Topic: Chasing the Title

[Redcap]

If we're glass half full, it wouldn't be crazy if any of City's 3 remaining opponents took 2 points from them.

But there's something particularly perverse and painful to be up in the middle of the night (East Coast Australia) willing on some other team to get an improbable result.

So I'm going to stick to watching this superb Liverpool team and trying my best to ignore the title, at least until something goes our way.

[mrantarctica]

As long as we win our remaining games we can do nothing more than that.

Getting to be pretty slim odds for us now. By their standards I think Man City have pretty easy games now. They've beaten Burnley 5-0 twice already this season, and though Leicester is perhaps the best team they face, they are at home and usually do pretty well at home. Brighton are one of the worst teams out there and realistically will be lucky to get a shot on target judging by the way they have been playing recently.

Still... as they say, a week is a long time in football and hopefully they drop points whilst we do our part and keep winning.

[idontknow]

That Guardian article is absolute garbage.

Fuck me, I fucking bothered reading it. Why do I ever fucking bother reading anything in the fucking Guardian. I fucking know it's a fucking shit paper. But fuck me it gets fucking worse. And they're always fucking begging for my fucking money. I should know better by now.

[Felch Aid]

Burnley and Leicester will at least be organised and will possibly frustrate City. Don't see Burnley creating much. Leicester will be a threat on the break.

[88_RED]

Before the new year City dropped points in 5 fixtures.
Since the new year City has dropped points in 1 fixture.
January, February, March, April = 3 points dropped

That's winning nearly half a season of games in a row. Little you can do against that level of consistency

UEFA or PL can.. but won't.. 

[88_RED]

Mate, I said on here last night that that we can’t connect not winning it to complete devastation. Yes, it will be hard to stomach but I’ll point you to Klopp’s press conference from today. It really is a privilege to have this man in charge of our team. It’s like he’s leading the players and fans and showing us the way.

If it doesn’t happen this season, we will win it next season IMO. Many won’t believe me because of the all or bust fear this season. Look at the rest of the top 6. Chelsea are a shambles and Hazard will be gone. Arsenal are a shambles. United are in free fall and in complete disarray. Only Spurs are decent and they’ve lost 11 times in the league this season. A lot of City’s players are getting older - Aguero, Silva, Kompany, Fernandinho. Look at our team, we’re coming into our prime.

What we’re doing and how we’re building and developing our team is exactly how you win championships. I’ve seen it in the NHL, NBA, and football itself. The model we have now is precisely what has led to championship winning teams in the past even if they don’t win it in the first few years. Every club in the land is probably envious of us right now and jealous of what we have going on. That includes City. They would love to win the CL but they can’t and haven’t. We can still win it this season.

All fair points mate and I agree with most of it..
My only issue is that I dont think we'll have a free run at the league just because City have an old squad.. They can simply go out there and spunk 400m and put another team of mercenary's together.. Its not like FFP will do anything to deter them..

Remember back in the day when Chelsea were the original plastics.. They would simply buy players just so others couldnt buy them..

But having said that, I feel we will be even stronger next season and will continue to have a great chance to win the big one(s).

[killer-heels]

Everyone keeps talking about this 29 year wait. We properly challenged for what, 3 or 4 of those seasons in 29 years?

Even then challenges like 08/09 were hopeful as at a key point we were a fair distance away and had to make up ground.

If we were this good most seasons then we would have won it more times. Our failure is collapsing. There is nothing now that should make it collapse and nothing less than a title challenge should be entertained. We are comfortably ahead of the rest other than City.

[Bolrick]

Not a fan of rodgers........ but if he takes point(s) off man city, i would buy his book when it eventually comes out. I remember there were posts of the "brendan rodgers fragrance" when he was coaching us.....if that was real, i will buy boxes of that too. 

