Arsenal v Liverpool - Match Thread

[FoxForceFive]

Anyone who can't see that the side & players who have played at full tilt, unrelenting, for two years with almost no break, than had to train & mentally stay in that mindset alone for months before returning to drag it that last tiny bit over the line, are just fucking exhausted mentally & physically, is completely mental.

Of course their levels have dropped, they were playing at 100% constantly & they've now hit a wall. They hit that wall before lockdown IMO, but they'd done their job, the league was all but won by then.

Whether they can get back to that level next season, I'm not sure, it's doubtful considering it could be just 6 weeks away (more like 8 weeks) but they'll be able to get much closer than they are currently that's for damn sure.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

It's fucking amazing really.

See, I wasn't _that_ bad ... 😀

 

[Mamma Mia]

See, I wasn't _that_ bad ... 😀

Ha, I like to think I pulled you back from the ledge.

 

[Frogfish]

We looked a bit rusty against Everton away which was understandable, but its easy to forget that the only game we really needed to win after that was the Palace game at home. That performance was maybe the best we've had this season, smashing them for 90 mins. They didnt even have a touch in our 16 yard box all game.
Then we win the league, celebrate and now we've been a bit meh. Which was in all honesty bound to happen.

Winning the CL, Super cup, Premier league and World club cup in the last 13 months gives these players the right to earn some respect and slack, same with Klopp.
I hate losing but we're about to lift the Premier league trophy for the first time in 30 years. Enjoy it. If not now, when the hell can you?!
Crying about a points record. Do you honestly think any of the players give a shite about getting the most points? I highly doubt it. It means fuck all.
We've been craving titles and trophies. Well, now we're the team that everyone wants to be, need to catch and envy the celebrations. Enjoy it. As we all know, things can shift pretty quickly again.

Now, there is a healthy discussion in looking at what we need going forward. This team needs some new blood. Certain players have done just about as much as they can in the previous campains and we need to freshen up the squad. Adding some quality and moving on those that dont warrant a place in the squad anymore.
Thats worthy of a good thread, some quality discussion and balanced views. But t

[bcolor=#fdfbf8]he season has now lasted for more than a year and Arsenal was our 60th game of the season, 60th, and I think every player just wants to get through the last few games and celebrate, and then go again after a break. Can you imagine how fucking drained and tired they are? If not physically then certainly mentally. [/bcolor]
[bcolor=#fdfbf8]So all this reading everything in to the last few meh performances about where this team is in terms of quality, pride or which position we are in going forward. Please. It doesnt.[/bcolor]​

This and your next post seem very naive to me, though I'm not trying to piss on your parade and spoil it for you. All's right with the world because we won the title. I've been celebrating that title for months now because there wasn't even the slightest doubt (except in Halmeister's brain) we would win it.

Ditto trying to imagine how 'fucking tired they are'. After a 4 month break (i.e. not more and likely far less, due to our training regimes, than many of the other teams we've since played). And mentally not drained (or no more so than any other PL player - especially those still fighting for European places or against relegation) but bubbling with the title wrapped up. Stop making excuses for them.

Now is the time to look forward, as I'm sure Klopp and the club are doing, not sit back thinking how wonderful we were, through most of February, until the season ends. I don't see any multi-title winning team doing that. And yes I'm sure for more than a few of our lads not breaking that record matters, a lot considering it was odds-on at one time.

Our last two games before the break were a 3-0 drubbing at Watford (Watford FFS, a team likely to be relegated) and our last 9 games from that Watford game reads W4 D2 L3 (lost three). Considering how we have struggled in many of those games to break teams down it is worrying (less so the defensive errors). We need recruitment and support for our front three especially - it doesn't look like we are getting it. That is not the investment trend of a two or three time PL champion.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Alisson Becker “We played to be champions - that was our main goal and we achieved it - nothing can take the shine off us being champions"

 

[Holle]

Anyone who can't see that the side & players who have played at full tilt, unrelenting, for two years with almost no break, than had to train & mentally stay in that mindset alone for months before returning to drag it that last tiny bit over the line, are just fucking exhausted mentally & physically, is completely mental.

