Liverpool v The Arsenal, 5.30pm Saturday 23 December 2023

[Mac76]

3-0 Salah hatter

In all seriousness, I do think we'll do well to even get a draw

If it wasn't for one or two key players missing, i might be more optimistic about this, but Salah v Zin is the stuff of nightmares - such a shame Tomi is injured and that our high-quality dedicated LB is on loan...

Also Ram almost single-handedly prevented us from losing this fixture last season, but ofc he won't play either and you can bet Livepool will put as much pressure on Raya as possible

And while at least there's no Xhaka this time, you can bet Klopp will do everything he can to get Arteta or one of the Arsenal players to boil over and who's to say he won't succeed

still, COYG :lol:

[Letters]

I’d take a point. A win would be a “statement”, we haven’t had a statement away win for ages. Newcastle away was good last year but it was too little, too late. A loss wouldn’t be fatal but it would be worrying - it would mean we’d lost the 3 big away games so far which doesn’t bode well.

[HCZ_Reborn]

The trouble away from home seems to be more scoring goals than conceding them. It is high time we won at Anfield, and it would be an absolute statement result to do so.

We’ve played at Anfield twice before on December 23rd. First time in 2000 where we got trounced 4-0. And then a year later in the super Sunday game where despite being down to ten men for most of the game we won 2-1 there

[Marc Overmars]

Would be a monstrous win if we got it but I very much doubt we will.

I don’t see Liverpool firing a blank 2 league games in a row and in a week where the atmosphere has been criticised I think it all points to a rough day at the office for us.

3-1.

[Mac76]

The main hope is Martinelli and (am I really saying this) Havertz can exploit the gaps left by TAA to get some purchase on their right hand side - but even if they do, everyone will need their scoring boots on - we can't be as profligate as we were in the Villa and Brighton games, chances will have to count

[Shaqiri Is Boss]

4-4.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Same team as Brighton I think.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas, Endo, Szoboszlai, Jones, Salah, Gakpo, Diaz
Subs: Kelleher, Gomez, Gravenberch, Nunez, Elliott, Clark, McConnell, Quansah, Bradley.

Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Rice, Havertz, Odegaard, Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
Subs: Ramsdale, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Kiwior, Soares, Trossard, Nelson, Elneny, Jorginho

[Letters]

4-4.

:lol:

I’d take that!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Come on Arsenal! :bow:

[Letters]

Come on Arsenal! :bow:

:gp:

[Mac76]

Good to see Jorg back, he could (hopefully) be useful later in the game

[McNamara That Ghost...]

GABRIEL!!!

[Mac76]

Yes!!!!!!!!

[Mac76]

It's not offside, that Liverpool elbow is keeping him on

[Mac76]

Tsimikas shoves Saka in the throat but of course VAR says no foul :rolleyes:

[Mac76]

Jesus :doh:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Zinchenko leaving Salah was silly.

[Mac76]

Poor shot from Odegaard

[Marc Overmars]

Odegaard a little bit fortunate there to get away with the handball.

[Shaqiri Is Boss]

Somehow not handball :lol:

Sent from my M2101K6G using Tapatalk

[Mac76]

Dumb Arsenal FK routine no. 3424344

[Mac76]

Somehow not handball :lol:

Sent from my M2101K6G using Tapatalk

Err, because it was purely accidental and unavoidable, he was falling over

[McNamara That Ghost...]

1-1 Salah

[Mac76]

I'm betting Ram saves that

[Mac76]

And predictably poor from Zin

[Marc Overmars]

Zinchenko v Salah :haha:

[Marc Overmars]

Played really well tbf but those individual battles is where we will lose the game.

[Letters]

I'm betting Ram saves that

That’s a stretch. Raya was thrown under the bus by Zin, you can’t let Salah cut inside that easily

[Mac76]

Klopp :haha:

[Mac76]

That’s a stretch. Raya was thrown under the bus by Zin, you can’t let Salah cut inside that easily

Ofc, as i said afterwards Zin should take blame but Ram is very good at getting to those types of shots

[Mac76]

Tsimakas :rose:

[Marc Overmars]

Needed Tomiyasu for this game

[Marc Overmars]

No conviction on anything Odegaard is doing. Just casually playing it into semi dangerous areas hoping someone makes something of it.

[Mac76]

How does Martinelli miiss there?

[Marc Overmars]

Martinelli WTF?

[Mac76]

No conviction on anything Odegaard is doing. Just casually playing it into semi dangerous areas hoping someone makes something of it.