[kezzy]

Personally I hope it’s a 93rd minute Brighton equaliser from a ridiculous dodgy penalty where Fernandinho gets 100% ball 0% man, and it’s slightly outside the box as well, and he gets a red card, and the penalty hits the bar and skies 50 feet in the air, giving pep enough time to do a lap of the stadium, and then the ball comes back down hitting a pigeon which diverts the ball on to the refs arse from which it nutmegs a celebration Stirling and rolls past Ederson, who has slipped and chipped a tooth on the upright.

All while we’re winning three nil as Nuno Santo and Klopp are sat in the same dugout watching Cocktail on a club labeled iPad arguing whether it’s a documentary or not.

 

[PhaseOfPlay]

Personally I hope it’s a 93rd minute Brighton equaliser from a ridiculous dodgy penalty where Fernandinho gets 100% ball 0% man, and it’s slightly outside the box as well, and he gets a red card, and the penalty hits the bar and skies 50 feet in the air, giving pep enough time to do a lap of the stadium, and then the ball comes back down hitting a pigeon which diverts the ball on to the refs arse from which it nutmegs a celebration Stirling and rolls past Ederson, who has slipped and chipped a tooth on the upright.

All while we’re winning three nil as Nuno Santo and Klopp are sat in the same dugout watching Cocktail on a club labeled iPad arguing whether it’s a documentary or not.

Bloody hell, man. That's as descriptive as it gets.

[NarutoReds]

+ Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp's hilarious message to Brendan Rodgers as title race hots up

"One is still living in Liverpool (Benitez) and the other one is my landlord," Klopp said before looking
down the Sky Sports camera and adding "Brendan" accompanied with a smile.

The presenter then jokingly quipped that he could withhold the rent should Leicester fail to beat City.

"Can I?" Klopp responded.

"In Germany that's not possible but if it is in England then tell me!"

"They have to do their own job themselves and we have to do ours."

"I really have no problem that. I'm really happy about the situation."

"The best thing we can do from our side is be one point behind the last match and then play it."

Jurgen Klopp.

- https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-boss-jurgen-klopps-hilarious-2796888

[Scouser-Tommy]

Come on Brendan lad

[Fruity]

As long as we win our games the pressure is on them. In terms of fatigue you would imagine the Burnley game would be the toughest for them after the bout of games they have had recently.

Though looking at us, it seems the longer we had off the harder it was to get back in our groove so who knows if that would affect City.

Personally think Burnley away is their toughest game left.

[Higgins79]

It was always about Brendan.

[CraigDS]

It was always about Brendan.

Nah it wasn’t.

[AndyMuller]

Leicester are the gatekeepers. I've said it for weeks now.

[Iska]

Personally I hope it’s a 93rd minute Brighton equaliser from a ridiculous dodgy penalty where Fernandinho gets 100% ball 0% man, and it’s slightly outside the box as well, and he gets a red card, and the penalty hits the bar and skies 50 feet in the air, giving pep enough time to do a lap of the stadium, and then the ball comes back down hitting a pigeon which diverts the ball on to the refs arse from which it nutmegs a celebration Stirling and rolls past Ederson, who has slipped and chipped a tooth on the upright.

All while we’re winning three nil as Nuno Santo and Klopp are sat in the same dugout watching Cocktail on a club labeled iPad arguing whether it’s a documentary or not.

I’ve stuck a tenner on that, got 3/1.

If City do win their last three then that’s 14-in-a-row, which makes it the second best streak ever behind only their own 18-in-a-row from last season.  They’ll have followed up a 100-point season with a 98-point season.  Feels a bit unfair but what can you do, fair play to them if they pull that off.

[Dench57]

fair play to them

 

Congratulations you're our 10,000th user

[Iska]

Congratulations you're our 10,000th user

Haha yeah I know, but I couldn’t think of another way to put it without driving myself mad

[Andy @ Allerton!]

If we win it or not - it's been an amazing season for us.

We've gained experience and a few new faces might be introduced with a few that came in settling more into the side.

All you can really ask and hope for in football is that your side shows improvement. And we have.

Been a great performance from everyone and win the league or not - should be a great day at Anfield where they'll get all the applause in the world.