Of course their levels have dropped, they were playing at 100% constantly & they've now hit a wall. They hit that wall before lockdown IMO, but they'd done their job, the league was all but won by then.

Whether they can get back to that level next season, I'm not sure, it's doubtful considering it could be just 6 weeks away (more like 8 weeks) but they'll be able to get much closer than they are currently that's for damn sure.

Nevertheless we have to strengthen the squad on several positions. Fatigue shouldn't be an issue.

 

[tombrown]

I don't get fans focusing on the negatives when we have won the league .. but then I didn't get Hal's refusal to believe and the dreadful line "its the hope that kills" before we won it.

We're all different & have different perspectives - mine is a panglossian approach, that I have carried for 30 years, and which has finally borne fruit. Each to their own I suppose

Don't forget, Pangloss and his protege, Candide, ultimately changed their position from "everything is for the best in the best of all possible worlds" to "tend your own garden & enjoy it", so you'll find me on my lawnmower for the next 3 months.

 

[gkmacca]

I'm not sure you could have scripted a more deflating and depressing way to win a title after waiting for so long. You get the long break, then a return with no fans, then a win without playing, then no communal celebrations, then a thrashing by your main rival, then another depressing defeat, then a summer where your nearest rivals spend like nutters to catch you up while you do nothing except over-hype the kids. I guess if the script continues like this it may as well end with '...and then the long wait began all over again'. I'm oot. I'm so sick and tired of this season I don't even want to watch the final games.

 

[Beamrider]

The way the season is ending is deflating, but I can't believe these guys wouldn't find an extra 5-10% if something were really riding on it, so in that respect I'm not worried. All the other stuff re rivals strengthening etc is frustrating but shit happens.
If behind closed doors footy carries on for a while yet, next season could go either way for us.

 

[Tinto]

high standards ... i assume everyone is worried the last 7 games, and not the last 69, are how we'll be next season one way or another.
Hopefully, they're wrong ...

High standards??

"High" is not the word I would use to describe the standard for winning the league last season and going into this season. We're talking about standards where a draw is equivalent to a defeat.

On top of that, they had to go half way around the world to win another trophy too.

This team, these players have delivered again and again (and again). So, yeah, it's not that surprising the intensity is not quite there now the league is won.

 

[Hansern]

If you cant even enjoy a title winning season because of the last few games, or because of uncertainty over funds regarding next season or how the squad will shape up, then I feel for you. I really do. It must be shite not winning it in Football manager style (which we’ve actually done anyway).

I’ll enjoy it like crazy for a good while yet, and then focus on next season when that starts.

 

[Halmeister]

Why do I keep getting brought up and held up as some sort of mental pessimist, you ungrateful bastards? It was me who appeased the gods!

But seriously, some people are fucking insane. I'm actually finding myself as one of the more positive ones. We actually played quite well last night, we played alright against City. Arsenal would've had one shot at home had we not decided to hand the ball to them in our box twice. Obviously those mistakes were daft, but the players have quite visibly dropped a level and understandably so. We won the fucking league. The sky isn't falling.

Of course we need to improve the squad, but some of the talk out of some Liverpool fans has had me embarrassed to be a Red. I was on Lark Lane the other night and this fucking schlub was pestering my mate after the Burnley game saying he wished "we were more like City, we need to be more like them!" What? You mean like 20 odd points behind in second place, having lost 9 league games?

Get a fucking grip. Everyone seems to be a cross between Ronnie Moran and some virgin keyboard warrior at the moment.

And that's not a dig at Ronnie. But people are confusing his winning mentality and that famous story with the medals with being moaning, arsey whingers.

 

[Modo]

Excuses or realising it's not the end of the world ? How fucking retarded have you got to be , after a league defeat at the end of the title winning season( which you won weeks ago , at a record setting rate ) to not be like , ah well and be able to pick out some positives ?

It's excuses. I don't expect us to win every game at the start of the season, but when the team is on a roll beating teams left and right being lauded as potentially the best PL team ever, I don't expect them to suddenly lose 3-0 to bottom table Watford.

