Mails: Big nights in Europe more important than trophies
Keep emails coming to theeditor@football365.com…
Trophies? Nah.
What would you choose… winning a League Cup Final in a competition where teams are semi-bothered until the semi finals or winning a quarter final of a Champions League 3-0 against the current best team in Europe?
The sentence ‘He needs to win a trophy’ has been thrown about concerning Klopp and Potchetino. It grinds my gears. It’s nonsensical. And you know what – Klopp and Potchetino don’t care when pundits/writers/everyone spout such rubbish and we as fans shouldn’t either. More important than trophies is competing on the biggest stage you can and for Liverpool that is the Champions League.
Liverpool probably won’t win the Champions League. We may not even get to the semi final. But having nights like this against City and more to come perhaps against Bayern, Barca or Real Madrid; they’re special.
Klopp is taking us on a journey and if we fall at the end, I’ll take it. Because nights like last night, that meant more than some trophies did.
Damien Ó Ceallaigh
We don’t need a hero
Arsenal need heroes? Sorry but no.
There’s nothing that wrong with our current crop of players – the problem is in the dugout.
Arsene could bugger up City, Chelsea, Liverpool, United, Spurs, Real or Barca.
In these days of the micro manager, who looks into every single aspect of their players’ performances to eke out that additional per cent, coaches like Wenger, who will routinely send his players out with the same game plan and has no interest in understanding why his team has just been beaten, need to be consigned to history.
If the players really were the problem, the likes of Cesc, RVP and even the Ox wouldn’t have gone on to better things after leaving the club.
The club isn’t holding out for a hero – it’s holding out for a new manager.
If Stan finally pushes the button – Arsenal could come again. Until then expect more and more empty seats.
Graham Simons, Gooner, Norf London
Liverpool do Europe well
As a grudging neutral, Liverpool really do do Champions League games well.
Ignoring the coach-bottling, the atmosphere is everything the average United home game isn’t and should be. The team play dramatic, positive aggressive football, the connection between coach, club and players is tangible, and you can enjoy the football for its own sake.
Chris MUFC
Greatest players ever, sigh
In light of that recent really, really good goal, the debate of greatest player ever™ seems to have resurfaced.
As always the definition of “ever” seems to mostly be “since 1992 except for Pelé”. Therefore here is my list (in no set order) of the greatest players I wish I had been alive to see (leaving out Pelé because he always gets remembered anyway)
1. Eusebio
2. Ferenc Puskas
3. Alfredo Di Stefano
4. Johan Cruyff
5. Garrincha
Are there any veteran mailboxers out there who managed to witness one of these greats? Would be great to hear some recollections of live accounts.
Terry Hall, Switzerland (not necessarily suggesting these are the 5 best ever, just these are the 5 that came to mind of players from the past I would have loved to watch)
Is Winty a witch?
First one has to be is Sarah some kind of witch? Because the game seemed to have panned out as if it were being transcribed from her article.
Why is everyone saying if Liverpool score the tie is over? City have to score 3 goals just to force extra time. Sure Livepool don’t have the best defence but it isn’t West Brom. The tie is already over.
All the ties are over.
Pep Guardiola’s Man City are not a great team. They are profiting from a very lackluster Premier League. If Liverpool run into Barcelona and especially Real expect them to be trounced.
Dino Kantardzic
Perfect team talk from Sarah
Just want to say to Sarah Winterburn, I’m pretty sure Klopp must have read that article out to his team, as they executed what you described in your article to a T.
Shock, Awe, Fire (and flares) it was all there in a tremendous performance from the team and the fans (in the stadium).
Lets see what next week brings now.
Ash, LFC
Butterfly effect
16/17 Ox in his Arsene Wenger shaped cocoon: 17 goals and assists in 45 games.
17/18 Ox the butterfly emerging under Klopp: 11 goals and assists in 41 games.
For a team which has scored 116 goals so far when Arsenal scored 121 in total last season. Happy we sold him personally. Nice goal though.
Simon Cochrane
The Football Killjoys
What is it about football tribalism that makes any happiness instantly confronted & fought with?
