Only one more sleep; until another European final. Only one more sleep; until a game that Liverpool cannot afford to lose. Only one more sleep; until another defining moment. Only one more sleep; until we could end our seven year trophy drought. Only one more sleep; until...okay you clearly get the drift.
After Liverpool's 3-0 semi final first leg defeat to the mighty Barcelona, we had all basically accepted that unless some form of miracle happened, then we were going to go another season trophyless. No one is guaranteed anything in life, and that lesson is even more furtherance when it comes to sport. Liverpool played some breathtaking football last season, but they paid the prize domestically as injuries came and fatigue showed. In Europe however, they got to the Champions League final, only for their keeper Loris Karius to have a horror show, fitting because he actually looks like he should be an actor or model. Fans were left with 'what might have been' comments at the tip of their tongues, whereas other fans ridiculed Liverpool, a lot of those fans have never won the European Cup before, but we will not get into that right now, will we...
This year Liverpool have been superb once again, not with as much panache as last year, as now they have more control over games so therefore do not need to counter attack as much, but nonetheless the football has rarely been underwhelming. Not getting anything last campaign was hard enough, but to have it happen again is unthinkable surely...surely! This is the thing though, we are owed nothing, I willed Valencia on in 2001 after reaching their second consecutive Champions League final under Hector Cuper, but they lost on penalties to Bayern Munich, after also losing in 2000 to Real Madrid, where incidentally a former Liverpool legend Steve McManaman was the man of the match. The point is, we have no more entitlement than anyone else. Just because we only lost one league game, and somehow were not champions, does not mean because we got to a final that we will be given the trophy on a silver platter. Liverpool have to go out and perform, after that classic comeback against Barcelona, not winning a sixth European Cup would be an anti-climax of epic proportions. The irony is Spurs will be thinking along the same lines, as they had a comeback of their own against Ajax to get to the final. Both teams will be feeling it is their year.
The mistakes made by Karius in the 2017/18 final made it all the more painful, I myself would have preferred for Real Madrid to batter us, that way we were just upset at getting to a final, performing poorly and losing. You are not going to sleep well anyway because you are so upset that you have lost, but when you are thinking about the individual errors of one person, it gives you a migraine. Not that we have not been in that position before after a European final with Klopp. In 2016, Alberto Moreno forgot that he does not play for Sevilla anymore and his fingerprints were all over the second half capitulation. At least over a league season, you generally have a handful of moments to point to, but a final, is a one-off, a final has minimal if next to no margin for error.
Arsenal's defeat on Wednesday gave me small escapism as I chuckled. I mean after the first half, I, for one was not expecting that result (see what i did there). Arsenal fans had been saying that if we lose our final and they win theirs, then they would have had a better season than us, etc. Now they are confined to another year of Europa League football. The issue for them is, this is the worst possible final for them, it is a catch 22 they would have never have imagined of. The team they constantly compare themselves to against their bitter local rivals, they cannot win either way really. Due to the fact that Spurs just got a new stadium and have the chance to win the European Cup before Arsenal who qualified for it for 20 straight seasons and did not win it, their fans have decided to back us, as Spurs fans would kill them. The thing is, we do not want their support, these guys try to banter us to the death and now they need our help, do not worry, we are good, we do not need you guys support, really we do not.
For all our work under Klopp, especially in the last two seasons, this is the token we need. I feel we will go on to big things and hopefully an era of dominance. Some are content anyway as we did not look like we would be here after that first leg against Barcelona, but a club of Liverpool's magnitude need trophies, I mean come on, it is in our DNA. Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and Joe Fagan are the pillars, and though Gerard Houillier and Rafa Benitez could not deliver the league title, they still brought us European glory. Klopp is the perfect manager for Liverpool currently, and let us be real, at the time we got him, we were lucky to get him, but he has now built a team so good, the stamp has to come, the exclamation mark is needed. I can not even fathom losing to Spurs, after what happened against Madrid last year. But though we have beaten them twice this season I am nervous, as this is a one off, virtually anything could go down. Klopp, needs to also break his final hoodoo, his three cup final defeats with Liverpool (Man City, Sevilla & Real Madrid) are added to his two German cup final defeats at Dortmund in 2014 & 2015 as well as his Champions League final loss to Bayern Munich in 2013 meaning six straight final defeats. We must win for the team, for Klopp, for the fans, we are all in this. We are Liverpool! We seem to have been cursed with the way we lost the league this season despite getting 97 points, Gerrard's slip in 2014, even going back to the 2008/09 season when we lost only twice in the league, you name it.
Last year cut so deep, I watched the game with my cousin Felix at a bar in Wandsworth, and the table in front of us had Arsenal fans on it, We were speechless when Mo Salah came off, we did not know what to do with ourselves. When Karius made the first error I had no words, Mane gave us hope and then it was taken away by Bale brilliance and more Sunday League goalkeeping by Karius. We were both motionless, we all feared maybe Cristiano Ronaldo would put in a big display, or would Karim Benzema or Isco produce magic, but we ended up basically beating ourselves. It was at that moment that we realised we should have just stayed at home and watched. When the final whistle went I left the bar disconsolate, I almost cried in Felix' arms. All I could think about was my late cousin David, who before he passed in October 2017 said that if Liverpool get out of their group they would win the competition, as they were better suited to win it than the Premier League. He believed our lapses in concentration would cost us in the league, but in two legged ties we could eradicate these things. Well we are now a better rounded outfit with van Dijk at the back and we need the accomplishments to state this going forward. Me and Fe ended up roaming the streets together trying to comfort each other later that night, the roads were noisy as hell which did not help, hoards of Real Madrid fans were about, it was the only time I momentarily wanted Brexit to kick in, I was that emotional and perturbed.
Back to the present day. The starting xi basically picks itself I feel. Klopp is able to name 23 players, meaning of course 12 subs, so there will be no cries about anyone being left off the bench in the hour or so before the final. Mignolet will be in goal of course...no I'm playing. Alisson in goal, Trent, Matip, van Dijk and Robertson at the back. Some people have made a case for Joe Gomez, as he was so good to start the season, but Matip came in and has done well, so he has to start for me. In midfield, Fabinho has been left out bizarrely in some games, but he will start tomorrow, along with you would think our captain Henderson and Wiljnaldum. Milner will definitely play a part, and Klopp will be hesitant to leave him out, but it is more than likely that will be the case. Up top, Klopp said earlier that Firmino is fit, so the band will be back together. We hope that Mane is not rash and continues to be the man for the big occasion. Firmino, will work his socks off as per and will hopefully score to have bagged in all three games against Spurs this season. We hope and pray Salah plays like he did last season and looks for his teammates. This sounds harsh as when it comes to assists this season he has destroyed Mane, but this is not the time for 'heroball' he must let the game come to him and not show greed as he has at vital times this term.
If we turn up, I believe we can do it. So many times teams do not turn up in finals, and I would have liked this to have been closer to the end of the Premier League season really, just for match sharpness and the fact Kane would have been pout for Spurs. Also we know have known what to expect from Ajax, so I would have preferred to not be playing a Premier League side, but beggars can't be choosers. Let us hope that this time around the warm weather training will aid us unlike earlier in the season. You cannot match the intensity of a game at the top level, but I feel organising the friendly against Benfica B was a smart decision, as waiting since May the 13th to play has had me in a terribly nervous state, so I cannot think of how the players were feeling. The house that Jurgen Klopp built is about to add a loft conversion a greenhouse and I am here for it. The seven year itch stops here, I think number 6 is coming!
Allez Allez Allez
Daniel Dwamena
@DubulDee
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