Mails: Simply the best match I’ve ever been to…
Keep those thoughts coming to theeditor@football365.com…
Let’s start here
Regardless of any football match last night, my thoughts and prayers are with that poor man who is in a critical condition in hospital. Absolute mindless thugs.
There is no place for people like that in life, absolutely disgusting.
Ryan, Liverpool
Five conclusions on Liverpool vs Roma
1) You can’t play a high line against Liverpool at Anfield.
2) You just can’t.
3) Don’t do it.
4) No, really, don’t do it.
5) DON’T DO IT.
Peter G, Pennsylvania, USA
No but really, what were Roma doing?
I’m watching Liverpool v Roma at 5-0 now and I’m struggling to think of a game on a bigger stage whereby one of the managers tactics were just so perfectly set up for the strengths of the other team.
If the most simple of armchair fans know what Liverpool would do and how they would play why on earth would Roma not only set themselves up to help that but then not even change it when it had gone disastrously wrong?
I really think West Brom would have given Liverpool more to think about. At least by sitting deep they would have forced Liverpool to work for their goals.
Having said all that about Roma it still takes a very good team to take advantage of such gifts
Rich (don’t expect Simeone to be as naive)
I just want everyone to love this Liverpool team
I hope to open the mailbox tomorrow morning and only find positivity. Don’t walk about ‘falling apart’, don’t talk about ‘Salah should have stayed on’.
It’s a European cup semi final. Conceding against a team in a European cup semi final is completely acceptable even if you’re Real Madrid and they win it nearly every bloody year.
Side note: The second goal was the result of a very controversial refereeing decision. But I’m not here to complain about refereeing.
I just want everyone to love this team (or be absolutely sick with jealousy of this team) because they’re playing football that everyone wants their own team to play. We’re not the first team to blow opposition teams away. City can do it, United did it for years, Barcelona conquered Europe again and again doing it. But none of them did it like this. With this intensity, with this speed, with this anger.
Klopp hates when people bring up his ‘heavy metal’ quote. At least he pretends to. Against Porto, City and Roma, ‘Heavy Metal’ was the title of his game plan. Liverpool have scored 38 goals this season in the Champions League. Real Madrid have scored 26, Bayern Munich, 23. Read it again, it is real.
I’ll let others eulogise about Salah. This game was about Salah, but also about Firmino, Mane, Henderson, Robertson, Van Dijk and all of the players. And Klopp has brought these players to another level as one unit. Have we seen better English teams in the Champions League? Sure, maybe, I don’t care. This is the most exciting of them. If we win it in Kiev, it will be a victory for football at its most exhilarating.
Damo, Dublin
The best game I’ve ever been to
That’s the best game I’ve ever been to. Atmosphere, result and everything else perfect. Mo Salah is amazing. If I ever see him I might explode.
Conceding twice was disappointing but weirdly I feel like our defence is more likely to actually be able to focus and handle the pressure of going away and keeping control of the away leg than I have done in years.
Trying to decide whether to book a flight to Kiev…
Minty, LFC
Another giggles with excitement
I have just read your article on Liverpool’s win last night against Roma and I feel I have to contribute in some way.
Being a Liverpool fan now is quite a chastening experience. For every 5 goals there are always someone or something coming back at you. For every gorgeous Salah strike there is the Dzeko goal that puts the fear of God in you!
Tonight was an amazing performance, who wouldn’t take a 5-2 lead in a semi-final! Roma played into our hands and fought back a little too late. The sign of a good side is knowing that they could come back, and Roma showed at the end that they have potential.
I must sing the praises of Roberto Firmino. Mo gets all the attention but Firmino is just unbelievable. The talent and guile he has, the ability to hold up play as he does and play others in. How he is not playing regularly for Brazil eludes me! From the days of Balotelli and Lambert to this… As a Liverpool fan I am truly humbled to see such skill.
Mane well… When he’s good he’s damn good, when he’s not,like tonight… Meh. But still gets on the scoresheet. I love you Sadio but bring your consistency, we need it.
Salah… What more can be said in truth? The man is magical. Impudent finishing with his little dinks or top corner finishes. He is a man on amazing form and again we are so lucky to have him!
I must retain a final paragraph for James Milner. When we signed him I immediately associated him with the Jokanovic’s and Konchesky signings but to play the way he is at 32 is testament to the guy. A fantastic player who has given his all to every team he has played for.
A lot of Liverpool fans can seem up their own a**e and talk history all the time. There is only one English team left and they can win 5-0 as easily as they lose by the same. I consider myself privileged to see this team play as they do and no matter what happens next we have proven there is life in the old dog yet!
(Get well soon Ox… I think I love you Jurgen!)
Cowlick
Liverpool in a nutshell
We were wonderful, exciting, fragile at just the wrong moment – Liverpool in a nutshell!
Between the 20th and 80th minutes we were as good as I’ve seen us in so long I was legitimately staggered.