This negativity seems to pervade all leagues, both nationally & internationally to the point where the “Twittersphere” is alive with perpetual hatred, bile & bitterness.
Liverpool’s bottle throwing fans last night were indeed an embarrassment & I sincerely hope they are found & banned for life. That said, to suggest I myself “must feel shame” or “can’t possibly be happy now” for said fans behaviour is ridiculous. I am no more ashamed for their behaviour than I am proud when Liverpool’s players perform fantastically. Why would I? Neither the behaviour nor the skills reflect on me as a person as both are just affiliations with the club I chose to support.
This isn’t a Liverpool thing either.
United finish 2nd with massive improvement? Don’t be happy, you should be winning it?
Arsenal happy for the chance of winning the EL? Pfft mugs. It’s CL or nothing!
City absolutely caning the league? Ha Spent too much money mate!
Spurs, our London ‘twins’ with great manager, players & football…pah….won nothing.
This mail was longer than intended & a bit ranty. I guess I just wanted to ask if it’s too much to hope for that the many spectacular positives of our beautiful game are concentrated on more than the negatives?
Joe Plastic ‘Pool fan from Cambs.
Is Guardiola the editor of this site?
Dear Editor,
Interesting read Daniel Storey’s “16 conclusions while trying very hard not to criticize Man City players and especially Guardiola very much”. If you didn’t know last nights score and anything implying it was removed from the article you’d think Liverpool played great and maybe won 1-0 from what was written rather than Man City being comprehensively outplayed in every area without even getting a shot on target
Lloyd Stiles, THFC, Vienna at least had the honesty to say it “Guardiola massively f**ked up” because that’s precisely what happened. He knew what Liverpool would do but decided his team would just play as the same tactics as always. This smacks of the incredible arrogance and tactical flexibility of the Spaniard especially as it was against the only team in the EPL to beat his side this season. Of course the only tactical criticism Storey could come up with up was that Guardiola played Gundogan instead of Sterling, really that was the only mistake he made????? Is Guardiola the editor of this site? Because it really has seemed like he is this season.
After that one conclusion Guardiola was never mentioned in a negative light again (or much at all) somehow. Next we get to the player mistakes which were just described as they happened without much if any critique. If Liverpool, Arsenal or Man Utd were thrashed in this manner the character assassinations leveled at the players involved would have been brutal just like they have in past 16 conclusions.
I wrote this about Kyle Walker which you posted in the mailbox last week “I expect him to be cruelly exposed very soon in the CL.” I was right too and it only took a few days for my prediction to come true. This of course didn’t stop 365 elevating his status from one of top 5 (or 3) right backs in the world about 2 weeks ago to the world’s best just this week (what did he do inbetween to deserve this exactly?). Is this going to be reevaluated by yourselves now? No need to answer as I know its a big no.
Last night the Man City players collectively and as individuals were terrible and their manager was even worse so just tell it like it is as you would with any other top side.
Anyway congratulations to Klopp and Liverpool for a fantastic performance and I hope they can do the same next week.
William, Leicester
THANK YOU!!
Thank you Dejan Lovren. A man who has been much maligned and has received so much criticism that would break ordinary men. A quietly brilliant performance – no tackles and only one interception. But a key part of an efficient back four that held Man City to no shots on target.
Thank you TAA. As everyone has already said, a clear man of the match performance. Along with VVD and Robertson, the Liverpool back line is increasingly looking like a title contending machine.
Thank you Oxlade Chamberlain. Everyone quizzed Liverpool and Klopp on the transfer but what of the man himself? What would the Ox have felt having the entire world question whether he is worth it? The perfect answer, as it is for most things in this life, is to keep your head down, work hard, and take your chances. In the words of Andy Gray, “What a hit son”.
Thank you Sadio Mane. Played the 90 minutes, competed for headers with significantly taller defenders (and scored from one too!) and was a willing runner all game long. I don’t hear any more rumours of him being jealous of Salah – he has become an absolute team player.
Thank you Bobby and Salah. Even when you aren’t at your best, you make a difference.
Thank you Klopp. A night that will never be forgotten.
Rohit Vankipuram, LFC, Chicago