We play beautiful footy and it's a genuine pleasure to see us play. Klopp really does belong in the list of our great managers. Hopefully Brendan will do us a favour as well as Sean (Liverpool fan) Dyche.

Not holding much hope of their other game mind - but stranger things have happened..

Saying that, we're Liverpool so we'll probably just slip up as that's what we do - we never make anything easy - which is why it's all the sweeter when we win. If Klopp stays then we'll have more than one tilt at this bloody title - been a few too many years now

[LallanaInPyjamas]

I agree with this in some ways. People were not predicting we'd be seeing a season of significant down turn at the start of 09/10. However, I think there is some mitigating circumstances in that situation. I don't think a lot of people realised how bad the off the field problems were. We were in a mess but not everyone knew that at the time.

Not hindsight but at that point a good proportion of the supporter base wanted Rafa gone or had serious doubts about him. It just needed 1 average season - 7th position and a EL Semi final - for a lot of fans to just want rid of Benitez. It was a really shite time to be a match going Red. Club was in turmoil and loads of people just wanted to pin it on the manager. It was a toxic around the club.

I don't think we are in that situation now. The club seems stable and 99% of the fans seem happy with Klopp. That's a big difference to where we were at in 2009/10 (with the benefit of hindsight).

In 2014/15 we weren't a million miles away from CL qualification. Though we finished 8 points off 4th we were bang in contention until the United defeat at home at the end of March. From that point will capitulated. We took 8 points from 8 games after the United defeat. With hindsight what we were witnessing was the beginning of the end for Rodgers.

In saying that I don't think the 14/15 squad of players was as bad as some people think. There was significant weakness at centre forward when Sturridge was unavailable but we still had the nucleus of a decent squad. I think that bore out a bit the next season under Klopp when we got to the EL and Carling Cup finals.

Whilst I agree with you that there was optimism still at the end of 08/09 and 13/14 about the future, at this point we seem in a much better place than either of them. The strength of the team may be comparable (or better) with 08/09 but the stability and strength of the club isn't. The club is in such a better position now and are primed for the next step. Where we stand now with the end of 13/14 isn't comparable either on or off the pitch. There's 1 definite and maybe 3 players at most from that squad who would get in the current starting XI. Probably only 4 or 5 who would get in the current squad. The club is in a better state from then as well.

Whilst no-one knows what happens over the next 3 games, next season or even beyond that, it's hard not to think that the club is in a good position to succeed in the future.

Completely agree with all of this. I obviously agree we are in a strong position and should expect to challenge again over the next 2-3 years; I just don't think it's a guarantee as many people are suggesting. Challenging for the title is dead hard, as we should know given that we're only doing it every five years at best over the last two decades. All it takes is a spell of bad luck and/or a few bad performances and we could be out of the title race before its even begun.

Granted that's much less likely than in the past because we have a boss manager and boss players. But we had very good ones in 2009 and 2014, too, so it's a bit tiresome hearing how those challenges were a fluke and built on quicksand. I think that's exaggeration littered by hindsight.

[Dr. Beaker]

I would go as far as to say that if we do come second on that final day, our celebrations at Anfield will probably (and should) put any celebration that City can muster up to shame.

I don't think I can take another season like this. Something really has to be done about this financial chicanery. It should never be (in this country) that you damn near have to go unbeaten to win the league. No doubt soon, you will have to go unbeaten unless something is done.

[JackWard33]

Completely agree with all of this. I obviously agree we are in a strong position and should expect to challenge again over the next 2-3 years; I just don't think it's a guarantee as many people are suggesting. Challenging for the title is dead hard, as we should know given that we're only doing it every five years at best over the last two decades. All it takes is a spell of bad luck and/or a few bad performances and we could be out of the title race before its even begun.

Granted that's much less likely than in the past because we have a boss manager and boss players. But we had very good ones in 2009 and 2014, too, so it's a bit tiresome hearing how those challenges were a fluke and built on quicksand. I think that's exaggeration littered by hindsight.