We've played quite a few poor balls forward

[Letters]

How the hell is Martinelli not hitting the target there?! :doh:

[Marc Overmars]

Martinelli needs to be doing a little more to keep the ball from coming back our away. He’s supposed to be the outlet.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Both Zinchenko and Raya at fault for their equaliser

[Mac76]

1-1 HT, good start but Zin just as shaky in defence as predicted (plus his throw-ins are appalling) and we're not keeping possession well enough

We need to target TAA more in the second half

[Marc Overmars]

We’ve played well but that doesn’t really mean too much for us here.

Need more conviction from Saka, Martinelli and Jesus if we’re going to get anything here because there’s no doubt Liverpool with their individual talents will find a way to score again.

[Letters]

Both Zinchenko and Raya at fault for their equaliser

Nah. Raya had no real chance, Raya was left 1 on 1 with Salah because of Zin, Salah absolutely rifled it in to the top of the net.

[Mac76]

Nah. Raya had no real chance, Raya was left 1 on 1 with Salah because of Zin, Salah absolutely rifled it in to the top of the net.

I still say Ram would be quicker to react and at least have got a lot closer to it, but ofc the main fault lies with Zin

[Mac76]

Kiwior should come on for Zin no later than 60 mins, plus Trossard should get a decent run out, the guy got a hatter at Anfield ffs

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Come on Arsenal. :bow:

[Letters]

I still say Ram would be quicker to react and at least have got a lot closer to it, but ofc the main fault lies with Zin

Well, maybe (about Ram). But to say Raya is part of the blame implies it’s one he really should have saved. I don’t buy that.

[Letters]

Come on Arsenal. :bow:

:gp:

[Mac76]

How is that a booking for Rice, really harsh

[Mac76]

Martinelli's touch is really poor today at times

[Mac76]

Zin :ilt:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Awful start to this half.

[Marc Overmars]

This game is a mess. :lol:

[Mac76]

He needs to make changes, Kiwior for Zin and Trossard on for Odegaard or Havertz, or maybe Martinelli actually

[Marc Overmars]

Martinelli is annoying me.

[Niall_Quinn]

22 absolute shit-kickers. The quality is embarrassing, from both teams.

[Marc Overmars]

Won’t be long before 2-1 judging by how this half is panning out.

[Mac76]

Zin :doh:

[Mac76]

Won’t be long before 2-1 judging by how this half is panning out.

Neville's right though, if Martinalli and Havertz were getting into the box for some of our crosses we'd be back in the lead

[Niall_Quinn]

That's unbelievable. The geezer is in front of goal, with time, and he can't even get it anywhere near the goal. Glad he didn't of course. But how are these wankers even paid for this? Same with the gypo defender we have. Can't get the ball on the target or anywhere near it. What's that all about?

[Marc Overmars]

Neville's right though, if Martinalli and Havertz were getting into the box for some of our crosses we'd be back in the lead

No natural goal scorers in the team. Happens all the time, nothing new there.

[Mac76]

Rice FK :doh:

Set piece coach :pal:

[Niall_Quinn]

£110million quid and he can't take a free kick.

[Niall_Quinn]

Now we have a pansy rolling around crying.

[Mac76]

Trossard coming on, good move

[Mac76]

Bit worried about Nunez coming on though

[Niall_Quinn]

Martinelli, probably the best of a bad bunch, looked like he didn't give a shit. Maybe he hasn't finished his Christmas shopping yet and it's weighing on him?

[Mac76]

How TF does Zin get to stay on ...?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

How has be missed?!

[Mac76]

Awful corner, followed by Arsenal fuck-up followed by TAA skying it - dreadful passage of play

[Niall_Quinn]

OMG. That was shit piled on shit piled on shit. This is hilarious.

[Letters]

How the fuck did we get away with that?! :sick:

[Marc Overmars]

Should be 2-1.

Got away with that big time.

[Niall_Quinn]

These are the top 2? How generous do they want the gypos to be?

[Mac76]

Eddie coming on to bring us down to 10 men

[Niall_Quinn]

Have the rules changed? Is the purpose of the game to give the ball away now? I preferred the old rules.

[Niall_Quinn]

Nah, this is a piss-take. It's deliberate. Nobody could be that bad at this level.

[Mac76]

We've been so bad in the Liverpool box

[Mac76]

I'll say it again, Zin is the worst signing since Mustafi

[Niall_Quinn]

Should be a red for Salad. If he got booked for upsetting the shrinking violet in black, he should have got booked for the foul beforehand. So red.

[Mac76]

Eddie a yard off the pace as always

[Mac76]

Saka got the ball no problem there

[Niall_Quinn]

Wow, some common sense.

