Corner goes in but is cleared we then work a  nice ball back into the box and I thought it went off the Palace defender but a goal kick has been given.

[TepidT2O]

Robbo trying lead the way at the moment but everyone else seems on a different wavelength

When times are hard you need your leaders.

[jillcwhomever]

24 A very open game this, now Palace are trying their luck down the right, but Konate defends well.

[Wabaloolah]

Robbo trying lead the way at the moment but everyone else seems on a different wavelength

yep, our best work is definitely coming down the left hand side from him and Díaz

[TepidT2O]

We’re asking too much of Nunez here. Punting it up to him for flicks ons…he can do it, but it’s not really our game.

[duvva 💅]

There are Palace players in so much space right now. We look a shadow of ourselves.

Aside from Robbo

[TepidT2O]

Oh FFS

[jillcwhomever]

26 A good ball from Alisson finds Robbo who has a good run and puts in a ball that Palace clear for a corner. Endo almost scores.

[TepidT2O]

Oh FFS

[duvva 💅]

How has he saved that

Much better from us