It's definitely not a guarantee we'll challenge for it next season unfortunately. A lot has gone right this year (few injuries to key players, over shot xg on both ends etc)  - there's never any guarantee that'll happen again.
I think you can say we'll be solidly top 4 next season. Beyond that we need to get our spending right this summer - same old same old.
Anyway hopefully we win it this year and can not worry about such things for a couple of months of drunken oblivion

[scouse neapolitan]

Everyone has it marked down as a stroll home for Citah now. Including a fair share of our own supporters. 
The only thing standing in their way were the games against Spuds and Manure. The other teams will just roll over. Bet they've got the bus route sorted and the plassy flags  printed for their welcome parade. Pep's poloneck is ironed and ready. It's all in place for them.

Well, it isn't.  This is made for us. This is the long version of Istanbul, Dortmund,  St Etienne etc. Burnley is a fucking headache of a place to go to  ( Newcastle isn't a picnic though ). Hopefully Brighton will still be fighting for their life in the last match and then we'll see Harleydanger's match report coming true.
Wouldn't swap  this ride for the world.  Double's on. Just believe.
 

[killer-heels]

It's definitely not a guarantee we'll challenge for it next season unfortunately. A lot has gone right this year (few injuries to key players, over shot xg on both ends etc)  - there's never any guarantee that'll happen again.
I think you can say we'll be solidly top 4 next season. Beyond that we need to get our spending right this summer - same old same old.
Anyway hopefully we win it this year and can not worry about such things for a couple of months of drunken oblivion

What do the xg stats tell us about how much we have overperformed? What about City?

I know that in the early part of last season City were apparently outperforming their xg?

[JackWard33]

What do the xg stats tell us about how much we have overperformed? What about City?

I know that in the early part of last season City were apparently outperforming their xg?

Top teams tend it out perform it a bit because they have elite players.
City are more or less on theirs this season (their attack is ridiculous basically) we’ve overperformed attacking wise and defensively (according to understat - other models may show differently)  - hard to say how much of it is players and how much is good luck; it’ll be a blend of the two. Not by so much that it invalidates what we’ve done in anyway; we’re clearly a decent amount ahead of the rest outside city

[CraigDS]

Did we over perform on xg last season too?

[pguyo]

Are Ken and Deidre getting married again in the next couple of weeks?

Are we getting a new pope???

[Dave D]

Where would we be without xg.

[arab88]

Everyone has it marked down as a stroll home for Citah now. Including a fair share of our own supporters. 
The only thing standing in their way were the games against Spuds and Manure. The other teams will just roll over. Bet they've got the bus route sorted and the plassy flags  printed for their welcome parade. Pep's poloneck is ironed and ready. It's all in place for them.

Well, it isn't.  This is made for us. This is the long version of Istanbul, Dortmund,  St Etienne etc. Burnley is a fucking headache of a place to go to  ( Newcastle isn't a picnic though ). Hopefully Brighton will still be fighting for their life in the last match and then we'll see Harleydanger's match report coming true.
Wouldn't swap  this ride for the world.  Double's on. Just believe.

what a post!!! couldn't agree more!!

COME ON YOU ALMIGHTY REDS! 

[Raul!]

For everyone talking about next season, at the moment, I couldn't care less.

I desperately want to win the title this season and will be gutted if we don't. It will still have been a fine season and we have a fabulous team and manager who have performed consistently at the very top level this season and all that but I'll be lying if I say that the nature and quality of the performance, outstanding as it has been, will be enough to counter the disappointment of not winning the title, at least for a while.

[Alan_X]

It's definitely not a guarantee we'll challenge for it next season unfortunately. A lot has gone right this year (few injuries to key players, over shot xg on both ends etc)  - there's never any guarantee that'll happen again.
I think you can say we'll be solidly top 4 next season. Beyond that we need to get our spending right this summer - same old same old.
Anyway hopefully we win it this year and can not worry about such things for a couple of months of drunken oblivion

Not sure I agree, especially with the 'same old, same old' comment. This most definitely isn't the 'same old, same old' Liverpool. We have one of the best managers in the game and our recruitment has been superb recently.