[Niall_Quinn]

Eddie might be Theo on ice but at least he looks like he gives a shit. Which is more than can be said for the Odegard bloke. One, two, three sloppy passes, okay, it's 90 minutes. But every other pass? Shows a lack of anything useful in professional sport.

And I know he'll probably score now, but who the hell knows what the purpose of that chav is? What does he do? What is he meant to do?

[Mac76]

Raya just giving the ball back to 'pool each time

[McNamara That Ghost...]

1-1 FT.

Top at Christmas. :bow:

[Mac76]

Terrible quality but we got the draw and stay top of the league :scarf: :lol:

[Niall_Quinn]

Wasted my holiday time watching that shit. Both those teams should be embarrassed to take the thousands they'll bank. But they have no shame.

[Marc Overmars]

Never did enough to look like winning the game but that’s a satisfactory point considering how close we came to losing it with that 4 v 1 counter.

2 seasons in a row without losing at Anfield. :faint:

[Globalgunner]

They tried. many a previous Arsenal team would have choked after the equalizer. Arteta has definitely improved the mentality if not the actual football on display.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Wasted my holiday time watching that shit. Both those teams should be embarrassed to take the thousands they'll bank. But they have no shame.

Compared to what?

What is this era of football you’re harking back to where the quality was so much better?

[HCZ_Reborn]

Also if you need to take holiday time to watch a game on a Saturday teatime you’re in a shit job

[Niall_Quinn]

Compared to what?

What is this era of football you’re harking back to where the quality was so much better?

Oh here he is, pretending we never watched players like Bergkamp, Owen, Keane.

Let's play along.

Oh, I don't know. Maybe football ws alwys this shit. Could just be my eyesight that's at fault.

[Niall_Quinn]

Also if you need to take holiday time to watch a game on a Saturday teatime you’re in a shit job

I'm not in a job mate. Why, are you?

[HCZ_Reborn]

Oh here he is, pretending we never watched players like Bergkamp, Owen, Keane.

Let's play along.

Oh, I don't know. Maybe football ws alwys this shit. Could just be my eyesight that's at fault.


Is Owen really a better player than Salah?

Was Keane a miles better player than Rice


No your eyesight is not at fault, as always it’s your attitude. Like somehow this is a pre-programmed response from you. To keep up with your “everything is shit” vibe

[HCZ_Reborn]

I'm not in a job mate. Why, are you?

What are you on a holiday from then? Being an embittered alcoholic? Doesn’t sound like it

[Mac76]

What are you on a holiday from then? Being an embittered alcoholic? Doesn’t sound like it

:lol:

[Letters]

The season of good will to all men :bow:

[Niall_Quinn]

What are you on a holiday from then? Being an embittered alcoholic? Doesn’t sound like it

Work, dude. I do it. Do you? Work is not the same thing as a job. That's probably why your life is meaningless.

[Niall_Quinn]

Is Owen really a better player than Salah?

Was Keane a miles better player than Rice


No your eyesight is not at fault, as always it’s your attitude. Like somehow this is a pre-programmed response from you. To keep up with your “everything is shit” vibe

You'll push it, won't you. Even when it gets completely ridiculous.

[Niall_Quinn]

The season of good will to all men :bow:

"Men" being the operative. Faggots and faggot apologists - NO. This is a CHRISTIAN celebration, don't forget.

[Niall_Quinn]

Other people , chip in. You are on your honour to be honest.

Is Owen a better player than that fat fuck Salad?

And is (no, I'm seriously asking) Rice a better player than Keane?

Okay, I asked very stupid questions. My bad. But answer anyway.

[Niall_Quinn]

:lol:

Throw him a fish.

[Letters]

Other people , chip in. You are on your honour to be honest.

Is Owen a better player than that fat fuck Salad?

And is (no, I'm seriously asking) Rice a better player than Keane?

Okay, I asked very stupid questions. My bad. But answer anyway.

I’d say
Salah > Owen but
Keane > Rice

Overall I don’t think there is a gulf in quality between football these days and that of yesteryear. Lots of things about football these days is obviously shitter, but I thought the quality in this game was pretty high.

I did find Owen’s comments on modern footballers interesting though, about how these days the game is so fast that to make it in football these days you have to be more of an athlete these days than technically good at football.

[Marc Overmars]

I did find Owen’s comments on modern footballers interesting though, about how these days the game is so fast that to make it in football these days you have to be more of an athlete these days than technically good at football.