We have the best team in the premier league. There is no better time to start expanding that legacy. They will always be known as the team that gave us the league title after 30 years but I can't just shrug my shoulders every time we have setback.
Like I said certain aspects of this season has been shite and I don't see anything wrong with saying it.
And if the points record wasn't important and if the players didn't care or if Klopp didn't care. Play the fucking reserves/backups/kids. I'd be spouting excuses with you guys if the kids were playing. But it's basically been our best team every game.

 

[Mamma Mia]

Some people get off on recreational outrage. This has been a tough season on them, so at least now they have stuff to moan about and we're still champions so I don't care.

Still find it incredulous reading some of the stuff in here, but hey ho, each to their own.

 

[HC]

Its not excuses.

Its called enjoying the greatest prize in football, something i have been deprived of since i was a baby - so excuse me for nonchalance in the face of defeat given i've just witnessed us absolutely romp our way to a title.

You HAVE to be able to enjoy title wins, else what is the fucking point ?

 

[Halmeister]

Were there this many fucking miserable arses in the 80s?

 

[Modo]

Its not excuses.

Its called enjoying the greatest prize in football, something i have been deprived of since i was a baby - so excuse me for nonchalance in the face of defeat given i've just witnessed us absolutely romp our way to a title.

You HAVE to be able to enjoy title wins, else what is the fucking point ?

I have enjoyed it and it was a great week.
But I wish this team could have finished the season with a bang.

 

[Mors]

I think there's a few things that might be playing on peoples minds that contribute to this Arsenal result, that make if feel worse than it probably should

The lack of concentration/effort from so called elite pro multimillionaire athletes (some not all)
City getting off at CAS so will spend heavily to catch us
Us not having a pot to piss in so the squad will not improve and our rivals may well do (consecutive seasons even whilst coining it in)
This league win becoming a Leicester style flash-in-the-pan because of the owners not investing and others improving (not a huge drop off, but might fall off a few places)
Our squad being propped up by bottom half of the league level players
Had a bit more luck than usual this season
Us grinding out close wins and city spanking 4 past people most weeks

Any other time, a loss to Arsenal who are a so called big team, even after winning the league, wouldn't really be an issue. But combine it with the above factors and it feels a bit deflating and bigger than it really should be.

Klopp will be over the moon we've won the league of course he will, but I fully expect he's tearing them a new arsehole about some of their performances since we got the points. But can modern managers even do that anymore or do they have to put their arm round every player and tell them they're all great regardless?

 

[HC]

I have enjoyed it and it was a great week.
But I wish this team could have finished the season with a bang.

Great week ?!

Great week ? That's where your enjoyment stopped ? The fuck is wrong with you ? Why do you even enjoy competitive sport ?

Agreed about the going out with a bang I'd have loved it if we set a new points record , alas t'was not to be . Heyho

 

[Modo]

Great week ?!

Great week ? That's where your enjoyment stopped ? The fuck is wrong with you ? Why do you even enjoy competitive sport ?

Agreed about the going out with a bang I'd have loved it if we set a new points record , alas t'was not to be . Heyho

At 22, I re-watched the CL final in 2005 about 50 times during a month or maybe a bit longer.
At 37, I can barely do a week, then real life problems kicks you in the nuts.

 

[tombrown]

Were there this many fucking miserable arses in the 80s?

I'm sure there were, but there was no internet, so their platform was limited to the odd letter in the footie echo. There was one guy, who wrote in every week with his moans about Liverpool as we picked up title after title.

Anyway - give up on these doom mongers. I am sure if we won the league with 114 points, each game with a clean sheet, plus picked up all the cups on the way, they would find something to be downbeat about.

Welcome to the bright side, Hal, at least you have got the reward for your pessimism, by being able to enjoy the win

 

[Hyena]

At 22, I re-watched the CL final in 2005 about 50 times during a month or maybe a bit longer.
At 37, I can barely do a week, then real life problems kicks you in the nuts.