In the past we would be expecting one or all of Salah, Mane, van Dyck, Allison, Fabinbho, Trent, Robertson, Firmino... etc... to be poached by a 'big European Club'. We are a big European Club again and will be looking to add to those players not sell them on.

What we did this year was done with a lot going wrong as well as a lot going right. We had periods when we were playing midfielders as centre-backs and full-backs because of injuries to key players. 11mm of the ball being on the line at City may cost us the title.

We are 18 points clear of third place. That's built on a defence with three of the PFA Team of the Year back four. Our attack is one of the best in Europe and we have two players in Keita and Fabinho who have taken half a season or more to gel in the side. Those two aren't going to suddenly lose form. Oxlade-Chamberlain will be back next season and Joe Gomez will be back fit and raring to go.

To be in the 'race for top four' next season we'd have to lose 7 more games than this year or draw twenty odd games.

And we're evens to beat Barcelona and get to our third European Final in four years under Klopp.

This season isn't a once in a lifetime thing. Klopp has built this team to get 90+ points because that's what we'll need to win the league. He didn't compromise on van Dyck even if it meant we only had him for half of last season. It's clear what a difference he's made.

I understand why you say it, and I'll admit there's still a 'pinch-me, pinch-me' nagging doubt somewhere at the back of my mind when I watch us play. Then I read or listen to Klopp speak and the composure and quality of our players.

Feel free to re-post this next season if we crash and burn but I'm confident we will be putting the past behind us.

[Crosby Nick]

For everyone talking about next season, at the moment, I couldn't care less.

I desperately want to win the title this season and will be gutted if we don't. It will still have been a fine season and we have a fabulous team and manager who have performed consistently at the very top level this season and all that but I'll be lying if I say that the nature and quality of the performance, outstanding as it has been, will be enough to counter the disappointment of not winning the title, at least for a while.

I feel similar but for the record all sense of disappointment and frustration is aimed squarely at other factors. Nothing but pride for our boys and how they’ve performed remarkably consistently through the season.

It will be galling to get so many points and not win it. I’ll have a ton of regrets but not even going to consider the ‘what ifs’ over our results.

[Raul!]

I feel similar but for the record all sense of disappointment and frustration is aimed squarely at other factors. Nothing but pride for our boys and how they’ve performed remarkably consistently through the season.

It will be galling to get so many points and not win it. I’ll have a ton of regrets but not even going to consider the ‘what ifs’ over our results.

Exactly. Agree with all that.

[latortuga]

Jürgen Klopp defiant: ‘Only one will be there at the end – like Highlander’

• Manager insists Liverpool will have no title regrets
• Reds can return to the top with win on Friday

Andy Hunter

Jürgen Klopp has said Liverpool remain firm in their belief the Premier League title race is far from over and he would not relish the test that awaits Manchester City at Burnley.

Liverpool can regain top spot on Friday with a home victory against relegated Huddersfield but know the title is in City’s hands following their win in the Manchester derby. Klopp said the enthralling title race “is like Highlander. Only one of us will be there at the end”. And though three more wins guarantee Pep Guardiola’s champions another title, the Liverpool manager believes the indefatigable nature of his team will ensure the fight continues until the final whistle of the final day.

“It was not the last chance before the game. Why should it be the last chance after the game?” said Klopp of the Manchester derby, a game he watched at home with a friend from Dortmund. “If anybody really thought United are capable of hurting City … City are just too good for that. It is not a lie. I watched the game in front of the television and I was not a little bit nervous. I was not like: ‘Oh, my God, why did he do this … Lingard?’

“I don’t like watching these games, because we have nothing to do with them. I like to have the information but that’s all. Everything is still fine and if somebody doesn’t believe any more then I can’t change that now. If you still believe then welcome to my club.

“There are so many examples in life of what could happen if you give up too early, of what it means, of people who would not have survived if they’d given up, that I don’t have to use these examples. You know these examples. It is over when it’s over and not before, and for us it is not over. We just do what we have to do as well as we can do it. Then we will see.”