I would agree with that. Owen came up in an era where the best players in the world were all supremely gifted and athleticism wasn’t the be all and end all. Today’s game is more of a spectacle because of how fast it is but I don’t think the level of skill involved is the same.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Other people , chip in. You are on your honour to be honest.

Is Owen a better player than that fat fuck Salad?

And is (no, I'm seriously asking) Rice a better player than Keane?

Okay, I asked very stupid questions. My bad. But answer anyway.

Salah is a miles better player than Owen it’s not even close, Owen had a good low centre of gravity and pace but he was one dimensional. If you wanted to compare Salah as poor in comparison to Henry or Bergkamp slightly more sympathy there

Rice and Keane - In terms of pace and technique neither are that great, Rice is a slightly better passer but again not great. Both good readers of the game, Keane better tackler but not a lot in it.


I know it’s lovely to cry for the moon and say things are not what they used to be. But I watched enough football then and enough football now to realise that most of it is rose tinted spectacles.


I remember the game against Liverpool the last time we played on December 23rd, when Durkin sent off Van Bronckhorst and despite that we won the game 2-1. The Ljungberg goal was good football but the rest was scrappy and attritional.

If it’s just that you’ve fallen out of love with the game because of the financial doping, banter mentality, social media nonsense and the absolute fuck face of really terrible match officials, arbitrary rule changes etc. well who can blame you

But if you’re arguing there’s been a significant decline in the overall quality of footballers. Sorry I don’t see it

[HCZ_Reborn]

I would agree with that. Owen came up in an era where the best players in the world were all supremely gifted and athleticism wasn’t the be all and end all. Today’s game is more of a spectacle because of how fast it is but I don’t think the level of skill involved is the same.

I don’t think it’s that technicality is lacking. Martinelli, Saka, Odegaard are all very good technically but the pace of the game doesn’t always give you the time to show off that technical skill

[HCZ_Reborn]

"Men" being the operative. Faggots and faggot apologists - NO. This is a CHRISTIAN celebration, don't forget.

Proper men are not whinging and insecure, would just be secure and content with their own lives rather than worry about how sodomites are ruining their Christmas.

But if it helps I’m sorry that your sacred holiday which you largely pinched from people you’d regard as heathens is just as much celebrated by people who at best believe Jesus was apocryphal (I’d go a little further and say if he did exist he was a cunt anyway).

That’s ecumenism for you


It’s like you and the multi coloured haired pronoun solipsists are just as annoying as each other. Both invoke slippery slope thinking, both deeply boring and actually at the core the real thing you’re unhappy about is that everyone else thinks you’re insufferable cunts

[Shaqiri Is Boss]

Salah is a miles better player than Owen it’s not even close, Owen had a good low centre of gravity and pace but he was one dimensional. If you wanted to compare Salah as poor in comparison to Henry or Bergkamp slightly more sympathy there

Rice and Keane - In terms of pace and technique neither are that great, Rice is a slightly better passer but again not great. Both good readers of the game, Keane better tackler but not a lot in it.


I know it’s lovely to cry for the moon and say things are not what they used to be. But I watched enough football then and enough football now to realise that most of it is rose tinted spectacles.


I remember the game against Liverpool the last time we played on December 23rd, when Durkin sent off Van Bronckhorst and despite that we won the game 2-1. The Ljungberg goal was good football but the rest was scrappy and attritional.

If it’s just that you’ve fallen out of love with the game because of the financial doping, banter mentality, social media nonsense and the absolute fuck face of really terrible match officials, arbitrary rule changes etc. well who can blame you

But if you’re arguing there’s been a significant decline in the overall quality of footballers. Sorry I don’t see it

Salah is a much, much better player than Owen. And that's not even a knock on Owen, the boring cunt, he was a terrifying player but even he says his peak was 20/21. If that. He wasn't a bad player by any means but he was pretty much done by the time he left us. Salah the freak, barring any injury, will still be going strong at 36 or 37. As a pure finisher, Owen was amongst the best I've ever seen, but he was a striker; Salah is a winger scoring striker numbers of goals and still providing a huge number of chances for that shitkicker Nunez to miss.

I don't really necessarily agree with Owen either that football has gotten away from being technical to purely physical. Sure, players have to be a hell of a lot fitter and physically able than before, but a huge part of that is down to tactics being so much more based around pressing and team shape as a whole. It's not as if there aren't ludicrously technical players about either. Look at Alexander-Arnold. [Somewhat unfairly] maligned about his general play, the kid is hideously good.

