Topic: EL: Liv 5 v 1 Tou Jota 9’ Dallinga 16’ Endo 30’ Nuñez 34’ Grav 65’ Mo 90+2’

[jillc]

Liverpool v Toulouse

Anfield, Thursday October 26th, 8.00pm

Europa League, Group stage, Match Day 3


Referees etc….. Nothing yet.

UEFA Cup 1973.

Eintracht Frankfurt, AEK Athens, Dynamo Berlin, Dynamo Dresden, Spurs and Borussia Mönchen Gladbach.

UEFA Cup 1976.

Hibernian, Real Sociedad, Slask Wroclaw, Dynamo Dresden again, Barcelona and Club Brugge.

The early ’70’s. No live tv. Just radio and imagination. The finals were 2 legged, home and away affairs.

1973. The final. Borussia Mönchen Gladbach, first leg, 3-0 at home. Clemence saves a penalty. Away leg lost 2-0, hung on by our fingernails. Gunther Netzer, class. Berti Vogts pure mule. The start of a kind of cult relationship between the supporters of the 2 clubs. Shankly marking Europe. Our first European trophy.

1976. The final, Club Brugge, first leg, 2 down at home into the second half. Then Case and Keegan (2) into a full standing Kop, Steve Heighway on the wing, 3 goals in 5 glorious, frantic, unbelievable minutes (we patented it for future use). My radio blew up with the excitement. Second leg 1-1, again hung on by our fingernails. Brugge were class we were victorious. Our second European trophy.

We went on to meet them again in the 1978 Big Cup final. Kenny.

It was a huge competition in it’s day. Generally only the second placed league teams the season before qualified to play in it. They were often the best teams by the next season. It was gold standard European football.

And I guess it was times of hope, possibility, mystery, black and white tele. It was Liverpool on the rise, surging from the muck and mist. The making of the myth...

2023.

Our next European Europa League Group stage fixture is against one of, if not the greatest, most storied of French teams. Les Rouges et Noir, the aristocrats, the record 5 times European and 22 time national champions who provide not only arguably the greatest player in the world today but the backbone, the skill, steel and sleekness of the French national team, Toulouse.
Well it would be if we played rugby.

Instead it’s their rather poorer, football playing, same city neighbours, also named Toulouse.


Toulouse FC.

Historically they have 2 French cups and 4 division 2 titles in a combined history of 85 years. They were Wimbletoned back in 1967 and reformed under a slightly altered name in 1970. On 21 July 2020, RedBird Capital Partners (also investors in FSG ) acquired an 85% stake in Toulouse FC. The club achieved promotion back to Ligue 1 by winning the second tier in 2022. On 29 April 2023, Toulouse won its second ever French Cup title dispatching Nantes 5-1. They seem to be on the up as a club.

This season they are plodding along, mid table in Ligue 1. Played 9, won 2 lost 2. Neither a scorer nor a conceder be they. 9 games in with 10 scored, 9 conceded, at the time of writing this. Their stadium is a pleasant, modern (rebuilt in 2016) 31,000 seater.

They have actually played Liverpool in the Europa League group phase back in 2007. Liverpool won 1-0 and 4-0.

Another connection with LFC is club president Damien Comolli who was our original "Michael Edwards”, (early FSG - Kenny Dalglish era). Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam and the ponytail from Newcastle always stick in my mind as relative failures but he also brought in Luis Suarez, Craig Bellamy, Jordan Henderson, Seb Coates and José Enrique who all had good times at Liverpool and (mostly) long successful careers themselves. So, on the balance I think he did well.

To that end I took a look at the ins and outs of Toulouse last summer. Comolli brought in 13 players and 15 left. They brought in zero in upfront fees and spent 11 million. A bit of difference in scale to England. Toulouse have a squad made up of about a dozen nationalities including Spanish, French, Danes, Swedes, Fins, Swiss, Moroccans, Central Americans and assorted Africans. It amounts to a new squad and team in reality. Unfortunately I don't recognise a single player in the squad list so I have nothing to add on that. I also have no idea of the style of football they employ but in the Europa League group games so far they have done quite well. They drew away with USG and beat LASK 1-0 in the last round. They will fancy qualifying themselves and have something to gain from a result of any kind.

French football, for me, is a first cousin of traditional English football. Athletic, hard, fast and tough and I expect Toulouse will give it a decent go at Anfield and a real blast, in front of their own support, the following game. I wouldn’t take them lightly as these 2 games are glamour ties for Toulouse, I’m sure Jurgan won’t. Given that, I imagine we’ll follow our big rotation policy as per usual in this competition.
,
The midweek Europa League team has had 6 players starting both games, Konaté, Kostas, Endo, Gravenberch, Harvey and Nunez. Given Robbo’s on-going absence we might be having a bit of a question mark at left fullback.