Don't be ridiculous. It only makes it more precious. Now, whenever I get kicked in the balls by clients, or management, I slink away to the office restroom, weep to myself then take out my phone and look at the League Table. And feel instantly better.

 

[HC]

At 22, I re-watched the CL final in 2005 about 50 times during a month or maybe a bit longer.
At 37, I can barely do a week, then real life problems kicks you in the nuts.

Im a grown man with familial and work responsibilities which outstrip football 100 times over but i'm still rinsing every last droplet of covid free enjoyment from this and i will continue to in main until we either win it or mathematically no longer can next season

Horses for courses i guess but i've seen dire football, dickhead managers , cuntyfuck owners all make being a fan fairly miserable - we could not win the league again for years, you've got to enjoy & really savour these periods of being the best team in the country...europe and the world

 

[Frogfish]

Were there this many fucking miserable arses in the 80s?

I'm sure I wasn't as sceptical back then. Probably because a) we'd buy great players every year and b) I was certain we'd win the title the next season (whether we went on to or not is another question entirely).

What the world has come to eh ... when I have to respond to Halmeister, of all people, on the subject of pessimism FFS.

 

[Frogfish]

Don't be ridiculous. It only makes it more precious. Now, whenever I get kicked in the balls by clients, or management, I slink away to the office restroom, weep to myself then take out my phone and look at the League Table. And feel instantly better.

You little liar ... its porn you look at in the bogs.

 

[Donavan Ried]

Salah and Bobby

too many 5/10 performances this season.

Look at Mane, lowest he drops to is a 7

Firmino is the oil that lubricates the gears, and when he is not firing there is a mark drop off in the front three performance levels. Now it seems as if Salah is also under performing...

 

[Donavan Ried]

Or are we just using that as an excuse to cover up the fact there is clearly something missing from the team/squad? We won't know until next season but I can't remember a championship winning team ever failing to significantly strengthen, this will now be over two seasons, never mind just after they have won the title. United's dynasty (and City's strength over the past few seasons) was/has been based on continual strengthening. So are we ripping up the blueprint and taking a serious gamble (though some may say that also applies to spending at this volatile time)? It would seem we are.

If this was Jose at Chelsea, Ferguson at Utd or Pep at City and they were so far a head, and cloud not only break the points record, and the gap to second place do you think that they would have allowed "Any" player to take their foot off the accelerator..?? Fuck No!!...

They would have pushed onto the final whistle on the final day and set those records. If the player had real drive and pride that's what they would have aimed for. That should have been the new target till season end.

We have been seeing all season that as far as the front three goes that we have no player of real quality that can come in and play up top with out a massive drop off in quality and performance. should have bought Werner, He wanted to come...

Also I still say we should buy Tyrone Mings from Villa, (unless we can get Koulibaly that is), for If we lose VVD to injury we lose Fab' in midfield, as he would be slotted into CB to replace VVD.... Matip fitness is in question, hopefully we sell Lovren, and even if we use Fab as a CB, he like the rest; Gomez, Matip, and Lovren are not talkers, or organizers, Mings is

 

[Donavan Ried]

I think Minamino will be a great pick up - but he isn't the pacey wide forward we need. Two more games to get through and then the squad can come back recharged and ready to start again next season.

All eyes on the Trophy celebration next week, ideally after a nice win over Chelsea.

Made some great little runs but was not picked out

 

[Donavan Ried]

Anyone who can't see that the side & players who have played at full tilt, unrelenting, for two years with almost no break, than had to train & mentally stay in that mindset alone for months before returning to drag it that last tiny bit over the line, are just fucking exhausted mentally & physically, is completely mental.

Of course their levels have dropped, they were playing at 100% constantly & they've now hit a wall. They hit that wall before lockdown IMO, but they'd done their job, the league was all but won by then.

Whether they can get back to that level next season, I'm not sure, it's doubtful considering it could be just 6 weeks away (more like 8 weeks) but they'll be able to get much closer than they are currently that's for damn sure.

Had not every team had to go throught the samething..?

 

[Brizzle]

SCM meltdown.