Salah obviously, but also Bobby, the entire midfield. The work rate , the harrying of Roma’s entire side, it was awe-inspiring. They looked terrified and understandably so.
Forget the Salah substitution. In hindsight it looks poor, but there wasn’t anyone around me at the time complaining about it.
Lovren had his ‘ Lovren’ moment. It usually happens , it usually costs us. Karius scared the life out of me early. Harsh handball from Milner? Maybe. But I’d have been pissed off if we hadn’t got it had it been the other way around.
We’ll have to work in Roma, that’s the way it should be, it’s a Champions League semi final. We’re not the finished product, how could we be? Look how far we are behind City in the league.
But I defy anyone to say they’ve seen a more thrilling performance by an English side in such a big game in the Champions League, in any campaign ever.
Salah is the best player in the world in this form. And Bobby isn’t far behind him. Gutted for the Ox but Jordan was immense. And Milner is increasingly my favourite player , Mo or not. Just pure desire, effort and a fantastic Twitter feed!
Covetous eyes look elsewhere, you aren’t getting these guys off us. Sod next season, this season is working out bloody well from where I am.
James, Liverpool
The improvement is incredible
6-1. We lost 6-1 to Stoke on the last day of the season. Did that seem like aeons now? Nope. That was 2015. A mere three years ago.
And this is what we need to remember, as we watch the swashbuckling Reds run riot again and again. It really wasn’t that long ago that we were treated to game after game of insipid, mid-table rubbish, and its accompanying feeling of mehness. I remember always feeling just a little positive (not too much, it was impossible) and having that all dashed as the team huffed and puffed and made everything look so difficult (simple passes going astray all the time, dangerous ball into the box but there’s noone there, jogging, lots of jogging on the pitch) and knowing that any victory that is eventually eked out will not have that sense of satisfaction and confidence that it will build into something better the following week.
That was my son’s second full season as a Liverpool supporter. It was a terrible comedown from the Suarez show. I ached at what I saw, but I ached more for him, all pure honest emotions and sadness and frustration. What have I brought him into?
This morning, as we traded high-fives and looked at each other in amazement at Mo’s mad magic, I remind myself that these are good times, and this will be a good season no matter how it ends. It has been fun, I spend every waking moment looking forward to the next game, we talk endlessly about football and Liverpool, and it is just such a privilege to be able to celebrate the Reds. Not just the football, but everything, from Mane’s hilarious goal celebrations, to Klopp, to TAA’s character, to Allez Allez Allez. We cannot take this for granted, because three years ago, it wasn’t like this, and three years ago, well we’ll never know.
But for now, let’s enjoy the moment.
weech (grateful), Singapore
Henderson!
Perhaps the most mental thing about all of this is that Jordan f*cking Henderson is essentially one(ish) result away from being a European Cup winning captain.
Seth, Birmingham, AL, USA
Imagine De Buyne and Salah
Can you imagine, Mo Salah and KDB in the same team. Pace, power, goals, sublime passing and creativity.
What would it cost to buy those two players at the end of the season? 400-500mil perhaps?
Sucks to be you Chelsea.
Dave
Scared about the second leg
I’m actually scared for the second leg. We are one injury away from starting Danny ings or dom solanke…ox, lallana and can are all out for the season. Our only senior midfielders are Henderson, wijnaldum and Milner! I would dread to think what would happen if VDV got injured. I would rest them all on the weekend and throw all the kids in.
It shows we need a lot more investment to compete on all fronts. I would actually throw ings and cash at Leicester for Vardy. He’s in his 30s, only has a few more years and would probably be content with a backup role to firmino. His style of play fits too. Another winger to help rest mane and salah are also needed along with a holding midfielder, centre back, keeper and left back to replace Moreno.
Here’s another thought, if we do make the final, I think Ben Woodburn will be on the bench and will probably come off to score a goal!
Pete, Birmingham
A Manchester United fan admits…
For all the talk of league table placement determining which team is better, I’ll take a third place finish and the Champions League final over second place and FA Cup final any time, any day everyday without a blink.
Patrick, MUFC Boston
…Liverpool can win it (and I kinda hope they do).
Fair
In light of last night’s events, and as a proud Manchester United supporter,
I will not be reading either of today’s mailboxes.
See you all tomorrow.
DC, BAC
Klopp and Di Francesco: Separated at birth
So, some football happened last night. Irrespective of the result, I’ve got no dog in the fight, I was astonished by Klopp and Di Francesco.
Did they ring each other up pre-match and agree on a synchronised scruffy look of beards, glasses and tracksuit? Do the rules of Uefa decree this the semifinal dress-code? Or was it mere coincidence? Answers on an e-card, please.
If it hadn’t been for the club logos on their tops I wouldn’t have been able to tell them apart!
Martin Seldrup Nielsen (Wish we’d have given Salah a proper chance), Chelsea supporter, Zürich