Liverpool warmed up for this with a comfortable, almost predictable, run out against Everton. With 6 points on board already another win here would practically qualify us. So it’s a win without complications (injuries) please.

[jillc]

[BobPaisley3]

Is Doak injured?

[TepidT2O]

Is Doak injured?

Has been. 

[TepidT2O]

Toulouse

Restes - Desler, Nicolaisen, Costa, Diarra, Suazo - Sierro, Casseres, Schmidt, Donnum - Dallinga.

[BobPaisley3]

Has been.

Shame, would have been a great chance for him. Hopefully back soon.

[duvva 💅]

Has been. 

Has Ben?

[jillc]

Good luck to Luke Chambers tonight. 

[Wabaloolah]

Good luck to Luke Chambers tonight. 

yes looking forward to seeing him play

[BobPaisley3]

Teams are out and we’re ready to go. Reds attacking the very nearly finished Annie Road.

[BobPaisley3]

2 Gomez plays long over the top for Elliot but it’s too heavy and it rolls out for a goal kick

[TepidT2O]

Their fans are making one hell of a noise ! 

[BobPaisley3]

5 Darwin and Elliott combine but again the pass is too heavy and it’s a goal kick.

[jillc]

They are making every effort to go forward when they can, it already has a nice feel to this tie.

[BobPaisley3]

9 Great goal from Jota. Picks it up in midfield, runs through a few challenges and smashes it in the corner. Some weak tackles but his close control was excellent and the finish superb. 1-0

[jillc]

Great goal by Jota! Really silky smooth!

Good dribbling to get past the defense.

[TepidT2O]

Lovely little diagonal run to make space for him by Darwin too.

[Wabaloolah]

Darwin with a lovely run too that took two defenders away, really opened up the space for Jota

[jillc]

There are some really strange noises on TNT's coverage tonight. 

[TepidT2O]

There are some really strange noises on TNT's coverage tonight. 

It’s the remix

[Wabaloolah]

Thought it was an issue with a stream!

[BobPaisley3]

13 Good work on the right from Curtis and Harvey and we win a free kick on the touchline about 20 yards out. Harvey whips it in, it’s not cleared and we miss about 3 chances. Darwin has a shot saved, Grav has one blocked and there’s a couple of scrambles to boot. It’s out for a corner. Potential VAR for handball, nothing given. Corner is cleared and we somehow still only lead 1-0

[jillc]

Thought it was an issue with a stream!

It’s the remix

Learn something new everyday. 

[BobPaisley3]

1-1 Somehow it’s all square. Quick break by Toulouse and they break the offside trap and it’s smashed past Kelleher. Trent playing him on.

[BobPaisley3]

Over to Waba

[jillc]

They have certainly showed some ambition to play tonight, we have to be a bit smarter there.

[TepidT2O]

Chambers and Gomez both stepped up and neither got the ball

[jillc]

Defense was really poor there, everyone stepping up except Trent. Thought Kelleher could have done better as well.

[Wabaloolah]

16 nice skills from Trent who is brought down, nothing comes from the free kick

[Wabaloolah]

19 good play by Ryan and Darwin but nobody can get a shot away and Toulouse clear

[Wabaloolah]

We appear to have gone off the boil at the moment, nothing much happening at either end

[TepidT2O]

Curtis looks a bit off the pace, he’s lost the ball a couple of times and that’s just not like him. Hasn’t played for three weeks so not a surprise

[BobPaisley3]

Absolutely no width on the right

[Wabaloolah]

22 great pass from Kelleher to Darwin but again we can't find a ball to get something on goal

[jillc]

Looking a bit disjointed up front, everyone seems to be getting in each others way. Just seems a bit of a communication issue about who goes where.

True, but with eight changes I guess its inevitable.

[Wabaloolah]

Curtis looks a bit off the pace, he’s lost the ball a couple of times and that’s just nit like him. Hasn’t played for three weeks so not a surprise

we all know who's fault that is

[Wabaloolah]

Absolutely no width on the right

that's the problem with the new system especially when Mo is not playing

[BobPaisley3]

that's the problem with the new system especially when Mo is not playing

It is. We get a whole lot more possession in the middle but no outlet in the final third.

[Wabaloolah]

26 Gravenberch tries a long ball out to Elliott from righ to the left but it's just to long and it's out for a thriw

[Wabaloolah]

27 an incredible ball from Trent finds Gravenberch who gets a shot on goal that produces a good save from the keeper, corner is cleared