Football is getting demonstrably shitter (could be a coincidence but may be because I'm getting older, my dad said the same about football in the 90s onwards, but then he always was a miserable bastard like me) but I don't subscribe to footballers getting shitter. You can point to Henry or Bergkamp, but they were amongst the best players of their generation but it's not like they weren't playing against some absolute shitkickers at the time as well.

Anyway I've forgotten what I was saying. I'm off to watch the 2001 Cup Final. Which was a pretty boring game. Henchoz :bow:

[Mac76]

Anyway I'm off to watch the 2001 Cup Final.

Someone give you a time machine for Christmas...?

[Letters]

Someone give you a time machine for Christmas...?

You may have heard of DVDs and other recording media.

Oh, and yeah, there have been cloggers in every generation of footballers. It’s easy to look back with rose tinted glasses and remember the best players, but there’s always been players who are pretty mediocre.

[Mac76]

You may have heard of DVDs and other recording media.



Ok ok, it was just the way said "off to watch"...

Anyway i thought it was funny :getcoat:

[Niall_Quinn]

Proper men are not whinging and insecure, would just be secure and content with their own lives rather than worry about how sodomites are ruining their Christmas.

But if it helps I’m sorry that your sacred holiday which you largely pinched from people you’d regard as heathens is just as much celebrated by people who at best believe Jesus was apocryphal (I’d go a little further and say if he did exist he was a cunt anyway).

That’s ecumenism for you


It’s like you and the multi coloured haired pronoun solipsists are just as annoying as each other. Both invoke slippery slope thinking, both deeply boring and actually at the core the real thing you’re unhappy about is that everyone else thinks you’re insufferable cunts

It was a jab the pope, not you. So calm down a bit.

[Niall_Quinn]

Salah is a miles better player than Owen it’s not even close, Owen had a good low centre of gravity and pace but he was one dimensional. If you wanted to compare Salah as poor in comparison to Henry or Bergkamp slightly more sympathy there

Rice and Keane - In terms of pace and technique neither are that great, Rice is a slightly better passer but again not great. Both good readers of the game, Keane better tackler but not a lot in it.


I know it’s lovely to cry for the moon and say things are not what they used to be. But I watched enough football then and enough football now to realise that most of it is rose tinted spectacles.


I remember the game against Liverpool the last time we played on December 23rd, when Durkin sent off Van Bronckhorst and despite that we won the game 2-1. The Ljungberg goal was good football but the rest was scrappy and attritional.

If it’s just that you’ve fallen out of love with the game because of the financial doping, banter mentality, social media nonsense and the absolute fuck face of really terrible match officials, arbitrary rule changes etc. well who can blame you

But if you’re arguing there’s been a significant decline in the overall quality of footballers. Sorry I don’t see it

Okay, that's argued well enough. But I don't agree with any of it. Especially the Salah/ Owen comparison. That's crazy talk. Another thing I don't get is how they can be saying football is faster and more physical these days. Absurd. None of these players would last 2 minutes in a proper match. Hell, the likes of Bruce and Keown had license to boot the opposition off the pitch. Now all you need to do is sneeze in their direction and down they go, screaming. Totally different game. Worse on every level. As a sport, I mean. As a marketing spectacle, well maybe you have a point.

[Niall_Quinn]

I don’t think it’s that technicality is lacking. Martinelli, Saka, Odegaard are all very good technically but the pace of the game doesn’t always give you the time to show off that technical skill

Odegard is shite btw. I can't be doing with a 33% player.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Odegard is shite btw. I can't be doing with a 33% player.

Again compared to who? If you’re saying Pires or even Ozil yeah I’d say they were both better. But equally he’s better than Ljungberg, better id say than Paul Merson and id put him on the level of Santi Cazorla

[HCZ_Reborn]

Okay, that's argued well enough. But I don't agree with any of it. Especially the Salah/ Owen comparison. That's crazy talk. Another thing I don't get is how they can be saying football is faster and more physical these days. Absurd. None of these players would last 2 minutes in a proper match. Hell, the likes of Bruce and Keown had license to boot the opposition off the pitch. Now all you need to do is sneeze in their direction and down they go, screaming. Totally different game. Worse on every level. As a sport, I mean. As a marketing spectacle, well maybe you have a point.

And Keown got his fair share of yellow and red cards. The reason a player like Keown wouldn’t work today is not because of how aggressive he is, but because he’s not quick enough. Saliba is reasonable pacy and Gabriel has pace to burn, you have to have a defender who can play with the ball at his feet today where as back in the day you just needed a hard worker who was happy to collect yellow cards, could man mark and head the ball.

End of the day, physics comes into play, football is a contact sport but with the pace the game is played at today you are more likely to come off worse