Klopp is adamant City’s difficult run-in did not end at Old Trafford, because Sunday’s trip to Turf Moor offers another opportunity for the leaders to slip up. He said: “Is Burnley a place I would love to have on the schedule for us now? No, honestly not. It is not a place where you think: ‘Oh nice, we are going to Burnley. Easy points.’ It is a tough place to go and they are in a good momentum, and they are used to that style of play. We don’t have to really think about it. We just have to be focused.”

Liverpool would reach 91 points by beating Huddersfield. No team have hit the 90-point mark and failed to win the title in England’s top flight while 97 points, the maximum still available for them, would be a higher tally than any Premier League champion with the exception of City last season. Klopp insists there will be no cause for regret should Liverpool achieve that remarkable haul and still not win the title.

“We don’t only play to be champions,” he said. “Yes, it’s a main target, and this team is pretty close, but this will be the first time, not the last time. We have to carry on and we will carry on but only one team can be champion. We don’t have to reset the situation, or summarise the season. If we do it, we will do it. If we don’t do it, there are no regrets as long as we give it our best and I saw that all season from the boys.

“Whatever we end up, it is only the first step. We are not finished. We started this season with this team and we will carry on.”

Klopp was asked by a Norwegian journalist what advice he would give Ole Gunnar Solskjær as he begins the formidable task of rebuilding Manchester United. “They didn’t help us, so why should we help them?” he replied. “You have to find your own solutions. It needs time.”

Apologies if this has already been shared but even if it has there's a few fans who should probably read this a few times over.

[Andar]

I would go as far as to say that if we do come second on that final day, our celebrations at Anfield will probably (and should) put any celebration that City can muster up to shame.

If we reached the CL final a few days earlier and did come 2nd on the final day, i can see it being a very jolly celebratory mood. Knowing that we have a CL final coming up against either Spurs or Ajax.

If we were knocked out, it might just end up being a bit sombre.

[killer-heels]

For everyone talking about next season, at the moment, I couldn't care less.

I desperately want to win the title this season and will be gutted if we don't. It will still have been a fine season and we have a fabulous team and manager who have performed consistently at the very top level this season and all that but I'll be lying if I say that the nature and quality of the performance, outstanding as it has been, will be enough to counter the disappointment of not winning the title, at least for a while.

The reason for that is because of what has happened when we have challenged before. If we were more confident that this is a team that will challenge again for a few years then people would be more relaxed this season.

[latortuga]

The reason for that is because of what has happened when we have challenged before. If we were more confident that this is a team that will challenge again for a few years then people would be more relaxed this season.

If you consider the 2nd half of last season, we've kind of proved that we can maintain a level of consistency beyond 1 season.

[Zlen]

Still 100% certain that we are to become champions if we win our remaining games. Universe will conspire against these manufactured fuckers.

[Indomitable_Carp]

Pretty spot on if you ask me

Way I see it, we are two signings short of having quality backups in every area. Spend some decent money on a good attacking player who can pressure Firmino/Salah/Mane and rotate. And also a backup left-back for Robinson.

Otherwise I can see us getting stronger in every area. We have long-term injuries coming back into the squad, Fabinho and Keita will have a whole season under their belts, and we'll have some young talent coming through as well. And to top it off, ragardless of if we win or not, we'll have a whole squad with the experience of whats needed in a title race.

And after this season, alongside City, we'll have the pick of quality players wanting to come and play in England.

If we have that, I don't think we can complain about lacking squad depth in comparison to City - which is a massive achievement when you consider the gulf in spending.

Other people  have suggested the other Top 6 teams will come back stronger. But from what I have seen the only other contender would be Tottenham. Man Utd will have another glorious season floundering and Chelsea will lose Hazard and have a transfer ban. Arsenal may well improve, but if they miss out on Top 4 they might struggle with recruitment as well.

I will be gutted if we don't win it this year, along with everyone else. But for the first time in my life this doesn't feel like a flash in the pan, and it won't be near as devastating as 13/14. We'll be back.


As for this season, it's not over till its over. I've still got hope.